What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Movie Director Rankings: Oliver Stone (1 Viewer)

How would you rank Oliver Stone as a director?

  • Total voters
    77
KarmaPolice

KarmaPolice

Footballguy
Next we will go with somebody that might get a little more debate. Some big hits, some whiffs, some politics that grates on people. Here is his filmography from imdb:

Savages

2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
2008/I W.
2006 World Trade Center
2004 Alexander
1999 Any Given Sunday
1997 U Turn
1995 Nixon
1994 Natural Born Killers
1993 Heaven & Earth
1991 JFK
1991 The Doors
1989 Born on the Fourth of July
1988 Talk Radio
1987 Wall Street
1986 Platoon
1986 Salvador
1981 The Hand
1979 Mad Man of Martinique (Short)
1974 Seizure
1971 Last Year in Viet Nam (Short)

Similar questions if you feel like answering:

1. What are your top 5 movies of his (again, keep it to five)

2. How many of his movies have you seen?

3. Anything overrated/underrated that you see on the list?

4. Is there anything that you can point to that he does well or the opposite - doesn't do well?

5. Why did you give him the ranking that you did?

 
Gave him an 8

1. What are your top 5 movies of his (again, keep it to five)

Wall Street

Platoon

JFK

The Doors

Any Given Sunday

2. How many of his movies have you seen?

13

3. Anything overrated/underrated that you see on the list?

The Doors is underrated. How could there be a better dramatic film about The Doors?

4. Is there anything that you can point to that he does well or the opposite - doesn't do well?

His political slant is overbearing, especially with JFK

 
Alexander has got to be one of the worst major motion picture releases of the last 20 years, it's Ishtar and Heaven's Gate "quality." JFK is another awful movie though not on that nadir level.

Salvador is excellent, while Wall Street & Platoon are classic movies. Talk Radio is good.

BONTFOJ, Doors, JFK, Alexander, AGS are rife with overacting and sometimes other issues.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Man, Wall Street, Platoon, The Doors, and BOFOJ were a long time ago.

JFK is a bad, sad joke. Hamfisted as well as just dead wrong, and unfortunately helped stoke the tiresome conspiracy fires yet again.

Alexander is pure, unadulterated 100% awful.

Whoops, gave a 3. JFK and his recent work are so bad that they undo Wall Street and Platoon. The Doors was above average. BOFOJ might have been a bit overrated. I believe I've seen everything from Salvador forward.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yep this is more like it. I can feel the annoyance towards him coming off the posts.

I was a huge fan of Mr. Stone back in college. It was just as I started watching "better" movies and realized that there is more to watch than just horror movies. I am sure for a lot of people my age Tarantino triggered that, and he did for me as well, but Natural Born Killers was another turning point movie for me. Went back and watched a bunch of his other movies over and over. I soured on him after his late 90s output, and honestly haven't seen his last couple movies.

1. My top 5:

Natural Born Killers

Platoon

Wall Street

JFK

U Turn

2. Looks like I have seen 11. I tend to not love biopics, so I still haven't seen The Doors or Nixon

3. I love the hot mess that is U-turn, so I guess that would be my underrated. Love the ensemble cast and performances.

4. IMO his best and worst thing is that he wears his opinions and politics on his sleeve. He pushes buttons, which I think is important as a director but at the same time he alienates people by taking it a tad too far.

5. I like him a little more than most I think. I think NBK, Platoon, and Wall Street are great movies. I realize that JFK's theories have been debunked and as somebody else posted it is responsible for forming people's opinions on the topic (at the same time, he can't be wholly blamed for people basing that on a fictional movie), but it is a damn compelling movie. A couple others that didn't make my top 5 are still pretty good movies. I think the combo of Alexander/Any Given Sunday was the beginning of the end, and Wall Street 2 was a dud for me as well. Ended up saying 7, as I think the lows are pretty low and brought him down a point for me.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
1. What are your top 5 movies of his?
1. Natural Born Killers
2. Platoon
3a. Talk Radio
3b. The Doors
5. Born on the Fourth of July

2. How many of his movies have you seen?
12

3. Anything overrated/underrated that you see on the list?
Nothing overrated. Talk Radio is probably underrated.

4. Is there anything that you can point to that he does well or the opposite - doesn't do well?
Does well: intensity, dialogue.

