Happy Birthday Oliver Stone

It’s someones birthday – you know what that means… Oh no – not another stupid post. Well yes exactly – only not quite as stupid and ill thought out as last time [close – but not quite].

Right, let’s get on with it… On this day in 1946 William Oliver Stone got himself born. That’s good right? I like Oliver Stone, his name pops up in my DVD collection a few times, right? Well not as much as I thought, as it turns out! While perusing his IMDb page in order to compile a straight forward top ten list – I was shocked to find that I haven’t seen that many of his films.

So here is my Top 9 Oliver Stone films that I own… or have seen… or at least heard of… [sorry]

#9 – The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Role: Producer

Well, I’ve heard this is pretty good – but don’t ask me what it’s about [Larry Flynt goes to court – I guess]. Hear me clutch at straws for something to say about this film… Sod it, just scroll to the next one.

#8 – W. (2008)

Role: Director

Really want to see this film… which means you should probably keep scrolling if you want to read something about a film that I actually have seen.  This is a biopic of George Bush jr. (presidents seem to be a theme in Oliver Stones canon) including the part when he declares war on terror… so yeah I should probably get around to seeing this.

#7 – Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Role: Written by

Yeah, really – go look it up – Oliver Stone co-wrote Conan the Barbarian. Yes, the one with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. How desperate is this list if Conan is popping up on it! I know in some circles this film is a bit of a cult classic [possibly the same people who go nuts over Masters of the Universe] but I vaguely remember nothing about it.

#6 – U-Turn (1997)

Role: Director

Finally, a film I have actually seen (and remember properly). Stop scrolling now… What’s more is this is a fantastic film (despite Jennifer Lopez – we warned you Miss Lopez ). I remember when I first read a synopsis for this film and thought “Some guy gets stuck in a small town – how good could that be?” What can I say? I was young and naive… and wrong! It’s amazingly engaging and stylistically shot. Really worth a watch if you haven’t seen it .

#5 – Scarface (1983)

Role: Screenplay Writer

Epic gangster flick and iconic in the popular culture (“Say Hello to My Little Friend”) which many people don’t realise was written by Oliver Stone. More importantly, I actually own this one. That’s not the only reason it makes the top 5 though [but, on this list, it is a defining factor] So lets put the credit here: While De Palma’s shooting is faultless [got to shout out the window – to car – back to window pan shot] and Pachino’s performance is intensely astounding [love the “Say hello to the bad guy” scene] the whole epic arc charting the rise and fall of a cocaine dealing gangster – all those memorable one liners – all came from the pen of our man Oliver Stone. Now I remember why I like him.

#4 – JFK (1991)

Role: Director & Producer

Told you there was a theme. Actually, as you probably know, this is less about John Kennedy himself and more about the tangled web of conspiracy unearthed by the investigation of the assassination. Quite reasonably, this film caused a bit of upset when it was released – people just didn’t like the notion that their government could work against its people in the way presented. While I’ll agree that what the film shows is potentially true, it’s also worth pointing out that this film is not an article of proof.  I’m not a fan of conspiracy theories anyway but, as a thriller which makes you ask yourself some important questions, this is a fantastic film.

#3 – Platoon (1986)

Role: Written & Directed by and also makes a cameo.

I’m risking a lot of heat off of people I know by saying this… but, I have seen Platoon but I don’t remember much about it [For a long time I kept getting this and Apocalypse Now mixed up – Too many Sheens]. I don’t usually like war films (mainly because I don’t usually like wars – and some of the really bad ones end up glorifying war). This one, however, is well worth my while reviewing; as I have since discovered that Stone was actually in Viet Nam and, hence, is not likley to be glorifying anything.

#2 – The Doors (1991)

Role: Written & Directed by and also makes a cameo.

I like The Doors. I like Oliver Stone (at least I thought I did). So why haven’t I seen this film? Well, I only got into The Doors recently and, until yesterday, I didn’t know this film existed. Why is it at #2 when you haven’t even seen it? Well, I can’t disclose the scientific nature of how this list got compiled, suffice to say that “I Have Never Seen The Doors” is not something I plan to be able to say for much longer.

#1 – Natural Born Killers (1994)

Role: Director & Screenplay Writer

If I’m honest, this film is the reason this list exists [handy that it came out at #1 then really]. This is one of my favorite films. It’s not to everyone’s taste, in fact the first time I watched it gave me a headache, but in terms of pushing the boundaries of what film can do – this takes some beating. Basically it is the tale of how a couple of newly weds go on a road trip / killing spree and become infamous in the media eye. What makes it special however is how various characters’ personalities and mental instabilities seem to “leak” on to the celluloid – manifest by potent symbolism, rear-projected images, mangled soundtracks and vertical cutting. It’s like getting kicked in the balls so hard that you see colours – only in a good way.

Must Try Harder.

Clearly, this is not good enough and  obviously I need to watch more of these films because the ones I have seen I really liked. I like his writing. I like his direction. I like the avant-garde style he occasionally employs. I like the politically provocative stances he takes in some of his films. I do like Oliver Stone! I just need to see more of his stuff… any ideas on where to start: why not leave a little comment.

It is absolutely no one elses birthday today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch Objects in Space.