JFK Revisited: The Complete Collection - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

JFK Revisited: The Complete Collection



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been one of the most hotly debated and widely known assassinations on U.S. soil. Not only was a prominent politician killed in the middle of the streets, but there was a TON of controversy and shadow governmental intrigue placed upon the investigation. As is human nature, conspiracies and various theories about what ACTUALLY happened have abounded over the decades. Not to mention the U.S. government actively blocking attempts to gain access to the original investigations. To be fair, we’ll probably never know what ACTUALLY happened in Dallas Texas that fateful day over half a century ago, but Oliver Stone follows up his controversial 1991 film JFK, with a sprawling documentary laying the framework for why he believes that the JFK assassination was a giant cover up.

I’ve never been a true JFK conspiracy theorist, but needless to say I personally think that there is enough circumstantial evidence, and governmental double handed dealings that I lay at least some credence to the theory that someone else besides Harvey Oswald pulled that trigger on the grassy knoll. While I’m not a huge JFK enthusiast or have delved into the forums where they’ve spent literally THOUSANDS of hours debating and comparing notes, it’s fascinating to watch Stone unveil the 2 hour documentary and lay his evidence on the line. Most of it is very compelling, documenting how many discrepancies and seeming cover ups are in the official reports. A trail of dirty breadcrumbs that just SCREAMS “something doesn’t add up”. The first hour tends to be more subtle and calm, intricately intimating that not everything is as it seems. However, as the 2nd hour continues Stone pulls in interviews and clips from various extreme sources, all of which claim everything from CIA involvement (one of the most popular theories), to simple ineptitude of those involved.

Not only does Shout Factory included the main documentary, but the 4 hour TV miniseries Destiny Betrayed on the second Blu-ray disc (and duplicated on DVD to make it a combo pack). Is a much more in depth interview set, including many of the same interviews in the movie, but opening up the stage a bit more. This choice adds a sprawling weight to the mini-series, but also means it meanders and is less riveting from a viewer stand point.

While I may not agree with every point that Stone makes, or treat every witness he speaks to as 100% reliable going in blind, but I have to admit that it makes for a fascinating documentary. Especially with how much government secrecy was actually involved that we get to see after the files had been brought to light. Much of the movie and the mini series is Oliver making his case on why all of the discrepancies mean that the JFK investigation was a sham, but it’s not hard to see how he got there. It’s an obviously biased approach to the subject matter (Stone is a world wide known JFK enthusiast who has made it VERY well known that he doesn’t trust the official narrative), it’s once again not hard to see how he got there. With some many discrepancies and covered up files it fuels the imagination and makes it harder and harder to trust the official narrative, especially when the circumstantial evidence he’s acquired tends to point the finger AT the very same people telling us “trust us, this is the truth”. Especially in today’s rocky political climate where both factions of the U.S. political base are worried about navigating “fake news”.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

Both Through the Looking Glass and Destiny Betrayed come to us from Shout Factory with a BD-50 for each film/series, and the results are generally stellar. The main documentary footage with Stone interviewing various people is nothing short of jaw dropping. Crisp, clean, well defined digital footage that shows Stone’s obvious love for attention to detail. Intricate stitching and weaves on suits show up well, and the black shadowing backdrops don’t crush at all. The film is given a hefty 34mbps bitrate, and without any major extras on the discs themselves (outside of Destiny Betrayed being its own special feature) the encode is immaculate. The only parts that don’t really look that great are the bits of archival footage that Stone has inserted all over the place, and that’s not shocking at all. Archival footage from sources 55 years ago are going to be rough, grainy, and filled with print damage. But for the most part it’s all great looking besides those afore mentioned bits.









Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track (with a 2.0 DTS-HD MA downmix for night listening and sound bars) is also quite impressive. There’s some scratching and hissing on the archival audio as expected, but the classical and jazz inspired score by Jeff Beal is impeccable, filling the room with a nice ambiance. Dialog is the main center focus of the film and series though, and that is locked firmly up front without any issues whatsoever. All of the interviews are conducted in English, though some of the archival footage is in Spanish depending on the source used. This is not a massively immersive audio mix, but it does the job well, with clear and concise vocals, and a soft and jazzy underscore that adds to the mood and ambiance of the flick. Well done.












Extras:

Blu-ray Disc One
• Trailer
• Audio Commentary by Director Oliver Stone and Writer James DiEugenio

Blu-ray Disc Two
• JFK: Destiny Betrayed

Final Score: ​

Biased, intriguing, and utterly fascinating as a mild enthusiast of the JFK assassination, the Shout Factory Blu-ray set is phenomenal. Great video and audio for a documentary source, and a 4 disc collector’s edition set that really doesn’t skimp at all on the content. If you’re interested in looking at the JFK assassination from a well researched (but heavily biased) point of view told from the perspective of “don’t trust the official narrative”, then the documentary is well worth checking out.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jackie Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, Martin Luther King, Donald Sutherland, Whoopi Goldberg
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Written by: James DiEugenio (based on the book by)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Shout factory
Rated: TV-14
Runtime: 360 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: July 19th, 2022

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I will check this out.

There is always "spin" when it comes to any government report so obviously, folks will tend to believe various conspiracies rather than take what was available in the commission report.