Product Description
Challenging audiences and leaving critics in disarray, the films of Oliver Stone have compelled viewers to reexamine many of their most revered beliefs about America's past. Like no other filmmaker, Stone has left an indelible mark on public opinion and political life, even as he has generated enormous controversy and debate among those who take issue with his dramatic use of history.

This book brings Stone face-to-face with some of his most thoughtful critics and supporters and allows Stone himself ample room to respond to their views. Featuring such luminaries as David Halberstam, Stephen Ambrose, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Walter LaFeber, and Robert Rosenstone, these writers critique Stone's most contested films to show how they may distort, amplify, or transcend the historical realities they appear to depict.

These essays--on Salvador, Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, JFK, Heaven and Earth, Natural Born Killers, and Nixon--enlarge our understanding of Stone's films, while also giving us a fuller appreciation of the filmmaker as artist and intellectual. They reveal how Stone's experience in Vietnam colors his views of American government and corporate culture and suggest new ways of looking at the complex tensions between art and history that shape Stone's films.

In response, Stone offers an articulate and passionate defense of his artistic vision. Disavowing once and for all the mantle of "cinematic historian," Stone declares himself first and foremost a storyteller, a dramatist and mythmaker who deliberately refashions historical facts in pursuit of higher truths. The undeniable centerpiece of this artistic manifesto is Stone's fascinating commentary on the making and meanings of JFK, the film that reopened a case that many thought finally closed.

A provocative and timely reexamination of a great American artist, Oliver Stone's USA will also reignite public debate over the relationship between history and art as well as the artist's responsibility to his audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Decent book
I needed it for a class, but probably ordered it a little late.Good book though, thanks so much!

Great Work Of Debate And Intellectual Issues.
Oliver Stone is one of the most brilliant and provocative filmmakers working today and in this book we get a great taste of the debate over his work from both sides of the field. The book as a whole is very readable and never boring. Stone fans (like myself) and Stone bashers alike will get a good kick out of this book. The essay and responses to critics that Stone writes are fascinating, informative and speak to the free intellectual spirit and as in his great movies, Stone comes out as a man who really is aware of how the world works. I admire his writing here because it is an encouragement to people to educate themselves and read and do their own research and open their eyes. This book can be provocative intellectually and generally. The critics of Stone here also make some points, but not strong enough in my opinion, Stephen Ambrose comes off as a false historian who does not look at historical events from more than one angle or opinion. Stone easily dismisses his weak attacks. There is also a great deal of good dissection of the Stone films mentioned here which range from "Salvador" to "Nixon." Rock enthusiasts will like the article dealing with Stone's film on Jim Morrison, "The Doors" and Stone's own comments on Morrison and his music. The most provocative articles are those on the two most fiery political films Stone has made, "JFK" and "Nixon." These are provocative pieces because Stone challenges our views of official history and dares us to look behind the veils of the news, historians and some writings. This is not just a book for film buffs or Stone fans and critics, it is a book for people who enjoy good, smart debating and dissections of intellectual arguments. I enjoyed it because it is a breather for people looking for a really smart book. And yes, film buffs should definately read it because it deals greatly with how movies handle fact and fiction and it has important things to say on the role of the cinema in society and art in general. A fascinating, provocative and enjoyable book.

Junk
Oliver Stone slandered an innocent man in the film JFK. The greatest film critic of all, Pauline Kael, said Stone was a lousy screenwriter, and she's right. And Oliver Stone's response at the end of the book to Gerald Posner's book on the JFK assassination CASE CLOSED (that proves convincingly that Oswald was a lone gunman) is just absurd!! Every sin Stone says Posner committed--and in fact did not commit in most cases--Stone committed a million times more in JFK! I've rarely seen greater hypocrisy than I saw in Stone's Posner piece. If you want to read about an irrational, paranoid, egomaniac, go ahead and read this silly book.

"Lunch Is For Wimps!"
Since "Salvador" in 1985, Oliver Stone has kept humorless historians, political journalists and right wing reactionaries flinching.

"Platoon" (1986) was the first motion picture that actually depicted the lives of the "grunts" fighting in Vietnam, completely oliberating the absolute stupidity of John Wayne's jingositic film of "The Green Berets" in 1968.

"Born On The Fourth of July" portrayed the pain and suffering of many Vietnam vets returning home to a society that seemed callous and indifferent.

In 1991, Stone became the first commercial filmmaker with any clout to take on the morass of details surrounding the Kennedy assassination.

Can a man who makes movies based on historical events actually be classified as an historian?

That seems to be the fundamental question surrounding "Oliver Stone's USA," a fabulous new book, edited by Brent Toplin.

The first section of the book is devoted to a series of essays, both pro and con Stone, from writers like David Halberstam and Steven Ambrose (who writes a particularly nasty piece on "Nixon").

The book's second section gives Stone a chance to respond to the critics and that he does eloquently (noting at one point that neither Stephen Ambrose nor John Wayne ever served a minute in combat).

The volume of attacks on Stone for "JFK" from political pundits like George Will, Alexander Cockburn, Tom Wicker et al may have been prompted by the knowledge that Stone reaches more people with one showing of his films that they do writing a lifetime of columns.

"Oliver Stone's USA" is a book that should be read by anyone who has an interest in both the power of motion pictures and the dark side of recent American history. ... Read more

Product Description
With big type, short chapters, plenty of artwork, and a text geared to a

high-second-grade reading level, this skillful adaptation conveys the mood and

excitement of the original in a format that will appeal to younger readers and

older reluctant readers. Reading level: 2.4.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good book
I liked reading this book with my seven year old. He enjoyed it, too. It was a good adaptation of the book and my son understood it really well.

Oliver Twist
I gave this and the other books listed to my grandson and he is reading them.I'm trying to encourage him to get away a little from Star Wars.He needs something else in his life!

Oliver Twist
This was a new book for beginning readers that want to learn from the classics.I would like to see some classics from Black literature too. ... Read more

Product Description
This companion to the documentary will unearth the truth behind historical events, using recently-discovered archives and newly declassified material. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The Making of Alexander takes you inside the world of Oliver Stone’s ambitious film Alexander, with Robin Lane Fox, Ancient Historian at Oxford University and author of the bestselling and unparalleled biography "Alexander the Great" as your guide.Given an all-access look into the making of Oliver Stone’s film, Fox provides the facts behind much of the fiction that has become what is widely accepted as Alexander the Great’s history.As Oliver Stone’s historical adviser, Fox, in the preparation for this official guide to the film, interviewed the stars of "Alexander," including Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie.Fox also had access to the set designers and costume designers, and even rode as a cavalryman in the filming of Alexander’s battles.This firsthand knowledge provides the casual reader, filmgoer, and Oliver Stone fan with a peerless look into the making of a blockbuster film.The Official Guide to Alexander contains dozens of color stills from the film and candid interviews with its stars.As a special bonus, Oliver Stone contributes an exclusive foreword to this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Making of Alexander - Beautiful Book!
Wonderful keepsake book and very informative about both the making of this epic film and the real person behind it all. Beautiful color and black and white photos, drawings, storyboard illustrations and stories about the filming. I only wish it included a timeline of the filming - what was filmed when and where, but that's not something everyone might want, so it doesn't detract from this beautiful book all that much.

Robin Lane Fox Behind the Scenes of "Alexander"
Robin Lane Fox is among the best of our historical authorities on Alexander of Macedon along with Peter Green, W.L Adams, and a few others.As historical advisor to Oliver Stone and an action extra, he was in a unique position to offer diffinitive comments on the making of the epic film "Alexander" and his views are nicely presented in this handsome volume.Sadly, the film has been viewed as uneven by critics and the public with not a few questions about the portrayl of history. Fox concluded that the film is not history; it is cinema.And some critics should keep that in mind about certain dramatic techniques used in this film and its screenplay.This book is not simply an apology for all of this.It is a rare and interesting inside view of one of the most ambitious film projects of the new century.I too came away from the film a bit disappointed, but Robin Lane Fox's commentary convinced me that whatever the film's failures, it was not because of a lack of effort or good intention.Remarkably, as we learn here, the attention to detail in this project was generally right on, with only a few intentional lapses for the sake of story.Fox mixes his historical expertise with fascinating depictions of how an epic film is produced.The most interesting chapters deal with the training of action extras, and the preparation of the two major battle scences that actually helped answer certain historical questions about soldiers and warfare in ancient times.Alexander, the man, the warrior, the king, the visionary, remains a mystery through all of this.But Fox sheds some new light here.The volume includes a brief introduction by (and apparently autographed by) the director Oliver Stone.

