The movie magician Nov 3, 2008
And so, to tell the story of the time of Australia, we must return first to the end of the time of Alexander for the genesis of Luhrmann s latest epic can be found in the dust of his thwarted plans to shoot a film based on the life of Alexander the Great. Having secured the support of veteran producer Dino De Laurentiis, he and CM spent two years scouting in Morocco and Jordan when word filtered through that a competing project on the all-conquering king had been given the green light. (The Australian)
LETTERS: NCT, Nov. 2, 2008 Nov 3, 2008
Alexander H. Stevens, Confederate vice president, declared Southern greatness based on slavery, achieving the "highest type of civilization ever exhibited by man." Today, Daughters of the Confederacy re-enactments of Civil War battles ignore this open racism, wrapping around it double-talking "states rights." Confederate flag exhibitions also perpetuate our divisive caste system. Communists, socialists, even if problematically portrayed, could never be as micro-fractionally as harmful to... (North County Times)
TV anchorwoman dies after attack Oct 26, 2008
NBCs Peter Alexander reports. On the run. (MSNBC -- Race)
Movie review: Bad leadership in ‘W.’ Oct 24, 2008
From that point he started a string of ambitious but unsatisfing projects The Doors (1991), Natural Born Killers (1994), Any Given Sunday (1999) and the disastrous Alexander (2004). There were a few interesting successes like JFK in 1991, but the dreamlike fantasies that he puts in most of his movies are neither artistic nor interesting. (Santa Maria Times)
Oliver Stone’s “W.” more of a curiosity than a potent piece of filmmaking Oct 21, 2008
wrote on Oct 20, 2008 11:23 AM:" I once fantasized the 'W' movie Stone ought to have made -- '9-11,' basically an 'alternative conspiracy' movie with, I thought, Dana Carvey as 'W,' Charles Durning as 'Dick Cheney,' Sam Waterston as 'Poppy,' Jack Nicholson as 'John Ashcroft' and Marlon Brando as 'Ariel Sharon.' Post 'JFK' and 'Nixon' I believed THIS was a movie Stone was 'destined' to make. Of course it could NEVER be made, at least not 'in our time' but perhaps by Sean Stone, Oliver's son and... (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Oliver Stone Takes On Bush Oct 20, 2008
Oliver Stone was also criticized for his movie Nixon and many complained about inaccuracies in one of his most recent movies, Alexander, a recount of Alexander the Greats life. Keeping in with innate talent of portraying at least one facet of political life, Oliver Stone decided to make a movie about the most controversial man on the planet: United States President George W. Bush. (eFluxMedia)
Hail to the movie chiefs Oct 16, 2008
Even Alexander Knox, in the lead, seems dwarfed by the immensity of Zanucks White House. Fifty years later, Oliver Stone gave us Nixon, a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a man trapped between the Quaker ideals of his mother and the dirty tricks necessary to succeed in the world. (MSNBC -- News)
Home beautiful Oct 13, 2008
"Then the Alexander project came along and that fell apart because Oliver Stone went and did it. I was going to do that [with Baz] and out of that conversation came [the notion], 'We have to do something for this country' because of the landscapes here and also the essence and nature of being Australian, what that is. That's how it all started. Baz began his research and here we are.". The Oscar winner says she has "no idea" what people should expect from the final product. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
After just 25 years, cell phones own us Oct 13, 2008
It was on Oct. 13, 1983, that Bob Barnett, then president of Ameritech Mobile Communications, placed the first commercial wireless call from inside a Chrysler convertible at Soldier Field in Chicago, to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, who was in Berlin, Germany. Oddly, none of the journals reporting on the event at the time named Mr. Bell's grandson. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
First look: Oliver Stone's 'W.' is not quite out of left field Sep 24, 2008
For every hit (JFK, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July), Stone has had some financial misses (Alexander, Nixon, U-Turn). "Oliver Stone is one of the few star directors. And it's his most provocative pictures that tend to be his more popular ones," Gray says. (USA Today -- Life)
Clooney, Pitt, Craig burst into theaters Aug 28, 2008
And for those who worry that his film will just be an attack on Bush, Stone added, I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great. He described Bushs popularity to , saying, As someone told me the other day: he liked Bush because he doesn't try to pretend and try to be something he isn't; he tells it like it is. (MSNBC -- News)
Drama Movie Preview Fall 2008 Aug 20, 2008
In this highly anticipated drama by director Oliver Stone (World Trade Center, Alexander), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) stars as America s 43rd President George W. Bush and Elizabeth Banks (Scrubs) portrays first lady Laura Bush. Always eager to jump into a controversy, Stone takes audiences through Bush s eventful life story, including the ups and downs, the origins of his faith, his romance with Laura, his election campaign, early days in office, and critical days before deciding to... (Suite101.com)
