He was born in New York City and grew up in a wealthy family. He studied in Yale University, but he dropped out twice. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's novel Lord Jim and George Harrison's music, he went to teach English at the Free Pacific Institute in South Vietnam, where he also served time in the Army. After his return he eventually graduated from film school at New York University in 1971. Stone has won three Academy Awards. His first Oscar was for Best Adapted Screenplay for Midnight Express (1978). He won Academy Awards for Directing Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July.
Natural born killers, released in 1994, is one of the best contemporary examples of the formalist style of films. Stone emphasizes the techniques and expressiveness manipulating the images and the materials used to distort reality and create an entirely new experience while watching the film. Using different camera angles, filters, different shots, special effects, lights, colors, etc. he presents his characters and emphasizes the strong theme of the film; serial killers and the influence of mass