The Oliver Stone Collection 10-Movie Giftset (DVD)

Wall Street (1987): Oliver Stone opened fire on the greed decade of the 1980s with this morality tale set on Wall Street. It stars Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox, an ambitious rookie stockbroker from a blue-collar background who is magnetized by Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a Mephistophelean superbroker who specializes in corporate takeovers. Despite his initial resistance to Bud's entreaties, Gekko finally takes on the eager beaver as his prot�g�, schooling him in the kind of slash-and-burn maneuvers that have taken him to the top. This style is far more attractive to Fox than the more prosaic but principled approach to investing preached by veteran Lou Mannheim (Hal Holbrook). And, at first, it's impossible to dispute his preference; as Bud's life moves into the fast lane, he quickly acquires an upscale apartment and girlfiend, interior designer Darien (Darryl Hannah). But when Gekko demands that Bud not only break the law but directly undermine his union leader father, Carl (Martin Sheen), and jeopardize the jobs and lives of his friends and family, he realizes that the cost of success might be more than he's willing to pay. WALL STREET is a riveting, testosterone-fueled tour of the Street's upper echelons, featuring standout performances by Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen.

Talk Radio (1988): Eric Bogosian stars as Barry Champlain, a late-night shock-jock who is on the verge of having his show picked up for national syndication. But he's having problems with his ex-wife, Ellen (Ellen Greene); the station manager, Dan (Alec Baldwin), is trying to water down the content of his show; and last, if not least, a neo-Nazi group is making threats on his life. And on a night when his abrasiveness is at its peak, anything could happen.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989): One of the best films made about the devastating impact of the Vietnam War on the body politic, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is superbly executed by director Oliver Stone, who evokes what may be Tom Cruise's best performance as Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. Before the war starts, Kovic is a normal American kid, going to school, hanging out with his friends, and bagging groceries for pocket money. But as the Vietnam conflict begins to impact the lives of everyone around him, the patriotic teenager decides to enlist. Although his father (Raymond J. Berry) is not happy with his decision, his mother (Caroline Kava) could hardly be more enthusiastic. Once in combat, Kovic becomes disillusioned with his commanding officer (John Getz) who dismisses the fact that Kovic accidentally shot one of their own men in combat. Shortly thereafter, Kovic is paralyzed from the chest down by a bullet in the spine. He must begin a lengthy and excruciatingly painful rehabilitation, which includes a period in the shockingly negligent Bronx Veteran's Hospital. He finally returns to his hometown, now a confused, embittered, and alienated man. His family is also unsettled, unsure about how to deal with this very changed person. After a dissipated spree with other disabled vets like Charlie (Willem Dafoe), Kovic begins talking to antiwar activists like Donna (Kyra Sedgwick) and starts to reevaluate his thinking. In sum, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is a deeply moving true account of the effects of war on its survivors.

The Doors (1991): Val Kilmer stars as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's electrifying profile of the Doors, which takes the group from its inception to its demise with the death of the "Lizard King" in a Paris hotel room in 1971. In the early days of the group's formation, Morrison is at his most benign; he's just a guy hanging out at the beach writing poetry. But soon the Doors' fame begins to spread--with Morrison as the focus of attention. Capable of an eerily correct vocal imitation of Morrison, Kilmer makes manifest the talent and charisma, as well as the confusion and despair, of the complex man who was the focal point of the group. As Morrisson's drug consumption and erratic behavior increase exponentially, the rest of the band--Ray Manzarek (Kyle McLachalan), John Densmore (Kevin Dillon), and Robby Krieger (Frank Whaley)--begins to grow tired of his late arrivals, the increasing number of cancellations, and the drunken recording sessions requiring infinite retakes. But no one can help Morrison as he spirals downward into an inferno of drugs, alcohol, public obscenity, and depression, bringing the music to an untimely close.

JFK (1991): Part fact and part opinion, mainly of Jim Garrison and director Oliver Stone, as to the events surrounding the proposed conspiracy of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison began a probe into the actions of the F.B.I. and other officials of whom he suspected where covering up information that could lead to evidence of multiple shooters. The motive is believed to be to escalate the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. President Kennedy was attempting to prevent any further involvement in this situation, but which Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson supposedly promised the United States government that he would "give them the war". Thus, the motive for eliminating President Kennedy. The movie also details the events of many people involved in the assassination, from Lee Harvey Oswald to Clay Shaw, a prominent figure in New Orleans.

Heaven and Earth (1993): In this final film of his Vietnam trilogy, Oliver Stone turns his cameras away from the experience of the American combatants to focus on the devastating effect of the war on the Vietnamese people. Starring Hiep Thi Le as Phung Le Ly, it recounts the epic journey of her life, which began in an idyllic village in Central Vietnam living as her people had lived for thousands of years. When the war broke out, she was plunged into a maelstom, trapped between the forces of North and South. Separated from her family, Le Ly was imprisoned by the South Vietnamese, who used an assortment of tactics on her, including electric shock treatment, and upon release from prison, she was raped by a vicious gang of Viet Cong. After escaping to Saigon, she becomes pregnant by an employer and is fired. She turns to prostitution to survive, until Steve Butler (Tommy Lee Jones), an American Special Forces officer, impulsively asks her to marry him and return to America with him. She agrees to marry him and moves with him to San Diego but finds that, after a life in the military, he has a more difficult time adapting to life in the U.S. than she does. HEAVEN AND EARTH is a profoundly moving saga of resiliency in the face of unspeakable suffering.

Natural Born Killers (1994): The story of a husband and wife who are serial killers involved in a cross country killing spree that elevates them from fugitives into media celebrities.

Nixon (1995): Although he is one of the most chronicled public figures of the 20th century, Richard Milhous Nixon remains an enigma to many, his decisions, motives and behavior often shrouded in mystery. "Nixon" is a dramatized attempt to understand the man behind the tarnished presidential seal, who, to paraphrase his own words, scaled life's greatest heights and plunged into its deepest valleys.

"Nixon," with visual and thematic boldness, tells the extraordinary personal story of America's controversial 37th President: a man whose lifelong quest for public acceptance through political power constantly eluded him ... even when he held the highest office in the nation.

U-Turn (1997): Oliver Stone shelved his social conscience while making this vicious nest-of-vipers noir. Sean Penn stars as Bobby Cooper, a gambler on the run who is forced to lay up in a desolate Arizona whistlestop with car trouble. Desperate and broke, he receives an offer from the middle-aged Jake McKenna (Nick Nolte) to kill his beautiful young wife, Grace (Jennifer Lopez). Initially reluctant, he's finally forced to contemplate the deal. But the fun doesn't really begin until Grace hires Bobby to kill Jake. The film is based on the modern noir novel STRAY DOGS by John Ridley.

Any Given Sunday (1999): No matter who you are, no matter what you do for a living, there's always somebody younger, faster and stronger coming right up behind you. At the crossroads of his life, Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) has finally come to that realization.

Oliver Stone's America (2001): This 52-minute documentary provides a rare glimpse into the mind of director Oliver Stone, who for over 20 years has managed to provoke the ire of historians and Hollywood producers alike with his iconoclastic world view. Directed by Charles Kiselyak, the film goes behind the scenes with Stone on the production of Born on the Fourth of July and other films, through production stills, interviews, and comments from the director himself. Also included with the career retrospective is Stone's first short film, 1971's Last Year in Viet Nam. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide