The Dead Boys' Club

It's the 1990s. Toby, just out of college in Wisconsin, comes to Manhattan to spend the summer with his older cousin, Packard, a gay man whose lover John R. has just died of AIDS. Toby is shy, the openly-gay society around him makes him nervous. Packard gives Toby a pair of John R.'s shoes; when Toby puts them on, he has powerful visions of the pre-AIDS scene in the 1970s, as if he's there. He also takes on a different personality when he wears the shoes, more sure of himself, able to express his interest in men. Wearing the shoes, Toby goes to a bar, hooks up with Dick, and wakes up in Dick's bed. How will he handle it? And what will happen to the shoes?

Directed by Mark Christopher, The Dead Boys' Club leans on a strong ensemble — Nat DeWolf, Erik Van Der Wilden, Matt Decker — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1992.