On watching Oliver Stone's "JFK"

Just watched the classic JFK over the weekend. Was definitely a cinematic classic, political controversies aside (especially now during the primaries)..

Loved the editing, although I felt the acting at places was a tinge over exaggerated (ie. the soliloquy of kevin costner at the bar exclaiming "i'm so ashamed to be an american"; also the reaction at "operation mongoose" which i notice they did away with the reaction in the trailer).

I was wondering about the scene at the horse racing track- what did that sequence mean? cut to horses' hooves galloping, cut to CU of coffee? or was the shot of the coffee used as a self-reflective device? Also, isn't the shot of the man in shades (presumably CIA spy) a jump cut, as we see a wide shot of the location without him present?

Any other insights to the film?

This is "Show & Tell". You post a clip and / or leave feedback. Where's the clip?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

the trailer... geez man! i don't think i can legally upload the film onto youtube!

"Show & Tell" means "Show" your OWN WORK and "Tell" us about it. Did you cut the JFK trailer?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Not necessarily. Its OK to highlight and discuss others work here.

Michael Horton
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Wow, Mike...I can't do anything right these days. That's how it's described in the forum list...sorry.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Things evolve. And this evolves. We just see where it takes us.

Michael Horton
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My apologies on it... figured a while ago, this was a place to talk about editing, not just specific to final cut operations... Hell, not everyone has the funding to shoot and not everyone is able to shoot something worthy of a critique, or being able to obtain the releases and rights necessary for public screening. Editing after all, is always more than just knowing about the functions of a software. Frankly, does it matter if you're editing off an Avid, Final Cut, or even a KEM? A good editing decision always justifies itself, and knowing and learning how to make those decisions are very important to the craft. I'd rather be an 'okay' editor who happened to work on the Final Cut NLE and completely able to make those decisions than to be a whiz at all things Final Cut and not being able to make the right editing calls where it really matters. Hope you know where I'm coming from... aside from my student works, I really don't have anything I feel worthy to show or am able to show it due to the rights involved. And yea, like many editors, i do want to learn the craft of editing, both in practice and theory, and eventually move to a larger city to work on more serious work. Maybe then I'd have some stuff to show and tell.

Strypes