Killing Kennedy on Blu-ray

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

Based on the book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, Killing Kennedy is a film that sketches the events leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It focuses on the four main characters – JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Marina Oswald. The movie was originally made for the National Geographic Channel and aired last year at the time of the 50th anniversary of the assassination.

 

This is not an in-depth look at the life and times of the characters. Rather it is basically an outline of their lives and relationships, and gives viewers a peek inside the late 1950s and early 1960s.

 

Rob Lowe is remarkable as the 35th President of the United States. And Ginnifer Goodwin is delightful and empathetic as the First Lady.  Will Rothhaar play Oswald, a role that required a lot of inner strength, as this is a character that is loathed by millions of people around the world. And Michelle Trachtenberg portrays the tormented woman, Marina Oswald, and she does this all speaking in Russian!

 

Killing Kennedy follows the four characters through the years as they move closer to the final act that ultimately linked all of them together in history. It is an interesting look at the people, the times, and the events that affected not only the country but also the world.

 

The bonus features are interesting to watch. There is an interview with Bill O’Reilly who discusses his intent when writing the book. He mainly wanted to put forth the facts of these four people and not indulge any conspiracy theories. He admits that there are many unanswered questions, but focused on what was actually known instead of speculating on things.

 

Another bonus feature looks at the making of the film. Both Rob Lowe and Jack Noseworthy, who plays Bobby Kennedy,

were fitted with dental prosthetics to look more like the Kennedy brothers. The entire movie was filmed in Virginia, which supplied the locations for Washington, D.C., Russian, and Texas.

 

And yet another bonus looks at the Kennedy Mystique. What was it that made these people so enchanting to the public?
 

This show, as pointed out by Mr. O’Reilly, is meant to humanize both JFK and Oswald. They are now part of history, but they were also men. He wanted to make them real and not fictional characters.

 

Killing Kennedy on Blu-ray also includes Digital HD download. Because of the violence it is not recommended for children. Adults will be interested in this window into the past. No, it does not go in depth, however it is a nice representation of the characters, the times, and the events. It’s also available on DVD.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet: The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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