Seven Movies about the 1960s

The Labor Day Weekend of 2020 reached 110 in Los Angeles, and I avoided the baking heat of the afternoons by watching several movies inside the house.  Each of the four was a different aspect of 1960s history, and I describe them (1-4) before adding in several other 1960s movies from the recent past.

1) KILLING OSWALD (2013)

Amazon Prime here.

This concise 50 minute documentary looks at the A to Z of Lee Harvey Oswald's life, which was far more unusual than I remembered it.   See also Oswald's Wikipedia biography here.  Very well done and thought-provoking.

2) JFK (1991; Oliver Stone)

Original version on Amazon Prime rents $3 here.

Director's Cut streams for $13 purchase only.

The original movie was over three hours and the director's cut is three and a half, but I was amazed how fast it moved.  Very well done and with an A-list cast.   I don't think I'd seen it since 1991.  

See the original trailer at YouTube here. See a classic four minute clip with Donald Sutherland here.  I recommend seeing the Oswald movie above, or at least, looking at Oswald's Wikipedia page, before teeing up JFK.  Easter egg - real-life attorney Jim Garrison, the focus of JFK, plays a cameo as Justice Earl Warren.

3) JFK: A President Betrayed (2013)

Amazon Prime, here,

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, a review of Kennedy's presidency from an international affairs perspective, including his battles with CIA and State Department.  90 minutes.  

4) REMASTERED: Tricky Dick and the Man in Black (2018)

Netflix VOD.

I recall seeing a review of this two years ago, and it popped up among other Netflix documentaries.  Surprisingly well made and interesting.   Notable for its profile of Johnny Cash; Nixon is a supporting figure to the documentary's story. Concise at one hour.

And Honorable Mention to:

#5) MY GENERATION (2018)

Amazon Prime rents $1, here.

A documentary about rapidly evolving arts and culture of the 1960s, narrated by Michael Caine [*].  One twist: It's all documentary footage; many interviews, but only as voiceovers, so we never see the 1960s stars as 80 year olds. 90 minutes.

#6) KING IN THE WILDERNESS (2018)

Amazon Prime rents $4, here.  Also an HBO asset.

Very well made and surprisingly absorbing documentary about the last three years of Martin Luther King's life.  1 hr 50 min.

#7) I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (2017)
Amazon Prime here.  Also Netflix here.

Award winning documentary about the life of author James Baldwin, viewing his life through the lens of a book that would have been his last project.  One hour 30 minutes.   

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And a bonus (#8), almost twenty years old:

PATH TO WAR (2002)

Amazon Prime rental $4 here.  Also an HBO asset.

Incredible 2 hr 45min biodrama about the four years of LBJ's presidency, with a star performance by Michael Gambon, supported by Alec Baldwin as McNamara and by Donald Sutherland.  One of my favorite films, period.

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[*]  Apparently Michael Caine has three books of memoirs, "What's It All About?," "Blowing the Bloody Doors Off," and "Elephant to Hollywood."   I read "Blowing" as a library loan ebook after seeing My Generation.