An Entertaining And Highly Detailed Account.
Robin Lane Fox is not a name readily associated with Hollywood or movies. And yet the man has been seeked out by important filmmakers for years to help with projects based on the life Alexander The Great that eventually never left the starting line. This is just one of the fascinating facts we discover in Fox's "The Making Of Alexander," a book where Fox describes how Oliver Stone's epic came to be and how Fox was tagged on as not only a consultant, but also as one of the members of Alexander's cavalry (this is actually what Fox asked for in return for his services). Making Of books tend to read like CNN on the set, simple, straightforward accounts of how the script was written, how the actors were cast and what calamities and surprises took place during shooting. Fox's book contains all these, but with a special flavor because here we have an outsider to this world, an Oxford historian who's biggest thrill is riding horses and hunting in the winter who's suddenly called-up by a producer and asked to meet the notorious Oliver Stone and aid him in the details of Alexander's world. "The Making Of Alexander" is a creative adventure, a humorous look at moviemaking and a richly detailed history lesson on the conquests of Alexander and details of the Ancient Greek world. Fox writes with the fervor of someone who deeply cares about the subject, Stone's film is of great importance to him because it brings everything Fox writes and lectures about to the big screen. Stone's critics will be surprised to find that Fox considers Stone a true artist, a man who deeply cares about history and is fascinated by it and treats it will absolute respect in his movies. The book also clarifies how historical films may seem inaccurate, but that is only because a director is given about 2 or 3 hours to tell a story spanning numerous years and so material must be condensed or taken out. The details of how the movie's elaborate sets like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were constructed are fascinating and the passages where Fox describes charging with elephants and re-creating famous battles are exciting and touching considering we get the sense of Fox being a historian living out his dreams (Fox is the author of "Alexander The Great," often considered the best of the Alexander biographies). This is also a visually enticing book. The photos from the film and sets are excellent and give us a clear picture of how the movie was constructed. "The Making Of Alexander" even settles some questions long asked in the press, like, did Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie get it on? (They did).
"The Making Of Alexander" is an entertaining journey, an adventure of minds trying to compose a gigantic movie with what resources are available. It is the story of a historian suddenly finding himself in the roller coaster ride known as Oliver Stone and coming out alive to tell the tale.

Alexander IS Great!!
Having come to this page and finding the single review below, I feel compelled to write one of my own.

I have always been interested in Alexander, a unique & enigmatic man who has never failed to engage, challenge, fascinate - and yes, rouse passions& create controversy - through the centuries and across cultures. I was not however, much interested in the movie initially. To me, Oliver Stone spelled `contemporary American pop culture',
far removed from `ancient Greek civilization'!I had never seen Colin Farrell in a movie but had seen snippets of
interviews on TV and to say that I wasn't impressed with what I saw, would be an understatement.

I did end up seeing the movie out of curiosity and I think I can guess why it hasn't been a box office hit. Had the filmmakers used Alexander's story to create a big budget Hollywood epic, full of glamour and fantasy and everything else that appeal to mass audiences in search of simplistic entertainment, it would have been a hit. Instead, they've done just the opposite - they have used the medium & technology of the film to interpret and dramatize Alexander. As such anyone with some interest and knowledge of Alexander would not fail to recognize the power and richness of the movie. And the more one has read andknows of Alexander, the more I think they would appreciate the beauty, the depth, the thought-provoking nuances....

The reason I found this book such a great read is that it gives you a wonderful insight into the entire process of the creation of the movie. It's written by Robin Lane Fox - an Oxford professor & the author of one of the most respected contemporary biographies of Alexander - who was involved with the film from early on. To me, reading about the long gestation of the script, the intellectual debates, historic analyses, personal visions etc.that went into the writing of it, was fascinating. Equally fascinating was Colin Farrell's comments on Alexander - some very
powerful stuff....which made me realize why his Alexander came across as so real! (Needless to say I now feel rather horrible about all my prior uncharitable thoughts!)

But there is a great deal more in the book that truly enhanced my appreciation and enjoyment of the film. Mr. Fox is an enthusiastic chronicler of all kinds of details - everything from casting, sets, costumes, boot camp, special effects to film financing headaches,Hollywood rivalries and on-set romances! There's also a lot of great color photographs of both the actors and the sets.

Nothing great about "Alexander"!
In the pantheon of the greatest human beings who ever lived, in terms of influencing the history of the world, Jesus Christ "ranks" number one and Alexander the Great ranks number two, for similar albeit different reasons.Both influenced history more than others, and died at essentially the same age, 33.Jesus changed man's relationship to God and thereby "conquered" much of the world, while Alexander's territorial conquests spread democracy and the assimilation of disparate cultures.Both were remarkable leaders who possessed super-human qualities, including wisdom and fearlessness.

In a sense, their lives were intertwined because the spread of Christianity as a world religion (owing to the Greek language), as well as the Roman Empire and the long centuries of Byzantium are all said to be the fruits of Alexander's achievements. As a general, Alexander (or Alexander III of Macedon, 356-323 B.C.) is considered to be among the greatest the world has ever known.He was recognized as pharaoh (or god incarnate) of Egypt; and his general Ptolemy founded the fabled Egyptian dynasty that ended with the death of Cleopatra (who was named for Alexander's full sister), the last of the Ptolemies.Alexander's wife, Roxane, is a story of love and alliances-and of their son, born posthumously.

It is sad, but totally predictable, that the epic tale of Alexander's life and deeds has been twisted by Oliver Stone, whose perversion of the topics he films is legendary.Why any movie studio finances this hack remains a mystery.One need know little or nothing about "Alexander," the movie, to realize that Stone would turn the great Alexander into a farcical Gay hero, or bisexual at best. Yet, there is no historical evidence that such was the case.At that time in history, bisexuality was present just as it is today; however, it was predictable before the first camera rolled that Stone would make such characteristics central to Alexander's character.

Also, it is clear that Stone miscast the leading actors in his film, and that it is disjointed and fails to depict any greatness at all.While the story of Alexander's life and accomplishments and place in history is a tale that surpasses David Lean's brilliant and timeless "Lawrence of Arabia," Stone is incapable of telling such a story or picking the actors to enrich the screen, much as the young Peter O'Toole played T.E. Lawrence so magnificently.It is only too bad that Lean is not alive to do justice to such an epic; Stone is a rank amateur when compared to the greatness of Lean.

While due respect might be given to Stone's ability to raise the money in Hollywood (and abroad) for such a film-where history is distorted on a daily basis-"Alexander" was doomed from the moment when Stone was chosen because of his lack of talent, political biases, and inability to properly cast the film.He failed, whereas the true story of Alexander succeeded beyond one's wildest imagination. To read the history of Alexander's life is to realize that he surpassed the exploits of his revered Greek gods.Yet, Stone lacks even a modicum of greatness as a moviemaker to depict one of the greatest figures and stories in history.

Robin Lane Fox, a fine British scholar of Alexander's life, served as an advisor to Stone and wrote this book, and made the mistake of associating his name with this debacle.Any serious scholar should have known immediately that Stone's reputation is tainted, which is certainly true of his films, and that any alliance with him would be the moral equivalent of selling one's soul to the worst that is Hollywood.

