Got blocked by Simmons Bilt Instagram because my comment

[nick123]

My mom lives next to a Scientologist. The guy has incredible taste in yard landscaping. But according to my mom, the interior lights are "shaped like UFOs"...joking aside, seemed like a friendly enough guy. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in person. But I am careful.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

My favorite actor right now is Cillian Murphy. Peaky Blinders alone impressed me to no end.

 

[navetsea]

in the sense of believable action hero
to me, Tom Cruise in the same league with Mel Gibson, and Bruce Willis
more enjoyable than Nick Cage, Keanu, Christian Bale,
leagues better than the likes of: JCVD, Arnie, Stallone, all those muscle heroes.

 

[Big J]

Whassup fellas?

This thread still living! Color me pleasantly shocked.

On Tom Cruise, I can only say that his Oprah outburst and the fact that he wouldn't allow Kidman to wear heels at the wedding coz it made him look too short really made me lose a lot of respect for the guy.

There's a great comedy sketch (Dennis Leary IIRC) that explains how all early TC films are the same;
He's a (enter profession here). A really great (enter profession here). Until he has a crisis of confidence.

It's true.

As for Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick was notorious for making complex and subtly layed movies, and his casting of a Hollywood 'pretty boy' for such a profoundly flawed character was highly subversive. There's a website somewhere about it, even TC didn't understand what his character was really about (as I'm sure he wouldn't have signed up for it if he had).

 

[Seb Lucas]

Yep. Kubrick is a visual maverick - he would have cast TC for his star power just as he cast Ryan O'Neal in 1975. Acting wasn't Kubrick's primary interest.

 

[Monitor]

I don't think anyone has criticised his acting work here....

Oh, of course, I wasn't talking to anyone in particular, just a random rant in a random thread. Many people who dislike him will automatically disparage his work as well which IMO isn't fair. Just that.

 

[Edward]

I've seen a couple of Cruise films where he is... besrable. Minoroty Report wasn't a bad attempt at something in a similar vein to Blade Runner. He was nowhere near as bad a Lestat as I suspected he might turn out, though I felt it was a performance lacking in subtlety. Good in Magnolia. Passable in Vanilla Sky, though I couldn't shake the feeling watching it that it was a second-rate version of a European original (which turned out to be exactly true). Eyes Wide Shut was just dreadful on every level. Not even a John Malcovich or Patrick Stewart could have saved that turkey.

The big problem I have with his performances is that - and to be fair, this is the fate of so many A-listers in Hollywood - he seems most of the time to be cast not to play a role but to play the Tom Cruise Movie Star Persona, which becomes less and less convincing as time goes on. Just like Stallone, Arnie and others before him, the more he refuses to age gracefully and instead still tries to be the Big Action Hero, the more absurd it looks. I also find the whole emphasis on doing his own stunts frankly tedious. Makes no difference to what I see as a viewer, and rapidly just stinks of self-indulgence. (Which is something other than acting ability, granted).

My favorite actor right now is Cillian Murphy. Peaky Blinders alone impressed me to no end.

Yes, I've been watching him since around 2002 (28 Days Later). Utterly superb. I think his finest performance was in The Wind That Shakes the Barley, but I've never seen him bad in anything. I'd put Tom Hardy on a par with him, albeit that Hardy's range (so far) is much narrower. Hardy I could see being one of those guys like DeNiro who has a very successful career playing to a set range of types, then discovers a real gift for something totally different, like comedy, when he gets older.

 

[ProteinNerd]

the more he refuses to age gracefully and instead still tries to be the Big Action Hero, the more absurd it looks. I also find the whole emphasis on doing his own stunts frankly tedious. Makes no difference to what I see as a viewer, and rapidly just stinks of self-indulgence. (Which is something other than acting ability, granted).

Respectfully, I couldn't disagree with you more.

The guy is 55 years old and is in amazing shape, he is in better shape than most 18 year olds. The fact he would rather do his own stunts is awesome, how can it look "absurd" when he is actually doing the stunts himself? I find the typical actor that doesn't do anything remotely risky, yet portrays the "action hero" is whats absurd.

I cant stand the "Ageing gracefully" mentality, its the next best option to just giving up on life or just waiting to die....completely defeatist, we aren't talking about the plastic surgery addicts that "try to look young" we are talking about a guy that busts his ass and actually stays fit and healthy through effort, hard work and determination.

 

[Monitor]

I've seen a couple of Cruise films where he is... besrable. Minoroty Report wasn't a bad attempt at something in a similar vein to Blade Runner. He was nowhere near as bad a Lestat as I suspected he might turn out, though I felt it was a performance lacking in subtlety. Good in Magnolia. Passable in Vanilla Sky, though I couldn't shake the feeling watching it that it was a second-rate version of a European original (which turned out to be exactly true). Eyes Wide Shut was just dreadful on every level. Not even a John Malcovich or Patrick Stewart could have saved that turkey.