5. Why did you give him the ranking that you did?
Gave him a ten. Love his movies. A "top 5" director, IMO.
 
I gave him a 4. He's too heavy-handed for me. And I prefer my biopics to be more nonfiction than fiction. History is entertaining enough without the need to make **** up.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
KarmaPolice said:
1999 Any Given Sunday

1991 The Doors
1989 Born on the Fourth of July
1987 Wall Street
1986 Platoon
Click to expand...
I think these would be my five. Stone is hard for me to define. I pick these five because, well, they entertained me the most compared to the others I saw. I actually haven't seen a great deal of his stuff based on that list. But even these movies have flaws for the most part. AGS has really solid parts and a good story, but a lot of the characters were ridiculous. The Doors was a really good bio of Morrison but Kilmer overacted as he was prone to do and the supporting case wasn't anything special to me. Born of the 4th was an emotional movie for me right up until it got political and not beause of the politics but because it was a known story for me at that point. Like the Forrest Gump time in Washington - yeah I get it. Vietnam wasn't beloved.

Wall Street is a phenominal movie and to me his best. So no complaints there for me. Platoon is a solid movie although I always liked Full Metal Jacket more.

Stone overall? Again, that isn't easy. His bad is really really bad and to me he only hit really really good once. His style of filmaking with interjecting black and white and color and all that is both good and bad. JFK was a joke of a movie not because of the conspiracy stuff - that was fun and frankly the movie did a decent job of taking all the various conspiracies and giving them a little play time. The problem was that it made Garrison look like a hero when he was very most certainly not. Joe Pesci was great though. Loved his role. The scene in the hotel when Garrison finally finds him and he's smoking 40 cigarettes a second was really really well done by Pesci.

I think if I had to define Stone for me I would say he takes himself way too seriously and he thinks that people want to hear what he has to say, instead of just want to see a good movie. He isn't some grand social commentator who we all love to hear from. But I bet he thinks he is. I could be wrong. I don't know if I ever go out of my way to watch a movie becuase of Oliver Stone either. Same is not true for Marty. I'll give him a 6.

 
Liked:

Platoon

Salvador

Born On 4th Of July

The Doors

Hated:Natural Born Killers

Overall a mixed bag, mostly good

 
His movies try to hard and seem forced. The only two I really liked are Wall Street and Any Given Sunday.

I kind of get it but I still think he's not the greatest at execution. I give him a seven.

 
My name is Willie... Willie Beamen,

I keep the ladies... cream-in',

And all my fans... are screa-min'

You gon' defeat me? You drea-min'.

Uh, wild style, profile, Willie Beamen got the ladies in the stand smilin'.

Why? Getting down to the nitty gritty, makin' them all feel so they get me.

Uh, shakin' like getting they shirt [?]

Who is that rockin' the spot? It's Willie Beamen.

Who is that keepin' it hot? I'm Willie Beamen.

Who is that bringing the pain? It's Willie Beamen.

Got the ladies screaming my name (the #####es screamin')

 
a lot of really pretty good movies under his belt. he fell out of favor in the mid-90's and has been mostly irrelevant since. there is no escaping his virtuoso storytelling in a few of his films even if you didn't exactly like them. i don't know if there was a more ambitious storyteller out there especially when married with his technical skills. "JFK", "Natural Born Killers", "U Turn" are masterpieces, albeit flawed, in that are much more alive than "Platoon", "Born on the 4th of July" and "Wall Street".

Not a fillmmaker that is easy to love but there is just no denying some of those films. For me, his best is "JFK" but my favorite is "NBK". There are too many lousy ones to pick just one.

 
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.

 
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean nothing.

I'm not even sure Stone has a top-5. Even if he does, its miles below Scorsese's top movies.

 
brianj74 said:
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean nothing.

I'm not even sure Stone has a top-5. Even if he does, its miles below Scorsese's top movies.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean a lot. Stone >>>>> Scorsese. :boxing: Yeah, let's keep doing this. :rolleyes:

 
mon said:
brianj74 said:
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean nothing.

