Oliver Stone......?!

[Ghostboy]

Nixon's definitely one of my favorite Stone films.

[Johnny Cusavo]

Anybody ever watch the Hand or Seizure..?
The later had a crazy history to it. They're both a real trip to watch.. Although I think only big Oliver Stone fans should go out and rent them cause if your not your gonna say to yourself "What the Fuck!?," after Seizure especially a very insane flick.. But it is Stone's feature film debut.. also not to forget the quality of the tapes they've put out is horrific.. Ep mode.. released from a Canadian distributing house.. I think the only way to ever see it.. a shame, it might be ten times better on DVD or in Sp mode with better prints, providing cleaner sound and picture.. I guess we'll never know. It would be good to preserve it though.. That goes for Kubrick's debut feature too.. Or Tarantino's, it shows a progression. I don't know maybe they were all just too embaressed by them.. Whatever the reason.. You gotta think of the fans man, the fans!!
Peace.

[NEON MERCURY]

so of all Oliver Stones flicks, i've previously seen...
-PLATOON
-WALL STREET
-BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY
-THE DOORS
-JFK
-NATURAL BORN KILLERS
-U TURN
-ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

Run out and get "Talk Radio" and "Nixon" right now!!!

Man...add Any Given Sunday along w/Nixon and Talk Radio  to that  VERY impressive list and you got well accomplished body of work...Really good material ..i always love visual directors and he's  one of the best and gives great comm. tracks 8)

[©brad]

Run out and get "Talk Radio" and "Nixon" right now!!!

agreed. esp. w/ nixon. even if ur not a history junkie, there is so much to luv. u definitely see how he took what he learned from making jfk and applied it to nixon.

im a stone junkie, no doubt. i luv any given sunday. its one of 8 or so movies i watch monthly. visually it continues to amaze me. for no other reason, its a good movie to get ur adrenaline running and make u want to go smash sumthin. well, now that i think about it, all of stone's movies get u pumped in 1 way or another.

[NEON MERCURY]

ATTN:  SMARTASSES!


i realized now that any given Sunday was on that list so no need to bring me out.........now back to the disscussion   ...And AGS  rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cron]

are there any plans of releasing Persona Non Grata and Comandante at least on DVD?

I went to The American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem, which is where Stone stayed while he worked on the documentary  (along with my 'paisano'  Rodrigo Prieto) . There is a little gold plate in the 'distinguished visitors'  section with his name on it,   and now I have an urge to see both documentaries...

[cine]

Oh my god, "Any Given Sunday" ruined my life!!! Noooooo!!!!! I haven't seen a Stone film since that one came out, he is a bad man....a good filmmaker I'm sure....but a bad man that I will avenge for making me a laughingstock of my whole school....him and the person who invented the word "semen".

Did I miss something here?

[kotte]

Oh my god, "Any Given Sunday" ruined my life!!! Noooooo!!!!! I haven't seen a Stone film since that one came out, he is a bad man....a good filmmaker I'm sure....but a bad man that I will avenge for making me a laughingstock of my whole school....him and the person who invented the word "semen".

Tell us!! What do you mean?

[MacGuffin]

Did I miss something here?

Keep reading:
http://xixax.com/viewtopic.php?p=6179#6179

[j_scott_stroup04]

I used to be a HUGE Stone fan, then I kinda got out of him, but just recently I got back into him.  Here's what I think of his films.

Platoon- *** (I know, only 3? Personally, I think the movie is slightly overrated, mainly because of the B-rate acting by most of the people)
Wall Street- ***
Talk Radio- ****
Born on the Fourth of July- ***
The Doors- *** 1/2
JFK- ****
Heaven and Earth- ** 1/2
Natural Born Killers- *** 1/2
Nixon- ****
U-Turn- ***
Any Given Sunday- **

oh, what the heck...
Oliver Stone's America- *** 1/2 (that was one of the most insightful interviews I've ever seen, that's for sure)

So, all in all, I, too, would support a Stone forum.  He's almost as visually innovative as Scorsese...well at least he's along those lines.  He definitely has a style of his own, though.  Which is very respectable.  He is also a damn fine writer (Scarface, Midnight Express).

Oh, and another thing, nobody's mentioned Salvador yet, how come?

[cron]

I saw Comandante this morning . It's  funny.  Stone wasn't thinking about getting a historical perspective on this, rather to understand Castro  as a person, and it works well in that aspect.  You get some fun insights, such as Fidel having a crush with Sofia Loren in his youth, his love life, his filosophical points of view , among other things.
When Oliver tries to get serious (I'm not saying this  to ridiculize him) ,  it looks like he didn't do the proper research . Even Fidel tells him this .  

He uses Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" as the concurrent musical vehicle.

Then he brings up  the JFK /Nixon subjects. Overall, seems that all the crew involved ,and even Fidel himself were having a lot of  fun doing this.

