Oliver Stone to make first major US film about September 11 (OUTRAGE!!)

Yahoo! News ^ | Friday, July 8, 2005 | Staff

[DaveLoneRanger]

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone will direct superstar Nicholas Cage in the first major Hollywood movie about the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, producers announced.

The as-yet untitled film, which will be made for Paramount Pictures, will tell the true stories of the last two men to be rescued alive from the ruins of the collapsed World Trade Center in New York.

"It's an exploration of heroism in our country -- but is international at the same time in its humanity," said Stone, who won best director Academy Awards for his war epics "Born On the Fourth Of July" (1989) and 1986's "Platoon"

"It's a work of collective passion, a serious meditation on what happened, and carries within a compassion that heals," Stone said in a statement issued by producers.

Oscar-winning star Cage will take the lead role of New York Port Authority policeman Sergeant John McLoughlin, who was trapped along with one of his fellow officers in the mangled wreckage of one of the twin towers that crumbled after being hit by hijacked passenger jets.

"I feel someone had to tell the story of the people who were in the Trade Center before and after it collapsed," said McLoughlin of the plans to make his story into a major movie.

"The people involved in putting this movie together are truly making an extraordinary attempt to tell those stories and the stories of those who are no longer with us," he said.

The movie will focus on the two men as well as on their rescuers and families as they battle to find out what happened to their missing loved ones in the aftermath of the attacks that left a total of around 3,000 people dead in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The film will be produced by Double Feature Films' Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher as well as Moritz Borman, while the screenplay has been penned by Andrea Berloff.

Cage won the best actor Academy Award for 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas," while stome won a third Oscar for the adapted screenplay of 1978's "Midnight Express."

The announcement of the first major film of the events four years ago came a day after a string of suspected Al-Qaeda bombings on London's transport network left at least 50 people dead, marking the worst attack on the British capital since World War II.

[DaveLoneRanger]

Recent "Imprimis" issue lists a Michael Medved speech, where Medved quotes Stone:

"Our own country has become a military industrial monolith, dedicated to the Cold War—in many ways, as rigid and corrupt at the top as our rivals, the Soviets. We have become the enemy with a security state now second to none. Today we have come to live in total hatred, fear, and the desire to destroy. Bravo. Fear and conformity have triumphed. This Darth-Vadian Empire of the United States must pay for its many sins in the future. I think America has to bleed. I think the corpses have to pile up. I think American boys have to die again. Let the mothers weep and mourn."

We can't DARE let this man make the first movie about 9/11.

[Romanov]

If I were that policman I'd be worried Stone would turn me into a modern day "Alexander"

[msf92497]

"I think the corpses have to pile up. I think American boys have to die again. Let the mothers weep and mourn."

I wonder if Stone's mommy is still alive. Maybe he'd offer to let her cry.

[Cougar66]

With luck he will get busted with a kilo or something. These liberal film makers are the biggest jokes in this country, his karma will get him before the movie ever begins production.

[Euro-American Scum]

I was wondering how long it would be before we would see this.

We're probably going to get some theme like a global corporate conspiracy headed by the Bush family and financed by the international cabal of Jewish bankers that pushed the innocent, oppressed freedom fighters of the Islamic world to such desperate measures.

And of course how Islam is really a religion of peace, driven to extreme measures by corrupt western influences, and now America got what was coming to her.

Typical Stone blather. But then he hasn't been off the coke long enough to get a grip on reality.

[Valin]

The as-yet untitled film
Working title "It's all George Bushs fault!"


"We can't DARE let this man make the first movie about 9/11."


What can you do?

[Dr Stormfist]

I apologize in advance for anything my distant cousin does. I for one don't like his films.

[nmh]

I won't see it!

He's an ***hole.

People, DON'T see it and line his pocket$!

Give HIM a me$$age.

Bankrupt him and $hut him up, once and for all!

