JFK

Kevin Costner and a dynamite supporting cast--including Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, and Donald Sutherland--star in Oliver Stone's best film, an engrossing and deeply thought-provoking (though admittedly one-sided) look at New Orleans D.A. Jim Garrison's investigation of 'the shot heard round the world.' This newly-released 2-disc "special edition" Director's Cut includes a full-length commentary by Stone; six deleted or extended scenes with optional director's commentary; "Meet Mr. X: The Personality and Thoughts of Fletcher Prouty," a brief interview with the ex-Air Force officer whom Sutherland's whistle-blowing character was based upon; "Assassination Update: The New Documents," a half-hour documentary on new evidence that has arisen since the making of JFK; and assorted DVD-ROM extras. Essential. Editor's Choice. (S. C. Sickles)[DVD Review--Jan. 26, 2004--Warner, 2 discs, 205 min., R, $26.99--Making its third appearance on DVD, JFK (Two-Disc Special Edition) is essentially identical to the “Director's Cut” version reviewed above, with one notable difference: the inclusion of Danny Schechter and Barbara Kopple's 90-minute 1992 documentary, Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy. Bottom line: if you can overlook Warner's seeming conspiracy to drain your budget with multiple versions of the same film, then the insightful documentary addition here will definitely find favor with JFK buffs.][DVD Review—Nov. 11, 2008—Warner, 3 discs, 205 min., R, $39.98—Making its fourth appearance on DVD, 1991's JFK (Ultimate Collector's Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras are the same as the previous “special edition,” but this handsome boxed set adds the 128-minute documentary The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings, a 44-page book of behind-the-scenes production photos, a set of six character photo cards, five reproductions of letters written by or to John F. Kennedy, plus the text of JFK's historic inaugural address. Bottom line: if you already own the “special edition,” you can pick up The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings separately; if not, this set is worth adding.][Blu-ray Review—Nov. 19, 2013—Warner, 5 discs, 205 min., R, Blu-ray: $59.99—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 1991's JFK (Ultimate Collector's Edition) boasts a great transfer and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio. Featuring the director's cut of the film, extras include audio commentary by director Oliver Stone, deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary and an alternate ending (55 min.), the feature-length documentary “Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy” (90 min.), the multimedia essays “Assassination Update: The New Documents” (30 min.) and “Meet Mr. X: The Personality and Thoughts of Fletcher Prouty” with the former Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Kennedy (11 min.), and trailers. Also included is a Blu-ray disc with “Chapter 6: JFK: To the Brink” from Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States narrated by Stone (56 min.), and DVD copies of the 1963 Cliff Robertson feature film PT 109 (140 min.), the all-new “JFK Remembered: 50 Years Later” (90 min.), and the 1965 doc “John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums” (86 min.). Collectibles in the set include a 32-page quotation book, a 44-page photo book, 20 photos, 17 pieces of correspondence reproductions, six character cards, and reproductions of the inaugural address and a campaign poster. Bottom line: an outstanding compilation of JFK-related material accompanies Stone's influential film in this excellent collector's edition.]