SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Mark Dunlap It wasn't long after I first watched The Boys in the Band, in the mid-1980s, that I went out to find a book with a copy of the play script. I re-read the script so often that I can feel I can accurately say it is downright perfect script: the dialog is always believable, interesting, consistently gives keen insights into the characters' personalities, and has some moments of delightful humor. One of the most fascinating things about how the script "builds" is that the climactic moment occurs with the utterance of a single word. I remember once a large group of us were watching the movie together and when that one word was uttered, someone gasped out loud.Is the film as good as the written word? Yes, but only almost. I am disappointed at the way some dialog was cut out of the film, and I don't just mean a long monologue by Michael in an early scene. Even towards the end there were some brief but crucial bits of dialog that would reveal even more about the personalities of the characters. For example, some other reviewers here have commented on some vicious racial slurs that are uttered in the movie, but there is a crucial line cut from the movie that explains why Bernard tolerates the fact that Emory utters those slurs. Even the Cowboy has a great line in the play that was cut out of the movie. So I recommend that people interested in the movie also try to find any book that contains the script too, and gain even better insight to the characters than you'll see in the film alone.Lastly, I strongly agree with the other reviewers here that Friedkins' direction, the camera work, and the actors are excellent, but I do have a quibble about post-production, namely the editing. There are a couple of scenes in which the process of splicing together segments of different takes is too obvious.

elli1017 I do not believe one must be a "fan of gay films" to enjoy this movie. This is a movie for anyone smart enough to get it. The setting, the script, the acting - superb. I do not feel, in any way, that this film portrays gay men negatively. I think it portrays gay men in 1970...each with their own personality - men who are gay, but are more importantly friends. This film addressed some heavy issues in 1970 and as far as I am concerned, it was a grand slam. Yes, some characters are funny, brutal, flamboyant, intelligent, reserved, critical, lonely, happy, sad, fun loving, caring, angry...again, these men are individuals who happen to be gay. This is still (after 40 years) a thought provoking film, full to the brim with details - the set, the characters, the "language"...this is a special film.

drbagrov A Magic Mirror For All of Us...Right from the start ,I beg the readers of this to drop all the labels,like "gay", "straight","neurotic","social outcast","religious phony", etc.The film is about ALL OF US, irrespective of our social status, sexual identity, religious beliefs,and that is the reason it will never be outdated,though it was made exactly forty years ago.REAL TALENT NEVER AGES!Like the famous British film "Victim", it speaks not only of homosexuals and their problems, but of the right of any human to be himself,of the right to be accepted and respected.Otherwise, we cannot ramble of Democracy, and little by little we will get back to the times of Hitler, Stalin and Mao, when one ended up in a concentration camp, if he dared to behave or even think differently.This is a strong social message not to forget."The Boys in the Band" also has a great humanitarian charge: it makes us think ,why we can't take a little step to better understand each other,take responsibility for our own actions,accept different from ours lifestyles without hysterics,overcome petty jealousy and possessiveness.Th film speaks of our loneliness in this world, inability to communicate.But the problem (as well as its solution ) is within us , not without. I can't but applaud the makers of the film for their bravery, both social and artistic (today,in the Age of Political Correctness Inquisition we have no such films in Hollywood).Let us just remember those of the film's actors who are not with us any longer and wish the very best to those who are still alive and kicking!

biankita Despite my computer screen name I am a man - a straight man, but my gender and sexual identity is almost immaterial. No matter who we are, we're always looking for acceptance - looking for a kind of (dare I say it), unconditional love that goes beyond our physical attractiveness, our rank in society, our age or even our country of origin. The Boys in the Band takes us to a place where for a little while we can view one of the most insecure segments of society. This isn't just about the world of gay men; It's about all of us. The movie takes us back to a time when being gay was just beginning to be explored and accepted in popular culture, and that is it's genius. If we are to continually grow and flourish, we must always be willing to further explore and accept our own existence.All eyes are on the eccentricities and character defects of these few gay men at a birthday party in New York City. The dialog is certainly brutal, but if we allow ourselves the freedom to identify with them, we can see how utterly vulnerable we really are. Who hasn't felt totally alone and unwanted and responded by lashing out at another soul who is a bit different but in every essential aspect - just like us? Who hasn't wanted to proclaim our insignificance and feelings of inadequacy like Harold does upon the arrival to his birthday party? Who hasn't borne the burden of not having confessed our love for someone from our past? This is the parlor game these men agree to, and it's impact is riveting.This is not a dissection of the gay world of 1970; If we are courageous, it's an exploration of the universal human condition. The movie is timeless for the bravest and most honest of us. It's merely a quaint look back at history for cowards.