tie tOctsbington post WASHINGTON. D. C. 20071 p02) 334-6000 '1/(1Q 7/" At the risk of agitating the grave of Stephen /- ("S pun is the lowest form of humor") Leacock, I'd ti elY 44ist "ilked for all it was worth. Apparently you did not notice that Stone aaid on p. 49 about thoseag/Wanted Warhol in The Doors in a homophobic manner, "These writers should be stopped.? Sound like hjs Outlook argument? If you ever got a transcript of what he said at the press club I'd appreciate a copy for archival purposes. $150 $430 UN. £150 ILK. f 11.50NETH. APRIL ],1992 • THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN NEWSMAGAZINE • ISSUE 60D OLIVER STONE der Firms The Controversial Director on Gay Conspiracies, The Mayor of Castro Street, Sex, Censorship, and More Daft ilfat rem rciP as Wu HOMOPHOBIA IN HOLLYWOOD II: THE QUEER EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Sy EP aEsle I cl Ws wars tapirs D v 71896 48220 ADVOCATE Academy Award Winner 6922 Hollywood Blvd., Tenth Flow. 1989 Best Feature Documentary Los Angeles. 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Ellen Shub, Michael Wakefield Presented by Home Box Office INTERVIEW Heart of Stone Writer-Director Oliver Stone Opens Up on Sex, JFK, and Harvey Milk The key to the media's fatal attraction to information" about the assassination. BY JEFF YARBROUGH Stone is his ability to weave a complex, Without Stone's JFK, those files may con- polemical web in and around almost every tinue to gather dust until 2019. ctor-producer George film he makes. Forget lame comparisons of Like the halls of government, the halls of M. Cohan once told a Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill) and Ken- virtually every media outlet in the United member of the press, neth Branaugh (Dead Again) to master au- States have also buzzed regarding Stone's "I don't care what you dience and media manipulator Alfred film version of the assassination. The New say about me as long Hitchcock. Stone is the director whose York Times said Stone "is not engaged in as you say something name—much like the Master's—instantly a fair-minded inquiry; The Chicago Trib- about me and as long identifies the contents of his films. Hitch- une wrote, "This is not artistry, it is flim- asA you spell my name right:' Mr. Cohan, cock's name signaled suspense. Stone's flam. This is not mythmaking, it is exploita- meet Mr. Stone. signals controversy. tion. This is not high drama, it is low pro- Writer-director Oliver Stone has, over "L.A. is stressville for me," says Stone paganda." New York magazine printed that the last decade, been catapulted to a level from behind a mahogany desk at his corn- "there are more than 100 major lies and of stardom rivaled only by the lead players palsy's offices in Santa Monica, Calif. "lbo omissions" in the film. Most of the film's in his films. Even with actors like Kevin much going on Indeed, Stone's com- criticisms concern the fact that Stone has Costner (JFK), Val Kilmer (The Doors), pany, Ixtlan Productions, is at present produced a document in JFK that will Ibm Cruise (Born on the Fourth of July), involved —in some capacity— in over a dozen stand as a historical representation for all Michael Douglas ( Wail Street), and Charlie films. Stone's current film in release, JFK, of those who know little or nothing about Sheen (Wall Street and Platoon), his in- nominated for eight Academy Awards, in- the assassination. "Kids are swallowing it volvement in a film sometimes renders the cluding Best Picture and Best Director, has whole," says critic Sragow. actors and their performances unmemo- just opened internationally and is doing At those kids' fingertips are volumes of rable. Frankly, the star of an Oliver Stone "spectacular business," according to the information on the conspiracy to kill the film is Stone himself. Hollywood Reporter's international editor, president. Earlier this month, the New Much of Stands star status is owed to the James Ulmer. "JFKis a huge hit overseas," York Times Book Review contained two press coverage generated by him and his he says "It had one the strongest openings titles in its top-selling 15 that were related films (some of this status is, of course, owed in Paris even" Stone, who recently returned to the assassination. On the paperback list, to his talent). 'nerds something inside from a promotional trip to Europe and three out of ten best-sellers—including On Oliver that forces him to oversell every- South America to boost JFK's interna- the Trail of the Assassins, written by thing; says Rolling Stoners senior editor, tional profile, says, "We hit tan countries in former New Orleans district attorney Jim Peter Travers. "He's like [showman] Mike 21 days. It's doing well everywhere. It's a Garrison (played in JFK by Kevin Costner), 'Ibdd. He'd go up in a hot-air balloon with universal ffint." which was listed at number one—were signs all over it if he could!' Film critic It is also a wildly controversial film. In assassination-related. 'D-avers summed up his views on Stone in fact, it is difficult to imagines film more con- Despite all this interest in the film and his review of the 1991 film The Doors, troversial than JFK. Stone has single- renewed interest in the assassination, one writing that Stone is "part poet, part pro- handedly brought interest in the assassina- issue that has gotten little play since the vocateur, part snake oil salesman; tion of President John F. Kennedy, a movies opening is the subject of homo- "Hers a master of self-promotion; says murder that took place almost 30 years ago, phobia and JFK. Despite criticisms— Michael Sragow, a film critic for the San to a state of national—and now interna- mostly in the gay press —of the filirts alleged Francisco Examiner and a frequent film tional—frenzy. Even Congress, a body of homophobia (Rolling Stone's 'Prayers has reviewer for The New Yorker. "But he's not politicians who move on most issues with also referred to certain scenes in JFK as alone. He and Spike Lee both tackle incen- the grace and pace of a brontosaurus, have 'scarily homophobic"), little has been said diary subjects [in their films], then go out been tweaked by Stone's film. In January, on the matter by Stone. and fan the flames on all of the media's an article in the Washington Post quoted Until now. available levels—and all the while offer no House speaker Thomas Foley as saying Last January, Stone was 'nu traged" by an solutions to the problems that their films that JFK"has renewed demands to unseal article written by The ADVOCATE"s film raise." [government] flies that could add relevant critic, David Ehrenstein. In "JFK—A New Low for Hollywood',' Ehrenstein attemped purer-than-driven-snow straights and demonstrations" at this year Academy to n2futeJFK's theory that there was "a gay slimy, sweaty, whimpering rays." Awards because of Stone's alleged homo- cabal out to kill Kennedy." The article Following the appearance of E hrenstein's phobia in JFK and his involvement in The spouts evidence that Ehrenstein feels dis- views in The ADVOCATE, Stone started Mayor of Castro Street.