[toptentwist]

I was in Dallas a few weeks ago wandering around

Dealy Square and I got curious about Oliver Stone's

JFK film.


I know Stone has been slaughtered by critics who

said he was fast and loose with the truth - but

I still think its an interesting film.


So I rented the DVD this weekend.


Is there more than one version of this film ????


The DVD I rented was bizarre.


1.) No menu

2.) Non-anamorphic

3.) Claimed to be "wide-screen" - but alternated between

4:3 news clips and 2.35 letterbox

4.) Two sided

5.) Dolby 2.0 sound only

6.) A bizarre red line along the right side of the frame.

It ran from the top to the bottom of the frame. Almost

looked like it had a reason for being there -but the

reason wasn't apparent.



All I can guess is that this must have been one of the

first few titles pressed for the DVD format.


Probably mastered using the same master used for

laserdisc.

 

[Frank]

There is a new version that is vastly better in quality then the old one that you saw.

I have both versions.


Frank

 

[Dean Roddey]

The new version is waaaayyy better. I had the old one, and got the new one a while back. Its not even in the same ballpark really. I gave the old one away.

 

[Larry Davis]

The new version is a revelation in terms of video quality and it has some interesting supplements.

 

[hob]

I have an interest in JFK so I have their first disc but I don't need it now that I have a line doubled HDTV. The subject is off topic of being on disc, but if you want to hear some revelation as poster Frank said read the off topic text. I had to *wait* for the techology to be worked out!



O/T I also have a movie called "Executive Action" 1973 10 years after the fact. Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Will Gear, Ed Lauter and others you would recognize I really wish they would put that movie on wide screen disc dolby, or no dolby that is a psychological thriller. They cleaned up the film and Zapgruder wasn't all that far away somehow zoomed in on the head shot. Clearly you could see a stream of red blood shoot out the *back* of JFKs head, not from the side of his head from the grassy knoll, and his blood going to the side which it did not do!



The first bullet was fired from the Texas Depository that hit his back and came out his throat. I still believe what I read that a secret service agent in the open car in back of the kennedy car did the head shot. JFKs head started coming up after the first shot, a head shot became necessary. All of the secret service men stood and they covered one of their *own* to make the fatal shot and people were on the ground frightened.



Executive Action in the actual cleaned Zapgruder film, the blood came straight the back, ruling out the grassy knoll side shot as a clear miss. If you haven't seen this film on a line doubled HDTV, see a practically new copy as I had bought two.



I opened the second in January of 2002, a pre-recorded 240 line in Standard Play that became line doubled through a S-video connection which I had purchased off of Radio Shack. I don't know how clear it could be since, I used the Vcr's frame by frame to see the unimagineable!


I couldn't see it *that* clearly on analog, but a 480i in slow motion or a DVD disc in slow motion or a HD-DVD disc of this movie. The near digital zapgruder film, which surely rule out the warren commission one man was responsible report!


I would hobble on my scooter just to get a HD-DVD of that movie, make some video captures then write a book. I am so sure of what I am saying happened, the rest well if that disc ever comes out. You can read my book, I'll put the rest of the puzzle together for all to be shocked. Members of both the CIA and secret service killed their own president over hatred that JFK didn't cover their a** in ordering air strikes on the bays of pigs invasion!