And the Band Played On

[Demonna63]

A thought just occurred. Do you think these CDC workers involve themselves in high risk behavior after all we are all human.

[russelld1254]

Way to Go Matthew Modine. You are so awesome in this movie. I love the never quit attitude of all of the actors in this movie. It is a 12.

[askap1900]

This is one of my favorite scenes. Matthew Modine (Dr. Francis) who is obviously frustrated and passionate about the spread of AIDS; rips agencies a new one.

What is amazing even in today's age the Red Cross won't allow you to donate blood if you have homosexual relationship/ experience in the past 25 years.

[Jezitt]

La mejor película que he visto respecto al SIDA

[gotubeogle]

buttsex is bad for u

[bromon77]

I want the whole freakin' movie, not just clips of it! How 'bout it?

[tomcwa]

@bromon77 I haven't found it online anywhere for free but you can purchase it from Amazon for $8

[tomcwa]

@bromon77 PS: I put a link in the description in case you're interested in purchasing it.

[CrazyGirrl31]

@redsunflower67...amen

[UglySean]

This was such a depressing movie. I saw it shortly after coming out of the closet.

[TheEllllen]

'My criticism is that [the gay movement] isn’t just asking for civil rights; it’s asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I.' - Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1980 ~~ One man's personal beliefs overshadowed overwhelming scientific evidence of a national health crisis in the early 80's. Who better than the president to address the nation of this crisis, yet he continued to ignore it. Don't even start to tell me he didn't know.

[SuperPais]

Thanks ariamne1 , for your coments, and well done explanations. Very good, indeed. Even some people dont care, and only loves to bash and call names. Your words, and knowledge, are very apreciated.

[sierria64]

oh yes this was based on the bbok and research a md did on tracking the virus..shame on the blood banks , hospitals etc.. for not doing somthing to stop the spread in the early days

[Allen10579]

this was a pretty good movie, I Seen it on HBO Canada a year or so ago

[TheEllllen]

It kills me that, even to this day, Ronald Reagan is thought by many to have been such a wonderful, beloved United States president. Yet, it wasn't until 1987 that he even publicly mentioned the word AIDS, when of course it wasn't just a 'gay disease' anymore. And by that time, over 25,000 Americans had already died from AIDS, and naturally, countless others were infected. SHAME on Reagan's administration for having so much blood on their hands.

[ariamne1]

@TheEllllen Ronald Reagan WAS one of our greatest presidents. Why should he have known more about AIDS then anyone else at the time? No one knew much about it and he is no more to blame than the bathhouse owners who refused to shut down the tubs, or the gay community for continuing to give blood when they were told it may be in the blood supply.  The blood industry was far more culpable than Pres. Reagan. Reagan was a great president and a great man.

[kimrabb]

@ariamne1 He sucked so much it is almost comical. Thank God he is gone!

[kimrabb]

@ariamne1 He should have known what was happening in the country he was running! I mean he did not have to try to cure it but the man NEVER mentioned it at all, kids were dying, people were dying and he SAID NOTHING. I was 14 years old when that disease hit. I waited for him to say something about what was happening and he said nothing. Shame on him but this is the man that called the National Guard to tear gas students for creating a park in the 60's that is just one of the many fuck ups

[kimrabb]

@ariamne1 Reagans failed Trickle Down Theory, oh that was something else. I mean I was a teenager and I remember that fool suggesting that the inner city urban kids can substitute ketchup for a veggie in their school lunches, he was not even smart enough to know tomatoes are a FRUIT! He was always taking naps, I use to think he had dementia because he made no sense. He was the reason I started paying attention to politics at an early age, I just could not believe adults could elect such a fool

[nikki72fly]

@kimrabb Absolutely right and substitute was his way to cut costs for school lunches. He always took naps at IMPORTANT meetings. This was never addressed. He really didn't care. Policies concerning an epidemic were not of importance because of who it mostly affected at the time. What a shame. This film makes me sad and very angry with those who were supposed to be elected for the people by the people and the watchdogs for human services. Maybe Reagan he had anger with his son, heard he was gay.

[RNFROMOREGON]

@nikki72fly No his son wasn't gay. Typical stereo type of a Ballet Dancer. He has a wife and has been married for over 23 years.

[kimrabb]

@ariamne1 His own son did not agree with his politics, he was not a great man at all. He was racist and out of touch and man, he opened my eyes to the reality of the importance to vote and stay educated on what is happening in the world we live in. I am not some bleeding liberal, nope I am the daughter of a Marine and love my country but he made me ashamed to be American. Knowing his terrible political job as Governor of California, I was sure he would not get elected, I cried when he did.

[Basra2020]

its amazing how the person who manufactured the AIDS virus to irradicate gays---did not count on human behavior or condition. It never crossed his mind that--one day-the virus will infiltrate to the heteros. Funny indeed. lol But i do beleive AIDS is here for a purpose, maybe population control, maybe to remind humanity of their mortality and ultimately, to remind them of their God. who knows.

[yaywhewclips242]

Saul Rubinek is now on the mostly lame "Warehouse 13". He was also Daphne's spurned lover and lawyer on "Frasier" He was excellent there.

[colonelboston]

Watch this movie and then read the book "The River" and talk about getting pissed off. It's amazing how controlable and prevenetable aids could've been.

[tomcwa]

@colonelboston Thanks for the tip about the book "The River". Not sure if I want to get more pissed about this issue but I'll definitely look into the book.

[colonelboston]

@tomcwa Well, if you're interested, the documentary (based on the booked) can be found on YT:

/watch?v=Ml7q6iMwqLY

[tomcwa]

@colonelboston Interesting.... I've actually watched parts of the video you mention but didn't realize it was based on the book. Thanks for the tip.

