In 1986, filmmaker Lizzie Borden took the leap with Working Girls, her exposé on the wonderful world of prostitution. (The film is not to be confused with Working Girl, the vapid 1988 comedy about class and the corporate rat race that starred Melanie Griffith.) Borden’s film—part comedy, part slice-of-life drama—was seen as a breakthrough in terms of big-screen representations of sex work. In preparation for writing her screenplay and directing the film, Borden did something truly radical: research. She spent months doing in-depth interviews with prostitutes, and found that many of them worked from home or from the home of a madam, and that many were university educated or were using their trade as a temporary way to get through school.

The result is an illuminating, honest and often hilarious film, one that won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance. The Manhattan bordello these three women work in often feels more like a sorority house; all the women keep their day job a secret from their spouses, with Borden making clear that even in an era of purported greater social and sexual enlightenment, many things remain covert.

This month sees the second volume of Kenneth Anger shorts available from Fantoma. This brilliant compilation includes Scorpio Rising, Rabbit’s Moon and Invocation of My Demon Brother. A perfect Halloween gift for the film buff in your life.

by MATTHEW HAYS