Comments on: The Films Of Oliver Stone: A Retrospective

By: Chase Kahn

Chase Kahn — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:14:25 +0000

"Platoon" is better than "Born on the Fourth of July" if for no other reason than the false uplift of the ending to the latter.

And there's no question which one I'd watch over again right now given the choice...

By: christopherbell

christopherbell — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:03:25 +0000

I hate "U-Turn," but I think the oddest thing is how much I enjoy "Any Given Sunday," considering I'm not the biggest Oliver Stone fan and I don't even like football.

By: cirkusfolk

cirkusfolk — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:04:31 +0000

What's up with Ridley Scott anyway? You would think a director of his caliber could get the cuts of his films released no question, but it appears with almost every film he does, when it hits DVD it's in a Director's Cut Extended form. Gladiator went from 155 to 171 minutes, Black Hawk Down 144 to 152, Kingdom of Heaven 144 to 192, American Gangster 157 to 176, and Robin hood 140 to 156. Are these Scott's actual preferred versions, or just a way to sell DVDs?

Oh and that's not even mentioning Blade Runner, Alien and Legend. Wow, he really is the king of director's cuts isn't he?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:37:31 +0000

I am a fan of Natural Born Killers, given it's flaws. But I have to agree that Jane Hamsher's book Killer Instinct is what makes it all worth it. Highly Recommended reading.

By: jessicakiang

jessicakiang — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:50:02 +0000

Can't believe everyone's up in arms about the trashy NBK (I agree completely with Kevin J – whatever cool it may have had on release has evaporated entirely over time), but everyone's fine with U-Turn getting a B-? A more obnoxious and aggressively uncharming film I cannot remember.

By: rodrigoperez

rodrigoperez — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:32:13 +0000

NBK DOES have a fantastic soundtrack. Unfortunately that does not always make for a good picture (and if we solely loved movies for their soundtracks and lauded them as such regarding the piss-poor quality of the film, The Playlist would be a site i loathed; thankfully we're not that myopic).

By: kevinjagernauth

kevinjagernauth — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:27:21 +0000

"Natural Born Killers" is a really, edgy, trippy movie when you're fourteen and never seen anything like it before. Watching it later, you realize just how messy, one-note and (really, really) over long it is.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:12:10 +0000

Whatever, Natural Born Killers is awesome. Yes, it's more about a mood than about a story, but you guys LOVE mood pieces if they're slow and romantic, but oooooh, it's an acid trip, HELL NO. You failed to give a valid critique of NBK, Stone's true masterpiece. I think that it's a film that got away from Stone, but I don't think it's a bad thing. The point it makes is that our culture feeds off of violence now, AND it's impossible to depict such violence without romanticizing it. Stone set out to make a morality play, and became entranced despite himself with Mickey and Mallory.
Plus, you guys being soundtrack enthusiasts, I would think you'd appreciate that amazingly eclectic soundtrack. Leonard Cohen ftw!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:49:23 +0000

you are dead wrong on 'natural born killers'

By: Actionman

Actionman — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:49:09 +0000

Also, had The Doors been released any time in the last decade, Kilmer wins Best Actor @ the Oscars. One of the greatest immersions into a character ever put on the big screen. I always say that it was more an act of possession than it was "acting." I could watch that movie every day of my life.

By: Actionman

Actionman — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:47:52 +0000

Huge fan of Alexander -- all of the versions worked for me, with the Director's Final Cut being the best.

Any Given Sunday is goregous to look at, especially in the Blu Ray format.

And the KOH: Dir Cut is a masterpiece for Ridley Scott. Monahan's beautiful and poetic and epic screenplay was savaged by those moronic Fox Execs.

By: Mark A. Fedeli

Mark A. Fedeli — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:38:20 +0000

for all its faults, i can't think of any other music biopic that incorporates the band's music better or more naturally than The Doors.

By: erikmcclanahan

erikmcclanahan — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:46:30 +0000

Exactly why I won't the longer version. Ultimately, I just don't care. There's so many other great films I've yet to see, so why give Ridley Scott another chance to disappoint me again?

By: rodrigoperez

rodrigoperez — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:43:58 +0000

Eva Green is great, but don't waste your time. Also, does the movie make more sense in its longer cut? Yes.

Does it make it any more entertaining and watchable? Hell no.

By: erikmcclanahan

erikmcclanahan — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:32:37 +0000

More Eva Green is always a good thing, but I still think it's not enough to go back and revisit the longer version of Kingdom. Why watch more of something that I didn't like in the first place? But Eva, oh Eva, she's amazing.

By: kevinjagernauth

kevinjagernauth — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:27:12 +0000

I gave up on "Kingdoms Of Heaven" DC after about half an hour but now that I hear there is more Eva Green I may have to consider attempting it again.

By: Boivin

Boivin — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:47:47 +0000

Gotta disagree with you on the Kingdom of Heaven director's cut. It adds in whole subplots that were eliminated so that characters' choices (especially Eva Green) actually make sense.

By: edwarddavis

edwarddavis — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:31:54 +0000

Exactly, the director's cuts of Troy and Kingdom of Heaven are just extra tedious.

By: cirkusfolk

cirkusfolk — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:26:21 +0000

I've yet to see Alexander: The Final Cut (214 minutes) which people say is much better, but that's what they also said about the director's cuts of Troy (196 minutes) and Kingdom of Heaven (192 minutes). How can more of something you hated be better?