On the Record : Irvine Firm and Oliver Stone to Show Nixon Era on CD-ROM
IRVINE — Graphix Zone Inc., the ambitious multimedia company, is teaming up with award-winning director Oliver Stone to produce a CD-ROM that will take users into the Nixon-era White House for private conversations between President Richard M. Nixon and members of his inner circle.
Relying on scenes from Stone’s film, “Nixon,” scheduled to be released in late December, the interactive product will allow viewers to visit the late President’s Yorba Linda birthplace, take a high-tech stroll along the beach near his San Clemente home and listen to secret strategy sessions in the White House. The product also will incorporate photographs from government and university archives.
Glenn Johnson, Graphix Zone’s writer for the Nixon CD-ROM, says that he believes that the controversy surrounding the second Nixon Administration still intrigues Americans.
“Everyone has been transfixed by O.J., but millions of people are still mystified by Watergate,” Johnson said.
CD-ROMs, which are laser discs that produce pictures, words and video images on the computer screen, will feature three-dimensional images of key Nixon Administration figures.
If, for example, the users want to know more about the Watergate scandal, they can click on Atty. Gen. John N. Mitchell, who was convicted of conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of justice, stemming from the cover-up of a break-in at the Democratic Party’s national headquarters. Nixon’s entire 1974 resignation speech also will be available.
Graphix Zone executives insisted, however, that the CD-ROM will include positive elements of the Nixon Administrations.
“It won’t all be negative,” said Chuck Cortright, chief executive. “There will be points on his foreign policy successes. The goal is not to bash Nixon.”
John H. Taylor, director of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda, said he will reserve comment until he sees Stone’s interpretations of Nixon in the film.
Company officials say that about half of the CD-ROM footage will be images of actors and scenes from the film, in which Anthony Hopkins portrays Nixon. Joining Hopkins are James Woods as H.R. Haldeman, the former President’s chief of staff; Paul Sorvino as Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Joan Allen as Pat Nixon. But the interactive disc also will give users access to 50,000 pages of government documents and hundreds of photographs on the life of the 37th President.
Stone, 48, who also directed “JFK,” the controversial film examining events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, will serve as a consultant on the interactive project after he completes editing of “Nixon.”
Kip Konweiser, Graphix Zone’s head of business development, says the company plans to release the Nixon disc on March 26, which is the date of the presidential primary in California, and is six days before the Academy Awards.
Eight writers, producers and artists from the “Nixon” film crew will work with about 10 creative and marketing staff members of Graphix Zone, according to Konweiser, 32, who was a production executive of “Zebrahead,” a 1992 movie produced by Stone.
This is the second major celebrity CD-ROM deal that Graphix Zone has wrapped up in recent weeks. The company lined up legendary pianist and composer Herbie Hancock to produce a three-part CD-ROM series on the history of jazz.
The company also has produced discs featuring rock star Bob Dylan and the musician formerly known as Prince.
