638 Ways to Kill Castro

Synopsis

Poison pens, lethal noxious gases, deadly model aircraft, toxic cigars, baseball grenades and exploding molluscs - just a sample of the hilariously outlandish 638 plots to kill the charismatic Cuban President Fidel Castro outlined in 638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO. More evidence, if it were needed, that truth is very often stranger than fiction, director Dollan Cannell’s film, 638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO, documents some of the increasingly desperate, spectacular and frankly bizarre ways that the CIA, various disgruntled Cuban exiles and alleged terrorists have been trying to find to assassinate the seemingly indestructible Cuban leader. The staggeringly high number of plots to dispatch Castro was calculated by Fabian Escalante, the former head of Cuban Intelligence and the man responsible for protecting Castro for the best part of 50 years. Through candid interviews with the likes of former US President Jimmy Carter, alleged terrorists Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles, controversially outspoken US Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and ex-CIA agent Tom Parrott, amongst others, interspersed with archive footage of Castro himself, 638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO tells a story packed with the kind of intrigue, gadgets and foul play more likely to be found in a James Bond escapade.

Amidst the hilarity and absurdity of the recounting of numerous failed conspiracies and attempts on Castro’s life, though, lies a more serious, revealing and topical commentary on political hypocrisy and the current US "War on Terror" that unsurprisingly involves appearances by notable members of a certain US political dynasty.

DVD extras include over 70 minutes of interviews.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of production

2007

Subjects

History; Politics & government

Keywords

Castro, Fidel; Cuba

Credits

Director

Dollan Cannell

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£17.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

140 minutes

Year

2007

Distributor

Name

FremantleMedia Home Entertainment

Email

videodvd@fremantlemedia.com

Web

http://www.fremantlehomeentertainment.com/ External site opens in new window

 

Available from retail outlets