Long before queer stories became common fare at the multiplex, the only places gay men could see their lives and lusts depicted on screen was in gay adult films at their local “all-male” cinema. Elizabeth Purchell’s Ask Any Buddy uses fragments from 126 of these films to weave together a kaleidoscopic and euphoric snapshot of the era that explores the role that cinema played in helping a subculture begin to document itself and its deepest fantasies. Featuring rare footage shot at dozens of real bathhouses, bars, movie theaters, Pride parades, and legendary gay hotspots that no longer exist, Ask Any Buddy is a funny, sexy portrait of gay life, love, and liberation—or at least how it looked in the movies.

An official selection of BFI Flare, Frameline, Outfest, and over two dozen other festivals.