Countdown to Oliver Stone's "W" Aug 10, 2008
Going into hiding for five years, Stone reemerged with his Frankenstein monster, 2004 s Alexander. Topping out at 207 minutes, Alexander Final Cut, the third, direct-to-Walmart iteration of Stone s epic, is what you d expect if the History Channel decided to make an overwrought six part miniseries for non-humanities majors ... I was willing to forgive flops like U-Turn and moneymakers like Alexander because Oliver Stone was still a comparatively respectable man. (Suite101.com)
Lights! Camera! Digestion! Aug 10, 2008
We tried to get him to tell us stories about Angelina Jolie, who he filmed in Thailand for Alexander, but whether for reasons of professional discretion or because of an overriding interest in lunch, he was far more interested in telling us about the Thai food hed had in a shack near the border with Laos. When I got offered this job, he said, I googled Penang and it came back Food Capital of Malaysia, and I said yes immediately. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Tapes not public Aug 7, 2008
Stone s recent work including 2004 s Alexander and 2006 s World Trade Center have not resonated with American audiences like previous efforts but that has not stopped the New York City-born filmmaker from tackling heavy projects. Advertisement. (New Iberia, LA)
Hulk Helmer Clashes With Titans Jun 27, 2008
Variety speculates that with two such similar projects in development at the same time, the one that doesn't get into production quick enough will be dropped ; a la Baz Lurhman's 'Alexander the Great' project, which was abandoned in the face of competition from Oliver Stone rival biopic. However, we reckon Leterrier and Tarsem are such interesting and unique directors that both their interpretations of the ancient Greek world would be pretty awesome. (IGN FilmForce)
Colin Farrell???!!! May 15, 2008
Farrell is renowned for throwing himself into his movie roles - he worked out for months to improve his physique before taking the role of Alexander in the 2004 Oliver Stone flop ... Buff: Colin as Alexander the Great. (The Drudge Report)
Oliver Stone Heads Back To The Oval Office For 'W,' A 'Fair, True Portrait' Of George W. Bush Apr 1, 2008
"I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, [Doors frontman] Jim Morrison, [JFK investigator] Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great," he added. "W" is expected to reach theaters before January, when Bush will officially leave office, although it is unclear whether it will open before the 2008 presidential election. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Hollywood A-Listers Prove Ignorance in Supporting... Mar 31, 2008
Whether by embracing Iran's leader, cozying up to Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko or even supporting Saddam Hussein by becoming the last elected leader to visit him in Iraq Chavez will do the opposite of President Bush and the American government. After calling George W. Bush the "greatest tyrant in the world," Harry Belafonte declared to Chavez: "Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people... support your revolution.". (Fox News)
Oliver Stone Sets His Sights On Bush Jan 22, 2008
"I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great.". "I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he... (CBS News)
Stone to film Bush: the Movie Jan 22, 2008
"People have turned my political ideas into a clich, but that is superficial. I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great.". Stone says that the forthcoming movie, which could begin filming as soon as April and be released in time for Bush's departure from the Oval Office, will focus on certain key events of the president's life. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
'Ready to Shoot' Jan 22, 2008
It would be produced by Moritz Borman and Jon Kilik, who worked with Stone on "Alexander." Borman said Weiser's script was finished before the Writers Guild of America strike and was ready to shoot. Stone said his pick for the title role is Josh Brolin, who has drawn praise for his recent work in "No Country for Old Men" and "American Gangster.". (Fox News)
Oliver Stone plans biopic of President Bush Jan 22, 2008
Stone has a reputation for tackling politically controversial subjects, including Watergate, the Vietnam War and the life of Alexander the Great. He was set to make a film about the My Lai massacre, titled Pinkville, but that was cancelled late last year, ostensibly because of the Hollywood strike. (CBC News)
Oliver Stone wants to bring Bush to the big screen Jan 22, 2008
It would be produced by Moritz Borman and Jon Kilik, who worked with Stone on Alexander. Borman said Weiser s script was finished before the Writers Guild of America strike and was ready to shoot. (KHOU.com, TX)
Oliver Stone to Direct Bush Biopic Jan 22, 2008
