Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

    YES, I watched it because I read the book a few years ago.
    
    I was concerned that the movie was not clear in the beginning about
    the first (reported) case of AIDS in 1977. They showed a Danish woman
    dying from it in a hospital. What they failed to connect was the fact
    that this woman was a nurse and had served in the Belgian Congo for
    years...and had been quite unprotected when she came in contact with
    patient blood. (unrelated to the Ebola Fever epidemic which was not
    AIDS). 

Did anyone in the GMA tape it? And would you be willing to loan it overnite
to a party in ZK (me)?

I was away for the weekend and unable to watch it. My housesitter screwed up
the VCR I had preprogrammed for it. :^(

Thanks,
-Jack

    re: .2
    
    I think I'm too late to mention that I believe it was on again on
    Tuesday night...but you might check your local listings for HBO because
    then tend to replay their movies that you may be able to catch it when
    it shows again if you can't get your hands on a copy of it.
    
    re: .1
    
    In regards to comments about the show, my husband and I caught that the
    first victim was a woman, but it left us wondering how she got it since
    they said nothing, so I am glad you brought out what the book
    mentioned.
    
    We, too, thought that it was done very well.  Although when was over,
    we had wished that had spent the next 15 to 45 minutes telling us where
    research has led them today or how the virus mutates.  (It's the PBS
    and Discovery Channel coming out in us! :-)  
    
    I remember feeling very nauseous in the beginning of the movie because
    I could relate to how frustrated the doctor's working to find out what
    "it" was, and then I remember getting extremely angry at Dr. Gallo's
    very unethical behavior.
    
    Overall, I am very glad I watched it.
    
    Shilah 

    I had not intended to watch this. I was in a hotel room reading
    VMS manuals (really! I was preparing to teach a new VMS class).
    The TV happened to be on HBO with the volume low.
    
    I found myself looking up from the books more frequently. In 10 minutes
    I was hooked in a very gripping as well as informative drama
    
    Leon

    This is being shown on NBC (Ch. 4) tonight!  Monday, March 28th, 9 PM

  I don't get HBO (don't watch enough movies to justify having it), so I had to
wait for the network showing.
  I thought it was pretty good. Unlike most American movies made in the last
10 years, it really did justice to the subject and didn't degenerate into cheap
tearjerking. I didn't read the book, but I knew most of what was in the movie.
  The things that impressed me the most were:

1. The egotism of some of the researchers, such as Dr. Gallo, and how this
delayed attacking the problem. Contrast this with the dedication that scien-
tists put into finding a cure for polio in the 1950's. And that disease wasn't
even fatal. There were, and are, lots of dedicated people working on a cure
for AIDS but the level of dedication doesn't seem to be the same.

2. The attitude of the blood banks and blood-products vendors when the first
evidence of AIDS-contaminated blood surfaced. It did appear, as Don Francis
said, that nothing would happen until "the cost of lawsuits makes it more pro-
fitable to save people than to kill them". 

3. The failure of the Reagan administration to provide more than token funding
for anti-AIDS programs at the N.I.H. and other agencies. In retrospect, Reagan
and his associates came across as being out of touch with reality.

  I thought that the movie was well done also, but remember what you saw was
a movie that was obviously slanted toward making CDC look good at everyone
else's expense. I'd want to hear the other side of the story before believing
that CDC wore the white hat while Dr. Gallo was completely self-serving. 

  Also, in hindsight the view of the people running the blood bank seems very
callous but again, how many times has someone told then to invest millions in
something that turned out not to be the threat others thought it might be?

  The movie was very well made and very well acted but it might have attempted
to be a bit more balanced. I just find it difficult to believe that heroes
can be so far above reproach and that their adversaries can be so completely
without redeeming value.

  Also, I'm sure they did some composite characterization. When the Federal
government is involved in a plague that effects millions of people there are
usually a lot more people playing important roles than were shown on this
program. 

  George

re        <<< Note 160.6 by TOOK::MORRISON "Bob M. LKG1-3/A11 226-7570" >>>

>for anti-AIDS programs at the N.I.H. and other agencies. In retrospect, Reagan
>and his associates came across as being out of touch with reality.

I think they knew exactly what was going on.  I mean, like what was said at
the end of the movie ... 25,000 people died before Reagan even bothered to
mention AIDS to the public.

    It's returning this week on HBO for those who may have missed it.
    
    -sjd
    

    It's also out on video for those of you, like me, who don't have cable.
    It's definately worth renting.
    
    ****andrea****