Cruising Film's Murders & Protests Revisited

A new documentary, Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, revisits the real-life homicide that inspired William Friedkin's polarizing 1980 film, Cruising. The film examines the production's controversies, including significant LGBTQ+ protests disrupting filming and unsettling star Al Pacino.

Director Jeffrey Schwarz, known for queer pop culture documentaries, contextualizes Friedkin's thriller within a time of limited Hollywood representation for gay men. This heightened sensitivities, leading activists to fear the film's portrayal of S&M subculture could incite homophobic hate crimes.

The film's ambiguous ending, questioning the undercover cop's immersion in the gay scene, also sparked debate. Concerns arose that exposure to the underground gay world might be seen as contagious, a point criticized by prominent figures like Vito Russo and Arthur Bell.

Friedkin maintained the film depicted only a subculture, not the entire homosexual world, and aimed to create a thriller. However, given 'Cruising's' mainstream release and the lack of other three-dimensional gay depictions, it was often interpreted as an indictment of homosexuality.

Archival interviews show Friedkin's seeming denial of exploitation, particularly regarding the murder of Addison Verrill, a Variety reporter. Verrill's former partner, Bob Geary, expresses lingering trauma over the use of his partner's tragedy for entertainment.

Paul Bateson, a radiological technician, was convicted of Verrill's murder, admitting to killing him impulsively after a sexual encounter. Bateson was also investigated for the unsolved "Bag Murders" of gay men.

Despite its disjointed focus, the documentary offers insights into the hedonistic, pre-AIDS era of sexual freedom in New York City. 'Cruising' is now seen as a skewed window into this period, diluting its earlier toxicity.