Harold (Leonard Fray, Fiddler on the Roof) is turning 32 and his friend Michael (Kenneth Nelson, Off-Broadway’s The Fantasticks) is hosting a party for him in his Upper East Side apartment in New York City. The party guests—Emory (Cliff Gorman, All That Jazz), Donald (Frederick Combs), Bernard (Reuben Greene, Mikey and Nicky), Hank (Laurence Luckinbill, Such Good Friends), Larry (Keith Prentice, Cruising) and “Cowboy Tex” (Robert La Tourneaux), who is also Harold’s gift from Michael—all arrive to Michael’s apartment. Like Harold and Michael, the party guests are all gay men. That is, until Michael’s straight friend Alan (Peter White, TV’s All My Children) unexpectedly crashes the party. As the night gets longer, and the guests get more inebriated, the festivities turn darker and raw emotions surface.
Adapted for the screen by Mart Crowley, from his groundbreaking play of the same name, The Boys In the Band is a pivotal film in the early career of director William Friedkin, released just a year shy of The French Connection, which would award him an Oscar for Best Director. The ensemble cast of the controversial Off-Broadway play reprised their roles on screen, many acting on camera for the first time. The Boys In the Band is often regarded as one of the first films from a major studio to explicitly feature openly gay characters, with Crowley’s colorful language fueled text offering profanities that many moviegoers hadn’t heard in a film prior. Cinématographe is proud to bring this essential landmark of queer cinema to 4K UHD for the first time in the world, from a brand new 4K restoration of its original camera negatives.
For thoughts on The Boys in the Band, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Cinématographe presents The Boys in the Band with a sumptuous 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. This film was previously released on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Lorber in 2015, but that release was from an older master and is now out of print. With this fresh presentation, the previous release is completely destroyed with gains on all fronts. The natural film grain is carefully preserved and displayed without any signs of ugly manipulation. There is an abundance of fine detail unlocked within this restoration. The texture present in the production design of the apartment and the clothing allows this film to feel more tactile than ever. The film is now clear of all print damage and stray specks.
The implementation of Dolby Vision for more precise color output extracts the complexity of the palette. The story takes place largely in an urban apartment, and the palette reflects this with a more subdued representation. There are bold elements that stand out within the background and lighting that wake things up a bit. Black levels are solid with crush not being an issue in the slightest. Contrast is handled well as highlights avoid any blooming or other stray issues. The encoding appears to be in top shape with an absence of compression artifacts, banding, and other such nuisances. Cinématographe is one of our favorite labels for giving a second life to a film.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio theatrical mono track which is in fantastic shape. The music establishes the appropriate tone from the opening montage that flows out of the speakers with premier fidelity. It plays well with the dialogue which comes through clearly without being overpowered by competing elements. All of the various sounds throughout the festivities are impeccably executed so that nothing ever feels askew. While far from an action-packed movie, some heated exchanges perk up the speakers without turning into unlistenable noise, as every aspect is carefully defined. This presentation is free of any distortion or other age-related wear and tear. Cinématographe has done fantastic work with this one. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
The Limited Edition version of The Boys in the Band comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer slipcase that opens up to a MediaBook that includes a bound booklet featuring new essays by film critic Alonso Duralde, author of Hollywood Pride; film critic Caden Mark Gardner, co-author of Corpses, Fools, Monsters; film journalist Nat Segaloff, author of Hurricane Billy: The Stormy Life and Films of William Friedkin; and writer Kyle Turner, author of The Queer Film Guide, plus select archival photo reproductions. These essays delve into the film from multiple angles and provide a great analysis in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:
Disc One (4K UHD)
- Audio Commentaries: There are two great commentary tracks provided, which explore the film from a personal and analytical point of view. You get insights into the development and production of the film, how it works as a feat of adaptation, where this fits into the career of William Friedkin, the thematic underpinnings, details about the shooting locations, the background of the performers, and much more that puts things into context.
- Audio Commentary #1 (Archival): Director William Friedkin and writer Mart Crowley
- Audio Commentary #2 (New): Writer and professor Farrah Freibert
Disc Two (Blu-Ray)
- Audio Commentaries
- Audio Commentary #1 (Archival): Director William Friedkin and writer Mart Crowley
- Audio Commentary #2 (New): Writer and professor Farrah Freibert
- Interview with Actor Laurence Luckinbill: A nearly 25-minute new interview with the 91-year-old star in which he discusses where he was at during this point in his life, his relationship to the source material, what intrigued him about the project, memories of his fellow performers, the personal importance of social justice, experiences at screenings, and more.
- Interview with Author Mark Harris: A nearly 37-minute new interview with film historian Mark Harris, who contextualizes what was happening historically at the time when this play was written, the reception to the play and the film, the complexities of the character, the direction of Friedkin, and more.
- Interview with Journalist Michael Musto: A 15-minute new interview with entertainment journalist Michael Musto in which he discusses his history with the film, how he views certain aspects differently from his contemporaries, how it complements other major works, the enduring power of the material, and more.
- Video Essay by Daniel Kremer: A nearly 19-minute visual essay is provided in which the insightful film historian discusses the complex evaluation of the film from a modern perspective, the revolutionary aspects of the time, the response of the queer community, and more.
- Friedkin Uncut: A 108-minute documentary from 2018 is provided that explores the career of director William Friedkin.
- Act One – The Play: A 14-minute archival look at the creation of the original landmark play that led to this feature film, featuring interviews with Mart Crowley, executive producer Dominick Dunne, and more.
- Act Two – The Film: The previous piece continues with a 25-minute look at the adaptation of the stage play into a feature film with the original ensemble.
- Act Three – 40 Years of Boys in the Band: A final six-minute look at the legacy of the film.
- TCM Intro and Outro: A nearly ten-minute intro and outro with Ben Mankiewicz and Mario Cantone, which provides some interesting insights into the film.
Final Thoughts
The Boys in the Band is a fascinating early effort from William Friedkin that may not feel as progressive from a modern point of view, yet it captures a specific time and culture with a surprising amount of complexity. The decision to take the actors from the stage play and bring them along for the cinematic adaptation was a brilliant call, as each performer feels so locked into their character. Friedkin doesn’t go too flashy behind the camera, but there is an assured hand guiding things that is clear even this early in his career. If you love a talky chamber drama, this one is quite engrossing. Cinématographe has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a first-rate A/V presentation and an invaluable assortment of special features. Recommended
The Boys in the Band is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Cinématographe has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
