Movies
40 years ago, the first AIDS movies forced Americans to confront a disease they didn’t want to see
40 years ago, the first AIDS movies forced Americans to confront a disease they didn’t want to see
Scott Malia, College of the Holy Cross
First it was referred to as a “mysterious illness.” Later it was called “gay cancer,” “gay plague” and “GRID,” an acronym for gay-related immune deficiency. Most egregiously, some called it “4H disease” – shorthand for “homosexuals, heroin addicts, hemophiliacs and Haitians,” the populations most afflicted in the early days.
While these names were ultimately replaced by AIDS – and later, after the virus was identified, by HIV – they reflected two key realities about AIDS at the time: a lack of understanding about the disease and its strong association with gay men.
Although the first report in the mainstream press about AIDS appeared in 1981, the first movies to explore the disease wouldn’t come for four more years.
When the feature film “Buddies” and the television film “An Early Frost” premiered 40 years ago, in the fall of 1985, AIDS had belatedly been breaking into the public consciousness.
Earlier that year, the first off-Broadway plays about AIDS opened: “As Is” by William Hoffman and “The Normal Heart” by writer and activist Larry Kramer. That summer, actor Rock Hudson disclosed that he had AIDS, becoming the first major celebrity to do so. Hudson, who died in October 1985, was a friend of President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan. Reagan, who had been noticeably silent on the subject of the disease, would go on to make his first – albeit brief – public remarks about AIDS in September 1985.
Five days before Reagan’s speech, “Buddies,” an independent film made for US$27,000 and shot in nine days, premiered at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco on Sept. 12, 1985.
A film on the front lines
If you haven’t heard of “Buddies,” that’s not surprising; the film mostly played art houses and festivals before disappearing.
Its filmmaker, Arthur J. Bressan Jr., was best known for his gay pornographic films, although he’d also made documentaries such as “Gay USA.” “Buddies” would go on to reach a wider audience thanks to a 2018 video release by Vinegar Syndrome, a distribution company that focuses on restoring cult cinema, exploitation films and other obscure titles.
It was inspired by the real-life buddies program at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, an organization Kramer co-founded. At the time, many people dying of the disease had been rejected by family and friends, so a buddy might be the only person who visited a terminal AIDS patient.
The film feels like a play, in that most of the movie takes place in a single room and features just two characters: a naive young gay man named David and a young AIDS patient named Robert. Over the course of the film, the characters open up about their lives and their fears about the growing epidemic. It also includes a sex scene – something other early AIDS films completely avoided – in which David and Robert engage in safer sex.
AIDS packaged for the masses
The remarkably frank and intimate approach to the epidemic in “Buddies” contrasts sharply to the television film “An Early Frost,” which premiered on NBC on Nov. 11, 1985.
The film’s protagonist is a successful Chicago lawyer named Michael who hasn’t come out to his family, much to the distress of his long-term partner, Peter. When Michael finds out he has AIDS, he’s forced to come out to his parents, both as gay and as having AIDS.
Much of the film deals with Michael’s self-acceptance and his attempts to mend his relationships. Yet the production of “An Early Frost” was fraught with concerns about depicting both homosexuality and AIDS. Unlike David and Robert, Michael and Peter show no physical affection – they barely touch each other. https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0vizM1_tiI?wmode=transparent&start=0 A promotional clip for ‘An Early Frost,’ which drew 34 million viewers when it premiered on NBC.
Knowledge of AIDS was still evolving – a test for HIV was approved in March 1985 – so screenwriters and life partners Daniel Lipman and Ron Cowen went through 13 revisions of the script. The real-life fears and misconceptions about how AIDS could and could not be transmitted were central to the storyline, adding extra pressure to be accurate in the face of evolving understanding of the virus.
Despite losing NBC $500,000 in advertisers, “An Early Frost” drew 34 million viewers and was showered with Emmy nominations the following year.
A quilt of stories emerges
“Buddies” and “An Early Frost” opened up AIDS and HIV as subject matters for film and television.
They begat two lanes of HIV storytelling that continue to this day.
The first is an approach geared to mainstream audiences that tends to avoid controversial issues such as sex or religion and instead focuses on characters who grapple with both the illness and the stigma of the virus.
The second is an indie approach that’s often more confrontational, irreverent and angry at the injustice and indifference AIDS patients faced.
The former approach is seen in 1993’s “Philadelphia,” which earned Tom Hanks his first Oscar. The critically and commercially successful film shares a number of story points with “An Early Frost”: Hanks’ character, a big-city lawyer, finds out he is HIV positive and must confront bias head-on. HIV also features prominently in later films such as “Precious” (2009) and “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013), both of which, like “Philadelphia,” became awards darlings.
The edgier, more critical approach can be seen in the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s, a film movement that developed as a response to the epidemic. Gregg Araki’s “The Living End” (1992) is a key film in the movment: It tells the story of two HIV-positive men who become pseudo-vigilantes in the wake of their diagnoses. https://www.youtube.com/embed/7mvDLTMUtQQ?wmode=transparent&start=0 In ‘The Living End,’ the HIV-positive protagonists go on a hedonistic rampage to take out their anger at the world.
