For the first anniversary of Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, Bloomberg rang up Oliver Stone to see what’s been a’ poppin’ with the director of late and pick his brain about how things have been going in the finance world since the premiere. The interview touched on the fact that the original script had Josh Brolin playing an evil hedge fund manager, before Stone realized that it was the banks that did most of the heavy lifting with regard to bringing the global financial system to its knees (“[Hedge funds] are just the tail,” the filmmaker says. “The dog is wagging them. The big dog is these seven banks”). “You can’t condemn the hedge funders for doing what they’re doing,” was Stone’s response to the question of whether or not the hedge fund industry is deserving of blame for the crisis, indicating rational, lucid thought, and not those of someone who’s been drinking. But he wasn’t finished.

Stone’s full quote was:

“You can’t condemn the hedge funders for doing what they’re doing. If they’re gonna be pigs they’re pigs, wrecking birthday parties and all that.”

So. Re: the birthday parties, and the notion of how they can be ruined, what kind of picture does he have going in his mind? Senor Robbins coming in and smashing cakes with a baseball bat? Paolo Pellegrini being hired to perform as a clown but getting high on the drive over and spending the whole time telling the kids about how he came up with the Paulson subprime trade? Does the “and all that” refer to general dickishness in life (changing lanes without signaling, going through the 10 items or less line with 16 items, etc) or is it still part of the birthday party scenario (bulldozing kids to get candy when the pinata breaks open, shouting “I have that, it sucks” every time a present is unwrapped)?

‘Wall Street’ Director Stone Says Banks Still Selfish, Arrogant: Interview [Bloomberg via BI]

Comments (38)

  1. Posted by Anonymous | March 28, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    “Untitled”. As awesome as a blank canvas. It is beautiful already in its stark whiteness.

  2. Posted by DJ Rajy Raj Raj | March 28, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    Its my party and I will lie if I want to!

  3. Posted by DJ Rajy Raj Raj | March 28, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    Its my party and I will lie if I want to!

  4. Posted by DJ Rajy Raj Raj | March 28, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    Its my party and I will lie if I want to!

  5. Posted by Anonymous | March 28, 2011 at 2:53 PM

    The arrogance of this guy is astounding…Making a crappy movie about Wall Street doesn’t make you uniquely qualified to comment on the financial industry.

  6. Posted by PasteSpecialFormats | March 28, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Pigs don’t wreck birthday parties, they make them.

    -L Falcone

  7. Posted by Anonymous | March 28, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    You get it.

  8. Posted by Put_Option | March 28, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    O. Stone: “This looks nice. I hope you didn’t spend to much on this anniversary gift, Shia.”

    S. LaQueef: “Well, I figured that ‘Creditability’ and ‘Plot’ were two vital characters missing from Money Never Sleeps”

  9. Posted by Put_Option | March 28, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    O. Stone: “This looks nice. I hope you didn’t spend to much on this anniversary gift, Shia.”

    S. LaQueef: “Well, I figured that ‘Creditability’ and ‘Plot’ were two vital characters missing from Money Never Sleeps”

  10. Posted by Leonardo D. | March 28, 2011 at 3:09 PM

    I know, right? He should be talking about the environment.

  11. Posted by Confused Commenter | March 28, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    I sort of get it. Lugubriously begins masturbating.

  12. Posted by True Story Police | March 28, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    True story: Lou Zabel fondled my ‘toxic assets’ at my 10th birthday party.

  13. Posted by Proxyguy | March 28, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    I had a pal who was a PA for stone in the ’90 – he was 420 24 7 according to her, and he also managed to purse her snatch.

  14. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  15. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  16. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  17. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  18. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  19. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  20. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  21. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  22. Posted by dixsie normous | March 28, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I have that it sucks– hysterical

  23. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    here’s your requisite cup.

  24. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | March 28, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    Working on Wall Street doesn’t always make you uniquely qualified to comment on the financial industry, either.

    As shocking as it may be, most people have a decent grasp of plenty of things not directly related to their job.

  25. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | March 28, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    Working on Wall Street doesn’t always make you uniquely qualified to comment on the financial industry, either.

    As shocking as it may be, most people have a decent grasp of plenty of things not directly related to their job.

  26. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    At least hedge funds do not write and direct crappy movies to fleece kids of their birthday money.

  27. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | March 28, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    what happened to the water bottle?

  28. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    cool story brah!

  29. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    cool story brah!

  30. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    cool story brah!

  31. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    cool story brah!

  32. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 5:04 PM

    agreed. all the pictures painted by BL (PP as stoned clown, L-Train beating kids off for candy) should be receiving high praise.

  33. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    shut up already.

  34. Posted by Magic | March 28, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    I have that, and it sucks.

    -guy with AIDS

  35. Posted by Magic | March 28, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    I have that, and it sucks.

    -guy with AIDS

  36. Posted by Magic | March 28, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    I have that, and it sucks.

    -guy with AIDS

  37. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    Well, one need not be as accurate in the throes of his vinegar stroke, hence the cup over a water bottle. That is, unless, one wants to “be” near something that has come in contact with her mouth.

  38. Posted by Guest | March 28, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    To be fair, if you’re the kind of kid who used his birthday money to see Wall Street 2, you totally deserved it as (probably not) the first in a long line of money-losing bad decisions.

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