[Mr. Blonde]

I believe the screenwriter is a little suspect for his political beliefs as well. Somewhere I read where his job was humanizing the bad guys.

[bray]

The name of the film will be, "Bush Knew".

Pray for W and Our Troops

[NJ_gent]

"they're the same ones that make lefto-utopia "Star Trek.""

I've heard similar accusations about the Star Trek universe's leanings in the past, but have never seen them substantiated in any reasonable way. Out of curiousity, and obviously this is a tad off-topic, just what is it about Star Trek that causes you to refer to it as a 'lefto-utopia'?

[edh]

Wasn't Michael Moore the first to profit off of 9/11 film-wise?

[Clemenza]

According to Star Trek, the universe is, in effect, governed by a galactic United Nations, with only superficial local sovereignty. Those planets that do not toe the official federation line are punished by Kirk/Picard, etc.

[Captain Peter Blood]

I can't believe that after the bomb know as "Alexander" anyone would give him any money to make another movie.
Will Gage play a "Gay" police officer with problems????

[Doctor Raoul]

But will anybody but the DU and MoveOn crowd believe Stone when he has Bush piloting the first airplane into the WTC and Dick Cheney the second one?

[bayourod]

I wonder who will play tourist guy.

[Captain Peter Blood]

You mean "Star Trek the Next Generation, which you are right about, it was a Utopian fantasy. I still remember Picard uttering some phrase about that money was passe and everyone worked for the good of mankind. What drivel indeed. I can't even watch reruns of that thing anymore it's so Leftist in it's propaganda.

[Captain Peter Blood]

The original "Star Trek" was fine it was it's bastard offspring; "Star Trek the Next Generation" that went very lefty with it's Utopian Socialist views.

[SpringheelJack]

Stone can be an entertaining filmmaker, but his instincts (especially for a film like this) are all wrong. He's too conspiratorial, Michael Moorish. Too prone to believe things which are objectively false.

The main thing needed for a film about September 11 is truth, and that is something Stone could not possibly deliver.

[Accygirl]

Alexander was so bad that it was funny... However, doing something like that to the heroes of 9/11 is sacrilege.

[rawcatslyentist]

The original Shatner Trek was OK. 60 seconds into the show and Kirk was either sucking face with an alien babe, or blasting Klingons into oblivion.
Picard was always and i mean ALWAYS trying to get someone to sign a treaty.

LIke night and day!

Kill A Commie For Mommie
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes

[6SJ7]

The original "Star Trek" was fine it was it's bastard offspring; "Star Trek the Next Generation" that went very lefty with it's Utopian Socialist views.

"Star Trek" was the "Team America" of Treks. The only follow-up series that came close, IMO was "Star Trek Deep Space Nine".

[NJ_gent]

"According to Star Trek, the universe is, in effect, governed by a galactic United Nations, with only superficial local sovereignty."

First of all, the only planets even in the Federation are those who've applied for membership and been accepted. It's a hard road to even get in there. There are many, many species who've chosen to not enter the Federation. The Klingons and the Romulans are among them. They are entirely sovereign. As for the planets that are part of the Federation, they're each given equal representation in the political wing. The wing you see most often in the shows and movies is the military wing of the Federation, known as Starfleet. As for the sovereignty of the planets, they have no less say in their day-to-day affairs than pretty much anyone else. If you'd care to make specific references to ways in which this is not the case, I'd be happy to discuss them.

"Those planets that do not toe the official federation line are punished by Kirk/Picard, etc."

Really? Kirk and Picard punished planets? In what ways did they do so, and which specific instances are you referring to? There is no 'official Federation' line to toe in most things. Most of the Federation's policies are carried out by Starfleet, and have nothing to do with the internals of member planets. Again, let's talk specific cases.

[Husker24]

All the firefighters will be olive skinned with turbans under their helmets, and the terrorists will be blond haired blue eyed Swedes.