Somewhere in between is “Longtime Companion” (1990), which was the first film about AIDS to receive a wide release and tracks the impact of the epidemic on a fictional group of gay men throughout the 1980s. The film was written by gay playwright and screenwriter Craig Lucas and directed by Norman Rene, who died of AIDS six years after the film’s release.
Studios still leery
In many ways, television is where the real breakthroughs have happened and continue to happen.
The first television episode to deal with AIDS appeared on the medical drama “St. Elsewhere” in 1983; AIDS was also the subject of episodes in the sitcoms “Mr. Belvedere,” “The Golden Girls” and “Designing Women.” “Killing All the Right People” was the title of the latter’s special episode – a phrase the show’s writer and co-creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason heard while her mother was being treated for AIDS.
More recently, producer Ryan Murphy has made a cottage industry of representations of queer people, particularly those with HIV. His stage revivals of “The Normal Heart” and Mart Crowley’s 1968 play “The Boys in the Band” were later adapted into films for television and streaming. He also produced “Pose,” a three-season series about drag ball culture in the 1980s that stars queer characters of color, several of whom are HIV positive.
Yet for all of these strides, representations of HIV in film are still hard to come by. In fact, out of the 256 films released by major distributors in 2024, the number of HIV-postive characters amounted to … zero.
Perhaps movie studios are less willing to risk even a character with HIV given the drop in movie theater attendance in the age of streaming.
If you think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that people might not want to be seen going to the theater to watch a film about characters with HIV, the results of a 2021 GLAAD survey may surprise you.
It found that the stigma around HIV is still very high, particularly for HIV-positive people working in schools and hospitals. One-third of respondents were unaware that medication is available to prevent the transmission of HIV. More than half didn’t know that HIV-positive people can reach undetectable status and not transmit the virus to others.
Another important finding from the survey: Only about half of the nonqueer respondents had seen a TV show or film about someone with HIV.
This reflects both the progress made since “Buddies” and “An Early Frost” and also why these films still matter today. They were released at a time when there was almost no cultural representation of HIV, and misinformation and disinformation were rampant. There have been so many advances, in both the treatment of HIV and its visibility in popular culture. That visibility still matters, because there’s still much more than can be done to end the stigma.
Scott Malia, Associate Professor of Theatre, College of the Holy Cross
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
pop culture
May the Fourth: Celebrating National Star Wars Day | Fun Facts & Festivities
National Star Wars Day, also known as May the Fourth, is a celebration of the Star Wars franchise that takes place annually on May 4th.
Last Updated on May 4, 2026 by Daily News Staff
National Star Wars Day, also known as May the Fourth, is a celebration of the Star Wars franchise that takes place annually on May 4th. The day is filled with festivities such as costume contests, trivia games, and movie marathons. Fans of the series can dress up like their favorite characters, watch their favorite movies, and make outer space snacks.
The phrase “May the Fourth Be with You” was first introduced by the Conservative Party in the UK in 1979 to congratulate Margaret Thatcher on becoming the first female Prime Minister. Since then, the phrase has become synonymous with Star Wars Day and is used by fans around the world to greet each other on this special day.
National Star Wars Day was first organized in Toronto, Canada, in 2011, and has since become a worldwide phenomenon. Fans of all ages come together to celebrate their love for the franchise and to honor its creator, George Lucas.
Whether you’re a hardcore fan or just a casual admirer, National Star Wars Day is a day to let loose and have some fun. May the Fourth be with you!
National Star Wars Day
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/?s=Star+Wars+Day
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Beverages
Heidi Klum Fronts GREY GOOSE “Devil Wears Prada 2” Push Featuring The Devil’s Roast Cocktail
GREY GOOSE is stepping into the spotlight with a new collaboration tied to 20th Century Studios’ “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” arriving exclusively in theaters May 1. The French vodka brand is rolling out a multi-platform campaign that blends fashion, film, and cocktail cultureand it’s led by supermodel and Emmy-winning television personality Heidi Klum.
The partnership includes celeb-forward social content, immersive pop-ups, in-theater cocktail activations, and limited-edition packaging inspired by the highly anticipated sequelwhich returns more than 20 years after the original film became a defining pop-culture moment.
Klum stars in an original content piece created with BBH USA, set inside the world of “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” The spot spotlights The Devil’s Roast, a GREY GOOSE twist on Miranda Priestly’s iconic coffee order from the first film, reimagined as an espresso martini-style cocktail. Klum draws a line between Runway Magazine’s exacting standards and the craftsmanship behind the collaboration.
The Devil’s Roast is positioned as the campaign’s signature serve: made with GREY GOOSE vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, a pinch of salt, and finished with three gold-dusted coffee beans. Fans can try it at GREY GOOSE Devil’s Roast pop-ups in New York City on April 14, 21, and 23 at Zuccotti Park and Manhattan West Plaza, paired with gold-dusted popcorn. Select theaters nationwide will also feature specialty GREY GOOSE cocktails when the film opens.
Additional U.S. elements include New York City out-of-home billboards and a limited-edition GREY GOOSE specialty box available starting April 1 at retailers nationwide.
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Source: GREY GOOSE (PRNewswire, Mar 17, 2026)
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Entertainment
L’Oréal Paris Gets Glam With “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in Oscars-Night Ad Featuring Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley
L’Oréal Paris teams with The Devil Wears Prada 2 for an Oscars-night ad starring Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley, ahead of the film’s May 1 release.
Last Updated on April 30, 2026 by Daily News Staff
L’Oréal Paris is stepping back into one of pop culture’s most stylish fictional workplaces.
The beauty brand announced a new collaboration with 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2, launching with a custom commercial set to debut during the 98th Annual Academy Awards. The film hits theaters May 1, and the Oscars-night spot is designed as the first major moment in a broader promotional partnership that will roll out alongside the movie’s theatrical release.
A Runway Magazine-inspired spot, built for Oscars night
Created by Maximum Effort, the ad is a cinematic nod to the world of The Devil Wears Prada 2, recreating the sleek, high-pressure energy of Runway Magazine’s offices with a glossy, fashion-forward edge.
In the storyline, L’Oréal Paris global ambassador Kendall Jenner finds herself at the center of an unexpected mix-up: she’s mistaken for a candidate interviewing to become Miranda Priestly’s new assistant. The spot also introduces one of Miranda’s latest assistants, Amari, portrayed in the film by Simone Ashley, who appears alongside Jenner in the campaign.
The commercial is positioned as both a playful homage to the franchise and a brand-forward moment that connects L’Oréal Paris to the film’s signature mix of confidence, glamour, and sharp humor.
Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley on stepping into the Runway world
Jenner described the experience as a personal fashion fantasy.
“Spending the day at the Runway office was honestly so much fun,” she said. “I got to live my dream walking past that iconic reception, and what made it even more special was getting to experience it alongside my L’Oréal Paris family. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
Ashley, who joins the sequel’s cast and appears in the ad as Amari, called the collaboration an extension of a major milestone.
“Working on this film has been a true career highlight and bringing it further to life with this spot with L’Oréal Paris has been so much fun,” she said. “I loved working with both the L’Oréal Paris and Disney teams and can’t wait for The Devil Wears Prada fans to see what we created.”
A multi-pronged partnership at the intersection of beauty and entertainment
L’Oréal Paris says the Oscars-night debut is only the beginning. The collaboration will continue through the film’s theatrical rollout with a series of creative activations designed to celebrate “confidence, glamour, and cultural impact” where entertainment and beauty overlap.
Laura Branik, President of L’Oréal Paris Brand, framed the partnership as a natural fit for a moment that blends fashion, film, and cultural conversation.
“Teaming up with The Devil Wears Prada 2 lets us show up in a moment that defines beauty and pop culture, and at a scale that matches the legacy of the film,” Branik said. “Launching this collaboration on Oscars night, with a spot that pays homage to the story and brings together our global ambassadors Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley, is a meaningful way to reinforce what L’Oréal Paris stands for: celebrating women who set the standard, on screen and in real life.”
Disney echoed that tone, emphasizing the sequel’s core themes.
“Confidence, glamour, and humor are at the heart of The Devil Wears Prada 2,” said Lylle Breier, EVP, Partnerships, Promotions, Synergy & Events at Disney. “We are delighted to collaborate with iconic beauty house L’Oréal Paris to celebrate the release of the new film in such a stylish and fun way.”
The film returns to Runway, 20 years later
The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives two decades after the original 2006 film became a defining fashion-and-media touchstone. The sequel brings back the original main cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, returning to New York City and the Runway Magazine offices.
The film also reunites director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, while introducing new cast members including Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh, B.J. Novak, Simone Ashley, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, and Pauline Chalamet. Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman reprise their roles as Lily and Irv.
20th Century Studios’ sequel is produced by Wendy Finerman and executive produced by Karen Rosenfelt, Michael Bederman, and Aline Brosh McKenna. The movie debuts exclusively in theaters May 1.
Where to watch the ad
The L’Oréal Paris Oscars-night spot is available online here: https://youtu.be/HbAbxcPYBMk
For more information, L’Oréal Paris notes that it is the world’s number one beauty brand, available in 150 countries, with a mission focused on empowering women through confidence and self-worth—an ethos the brand says aligns with the cultural legacy of The Devil Wears Prada franchise.
Source: L’Oréal Paris USA press release via PRNewswire (March 15, 2026).
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Looking for an entertainment experience that transcends the ordinary? Look no further than STM Daily News Blog’s vibrant Entertainment section. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of indie films, streaming and podcasts, movie reviews, music, expos, venues, and theme and amusement parks. Discover hidden cinematic gems, binge-worthy series and addictive podcasts, gain insights into the latest releases with our movie reviews, explore the latest trends in music, dive into the vibrant atmosphere of expos, and embark on thrilling adventures in breathtaking venues and theme parks. Join us at STM Entertainment and let your entertainment journey begin! https://stmdailynews.com/category/entertainment/
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