Oliver Stone, the Oscar-winning director of Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July as well as last year’s critically panned Alexander, suffered the additional indignity of seven hours in police cells over the weekend.
He was incarcerated after being arrested on suspicion of drink driving and drug possession.
According to the Beverly Hills police, Stone’s Mercedes-Benz was stopped at 11.30pm at a drink-driving checkpoint on Sunset Boulevard.
After undergoing a ”sobriety test” he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and drug possession. Sergeant John Edmundson said tests were continuing on ”controlled substances” found in Stone’s car.
The 58-year-old director was released at 6.30am on Saturday after posting bail of $15 000.
Six years ago, Stone pleaded guilty to drug possession and no contest to drink driving charges, but the drugs charges were dropped on condition he entered a rehabilitation programme.
Stone won Oscars for two films on the human costs of the Vietnam war — Platoon in 1984 and Born on the Fourth of July five years later.
His later films such as JFK, Natural Born Killers and The Doors have not received as much acclaim and last year’s ”sword and sandal” epic, Alexander, about the exploits of the Macedonian leader, was lambasted by the critics. – Guardian Unlimited Â