Stone: The Controversies, Excesses, and Exploits of a Radical Filmmaker

Rating:
Summary: The best book to get on Stone and his movies
Review: Any true test of a book like this is how well-researched it is. Apparently, James Riordan had access to Stone and to many of his collaborators and this results in a rich, detailed look at this original filmmaker.

Riordan goes into great detail on Stone's early life and traces his development from burnt out Viet vet to controversial filmmaker. Best of all, he also packs in tons of great anecdotal information on the making of all of Stone's films. He writes in a very engaging style that had me reading this book cover to cover, especially the chapters devoted to my favourite Stone films (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK). He really sheds fascinating light on Stone's working methods and the inner demons that fuel him.

If you are a fan of Stone's film than this is the book to get. Except no substitutes. I really hope that Riordan is working on an updated edition that covers Nixon, U-Turn and the rest of Stone's work, including the upcoming Alexander. Hopefully, some day...

Rating:
Summary: A Complete Guid to Stone
Review: This is a must for any Stone fan. It is a complete history of Oliver Stone; from his birth into a wealthy New York family, to driving a cab for $30 dollars a night, to the set of JFK. It gives us a compelling insight into what created one of America's greatest and important film makers and social critics.

Rating:
Summary: Not Worth 5 Stars!
Review: This is my first time reading up on Oliver Stone, or any other director for that matter.

I found this book very well written and an enormously entertaining read. The author not only gives a keen insight into what Oliver Stone is about and how he works, but the book also gives a good basic overview of how movies get made and the inner workings of Hollywood. After reading this book, I gained a new respect and appreciation for all the tremendously hard working people involved in getting a story onto the big screen.

I give the book a 3 star rating because the author didn't stay true to his topic. The first half of the book was much more revealing (and interesting) than the latter half. It worked really well from up to around the end of the Platoon era. After that it seems like the book tapers off. Besides, I find it hard to believe that you can find more details and insights into Stone's early life, when he was a nobody, than you can into his later life where he is among the biggest directors in Hollywood and a much revered and outspoken public figure.