[RNFROMOREGON]

@colonelboston You are so right> I saw this movie about 10 years ago on HBO and am still pissed about it today. Shame just a damn shame.

[swastikausa]

From an economic point of view its more productive to treat the symptoms than spend money on research to cure the disease.

[gandhistears]

is the casting of minorities in this accurate (considering their death toll from the beginning & still continuing in most parts of the world)- & wasn't sure that this was present in the shilts book-& of course all the impassioned heroes have to be...

[tomcwa]

@MZNenecoco Thank you for sharing this information. For some of us, it lifts our spirits to know some people still care enough to truthfully enlighten others.

[Senga28]

i had to watch this movie back in 07 for health hated the thought of having to watch such a long movie but as soon as i got on i loved it ; i will neevr forget this movie and what is has taught me!

[AdrienneCou]

anybody know where I can find the full movie? seems like I've looked all over the %$^# web...

[tomcwa]

@AdrienneCou In the video description there is a link to an article about it. In that article there is a link where you can purchase the DVD for as little as $5.99

[talitakoomi]

@AdrienneCou You can rent it from Netflix- a very excellent movie based on a very good book- the author died from AIDS within a few months of its publication. Be sure to check out documentary "The River" which deals with the cover up of the origin of the disease. It was NOT from a "blood transfer between a hunter and chimp"! It was fom the slaughter of HUNDREDS of chimps to make an experimental vaccine done under very hush hush conditions, Truth is often BRUTAL, and people often suck. Peace...

[Lee7676]

i started to read the original book 'and the band played on'this is so sad all this death can be prevented early on,but govenment didnt do anything,just ignored. but it is peoples lives! now we have 1million americans infected this virus.and 2.1 million already died all over the world!

[Kaykay940]

Is this movie online somewhere? Can it be viewed in its entirety?

[tomcwa]

@Kaykay940 In the description there is a link to an article about it. In that article there is a link where you can purchase the DVD for as little as $5.99

[tomcwa]

@Kaykay940 You can also view it online at Netflix.

[Gothicfaeiry3]

I just watched this movie last week in school and now im writing a paper on it. The movie is sad but true. I hate the fact that not just in this situation but in others like this one that all people care about is money while other people are dying.

[tomcwa]

Kudo's to the school for showing it.

[ickiepoo]

Everyone notice how the CDC "protected" American lives. Ditto the "business community". All they're interested in is money, and all they can do is lie. Hope nobody got that stupid swine flu shot. Why is the incidence of autism, asthma, etc. going up so dramatically? Possible link to excessive immunizations? The CDC will never research that because it might cut drug company profits. These people represent absolute evil.

[orlandobabe]

Money, money, money, money! Is that all that these idots are bitching about? Stupid people, there are people dying because the blood supply is contaminated and all they are worried about is money. Any of them ever heard of charity or volunteers, or how about if they are Christians then do what is right to save lives then raising money.

[zoomzam]

can someone post the whole movie?

[Sianseguin]

im 37, and i remember the first cases, the misinfomation and the total panic and fear, I work with prople young enough that aids has been part of their lexicon since birth. and none have seen this film....or read the book...i have passed it on....its unfortunately now a part of histor as well as everyday ;life....but young people should know about the early days and those who lost their lives. In my day there was no condom cucumber lesson...had there been... wow who we may not have lost...

[tomcwa]

One of these days I want to read the book (since reading Nightowl's comment). I'm 53, used to manage a gay bar in the late 70's and early 80's so I can deffinately relate to being there when it all began. I knock on wood that I'm still here!

[generation1313]

@Sianseguin @Sianseguin I'm just a year younger than you (37 now). I remember walking through the park, and seeing people who were insanely thin and sickly, just kind of wandering around aimlessly in shock. I imagine they had no clue what was happening to their bodies.

[Nightowl358]

The book is terrific. Loaded with info. This movie was good, but only scratches the surface of the book.

[TellitToMe100]

"How many people have to die and make it cost effecient before you people can do something about it? 100? 1000? Give us a number so we won't annoy you again until the amount of money you begin spending on losses makes it more profitable for you to save people than to kill them." This cuts to the core of our healthcare value system.

[SummertmeBrews]

couldn't agree with you more

[kohehd]

@TellitToMe100

he said lawsuits not losses

[tomcwa]

@TellitToMe100 There is another similar line in the movie that makes just as strong as a point...... it's something like: "When Doctors start to act like Businessmen, where do people go for a Doctor?"

[cosmictwang]

@TellitToMe100 This! Why do their arguments so sound similar to the ones the agency denying cancer treatment to 9/11 first responders are using? Basically, that there aren't many relevant studies (because they didn't fund any), and since there's no proof that x causes y (since they didn't fund any studies), that they shouldn't put any money into researching or treating it.

[corbinmichael123]

@cosmictwang It's a conservative world.

[WedgeOfSpite]

Which is exactly Don Francis' point about health care. And he's completely right about it, of course. Where profit matters more than human lives or the quality of human life, than oh yeah, it's a bad thing. Kills me when poor people fight against the "scourge" of free medical care, rather than corporations bilking billions of people for trillions of dollars. Good thing they protect their right to have no, to crappy health care, while corporations make billions of dollars, instead.

[TellitToMe100]

..... and even today, the band plays on.  Everyone should see this movie. Everyone needs to reflect back to that time and what was in their heart and what they believed at that time. And remember, how foolish will your actions look 10 years from now.

[mizeryluvkompany]

excellent movie, books better, by randy shilts.

[montegolush]

Please read book; "The River" by Edward Hooper , there are so many links to this pandemic, and you decide who did what.

[dejpau3825]

I'm reading that book right now...I'm not even on page 10 and I'm already hooked!

[wildjoe85]

where can i get the whole movie?