Parkland

Yes, be prepared that there's minimal "extras" on this disc.OK, I loved the movie in the theater and was excited to pre-order it and view it the day it was delivered. The acting was excellent from each main character. The hospital scenes were gripping. I have had people tell me in advance that the camera was too shaky. Nope, it's just fine. Other TV shows are much more annoying in that regard. Since this is shot to feel like you were in the room and in the scenes, the hand held camera work is excellent without being distracting at all. Kudos to the camera person's, DP and the director.There was no recreation of the assassination, as it's been done before Ad Nauseum and was not need to be done to further the storyline or benefit the film my opinion either. Showing the assassination with a camera locked strictly on Zapruder (that's how the film makers represented the assassination scene) filming with him 8mm camera, well,it was a little awkward as the shot seemed long... but later, using the Zapruder film was a creative idea as the moments of the assassination are reflected into Abraham Zapruder's glasses in a scene where he initially watches what he filmed that fateful day.Many have said that Zack Efron was miscast, I give him credit that his acting worked in the scenes though. I can see why some will say his typecasting was a distraction. Tom Welling (Smallville) played an excellent role as a secret service agent.None of the actors really got to sink their teeth into this since it was all a fast paced and albeit short film considering the subject matter that COULD have been explored. No actors spent too much time on screen as it was very paced.Paul Giamatti (Abraham Zapruder) David Harbour (FBI AGENT) and Billy Bob Thorton (SECRET SERVICE) are memorable as you saw different emotional scenes with them. James Badge Dale was excellent as well as Robert Oswald, LHO's brother...The FBI HQ scenes were (for me) very realistic. The set design/scenery and the overall atmosphere the production team tried to create was real. The guys smoking, the period clothes and haircuts, it all reminded me of the time. The scenes with Ron Livingston and David Harbor (Agents) were some of the best as they come to grips with the fact that they had LHO in their office just weeks before and could have possibly "stopped" the assasination. I found myself (a big fan of movies) really forgetting about the production requirements (all the behind the scene stuff) and getting into the scenes emotionally.They left out any mention of Governor John Connolly... I found this really wrong and out of place as he was a big part of the story.CAMERAWORKThe film makers avoided spending time or money on many of the key players in this tragic story. The film was shot quite tight (framed close) probably keep the budget down and the money was surely spent on having the right talent, but it works because it plays better on emotion to do more close ups. the actors were then forced to provide better facial expressions too.I was totally expecting to see a "Behind The Scenes" making of this film. It's come to be expected and was really expecting some interviews and behind the scenes footage as a documentary. Unfortunately the Blu-Ray does not provide this. There are about 10 'deleted' scenes and a Director Commentary audio setup and subtitles.I must say, that the actors portraying Lee Harvey Oswald (Jeremy Strong) was totally excellent and underused. I wanted to see more scenes that included him. I guess I wanted to see what could have been - a world where Oswald survived to stand trial. The actor portraying him did well for the little time he was onscreen. And mother Oswald...wow. If that was really her persona, the actor who portrayed her (Jackie Weaver) really stole the scenes she appeared in.The Blu-Ray is worth buying as the price is very reasonable.

PLOT POINTS REVEALED!.PARKLAND (2013) is an inside look at the JFK assassination that shows scenes and examines lives never before represented in a motion picture. It opens mere minutes before the Kennedy limo turns onto Elm St. We see Abe Zapruder (Paul Giamatti) and his secretary cross the street to a platform near the grassy knoll. Abe's viewpoint was 30 yards distant from where the kill shot got JFK. He was a wreck from this traumatic experience and never fully recovered. Referring to JFK, Zapruder told a persistent newspaperman that "his head just flew to pieces."Soon after, Zapruder's surrounded by agents, including the chief of Dallas Secret Service (Billy Bob Thornton) who flat out demands the film in his 8mm Bell & Howell camera, Instead, Abe and several agents went from lab to TV station trying to find someone to develop the film.Meanwhile, the dark blue limo has arrived at Parkland at 12:45 pm, five minutes after the shooting. We see JFK placed on a stretcher and whyeeled into an emergency room that immediately was overcrowded with doctors, nurses and JFK's entourage. Every step of their fruitless efforts to keep him alive is shown. Jackie wandewrs in, totally spattered with blood. She hands head nurse Marcia Gay Harden something. We're told it's a piece of skull and brains. Jackie moves to a corner, kneels and prays as last ditch heart massage is about to fail. The nurse goes to her locker and retrieves a large wooden crucifix. She hands it to Father Huber, who's administering last rites on the president's remains. He lays the cross on the chest. Later, after the interior of Air Force One is torn away to accomodate JFK's bronze casket, this crucifix is placed on it.The detail throughout is just remarkable.Perhaps the weirdest story is that of the Oswald family, brother Robert (James Badge Dale) and Lee's mom, Marguerite (Jacki Weaver). The old woman is clearly deranged, and not by this accusation against her son. Repeatedly she claims he's a CIA agent, when not demanding a payoff from LIFE magazine for her inside story. Robert is appalled, convinced his arrogant younger brother killed "the most important man in the world." He's abused by Dallas cops, told to leave town and change his name, and generally despised as much as Lee.On Sunday morning, an official arrives at the Oswald home to inform them that Lee's been shot, but he's gonna be OK. Then a call comes in: JFK's accused killer is dead. Marguerite's reaction is incredible. She says, "My son is a hero, a government agent. They should bury him at Arlington alongside the president."We also learn of Dallas-based FBI agent James Hosty (Ron Livingston). He'd been tracking Oswald's activities for months, something Hosty's boss was unaware of. After they hear that Oswald's been arrested and is prime suspect in the assassination, Hosty is questioned about an incident that occurred just 10 days earlier. Oswald had stopped by CIA headquarters to both complain that Hosty was speaking to his wife and to threaten he'd blow the place up if these conversations continued. Hosty's boss explodes in anger, for this threat on a Federal facility, real or idle, was a felony and Oswald should've been immediately taken into custody for making it. If Hosty wants to save his job, he's ordered to burn his Oswald file. He does as he's told.There is so much more I haven't mentioned.If you're at all interested in this historic American tragedy, PARKLAND is an absolute must-see.

