Larry Sabato and Oliver Stone discuss "JFK" conspiracy

[Douglas Caddy]

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/nov/04/sabato-and-stone-discuss-jfk-conspiracy-ar-1436493/

November 04, 2011

Sabato and Stone discuss "JFK" conspiracy

The Daily Progress

By Aaron Richardson

Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone told a packed house Friday at the University of Virginia’s Culbreth Theater that his film “JFK” was more about poking holes in the Warren Commission Report than presenting a concrete theory as to who actually killed John F. Kennedy.

The Warren Commission Report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to assassinate the 35th president, and that Jack Ruby acted alone to kill Oswald. Stone called the report a myth in a conversation with UVa Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato.

“Too much weird stuff went on,” Stone said, but admitted his movie has limitations. “We can only present a counter myth. We can’t prove anything.”

The film focuses on the work of Orleans Parish, La., District Attorney Jim Garrison, who worked extensively in the 1960s to uncover what he believed was a conspiracy plot to kill Kennedy. Garrison, like Stone, believed the Warren Commission Report was largely fiction, and that Oswald had been a “patsy” for a much larger and more sinister plot to kill the president.

The film, starring Kevin Costner, follows Garrison’s work from the moment of the assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, through the acquittal of Clay Shaw, the main suspect in Garrison’s investigation.

Stone said he was surprised at initial reaction to the film, which was released in 1991.

“I was just kind of surprised at the amount of tempest there was around it,” he said. “Here was a case where conservatives and liberals jumped against the film.”

Stone said the reaction from the Kennedy clan was particularly harsh, which he had not expected.

“They were brutal,” he said. Stone later worked with John F. Kennedy Jr., and said the president’s son said little about his father’s assassination.

“He was a nice young man,” Stone said. “But he didn’t have the mettle to really go after it.”

Sabato, who will release a book next year on the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, asked Stone whether he would push for the release of nearly 50,000 documents relating to the event that are still classified.

“Every little bit helps,” Stone replied. “But I don’t think there’s a smoking gun in those pages.”

Stone was 17 the day Kennedy was killed, and said he originally had the same reaction as most of America. It wasn’t until he was filming “Platoon” in 1987 that he considered a conspiracy theory.

“I think I had the normal reaction,” Stone said. “I was a regular American in that way … It was all believable and you moved on eventually.”

During the making of “Platoon,” Stone said, he was given a copy of the book Jim Garrison wrote on his work and was enthralled. Over the next few years, years that included Academy Awards for Vietnam War dramas “Platoon” and “Born on the Fourth of July,” the idea for a movie began to form.

In 1990, “JFK” began to come together on the strength of Stone’s prestige in Hollywood.

“I was riding the success of ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and ‘Platoon,’ so I could do no wrong,” he said. “So I got Warner Brothers behind [“JFK”] as a thriller.”

While Stone has no theory as to what specifically led up to the death of President Kennedy, he said he hopes people continue to question the Warren Commission Report. Having a discussion of the film and its impact, he said, was fitting.

“Virginia is the heartland of America,” he said. “The youth should know about the film. I’m excited to mix it up with the kids.”

[William Kelly]

http://www2.dailypro...acy-ar-1436493/

November 04, 2011

Sabato and Stone discuss "JFK" conspiracy

The Daily Progress

By Aaron Richardson

Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone told a packed house Friday at the University of Virginia's Culbreth Theater that his film "JFK" was more about poking holes in the Warren Commission Report than presenting a concrete theory as to who actually killed John F. Kennedy.

The Warren Commission Report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to assassinate the 35th president, and that Jack Ruby acted alone to kill Oswald. Stone called the report a myth in a conversation with UVa Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato.

"Too much weird stuff went on," Stone said, but admitted his movie has limitations. "We can only present a counter myth. We can't prove anything."

The film focuses on the work of Orleans Parish, La., District Attorney Jim Garrison, who worked extensively in the 1960s to uncover what he believed was a conspiracy plot to kill Kennedy. Garrison, like Stone, believed the Warren Commission Report was largely fiction, and that Oswald had been a "patsy" for a much larger and more sinister plot to kill the president.

