Stone serves up a series of softballs to Russia with love

Last month, Oliver Stone appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote his new documentary series about Vladimir Putin. The veteran film director looked extremely tense as his host accused him of giving Russia’s much-reviled leader an easy ride. “Was there anything negative that you found?” Colbert taunted him at one point. “Anything? Or does he have your dog in a cage someplace?”

Reading this book of transcripts from the Stone-Putin ...