South American Dictator Digs Oliver Stone’s Latest Movie

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 6, 2009

SouthoftheBorder

Somewhere along the line, Hugo Chavez, the dictator President of Venezuela took time out from giving eight-hour speeches in order to watch South of the Border, the newest film by Oliver Stone.

What was the all-too-compelling subject that caught his attention? Was it animated talking dogs? A retelling of the end of World War II with a baseball bat? Giant Fucking Robots? No, friends, the subject matter that got Chavez to tune in was Hugo Chavez.

Why the film wasn’t titled Hello, President! I do not know, but it would be ten times cooler if it was.

Stone’s flick features a ton of interviews with world leaders – specifically those from South American countries – all talking about Chavez, his history and effect on the region. According to several sources inside Italian media, they claim that the leader/subject matter liked the movie and may actually take Stone up on an invitation to come to the film’s premier in at the Venice International Film Festival.

That’s actually pretty cool. Just, no one let him introduce the film or plan on being there a while.

What do you think? Did you know that South of the Border was also the working title for Beverly Hills Chihuahua? Seriously.


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  • trueman
    He is not a dictator, i wish he was but no, the mayority of the people on his country love him (or his money) thats the true!
  • Humilliator
    Yes, he's a dictator and the majority of the people in his country reject him. Only a third are with him, for "his" money, yeah
  • victorinox
    Ok, assholes...i´m FROM VENEZUELA, i LIVE HERE RIGHT NOW.
    Chavez SUCKS, SUCKS so many balls that not even a single Ball can enter there.
    Elected Democratically? HA! yeah Right...ALL the Powers in the government are from HIS political party. every last one of the powers, the Judicial, the Electoral, the Police, EVERYTHING, you CAN´T protest here without being attacked by the police OR the National Guard...WITH TEAR GAS and GUNSHOTS...you don´t know any of this because the Press don´t even bother to be there, only "Globovision", THE ONLY News channels that´s left of the Oposition, all the others were Closed or Banned. Here we have More Deaths than your war in Irak, EVERY WEEKEND only in the Capital (Caracas) we have more than 100 violent deaths...And ALSO we CAN´T Have Dollars my friends...I CAN´T BUY ANYTHING IN INTERNET, we have to PLEDGE in the Banks to have a "limit amount" of 400$ FUCKING DOLLARS!!! you telling me THAT´s FAIR?!?!?!...i Can´t TRAVEL to another country without burning a shitload of "Bolivares" in Dollars from the Black Market (the official Dollar is 2,150 Bs. per Dollar....The BLACK Market, also "ILLEGAL", is 9 Bs. per dollars)....A VIDEOGAME here costs 300 $...NOBODY Buys Games here...that´s Why we have Piracy Everywhere...and also this month the made a Law to Ban the "Violent" Games...Goodbye Call Of Duty 4-5-6...a MUSIC CD costs 60 $...a Camcorder just about 6000 $....and you thought your economy is in crisis....yeah right...
    MY MOM almost get Killed in a "Secuestro Express" by burglars DRESSED as POLICE....Fuck This.
    This Govermet Suck....period.
  • Diego
    I thought Stone was going to present "Operation Enmanuel", a movie about a circus where a dictator received liberated captives from a terrorist group, including a boy... but wait... where's the boy? Oh, anybody has seen a boy? Oh, that terrorist group was going to free a boy that wasn't in their camps!
  • patkachirski
    Dictator? define dictator. As far as I know he was elected democratically by Venezuelan citizens like me.
  • Humilliator
    Hahahahaha. Define democracy! It's more than voting, specially in countries where the president doesn't control the electoral office.

    Bah, you don't know what democracy is, what elections are, what dictatorship is... I'll give you just an example:

    "send that man to the jail". If an attorney says that after a trial, it's democracy. If a president says that before any investigation, it's dictatorship.
  • And that's the eternal argument. "He can't be a dictator, he was elected democratically". Who cares if he's used that democracy to do whatever the hell he wants, boasting that he's helped the poor (to a point) while destroying the rich. Democracy cannot be for a small group, which has been the eternal mistake for almost very single government we've had. Stone has decided to show one side of the Venezuelan story, and one side only. I don't know if he's a dictator --thank God we can still speak freely on TV and the media, regardless of the beating we can get afterwards-- but damn, he is no hero. I am ALSO Venezuelan, and I long for the day thatI can go out to the world and say that again.

    To the FSR crew, I'm sory we didn't comment too much on the movie, and turn this into a political debate, but hey, Chavez is a polarizing phenomenon, something I do think Stone must have captured. Be ready for an outpour on both sides.
  • Cole_Abaius
    It happens. Neil's post about Smurfs in 3D devolved into a discussion on Bolshevik ideals versus practical applications and whether the modern capitalistic world could handle the shift.
  • Oh, ok, now I feel better. And yes, Humilliator, I agree --propaganda.

    2009/9/7 Disqus <>
  • Oh, and by the way, there he is, in the Venice Film Festival. He must be loving it, being the center of attention. I'm cutting it here, so that I can comply to the "no hate speech" policy.
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