He Has Still More That He Wants to Say

Audiences and critics have always been divided on their opinions of the films of Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone. But even those who don’t admire his controversial pieces will have to admit the 54-year-old filmmaker has proven himself to be a master of the DVD format.

Earlier this year, Warner Home Video released an “Oliver Stone Collection” on DVD that featured director’s cuts of “Any Given Sunday” and “JFK,” as well as special editions of “Born on the Fourth of July,” “The Doors,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Wall Street,” “Heaven and Earth,” “Nixon,” Talk Radio” and “U-Turn.”

Most of the DVDs were filled with extra footage, behind-the-scenes documentaries and incisive, personal and articulate commentary from Stone.

On Tuesday, MGM Home Entertainment is releasing special edition DVDs of Stone’s 1986 films “Platoon” and “Salvador.”

“Platoon,” the Vietnam drama that won four Oscars including best picture and director, contains a 45-minute documentary about the film, commentary from Stone, a second commentary with military supervisor Dale Dye, the trailer, TV spots and a photo gallery.

“Salvador,” which follows the real experiences of gonzo journalist Richard Boyle in war-torn El Salvador, includes a “making of” documentary, commentary from Stone, the trailer, a photo gallery and 25 minutes of deleted scenes with commentary from Stone.

Stone recently discussed over the phone his enthusiasm for the DVD format and his latest digital releases.

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Question: Do you prefer the DVD format to the laser disc?

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Answer: Oh yeah, because laser disc was always a smaller deal. Only real [movie] buffs would buy them and they were big, unwieldy records. Now, I guess, people have just accepted the DVD format. They are buying them at 20 bucks. It seems reasonable. They are well worth it if you like movies.

Q: Is it different doing commentary for one of your recent films, like “Any Given Sunday,” than it is “Platoon” and “Salvador,” where you are looking back at these films after 15 years?

A: In some ways. I can’t say it’s completely different. I felt certain things then that I feel now. But definitely there is hindsight and wisdom, more wisdom. You see your mistakes, too, by the way. I try to point those out. Interestingly, a lot of [directors] don’t go back. [Stanley] Kubrick didn’t want to.

Q: Your commentary is always highly personal. How do you approach each film?

A: I know a lot of directors go technical [in their commentary]. I try to remember the mood of the film. If I have time, I look at the diaries [I wrote] of the time and try to bone up a bit.

Each film is different. The “JFK” DVD--that took me eight or nine sessions of three or four hours each [to do the commentary]. That is 36, 40 hours.

You really have to think [for your commentary]. You can’t just look at the film and run your mouth. I tend to look at the film and run it back. Usually, the second time I am ready to talk about it or I have some notes.

You have to be very careful [what you say] because the slightest detail will come back to haunt you. You have to be accurate. You can’t make mistakes. Some directors, still, approach [commentaries] in a sloppy manner. But you are going to be quoted through time. That is the beauty of film. It’s not like theater, which, unfortunately, disappears. Film does go on. That’s why I pay attention and work hard at these things.

Q: Are all of your movies out on DVD?

A: [All] except for “The Hand” and “Seizure,” which are horror films from early in my career. I am not ashamed of them, but I don’t particularly want them to come out on DVD.

Q: “Platoon” has already been on TV and has been readily available on video, but “Salvador” had almost slipped from the radar screens until this DVD. It was fascinating listening to all the problems and troubles you had making this movie in Mexico.

A: It was an extraordinary film to make. But it was the worst conditions possible to make a movie. But then you would argue that those conditions sometimes promote the madness that makes the film. I will never in my life forget the uncertainty, the doubt. We never knew if we were going to finish the thing with the strikes and money [problems]. Every day there was a problem.

I don’t think I went far enough in the DVD to say how tough it was to make the movie. We were rejected by three or four studios, distribution places. Literally, when the film was finished, we had no distribution. So it was John Daly’s company [Hemdale] that stepped up and put up a few hundred thousand dollars to make the minimum distribution.

Then we were dead [at the box office]. Here I was making “Platoon” in the Philippines, totally demoralized by the opening of “Salvador.” At least I got [“Platoon”] financed. That was a big issue, too. If “Salvador” went down, John Daly would go down, but God bless John Daly and God bless his type. He stuck his money in and kept it in “Platoon” when “Salvador” had crashed.