Some day the real story of Alexander's greatness will be told, with a cast that does justice to the epic, including some unknown actor playing Alexander as O'Toole played Lawrence, instead of the relative pygmies who dance on Stone's one-dimensional canvas.One can only assume that Fox was paid a tidy sum for participating in such a travesty.People were walking out on the movie in Los Angeles, and it would be a miracle if it earned even a fraction of its estimated $200 million production and marketing costs in the U.S.

The Toronto Star aptly called it "not just a bad movie but a bad movie of truly epic proportions."Robin Lane Fox should have known better; however, perhaps the lure of Hollywood and its associated dollars proved too much for him to resist.At the least, being associated with Stone and the making of "Alexander" has diminished his professional reputation. ... Read more

Product Description
American anti-hero Oliver Stone joins the literary canon with this bold tale of an alienated youth who takes to the road on an odyssey to hell.Amazon.com Review
Anyone who is a fan of Oliver Stone's films already knows therole Vietnam has played in both his personal and public lives. He'smade three films about the war and its aftermath: Platoon, Born on the Fourth ofJuly, and Heavenand Earth; now he has also penned a novel that skirts theborders of autobiography--the hero, after all, is called Oliver. Thenovel grew out of three major experiences in young Oliver's life: histime as a civilian teacher in a Saigon Catholic school, his return toAmerica aboard a merchant marine ship, and his eventual return toVietnam as a soldier.

Stone originally wrote this novel in 1966at the age of 19. In a fit of frustration and despair after numerous rejections from publishers, Stone "threw several sections of themanuscript into the East River one cold night, and, as if surgicallyremoving the memory of the book from my mind, volunteered for theVietnam of 1967." For many years, the remaining sections of themanuscript lay forgotten in a shoebox, until eventually Stonerecovered them, rewrote the novel, and published it this year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Deserves at Least 3 1/2 Stars
This book is underrated and underappreciated. It's quality is uneven and inconsistent, but I think worth reading for the good parts. It is pretty clear that Vietnam represents an overwhelming catharsis or abreaction for his character, even to the point of a certain amount of mythologizing. For any reader not expecting a large dose, be prepared. Overall, this novel deserves merit for not keeping to the beaten path.

A book by a self important Studio Hack
This book is simply unreadable.Basically if you go on a street corner and listen to a homeless person rant, tape the rant, then put it to paper, you will come out with a very similiar book.Stone is not talented enough to write a book with a real story or plot, so instead he just puts his ramblings to page and hopes there will be enough shallow people who mistake it for genius since it is wierd.Kind of like those abstract painters who can be outpainted by an ape.

A hauntingly beautiful novel -- poetic and revealing
_________________________________________________________________

They say if you stare into a mirror long enough, you'll see the face of your own mother or father. But what if you saw Mother/Father/eagles in Mexican mountains/Godeath with sun in your eyes/"Ghost of a panther's soul"?

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is the first novel written by celebrated screenwriter/director/producer Oliver Stone, winner of three Oscars (for the screenplay of MIDNIGHT EXPRESS and as director of PLATOON and BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY), and whose films have earned 37 Academy Award nominations. First embarked on when Stone was 19, the novel lay becalmed inside a shoebox for 30 years until Stone took a deep breath and set sail once more. Graciously, he's invited us along as fellow voyagers, or voyeurs.

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is the autobiographical/fictional story of young William Oliver Stone, whose neglectful haut monde mother made him a haunting promise one night long ago. A promise Stone must prove or dispel or run from or embed like a Cambodian dagger in his own flesh.

Torn between his estranged parents, Stone lives in two worlds. The world of "Oliver" is warm, carnal. Lust replaces love, and his mother has the "...face of a growling meateater. Wolfess." The world of "William" is cold, rigid, rigor mortis. Money replaces love, and his father unerringly hammers a stake through his son's heart, "You can't be an individual in this world..."

Rejecting both worlds, Stone volunteers for combat in Vietnam and enters the Inferno. Raw, visceral, shot through wih madness, it's a microcosmic version of the film PLATOON, with fascinating additions -- the ghosts of French soldiers, Indians taking scalps, and Stone experiencing his own death.

But reality is shape-shifting, and when Stone discovers he's alive, he embarks on a sea voyage. And what a voyage this proves to be -- mano a mano confrontations, a devastating hurricane, a man lost overboard, and Stone's terror when his "own devil voice" calls to him from the impenetrable depths. It's a masterfully told tale that lashes us with all the fury of a storm at sea.

Stone's odyssey leads us through dark bordellos, a murderous rainy afternoon in France, and an erotic encounter with an angel. Ultimately we find ourselves in a cheap Mexican hotel room where Stone confronts the ashes of a book, a mirror, a dream.

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is an extraordinary novel -- poetic, painful, elemental, pounding to the demented rhythms of the sea and a young man's blood. In Stone's hands, language itself becomes an adventure, and images can be cool, mystical, silvered to the back of a mirror -- or hot, panting beasts rampaging through the jungle.

And who will ever forget the courage and tragedy of this Boy/Poet who strips himself naked, shivering outside the garden like a lost cherub?

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is an intensely moving experience. Even if we tie the heart in a double sailor's knot for safety, Stone will unravel it. And if we've managed to hold them back, Stone's Epilogue, written at age 50, finally releases them -- "long tears like boats sailing from the ports of [our] eyes."

Off-Beat Aspirations
Mr. Stone was clearly heavily influenced by such Beat Generation literary genuises such as Ginsberg and Kerouac, and while his 19 - year - old efforts to emulate his heros is a nice thought, it has no business inprint.He falls so short of his attempt to recreate the thoughtfulmeanderings of the Beats that his prose becomes unintelligable garble.

A hauntingly beautiful novel -- poetic and revealing.
They say if you stare into a mirror long enough, you'll see the face of your own mother or father.But what if you saw Mother/Father/eagles in Mexican mountains/Godeath with sun in your eyes/"Ghost of a panther'ssoul"?

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is the first novel written bycelebrated screenwriter/director/producer Oliver Stone, winner of threeOscars (for the screenplay of MIDNIGHT EXPRESS and as director of PLATOONand BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY), and whose films have earned 37 AcademyAward nominations.First embarked on when Stone was 19, the novel laybecalmed inside a shoebox for 30 years until Stone took a deep breath andset sail once more.Graciously, he's invited us along as fellow voyagers,or voyeurs.

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is the autobiographical/fictional storyof young William Oliver Stone, whose neglectful haut monde mother made hima haunting promise one night long ago.A promise Stone must prove ordispel or run from or embed like a Cambodian dagger in his ownflesh.

Torn between his estranged parents, Stone lives in two worlds. The world of "Oliver" is warm, carnal.Lust replaces love, andhis mother has the "...face of a growling meateater.Wolfess." The world of "William" is cold, rigid, rigor mortis.Moneyreplaces love, and his father unerringly hammers a stake through his son'sheart, "You can't be an individual in this world..."

Rejectingboth worlds, Stone volunteers for combat in Vietnam and enters the Inferno. Raw, visceral, shot through wih madness, it's a microcosmic version of thefilm PLATOON, with fascinating additions -- the ghosts of French soldiers,Indians taking scalps, and Stone experiencing his own death.

But realityis shape-shifting, and when Stone discovers he's alive, he embarks on a seavoyage.And what a voyage this proves to be -- mano a mano confrontations,a devastating hurricane, a man lost overboard, and Stone's terror when his"own devil voice" calls to him from the impenetrable depths. It's a masterfully told tale that lashes us with all the fury of a storm atsea.

Stone's odyssey leads us through dark bordellos, a murderous rainyafternoon in France, and an erotic encounter with an angel.Ultimately wefind ourselves in a cheap Mexican hotel room where Stone confronts theashes of a book, a mirror, a dream.

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is anextraordinary novel -- poetic, painful, elemental, pounding to the dementedrhythms of the sea and a young man's blood.In Stone's hands, languageitself becomes an adventure, and images can be cool, mystical, silvered tothe back of a mirror -- or hot, panting beasts rampaging through thejungle.

