I have loved Oliver Stone’s films– all of them.  The man is a genius and his work provides unique, probing and profound insight into institutions like Wall Street and historical moments like the Kennedy assassination.  

But I met the maestro himself the other night when he was in town for the opening of his documentary South of the Border, a paen to Hugo Chavez.

Having written a bit about Chavez and his entente with Iran and Russia, about the regular unmonitored flights between Caracas and Tehran, his deprivation of human rights and his systematic destruction of freedom of the press, I was somewhat surprised that a truth teller like Stone could find himself captivated by the likes of the anti-American dictator.  I told Stone how much I admired him and enjoyed his films.  He preened cockily, but when I told him how surprised I was that he would produce and direct propaganda about Chavez, he wheeled around and simply stated, “See the film.”  Having seen the trailers was enough for me.  I surely am not going to put money down on a piece that praises a leader who does not wish us well.