I'm not even sure Stone has a top-5. Even if he does, its miles below Scorsese's top movies.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean a lot. Stone >>>>> Scorsese. :boxing: Yeah, let's keep doing this. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
There should be a one movie playoff. Ask each to write & direct a movie about Oscar Pistorious.

 
brianj74 said:
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
Oscars mean nothing.

I'm not even sure Stone has a top-5. Even if he does, its miles below Scorsese's top movies.
Click to expand...
They have operated in completely different spaces. It's easy to forget how en vogue Stone was in the late 80s and 90's. He's made some powerful films in his time.

 
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.

 
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Many people loved Titanic, including myself. It was a great romance with great acting. I also share Stone's politics, but that doesn't make me like his movies.

 
mon said:
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Many people loved Titanic, including myself. It was a great romance with great acting.

I also share Stone's politics, but that doesn't make me like his movies.
Click to expand...
Me neither.

I liked Titanic too, FWIW. But agreed that Oscars are largely meaningless. Not as meaningless as, say, the Emmys, but meaningless.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
mon said:
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Many people loved Titanic, including myself. It was a great romance with great acting. I also share Stone's politics, but that doesn't make me like his movies.
Click to expand...
mon said:
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Many people loved Titanic, including myself. It was a great romance with great acting. I also share Stone's politics, but that doesn't make me like his movies.
Click to expand...
Titanic was a mixed bag. It wasn't anywhere close to as good as LA Confidential, which was also in 1997.

 
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
both have talent for sure. the comments so far reflect what i thought the feeling on Stone was- poeple seem to feel he is less making movies and more pushing agendas. then combine that with a near universally hated film like Alexander.

 
saintfool said:
a lot of really pretty good movies under his belt. he fell out of favor in the mid-90's and has been mostly irrelevant since. there is no escaping his virtuoso storytelling in a few of his films even if you didn't exactly like them. i don't know if there was a more ambitious storyteller out there especially when married with his technical skills. "JFK", "Natural Born Killers", "U Turn" are masterpieces, albeit flawed, in that are much more alive than "Platoon", "Born on the 4th of July" and "Wall Street".

Not a fillmmaker that is easy to love but there is just no denying some of those films. For me, his best is "JFK" but my favorite is "NBK". There are too many lousy ones to pick just one.
Click to expand...
Nice. don't think I have come across somebody who likes U turn even as much as I do, let alone more than I do. I have been wanting to rewatch that one too.

 
KarmaPolice said:
saintfool said:
a lot of really pretty good movies under his belt. he fell out of favor in the mid-90's and has been mostly irrelevant since. there is no escaping his virtuoso storytelling in a few of his films even if you didn't exactly like them. i don't know if there was a more ambitious storyteller out there especially when married with his technical skills. "JFK", "Natural Born Killers", "U Turn" are masterpieces, albeit flawed, in that are much more alive than "Platoon", "Born on the 4th of July" and "Wall Street".

Not a fillmmaker that is easy to love but there is just no denying some of those films. For me, his best is "JFK" but my favorite is "NBK". There are too many lousy ones to pick just one.
Click to expand...
Nice. don't think I have come across somebody who likes U turn even as much as I do, let alone more than I do. I have been wanting to rewatch that one too.
Click to expand...
it's a mess, for sure, but i think it's fun and kind of kooky. i liked it for what it was. it has a kind of tarantino feel to it maybe. kind of a departure for OS.

 
saintfool said:
KarmaPolice said:
saintfool said:
a lot of really pretty good movies under his belt. he fell out of favor in the mid-90's and has been mostly irrelevant since. there is no escaping his virtuoso storytelling in a few of his films even if you didn't exactly like them. i don't know if there was a more ambitious storyteller out there especially when married with his technical skills. "JFK", "Natural Born Killers", "U Turn" are masterpieces, albeit flawed, in that are much more alive than "Platoon", "Born on the 4th of July" and "Wall Street".

