Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.0 |
| Video |  | 2.5 |
| Audio |  | 3.5 |
| Extras | | 4.0 |
| Overall | | 3.5 |
The Boys in the Band Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 6, 2015
Making its big screen debut in 1970, years after its success on stage, “The Boys in the Band” carried a heavy responsibility. Largely credited as the first breakout hit of gay cinema, the picture is a crowded, argumentative ride of emotions, masterminded by playwright Mart Crowley. Setting out to create a gathering of men who defy and participate in stereotype, working to move past appearances and inspect pure behavior, Crowley creates a loving portrait of instability. “The Boys in the Band” is raw, catty, and sincere, shedding its theatrical origins thanks to smart direction from William Friedkin.
The evening doesn’t go well for nine men coming together to celebrate a birthday. What begins as a social gathering ends with toxic gamesmanship and scorching displays of honesty, with Crowley managing tempers and vulnerabilities with finger-snap dialogue that surveys the intensity of defense mechanisms and the depths of insecurity. The cacophony of combative voices tests patience on occasion, but “The Boys in the Band” is at its finest with intimacies, prying into psychological spaces during an especially volatile time of sexual condemnation, using wit and fury to capture the unraveling event.
The Boys in the Band Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't represent a recent HD scan, with filmic qualities failing to spring to life, with grain erratic and periodically unnatural. Contrast has difficulties, especially in the final act of the movie, and delineation is mostly solid, losing dense hairstyles and costuming in limited lighting. Original cinematography favors softness, with details barely emerging even on intense close-ups, while background decoration is difficult to pick out. Colors are emphasized, giving clothing some heft, but skintones are very strange at times, looking more pastel than pinkish (the whole film resembles Freidkin's 2009 effort to alter the original color timing on "The French Connection"). Speckling is detected, along with sporadic debris.
The Boys in the Band Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix introduces itself with some instability, finding music and dialogue volatile throughout the main titles. The track eventually settles down once the drama begins, finding performances meaningful and clean, capturing emotional extremes without crispy highs. Soundtrack cuts are full. Hiss is minimal. Atmospherics kick in with rainstorms and group activity.
The Boys in the Band Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Commentary features director William Friedkin.
- Making Of is divided into three acts, with "The Play" (14:00), "The Film" (24:48), and "40 Years of 'The Boys in the Band'" (5:39) going into passable detail about the origin of the material and its journey to the stage and screen. Key cast members sit down for interviews, along with playwright Mart Crowley and Friedkin, and everybody remains immensely proud of the work, celebrating its success and longevity.
- A Theatrical Trailer is not included.
The Boys in the Band Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Gaining appreciation as a chapter in the 1995 documentary, "The Celluloid Closet," "The Boys in the Band" has become a celebrated foundation for gay cinema as we know it today. It's a remarkable accomplishment, earning its iconic status, but thankfully there's an artful, blisteringly performed feature underneath layers of accolades, with a sense of life and drama to carry it beyond simplistic labeling as the alpha gay film.