And who will ever forget the courage and tragedy of this Boy/Poetwho strips himself naked, shivering outside the garden like a lostcherub?

A CHILD'S NIGHT DREAM is an intensely moving experience.Even ifwe tie the heart in a double sailor's knot for safety, Stone will unravelit.And if we've managed to hold them back, Stone's Epilogue, written atage 50, finally releases them -- "long tears like boats sailing fromthe ports of [our] eyes." ... Read more

Product Description

Throughout his career Oliver Stone (b. 1946) has broken traditions and challenged audiences with a series of daring, angry, violent, and often confrontational films. Politically charged movies such as Nixon (1995), JFK (1991), and Wall Street (1987), and his Vietnam trilogy of Platoon (1986), Born on the 4th of July (1989), and Heaven and Earth (1993) provoke and enrage critics and audiences from all ideological walks. In a short time, Stone has established himself as one of the most admired and most reviled directors in American cinema.

Ranging from 1981 to 1997, the fifteen conversations featured in Oliver Stone: Interviews reveal a man frustrated by what he sees as the hypocrisies of American politics, of conservatism, and of the Hollywood film industry. But the conflicts and tensions these issues generate spellbind him.

In the interviews, Stone comes off as a man as brash, outspoken, confident, and complicated as his movies. His obsessions -- the 1960s, the ways in which Vietnam shaped the country, the nature of violence, and the role of the media in shaping it -- resurface again and again, no matter what film Stone is discussing.

Though the subjects of Nixon, JFK, Born on the 4th of July, The Doors (1991), and Heaven and Earth are rooted in the turbulent 1960s, Stone as interviewee and filmmaker is firmly entrenched in the present. He fiercely discusses how the attitudes and political effects of the 1960s have defined later decades and generations, as he talks about his satire of the stock market (Wall Street, 1987) and media exposure (Natural Born Killers, 1994). Bolts of the director's raw wit and enthusiasm for the cinema shine through all of Stone's ferocious rage.

Stone loves writing as well as directing. Whether discussing his screenplays written for other directors -- which include Scarface (1983), Midnight Express (1978), or Conan the Barbarian (1982, with director John Milius) -- or his own films, Stone emphasizes how crucial screenwriting is to making great movies. "Directing is a natural extension of writing," he says in a 1987 interview with Michel Ciment. "A director can always pull through with noise everywhere and his colleagues around. I don't think a good director can make a good film with a bad screenplay, but a bad director can deliver an acceptable film if he has a good screenplay. So for me, that's the number one priority."

Charles L. P. Silet is a professor of English at Iowa State University. ... Read more

Product Description
Oliver Stone's professional achievements and personal demons are captured in this explosive biography of the outspoken, Oscar-winning filmmaker--his spoiled but neglected childhood, his tour in Viet Nam, his struggle as a screenwriter, and his incredible acclaim as a director. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The best book to get on Stone and his movies
Any true test of a book like this is how well-researched it is. Apparently, James Riordan had access to Stone and to many of his collaborators and this results in a rich, detailed look at this original filmmaker.

Riordan goes into great detail on Stone's early life and traces his development from burnt out Viet vet to controversial filmmaker. Best of all, he also packs in tons of great anecdotal information on the making of all of Stone's films. He writes in a very engaging style that had me reading this book cover to cover, especially the chapters devoted to my favourite Stone films (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK). He really sheds fascinating light on Stone's working methods and the inner demons that fuel him.

If you are a fan of Stone's film than this is the book to get. Except no substitutes. I really hope that Riordan is working on an updated edition that covers Nixon, U-Turn and the rest of Stone's work, including the upcoming Alexander. Hopefully, some day...

Not Worth 5 Stars!
This is my first time reading up on Oliver Stone, or any other director for that matter.

I found this book very well written and an enormously entertaining read. The author not only gives a keen insight into whatOliver Stone is about and how he works, but the book also gives a goodbasic overview of how movies get made and the inner workings of Hollywood.After reading this book, I gained a new respect and appreciation for allthe tremendously hard working people involved in getting a story onto thebig screen.

I give the book a 3 star rating because the author didn'tstay true to his topic. The first half of the book was much more revealing(and interesting) than the latter half. It worked really well from up toaround the end of the Platoon era. After that it seems like the book tapersoff. Besides, I find it hard to believe that you can find more details andinsights into Stone's early life, when he was a nobody, than you can intohis later life where he is among the biggest directors in Hollywood and amuch revered and outspoken public figure.

A Complete Guid to Stone
This is a must for any Stone fan. It is a complete history of Oliver Stone; from his birth into a wealthy New York family, to driving a cab for $30 dollars a night, to the set of JFK. It gives us a compelling insight into what created one of America's greatest and important film makers and social critics.

The best book I read on a director yet !
This book really takes you into the mind of Oliver Stone. Itreally gets in their an shows how he directs ,and what the actors and his peerers think of his work.

Takes you in the mind of a very controversial moviemaker.
This is the story of a man who lived the life of America for the past 50 years.He represents the good and the bad in all of us.He is a filmmaker.He is Oliver Stone.No one has captured the pulse of what is relevant to most Americans except probably Steven Spielberg.In fact, Oliver Stone is the dark side of Spielberg.Where Spielberg has chosen fantasy, Stone has chosen reality.This book was remarkable in that you felt that as you read it, you really were beginning to meet Oliver Stone for the first time.You put all your anger and your fears aside as you finally began to realize that he is just a man.A man who lives life at 199 miles per hour, wanting to hit the tree like James Dean.Oliver Stone is just a man who loves the chase, loves the escape, loves pushing the envelope of a hungry American filmgoer, thirsty for more tales of American stories, those dark sides of Andy Hardy that we all really live ... Read more

Product Description
A new series of biographies of contemporary directors concentrating on their movies and written by world class authors who know their subject personally.Each book also contains a complete unabridged collection of reviews from VARIETY. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Okay but Redundant
If you haven't read the Riordan biography of Mr. Stone yet, this book basically covers all the ground that's covered in that.Only get this book if you are a devoted disciple of Mr. Stone (like me) and want to get it for the sake of having a complete collection on the filmmaker (or if you happen to value Daily Variety's film reviews).Otherwise, save your money.

A great insight into his movies
Oliver Stone is truly one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers of our time. That's why I look forward to reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Twayne Filmmakers SeriesSeries Editor: Frank Beaver, University of MichiganThis series explores the history of motion pictures by studying individual filmmakers and cinematic movements, illuminating the most significant aspects of film for the student, scholar, and general reader.An Academy Award-winning director whose trademark infotainment films, in which factually based events in history are presented with an editorial biasPlatoon, Salvadore, Born on the Fourth of July, and JFK Stone has spawned vigorous debate over the ethics of blurring the line between news journalism and fictional narrative.And while the aforementioned films lean towards news, many of his other films, such as Wall Street and Talk Radioare clearly fictionalized explorations of real situations in American society today.The Twayne Filmmakers Seriesprovides students with rich opportunities for studying individual filmmakers, national cinema, and filmmaking technique.Books in the Filmmakers Seriesare written by major film scholars, historians, and critics who bring their special insights to a highly diverse collection of studies about the twentieth centurys major art form: the motion picture.Frank Beaver, Series EditorI opened it with dread, but as it turned out, I did not have to ignore this as another whipping.On the contrary, I learned things about myself and the way my films are perceived.My congratulations on a sincere and well-crafted analysis.Oliver Stone . . . a welcome addition to film collections.Library Journal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Who could object too much?
I only like this book because it is clear about the kind of thing which everybody thinks is typical, but most people would think that only fools can object to this much truth and get away with it.To be specific, on pages 371-391 is a Transcript of Conversation in which Nixon and Haldeman talked on May 5, 1971, more than a year before the Watergate break-in, but from a "Watergate Special Prosecution Force File Segment."It might be a conversation about Colson and "a guy that nobody, none of us knows except Dwight."(p. 379)."Thug type guy."(p. 379)."This is the kinda guy can get out and tear things up."(p. 379)."Just ask them to dig up those, their eight thugs."(p. 380)."They, they've got guys who'll go in and knock their heads off."(p. 380)."Murderers.Guys that really, you know, that's what they really do."(p. 380)."And, uh, hope they really hurt 'em.You know, I mean go in with some real--and smash some noses."(p. 380)."They'll just get, the country'll just get a belly full of these people."(p. 381)."There's no, there's no, uh, semblance of respectability."(p. 381)."How the hell do you expect the poor God damned policemen--"(p. 382)?Parts of the transcript were sanitized, RESTRICTED-"D", and the way administration records are likely to be withhelf from public view forever after now, people might as well figure that whatever the government is up to must be in the RESTRICTED-"D" category.

