Review of Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story (2015) by Jonathan B — 24 Mar 2016

Chuck Holmes made a fortune from gay pornography. His company, Flacon Studios, sold 18mm reels and later video tapes via mail order throughout the late 1970s, 80s and 90s....and sold them in vast numbers.

This telling documentary made up of archive footage and modern interviews tells the story of how Chuck and his company rose to prominence, defined a particular "look" for gay men and how the ravages of the AIDS epidemic together with the hedonistic excesses of drug abuse changed the lives of all involved.

What is interesting about this film is that it doesn't follow the course that you might expect. Holmes emerges as a hugely significant, influential and philanthropic figure rather than the exploitative and manipulative money grabber one might have expected.

The interviews show the esteem and warmth in which he is regarded and the shameful way in which some in the LGBT community treated him and his legacy. It is a story that I have to confess I knew nothing about and I am intrigued to find out more about this interesting, warm and complex man.

I really got the feeling that there's a lot more left to be heard about this man as there were many questions left unanswered. Holmes, if this documentary is to be believed, was far from squeaky clean but he did have a good heart and a genuine passion for life.

It seems that the LGBT community owes this remarkable man a great deal and is uncomfortable about acknowledging the fact. This is a story that really deserves to be known and I feel that at some point, there's the opportunity for a really great biopic of his life.

Due to his business, Holmes will always prove to be a somewhat divisive figure at best. However, if this film is to be believed, there is a huge amount of hypocrisy surrounding him and his financial legacy and this is something that needs exposing and exploring.