European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                New film on Juk offers conspiracy on screen and of by Bernard Weinraub the new York times Twenty eight years after the killing of John f. Kennedy a film by Oliver Stone about the assassination has touched off a wave of controversy and accusations involving both the movie s conclusions and the Way the film was made. With Stone working virtually round the clock to Complete the three hour movie which is scheduled to be released across the nation dec. 20, movie executives say that the project Juk. Starring Kevin Costner will be the most widely discussed movie1 of the Christmas season. Hollywood is nervous about the season because an array of expensive films like Juk Are being released while Box office receipts have plummeted Over the last year. The films producers Are uneasy about the audience reaction to Juk. At Issue in the film written by Stone and Zachary Sklar is the Contention that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy and that the Warren commission was wrong in its conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The fact that the movie budgeted at $35 million to $40 million features Costner one of the top stars in Hollywood and is supported by one of the More prestigious studios Warner Brothers adds considerable weight to the Impact of the films thesis which presents the killing As a conspiracy but does not pinpoint the conspirators. Costner plays Jim Garrison the District attorney of new Orleans in the late 1960s, whose investigation and assertions about a conspiracy were critics said fraudulent. Quot we describe the forces at play at that time a Stone said in a Telephone interview. A from those forces you can draw your own conclusion. We Deal to a Large degree with Why Kennedy was killed and the policy splits then about Cuba Vietnam and  Stone who won an Academy award for Phi Toon a Vietnam War film said the conspirators were left ambiguous. �?o1 Hope people will  he said a i think people smell a rat in the Warren commission. My film certainly opens the floorboards and looks into the vipers nest and raises serious questions about the Warren commission. Whether you accept my conclusion is not the Point. We want people to examine  asked if he was nervous about the Impact of the film on the country. Stone replied a am 1 scared yes i m  beyond the questions about the film s assertions which have been criticized for months in the Washington Post time Magazine and other publications is controversy about what stones critics Call the use of muscle to thwart potentially competitive films about the assassination from appearing at the Simc time As his own movie. For Stone who relishes controversy but prides himself for his tolerance for Freedom of expression the accusations rankle. The main allegation is that Stone and his agents the creative artists Agency tried to thwart production of Libra. A film based on the Don  novel about Oswald. Stone and the Agency deny any such efforts were made. Quot Oliver Stone wanted to make sure he had the Only movie coming out on the assassination and he did what he had to do to insure  said Dale Pollock president of a amp a films which owns the film rights to the critically acclaimed Delillo Book which is a fictional exploration of Oswald. After considerable turmoil Over the production of Libra the film is expected to Start production in april and is to be directed by John Malkovich. The actor. It is the Contention of Pollock and several others at the Independent company that the Libra film was virtually in place when it unav it cled under pressure. Pollock said that after the films original director Jonathan Demme dropped out a second director Phil Joanou a rising 29-year-old film maker became involved in the project. Quot a but after Stone had a conversation with Joanou a the two men Are clients of the creative artists Agency the Young director dropped out. At the same time. Home Box office which expressed interest in the project also dropped out largely because Hob is owned by time Warner Hob said. Warner Brothers is producing Juk. Stone and cd a deny that any pressure was put on Joanou. Stone has also been embroiled in a dispute involving a third film connected to the assassination. The movie Ruby starring Danny Aiello As Jack Ruby was filmed in Dallas and was to be released Early next year. Its producer Joni sigh vats on and director John Mackenzie have contended that Stone made sure that any film project about the assassination would not have Access to key Dallas locations or be Able to hire actors used in Juk until Long after the Stone film was released. Ruby is being produced by propaganda hints which has made successful commercials and film videos and David Lynch s wild at heart. Stone vehemently denies these charges and says the criticisms come from Quot cry baby  speaking of the Ruby film As Well As Libra he says Quot i can to Tell you How Many pictures i be been beaten out of. 1 wanted to do a civil rights movie but Alan Parker got there first with Mississippi burning. 1 done to cry Over it. This is a very competitive  a secret sen ice agent and Jacqueline Kennedy react after the shooting of president John f. Kennedy on nov. 22, 1963, the subject of Oliver Stone s Jjck. _ Novi Muir 17 1991 sunday a in at 11