What is it with Oliver Stone and radical politics south of the border? The writer-director who helped create the most famous Cuban gangster (with his script for Scarface) and cozied up to Fidel Castro in his documentary Commandante, is following up W. with another doc: a portrait of Venezuela’s controversial president Hugo Chavez, reports Variety.
Saying he wants to explore "the South American revolution," Stone has been spending time with Chavez, and the director was around when Chavez helped negotiate hostages from the militant Colombian FARC group. Stone knows from Colombia — as he told me for my new book Scarface Nation (plug, plug), he spent time there in the early ’80s, doing research that included hanging out with drug dealers and sampling their wares (snort, snort) before getting “stone cold sober” and writing Scarface in Paris.
But back to Chavez: Why is Stone so interested in a guy who’s been accused of corruption, a supposed champion of socialist democracy who’s been criticized for his own repressive tactics against his critics? What is it about Stone that makes him leap from a calm, even-handed project like his drama World Trade Center to W., a kind of editorial-cartoon of a biopic, to documentaries about some pretty hardcore revolutionaries?
If you say money, I say, c’mon, how much dough do you think he’ll actually rake in for a Chavez doc? If you say propagating a left-wing agenda, I say this Vietnam vet knows how to play the conservative-Hollywood-business game all too well to be a total lefty. Could it be that Stone just has an insatiable curiosity about current events and doesn’t want to squander the rest of his career trying to get financing to make whatever the next comic-book movie is in the pipeline? ("Oliver Stone’s Blue Beetle"? I don’t think so…) Admire him or hate him, you gotta admit, Stone charts his own course, and goes his own way. But like all pop culture, PopWatchers, the question is, how many of us will go with him?
Make it an animated movie… seriously, I have no interest in this and I want to know why studios keep bankrolling this guy.
Chavez paid for this piece of propaganda. No one in his right mind will pay for this BS. Stone conveniently forgot to mention that Chavez put in prison his best friend, General Isaias Baduel, the one that saved his life and his presidency. Just like Castro, he betrayed those who supported him.
people always say this kind of thing “he put in prison his best friend, he betrayed those who supported him” about castro, che,… but when a f! politician uses his influence to help his friends, even if they are corrupt, criminals, assassins what is your position? “oh yeah, hes a good mate!” there’s no betrayal when you do the right thing. if you want to criticise these men there’s so much other things to say.
how do you know he paid for such propaganda? and why would a reputable man as Stone accept such deal?
Now that’s any artist.
“knows how to play the conservative-Hollywood-business game”?!? C’mon, the business folks in H’wood are overwhelmingly on the left side, certainly culturally. And the ability to profit from capitalism doesn’t mean you don’t advocate policies to mess it up – look at George Soros. Finally, the ability to make an entertaining movie doesn’t make you a successful capitalist.
You say Stone “was around when Chavez helped negotiate hostages from the militant Colombian FARC group”? Huh, did you forget that just a little while later, they found links on FARC computers that showed Chavez was supporting the FARC?
[Big FAT raspberry at Oliver Stone and this "news story"!]
Let’s tell the truth.
The problem with Oliver Stone is that he thinks he’s Oliver Stone. The guy goes for bold subject matter and fails miserably.
World Trade Center and W. were TOO SOON and should have waited for atleast a decade or so after the event took place to let the subject matter permeate. Imagine how bad “JFK” would have been had it been made two years after he died? It would have sucked as much as WTC and W. He’s gonna make another disaster with a Chavez film.
What do you mean by ” he is gonna make another disaster with a Chavez film?
Chavez and want he stands for is against everything that us americans stand for. This is a bad guy and for someone to hang out with him and make a movie of him i just cant fathom it. Mr. Stone has hit a new low.
Mr. Stone would not rake in the cash from the box office… but Chavez is certainly a very generous friend when he gets what he wants. And the only thing he wants more than power is media attention.
This is great! Chavez is an idiot with no idea how to lead and insatiable desire for power and attention. That’ll make for great entertainment. I only wish Stone could change from a doc to a movie starring Javier Bardem. Incidentally, Frontline already did a big doc-style episode on him recently.
