Search - JFK: Assassination Files on DVD

The Intrigue continues!

Matthew DeLuca | Tulsa, OK | 10/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD, "JFK Assassination files" is extremely interesting and important, because it brings together for the first time in one collection, the complete filmed record of the JFK Assassination.
This DVD contains the most famous amateur film ever shot, the famous (or infamous) Zapruder film, that shows the actual JFK Assassination in color.
But what is special about this DVD is that it contains other films that were shot, including other vantage points of the JFK murder. That's right, most people believe that the Zapruder film is the only film that shows the assassination of President Kennedy.
In truth, others filmed the murder as well, although not as clear as Zapruder did.
There are many who believe that the Zapruder film has been tampered with. These other films may answer that question for you.
See for yourself, the blood chilling moment when the gunmen in Dallas took the life of a President, and the innocence of a Nation into their own, dirty, calculating, evil hands.
The truth shall make us free.
Here's hoping we learn that truth someday."

Excellent Resource For All The JFK Assassination Films

David Von Pein | Mooresville, Indiana; USA | 05/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Robert Groden-produced program provides a comprehensive view of all the available professional and amateur films taken on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street in downtown Dallas, Texas. Groden also serves as narrator on this program, which is slightly mis-titled on the DVD cover -- it should say "Films" instead of "Files"; it DOES, in fact, say "FILMS" on the DVD Menu screen.

Each of these more than one dozen films has been "optically enhanced" for the best possible video quality. I've seen these films presented on other videos -- but, I must admit, many of these sequences look better than ever before thanks to the clean-up and enhancement effort done for this program.

Each film appears to be *complete* in each case, as well. With nothing trimmed off the beginning or the end, which is valuable from a "completist" (and historical) standpoint. Two good examples of this come in the chapters for the "Zapruder" film and the "Mark Bell" sequence -- with each of these films containing footage on this DVD that is not normally shown on JFK documentaries or assassination videos.

The very beginning of Abraham Zapruder's film is shown here, which includes a couple seconds of footage taken a few minutes before the Presidential motorcade arrived in Dealey Plaza that November afternoon. These very first frames show two people sitting on one of the park benches located on the "Grassy Knoll", as well as Mr. Zapruder's assistant, Marilyn Sitzman, standing in front of this bench. Sitzman turns to face Zapruder's camera just before this segment ends. The film then goes directly to the famous footage of the motorcade motorcycles turning onto Elm Street.

The version of the Mark Bell film on this DVD is also of interest for its "complete" length. After the motorcade is seen leaving Dealey Plaza, Bell filmed some additional footage from an elevated position, across the street from the Elm Street activity. This footage is not usually shown when Mr. Bell's film is utilized for a video, etc.

The Zapruder Film, which is the most famous of any of the motion pictures taken on 11/22/1963 (and the only one to show the entire assassination from beginning to its gruesome end), is given the most detailed examination in this program (and rightly so). A variety of different copies of the "Z-Film" are shown here, and it's quite interesting to see how lousy some of the original copies are. But, along with a bad-looking copy or two, Groden also shows us some "enhanced" copies as well; plus an original "unspliced" copy of the famous home movie, which Groden had in his possession before the film was accidentally damaged by the Life Magazine people shortly after that company purchased the original film from Zapruder.

Other films shown on this DVD (in addition to Zapruder's and Bell's) include the footage taken by: Orville Nix, Marie Muchmore, Robert Hughes, Tina Towner, Elsie Dorman, Charles Bronson, Tom Alyea, Jack Daniel, Ernest Mentesana, John Martin, Mal Couch, and NBC cameraman Dave Wiegman.

Wiegman's original film is one of the most chilling taken in Dealey Plaza that day. Wiegman was riding in one of the "Press" cars (just a few car-lengths behind JFK's limousine). Just as the shots rang out, Wiegman jumped from his car, camera rolling, and ran toward the action taking place in front of him. His film is a total blur in many places, because he's running as he's filming. But it's a fascinating piece of film, nonetheless.

