"A Coup in Camelot" is a decent though extremely cursory attempt to analyze components of the JFK assassination, based on recent research and, above all, the findings of the ARRB (Assassination Records Review Board) as part of the JFK Records Act passed by Congress in 1992 in the wake of the Oliver Stone film "JFK." The filmmakers are earnest in exploring the following topics: the lapses of the Secret Service in protecting the president in Dallas; the complex question of ballistics; the discrepancies between the wounds to the president as observed by the medical staff at Parkland in Dallas versus the findings of the Bethesda doctors after conducting their secret autopsy; the problems in the chain of custody of the casket; an analysis of the autopsy photographs; the framing of Oswald; and flaws in the Warren Commission with the highly selective use of evidence and the distortion of the historical record in such crucial matters as the eyewitness account of "the girl on the stairs," Victoria Adams.
One of the better segments was the discussion of the "shell game" of the caskets arriving at different times at Bethesda. There was good work in establishing the timeline of the arrival of the multiple caskets with the inescapable conclusion that there was malfeasance in altering the wounds of the president prior to the autopsy. I did feel, however, that there was slightly too much emphasis placed on the transcripts of the Air Force One tapes, which are so fragmented that they don't tell us much about the shell game.
The weakest segments of the documentary were (1) the superficial coverage of ballistics in which commentator Sherry Fiester's argument will never find a consensus about the exact location of the shooter(s) who fired the fatal head shot, or shots. One of the commentators, Dr. David Mantik has concluded that there were two shots (one from the FRONT and one from the REAR) that struck the president in the head, based on the medical evidence; and (2) the woefully inadequate attempt to discuss the life story of Oswald with no attention paid to his clear ties to intelligence. Commentator Dick Russell, who is an expert on this subject, was under-utilized in the film. With a running time of only 1 hour, 41 minutes, the filmmakers could have expanded the discussion of Oswald, which was crucial in demonstrating Oswald's close ties to the CIA and precisely how he was set up by the CIA as the patsy. Here, the name of David Atlee Phillips should be central to the discussion.
The strongest segments were those on (1) the shortcomings and potential malice on the part of the Secret Service with outstanding commentary from the tireless researcher Vince Palamara, (2) the casket shell game, as carefully explained by Douglas Horne, based on the documentary evidence, and (3) Dr. David Mantik's analysis of the extremely suspicious autopsy photos. Those topics demonstrated the results of years of investigative work of Palamara, Horne, and Mantik, to arrive at their conclusions.
For the advanced student of the JFK assassination, "A Coup in Camelot" will probably not offer any new insights or evidence. But for the general viewer, the film has the potential of raising awareness about the significance of the assassination of President Kennedy as a turning point in American history. It is highly recommended that the viewer read the books and articles by the principal commentators, Barry Ernest, Dick Russell, David Mantik, Vince Palamara, and Douglas Horne. Those authors have been among the pathfinders in the current generation of JFK researchers.
One of the better segments was the discussion of the "shell game" of the caskets arriving at different times at Bethesda. There was good work in establishing the timeline of the arrival of the multiple caskets with the inescapable conclusion that there was malfeasance in altering the wounds of the president prior to the autopsy. I did feel, however, that there was slightly too much emphasis placed on the transcripts of the Air Force One tapes, which are so fragmented that they don't tell us much about the shell game.
The weakest segments of the documentary were (1) the superficial coverage of ballistics in which commentator Sherry Fiester's argument will never find a consensus about the exact location of the shooter(s) who fired the fatal head shot, or shots. One of the commentators, Dr. David Mantik has concluded that there were two shots (one from the FRONT and one from the REAR) that struck the president in the head, based on the medical evidence; and (2) the woefully inadequate attempt to discuss the life story of Oswald with no attention paid to his clear ties to intelligence. Commentator Dick Russell, who is an expert on this subject, was under-utilized in the film. With a running time of only 1 hour, 41 minutes, the filmmakers could have expanded the discussion of Oswald, which was crucial in demonstrating Oswald's close ties to the CIA and precisely how he was set up by the CIA as the patsy. Here, the name of David Atlee Phillips should be central to the discussion.
The strongest segments were those on (1) the shortcomings and potential malice on the part of the Secret Service with outstanding commentary from the tireless researcher Vince Palamara, (2) the casket shell game, as carefully explained by Douglas Horne, based on the documentary evidence, and (3) Dr. David Mantik's analysis of the extremely suspicious autopsy photos. Those topics demonstrated the results of years of investigative work of Palamara, Horne, and Mantik, to arrive at their conclusions.
For the advanced student of the JFK assassination, "A Coup in Camelot" will probably not offer any new insights or evidence. But for the general viewer, the film has the potential of raising awareness about the significance of the assassination of President Kennedy as a turning point in American history. It is highly recommended that the viewer read the books and articles by the principal commentators, Barry Ernest, Dick Russell, David Mantik, Vince Palamara, and Douglas Horne. Those authors have been among the pathfinders in the current generation of JFK researchers.
