Sunday, October 22, 2006
Born in the barn on the 4th of July-Revisited
Some of you might remember this post from my old blog Lemon Life. I am not that ego-centric that I am paying homage to myself a year or so later. I just wanted to reference this posting when I add that I noticed that "Bret" is now an Executive Producer out here and I noticed his name as such in a Dane Cook comedy special on HBO. Just to think that if he had missed the opportunity his life might be completely different
I heard the news about Oliver Stone’s arrest it reminded me of my own Oliver Stone drug story. It isn’t really mine per se, but at least I heard it first hand.
A few years back I went to the University of Iowa. I was dating at the time an aspiring film director. His movies were weird and deep and he was a GINORMOUS asshole. I was the muse for a lot of his movies and I should have known that when in one of them I met a violent end that it was going to be over soon.
Anyway, one of the years I was there, Oliver Stone came to speak at the University. The entire film department was in a buzz because he was there, even my boyfriend who previously thought Oliver Stone was becoming “too commercial.” Mr. Stone’s schedule included speaking during some of the classes about his craft, giving a talk to the public and immediately following the talk a late dinner with some of the students in the film club who helped to bring him there. I can’t remember now if my ex-boyfriend had gone. (I have mostly succeeded in blocking him out completely.) I do remember that one of his friends had gone though. His friend was very New York, blunt and pushy, I always told him that he would make a good producer. In fact that is what I think he is doing now.
This is what the friend had related to us about the dinner. Firstly, Mr. Stone was very late even though they had all left at the same time. If any of you know Iowa City you know that it is not that big. It honestly does not take that long to get from the main campus to the Pedestrian Mall. Anyway when he finally arrived at the restaurant to meet the anxious awestricken students he was completely obliterated. The friend wasn’t sure on what exactly what but was pretty sure coke was in the mix. The students were all pretty disappointed because although Mr. Stone was in their presence, he just wasn’t all that easy to talk to. Bret with his fuck it anyway attitude decided that he was not going to have this be a wasted opportunity for him and decided that although the conversation would definatly be one sided he was going to talk to one of his idols. The conversation between the two to me is now shady, but I do remember that Mr. Stone did give him his card with his personal office phone number on it.
A few months later after graduation he decided to use the card to his advantage. Here is what the conversation was like. (I wasn’t there and it has been a long time but the outcome will ultimately be the same)
He begins by speaking to the secretary and explains who he is:
“How did he get this number?” He can hear Oliver whisper to his secretary.
“How did you get this number?”
“I am one of the students that he met at the University of Iowa event. He gave me his card.”
“He says that you gave him his card.”
He can hear Mr. Stone muttering to himself. Basically the conclusion is that he cannot remember. The conversation between the secretary and Mr. Stone is loud enough for Brian to hear that fact.
“I want to talk to him about the internship that he offered me.”
“internship?”
Mr. Stone gets on the phone at this point.
“Oh, hi. Hi Bret, yeah I remember you.”
“Hi, I am calling about the internship that you offered me. I just finished school at the University of Iowa and am giving you a call like you suggested.”
They end up talking for a bit.
“Oh, yeah that’s right. Well, we will get you set up then. I will pass you back to my secretary and we will see you soon.”
Because he cannot remember, Bret ends up getting the internship with Mr. Stone that summer. Yes, he did trick Mr. Stone into giving him an internship. But if you show up somewhere completely blitzed in front of a bunch of hungry film students you kind of deserve it.
I heard the news about Oliver Stone’s arrest it reminded me of my own Oliver Stone drug story. It isn’t really mine per se, but at least I heard it first hand.
A few years back I went to the University of Iowa. I was dating at the time an aspiring film director. His movies were weird and deep and he was a GINORMOUS asshole. I was the muse for a lot of his movies and I should have known that when in one of them I met a violent end that it was going to be over soon.
Anyway, one of the years I was there, Oliver Stone came to speak at the University. The entire film department was in a buzz because he was there, even my boyfriend who previously thought Oliver Stone was becoming “too commercial.” Mr. Stone’s schedule included speaking during some of the classes about his craft, giving a talk to the public and immediately following the talk a late dinner with some of the students in the film club who helped to bring him there. I can’t remember now if my ex-boyfriend had gone. (I have mostly succeeded in blocking him out completely.) I do remember that one of his friends had gone though. His friend was very New York, blunt and pushy, I always told him that he would make a good producer. In fact that is what I think he is doing now.
This is what the friend had related to us about the dinner. Firstly, Mr. Stone was very late even though they had all left at the same time. If any of you know Iowa City you know that it is not that big. It honestly does not take that long to get from the main campus to the Pedestrian Mall. Anyway when he finally arrived at the restaurant to meet the anxious awestricken students he was completely obliterated. The friend wasn’t sure on what exactly what but was pretty sure coke was in the mix. The students were all pretty disappointed because although Mr. Stone was in their presence, he just wasn’t all that easy to talk to. Bret with his fuck it anyway attitude decided that he was not going to have this be a wasted opportunity for him and decided that although the conversation would definatly be one sided he was going to talk to one of his idols. The conversation between the two to me is now shady, but I do remember that Mr. Stone did give him his card with his personal office phone number on it.
A few months later after graduation he decided to use the card to his advantage. Here is what the conversation was like. (I wasn’t there and it has been a long time but the outcome will ultimately be the same)
He begins by speaking to the secretary and explains who he is:
“How did he get this number?” He can hear Oliver whisper to his secretary.
“How did you get this number?”
“I am one of the students that he met at the University of Iowa event. He gave me his card.”
“He says that you gave him his card.”
He can hear Mr. Stone muttering to himself. Basically the conclusion is that he cannot remember. The conversation between the secretary and Mr. Stone is loud enough for Brian to hear that fact.
“I want to talk to him about the internship that he offered me.”
“internship?”
Mr. Stone gets on the phone at this point.
“Oh, hi. Hi Bret, yeah I remember you.”
“Hi, I am calling about the internship that you offered me. I just finished school at the University of Iowa and am giving you a call like you suggested.”
They end up talking for a bit.
“Oh, yeah that’s right. Well, we will get you set up then. I will pass you back to my secretary and we will see you soon.”
Because he cannot remember, Bret ends up getting the internship with Mr. Stone that summer. Yes, he did trick Mr. Stone into giving him an internship. But if you show up somewhere completely blitzed in front of a bunch of hungry film students you kind of deserve it.
// posted by Smoglife @ 9:46 PM 
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