As a guy who secretly plays for the same team, it is really tough for us to come out. But with such films as Hedwig and The Angry Itch, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Brokeback Mountain, and the film that is the subject of my review, The Boys In The Band, it kind of makes me feel alot better with these films to fall back on, and to make us glad about who we are. The film was the first of its kind to deal with the subject of homosexuality in the open. It has somehow garnered a cult following, and also been considered to be a lost classic until now, as it's been released for the first time ever on DVD. The fans (old and new) can enjoy William Friedkin's groundbreaking modern classic as it was intended to be. 

I have little-to-no knowledge about this movie, but for some of you who have never heard of it, I will catch you up to speed. The story takes place in an upscale New York City apartment in the Upper East Side where Michael, along with one of his friends Donald, prepare a birthday party for their friend Harold. Alan (an old college buddy of Michael's) urgently calls him, and asks to come up to his home and talk to him. Alan is a seemingly/confusingly straight guy, who also has secret feelings for Michael, decides not to come to the party after all. But somehow, he shows up anyway, as well as the rest of the friends, including Emory, Hank, Larry, and Bernard. As the very awkward tension mounts, Michael comes up with a plan to "out" Alan, and in typical fashion, it does not unfold too well, and then it all goes downhill from there. 

When this all-too-real film, directed by William Friedkin (of The Exorcist fame), from the off-Broadway play of the same name, which was also written by the play's creator, Matt Crowley, first released, it was met with positive and negative reviews. Some critics and magazines said that it "dragged", but had perverse interest, while others had nothing good at all to say about it. I'm not going to name names, because that would compromise my level of pride, and stubbornness. But fortunately, there were other critics/magazines said that the film is "non-arguably a milestone". Despite the fact that some of our close-mindedness is going "straight" down the drain, one famous critic said that by the time the picture was released in 1970, it had developed an undeniable adoration, and also called the film a "genuine period piece" that has surprisingly aged very well. 

As you can see, people, or "our kind", will never be taken too seriously, no matter how hard some of us try, or not even bother with it.

Presentation
For a film that was made thirty nine years ago, Paramount has given the film a very strong restoration, and the image looks brighter, and more crisp, with the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen is completely enhanced. The results are nothing short of amazing. Kudos to Paramount for taking time to preserve the quality of the film.

However, the new 2.0 audio is nothing to brag about, but it is something to notice, and it is close.

Extras
There are only a few a few special features on the DVD including a trailer for the Queer As Folk: Complete Series Collection, even though the DVD cover doesn't mention it, so it may be an easter egg for those enjoy searching for more extra materials for a few good minutes and hours.

The other features including a brand new commentary by legendary director William Friedkin, as he brilliantly explains/focuses on the production, and even the new DVD. He has a really good memory of the film despite the age of it.

There are three new, insightful featurettes on the making of the film:

Act One: The Play- The process of putting the Broadway play together. (13:58)

Act Two: The Film- The process of bringing the play to big screen, and the challenges of the casting, writing, and more. (24:46)

Act Three: 40 Years Of "The Boys In The Band"- Celebrating the impact of the film including interviews with Matt Crowley, and surviving cast member Laurence Luckinbill, who portrayed "Hank". (5:29)

Final Thought 
This dynamic film remains a timeless expression of a generation then and now, and recommended for fans and others keen on looking into this strong, and non-explicit character study, and also sampling Friedkin's earlier films.