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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 8 June 2017
Oliver Stone: Megyn Kelly didn’t know her stuff with Putin

DAVID BAUDER are enough.”
AP Television Writer Yet Stone also challenges
NEW YORK (AP) — Film di- Putin on his authoritar-
rector Oliver Stone, whose ian style and questions his
series of conversations claims of democratic re-
with Vladimir Putin air next form. The filmmaker said
week on Showtime, said in an interview that there
he watched Megyn Kelly are more direct questions
interview the Russian presi- about relations with the
dent on NBC and conclud- United States in the unseen
ed that “he knew his stuff third and fourth episodes.
and she didn’t.” He asks Putin about assassi-
Kelly’s interview, which nation attempts and, while
aired on the debut of her it was inadvertent in one
newsmagazine, “Sunday case, captures a couple
Night with Megan Kelly,” of eye-opening moments.
on Sunday, “became Asked if he ever have bad
machine-gun like,” Stone days, Putin replies that “I
said, and was an example am not a woman so I don’t
of how American journal- have bad days,” adding a
ism frequently leaves little reference to “natural cy-
room for nuance. cles” affecting behavior.
“I think she was attractive During a discussion about
and she asked hardball In this Saturday, June 3, 2017, photo released Monday, June 5, 2017, Russian President Vladimir gay rights, Putin said about
questions, but she wasn’t Putin talks with Megyn Kelly during an interview with NBC’s “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly” in a homosexual male: “I pre-
in position to debate or St. Petersburg, Russia. Associated Press fer not to go in the shower
counter him, because she with him. q
didn’t know a lot of things,” intelligence, about a hack-
he said. ing report by three specific
NBC News President Noah agencies. The indepen-
Oppenheim shot back that dent organization Politifact
“no one here is interested has produced a report
in Oliver Stone’s unsolic- that backs Kelly, howev-
ited thoughts on Megyn er, because Clapper had
Kelly’s appearance or his earlier said that all 17 intel-
ill-informed opinion of her ligence agencies he had
journalism.” supervised agreed about
“But so long as we’re of- Russia’s involvement.
fering each other profes- Stone, a controversial fig-
sional feedback, please ure who has interviewed
let him know I don’t think Fidel Castro and Hugo
he’s made a decent mov- Chavez and produced
ie since the early ‘90s,” he a documentary backing
said. Putin’s version of events
Putin was combative when in the Ukraine, conducts
asked in the NBC inter- a Putin interview far less
view about hacking in the confrontational than Kel-
U.S. presidential election ly’s, at least on the basis
and relations between of two episodes provided
Russia and President Don- for screening by Showtime.
ald Trump’s team. He’s One critic, Marlow Stern in
more serene on Showtime, The Daily Beast, called in
where more than a dozen a “wildly irresponsible love
interviews that Stone con- letter” to Putin.
ducted with the Russian The filmmaker’s style does
president between 2015 include its share of ingrati-
and early this year unfold ating remarks. “You have
one hour per night for four a lot of discipline, sir,” he
nights starting Monday. says at one point. “You are
As an example of where an excellent CEO. Russia is
he believed Kelly was mis- your company,” he says at
taken, Stone said the claim another. Besides office sit-
that 17 U.S. intelligence downs, Putin is interviewed
agencies had concluded driving a car, walking
the Russians were behind through horse stables at his
election year hacking home and after he played
and used as a preface in a hockey game. When
for a question had been Putin makes a claim about
“walked back.” It was a a letter he received from
reference to testimony the CIA and Stone asks him
from James Clapper, for- to produce it, the Russian
mer director of national president says, “My words