The film, starring Kevin Costner, follows Garrison's work from the moment of the assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, through the acquittal of Clay Shaw, the main suspect in Garrison's investigation.

Stone said he was surprised at initial reaction to the film, which was released in 1991.

"I was just kind of surprised at the amount of tempest there was around it," he said. "Here was a case where conservatives and liberals jumped against the film."

Stone said the reaction from the Kennedy clan was particularly harsh, which he had not expected.

"They were brutal," he said. Stone later worked with John F. Kennedy Jr., and said the president's son said little about his father's assassination.

"He was a nice young man," Stone said. "But he didn't have the mettle to really go after it."

Sabato, who will release a book next year on the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, asked Stone whether he would push for the release of nearly 50,000 documents relating to the event that are still classified.

"Every little bit helps," Stone replied. "But I don't think there's a smoking gun in those pages."

Stone was 17 the day Kennedy was killed, and said he originally had the same reaction as most of America. It wasn't until he was filming "Platoon" in 1987 that he considered a conspiracy theory.

"I think I had the normal reaction," Stone said. "I was a regular American in that way … It was all believable and you moved on eventually."

During the making of "Platoon," Stone said, he was given a copy of the book Jim Garrison wrote on his work and was enthralled. Over the next few years, years that included Academy Awards for Vietnam War dramas "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July," the idea for a movie began to form.

In 1990, "JFK" began to come together on the strength of Stone's prestige in Hollywood.

"I was riding the success of 'Born on the Fourth of July' and 'Platoon,' so I could do no wrong," he said. "So I got Warner Brothers behind ["JFK"] as a thriller."

While Stone has no theory as to what specifically led up to the death of President Kennedy, he said he hopes people continue to question the Warren Commission Report. Having a discussion of the film and its impact, he said, was fitting.

"Virginia is the heartland of America," he said. "The youth should know about the film. I'm excited to mix it up with the kids."

Is there a transcript of this conversation - Interview ? - I have tried to listen to the audio of this and it is very difficult, but what he says here about the records is important.

They only talk about it for about thirty seconds - and Stone does say - there is no smoking document - but he does commit himself to trying to release the remaining records.

The headline should read: Stone Calls For Opening Remaining JFK Assassination Records and not that Stone says there is no smoking gun in the files.

If I had a copy of the relevant portion of this conversation that deals with the release of the records - I'd transcribe it myself - but there should be a transcript of the whole show somewhere.

It would be greatly appreciated if the part of the conversation about the records could be cut out - and the sound amplified so you can here it, it would be appreciated,

thanks,

BK

[Thomas Graves]

http://www2.dailypro...acy-ar-1436493/

November 04, 2011

Sabato and Stone discuss "JFK" conspiracy

The Daily Progress

By Aaron Richardson

[...]

(Larry) Sabato, who will release a book next year on the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, asked (Oliver) Stone whether he would push for the release of nearly 50,000 documents relating to the event that are still classified.

"Every little bit helps," Stone replied. (emphasis added by T. Graves)

[...]

Is there a transcript of this conversation - Interview ? - I have tried to listen to the audio of this and it is very difficult, but what he says here about the records is important.

They only talk about it for about thirty seconds - and Stone does say - there is no smoking document - but he does commit himself to trying to release the remaining records.

The headline should read: Stone Calls For Opening Remaining JFK Assassination Records and not that Stone says there is no smoking gun in the files.

If I had a copy of the relevant portion of this conversation that deals with the release of the records - I'd transcribe it myself - but there should be a transcript of the whole show somewhere.

It would be greatly appreciated if the part of the conversation about the records could be cut out - and the sound amplified so you can here it, it would be appreciated,

thanks,

BK

"Oliver Stone Calls For Opening Remaining JFK Assassination Records!"

--Tommy

Edited December 15, 2011 by Thomas Graves