Oliver Stone......?!

Started by moonshiner, March 13, 2003, 12:17:04 AM

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clerkguy23

I just watched Born On the Fourth of July again recently and holy god that movie is amazing. But for me, easily the best part is the whole opening sequence following Ron before he goes off to war, ending with him running in the rain to get to the dance. That is just a perfect beginning-- the story is told so efficiently, Tom Cruise is amazing, and all the music choices are spot on (especially Moon River). I want to cry every time I see him running to get Kyra Sedwick. It's like a full feature length film condensed into 30 minutes... Unbelievable. I'm sure this has all been talked about on this board but I couldn't find any specific BOTFOJ talk.

Any opinions?

Gold Trumpet

Born on the Fourth of July is essential. It was the film where Oliver Stone became a premiere director. His four films before were depedent upon the success of the script and actors. Wall Street is overrated and Talk Radio is fun, but forgettable. Platoon and Salvador succeed because of the breath of their scripts. They are exhausting in pinpointing the docu drama ends of their situations. Stone doesn't have to do much but allow the camera to follow the action. The films are set in specific points of time so Stone doesn't have a lot of time and space to manage. The simple journey of the characters and the stories made both films.

In Born on the Fourth of July, the story is structured and has more levels of emotional fufilment. The beginning part isn't meant to be just endearing and romantic, but an embodiement of the romantic dream on celluloid. It's suppose to be realistic but remind you of other romantic films so your idea of what will come will be affected. The audience expects a dramatic story, but not one that goes to the depths of hell and despair. The beginning of the film is meant to give an optimistic feeling to this dramatic story, but halfway through the audience starts to think things will not turn out so good. The amazing turn is that at the end Oliver Stone returns to the style of the dream embodied with Kovic becoming a major figure in Veteran rights on the national stage. In the end, he fufills his mother's dream and becomes an important person, but reality costs him a lot in the process.

Stone plays with styles and tones very well here. The film most remiscient of mixing realistic circumstances with an age old drama was the Best Years of Our Lives. It epitomized a lot of controversial aspects of World War II but was still wrapped up in positive themes. For Stone, just filming the story wouldn't have been good enough so he started to work with styles and approaches in the storytelling. His films began to comment on structures and styles within film.

SiliasRuby

I've been reading 'Helter Skelter' and I think that if I was in charge of Hollywood and Stone's next project I really would want him to do it. These characters might be only known extremely for those in the know about the case or have read the book.

Dream Cast For Helter Skelter movie directed by Oliver Stone based on the aforementioned book and the book 'Manson in his own words':

Charles Manson: A mid 30's Jim Caviezel. He's already played Jesus so this is the obvious next step. Or an slightly older Zac Braff or Wes Bentley
Vincent Bugliosi: Kevin Spacey or Guy Pearce
Susan Atkins: Megan Fox
Bruce McGregor Davis: Jesse Eisenberg
Lynette 'Squeaky' Frome: Lindsay Lohan
Charles 'Tex' Watson: Emile Hirsh
Catherine Gilles: Ashley Greene
Kitty Lutesinger: Vanessa Hudgens
Nancy Pitman: Shenae Grimes
Linda Kasabian: Leighton Meester
Catherine Share AKA Gypsy: Kristen Bell
Sandra Good AKA Sandy: Amanda Seyfried
Steve Grogan AKA Clem: Connor Paolo
Ruth Moore Moorehouse AKA Ouisch: Zoe Kravitz
Robert 'Bobby' Beausoleil: Zac Efron
Leslie Van Houten: Isabel Lucas
Donald Shorty Shea: Chris Bauer
Larry Bailey: Jeffery Ballard
Defense Attorney Ronald Hughes: Jeff Bridges in a heavy zz top beard
Mary Theresa Brummer: Evan Rachel Wood
Patricia Krenwinkel AKA Katie: Mischa Barton
John Philip Haught aka Christopher Jesus aka Zero: Shia Labeouf.
George Spahn: An extremely old John Goodman, makeup needed for decrepidness or an overweight James Cromwell

The actors playing Roman Polanski, Leno Libianca and Rosemary Libianca, Gary Hinman, Sharon Tate, Steven Earl Parent, Abigal Folger, Voytek Frykowski, and Jay Sebring will have to be played by unknowns or non stars for some respect of the dead and famous. More cameos made by tough guys such as Russel Crowe or Gerard Butler could come in for some of the police detective roles. The main coroner could be played by Ken Jeong in a complete strait role. Look up the actors you are unfamiliar with on imdb.