I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great, Stone explained. Stone said that the film will include Bushs belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, pre-emptive attack on Iraq. (Newsmax)
Oliver Stone to make fair movie about Bush Jan 21, 2008
Other historical figures reinterpreted by Stone include dead rock star Jim Morrison in The Doors, and Alexander the Great in Alexander. . (MSNBC -- News)
Oliver Stone votes for 'Bush' project Jan 21, 2008
Pic will be produced by Moritz Borman, who teamed with Stone on "World Trade Center" and "Alexander," and Jon Kilik, a producer of "Alexander" as well as "Pinkville," the pre-strike project about the Army's investigation of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam that Stone expected to direct until United Artists pulled the plug late last year ... "But if 'Nixon' was a symphony, this is more like a chamber piece, and not as dark in tone. People have turned my political ideas into a cliche, but that is... (Variety)
Stone biopic a big mistake Dec 8, 2007
As evidence, Rajabpour cited Stone's 2004 historical epic, Alexander, about the Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, whom she calls "a hated figure amongst Iranians". The film was heavily criticised in Iran for portraying Alexander sympathetically while ignoring his role in the destruction of Persepolis, seat of the Achaemenid dynasty, in 330BC.. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Stone to produce another 'Escobar' Oct 9, 2007
Stone, who has covered the drug-smuggling terrain as a screenwriter on "Midnight Express" and "Scarface," also knows a thing or two about winning a biopic race: His movie on Alexander the Great got into production first, halting a rival film on the Macedonian conqueror that Baz Luhrmann was to direct and Leonardo DiCaprio was to topline. Carnahan has worked for five years on "Killing Pablo." Awareness of the subject was recently heightened by "Medellin," a fictional film that was part of an... (Variety)
Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD? Who cares? Sep 25, 2007
It has more room than a standard DVD, so that one high-def disc could store more than one Oliver Stone cut of Alexander. Since high-def DVDs were released early last year, studios have waged a battle over which format will become the "standard," in a way that recalls the old VHS vs. Beta format war. (Macleans.ca)
Oscar-winning director wants to do documentary about Iranian president Aug 30, 2007
Even Stone's 2004 project, "Alexander," was criticized for portraying Alexander the Great as a hero when he invaded an ancient Persian capital 300 years before Christ. As , an Iranian news service said Stone made the initial request a few months ago, and the Iranian president's office had studied it. (WorldNetDaily)
Smith shows the way Aug 18, 2007
A: She's already kind of done it in "Alexander" (2004). I dunno - maybe she was OK with doing it because Oliver Stone is a much classier director than me. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Costner's dripping yarn: sci-fi classic or total sinker? Aug 1, 2007
Our office poll reduced the "shockers' shortlist" to five: Michael Cimino's notoriously expensive Heaven's Gate; the screwball comedy Ishtar, starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman; Paul Verhoeven's soft-porn spectacular Showgirls; Oliver Stone's much-lampooned version of Alexander; and, of course, Waterworld ... ALEXANDER Directed by Oliver Stone Written by Oliver Stone, Christopher Kyle and Laeta Kalogridis Released 2004 ... The case against: Oliver Stone has made a career out of indulgence... (The Age, Australia)
* Ahmadinejad turns down offer to star in Oliver Stone film Jul 3, 2007
Stone's 2004 film, Alexander, a biopic about Alexander the Great, was heavily criticized because of its sympathetic portrayal of the ancient Macedonian king, who is disliked in Iran because he is held responsible for the destruction of Persepolis, seat of the Achaemenid dynasty, in 330BC. This story has been viewed 138 times. Advertising. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Ahmadinejad turns down film chance Jul 2, 2007
Stone's 2004 film, Alexander, a biopic about Alexander the Great, was heavily criticised because of its sympathetic portrayal of the ancient Macedonian king, who is disliked in Iran because he is held responsible for the destruction of Persepolis, seat of the Achaemenid dynasty, in 330BC. This year, Iran protested to the UN about another film, 300, which portrayed the battle of Thermopylae between the Spartans and Persians in 480BC.. QBR>28. (Guardian Unlimited)
Brett Ratner will direct Hef biopic Jun 26, 2007
In the movie, based on Alexander McCall Smith's novel of the same name, Rose will play the secretary to Precious Ramotswe (Scott), who owns and operates a gumshoe agency in Botswana. Anthony Minghella is on board to direct. (Entertainment Weekly)
Prosthetic legs won't slow Aimee Mullins down Jun 23, 2007
