Firehouse/Rap Session; No Rewind; Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS And You

These three new videos offer good, hard-hitting information on the subject of HIV/AIDS awareness. Firehouse/Rap Session opens with the dramatic short "Firehouse," an initially meandering piece about four teenagers who play together in a band. Waiting for one of the members to show up for practice, the others watch music clips from an earlier session and wonder aloud about the whereabouts of the fourth band member, Cory. When Cory finally arrives, he comes with bad news: he's tested HIV positive. As the four talk amongst themselves, hidden liaisons come forth and they realize that nearly all of them are in some danger of being HIV positive. Immediately following the film "Firehouse" is "Rap Session," in which the four young actors, other teenagers, and a young man with AIDS talk openly about their fears and concerns over HIV/AIDS. It's a fairly powerful piece that addresses the issues of sex in media and the unfortunate tendency of many to treat people with HIV or AIDS as pariahs. As one of the kids astutely points out, we are far more dangerous (with our everyday germs) to the person with AIDS than they are to us. No Rewind uses MTV-style background music and flashy editing to deliver its no-baloney message that teens are a major risk group for HIV/AIDS. Interviews with two HIV positive youths dispel the myth prevalent among teenagers that they are invincible. San Francisco Bay area filmmaker Paula Mozen takes the camera into neighboring high schools where concerned students are actively teaching their fellow students in the classroom: whether its about the dangers of drinking/drugs leading to unprotected sex or a how-to session on applying condoms (using cucumbers). As of July 1992, 45,367 cases of AIDS had been reported in the 13-29 year old age group. Most of these young people were infected in their teens. No Rewind never shirks from the seriousness of its subject, but rather than chastising or haranguing teens, the program makes education ("spread the word, not the disease") a positive experience, as the message is passed from teen to teen. Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You comes on the heels of basketball great Magic Johnson's going public with the fact that he is HIV positive. Produced by late-night talk show host Arsenio Hall, the program features Hall, Johnson, and a host of celebrities in a somewhat overproduced, one sound bite after another, look at HIV and AIDS. Beyond the glitz, however, Time Out delivers the facts concerning HIV/AIDS and does so in a manner that will readily appeal to teens. Every so often Paula Abdul, Tom Cruise, or Luke Perry delivers a cue card mini-homily, but much of the tape features in-school teens talking about the subject and educators explaining the ways that the HIV virus is contracted, as well as the procedures for HIV testing. Firehouse/Rap Session is recommended. No Rewind is highly recommended. Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You is highly recommended and an Editor's Choice. (Firehouse/Rap Session is available from: Lucerne Media, 37 Ground Pine Rd., Morris Plains, NJ 07950; (800) 341-2293.) (No Rewind is available from: No Excuses Productions, 3703 Rhoda Ave., Oakland, CA 94602; (510) 530-3247.) (Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You is available from most distributors.)