They would need to get the rights to the beatles' songs 'Helter Skelter', 'Baby you're a rich man', 'blackbird', 'Cry Baby Cry', 'I Will', 'Honey Pie', Revolution' and 'Sexy Sadie' as well the rights to Charles Manson's Album "Lie: The Love and Terror Cult". The score would be done by Trent Reznor having a slight connection to the lore of the murders. He bought the Tate house and recorded "The Downward Spiral" there. With The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys recording tracks specifically for the film.

Thinking about the script I was hoping for a collaboration between David Koepp and Oliver Stone although I think Oliver would have a couple of writers already ready in the wings to collaborate with him on this material. As far as a DP I'm thinking Robert Elswit, Robert Richardson, or Rodrigo Prieto.


Thoughts? Or did I just waste a lot of time?
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hedwig

i'd change a few of those casting choices. a matter of personal taste. i agree this would be a dreamy project. i would make it a rock opera.

SiliasRuby

I thought hard about those choices. It's tough to find young people that would fit a specific age. But what are your other thoughts about the cast? Anyone else have any ideas...?
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When you are getting fucked by the big corporations remember to use a condom.

There was a FISH in the perkalater!!!

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hedwig

oh i would definitely cast vincent gallo as charlie. he's just perfect for the part. everything about the way he looks, talks, acts. dude was born to play charles manson. gallo could even perform some of manson's music for the soundtrack, that'd be great. the rest of the cast i'd have to think about for a while. all i know is that Lohan, Fox, Spacey, Hudgens, Bell, Kravitz, Efron, and Labeouf would be nowhere in sight. no offense to your choices. casting unknowns would be fun.

SiliasRuby

Thats what I've been told and I thought it would be a much more realistic movie that way with unknowns. But it would certainly be made faster if those names were cast and it would make them a much more interesting circus. Zero, the guy labeouf would play, dies from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head while playing russian roulette.
The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles.

When you are getting fucked by the big corporations remember to use a condom.

There was a FISH in the perkalater!!!

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hedwig

haha. yeah. no doubt that would be entertaining. i want Julie Taymor to adapt it into a musical.

socketlevel

wasn't jeremy davies going to be manson at one point?  he would do the best job, hands down.
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john


Gallo was pretty much cast in a project on Manson, but left due to a payment dispute. He would have been pretty terrific. My girlfriend is pretty certain Gallo would make a great Rasputin, I'm inclined to agree.

Quote from: socketlevel on September 02, 2009, 10:56:32 PM
wasn't jeremy davies going to be manson at one point?  he would do the best job, hands down.

He was.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383393/

It's a pretty stellar performance in a middling TV movie. Check it out sometime.
Maybe every day is Saturday morning.

Gold Trumpet

Stone In Talks With Iran For Ahmadinejad Documentary
2 hours ago | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Moviemaker Oliver Stone is in talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to star in a big screen documentary - just weeks after he wrapped filming his insight into the life of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

On Monday, Stone came under fire from U.S. commentators for walking the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival with Chavez at his side as he premiered South of the Border.

The documentary-style film focuses on the Venezuelan leader and the South American revolution - and Stone is now eyeing a study of Iran's newly re-elected president.

Ahmadinejad is under fire from many of the world's leaders over Iran's nuclear weapons program and his criticisms of the West. The legitimacy of his second presidential term is also in dispute after hundreds of demonstrators were injured as they protested against his election victory earlier this year.

And Stone has been in talks with Iran to document the politician, but schedules have so far been conflicting.

He explains, "I was very interested because I thought we were going to go to war in Iran. If we had been more successful in Iraq, I have no doubts that we would have been more involved in the Iranian situation now." »




Less thrilled about the prospects of this project (if true). To be successful, Stone would have to get very critical and I doubt Iran would allow for that. They originally refused Stone outright to film there but now are loosening a little, but who knows what little is in their books? It may have to be a portrait like the General Idi Amin Dada film made years ago.

Gold Trumpet

Last few minutes of his birthday. He's not a perfect filmmaker, but he's my man. Somebody on this board has to love the man.

Here is the best compilation video of his career: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/06/oliver.stone.bush.movie/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

socketlevel

dude i fucking love him, i've watched all his movies and JFK/NIXON are two of my all times. He defined a generation of film editing (good or bad) with NBK.  even when he missteps, he does so with huge ambition.
the one last hit that spent you...

SiliasRuby

I LOVE HIM!!!!! I can't get enough of the guy! JFK is one of my favorite films of all time.
The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles.

When you are getting fucked by the big corporations remember to use a condom.

There was a FISH in the perkalater!!!

My Collection

SiliasRuby

Also, Do you think this guy on the cover look like a young Oliver?

The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles.

When you are getting fucked by the big corporations remember to use a condom.

There was a FISH in the perkalater!!!

My Collection