Informative And A Great Companion To The Film.
"Nixon" was, I think, the best film of 1995 (it was certainlymore important and fascinating than "Braveheart")and here is agreat book that gives you a good glimpse not only into it's production, butinto the documents, the testomonies and brilliant artistry that make thefilm what it is. It starts off with an interesting interview with the greatcinema genius Oliver Stone in which discusses the film's genesis (howinteresting that he passed on a film about Noriega for this movie). Andthen come the fascinating, interesting and great essays by importantNixon-era, Watergate figures like John Dean, E.Howard Hunt and one CubanCIA operative. The co-writers of the screenplay also contribute greatessays that explore Nixon and a history of political assassinations andblack ops within the American government and its overseas operations. Thescreenplay itself is brilliant, mingling intrigue with drama and politicalissues, not to mention thrilling history. Stone, as in "JFK,"makes a fascinating study of politics and power with this movie. He alsomakes a point about how our government conducts operations which involveassassination, secret underdealings etc. just as much as any South Americanor Central American country. "Nixon: An Oliver Stone Film" is amust for film buffs, political film analysts and fans of Oliver Stone (me).

Pretty Well Written
Oliver Stone is known for making intense, controversial movies, based on historical events. I don't know how much of this story of Nixon is true, but what is written is a very dramatic and interesting story of thegoings-on in the White House. If you enjoy the film Nixon, check out thisbook. You will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
A revealing insider's look at one of Hollywood's most prominent, private, and notoriously difficult directors; at the way the film business works; and at the Washington/Hollywood connection.JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone and Me is the funny, thoughtful memoir of an accomplished former Congressional staffer who left D.C. for Hollywood and a job with Oliver Stone, hoping to help make politically engaged films and a difference, and found himself instead in a wildly dysfunctional universe ruled by greed, paranoia, narcissism, competition, alcohol and drugs.After finishing law school, Eric Hamburg became an unusually effective young staffer on Capitol Hill-convincing his boss, Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, to submit a bill that would release the House's closely held files on the John F. Kennedy assassination investigation, one of Hamburg's own pet obsessions. This led to his meeting Oliver Stone and soon-much to his own surprise-Hamburg found swimming amongst the sneakiest of Hollywood sharks.Hamburg describes his fascinating experiences working on the films Nixon and Any Given Sunday while navigating the arcane politics of Stone's studio, Ixtlan. Pursuing film projects (and Kennedy assassination leads), he also muses on the ways and means of the movie biz; on the strange symbiotic Washington/Hollywood relationship; on the meaning of success and the price of power. His story is a contemporary Mr. Smith Goes to Hollywood, told by a narrator of wit, intelligence, and a singular set of experiences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Interesting story, but reads like a tabloid.
I bought this book at an inventory clearance, which proved an accurate guide to my expectations. It is the story of a lawyer working as a congressional aide who parlayed his interest in the JFK assassination to become a production assistant to Oliver Stone. The title refers to films of the latter, not JFK and Nixon themselves.
The idea of an intelligent, idealistic outsider learning firsthand about the machinations of Hollywood is certainly intriguing, and this is what the subtitle suggests the theme will be. However, this theme becomes subverted to two parallel, personal agendas of the author: 1. a forum for his own speculations about the "truth" regarding the JFK assassination and Watergate, and 2. a catharsis for the estrangement he suffered from Stone in the wake of their collaboration. Towards the end, it reads like an open letter to Stone, pleading for his rehabilitation from a self-destructive lifestyle. For those who like conspiracy theories and juicy gossip about celebrities, this will be a bonus. Personally, I was hoping to learn more about the process by which Oliver Stone gets his movies made, and less about the shortcomings of the man without whom, I think it is fair to say, there would be no market for this book.
At one point, Hamburg writes that he came to Hollywood to "learn how to make political films, not do business deals." Perhaps this was meant to be ironic, since after finishing reading his story, it appears to me that film-making is all about business deals. In fact, it would have been interesting to learn how Oliver Stone arranges the funding to realize his creative vision (and hedonistic lifestyle). Here, there are only a few dismissive comments about seedy-sounding "money men".
One of the useful aspects of this book is its overview of contemporary published opinion on the JFK assassination and Watergate. A bibliography listing the works mentioned throughout the text would have been helpful.

Overwrought and a bit pretentious
Hamburg obviously writes for a different genre, allegedly screenwriting. And while ascribing himself much credit, his prose falls largely flat. Many of the sentences read on a basic level, a recitation of his accomplishments, marginal people he met, and esoteric details that are painful to dig through. For the Stone fan, an interesting read, for the average person, it has its moments. But its material, and its potential, is so much greater than what Hamburg delivers. For all the material possible, the book delivers flat. It's not worth the money and not really worth the time. It often reads as Hamburg's diary entries, with most chapters being a scant three or four pages, rather than a real story about great opportunities and fascinating characters. Hamburg is also a constant name-dropper, for almost no discernable reason. It seemed as though Hamburg's insights were immature, overwrought, and full of snide commentary and self promotion. It's no coincidence that his career centers on the two parts of the country that hype both: Hollywood and Washington.

Book Report by Brent Simon- JFK, Nixon, Stone
JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone & Me

Eric Hamburg

Public Affairs

reviewed by Brent Simon

A deliciously, amazingly illuminating account of Tinseltown excess, Eric Hamburg�s JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone & Me recounts an idealist�s journey from Capitol Hill to Hollywood hell. A terrifically entertaining read disguised with a memoir�s overcoat, Hamburg�s book details his occupational pilgrimage from legislative assistant under influential House of Representatives member Lee Hamilton to his position at director Stone�s Ixtlan Films, where he handled legal and business affairs while also initiating the ideas that would in time come to take shape as the films Nixon and Any Given Sunday.

It�s a very personal book, and draws almost exclusively from the author�s remembrances and journal entries of the time covered. This means first there is some overlap, both thematically and in detail; Hamburg sometimes repeats himself even closely within the text in a manner unacceptable for top-shelf reportage. He even blatantly misidentifies Reese Witherspoon as Brooke Shields at point. Still, these occasional faux pas (was the book even edited?) do not blunt the tome�s power or change its bottom line.

For those interested in the ins and outs of high-end cinematic wheeling and dealing, Hamburg�s book is chock full of tasty firsthand details about Oliver Stone�s peccadilloes and a myriad of ever-rotating but always kooky projects he pursued in bits and pieces. Of the latter, most intriguing were planned biopics on J. Edgar Hoover and Manuel Noreiga (Al Pacino graciously refused $10 million from a pay-or-play deal when it fell apart), plus movies on Afghanistan, Stone�s obsessive hatred of columnist Maureen Dowd (known in various iterations as Media and Power) and even a possible sequel to JFK, which was the project Stone was working on when Hamburg first met him. The details of the director�s disastrous personal life are even more vivid and revelatory: Stone�s ceaseless drug abuse, irrational flare-ups, legendary cheapness, interpersonal abrasiveness and possible shaping youthful sexual encounter(s) with his mother� yikes!

