July is Queer Month for IFC and they kicked it off with this informative special documentary on the history of gay cinema. I am straight myself, but I was surprised that there had been so many gay films so early on. The story goes in a chronological order, told to us by gay critics and filmmakers. They trace gay cinema's roots back to Kenneth Anger's Fireworks. I believe Anger was 17 when Fireworks was made. They described it to be a sort of Muscle Beach experience followed by surreal imagery. After Kenneth Anger they came to 60's undergroud cinema like Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures and Andy Warhol's Blow Job. John Waters and others talked about how everyone in the theater showing Flaming Creatures was arrested. After discussion about the 60's there is talk about gay characters in 70's films and finally actual movies aimed at gays in the 80's and the gay film festivals in the 90's. After watching this documentary they mentioned many directors that I had no idea were gay, like Gus Van Sant and Luchino Visconti. Van Sant's Mala Noche had this documentary feel to it, but that film is virtually extinct today. This is more of a look at the history of gay film characters and gay filmmakers. The film seems to be too focused on just promoting a sexuality in cinema. But it makes sense because subconsciously almost every decision we make is based on sexuality.