The big problem I have with his performances is that - and to be fair, this is the fate of so many A-listers in Hollywood - he seems most of the time to be cast not to play a role but to play the Tom Cruise Movie Star Persona, which becomes less and less convincing as time goes on. Just like Stallone, Arnie and others before him, the more he refuses to age gracefully and instead still tries to be the Big Action Hero, the more absurd it looks. I also find the whole emphasis on doing his own stunts frankly tedious. Makes no difference to what I see as a viewer, and rapidly just stinks of self-indulgence. (Which is something other than acting ability, granted).

What about when German press & even some government officials, whined when it was announced that Cruise will be portraying Stauffenberg in the Valkyrie, about how ze movie vill be kitsch, ruined by Tom Cruise and alzo Scientology, only to bow their heads down in shame and beg for forgivance once the film was released and didn't suck.

As for the stunts, if the man wants to do his own stunts, what's wrong with that? He's good at it and it makes absolutely no difference for the movie except that it does more for the guy personally and again, is a bit of information that is not disclosed by the movie and is completely irrelevant.

Man, I'd still take all of that any day compared to those 50's stiffs who'd manage two expressions at best Hollywood is still serving up as some major milestones of cinematography. . . Don't bother playing that one again, Sam.

 

[Monitor]

I cant stand the "Ageing gracefully" mentality, its the next best option to just giving up on life or just waiting to die....completely defeatist, we aren't talking about the plastic surgery addicts that "try to look young" we are talking about a guy that busts his ass and actually stays fit and healthy through effort, hard work and determination.

Couldn't possibly agree more. I didn't want to say anything on the matter but the meaning of the "ageing gracefully" is more lost on me than the entire concept of Scientology. And if aging cracefully is a thing, I seriously and honestly don't see how anyone, and I mean ANYONE in this world could be aging more gracefully than Cruise.

 

[Turtle77]

I am more in the Danny Trejo camp, for me it smells like vanity, just my opinion

http://i.imgur.com/Pal8oRU.jpg

Respectfully, I couldn't disagree with you more.

The guy is 55 years old and is in amazing shape, he is in better shape than most 18 year olds. The fact he would rather do his own stunts is awesome, how can it look "absurd" when he is actually doing the stunts himself? I find the typical actor that doesn't do anything remotely risky, yet portrays the "action hero" is whats absurd.

I cant stand the "Ageing gracefully" mentality, its the next best option to just giving up on life or just waiting to die....completely defeatist, we aren't talking about the plastic surgery addicts that "try to look young" we are talking about a guy that busts his ass and actually stays fit and healthy through effort, hard work and determination.

 

[Bamaboots]

If you caught yesterday's news, TC may not being doing his own stunts for awhile.

 

[Fanch]

Well, I think we've pretty much killed the Tom Cruise dead horse discussion, so now maybe it's time to shift gears and find another irrelevant topic to discuss on this thread that now has almost 11,500 views and well over 400 replies.

 

[Harris HTM]

Well, I think we've pretty much killed the Tom Cruise dead horse discussion, so now maybe it's time to shift gears and find another irrelevant topic to discuss on this thread that now has almost 11,500 views and well over 400 replies.

What about summer vacation? I sit next to a beautiful Mediterranean beach now!

 

[handymike]

Summer vacation is over! My kids start school tomorrow.

 

[Monitor]

I propose we make this thread only about Tom Cruise from now on.

 

[Fanch]

I propose we make this thread only about Tom Cruise from now on.

Noooo ... TC has had his 15 minutes of fame already. I'm onboard with @Harris HTM suggestion of discussing great destinations for vacations. As I recall he lives in Holland but is now sitting near a beautiful Mediterranean beach. Not too long ago we took a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast of Italy which maybe stands alone as one of the most gorgeous scenic drives of my lifetime. The highpoint was taking a boat from Sorrento to Capri, taking a lift to Anacapri, and then walking ~2 miles up the side of a mountain for lunch at an Italian restaurant one of the locals recommended. The food and view were incredible.

 

[Harris HTM]

Noooo ... TC has had his 15 minutes of fame already. I'm onboard with @Harris HTM suggestion of discussing great destinations for vacations. As I recall he lives in Holland but is now sitting near a beautiful Mediterranean beach. Not too long ago we took a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast of Italy which maybe stands alone as one of the most gorgeous scenic drives of my lifetime. The highpoint was taking a boat from Sorrento to Capri, taking a lift to Anacapri, and then walking ~2 miles up the side of a mountain for lunch at an Italian restaurant one of the locals recommended. The food and view were incredible.

View attachment 82292 View attachment 82293

Beautiful - just beautiful! I do indeed live in the Netherlands, now I spend my summer vacation in Greece, great weather, great food! Too warm for leather jackets though!

 

[Fanch]

Beautiful - just beautiful! I do indeed live in the Netherlands, now I spend my summer vacation in Greece, great weather, great food! Too warm for leather jackets though!

How about a picture or two?

 

[Harris HTM]

How about a picture or two?

This evening I'll be in downtown Athens, I'll try to make some photo's and post them!