11.22.63

[pattitude]

I've read the novel by the same name, and am just starting to watch the first episode.

Will I be disappointed?

James Franco is involved, so that already has me worried.

I am fascinated by the Kennedy assassinations. I've read many books concerning the killing of him and his brother. I firmly believe that the CIA and the Mafia worked together to kill those two men.

I'm Canadian, so my predecessors (whether political or not) and I never had a dog in that fight.

It just seemed so dirty.
Especially considering that JFK's characterization of the CIA was that is was "a shadow government" and his desire was to "shatter it into a thousand pieces".

It's the height of the Cold War, and the American military let its Commander in Chief get killed?! Somebody high up in security helped that happen! Even the Soviets were surprised!

 

[Super Dave]

If I enjoy the source material I usually set my expectations low.
I've never read this book though I've heard good things.

 

[pattitude]

I just finished the first episode and, I happy to say, it was really good!

Franco skips a couple of beats here and there, but overall it's really good story-telling.

 

[Obi-Wan-In-A-Million]

I've read the novel by the same name, and am just starting to watch the first episode.

Will I be disappointed?

James Franco is involved, so that already has me worried.

I am fascinated by the Kennedy assassinations. I've read many books concerning the killing of him and his brother. I firmly believe that the CIA and the Mafia worked together to kill those two men.

I'm Canadian, so my predecessors (whether political or not) and I never had a dog in that fight.

It just seemed so dirty.
Especially considering that JFK's characterization of the CIA was that is was "a shadow government" and his desire was to "shatter it into a thousand pieces".

It's the height of the Cold War, and the American military let its Commander in Chief get killed?! Somebody high up in security helped that happen! Even the Soviets were surprised!

I agree. I've always felt that the mafia angle was the most likely conspiracy theory to have actually happened.

RFK was very close to having Carlos Marcello deported. Had he went after RFK directly, he would've been a prime suspect, so the story goes that he got one if his associates, David Ferry to enlist the help of his acquaintance, some say lover, Oswald.

It's a very interesting theory. Being from the South and seeing how people are here, I could believe it. Ive always been interested in historical conspiracy theories. The ones that could be legit, not the outlandish UFO type.

 

[FeeO]

My favourite novel on this subject is Don DeLillo's "Libra." Nightmarish, contradictory, creepy fever dream of a book, totally scary and maddening. I thought King's novel, like a lot of his novels, was amazingly imagined but stupidly plotted. Gonna check the show out anyway though-- but I'd have cast Franco as Oswald.

 

[PeteyParker]

Did you watch the PBS documentary on Kennedy's assassination about 2 year ago?

 

[Ted Williams' head]

I just saw the trailer for this a few days ago and am dying to start watching. I'm a huge Kennedy assassination nerd like I'm sure some of you are.
I bought hard into the conspiracy theories after watching JFK years back, but there's way too much bullshit in there. Read "Reclaiming History" by Vincent Bugliosi a few years back and I'm fairly convinced it was Oswald who acted alone until something more convincing comes out.

 

[Haulport]

The uncle of my best friend for about 30 years was a field agent in the FBI office that was first on scene and investigated the assassination for months on end in Dallas. To his death bed he contended that he never saw a shred of evidence that indicated that it WASN'T just Lee Harvey Oswald being a complete kook.

 

[Woko]

First season has only recently ended in the UK.

TBH I wasn't overly impressed. James Franco is a somewhat one-dimensional actor and wasn't really able to portray the character's complexities. Obviously, he'd be confused and perplexed but Jimmy struggled with his limited abilities. Was surprised to see a Brit (George MacKay) playing Bill Turcotte, a decent role for a good young actor.

I never read the book, so cannot really comment on the original story. I felt that the TV adaptation, at times, was scraping through the barrel and scratching the floor.

Could have been much better.

 

[Wintermute]

I liked it a lot, and I never have a problem with Franco. It lost a lot of steam at the end, and kind of insulted the viewer a bunch of times a la: fleeing man trips at the most inopportune times, etc.

 

[Jesus X]

Doubt the mafia has that kind of power they always get owned by RICO cases from the FBI or tax evasion from the IRS.