[MacGuffin]

HBO, Stone set new 'Fidel' docu

HBO has scheduled a new documentary from Oliver Stone about Fidel Castro to replace an earlier version scrapped in the wake of a crackdown on Cuban dissidents. Airing April 14, "Looking for Fidel" will replace "Comandante," a documentary featuring Stone's interviews with the Cuban dictator that HBO sidelined. Stone was asked to re-interview Castro to address then late-breaking developments including the execution of three men convicted of hijacking and redirecting a ferry to the United States. Instead of re-editing "Comandante," Stone submitted the entirely new "Fidel" based on additional interviews conducted with Castro last May that specifically address the crackdown.

[Just Withnail]

HBO, Stone set new 'Fidel' docu

HBO has scheduled a new documentary from Oliver Stone about Fidel Castro to replace an earlier version scrapped in the wake of a crackdown on Cuban dissidents. Airing April 14, "Looking for Fidel" will replace "Comandante," a documentary featuring Stone's interviews with the Cuban dictator that HBO sidelined. Stone was asked to re-interview Castro to address then late-breaking developments including the execution of three men convicted of hijacking and redirecting a ferry to the United States. Instead of re-editing "Comandante," Stone submitted the entirely new "Fidel" based on additional interviews conducted with Castro last May that specifically address the crackdown.

Very interesting. I loved Commandante. When is it due? -> Edit: Nevermind.

[MacGuffin]

Lukewarm Applause for Stone's Castro Doc

The world premiere of Oliver Stone's follow-up documentary on Cuban President Fidel Castro met timid applause from a half-full house at the San Sebastian International Film Festival on Saturday.

The festival kicked off Friday, with a warm reception for the world premiere of Woody Allen's new movie "Melinda and Melinda" an urban tale of sex, infidelity and miscommunication. Allen received the festival's lifetime achievement award, given by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

Stone's documentary, titled "Looking for Fidel," presents a more balanced portrait of the Communist leader and life on the Caribbean island than Stone's 2002 film "Comandante."

Despite ample publicity, the premiere attracted fewer than 200 viewers on the second day of the nine-day festival, where 19 films from Iran to Argentina are vying for the top prize, the Golden Shell. The film, by the director of blockbusters such as "Platoon" and "JFK," was not competing.

"It's a very spontaneous movie," Stone said at a news conference after the screening. "It's not a left-wing documentary, and I hope Americans will see it that way."

"It was made for educational reasons, not for money, but I've had enormous difficulties to in order to market it," he added.

Lukewarm applause marked the end of the hourlong piece, which attempts to give voice to all the major players in Cuba through interviews with prisoners, dissidents and rights advocates as well as Castro and his supporters.

"The documentary is politically balanced, and Oliver Stone is conscientious in his interview" with Castro, said Radio Televisao Portuguesa movie critic Teresa Nicolaua.

But while the first documentary was criticized for Stone's appearing too much on screen, critics said the latest goes overboard on Castro.

"Castro's answers are too long. It gets a bit tedious at times," said Nicolaua.

Viewers also complained about the dullness of the settings, with much of the film shot in Castro's office and the few outdoor scenes showing little variety from other films about Cuba.

Stone's first film on Castro was based on three days Stone spent with the Cuban leader in early 2002.

But the film faltered after the Cuban government abruptly cracked down on its opponents, arresting some 75 political dissidents and executing three men convicted of hijacking a passenger ferry in a bid to flee to the United States.

"Comandante" was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 2003, but HBO postponed its release in cinemas as the events in Cuba were condemned worldwide.

The new documentary starts with an interview with Castro and then proceeds to the work's highlight: an interview, with Castro present and participating, with eight prisoners accused of hijacking a plane to try to enter the United States.

"I'm not in power. I'm just the spiritual chief for the majority of Cubans," Castro says.

Later, Stone talks to dissident leaders Elizardo Sanchez and Osvaldo Paya, who denounce the lack of liberty in the country.

"The most difficult part was interviewing the dissidents," said Stone. "Fidel Castro didn't wish them to be interviewed."

As expected, Castro is severe in his criticism of President Bush.

"Bush has appointed dangerous anti-Cuban extremists as men of confidence," Castro says.

He also jokes about the "exactly 734" assassination attempts the CIA has made on his life.

Castro, 76 years old and in power for 47 years when the film was made, is shown undergoing a medical checkup during which a doctor tells him he has the heart rate of a 30-year-old.

[modage]

so of all Oliver Stones flicks, i've previously seen...
-PLATOON
-WALL STREET
-BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY
-THE DOORS
-JFK
-NATURAL BORN KILLERS
-U TURN
-ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

Run out and get "Talk Radio" and "Nixon" right now!!!

a year and some change delayed, i finally saw Talk Radio and Nixon.  enjoyed both, especially Nixon.  it was a dense sprawling epic of sorts, and while i didnt love it as much as JFK it was a reminded (after Alexander) where Stones talents lie.  great performances all around, especially Hopkins.  Talk Radio was also good, but claustrophobic and contained due to it having been a play i imagine.  although i usually have a problem with plays becoming movies of this kind, stone handles the transition well.  a year from now i will watch SALVADOR and HEAVEN AND EARTH.