Most unnerving, though, are Hamburg�s stories of his dealings and interactions with Danny Halsted, a former Disney exec who wormed his way into Stone�s production company and whom Hamburg refers to here almost exclusively as "Danny the Weasel." To recount the many jaw-dropping instances of Halsted�s idiocy, conniving, theft and general disreputable behavior would take too much space here, but suffice to say that it both represents and confirms all the worst you�ve ever heard or suspected about Hollywood suits masquerading as creative executives. This isn�t a horror novel, but at times JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone & Me ranks right up there with the most unsettling of Stephen King�s works.

JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone and Me: An Idealist's Journey from
This book was lousy fluff. The author is a testament to Washington/Hollywood self-absorption, and is very comfortable blaming the USA (and its' alleged CIA/Cuba connections) for all the world's wrongs. Meanwhile, the author is completely star-struck in the company of the totalitarian murderer, Fidel Castro. Go figure.

Book Review from the Hollywood Reporter12/24/02
JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone Dec. 24, 2002 By Michael Farkash Eric Hamburg Public Affairs,464 pages As the song goes, "Paranoia strikes deep." That's one of the central experiences of a savvy political aide and speechwriter who went to work for writer-director-producer Oliver Stone. Eric Hamburg's "JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone & Me: An Idealist's Journey From Capitol Hill to Hollywood Hell" is a sharp, well-written book that tunes into some familiar territory, notably the bad, mad geography of film production politics and the decades-old mysteries surrounding the death of John F. Kennedy and the Cuban connection. The book is very accessible, very readable and filled with admiration for professionals like Anthony Hopkins and mixed, mostly angry assessments of Stone and the people surrounding the filmmaker.The dark byways of the film biz should have been no surprise for the bright, politically astute Hamburg, who worked for years on Capitol Hill -- but then, hearing about the nasty, difficult parts of the film production process and living them are two quite different things.Serving as a producer and development executive at Stone's production company, Ixtlan, the author originated and won co-producing credits on the films "Nixon" and "Any Given Sunday." He explores the paranoid, vain, greedy, sometimes drug-fueled aspects of Stone's world of film development, where solid ground can often give way to a quicksand of uncertainty.Using his Washington connections, Stone's name and persistence, Hamburg was able to get key figures from the JFK and Nixon years to meet with him and Stone and persuade them to contribute stories and background to Stone's films. He also shares with us his research trips to places like Cuba and a brief meeting with Fidel Castro. But Hamburg became quickly disenchanted with what he calls the "Oliver Zone" -- suspicions, dark rages, drug use and a habit of playing staff people against one another. It's like royal court intrigue. Writes Hamburg: "Oliver was moody and unpredictable, often irrational and absolutely insane when it came to money. This was a very dangerous subject with him. "However, Hamburg received some good advice -- those three little words that mean everything in negotiations: "Hire a lawyer."In case the reader wonders if film development is a habit-forming occupation -- Hamburg continues working as a producer and writer in Los Angeles. ... Read more

Product Description
This is, for the first time in its entirety, the story of the arrest and trial of Clay Shaw, charged with conspiracy in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

A Very Biased View
Let me state that I've read a large amount of books on this subject.In part, I've read `On the Trail of the Assassins', `Crossfire', and this book. The problem with these types of books is that they are so biased toward their own point of view. As some reviewers pointed out already, Garrison is either portrayed as a superhero or a corrupt politician.This book takes the latter point of view.

I've read `On the Trail of the Assassins' several times and just couldn't believe how Garrison made himself out to be a crusading angel.Each time I read the book I felt more and more like I was only getting a very limited view.When I saw the movie `JFK', I immediately recognized Jim Marr's influence in the plot and watched it from the standpoint that it was fiction.

This book is very critical of the job that Garrison did, but I felt that it was closer to the truth than Garrison's account.Where most pro conspiracy books fall short is that they take simple human mistakes, poor decisions, and inept people and give it all a sinister spin.This book is like that only it directs all its focus on one person, Garrison.

This book talks a lot about how Garrison misused his official office, but it can't be as bad as this author suggests or Garrison couldn't have moved forward as he did.There is quite a bit of discussion about Garrison threatening people with jail time to keep them quiet, but almost no talk about the judges that must have been approving those warrants.Wouldn't those judges be misusing their offices just as bad as Garrison was?

The author suggests that Garrison misused his office by prosecuting Clay Shaw on the flimsiest of evidence.This makes me wonder if she's ever seen CourtTV or any of the hundreds of TV shows out there about innocent people convicted of crimes they didn't commit based on extremely flimsy evidence.

Where I think this book is strong is that it makes it clear how accidental misinformation, deliberate lies, and unchecked ambition, goes a long way to making a mountain out of a mole-hill.This happens every day and will probably continue to happen.Clay Shaw was found innocent of the charge, he was one of the lucky ones.Many people who are wrongly prosecuted ARE convicted and are sitting in prison right now.

I think this book is way too critical of the Garrison investigation.It borders on personal attacks of Garrison.I think the Garrison book is way to supportive of the investigation.Reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

Weakly sourced and terribly biased view of Garrison investigation
When one attempts to unravel the truth of the Jim Garrison investigation through the written record, the first thing you notice is that there seems to be no middle ground surrounding it.Either Garrison walked on water or he was the devil himself.What would be wonderful is a truly independent biography that would use the work of Davy and DiEugenio and Mellan and also the work of Lambert and Kirkwood et al(and the FBI)and write an unbiased work that would chronicle the investigation both good and bad because while I think Garrison and his investigation did an immense amount of good his investigation was at times abusive and ridiculous(as evidenced by the participants in the investigations reluctance to refute abusive Big Jim stories that have been around for years, though they have had ample opportunitoes to do so and to cleanse themselves in the process).

Secondly, I have read Patricia Lambert's book and found it to be extremely one sided. Lambert's book rests on the shoulders of James Phelan, James Kirkwood, the FBI and unnamed sources. While she conducts some interviews she buries numerous instances in footnotes and elsewhere when the subject vehemently disagrees with the rumor the author puts forth, such as Garrison's lawyers putting a gun in the mouth a witness, Perry Russo's suicide attempt and rumors of very weird sexual practices etc. The basis for these salacious stories is usually Mr. "unnamed source" or high level Bureau (or CIA maybe) sources which permeate Lambert's footnotes and text like stinking dead fish.When you conclude a paragraph by stating that someone with knowledge told you there were "other" ominous reasons Garrison was let go from the FBI and you credit this statement and let the rumor hang out unsourced you devalue your entire project.Ms. Lambert does this throughout the book and it does not take long to know what you are reading is a one sided hatchet job.

I agree her book should be read to give a picture of the the worst that was accused of the Garrison investigation but this book doesn't lead anyone much closer to determining the truth.

The Truth Has Never Been "Out There"
My 15-year-old nephew Michael shall be writing all future reviews, just for future reference...

"False Witness" is a landmark moment of JFK-related journalism, a clear reminder of how media manipulation occurs all too often.My only problem with the book is that author Pat Lambert is a conspiracy buff and does not try to discredit any of the theories, because I am an ardent believer in the official version of the assassination and love reading Gerald Posner's "Case Closed" and Gus Russo's "Live By the Sword".Even with that flaw, I believe Lambert does an admirable job in skewering Jim Garrison and Oliver Stone and exposing them for the frauds they are.

Reading "False Witness" has convinced me of two things: That Jim Garrison was simply a publicity-hungry, abusive, deranged and megalomanical man wanting his "15 minutes of fame" as well as a sexual deviant and a pedophile; and Oliver Stone, while definitely a very artistic director, twisted and grossly distorted the truth about Garrison and the assassination in order to target and shock those teenagers that would adore Marilyn Manson in the near future.

