By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s  Hullabaloo on December 13, 2008)

The Boys in the Band – Paramount DVD

William Friedkin’s groundbreaking 1970 adaptation of Mart Crowley’s off-Broadway play has made its belated DVD debut in 2008. A group of gay friends gather to celebrate a birthday, and as the booze starts to flow, the fur begins to fly. It may not seem as “bold” or “daring” as it was to viewers nearly 40 years ago, but the hard truths about human nature revealed  here remain universal and timeless.

It’s one of the best American dramas of the 1970s; a wickedly acidic verbal jousting match delivered by a crackerjack acting ensemble so finely tuned that you could set a metronome to the performances. The film is also unique for enlisting the entire original stage cast to recreate their roles onscreen.

The DVD features an enlightening commentary track from the always-chatty Friedkin, plus three featurettes including interviews with two surviving cast members (sadly, we learn all principal actors save for three have since passed away). Warning: Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love” will be playing in your head for days on end.