Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 22, 1992 TAG: 9201220092
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
JFK VIDEOS RANGE FROM FACTUAL TO TACKY
"We're through the looking glass, here, people."\ - Kevin Costner, as Jim Garrison in "JFK"The popular success and controversy surround- ing Oliver Stone's "JFK" has refocused public attention on the presidency and death of John Kennedy. There are hundreds of books on the subject, and home video isn't lagging far behind.
Almost every approach to the Kennedy years - from solid, compelling visual history to the conspiracy theories of every stripe - is available on cassette. Here's a quick look at three disparate tapes and a partial videography:
Probably the best place to start for anyone who wants to know more about the assassination is "Four Days in November." Combining black-and-white news footage with carefully unsensationalized recreations, this documentary from producer David L. Wolper tells the "official" version of those events. First, it explains why Kennedy went to Texas, then proceeds chronologically to the killing, the frantic action that followed on several fronts, the memorial services and funeral, and the reaction worldwide.
It does not go into the details, real or suspected, but in terms of emotion, the film is 100 percent accurate. It describes and shows the confusion, the sense of disbelief and dislocation that we felt then. As David Frost said at the time, "It was the most unexpected piece of news one could possibly imagine."
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of this version of the story is the way the Dallas police paraded assassination suspect Lee Harvey Oswald through their headquarters in front of the cameras. In its portrayal of Kennedy himself, the film never strays from rose-colored "Camelot" nostalgia, showing the handsome, boyish president with a lovely wife and adorable kids.
For a more gimlet-eyed portrait, take a look at "The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover." If "Four Days" is official history, this is the stuff of tabloids - sexy, tacky and probably more accurate than not. The focus here is on the surveillance that the FBI carried out during the Hoover years and the embarrassing material that the director used to maintain his power and control public officials.
This scandalous stuff, narrated by actor Mike Connors, was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and has been broadcast as a syndicated TV program. The writing varies from average to poor. The tales of Kennedy's sexual escapades before and after his marriage are tawdry and fascinating.
"Best Evidence" moves straight through the looking glass into conspiracy territory where author David Lifton raises intriguing and stomach-churning questions. His focus is on John Kennedy's body and the discrepancies between its reported condition when it left the hospital in Dallas and when the autopsy was performed in Bethesda, Md. The pictures and descriptions by people involved are graphic. Anyone who's not already interested in the case should leave this one alone.
Though Lifton is clearly passionate about his subject, he is not a particularly polished speaker on camera as he reads his cue cards, and the writing isn't very good. The best thing about the tape is the fact that Lifton doesn't overplay his hand. He presents the contradictions he has found and suggests some possible explanations, but he doesn't go as far as the more strident conspiracy theorists. That's good. In moral certainty, fervor and righteous indignation, some of the theorists are matched only by the most unquestioning religious fanatics.
At the same time, it's impossible not to share some suspicion of the government. The documented evidence in the Hoover tapes - terrible abuses of privacy by the FBI, wiretaps authorized by Attorney General Robert Kennedy, outright threats and blackmail - is so egregious that even the most innocent observer has to have some skepticism.
And in this looking glass where proof is rarely found and speculation is cheap, well-developed skepticism is invaluable.
THE ESSENTIALS:
\ Four Days in November ***1/2 MGM/UA 123 min. Unrated, contains no objectionable material.
\ The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover ** 3-G Home Video. 120 min. Unrated, some sexual content.
\ Best Evidence ** Rhino Video. 35 min. Unrated, contains some bloody photographs.
AN ASSASSINATION VIDEOGRAPHY:
\ Declassified: The Plot To Kill JFK. VidAmerica. 58 min.
\ John F. Kennedy - Commemorative Album. CBS/Fox. 110 min.
\ The Killing of President Kennedy: New Revelations 20 Years Later. VidAmerica. 80 min.
\ The Plot to Kill JFK: Rush to Judgment. VidAmerica. 60 min.
\ The Plot to Kill Robert Kennedy. MPI. 95 min.
\ The Two Kennedys. MPI. 115 min.
\ Who Didn't Kill . . . JFK. 3-G Home Video. 60 min.
New releases this week:
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken: *** Gabrielle Anwar, Michael Schoefflig, Cliff Robertson. D. Steve Miner. An enjoyable G-rated tale harkening back to old-style Disney live-action adventure. The story focuses on a young woman who is determined to escape her dirt-farm existence through the carnival stunt of diving horses off of high towers into pools of water. Not a breathtaking movie but solid family entertainment.
Whore: * 1/2 Theresa Russell, Benjamin Mouton. D. Ken Russell. Vidmark. NC-17,\ 100 min. Ken Russell's seedy look at the life of a prostitute covers the bases but discovers no new territory.
What the ratings mean:
**** Memorable. One of the best of its kind; maybe worth owning.
*** Outstanding. An excellent video, worth searching out.
** Average. You've seen better, you've seen worse, but if it sounds interesting . . .
* Poor. This is why your VCR has a fast-forward button.
A waste of time and an insult to your intelligence. More a warning than a rating.
Note: Star ratings are not available for reviews from wire services.