See this groundbreaking documentary for FREE
"Gay Sex in the 70s" pays a steamy visit to the sexually charged period post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS (1969-1981) when gay men experienced an unprecedented sexual freedom.
Win a pair of tickets to a showing of this documentary by sending us an email to contest@outandaboutnewspaper.com. Be sure to put "Gay Sex in the 70s" in the subject line and include your day time phone number. We'll give you a ring if you are a winner.
"Gay Sex in the 70s" at the Belcourt:
- Fri, 1/13 @ 10:15, midnight
- Sat, 1/14 @ 2:30, 10:15, midnight
- Tue, 1/17 @ 7:15
- Wed, 1/18 @ 5:30
- Thu, 1/19 @ 10:30
One winner will get two tickets to one of the showings listed above. Enter now. Now read Daniel's review for some more info!
'Gay Sex' in Review
For more than 75 years, The Belcourt Theatre has provided a space for premiere entertainment in the heart of Nashville's Hillsboro Village and in recent years has been the choice place for many events relevant to the GLBT community including the Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals of the past two years.
In January, the historic venue will start off the year by screening a one-week exclusive presentation of the eponymous titled film “Gay Sex in the 70’s” by documentarian Joseph Lovett.
Having originally premiered at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, Lovett’s latest offering is a thoroughly unflinching romp through the 12 year era of sexual freedom that was as characteristic of New York City between Stonewall in 1969 and the first reported cases of AIDS in 1981 as flashy clothes and disco music. With an eye for detail that can only be that of someone who lived the experience, Lovett takes his audience on a titillating and often frightening tour of an unprecedented era in modern gay history.
Not one to leave a good story unfinished, Lovett doesn’t shy his camera away from the gritty underbelly of the truth when examining his subject. He points out much of what the present American climate would like to see forgotten about The City That Never Sleeps. Using a fascinating collection of film and photographic documents of the West Side Piers and the surrounding area as the tapestry through which they weave their tale, Lovett and a cast of storytellers including Bob Alvarez, Tom Bianchi, Larry Kramer, Rodger McFarlane and others paint an intelligent and evocative picture of a bygone era that set the stage for the explosion of AIDS in the decades to follow. One minor flaw in the documentary is the seeming exclusion of the lesbian experience of the era, but considering the extreme focus of the director on the world in which he lived that is hardly a surprise or a real detractor to the story.
One of the most relevant films of the past year dealing with the gay community and AIDS, “Gay Sex in the 70’s” manages to remind modern gay men where they come from and to stand in the face of those who would marginalize our lives while proudly reclaiming the past which has so often been used to usurp our perceived value in society. This documentary is not for those who have overt hang-ups about consenting adults having sex or those who are so self-loathing that sex for the sake of pleasure offends their delicate sensibilities. However, for anyone who wishes to better understand the history of the gay community or the events that led up to the AIDS epidemic, “Gay Sex in the 70’s” is essential viewing.
“Gay Sex in the 70’s” will be showing at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville ’s Hillsboro Village on January 13-19. For more information on the film please visit www.GaySexInThe70s.com on the World Wide Web. For more information about the historic Belcourt Theatre or to purchase tickets please visit www.belcourt.org or call 383-9140.