Destination Climax: Taxi Zum Klo aka “Taxi to the Toilet”

In late 2010, Frank Ripploh's groundbreaking flick "Taxi Zum Klo" (1980) finally received some long-awaited recognition when it was properly released in a digitally remastered director's cut, thirtieth-anniversary edition. Ripploh's semi-autobiographical flick gave the viewing public a peek at the mainstream of male gay life and gay culture in West Berlin while laying the groundwork for queer cinema.

For those of you unfamiliar with the film, Frank is a kindergarten teacher by day and a nymphomaniac-like cruiser at night with multiple hook ups in and around public bathrooms, hence the English translation of the movie's title "Taxi to the Toilet". Yes, Ripploh's film is full of nudity, graphic sex, unsimulated urolagnia (look it up) and close-up medical examinations, which is why it's one of my favorite, but at the same time, it does a wonderful job of showing that gay life, especially in the 1980s, isn't easy--it's full of paranoia and pain and awkward hook ups.

The censors have had their suffocating hands on "Taxi Zum Klo" for decades, so if you're a fan of films, take the time and effort to watch the Ripploh's uncut masterpiece. Until then, head to Mr. Man and check out the really good parts.