Oliver Stone interviewed on his (and Jim's) new documentary film(s)

[Denny Zartman]

Sounds exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing it someday.

[Joseph McBride]

Needing a male "voice of authority" to narrate a documentary is, to put it diplomatically, old-fashioned.

We are not living in the 1950s anymore. And for those who think Whoopi Goldberg is "just" a comedian, she

speaks out on social issues and gave a great dramatic performance

in Spielberg's THE COLOR PURPLE. That and Ben Kingsley's performance

in SCHINDLER'S LIST are the best in Spielberg's work.

Edited July 12, 2021 by Joseph McBride

[Joe Bauer]

21 hours ago, Richard Booth said:

There is a clip from the film here:

https://deadline.com/2021/07/oliver-stone-mainstream-docs-propaganda-pieces-us-empire-in-fear-revisiting-jfk-assassination-cannes-1234790181/

In the short clip you've got Mantik and Wecht and some talk on the single bullet theory.

The narration is Whoopi Goldberg, which I thought was a horrible choice when I first heard it. After some thought I think that it's probably a good choice to pick a person with a warm relatable voice, it may be compelling to an audience to hear a person they can relate with and trust delivering the facts rather than some kind of anonymous "voice of authority" type of narrator.

I'm imagining a typical well known male "voice of authority" type narrating the film.

Older liberal types like Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, George Clooney, Al Pacino.

I like Stacey Keach, narrator of the financial fraud crime investigation television show "American Greed."

But like others here, I listened to Goldberg and after some thought realized how logical it was to have a woman narrating this new film.

Doing so adds a dimension of needed "refreshing" newness and broader audience inclusivity imo.

Broader for women, younger persons etc..  

Having the same , male "old fogies" doing this would keep this story locked into it's past and just bore the hell out of new younger generations and even most women imo.

What about Goldberg?

Well, she's been an aggressive national stage commentator for social causes for decades.

She's got some gravitas not only with us of the baby boomer generation but the next two besides.

Sometimes famous stand up, stage and film comedians develop into national consciousness spokespersons.

Often their acts are centered around cutting through the false reality lies ( bullshit ) in our daily lives with biting witty humor. 

Goldberg has a serious acting and social activist resume ( national stage ) and reputation more than one would first imagine.

Could there have been any other female "voice of authority" that could have taken this role?

Not sure.

Meryl Streep? Kate Blanchett? Robin Wright? Naomi Watts? Ellen DeGeneres? Tina Fey? Angelina Jolie? 

Frances McDormand would have been a good choice imo.  She's got gravitas...for sure.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Joe Bauer

[Jamey Flanagan]

Everyone is forgetting Donald Sutherland. In all of the articles I've read it says it is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg AND Donald Sutherland. I had no problem with her narration in that short clip but for those who found it underwhelming then remember that she is sharing duties with Mr. X himself! Maybe Jim D can elaborate further whether is a 50/50 split or what on the 2 hour version versus the four. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Jamey Flanagan
Spelling error

[Richard Booth]

2 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

I'm imagining a typical well known male "voice of authority" type narrating the film.

Older liberal types like Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, George Clooney, Al Pacino.

I like Stacey Keach, narrator of the financial fraud crime investigation television show "American Greed."

But like others here, I listened to Goldberg and after some thought realized how logical it was to have a woman narrating this new film.

Doing so adds a dimension of needed "refreshing" newness and broader audience inclusivity imo.

Broader for women, younger persons etc..  

Having the same , male "old fogies" doing this would keep this story locked into it's past and just bore the hell out of new younger generations and even most women imo.

What about Goldberg?

Well, she's been an aggressive national stage commentator for social causes for decades.

She's got some gravitas not only with us of the baby boomer generation but the next two besides.

Sometimes famous stand up, stage and film comedians develop into national consciousness spokespersons.

Often their acts are centered around cutting through the false reality lies ( bullshit ) in our daily lives with biting witty humor. 

Goldberg has a serious acting and social activist resume ( national stage ) and reputation more than one would first imagine.

Could there have been any other female "voice of authority" that could have taken this role?

Not sure.

Meryl Streep? Kate Blanchett? Robin Wright? Naomi Watts? Ellen DeGeneres? Tina Fey? Angelina Jolie? 

Frances McDormand would have been a good choice imo.  She's got gravitas...for sure.

 

 

I would have liked to have heard the guy who did PBS Frontline for many years. That's the kind of narration I like. But what I like doesn't necessarily help the documentary get traction or followers or interest.