Not a fillmmaker that is easy to love but there is just no denying some of those films. For me, his best is "JFK" but my favorite is "NBK". There are too many lousy ones to pick just one.
Click to expand...
Nice. don't think I have come across somebody who likes U turn even as much as I do, let alone more than I do. I have been wanting to rewatch that one too.
Click to expand...
it's a mess, for sure, but i think it's fun and kind of kooky. i liked it for what it was. it has a kind of tarantino feel to it maybe. kind of a departure for OS.
Click to expand...
definitely. remember Joaquin as Toby N. Tucker and Billy Bob being really funny/great in it.

 
KarmaPolice said:
mon said:
Lot of disparity between the votes here for Stone compared to Scorsese, which is especially odd in light of the fact that Stone has won three Oscars to Scorsese's one. All a matter of taste, I guess.
Click to expand...
both have talent for sure. the comments so far reflect what i thought the feeling on Stone was- poeple seem to feel he is less making movies and more pushing agendas. then combine that with a near universally hated film like Alexander.
Click to expand...
Haven't seen Alexander. Apparently it's good that I missed it.

 
His good movies are great, really watchable and entertaining IMO. Someone said heavy handed though and that's fair.

If you like him and haven't seen it watch the "Real Untold History" series, think it was on Showtime. It's something like 9 one hour episodes beginning on the build up to WWII IIRC. It's pretty mesmerizing because the guy talks non-stop for like 9 hours over a pretty impressive collection of photos and video. Very Oliver Stonish so even if you completely disagree with what he is saying you might like it if you enjoy history.

 
I had him at 7 - Gordon Gekko alone puts him above average in terms of making movies - but had to deduct a full point for Alexander, and I feel like that's being generous.

 
I'm gonna say it.... i didn't think Alexander was that bad. It wasn't good and I have no reason to watch it again. .. but I've seen and suffered through much much worse.

 
Walking Boot said:
He's a doosh.

He also, over the last 10 years or so, lost the ability to edit himself. Became too wrapped up in his own brand to objectively look at what he's doing and too in love with his process to be able to cut himself down.
Click to expand...
Auteurs do that. Scorsese, Cameron, and many others do it all the time. When was the last Stone film that clocked in at over two hours?
 
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Titanic was a great blockbuster/romance movie. Not a movie I'll ever watch again, but I can still recognize it as a great movie for many people who are into that.

 
17seconds said:
Jayrod said:
Titanic.

Titanic won an Oscar, gentlemen. Oscar's go to who makes Hollywood the happiest. Oliver Stone's politics are right in line with the top brass of Hollywood, so they love him.
Click to expand...
Titanic was a great blockbuster/romance movie. Not a movie I'll ever watch again, but I can still recognize it as a great movie for many people who are into that.
Click to expand...
Titanic was a hit because it appealed to 11-14 year old girls who went and saw it 4x's in the theater.

The cheesiness, predictability, overuse of spoken names and the fact that it brought absolutely nothing new to the industry was the reason why it should never have won best picture. But, hey, it sold a lot of tickets so, sure it is a better movie than Good Will Hunting, LA Confidential, As Good As It Gets, and the Full Monty. :rolleyes: All 4 of those movies are better than Titanic in every measurement other than ticket sales.

 
I find him too heavy-handed across the board.

But I can still appreciate that he's able to put up well-crafted movies... gave him a 6.

 
Crash is a much better example of how crap can end up best picture. Say what you want about Titanic, but that was a massive project and managed to be a great film in spite of a terrible script. It's eye candy. Not unlike Avatar.

Stone is a hot mess, imo. He make me cringe when he starts talking about "truth" as if everybody else's story is always tainted by conflicts of interest, while his is the real truth. Makes him come off as a bit of a crackpot. Which in tandem with his bravado can make for some rich entertainment amongst the madness.

Nixon

U-Turn

Platoon

Wall Street

Born on the Fourth of July

Favorite script: Midnight Express

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

KarmaPolice
  • Poll Poll
Movie Director Rankings: Tim Burton
Replies
31
Views
840
Insein
Insein
timschochet
timdraft #4: Movie Category Draft
108 109 110
Replies
5K
Views
125K
BobbyLayne
BobbyLayne
SuperJohn96
I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not.
Replies
21
Views
2K
Capella
Capella

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top