Oliver Stone: Secret History of America

[John Simkin]

Over the weekend Oliver Stone announced that he is putting together for American TV a ten-part series: Secret History of 20th Century America. It will include a fresh look at the assassination of JFK. Stone's collaborator on his Secret History, is Peter Kuznick, professor of history at the Washington-based American University.

[Michael Hogan]

Over the weekend Oliver Stone announced that he is putting together for American TV a ten-part series: Secret History of 20th Century America. It will include a fresh look at the assassination of JFK. Stone's collaborator on his Secret History, is Peter Kuznick, professor of history at the Washington-based American University.

From The Canadian Press:

.....Earlier in the day, Stone told about 300 students that his 1991 movie "JFK," was his most controversial to date and that the United States remains in denial over the possibility that someone other than Lee Harvey Oswald could have assassinated John F. Kennedy.

Stone said exploring alternative theories over the JFK assassination remains too sensitive for those in the media or academia who "would be endangering their careers and their position."

"To this day, many key Americans in power are in total denial about this story," Stone said. "They don't even want to know about the possibility that he was killed by someone other than Lee Harvey Oswald. It is a national fairy tale."

"JFK" ridicules the Warren Commission's conclusion that Oswald acted alone and suggests a massive conspiracy.

Stone's film centred on a theory by New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison that a CIA-led mutiny killed the president and the plotters walked away unscathed. Garrison's theories went to court in 1967, but Clay Shaw, the alleged "evil genius" behind the assassination, was acquitted.

Stone said Monday he thought it was "a good thing" to revisit the JFK assassination. But he came under fire from the historians and film reviewers who contended Stone had fudged facts, invented characters and elevated speculation to truth to support his burning belief that the killing was a high-level government conspiracy.

"It's an amazing story and I did it," Stone said. "I thought I would be respected for it, and I was lambasted in the establishment press. I was called a myth-maker, a propagandist. I didn't see it coming. I thought the Kennedy murder was safe."

Stone is famous for several other movies, including the Vietnam War films "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Platoon," which won four Oscars, including best picture and best director.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertain...s/82578552.html

[John Dolva]

( If anyone has a lead to a copy of the Stones ''El Commendante'' interview with Fidel Castro please post a link )

_________

Stone clearly states in an interview that JFK is a Movie! He's got artistic licence that cannot be denied him. The plethora of dedicated top grade actors and the whole thing, directorially, visually, editorially, intermixed with contemporary footage, is a work of art, and a compelling one, not least so by Costners amazing long nonstop monologue summation, (those were real tears)...and his beautiful message, irrepective of any critique, with ''heading a little further out west'' summed it up (imo).

Edited January 25, 2010 by John Dolva

[Bernice Moore]

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...VYhTvUwYV7b3A3Q

[Bernice Moore]

Broadcast on Sunday March 28 and Friday April 2, 2004

AN INTERVIEW WITH CASTRO (selected clips from Comandante)

http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/coma.../interview.html

Edited January 26, 2010 by Bernice Moore

[John Dolva]

Thank you Lee.

It's out there.

That's great.

[Bernice Moore]

YOU CAN BUY A COPY AT AMAZON...http://www.amazon.com/Biography-Fidel-Castro-Comandante-Archives/dp/B0007WFUD8

http://www.amazon.com/Biography-Fidel-Cast...s/dp/B0007WFUD8 .73 CENTS TO $.2.99

Edited January 26, 2010 by Bernice Moore

[John Dolva]

Thank you Bernice. I've been trying to borrow a VCR copy for some time now from some people I know have it, but itt's still circulating. Some of the footage posted is amazing. The JFK footage is of particular interest. A proper transcript that captures the full nuances of Spanish would be good. These rapid real time translations always leave bits out.