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I just noticed this, in case any night birds would like to see it. It will be shown at 1:15 AM Central Standard Time or 2:15 AM EST. Please check your TV listings in other time zones.
For younger readers, this movie is based on a novel by the same name. It is about a Coup d'Etat in the US by renegade military officers.
President Kennedy bought many copies of the book and distributed the copies to his military generals and Chiefs of Staff. He was concerned about the possibility of such an event and wanted his military officers to be aware of such possible treasonous activity.
Adele
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In Janney's [excellent] book Mary's Mosaic he interviews the daughter of one of the Secret Government's executioners - who told his daughter 'if anything ever happens to me, watch the film Executive Action, and you'll know why I died and why I couldn't tell you about my work....'
Executive Action is not so grand by today's standards...but at the time it was made was leading edge as a film....
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
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Hi,
My first time posting (unless I'm growing massively forgetful), so greetings.
Seven Days in May and Executive Action are two films I've rated highly since I saw them, but struggled to find other films that come close to them. Perhaps Network, or 3 Days of the Condor, though they lack the kind of dispassionate aspect that makes Executive Action feel so no-frills in its implications. I Comme Icare was another interesting take on the events in Dallas, if perhaps rather less to the point, and Wag The Dog seemed to be hinting in the right direction.
I hope it wouldn't be too forward in a first post to ask if anyone had any suggestions of similarly valuable films, or personal favourites?
Namaste
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Ah John Frankenheimer's 7 Days in May!
Screenplay by Rod Serling one of the better TV writers IMHO.
Lancaster and Douglas and March, all simply outstanding in this film.
Don't leave out the lovely Ms. Ava Gardner for notice.
I bought a Lancaster Collection from TCM. turner classic movies
It may be available from Amazon.
It has 2 big winners and 2 films I could care less about.
Widescreen DvDs of this film and Executive Action.
This disc (EA) has an interesting documentary on it.
Both these fine films have aged well.
Executive Action first I saw in a theater and I wish I had saved the handout that was given with the tickets.
Oliver Stone should have followed suit. IMHO.
He and Zach Sklar did document their screenplay with a good book though.
Best Regards Don and again welcome.
Read not to contradict and confute;
nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider.
FRANCIS BACON
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Hi Don,
I know some people like to put "The Parallax View" in the same catagory as those others,although not JFK related.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parallax_View
And also "The day of the Jackal".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Jackal
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.â€
Buckminster Fuller
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And don't forget The Package -- for my money, the best JFK assassination drama every, even though it never directly refers to that event.
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Parallax View another great film to be sure.
It was so expensive to buy I did get a DL of it. I can play it on the PC.
It cost only 1/4 the price of the DvD.
The Day of The Jackal I got for under 10 dollars.
The Bruce Willis copy-cat film titled "the Jackal" is only a pale redux
with better effects but not the quality of the original.
Many years ago one of the better classes I ever sat thru was a film class for an easy "A", I thought
and get to see some films for "free".
This class changed how I watch and think about films and media communications. Worth every minute.
I definitely should have included the titles Keith discussed. They are in the same category to be sure.
Read not to contradict and confute;
nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider.
FRANCIS BACON
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Thankyou, everyone!
Indeed Day of the Jackal is an excellent example, and I can't believe I forgot about The Parallax View (along with All The President's Men, and to a lesser extent Klute). I have yet to see The Package, but it is now very definitely on the list.
Another two that occurred to me were the Costa-Gavras film Z and Peter Watkins' Punishment Park, although the latter is again more hypothetical.
One final example that I found brought to mind the kind of trauma-based mind control that Walter Bowart discussed -though perhaps I'm reading it incorrectly- is the film Dogtooth by Giorgios Lanthimos, if anyone had any thoughts on that I'd be glad to have a second opinion.
Thankyou again to all,
Namaste
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Costa-Gavras film Z one of the very best.
The Package is worth the time for sure. Not to be missed.
I endorse both of these highly. For what its worth.
Read not to contradict and confute;
nor to believe and take for granted;
nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider.
FRANCIS BACON
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Charles Drago Wrote:And don't forget The Package -- for my money, the best JFK assassination drama every, even though it never directly refers to that event.
My take on THE PACKAGE, although JMO, is a very strong hint at how certain events can and do happen, that otherwise make very little sense without careful study. Tommy Lee Jones, when he wants to be, is a very convincing story actor. But, like I say, just my opinion.
Larry
StudentofAssassinationResearch
