Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center”: Shhexy gets a sneaky peak
Monday, May 29th, 2006
Stomach-churning special effects!
Oliver Stone’s controversial film about the tragic events of September 11th 2001, World Trade Center is due out in August. At the Cannes Film Festival recently, he showed a 26 minute excerpt to a select audience, but has been very secretive about it otherwise.
My good self excluded, of course. Ollie has always placed great value on my opinion and last week flew over to give me a complete overview of the work-in-progress.
It’s a fucking high-octane rollercoaster ride of excitement, I can tell you! Rammed full with fast-paced action and slapstick physical comedy, accompanied by a script that revels in playing with language - at times I could swear that Mel Brooks and Woody Allen co-wrote it. These were the times when I let out a little bit of wee, I was laughing that hard.
My personal highlights:
- Osama is played sympathetically by a blacked-up Ben Affleck, who turns in a sterling portrayal of a man fighting for his beliefs.
- The firefighters are played by members of the New York Transgendered Choir, whose show-pieces throughout the film bring a bit of glamour to Stone’s grimy New York set.
- The special effects are gob-smacking, Oliver’s succeeded in turning the humdrum events of that day into a vomit-inducing gorefest.
- I defy you to listen to Elton John’s song that accompanies the second tower’s collapse without feeling that disco beat grab hold of your feet - I was shimmying in my seat!
I’m really looking forward to seeing the film when it’s finished, it’s the kind of film you can watch over and over and over again! BOOM!

A fine specimen of an Albanian badger, I skinned it alive and made a lovely hat.
These two really hit it off, it started as business transaction, now they’re in love!


