It was fifty years ago this week that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated, a momentous event that no one who lived through it will ever forget. It was the first national tragedy that was played out before the public’s eyes on television and that medium has already begun to commemorate the event with exhaustive coverage. Theatrically there has been less coverage, but several new DVD releases commemorate the event in their own way.

The newest film to see release on Blu-ray and standard DVD is this year’s Parkland, written for the screen and directed by Steve Landesberg from the book by Vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi rose to fame as the Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney who successfully prosecuted Charles Manson and his “family” of killers. His book about the Manson murders, co-written with Curt Gentry, Helter Skelter, was twice made into Emmy nominated TV movies, the first in 1976, the second in 2004. Both are available on DVD.

Bugliosi’s book about the Kennedy assassination was called Four Days in November, which was also the name of a 1964 Oscar nominated documentary that covered much of the same territory. Like that film, this docudrama does not take a position on either the single shooter theory or any of the conspiracy theories that have since come forth. It just presents the events of the four days through the eyes of the FBI, Secret Service, Oswald family members and doctors, nurses and other workers at Dallas’ Parkland hospital where the President was brought after he was shot on Friday and Oswald was brought after he was shot on Sunday. The film ends with the counter balance of both the stately Kennedy burial and the surprisingly just as sad, albeit for other reasons, Oswald burial.

With a film like this, it’s difficult to single out best and worst performances, but there is clearly excellent work here from James Badge Dale as Oswald’s older brother; Ron Livingston as the FBI agent who had his own file on Oswald; Billy Bob Thornton as the head of the Dallas Secret Service and Marica Gay Harden as the head emergency room nurse. At the opposite end of the spectrum I’d cite the unnamed actress/model playing the First Lady who looks nothing like Jackie Kennedy and Australian actress Jacki Weaver, whose faux Texas accent is every bit as annoying as the character she’s playing, Oswald’s nutty mother.

Warner Bros.’JFK 50 Year Commemorative Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) features a 44 page book and a wealth of reproductions from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library as well as JFK, Oliver Stone’s 1991 film and two other films: 1963’s PT 109 and 1966’s John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums.

Based on New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s On the Trail of the Assassins and Jim Marr’s Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, JFK works as drama, but raises more questions than it answers as far as conspiracy theories go. Nominated for eight Oscars, it won two for Best Cinematography and Best Editing. The transfer appears to be the same as on the previous Blu-ray release.

Based on Robert J. Donovan’s book about Naval Lt. Kennedy’s World War II experiences after his PT boat is sunk by the Japanese, Leslie H. Martinson’s PT 109 is one of the few films made about a then sitting president. Cliff Robertson makes an excellent JFK in this hit film that was previously available only from the Warner Archive.

Made for distribution by the U.S. Information Agency, John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums, written and directed by Bruce Hershensohn, produced by Geroge Stevens, Jr. and narrated by Gregory Peck, it took a special act of Congress to allow the film to be shown in the U.S.

The film was made to convey the spirit, hope and vitality of Kennedy’s presidency with excerpts from many of his speeches and footage of both his public and family life. It reacquaints viewers with the accomplishments of his presidency including the beginning of the Peace Cops, and advancement in the space program and civil rights. It also portrays the overwhelming sadness surrounding his assassination.

John F. Kennedy: Years of Lighting, Day of Drums is also available as a separate purchase on standard DVD.

The iconic legend of Superman began with the publication of the June, 1938 Action Comics Volume 1. The caped hero first appeared on screen in the ten minute short, Superman, in 1941. Saturday matinee serials with Kirk Alyn appeared in 1948 and 1950. A DVD containing both series was previously released.

Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent, gained more widespread notice with the early TV series The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves, which ran from 1952 to 1958. All six series have been previously released on DVD.

Superman came back to television as Superboy in 1998 and has hardly been off the small screen since. Superboy with John Haymes Newton in the first year and Gerard Christopher in the next three, lasted from 1988-1992. Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman with Dean Cain followed from 1993-1997. Lasting longer than either of the previous series, Smallville with Tom Welling ran from 2001-2011.

There have been previous DVD releases of all these series. Seasons 6-10 of Smallville have also been released on Blu-ray.

The big screen’s most successful series to date produced four original films; 1978’s Superman; 1981’s Superman II; 1983’s Superman III and 1987’s Superman IV. The first film made a star of Christopher Reeve whose infectious charm was an essential part of the popularity all four films, only the first two of which were praised by the critics.

The Christopher Reeve Superman films have been previously released on both Blu-ray and standard DVD.

Warner Bros. released Superman Returns with Brandon Routh in 2006. Devised by director Bryan Singer as a sequel to first two Christopher Reeve Superman films, it met with mixed reviews and mixed audience reaction. Nevertheless it brought in more than $200 million at the U.S. box office alone and sold well on both Blu-ray and standard DVD.

Despite the 2006 film’s success, Warner Bros. decided not to produce another sequel, but to get back to the original source and make a louder, more effects laden version of the first Christopher Reeve Superman.

Called Man of Steel, introduces an impressive new Superman in Henry Cavill who is quite good despite not having a lot to do outside of the action sequences. He doesn’t even get to put on his Clark Kent glasses and begin working at the Daily Planet until the film’s final scene. Cavill, who was passed over in favor of Routh for the 2006 film, at least has one up on his predecessor. He is already filming a sequel, Batman vs. Superman with Ben Affleck as Batman.

Man of Steel is available in three versions: Blu-ray 2D; Blu-ray 3D and standard DVD.

This week’s new DVD releases include Meet the Millers and the Blu-ray release of The Bells of St. Mary’s.