Strip Jack Naked

The original Nighthawks was a ground-breaking gay coming-out story, and a quite unusual feature film for Britain in 1978. Here, Ron Peck, the gay director of that feature, talks about his own life, what events in it led to the filming of Nighthawks, and what has happened since then. In particular, he talks about the debilitating effects of a cultural environment in the 1970s which, although it advocated a new openness and freedom of spirit for homosexuals, also actively fostered shallow promiscuity over the development of genuine relationships. In his view, the changes brought about by the AIDS epidemic have had at least one benefit, in that promiscuity is no longer encouraged and relationship-building is favored. Clips from the earlier movie and behind-the-scenes shots are included (including many scenes which had been cut). The filmmaker also discusses (and shows clips from) films which inspired him, notably Victim (1961) and Flesh (1968). It is his fervent wish that the path will be smoother for young gays coming to maturity today, and he hopes that his film has contributed to that in some small way.