Queerguru has always been passionate about queer history …. something you will no doubt have spotted if you follow us regularly. And for the past 15 years, one of the major sources we have come to really love and appreciate is the work of Emmy Award-winning film producer, director, and editor Jeffrey Schwarz.  We first came across his documentaries back in 2011 when we saw VITO: the story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of “The Celluloid Closet,” and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s ….. and one of QG’s favorite queer icons.  

I don’t think we have missed one of Schwarz’s movies since then.  He has entertained and educated us about our community’s history with his profiles on the likes of Allen Carr, Divine, Jack Wrangler, and our personal favorite Tab Hunter.  These are all positive stories from the past, unlike his latest one, which takes a  very close look behind one of the most controversial queer feature films ever made

Cruising was written and directed by William Friedkin  (who had just directed The Exorcist) and is loosely based on the 1970 novel by The New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men, particularly the men associated with the leather scene. The shooting and promotion were dogged by gay rights protesters who believed that the film stigmatized them. This was a big Hollywood film, and the protestors were fearful of it being the only portrayal of gay men to middle America. Tensions were high in 1979 as Harvey Milk had just been murdered and freaky old Anita Bryant was on the warpath. It was poorly received by critics when released and Cruising performed moderately at the box office.  

Mineshaft puts the story together of what really went down in front and behind the cameras as aside from the one time Pacino subsequently called the film “exploitative,” he has not uttered another word about the whole bizarre experience.  Unlike Schwarz, who told us exactly why he felt compelled to tell this fascinating story, which is much more relevant to our history than Friedkin’s film itself.