Goldberg has sway with millions and regular people, the kind who watch "The View" will probably be swayed a great deal by hearing her on this thing.

[Joe Bauer]

Yes, the Front Line narrator is very compelling.

[George Govus]

Richard Basehart's narration couldn't redeem "Four Days In November." Just sayin'.

[James DiEugenio]

3 hours ago, Jamey Flanagan said:

Everyone is forgetting Donald Sutherland. In all of the articles I've read it says it is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg AND Donald Sutherland. I had no problem with her narration in that short clip but for those who found it underwhelming then remember that she is sharing duties with Mr. X himself! Maybe Jim D can elaborate further whether is a 50/50 split or what on the 2 hour version versus the four. 

  He had her do the forensic side.  He had Sutherland do the historical side.

[Anthony Thorne]

I thought Goldberg and Sutherland were perfect choices. Goldberg makes the material slightly more accessible to a mainstream audience, and Sutherland will impart the same power, tension and drama that he did in the original film.

[Ron Bulman]

She was pretty good in Ghost, enough for an Oscar.  But I'm most impressed with her overcoming homelessness and heroin addiction.  She's not Oprah but down to earth and streetwise.  Maybe the perfect compliment to Sutherland's original Mr. X as alluded to by others more knowledgeable than I.

I never realized that her father was Robert Johnson though.

 

 

[Kirk Gallaway]

Richard said: Sorry for being an asshole.

I wouldn't beat myself up too bad, Richard. I don't particularly like Whoopi either. But I have no idea what  a good choice would be. Joy Behar?----- OK , more ethnic?...Joy Reid?

heh heh    Actually the one time I watched a segment on The view", Stone was the guest, plugging "Untold history".

I agree, I like the Frontline narrator, who also did some Dos Equis "Most interesting man" spots. His name is Will Lyman.

One guy I've been impressed with who seems to get a lot of voice overs for movies these days is this guy, who is currently doing an ad on a first run movie. I don't know his name, but when the title sticks with you 6 years later. You know he's good! He's on the just the last few seconds of this trailer.

 

Girl on the train

https://fb.watch/v/6cGIpkhF7/

Edited July 12, 2021 by Kirk Gallaway

[Ron Bulman]

28 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

She was pretty good in Ghost, enough for an Oscar.  But I'm most impressed with her overcoming homelessness and heroin addiction.  She's not Oprah but down to earth and streetwise.  Maybe the perfect compliment to Sutherland's original Mr. X as alluded to by others more knowledgeable than I.

I never realized that her father was Robert Johnson though.

 

 

Whoopi works!

[Joseph McBride]

Here's the authoritative male voice of Ed Herlihy expounding what happened in Dallas: 

 

[Joe Bauer]

7 hours ago, Joseph McBride said:

Here's the authoritative male voice of Ed Herlihy expounding what happened in Dallas: 

 

Yes. He was good. Edward Morrow was something in his day. I always liked Robert McNeil. Sutherland was and is certainly a speaker of wonderful capturing dramatic authority. Who could forget Orson Wells? Probably the best of them all? Anyone who could convince hundreds of average citizen radio listeners to frantically pack their bags and kids into the family car and speed away for the rural hills to avoid a "made up" Martian invasion is one great "Voice Of Authority."

There is a woman who used to be on the "Coast To Coast AM" late night radio talk show a lot. She was an investigative journalist by the name of Linda Moulten Howe who was the best and most compelling female guest that radio show ever presented. 

Yes, her main subject area of investigation and reporting was what many would call "fringe" paranormal such as cow mutilations, alien presence and even alien abductions of humans, secret government programs centered around alien ET technology and interactions with humans etc.

For some suspicious reasons this national radio show dropped her as a guest, but she had a wonderfully compelling speaking ability. Very dramatic without being over-the-top. A very intelligent and well toned and paced speaker. You never got bored with her, even after listening to her speak for two hours straight ( with commercial breaks .)

She would have been a great narrator for this JFK film. Better than Whoopi imo.

[Joe Bauer]

9 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Whoopi works!

I just read Whoopi's wiki.

WOW!

I am blown away by her incredible life-time body of work, achievement and success.

I never knew she had accomplished so much and in so many areas of interests.

She is a "super" achiever.  Obviously a person of incredible personal strength, courage and drive.

I also never knew how she acquired the stage name "Whoopi" until reading that others around her in her early club stand up comedy act time, compared her to a whoopi cushion because of her well known habit of letting loose on stage because as a performer on stage she just "didn't have time to go to the bathroom and shut the door."

Edited July 12, 2021 by Joe Bauer