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TotesMcGotes 
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
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| What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 2:54 pm)
So I watched Savages last night, which totally sucked ass, and it got me thinking about Oliver Stone's earlier films vs what he's put out over the last 15 years or so.
How can one man write/direct the majority of Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, JFK, Nixon, and Natural Born Killers all in one decade, and then produce nothing but crap for the next 15+ years?
You can Argue that Any Given Sunday was solid, but there is no excuse for Alexander, World Trade Center, W., Wall Street 2, and Savages. Some of these movies are downright atrocious. Alexander was an embarrassment.
So what happened? How can you go from being considered one of the best, most talented filmmakers of the 80s to what he is now?
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RollTide1987 
Alabama Fan
Senoia, Georgia
Member since Nov 2009
17691 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 2:57 pm to TotesMcGotes)
Any Given Sunday was crap and Alexandria bored me to death, even though I'm a history major. I found World Trade Center to be decent but W. sucked. I have yet to see Wall Street 2 and Savages due to Stone's recent track record.
Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, and JFK were all amazing films. I have never seen Nixon, The Doors, or Natural Born Killers so I can't comment on those movies. But I agree. His early work rocked while his later work has sucked.
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wildtigercat93 
LSU Fan
Central, LA
Member since Jul 2011
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:03 pm to RollTide1987)
Any given sunday was awesome.
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dawgdayafternoon 
Georgia Fan
Member since Jul 2011
9153 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:07 pm to TotesMcGotes)
I liked W. and Savages. 
Of the movies I've seen from him, U-Turn and Alexander were really the only ones I truly disliked.
This post was edited on 11/28 at 3:08 pm
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chief420 
West Virginia Fan
Parkersburg,WV
Member since Apr 2009
3923 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:12 pm to RollTide1987)
quote:
I have never seen Nixon, The Doors, or Natural Born Killers so I can't comment on those movies.
Get the frick outta here
This post was edited on 11/28 at 3:13 pm
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LasVegasTiger
LSU Fan
Las Vegas/Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2008
1761 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:13 pm to dawgdayafternoon)
I will tune into anything with Blake Lively.
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TDTGodfather
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
4271 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:13 pm to dawgdayafternoon)
i thought any given sunday was entertaining. and it gave us pacino's "peace with inches" speech. so i'm happy with it.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
8819 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:17 pm to dawgdayafternoon)
W. was abysmal.
Savages - what. the. frick. The acting was atrocious. The writing was fricking awful. "I had orgasms. He had wargasms." But hey, at least there was some great scenes of the beach.
What the frick were half of the actors who took roles in this thinking? Emile Hirsch's agent should be fired and kicked out of the industry for letting him take that role.
I loved Friday Night Lights, but Taylor Kitsch is just not cutting it as a lead actor. Neither is Aaron Johnson. And Blake Lively. Holy hell did she suck.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:18 pm to LasVegasTiger)
quote:
I will tune into anything with Blake Lively.
So... Gossip Girl, Savages, and Green Lantern?
Being the worst actor in The Town is currently her best credit.
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RollTide1987
Alabama Fan
Senoia, Georgia
Member since Nov 2009
17691 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:20 pm to wildtigercat93)
Al Pacino's speech toward the end of the movie was awesome but the majority of the movie was meh. Cameron Diaz was not good as the bitchy owner and there were a few other casting decisions I didn't like. Al Pacino, and to a lesser extent Jamie Foxx, kind of made the movie worth watching. But there really wasn't much there beyond the "Game of Inches" speech.
And I forgot all about U-Turn. That movie was weird and not very enjoyable.
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dawgdayafternoon
Georgia Fan
Member since Jul 2011
9153 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:23 pm to TotesMcGotes)
I agree that his recent work has been a dropoff from where he was 15, 20 years ago. No denying that. I expected Savages to be awful when it first came out based on the trailers and recent Stone cliches, but I really enjoyed it for what it was.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
8819 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:25 pm to dawgdayafternoon)
For what it was? Perhaps the biggest problem of the film was that it had no idea what it wanted to be.
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LasVegasTiger
LSU Fan
Las Vegas/Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2008
1761 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:26 pm to TotesMcGotes)
quote:
Being the worst actor in The Town is currently her best credit.
Would like to think her being crazy hot as her best credit.
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Backinthe615
Member since Nov 2011
1370 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:29 pm to TotesMcGotes)
The more movies I watch and learn what it is I like about them the less I like Stone. I rewatched JFK recently, and between the bad accents, overacted performances and silly montages I laughed at it. He also spoon feeds viewers as if they can't make up their own minds about things.
I still like Platoon, Wall Street (1) and the Doors. I would've liked Sunday more if the art direction wasn't so unrealistic, and again with the montage. He's definately unique and has made a couple great ones, but I can name many directors I dig better.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
8819 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:31 pm to LasVegasTiger)
Well then hundreds of actresses have great credits despite being poor actresses in poor productions.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
8819 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:33 pm to Backinthe615)
quote:
but I can name many directors I dig better.
Now? Sure. But in the 80s? Probably not so much.
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Backinthe615
Member since Nov 2011
1370 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 3:43 pm to TotesMcGotes)
Definately his best decade. I'll still give Savages a shot, if nothing else my Salma fetish should get me through.
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TotesMcGotes
Virginia Fan
New York, New York
Member since Mar 2009
8819 posts
Online
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 10:35 pm to Backinthe615)
Don't get too excited. Even Hayek was awful in it.
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fontell 
Auburn Fan
Montgomery
Member since Sep 2006
1738 posts
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| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 10:51 pm to TotesMcGotes)
He got blown up in Platoon.
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TigerMyth36
LSU Fan
River Ridge
Member since Nov 2005
24226 posts
| re: What the Hell Happened to Oliver Stone? (Posted on 11/28/12 at 10:52 pm to TotesMcGotes)
W was an abomination. Not just the writing. The directing was lifetime movie of the week bad.
I actually liked The Savages up until the weak arse ending. Some of the writing was cringe worthy and some of the plot didn't make much sense. Acting was sporadic, yet I still enjoyed the movie for some reason. Possibly boredom.
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