There should more books like this, books that show us that Lee Harvey Oswald in his unstable frame of mind was still capable of shooting JFK on his own and that searching for an "X-Files"-like conspiracy to explain things is an exercise in futility.We all know the truth, but most of us choose not to accept it.

avoid this anti-Garrison debacle from Patricia Lambert BILLINGS
While I am not a huge fan of Jim Garrison or his case, he is to be commended for the focus he gave to Ferrie, Banister, Oswald, New Orleans, the Z film, and, ultimately, the "JFK" movie/ his own books/ the JFK Act/ the ARRB. In fact, James DiEugenio, William Davy, and Joan Mellen have written quality books defending his side of things.
Back in the mid-1970's, Patricia Lambert, then knownas Patricia BILLINGS (ANY RELATION TO RICHARD BILLINGS OF HSCA FAME???), she was an assisitant to David Lifton on "Best Evidence" *and* wrote two (technically, three) heavy-hitting articles on the Secret Service's failures in Dallas (which I duly acknowledge in my work on the Secret Service). Shades of Dan Moldea and a few others, she has know changed her stripes.
What else can I say? AVOID.
vince palamara

Absolutely dreadful book.
I have little to add other than what has already been said. Patricia Lambert operates in an utterly bizarre world in which liars (such as Clay "I would never have a gun in my house" Shaw, who perjured himself in a court of law when he denied any connections to the CIA), lovers of young boys (David Ferrie), and assassination conspirators (both of them), are whitewashed, and, in Shaw's case, described as "almost saintly." On the other hand, a decent man such as Jim Garrison (who is nonetheless probably not deserving of beatification), who worked his hardest to make the American public aware of the truth, is villified and slandered because his stance is not a popular one with the political and media establishments.

If you'd like the real story, try to get ahold of Bill Davy's excellent book Let Justice be Done. The Assassinations, which is edited by Jim DiEugenio and Lisa Pease, is an excellent resource on the assassinations of the 60's and has some very fine content on the Garrison Investigation. Also, be on the lookout for Professor Joan Mellen's upcoming biography of Jim Garrison, A Farewell to Justice, which, if possible, will make this book even more irrelevant than it already is. ... Read more

Product Description
The Films of Oliver Stone provides a more sophisticated, detailed, and probing analysis of Stone's career as a filmmaker than that available in the thousands of film reviews, personality profiles, and news items concerning him. The volume includes an interview with the filmmaker followed by 15 essays by professors in departments of American Studies, Communication Studies, English & American Literature, and Film & Video Studies. Organized chronologically, film by film, nine of the essays have been published in journals or books, seven have been written exclusively for this collection. They examine Stone's films, from his inauspicious directorial debut with "Seizure" (1974) through "Nixon" (1995). Additionally, Kunz provides an introduction that reviews Stone's career as an auteur and previews the essays in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Don Kunz's Well Written Book
As a previous student of Professor Don Kunz, and simply a big fan of acclaimed films and filmmakers, I can say that this book is an accurate portrayal of the artistic ability of Oliver Stone.

Professor Kunz, from his teachings in my Absurdist Humor course, is extremely knowledgable of film and shows his understanding of the topics quite well.He shows skill in analyzing films beyond their face value, and does the same for the works of Oliver Stone.

If you look to learn about Oliver Stone beyond simple biographical information, this book is a good pickup.

Oliver Stone- Genius.
Oliver Stone is my favorite filmmaker, the man's a genius! All his films are powerful works that leave you impacted and thinking. "JFK" is a masterpiece of modern cinema, a study of power. "Natural BornKillers" is also a great, great film that studies today's culture. Ofall the filmmakers, Oliver Stone remains the best, the smartest, mostcreative and important filmmaker of our time. ... Read more

Product Description
A documented screenplay of the Oliver Stone film, complete with historical annotation, with 340 research notes and 97 reactions and commentaries by Norman Mailer, Tom Wicker, Gerald R. Ford, and many others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Filled with factual information
This book presents factual information that should be known to every American. Where the movie about the assassination of John F. Kennedy presents a plausible scenario, the book provides a list of essential elements that points, as the movie, to a conspiracy. It is disquieting to read, so many years later, that some believe a single bullet inflicted such wounds to two men but supposedly survived in near pristine condition. This book should be read along with Trauma Room One by Dr. Crenshaw who was there at Parkland Memorial Hospital and examined the President's wounds. The first version of Dr. Crenshaw's book was declared by the American Medical Association to be a fabrication but he won a judgement against them in court.

Quite Literally, Arlen Specter Didn't Come Up With The "Single-Bullet Theory" -- The Autopsy Doctors Sprouted The "SBT" Seeds
In Oliver Stone's 1991 motion picture "JFK" (and in this book version of that film), a major stepping "stone" to "conspiracy" that's used by Mr. Stone (and nearly all other conspiracy theorists who have studied the John F. Kennedy assassination since that sad event occurred in 1963) is the contention that the controversial "Single-Bullet Theory" is and was a completely preposterous myth that could never have happened in a million lifetimes, and was placed into the Warren Commission's final report re. the Kennedy assassination solely out of NECESSITY. I, however, cannot disagree more strongly with such an allegation.

While it's true that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is given the most credit for having come up with the "Single-Bullet Theory" to explain the simultaneous wounding of President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally -- as a point of fact, the "SBT" was in reality "More Than Half Way Home" (so to speak) as early as November 23rd, 1963 (well before Mr. Specter had ever gazed at any of the evidence in the JFK assassination case).

Why? --- Because the seeds that ultimately sprouted the wholly-acceptable and utterly-logical "Single-Bullet Theory" are right there in the November 1963 autopsy report signed by Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck.

It wasn't Arlen Specter who just arbitrarily decided (on a whim or ON HIS OWN) that a single bullet had gone completely through the upper back of President Kennedy and had exited his throat in the front. It was the AUTOPSY DOCTORS who made this critical determination on November 23, 1963 (one day after Kennedy's death and the FIRST DAY when ALL available and required information had been assembled and evaluated by the autopsy doctors; i.e., the first day when Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck had any knowledge at all that a bullet hole had been located in the front of President Kennedy's neck).

The remainder of the SBT was, of course, pieced together in the early portions of 1964 by Specter (and probably other WC people as well) while utilizing other important information and evidence surrounding the assassination.

The WC testimony of Robert Frazier of the FBI was an integral part of the "SBT puzzle". Frazier testified to the very important information about there having been no limousine damage in the rear-seat areas of the vehicle, proving that no bullet or bullets had penetrated the back seats or the Connally "jump" seats; nor did any whole or nearly-whole bullet(s) come to rest anywhere near JFK's or Connally's seats on 11/22/63.

And there's, of course, the other vital (bodily) link in the "SBT chain" -- John Connally's body and his wounds (with the "elongated" entry wound on the Governor's back being a tell-tale sign that the bullet which struck Mr. Connally almost certainly had hit something or someone else first before entering the Governor's back); plus the lack of ANY bullets in Connally's body (and none found in JFK's body either, which was determined at his autopsy); and the determination by Connally's doctor (Dr. Shaw) that Connally's wounds were all most likely caused by just one single bullet.

Which leads us to the ONLY BULLET ever discovered anywhere near the victims that could have been linked in any fashion to the wounds sustained by Kennedy and/or Connally (the non-fatal wounds to JFK that is) -- famous Bullet #CE399, which was found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital by Darrell Tomlinson prior to 2:00 PM (CST) on 11/22/63, which would have been a ludicrous time for any conspirator(s) to have wanted to "plant" such a bullet -- because it was WAY TOO SOON to know for certain if OTHER missiles would be recovered from either of the victims, other bullets which (if found) would have rendered a "Planted CE399" completely useless and superfluous and, above all, PLOT-BLOWING!

CE399 was linked to Lee Harvey Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle (to the exclusion of every weapon ever made), and, via NAA analysis, that very same bullet has been linked (with near certainty) to the bullet fragments removed from the wrist of wounded Governor Connally.

Given all of the above (in its totality), can someone please explain how in the "Real World" (where most of the population resides) the Warren Commission could have come to any conclusion OTHER than the Single-Bullet scenario to explain all of these above-mentioned factors?