She owns 10 different sets of prosthetic legs, from her titanium sprinting legs ("my brother calls them my 'robo-cop legs,'" she laughs) to the intricately carved ashwood museum pieces she once modeled in a fashion show for designer Alexander McQueen ... "It's not 'if,' it's 'how.' And that is how artists, and fashion designers, and musicians see the world. It's not possibility, it's potential. "Walking the runway with Alexander McQueen, I really had to dig deep. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Kilik cruises in Cannes competition Jun 4, 2007
Besides his primary relationships with Lee and Schnabel, Kilik has produced films for Tim Robbins ("Dead Man Walking"), Robert Altman ("Pret a Porter"), Robert DeNiro ("A Bronx Tale"), Oliver Stone ("Alexander") and Chris Ayre ("Skins") ... Stone's "Alexander" turned into just the sort of filmmaking by committee Kilik tries to avoid. (Variety)
Vincent Bugliosi takes on every JFK conspiracy theory May 28, 2007
who served on the commission staff; Marina Oswald, Lee Harvey Oswald's widow; and William Alexander, the prosecutor of Jack Ruby who had been scheduled to prosecute Oswald. He conducted hundreds of interviews. (Boston Globe)
OLIVER STONE TO DIRECT ANTI-WAR COMMERCIAL FOR MOVEON.ORG... Apr 20, 2007
Angelina Jolie and director Oliver Stone attend the British premiere of their movie Alexander in London. Photo by AP. (The Drudge Report)
Meanwhile: Give me back my stuff! Apr 19, 2007
Gay people have embraced the Oliver Stone bowser, "Alexander," about Alexander the Great, and "Troy," which featured Brad Pitt in a singlet. At least someone appreciates the classics. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Gay people: Give me back my stuff! Apr 18, 2007
I see that gay people have embraced the Oliver Stone bowser , "Alexander," about Alexander the Great, and "Troy," which featured Brad Pitt in a singlet. At least someone appreciates the classics. (Boston Globe)
The end never is with movies on DVD Apr 5, 2007
As much as I admire Oliver Stone as a filmmaker, his epic Alexander will never be a great film unless he digitises a replacement actor for Colin Farrell. But the failure of the film so haunts him that he has re-edited it twice, most recently in Alexander Revisited, which reinserts the homosexual subtext that barely survived in the theatrical release. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Good vs. evil struggle roils shipmates in ... Mar 8, 2007
98), gathering Adventures of a Young Man (1962), A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises (both 1957), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) and the hitherto elusive John Garfield vehicle Under My Skin (1950), based on Ernest Hemingway's "My Old Man." Auteur Oliver Stone returns to the distant past with Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut (Warner Home Video, two-disc, $24. 98), the complete unrated 214-minute version of his historical epic starring Colin Farrell as conqueror Alexander the Great. (Washington Times, DC)
more » Feb 28, 2007
Connecticut Movies - Movie Reviews and Movie News from ctnow. Great seats-floor and more. (CTNow.com)
Oliver Stone Promises Third 'Alexander' Cut Is The Last Feb 27, 2007
Controversial director calls 'Alexander Revisited' DVD 'richest and fullest version' of his 2004 film ... Regardless, we were eager to discuss such topics as his gutsy decision to revisit 2004's "Alexander" for a startling third time, Hollywood's fear of castrated male characters and the possibility that 9/11 was an inside job ... MTV: For people who've seen the first two versions of "Alexander" the theatrical release and the "Director's Cut" DVD you've already taken up seven hours of their... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Alexander Still Not Great Feb 25, 2007
ALEXANDER STILL NOT GREAT By ISAAC GUZMN - Entertainment - New York Post Online Edition ... ALEXANDER STILL NOT GREAT ... February 25, 2007 -- Oliver Stone is absolutely sure theres a great movie somewhere in the miles of film he shot for 2004s Alexander. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Petersen to 'Troy' again Feb 12, 2007
Meanwhile, Oliver Stone is working on a final cut of "Alexander," due March 27 from Warner homevid, and Barry Levinson revisited "The Natural" for a director's cut due from Sony on April 3. Warner released Richard Donner's version of "Superman II" in November, almost 30 years after the producers fired him during production of the sequel. (Variety)
Oliver adds to 'Alexander' Feb 8, 2007
com - Oliver adds to 'Alexander ... Oliver adds to 'Alexander ... OLIVER STONE sent me a note, and a copy of his new DVD cut of his much-maligned epic, "Alexander." Oliver says this is his "best and final effort." The movie has been "restructured" and 40 minutes have been added. (Variety)
Spartan epic is last hope for sword and sandal movies Jan 28, 2007
Since then the ancient epic has suffered setbacks with Troy, starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, which was derided by critics as a travesty of Homer, and Alexander, with a bleached-blond Colin Farrell, which flopped at the box office and earned director Oliver Stone some of his worst reviews ... Alexander was a lumbering, shapeless failure, historically and artistically ... Based on the life of Alexander the Great. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
