One of the most iconic (and impossible-to-find) films of gay cinema will finally be released on DVD November 11th. The Boys in the Band was released in 1970, and over the years has been both reviled and revered by gay viewers.

"The Boys in the Band," according to press notes, "follows a group of gay male friends as they come together in a New York City apartment for a birthday party. When an unexpected guest arrives and the truth begins to flow as freely as the cocktails, it leads to a sometimes vulgar but ultimately open and honest dissection of their lives and relationships."

It's all that, and more. It's bitter, sarcastic, witty, depressing, joyous, and very much a product of its time.

The DVD will include lots of bonus features, including an interview and commentary track from its Oscar-winning director, William Friedkin. We interviewed Friedkin last year about another controversial gay-themed film he directed, Cruising, and he had some ... interesting things to say, so it should be fascinating to hear what he has to say about this gay film.

Other bonus features of the DVD include:

A documentary about the creation of the play

A documentary about the making of the film and the enduring power of both it and the play

Interviews with playwright/screenwriter Matt Crowley, executive producer Dominick Dunne, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and cast members Peter White and Laurence Luckinbill

We're interested in hearing your thoughts about the DVD release. Will you buy it, or do you think The Boys in the Band should be locked in a time capsule and never seen again?

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka (Photo: Mark Tusk)

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Yesterday Hollywood Alpha Gay Neil Patrick Harris turned a whopping 35. Much love to the out and proud star, whose career has never been in better shape since he came out last year. (Here's to hoping adoraboyfriend David Burtka jumped out of a cake for him!)

• This is late notice, but if you're in NYC tonite and are a fan of the groundbreaking gay play and film The Boys in the Band, tonight there will be a 40th Anniversary reading and panel discussion featuring Dominic Dunne (who produced the film), several original castmembers, and a new reading cast of local faves.

• Did anyone else think there were more Father's Day articles this year that focused on gay parents? It seemed to me that there were more in the mainstream press, but I could be wrong. At any rate, this one is a standout. (And here's another, from North Carolina.) If your local paper ran any or if you came across any great gay-inclusive Father's Day pieces, pass 'em on!

Homer marries two men on The Simpsons

• In mere hours, California's first gay couples will be legally wed. If you want to join the celebration, try checking out one of the gay wedding movies or TV shows in our recent article. Congratulations to all the Cali couples making the jump!

• Members of all three branches of the British military will be allowed for the first time to march in the annual Gay Pride parade wearing their military uniforms.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

Screened Out: Gay Images in Film (Turner Classic Movies) starting at 5:00 PM EDT
Tonight we'll see the first in a two-part theme, Code Busters, that looks at films that pushed the envelope of the Motion Picture Production Code, as well as the first depictions of gays after the code was dissolved. It starts with 1956's Tea and Sympathy about a teenager accused of being gay. The 1970 film The Boys in the Band needs no introduction and , since you can't rent it on DVD, this might be your only chance to see it for a while. The night ends with the British Victim, about a barrister being blackmailed about his gay past.

Pick Up the Mic (Logo) 5:00 PM EDT
Queer hip-hop artist confront homophobia in the rap music industry with a look at the participating artists' creative journeys and their experiences with homophobia.

Semper Fi (Showtime) 8:30 PM EDT
This documentary looks at the life of Jeff Key, a gay marine who served in Iraq and created a one-man show about his experiences there.

Red Without Blue (Sundance Channel) 9:00 PM EDT
Mark and Alex Farley are gay, identical twins. This documentary takes a look at their lives when one sets off on his first relationship and the other considers gender reassignment surgery.

Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family (Sundance Channel) 10:30 PM EDT
As you'd guess from the title, a three-way relationship is explored in this documentary, with a gay male couple deciding to find a woman to join the relationship.

In 1970, the film version of the off-Broadway queer play The Boys in the Band was released in a few theaters in a few major cities. The response was mixed from both the audience and critics. Time magazine considered it to be a “humane, moving picture”, but Variety thought it had a “perverse interest” (whatever that means). Written for the stage before Stonewall and produced for film while the riots happened, this film was one of the first to include a nearly entirely gay ensemble. Considered by many to be a landmark in gay representation in cinema, it has left many confused as to why it has yet to be released on DVD.

Even finding the VHS version of the film has proven to be difficult since it is no longer in print. Produced by a small production company no longer in existence, it seems as if the distribution rights now belong to Paramount Pictures who have yet to make any announcement about the DVD release.

Sure the film can seem a bit dated, but how much has happened since the late sixties and seventies? The film was attacked for portraying stereotypical gay characters such as the lisping nancy, the beautiful-but-stupid hustler and the self-hating Catholic. These archetypes are still around, but we have blossomed since then to also create more diverse and positive fictional role-models for the gays of today.