What Stone knows, and this EW author clearly doesn’t…
Is that between 2000-2003, Chavez survived a military coup, economic sabotage through strikes, & countless EU approved elections.
When he finally got control of the economy in 2004, he reduced unemployment & poverty while increasing access to health & education.
That’s why Brazil’s Lula Da Silva calls Chavez the best President in Venezuela’s history.
By the way, that military coup against Chavez…it was cheered on by the American government. The NY Times & Washington Post wrote editorials calling it a victory for democracy.
America desperately needs this movie.
What Paul escobar and Stone may not know, is what life is like in Venezuela. Its quite easy to make comments on something we may read about and disagree, but still have no clue on what the experience is really like.
Here are some numbers for you to chew on, not coming from America but from Venezuela (and from a Venezuelan citizen).
100 homicides weekly (more deaths than in Iraq at war)
constants shortage of basic foods like milk, bread, rice. Also constant power and water shortages.
unofficial unemployment rate of 30%plus
dollar resctriction, a citizen is only allowed $2500 in a year if approved (and only received in a credit card)
Cannot receive official dollar exchange, only in the black market for 4x the value
minumim wage covers about 75% of rent for a room, leaving the rest for food and bills (in other words not enough to live)
If you voted against Chavez you are no longer approved for any type of loan or government job
Stone only interviewed presidents from countries whose parties where funded with Venezuela’s oil money.
I could on for quite a while. So please before you comment I dare anyone to live and experience the “New Venezuelan Revolution” and see how safe or free you feel. That goes for you Mr Stone and anyone else that likes to comment positively but have no 1st hand experience.
I bet you a dollar that Chavez & George Soros paid Stone a FORTUNE to make this movie in favour of Chavez.They are both radical ideologs that want to destroy Capitalism and America
boy oh boy! what does crime figures have to do with reviewing Oliver’s movie?
Oh..I see..you are one of those who don’t agree with limit.. U must be upper class..funny! Vale..you opinion is only that.. an opinion! …tah..tah
Hey, if Stone’s “doc” helps, uh, curb global warming and puts Bushitler in jail to, hm, further prove Obama is the Messiah….
Renaisauce, Brittney, and Charles your comments are way off base.
Hugo Chavez is a Hero to his people, and an inspiration to the World.
Chavez stands for what America should stand for; Health and education for all, not just the well to do.
Chavez has been very patient with his opposition, even though many of them have tried to unseat him by devious means.
Chavez has shown himself to be more democratic than America.
are you sure? more democratic than America?
lol you gotta be kidding. Chavez is all about power by shameless corruption and whatever it takes.
You Sir are delusional
Roland, with all due respect: You have no friggin’ idea what you talking about. So better shut up or move to Venezuela and live there, for say 6 months, and afterwards you might be entitled to talk about “la revolulcion bonita”…
Paul….. Frontline just did a really good documentary on Chavez. The guy is not that great. He started out with good intentions but now is a clown who is trying to stay in power for life. WATCH THIS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hugochavez/view/
wtf!!??? Chavez???? I’m Venezuelan, and a proud one and this guy is just a psycho, that’s all I’m going to say about it him cause there’s no need to explain how or why if you REALLY KNOW what he has done to us. As a movie, I don’t see how is he going to make this any interesting to anyone that isn’t but a fan of that bastard, cause for what I get hes just collecting chavez’s point of view by expending all that time with him. If he were to show the true chavez, then there might be a chance for it to be of any used if not then he’s just another rich-hollywood guy that thinks that by talking and/or supporting chavez’s “revolution” he becomes more humanitarian. Please just donate money to charities and leave politics to be manage by politicians.
and what things has he done ? Can you share?
YOU AMERICANS REALLY NEED VERY BADLY WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO LIVE…CAUSE THE RIGHT OF OPINION AFTER THAT MUCH IGNORANCE IS VERY DEPRESS,, NOW YOU ARE GONNA KNOW WHAT IS LIKE
Hi Alf..what in the world are you talking about??
I would like to talk to you Mr. Stone,I am from Venezuela and I am writin my own history about Chavez phenomenon.