Obviously, they could not have explained the wounds themselves (and the wounds' physical arrangement on the two victims' bodies)....and the lack of bullets....and the lack of limo damage via ANY other logical and reasonable way -- other than to say what the Warren Commission ultimately did say: One single missile (CE399) travelled through John Kennedy's upper body, exited his throat, entered John Connally's back (sideways), traversed the Governor's chest (taking out a rib en route), exited the Governor's chest just below the right nipple, continued on its flight into Connally's right wrist, then exited the wrist where it became spent in the Governor's left thigh .... where it then was dislodged at some point (in the car or in the hospital), ending up on Governor Connally's stretcher, where the bullet was then discovered by hospital employee Darrell Tomlinson at approximately 12:50 PM to 12:55 PM, Dallas time, on November 22nd, 1963.

But the literal genesis of the Single-Bullet Theory lies NOT within the Warren Commission or Arlen Specter specifically -- it lies in the autopsy report itself, a report which was signed by three different doctors WEEKS before the Warren Commission even began to assemble its panel of counsel members and legal assistants (which didn't occur until mid-December 1963).


Let's have a look (verbatim) at just exactly what was determined to be the truth concerning the details of President Kennedy's back and neck wounds as of November 23, 1963 (six days before the Warren Commission was even created):

"Summary: Based on the above observations, it is our opinion that the deceased died as a result of two perforating gunshot wounds inflicted by high-velocity projectiles, fired by a person or persons unknown. The projectiles were fired from a point behind and somewhat above the level of the deceased. .... The fatal missile entered the skull above and to the right of the external occipital protuberance. .... The other missile entered the right superior posterior thorax above the scapula and traversed the soft tissues of the supra-scapular and the supra-clavicular portions of the base of the right side of the neck. This missile produced contusions of the right apical parietal pleura and of the apical portion of the right upper lobe of the lung. The missile contused the strap muscles of the right side of the neck, damaged the trachea, AND MADE ITS EXIT THROUGH THE ANTERIOR SURFACE OF THE NECK. As far as can be ascertained, this missile struck no bony structures in its path through the body."* (Added emphasis my own.)

* = From Page 6 of the Official Autopsy Report on President John F. Kennedy (aka: "Pathological Examination Report"); Bearing the signatures of all three doctors who were present at JFK's 11/22/63 autopsy at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Maryland; Signed by: Commander James J. Humes, Commander J. Thornton Boswell, and Lt. Col. Pierre A. Finck.

--------------

The above passages from John F. Kennedy's official medical legal autopsy report absolutely destroy the idea spouted by conspiracy theorists of TWO separate bullets striking the back and neck areas of President Kennedy. And, in essence, this reference to an 'Into-The-Back-And-Out-The-Neck' bullet path, as described by JFK's autopsy doctors, results in (literally) two-thirds of the "Single-Bullet Theory" being purported just ONE DAY after Kennedy's death. The "two-thirds" being -- An OFFICIAL explanation by the autopsy doctors themselves linking .... #1.) The entry wound on JFK's upper back to .... #2.) The exit wound on the front of his neck.

Why it is that the word of ALL THREE of these pathologists who signed off on the Official Autopsy Report describing the wounds of a murdered American President are tossed into the nearest ash can by virtually ALL conspiracy promoters is something I have a difficult time reconciling (except to say that the "CTers" desperately NEED that autopsy report to be dead-wrong in order to further the notion that THREE separate bullets struck JFK and John Connally that day in Dallas, instead of just the one "SBT" missile).

But the OFFICIAL record is crystal clear regarding the back and neck wounds to President Kennedy....and has been crystal clear since November of 1963.

To repeat this ultra-important point -- The doctors said that just ONE bullet passed clean through John F. Kennedy!!

Therefore -- unless every last one of these three autopsy doctors are (to a man) hopeless and utter incompetents or all three of them are lying scumbags who would deliberately falsify the most important autopsy report any of them would ever sign in their entire lives -- then the very first (and verifiably-TRUE) seeds and important links to the Single-Bullet Theory lie in that 1963 Autopsy Report -- and not just in Arlen Specter's mind (nor in any unsubstantiated "theory" placed on the table by Mr. Specter alone, as many CTers seem to believe).

Conspiracy theorists should begin to accept the obvious -- that "obvious" being: the Single-Bullet Theory is the most logical and valid scenario to explain the seven wounds sustained by John F. Kennedy and John B. Connally in Dealey Plaza. And it is the ONLY possible explanation of the event that stands up to critical scrutiny, detailed analysis, and common-sense interpretation of the evidence when the ENTIRE batch of Single-Bullet-favoring evidence is gathered together in the same place.

Denying this fact is to play Oliver Stone's game -- a game highlighted by mystery killers firing from the Grassy Knoll, unexplainable disappearing bullets, and a series of bullet holes (made by THREE different gunmen) in TWO different victims that mirror a SINGLE-BULLET EVENT so closely as to be deemed "perfect" for the adoption of the "SBT" in the months following the shooting.

And I ask with the utmost sincerity -- Who in their right mind would have any desire to play that conspiracy-filled game of impossible-to-pull-off nonsense? Not I, that's for certain.

an epic, the least to say.
Among all the stories which popup every day, this is one story that we should tell our children exactly how and why it happened, the book as the movie did, presented the whole enigma in such a fantastic realistec way, you feel actually living with the characters breathing with them, at times joining in discussions... the complexity and huge number of names and sides in the story means it is not for teatime at all, you really need to concentrate well with this one.
The event was a tragedy no question about it, and what the late Mr.Garrison tried to do was to prevent what we are witnessing now a days by disclosing the truth, to tell the truth is a courageous mission, to stick to it and face such enormous powers ready to do any thing even kill the president is even harder.
I do recommend that we should have a copy of this story whether as a book or as film, for the sake of history which is always twisted by the claws of the most powerful .

Travesty
This is an absolute travesty. Every possible conspiracy element - discredited or not - is added in. Garrison's investigation of the innocent Clay Shaw- the least substantive theory - is the platform for Stone's delusions. And it would HAVE to be about the Vietnam War wouldn't it !
Take one example, the three tramps arrested in Dealey Plaza: Stone has them armed in the film , but they were not connected in any way and were later released.Read Anthony Summers instead and ignore this rubbish.

"Even The Shooters Don't Know"
"JFK, The Book of the Film "is really an extraordinary achievement....

The screenplay incorporates practically every rumor, fact, factoid, and theory regarding the events of November 22, 1963.

Almost every line of dialouge is meticulously footnoted....

The second half of the book is a compendium of op-ed articles both in defense of and attacking (as in the case of Tom Wicker, Alexander Cockburn, et al) both Oliver Stone and the film.At times these attacks seem both humorless and hysterical ("hey guys..it's a MOVIE!")

Though the book is ten years old, I find myself taking it off the shelf every six months or so to browse both the screenplay and the media barrage surrounding it.

A great book! ... Read more

Product Description
An essential reference to three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone - one of the most controversial and well-known of contemporary American directors. Beginning his professional life as a screenwriter, he was responsible for the scripts of Midnight Express and Scarface and went on to direct such defining cinematic works as Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, and Natural Born Killers. ... Read more

Product Description
Oliver Stone is one of America's most controversial film-makers. His films include "J.F.K.", "The Doors", "Natural Born Killers" and "Nixon". This book provides a rhetorical analysis of Stone's major films and examines American history through his powerful, partisan and controversial visions. It places him within the tradition of American film-making, revealing his use of mythological and rhetorical constructions to represent historical events and personae. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book
This well written, well thought out book uses the archetypes of mythology (Campbell, Jung, etc) and uses them to help us understand the importance of myths as they apply to the modern world. Stone's films are some of the best examples of modern mythology and have a heightened sense of realism. This approach contributes to a new and maybe better understanding of his movies. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates mythology or the films of Oliver Stone. I think he is one of our finest modern-day storytellers.

Combines academic and non-academic perspectives
Ms. Mackey-Kallis apparently comes from an academic perspective, as she weaves a variety of interdisciplinary theories (mass communication theory, film studies, etc.) while still drawing from imagery that is understandable to non-academics. If you want to understand the theory behind the creativity of Oliver Stone, you'll want to read this book. ... Read more