Diving Down the Rabbit Hole

A preview of my upcoming projects

I’ve been thinking a lot about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy lately. November 22, 2023 was the 60th anniversary of the day we lost America’s 35th President. It is an event that has always intrigued me, like it has many Americans, but I have never gone down the rabbit hole. I’m making the dive down, but hopefully with wisdom and prudence.

This is a Substack about movies, not conspiracies. However, you cannot talk about JFK’s assassination without addressing the conspiracies surrounding the event. I will admit now that I’m not well-versed in every theory, but have some hunches on where I lean. I am also wary of treading the conspiracy waters because of our modern problems of misinformation. I’m going to do my best to provide commentary on the mediums about the assassination without crossing a line that I will attempt to set for myself.

So…here’s what I’m planning: One very complex topic, commentary on four different mediums…

1) Film

There are a few films about JFK’s assassination, but there’s only one truly one of one, Oliver Stone’s JFK. I’ll be watching the very long Director’s Cut and going down the rabbit hole with Kevin Costner. I was two years old when this movie came out and I’ve only seen it once. I was enthralled the first time I watched it and I’m excited go back and chew on what it has to offer. Oliver Stone also has a fairly new companion documentary that goes with the film. I may give that a watch and a write-up as well.

2) Literature

A few facts about me: I love to read, Barnes and Noble is a sanctuary where I find peace, and I’ve never read a Stephen King book before. I recently bought 11-22-63 by Stephen King. It looks like the perfect book for a Government teacher/sci-fi nerd to introduce himself to Stephen King. It’s a pretty thick book so it will probably take me the longest to get through, but I’m ready for this time travel perspective on the assassination. This means that I’ll be expanding outside of my comfort zone with writing about mediums other than film. Hopefully I do the book justice.

3) Documentary

I recently saw the trailer for this new National Geographic documentary series called JFK: One Day in America. It looks fascinating.

4) Podcast

Rob Reiner and Soledad O’Brien recently released a podcast called Who Killed JFK? Much like the National Geographic documentary, I’ll let the video speak for itself. I’m very intrigued.

Like I said, “One very complex topic, commentary on four different mediums…”

I am excited, hesitant, scared, and nervous to start this journey, but all worthwhile journeys begin with the same emotions. I promise you that I take my first step into this journey with the proper amount of respect for the former President and the gravity of this history. Hopefully, I can do this in honor of him and those who have provided a commentary on this history changing event.