Apparently, gay sex only occurred in New York City and while this erstwhile look at a particular era may inflame the testosterone of those born after 1980, it seems to do so at a cost. It makes clear, both visually and narratively that sex was ubiquitous, unfettered and rampant, it scarcely makes the point that there was a cost, a huge human cost. In one brief scene there is a man with AIDS, who resembles the Elephant Man, and it is the only moment of contrast to the lean, athletic and handsome good looks of the gay men in the 70s. Otherwise, with a not particularly emotional scene where a man accounts for the tragic vast loss of most of his friends, the emphasis seems to be, gee, it was such a great time. And that is troubling. This seems a nostalgic and waxing look at an era with little remorse, and more dangerously, it seems to barely speak to the lessons of that era. In fact, one individual predicts that within twenty years, everything should be back to so-called normal and we can indulge our every whim and pleasure. Many, many young people have aired the opinion that this era seemed like so much fun, a celebration of the sexual and with some envy are sorry they missed it. In all likelihood if you did, you would be writing from the grave. Documentaries are by nature personal. They cannot help but suggest an opinion about the subject. Nostalgia rather than fact can be a great artistic license, but it shields the truth,and when it seems to glorify that era, much like Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of Will, it borders on irresponsible.

This is a film that suffers from the same malady that so many gay films suffer from. It's all about New Yorkers, and only eighteen of them. (Count the cast yourself.) Like Longtime Companion, and even Angels in America, it assumes that homosexuals only live and love in NYC.Considering the title I guess I expected a broader more enlightening documentary. In the opening segment it promises to cover 69-81, Stonewall till AIDS. Then it goes on to cover AIDS anyway, in a tact-on perfunctory manner. "See how the consequences played out?" it seems to say. The film is not particularly enlightening in any way and nothing that hasn't' been said before. It would certainly be nice to see a film someday that could encompass the gay experience of all of America instead of a tiny group of New Yorkers. The fact that San Francisco is not even mentioned should tell you that this film does not live up to it's title.If you want to see a film about gay sexuality, you would be better off looking up "SEX IS," or even renting some classic gay porn.

There are very few movies that dispense with the coyness and cleverness of a catchy title, and simply tell you flat out what you can expect to see. This is one of them.Director Joseph Lovett's documentary is kind of like one of those retrospectives you see on VH-1 or the E! Network, only with more naked men, hot explicit sex (well, explicit for a documentary), and snapshots frozen in time that show us visions of a bygone decade, where the Gay Wide World went from draconian repression, to sexual liberation of Bacchanalian proportions, to the next chapter where "the bill came due" for all that excessive indulgence.No one clucks their tongues or passes judgment, as the interviewees regale us with tales of just how things were back in those days, (although you have to consider that there was some extravagant embellishments here and there.) I was only privy to a taste of the lifestyle of which the subjects speak in this film, and I guess I should be grateful for it, because more than likely it saved my life and the lives of more than a few other people I know. Even back then, in my younger days, I only knew of the stories about Fire Island, the New York-based bars, baths and clubs and the infamous Piers and Trucks through hearsay, and it all sounded fabulous, hedonistic and legendary even as it was happening.There are touches of the ominous, though, and it certainly doesn't shy away from the dark side of all that "jazz." There were risks other than STD's, and in pursuit of ultimate bliss, there were some who still paid the ultimate price, and that was way before AIDS came to call.Funny, touching, shocking and sobering all at once, the only drawback is that it isn't the fully rounded account it could be. Maybe Lovett can find a way to extend this into a series and capture more accounts of the shock waves that spread out into other parts of the country, from the "epicenter of the gay universe" as someone in the doc describes the Big Apple. New York and San Francisco were important touchstones of gay culture, but they were not the 'Alpha and Omega' of the Seventies' sexual revolution.At the very least, it is an important historical record that a new generation can learn from, for those who think that "Stonewall" is just another place in the mall where you can buy acid-washed jeans.And on a sadder note, maybe the reason why it hasn't been possible to film a more complete history of "Gay Sex in the Seventies," is because many of the eyewitnesses to this remarkable time in history are no longer here to tell about it. I certainly hope that isn't the case.

Excellent and to the point.The topic is interesting and shows a clear contrast between the pre-AIDS world and the post-AIDS world. As I grew up, AIDS was already a factor, so to me the notion of random unsafe sex seems quite the gamble. It made me think about what could be discovered in years to come to make our present lifestyle seem like a game of Russian roulette. I enjoyed a short cameo by Swedish musician Sebastian Utbult! Also, anyone who is interested in the scene needs to see this movie. It's a definite trip to retrotown :)Thank you for the eye opener, Mr. Lovett!