[Lijahsbubbe]

superstar Nicholas Cage

A superstar?! Yeah, right. Yechh, blecch, that guy is so homely. The only reason he is in films is due to his family. He is nasty looking. And weird.

[Husker24]

You never see any janitors on Star Trek do you?, or bathrooms for that matter. I guess nobody wants to be a janitor "for the good of humanity".

[beckett]

Hollywood's box office is slumping for a reason. Tens of millions of sensible Americans no longer give a damn what paragons of tinsel town like Oliver Stone have to say about any subject whatsoever.

[JasonC]

There is no subject matter, no plot line, no cast, that Stone can touch that I will watch. He is a commie shill has-been, and everything he touches should lose $100 million. And will certainly never get a dime from me.

[NJ_gent]

"I still remember Picard uttering some phrase about that money was passe and everyone worked for the good of mankind. What drivel indeed."

What was neglected to have been mentioned in that situation was that plenty of capitalists still existed among mankind. The only ones who'd given up money were Starfleet personnel, who had no need for it. Starfleet was the military wing of the Federation, and as such, all members had duties to perform and had all necessities provided. Is our own military socialist for not charging troops for their meals when they're active? Of course not; we assume that if our troops are being put in harm's way, little things like gathering food aren't going to be expected of them. As for those who refused to do their duties, they were punished for dereliction of duty.

Plenty of humans did all sorts of jobs outside the Federation and outside of Starfleet, and were just as greedy and capitalist as anyone in this century.

[NJ_gent]

""Star Trek the Next Generation" that went very lefty with it's Utopian Socialist views."

I think a lot of it is simply taken out of context. What you have to remember is that most of what you saw on Star Trek was based on Starfleet, which was the military wing of the Federation. As such, because it's a military, certain aspects of it appear socialist. However, many of the complaints about Starfleet could be made of our own military.

[NJ_gent]

"Also, they eliminated money"

Out of context and incorrect. Starfleet personnel, being full-time members of the military, had no need for money, as their needs were provided for them. Plenty of others used gold and 'latinum' as currency.

"and religion (never mentioned, but an absence that's hard not to notice)."

Again, I'm afraid not. While open practice was often not discussed, there are instances where this is not the case. Alien races often did practice their religon, and it was often an integral part of relations with Starfleet personnel. Starfleet members never put down religious beliefs. Chakotay, from the 'Voyager' series, practied an ancient indian religion. He was free to do so on his own time. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all absent from the series, but that's perfectly understandable when you consider that no matter how the three are portrayed, some people will always be upset by it. In appealing to the largest audience possible, the decision was made that the religious beliefs of any given person, as it related to the modern day major religions, were not disclosed. The Bajorans, by the way, were another culture with a religion that was practiced freely.

"In short, it is a depiction of the communist utopia Marxist like to crow about."

Since when would a Marxist utopia allow free exercise among its members?

[Vince Ferrer]

I suspect that either you were a writer on one of the shows, or you were one of the guys William Shatner was talking about on Saturday Night Live. :)

[pcottraux]

I hope it's better than "Alexander."

[NJ_gent]

"I suspect that either you were a writer on one of the shows, or you were one of the guys William Shatner was talking about on Saturday Night Live. :)"

I'm actually neither. I'm more of a person who's big into theoretical physics, and who appreciates the series mainly for the fact that so much of what went on was based on existing theories. Granted, much of it was a serious stretch, and Deus Ex was a common player, but it still fascinates me to ponder the possibilities that the future holds.

The knowledge I've picked up about the Star Trek 'universe' in watching the series just makes it a tad irritating when it's misrepresented by out of context quotes and the like; especially when those quotes are pasted with glaringly inaccurate generalities, often by those who've never seen more than a few minutes of the series.

[Captain Peter Blood]

If you saw that episode, it had Peter Mark Richman in it, Picard made it clear that no one used money and Capitalism no longer existed. Everyone only worked for the good of the Federation and nothing else. Catch it sometime.