And the Band Played On

And the Band Played On takes place mostly within interior settings of doctors' offices, meeting rooms, and labs, so opportunities for innovative visuals remain fairly limited. The 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer presents the images decently without containing anything exceptional. A few minor specks of dirt do appear intermittently, but they aren't too distracting to cause any serious hindrance. The black levels are fairly solid, and the bleak colors look fine. The events onscreen come across clearly and in good form, and the amount of grain is minimal. With the exception of the mournful score, there are few significant sound elements in this film. Nearly all of the story consists of dialogue spoken in meetings between scientists, the press, and AIDS patients. The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital transfer features an impressive level of clarity and depth. Although it is hardly tested, all of the pivotal moments are easy to decipher. This disc also contains a 2.0-channel Dolby Surround track that varies only slightly from its companion. Both transfers are worthwhile and work effectively to present the film and its message. The lone extra feature on this disc is a nice collection of cast and crew biographies. Each entry contains several pages covering the careers of the major actors, writer Arnold Schulman, and director Roger Spottiswoode. Although there are no filmographies, the 11 sections do provide a decent overview of each individual and their past works. Also noteworthy are the impressive menus, which improve over HBO's usually drab, static presentations.