Elsie Dorman's film is quite interesting as well, mainly because of Dorman's location at the time she filmed the motorcade -- the location in question being the very same building from which the fatal shots were fired -- the Texas School Book Depository. Dorman was filming from the 4th Floor of the Depository, two floors below Lee Harvey Oswald's 6th-Floor sniper's perch. Dorman's film, therefore, gives us a similar view of the limousine to that of what Oswald would have been seeing at the exact same moments.

Thankfully (in my opinion anyway), Groden's narration focuses primarily on just the content of the various films themselves. He just briefly interjects his beliefs that some of the images we are seeing within these amateur films "proves a conspiracy existed to kill President Kennedy".

I, for one, do not subscribe to any of the many conspiracy scenarios that have been formulated since JFK's murder. In my view, Lee Oswald was the one and only killer located in Dealey Plaza on November 22nd. Of course, many people (most, actually) will vehemently disagree. But, so be it.

But, even for a person who advocates the "Lone Nut Assassin" scenario, this DVD is still a very worthwhile addition to the ol' Digital collection, for one very good reason -- this program collects ALL of the available assassination-related films and puts them all onto a single DVD. Plus, it's nice to be able to have this complete filmed record of November 22nd on the higher-quality DVD format. And being able to go directly to any of the various films via the disc's "Chapter" selection is also a handy and time-saving advantage over a VHS taped version."

Some reviews are proof positive that the Cover-Up is alive a

L. Robins | Washington, DC area | 06/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine that: just 1 star by another reviewer for a DVD that is essentially the first comprehensive photographic record of the most important murder of the 20th Century! Now, why do you think anyone might want to discourage you from seeing it? Being a three-decade student of the JFK assassination, I watched both the Peter Jennings documentary ("Beyond Conspiracy") and Dan Rather's earlier special. They, along with the books "Case Closed" (a title which reflects the wishful thinking of surviving conspirators) and "Marina and Lee," all recommended by our 1-star reviewer, are merely the latest slick, well-funded attempts to poison the well of truth. If they can at least leave an uninformed public with the impression that the lone-gunman theory isn't totally laughable, then they can count these productions as money well-spent.

But, please by all means check them out. Watch "Beyond Conspiracy"...and then go to www.dealeyplazauk.co.uk/ and read "A Critical Review of the TV Documentary `The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy'" by Dr. Tony Austin. Read "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner...and then buy "The Great Zapruder Film Hoax" by James Fetzer and a host of other film and photography experts. See what Priscilla Johnson McMillan, long believed by many researchers to be a CIA operative with a role in handling Lee Harvey Oswald, has to say in her book "Marina and Lee," but don't miss reading Mark Lane's "Plausible Denial: Was the CIA Involved in the Assassination of JFK?" And when you are done, you will be convinced of three truths: that a U.S. president was abruptly removed from office through a meticulously-designed act of treason involving well-placed government figures; that no grown person of average intellect who has actually studied one-tenth of the evidence for a conspiracy could still believe that the crime was committed by a nutty lone gunman; and that the continuing efforts to make this claim with a straight face in books and TV documentaries serve only as evidence that some powerful people still alive today are worried enough to keep muddying the water.

For those who seek the truth about who controls the world in which they live, Robert Groden's collection of priceless historical evidence (whether or not some of it was altered by the guilty) is unquestionably a treasure worth owning."

Excellent Companion Piece

Steven A. Bibb | New York, NY | 09/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While some other reviewers trashed this DVD as being worthless this DVD does exactly what it is supposed to do, it presents the information as "Files."

Imagine if you will going to a file cabinet and opening a drawer marked "Kennedy Assassination Films." Each seperate chapter on this DVD represents a different film of the assassination.

All the famous films are here, in different versions (closeups, slow motion). There is little or no commentary, which is fine because these are all silent 8mm color home movies. This DVD does not attempt to answer questions about the assassination, but is rather there to provide you with as much first hand evidence as is possible.

It is important to note that while there are several films here showing the motorcade, not all are perfect quality, and some don't show much, but for those assassination buffs who have read books on the assassination, and have heard these films mentioned, you can see them all now.

The film includes a government produced film called "The Last Two Days," which was shot by a Navy cameraman. This color footage is used in pradtically every documentary made on the assassination, but it is good to see the original film here in its entirety."