Get Me Roger Stone (2017)
Cast includes: Roger Stone, Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, Jeffrey Toobin, Tucker Carlson, Jane Mayer
Writer/Director: Dylan Bank (Nightmare), Daniel DiMauro (Denial), Morgan Pehme (Nothing Sacred)
Genre: Documentary (81 minutes)
“We must break free from the petty politics of the past… censors, critics and cynics… They said Trump doesn’t have a chance of standing here tonight…” From his box at the Republican National Convention, Roger Stone watches his political creation accept the Republican presidential nomination. “I’m an agent provocateur,” Stone proudly tells us. He has a set of rules… “Things I’ve learned in life that I like to pass on. Stone Rule #1: “It is better to be infamous than never to be famous at all.” Some may call him a rat or a dirty trickster… in fact, these are labels Stone wears proudly… along with his flamboyant wardrobe. Jeffrey Toobin tells us, “Roger Stone seems to show up at every key moment in American History since Nixon…. Trump’s candidacy was a pure Roger Stone production.” Tucker Carlson tells us, “Roger gets democracy in a way most don’t… it’s a process of appealing to the majority.”
Roger believes “The Apprentice” was the perfect vehicle for developing Donald Trump’s brand. “He sees little difference between entertainment and politics. Politics is show business for ugly people.” Stone got his first taste of politics back in elementary school when he spread a false rumor about Nixon because he favored JFK (he had better hair). But at age 12, he became a rabid Goldwater fan and has backed Republicans ever since. During Watergate, Stone was the youngest person to have played a (minor) role. Stone tattooed Nixon’s image on his back to remind himself of Nixon’s greatest quality, resilience. “A man is not finished when he is defeated. He’s only finished when he quits.” As chairman of the Young Republicans, 22-year-old Stone began taking the party in a different direction… “Fight dirty and win.” He was an inventor of political action committees to get around campaign financing rule… a founder of NCPAC, pioneering negative advertising to help Republicans and to hurt Democrats.
Roger Stone has cultivated many politicians… some successful and some not… but his longest and most promising projects was Donald Trump. Getting politicians elected isn’t everything Stone does. His lobbying firm, Black, Manafort & Stone, is infamous for unsavory activity. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of showing us the breadth and the depth of Roger Stone’s web of influence… think negative ads, dirty tricks, alt-right media, Wikileaks and more. This film is not just entertaining but must-see viewing for anyone who wants to fully understand how American politics got so convoluted and vicious. At times, Stone plays a public role, at other times, he's behind the scenes. But he always plays on the unwitting collaboration of American voters. Stone tells us, “This was probably the dirtiest, nastiest campaign in American history, but it’s in vogue.” He goes on to say, “[Getting Trump elected] is the manifestation of a dream I’ve had since 1988.” The filmmakers ask Stone, “What message do you have for the viewers of this film who will hate you?” Stone answers, “I revel in your hatred.” You may hate every moment of this film, but it’s well worth seeing.
4 popped kernels
The story behind the political operative who was Trump’s essential promoter
Popcorn Profile
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Bold
Distribution: Netflix
Mood: Neutral
Tempo: Cruises Comfortably
Visual Style: Unvarnished Realism
Nutshell: Republican dirty trickster
Language: True to life
Social Significance: P Informative & Thought Provoking