(Oliver) Stone assesses Sept. 11 project

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-et-oliverstone13jul13,0,4274828.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Two men, a rookie police officer and his boss, are trapped 20 feet below a collapsed building. Their bodies are being crushed by massive chunks of cement and have begun to swell. Though they're relative strangers, they spend the next 14 hours goading each other to live, while their families worry over their fate and a ragtag group of rescuers tries to save their lives.

It might be a typical Hollywood disaster movie, but it's actually scenes from the script (obtained by the Los Angeles Times) of the upcoming film about Port Authority police officers Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, among the last people rescued from the collapseof the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. And it is being brought to the screen by Oliver Stone, long seen as the nation's premier conspiracy-theorist-turned-director.

"It's not about the motives of the terrorists, or who the terrorists were, or the politics of 9/11 in any way," said Stone, whose involvement in the film (which will star Nicolas Cage) was made public by Paramount Pictures last week. "It's about people standing together and overcoming the problem. It's a no-nonsense, austere, vérité document of what they went through in those 24 hours, a procedural if you like, and it should be shot like that."

Word of Stone's participation immediately led to convulsions on the Internet, where bloggers cracked morbid jokes about what Stone might deliver, and whether the director — who proffered a revisionist theory of the Kennedy assassination in his 1991 film "JFK" — would be a suitable candidate to tackle one of the most sensitive topics in recent American history. Others winced at the timing of Paramount's press release one day after the bombings in London.

A year from now, when the film presumably will be released, close to the fifth-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, audiences might be wondering whether they want to shell out 10 dollars to relive the experience. The riveting and well-crafted script — by 31-year-old newcomer Andrea Berloff — is not political. But it is disturbing, with shots of people jumping out of the towers and characters dying under slabs of concrete. Stone's visceral style of directing could amplify the terror experienced by the policemen and, consequently, by the audience.

[geek tragedy]

1. I'm less worried about the conspiracy theorizing and more worried that

it'll turn out like Alexander.

[billbuckhead]

2. Anything that draws attention to the nuts and bolts of 9-11 is good

Even Oliver Stone can help.

[JackRiddler]

3. Stone has gone on record, clearly

He's repeatedly said "they" would never do 9/11, it's too evil and "they're" too incompetent.

I don't want to hear about how he's secretly preparing a skeptical film and doesn't want to be hammered. You're speculating out of wishful thinking.

His speaking out for 9/11 skepticism, if that is what he believes (and we have no reason to think that he does) would be a huge step for all of us. Let him be brave enough!

Place no hopes in him, people, it's likely that this movie is meant as more emotional exploitation.

[JackRiddler]

4. I shouldn't be so harsh, perhaps...

Hell, I do wish it were otherwise and maybe it will turn out that way.

[petgoat]

5. Hopes

I wouldn't be surprised if he has several alternative scripts available.
He'll shoot all the scenes, and evaluate the political situation when it
comes time to edit the film.

I wouldn't blame him for being a bit mealy-mouthed at this time. He's
Oliver Stone, not an anonymous internet poster.

[JackRiddler]

6. Sorry, that's one I don't buy

What, I have "nothing to lose" and Stone does? Please.

WE who do this work of speakng out on 9/11 have JUST AS MUCH to "lose": our lives, our livelihoods, our country, our constitution, the future of our civilization.

Celebrities and "credible" people are just as obligated as anyone else to speak their minds truthfully, especially where they think big lies are involved in the commission of great crimes.

I'm sick of this: "privately, X may question the official story, but it's important that he maintain his position where blah blah..."

There are some genuine exceptions. Like, if there was a real whistleblower anonymously passing info from within the apparatus, then you can't blame them for publicly continuing to support the lie.

Greg Palast, (assuming he really believes 9/11 was not intended by the administration's players, which I do not really believe he believes) gets more done for good causes, including even 9/11 revelation, by clamming up on 9/11 so he can keep his job with the BBC.

But anyone already big in Hollywood who thinks 9/11 is an inside job and doesn't say so out of fear for their career - fuck'em. Seriously. What do I care if Tom Cruise doesn't get his next 20 million dollar payday? A fraction of that would set me and family up for life.

And this idea with the alternate scripts is cute, but I'm still not impressed or expectant.

So what if he sticks in some skeptical material within this otherwise rote idea of a Hollywood human-interest at the disaster treatment?

Either he confronts it head on, or he doesn't.

[StrafingMoose]

7. Stone would do a good 9/11 movie...

...in 30 years from now!

:rofl: