Yesterday, we posted the first, rather ace photos of Josh Brolin as the worst U.S. president of all time for Oliver Stone’s W., and today brings word that the flick has picked up a distributor, Lionsgate, and is set for release nationwide on October 17th, 2008. Keep in mind that even though the film graces the cover of the latest EW, production kicks into gear next week and the role of Dick Cheney remains unfilled, so Stone is clearly on a mission. And what about a possible SAG strike this summer?
There are rumors going around that the film will be high on comedy, no sarcasm from me. And there is also a lot of “too soon!” going around and “Why, he doesn’t deserve a film?” But to me, W. will serve as a giant nail of closure for Dubbya’s past two terms and the trillion nightmarish Drudge headlines that resulted and will keep coming. It has nothing to do with the current tiring, sensational election process. Even if the film sucks, which I doubt, it’s a huge pie to the face, and that’s a reason to smile.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Gee, you think anybody is trying to tamper with an election? Oliver stone has done some great films and some terrible films. I think he needs to get the immediate politics out of his head and go back to historical political masterpieces (JFK, Platoon).
Why make this movie if not to sway an election? Release it a month after the election and prove that it is just a biopic, not political meddling.
Is it coincedence that Josh Brolin is playing Dubya, being that Dad James Brolin called Bush a war Criminal and called for impeachment several times? Mom in Law Babs Striesand is probably in a top ten list for people who hate the president.
I have no problems with this movie and criticisms of Bush, (I think hes mostly an assclown too) but put someone neutral in there for a non biased depiction. THAT would be a good flick.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:40 am
He is trying to sway the election, and he has every right to as an American citizen.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The republicans swayed the last election, why can’t Oliver Stone try to sway it this time?
May 9th, 2008 at 11:52 am
The republicans swayed the last election, why can’t
Oliver Stone try to sway it this time?
May 9th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Yes, because Bush is running for a third term…
lol wut
Seriously, though, there’s nothing sadder than rampant Bush Derangement Syndrome, especially during the last 6 months of his term. I’m no Bush supporter, mind you, but Jesus H, some of you really know how to show your bitterness.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Are you saying its fair for him as a filmmaker with unlimited resources to do this, where as you or I (average citizens) have nowhere near this power. What makes his opinion so much more valuable than ours?
And how long will I have to keep hearing this “he stole the election” crap when Kerry was easily beaten and Gore Conceded? Thats right!!! I forgot that G.W.’s administration single handedly caused 911, which caused the economy to fail, and create global warming.
You guys are like the Confederacy. Losers who keep claiming “were gonna rise again”
May 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I think the masses will enjoy it if it’s a humourless take on the presidency of Bush.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I hope this film is not sypathetic towards bush or it could help the republicans.
I highly doubt they are releasing this movie in October to “sway” the election. It is just smart marketing. It makes business sense to release a political movie of this nature in the election season, that’s when Loinsgate is going to get the most bang for its buck. If they release this movie in like february of next year no one is gonna care and it will not make anyway near the amount of money it would in an October release.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
“I hope this film is not sypathetic towards bush or it could help the republicans.”
Thanks. We all just got dumber.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Everyone seems pretty darn committed to this project, so I’m sure it will get into high gear and shoot in under six weeks. A little rushed? Maybe, but if it’s really the Oscar-sniffer it thinks it is, I’m ready for it. And I think Stone has learned lessons about how people react to his films. I really doubt it will be a comedy in any real sense of the word.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Also, I’d agree that Stone is not necessarily the right person for this project if you’re going for total accuracy or a lack of bias, but again, he does have every right to make this film, but he’s not the first to attempt to sway an election (anyone remember Fahrenheit 9/11? Do you think that was in any way a message to NOT re-elect Bush?).
May 9th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
@Scott
What do you expect? government money to make your own pro-bush movie? I’m sorry if you had talent like Oliver Stone the studio would be financing your movie as well. stop your whining, I donot agree with Ben Stein’s anti evolution movie but do you see me complaining about it? His opinion is no more valuable then anyone; if you don’t value his opinion don’t watch the movie, in the same sense if you make your own low budget movie and if people value your opinion they will watch it. And this is not a political website, stop regurgitating GOP talking points, everyone knows that 2000 & 2004 elections were stolen; in case of 2000 it is blatantly obvious, in 2004 there were problems with voting in Ohio and had they not been there Kerry would have won Ohio and hence the presidency.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Look, I think this is a bit too soon, poorly timed, and frankly going to be cruel.
George W. Bush is an unpopular President who did not do a good job in his 8 years of service. But time will show he’s not THE worst to take the office. Ulysses S. Grant? Herbert Hoover? Richard Nixon? Maybe you guys should retake US History or take an AP exam (I did today, it was a bitch), and maybe you’ll learn that while we’re at a crossroads as a country, we’ve been in much worse positions.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
@Joe: Talk to me after you finish college and gain a little perspective.
May 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Hey Robert,
Why don’t you become a little less cynical. Just cause someone is young doesn’t mean they don’t know what they are talking about!
May 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I wish the bloggers here would keep their politics to themselves. I come here for your regurgitated movie news not your regurgitated political commentary. Maybe if any of you had an original thought now and then it could tolerated. As it is though, I can tell what drivel is going to be spewed just by looking at the headline. Leave the political insight to those people that actually have some. Thanks!
May 9th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Sway, tamper, or manipulate an election? I’ll ignore the obvious “questions” regarding the last two presidential elections and simply say - last I knew, we can’t vote for this loser any more. And John McCain is nowhere to be found in the film. I seem to recall people also said the very same things about Michael Moore when he released “Fahrenheit 911″ - and “W” still got re-elected. Filmmakers like Oliver Stone, and Moore, are hardly the problem. I’m much more concerned about voters who - can - be swayed by movies - and who seemingly - can’t - be swayed by reality.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
This, I thought, was a movie site.
Could you please keep your idiotic politicizing to yourself?
Jeez. It’s like Madonna carping about particle physics. Just stop.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:14 am
@ Kevin: That’s what I though when I was in high school. I knew everything! Cynicism has nothing to do with it.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:24 am
@ David
While appreciated, your comment is incredibly cliche. This is a biopic about a current U.S. president, so discussion under this post about politics as related to W. is fair game. To say anyone here is not qualified to wax on these issues reeks of snobbery, especially since you probably do not know one of these commenters’/bloggers’ academic, professional and personal backgrounds. You are ostensibly equating people who like film to close-minded dolts as well, which is a bogus and naive generalization.
Yes, this is a movie site, big thanks for pointing out the obvious, so at least offer an observation/opinion about the film in question, rather than commenting on commenting/comments. It’s 2008, we all know how this works by now. Your policing leads nowhere, and if it does it leads the discourse to hell. If W. was a movie about time travel (I friggin’ wish it was), then comments about quantum psychics and quarks would be perfectly fine as related to the theory(ies) presented therein. Would you still be so offended and frustrated? Thanks.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
“George W. Bush is an unpopular President who did not do a good job in his 8 years of service.”
You make it sound like the guy made you a crappy milkshake. He’s done much worse than “not a good job”. And I’m not going to list the endless crap this guy ushered in while in office. I can’t wait until this idiot and his “crew” are out of office.
Anyways, I think this film looks bad from just the pictures alone. Brolin doesn’t even look like Bush at all. But I guess if you put him in a suit and tell people he is playing Bush Jr. People will buy it. Oliver Stone has just become a hollywood caricature.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
People who claim Bush is the “worst” President, or has done a “horrible” job, are either poorly educated, or completely clueless. He certainly hasn’t been more than mediocre, but neither were Clinton, Bush, Sr., Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, etc. It is astonishing that Americans are so poorly educated, and so lacking in historical context, to be able to make such idiotic statements.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
LIKE ALL of the anti-military, anti-war, anti-America films produced over the past eight years, this too will fail miserably in the theaters.
SURE, the media and all of the leftist elite will fall over each other screaming about how “wonderful,” “entertaining,” and “enlightened” it is, but the overwhelming majority of Americans — i.e. moviegoers — will see through the B.S. and not waste their 10 bucks.
And then it will get an Oscar nomination from the commies in Hollywood.
So predictable.
.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
“And then it will get an Oscar nomination from the commies in Hollywood.”
haha BURN BOOKS too!