I was there at the Hotel Texas lot that cloudy rainey morning saw and listen to JFKI was in 8th grade came in from PE told he had been shot and killed all relaeased to go homeI was 13 we all walked home ALONE !I had a paper route and the papers did not come out till after dark - thrown in the dark - and people were either standing outside or sitting on porch waiting. No words spoken.On Sunday when Oswalt shot - FWST came out with and extra - NEVER DONE - they brought us papers and people were very eagar to get them we sold some and made a fortune back then.Sad times watched in black and white and most all are dead now.

Really disappointed! Birthday gift for my sister but film was very dark so unable to watch!..

very good

IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD REMEMBER WHERE THEYWERE WHEN TOLD 'JFK' HAD BEEN ASSASSINATED.....well if like myselfyou were around at that time, like myself you probably do.The film was of course released to coincide with the forthcominganniversary of that chilling day in 'Dallas'The film portrays the intense and desperate effort at 'Parkland' torevive the mortally wounded President, followed by events that followed.The arrest and subsequent killing of the suspect 'Lee Harvey Oswald'The now famous 'Abraham Zabruder' filming of the entire incident thathe'd filmed from as close as 30 yards away.....what conclusion if anywould the Secret Service make of what had been captured on-film.The authorities were frantically trying to make sense of what had takenplace.Perhaps skipped through to quickly, the film is a frantic and intenseaccount of the days following the incident.The event remains on of the most talked and argued about happenings ofthe 21st century.Conspiracy Theories are many, could 'Lee Harvey Oswald' have been actingalone ? ..Could he have got-off those three shots with the weapon he hadin the short time frame available to him ? ...Were other forces at work,was it a ''HIT'' ?Why was the body of the slain president removed so quickly from Parklandhospital ?There are, almost certainly answers to many of the questions out there, mostsecret documents are released for public scrutiny after between 25-50 yearshave passed, whatever is known about the JFK assassination will not bemade available for another 25 years............makes one wonder what is reallyknown about the killing.Everybody that has an interest, like myself, have an opinion and have drawnyour own conclusion.Do the public at large deserve answers....of course they do.Questions are still asked 50 years on, what is really known ?Why did the secret service break the laws of the state by removing the bodybefore the required autopsy ?The 'Zabruder' film taken of the events of that day clearly show the presidentshead jerking backwards upon impact of the fatal bullet.Was that fatal shot made by someone other than the 24 year-old 'OSWALD' ?The questions will continue to be asked, many more than I've listed that'sfor sure.SPECULATIONS -CONSPIRACY THEORIES - REMAIN 50 YEARS ON !!If you, like myself, remain interested in the events of that day, you may, ifyou haven't already be interested in the film 'JFK'Another very good film worth a viewing is the account of the 'Cuba Crisis'which took place one year before the assassination. 'Thirteen days'No Oscars to be won here, however well worth viewing.Special features include...The Director's commentary and Deleted Scenes.The film currently available to buy is Region A.

Given that there is so much information about this faitful day and occurrence, the film fails to make use of most but the rudimentary details. The filming of the shooting by Zapruder is the focus and many things about Oswald and Ruby (whose presence is absent) as well as the questions about the shooter/shooters are brushed over. Instead much time is spent on the micro squabbles in the FBI office, as well as the hospital emergency room work around and on Kennedy’s body. All in all a disappointing film to the discriminating viewer.

Alla fine del film, per carità, ben diretto e interpretato, mi sono chiesto: "perché?".Che senso ha tornare sul luogo di uno dei delitti più clamorosi della storia (l'assassinio di Kennedy) per raccontarci i personaggi secondari di quell'evento (la famiglia di Oswald, Zapruder col suo filmino, il capo sicurezza di Kennedy) senza poter (o voler) osare di andare in profondità, limitandosi a raccontare la verità ufficiale (nessun riferimento a servizi segreti, complotti, altri possibili colpevoli oltre Oswald, o anche il clima politico) senza compensare il già detto con un vero e proprio approfondimento dei personaggi che quel giorno erano lì?Se volete un film simile ma molto pià intenso e bello, guardatevi Bobby, di Emilio Estevez, ambientato il giorno dell'omicidio di bob Kennedy.E poi trovate le differenze con questo discreto film (per la tv?)