8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 13, 1994 'SexIs... By MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO "Sex Is ..." just something we don't talk about. No matter how much Salt N' Pepa urge us, we hold sacred the notion that sex is something to be Sex Is ... Directed and produced by Marc Huestis. done, not to be discussed. Enter gay filmmaker Marc Huestis, who believes that the repression of such discussion - especially in the gay community -can be detrimental to our generation. Huestis has there- fore given us "Sex Is ...," an 80- minute documentary which allows free, uncensored and - most impor- tantly - non-judgmental discussion of gay male sex in the '90s. Huestis has assembled an admi- rable cast which truly represents a cross-section of the gay community. They range in age from 19 to 73, and range in occupation from student to porn star to historian to minister. They are Black, white, Latino and Asian. ' demystif They all have the firm conviction that sex has had a tremendous impact on their respective identities. The men are all "interviewed" by Huestis, who is not only behind the camera but also in the film. They discuss growing up, realizing their sexuality, fantasy and masturbation, first sexual experiences, San Fran- cisco in the '70s ("It was like Babylon!"), the onslaught of AIDS, looking for love, safe sex and the future. Their monologues are spliced with explicit gay porno movie clips, photos of the men growing up and bits from 1950's sexual health films. By virtue of this film's content, it may seem as if Huestis is proclaiming himself spokesperson for the gay com- munity. The classification of AIDS as a "homosexual disease" was inextri- cably woven into an assumption that all gay men did was have sex. The film's depiction of the bars, the baths and the whole cruising scene might as well be validation; gay men are de- fined by their sexual habits. This is a very dangerous and very real possi- bility, especially in the first third of the film. ies the topic However, it seems as if Huestis clips. T anticipated this situation, and has de- probabl voted the bulk of the film to the post- viewer n AIDS mindset. He accepts the fact but also that AIDS did serve as a wake-up call which tt for many gay men, and brought on a The1 re-evaluation of ideals and sexual empowe habits. "(In the '70s), people were integral indulging in what was their pleasure it does b as extreme as their imagination could logues,i take them," Huestis says. ters don Cut to December 17, 1982 and the Because theme music of "20/20." "It's myste- persona rious. It's deadly. It's baffling medi- the film cal science." And the identity of gay sonal qL men became the identity of gay men distracti in the wake of AIDS. Lovers were film mo lost, quilt panels were made, habits ground. changed. Thou However, the film is not an AIDS memory documentary, and nor is it a Larry is clearl Kramer play. It is not preachy. or Howeve angry, or self-driven. The men are discussi extremely candid, honest, often hu- discussi morous and always real. Through their nity, stories, Huestis is able to show that Hues sex is a crucial part of the gay male demysti identity, but it is not the only part. time tha A controversial aspect of "Sex Is EX IS .." will no doubt be the gay porno gan The of sex hey are explicit, and they will y offend even the most liberal not only because of the action because of the words with hey are juxtaposed. porn footage is an extremely ering device for Huestis, and to the film's credibility. While reak up the flow of the mono- it says things that the charac- 't want to say, or can't say. they interrupt such intensely i stories, the clips introduce to an almost reductive, imper- uality. But instead of being ng, they actually give Huestis' re grounding and more back- ugh it is dedicated to "the of Jesse Helms," "Sex Is..." y a movie made for gay men. er, Huestis' aim is to provoke on. By generating such open on among the gay commu- stis has taken a big step in fying the topic of sex. It's at everyone else takes theirs. ... is playing at the Michi- ater tonight and Thursday. REICH Continued from page 5 play "cuts through the sequence vest and shows you the tattered undergar- ments." With the help of the playwright, Robert Anton Wilson, this produc- tion was able to make significant change to the script. Marshall stated that "when the play was originally written, Regan and Thatcher were in office, the Cold War was on, and it was an 'us' and 'them' attitude. It's not like that anymore, the political climate has changed, but maybe not for the better. The changes made to the script reflect what is happening currently." The play deals with a number of issues, however, two are clearly pre- dominant: the issues of violence and sex. Violence, said Marshall, "looms large in the play, like in our world," symbolized by the "Violence Meter an ominous computer, ticking away in the lobby. The issue of sexuality, and its s6- cietal taboo, is also dealt with. "Dealt with," says Marshall, "in a powerful fashion, whether humorous or highly disturbing." It is a graphic presenta- tion of the issue. "William Reich in Hell" should keep the audience jumping through* the many hoops it presents as it twists and turns, creating confusion and pan- demonium, like a real three-ring cir- cus. WILLIAM -REIJJTMHE is _. being performed through April 24 at the Performance Network (408 West Washington). Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7p.m. For more info call 663-0681. __________________________ Er .1 I ECONO-CAR OF ANN ARBOR Open 7 days a week *Rentals available to those 19 years of age and older 438 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, 761-8845 Uown YOU'RE I NVITEPR.. X u 'a ,( \e, ed recycling SNEM PREVIEW "RECYCLING 101" An interactive computer tool to iucate students about in the residence halls. 1-0800-777- il0112 __ Theworld's largest student & youth travel organization STA TRAVEL A !! . 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