Cruising (1980)
The Boys in the Band ( film)The Boys in the Band is a American drama film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by Mart Crowley, based on Crowley's Off-Broadway play of the same name. It is among the early major American motion pictures to revolve around gay characters, often cited as a milestone in the history of gay cinema, and thought to be the first mainstream. Friedkin, who died earlier this week at 87, was responsible for New Hollywood-era staples like The Exorcist , The French Connection, and Sorcerer —movies that helped push Hollywood studios towards embracing films that relished in grit, grime, and human grotesquerie. Though Friedkin was reportedly straight-identifying, these films made an indelible and complex mark on queer film history, and engaged with gay culture in ways few of his peers ever showed interest in doing. Cruising
Film director William Friedkin, who died Monday at age 87, was best known for The French Connection and The Exorcist, but he also directed two high-profile and controversial gay-themed movies. It's nothing short of a miracle that a director of Friedkin's caliber is responsible for two of the most impactful queer films in history, both continually debated. But "Cruising" is on another level. 
How William Friedkin Left a Mark on Queer Cinema
From The Boys in the Band to Cruising: William Friedkin's very gay decade The late Oscar-winning director made his two biggest films in the '70s, which was bookended by two very different films. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Friedkin, who died this week, directed two much-debated gay-themed films, The Boys in the Band and Cruising.
After William Friedkin’s Death, Queer Fans Remember the
Love or hate it, William Friedkin’s The Boys in the Band is a landmark queer movie, and it’s also the first Hollywood film to use the word “cunt.” Plus Friedkin also got Al Pacino to be gay and do poppers in Cruising, never mind his other classics like The Exorcist. . 
The Boys in the Band (1970 film)
Cruising: Directed by William Friedkin. With Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Richard Cox. A New York police officer goes undercover on the rough-trade beat to find a serial killer who is targeting homosexual men. .
‘Cruising’ movie part of William Friedkin’s gay film legacy
Culture How William Friedkin Left a Mark on Queer Cinema The New Hollywood auteur, who died this week, made an indelible mark on queer film history with The Boys in the Band and Cruising. . 
Director William Friedkin's Controversial Gay Film Legacy
William Friedkin's Cruising, which stars Al Pacino as a detective who goes undercover in New York's gay leather scene, is a chaotic mess by design. .
Cruising (film)
Film director William Friedkin, who died Monday at age 87, was best known for “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” but he also directed two high-profile and controversial gay-themed movies — “The Boys in the Band” and “Cruising. ” Both have received some condemnation of how they portrayed gay and bisexual men, but both have also been reevaluated in recent years. .