The Boys in the Band (Friedkin, 1970)

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#1 Post by **Matt** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:53 pm

November 11. Fucking finally.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119317.html

Quot · #2 Post by **Quot** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:17 pm

Matt wrote:November 11. Fucking finally.

What great news. Seems like I've been kvetching for years, "Who do you have to fuck to get a DVD release around here?" (tho I still have a very worn-out VHS copy).

Thanks for the link.

Michael Shetina · #3 Post by **Michael Shetina** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:22 pm

I shall do a set of chin-ups while wearing high heels to celebrate!

Michael · #4 Post by **Michael** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:05 pm

Someone please tell me what's so good about The Boys in the Band. I found it very grating.

Belmondo · #5 Post by **Belmondo** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:18 pm

Michael wrote:Someone please tell me what's so good about The Boys in the Band. I found it very grating.

I've seen the movie several times, but not recently. My best recollection is that some of it is grating in that it is "of its time", and (hopefully), most of us straight guys have had our consciousness raised as far as the preachy portions go ... but, this was a groundbreaking movie with virtues that easily overcome the flaws.

#6 Post by **Matt** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:37 pm

Michael wrote:Someone please tell me what's so good about The Boys in the Band. I found it very grating.

Because it's a portrait of gay men as self-loathing, insecure, hateful, vindictive, bitter, weak, catty bitches instead of as caring, sensitive, patient, kind, witty, clever, regular guys with "boyfriend issues." It's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A Streetcar Named Desire without the female stand-ins.

tavernier · #7 Post by **tavernier** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:56 pm

We have our DVD cover blurb!

Michael · #8 Post by **Michael** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:01 pm

Harold creeps the hell out of me.

HelenLawson · #9 Post by **HelenLawson** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:42 pm

Matt wrote:
Michael wrote:Someone please tell me what's so good about The Boys in the Band. I found it very grating.
Because it's a portrait of gay men as self-loathing, insecure, hateful, vindictive, bitter, weak, catty bitches instead of as caring, sensitive, patient, kind, witty, clever, regular guys with "boyfriend issues." It's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A Streetcar Named Desire without the female stand-ins.

Brilliant!

Harold tossing off bitchy ripostes as he casually leafs through The Films of Joan Crawford is a cinematic moment I'll always cherish.

#10 Post by **Matt** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:34 pm

As a rule, I don't endorse sweeping generalizations, but I think a lot of the comments on this blog post are pretty insightful regarding generational response to the film.

Oh, I should add, though, that as much as I love this venomous film, I think I still love Sticks and Stones more.

Michael · #11 Post by **Michael** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:41 pm

I don't mind bitchy drunk fags, they can be fun but the film version of The Boys in the Band is a stinky corpse.. mummified. There are older gay films that remain so cinematically alive and timeless, like Pink Narcissus, Un chant d'amour and even Ossessione. And I'm very much a Mala Noche type of guy - down to earth, romantic, comfortable with gay self and no lavender scarves.

The Boys in the Band poster is hilarious!

FilmFanSea · #12 Post by **FilmFanSea** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:08 am

The first time I saw this movie, it was shown in an Abnormal Psychology class but, fortunately, the class was taught by one of the most comfortably "out" gay men I had known up to that point, and he used the films that supplemented the lectures (including Polanski's Repulsion, Three Faces of Eve, etc) as a way to confront the stereotypes of what the rubric "abnormal" encompassed in the minds of sophomore college students ca. 1980.

I saw it again after I'd come out, and I can only think of it as a Relic. It seemed to send a cautionary message to any sissy-boys in the audience: if you choose to go down this path, you'll end up a scary, probably nelly, isolated, bitter old queen.

I've never seen it performed as a play, but the movie is very stage-bound. The timing of the jokes seems off to me.

The most memorable line for me (I took French in high school):
"You're a çunt [pronounced sunt], Michael. You know what a çunt is, don't you? It's "cunt" spelled with a cedilla." It sounds wittier than it reads...

Cold Bishop · #13 Post by **Cold Bishop** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:18 am

FilmFanSea wrote:"You're a çunt [pronounced sunt], Michael. You know what a çunt is, don't you? It's "cunt" spelled with a cedilla."

I need to see this movie.

Lino · #14 Post by **Lino** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 2:03 am

Cover Art

Svevan · #15 Post by **Svevan** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:05 am

Might be a little off-topic, but the Tony Award winner Jeffy Whitty (writer of Avenue Q on Broadway) wrote a play recently called "The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler." It takes place in the realm of fiction, where every "character" in novels, plays, film, etc. lives. Whitty plays around with those characters that are unwanted now, particularly the black "Mammy" and two "raging homosexuals" from 1968 who, I'm sure, find their inspiration in this play. They're constantly defending themselves as "pioneers" even if they're now outdated and are always cracking wise about the state of being gay back then vs. now (similar to the discussion in this thread). It's a brand new play, and is in its second production ever right now at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival - if any of you visit or drive through Southern Oregon, it might be worth a stop. Otherwise Amazon says it'll be published soon.

Lino · #16 Post by **Lino** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:10 am

Beaver

So, um, why no chapters or subtitles, Paramount?

Tom Peeping · #17 Post by **Tom Peeping** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:59 am

Harold's grand entrance at the party did remind me of Joan Crawford's at the door in Rain. Considering he's seen reading "The Films of Joan Crawford" later in the movie, maybe Friedkin had something in mind there. Just a ?.

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