An Early Frost

An Early Frost is a landmark 1985 TV movie, and the first major film, made for television or feature films, to deal with the topic of AIDS. It was first broadcast on the NBC television network on November 11, 1985. It was directed by John Erman, from the Emmy Award-winning teleplay written by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, (story by Sherman Yellen). Aidan Quinn starred as Michael Pierson, a Chicago attorney who goes home to break the news – that he is homosexual and has AIDS – to his parents, played by Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands.

Storyline

Michael Pierson, a successful lawyer, suffers a bad coughing jag at work and is rushed to the hospital. There he learns from a doctor that he has been exposed to the AIDS virus. At home, he receives another piece of disturbing news: his lover Peter, played by D. W. Moffett, confesses that he had sex outside the relationship because Michael is a workaholic and is living in the closet. Michael, in a rage, throws Peter out of the house. He then travels to his parents' home to inform them that he is gay and has AIDS.

Early Frost

Early Frost is a 1982 Australian thriller film starring Guy Doleman, Jon Blake, Diana McLean and David Franklin.

Plot

A number of mysterious accidents involving the deaths of women in suburban Australia, lead Val to suspect her son of mass-murder.

Production

In 1974 David Hannay was working at Greater Union when he read a script by Terry O'Connor. Hannay was impressed and tried to raise funds for the film, and eventually succeeded through the company Filmco. Hannay tried to get Brian Trenchard-Smith to direct but he was busy and eventually hired New Zealand director Brian McDuffie. The movie was originally known as Something Wicked This Way Comes but in order to avoid confusion with a Disney film of the same name the movie was retitled.

Filming took place June to August 1981. McDuffie and Hannay clashed during the shoot and McDuffie was sacked on the day of the wrap party. McDuffie took his name off the film and no director is credited. The resulting movie has been called a representation of the worst kind of tax shelter film from the 1980s.