The Tom Cruise Lists

With American Made hitting theaters today it's time to revisit the storied career of our old friend Tom Cruise. He has starred in films for Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. He's gone from a teen idol, to a bonafide superstar with 3 Academy Award nominations and 3 Golden Globe wins. Chris and I have grown up on his films and now we pay tribute with . . .

The Tom Cruise Lists

Dan's List

5. Risky Business

This is the departure point on the Cruise vision quest.
He is incredibly believable as the naive prep Joel.
Through the film you see his transformation and Cruise carries it off seamlessly.
In addition to his breakthrough performance, this film is just straight up awesome.
The writing and direction, by Paul Brickman, are something special.
It should have made him huge, instead, he basically walked away from the business.
Add in the stunning, "Love On A Real Train" by Tangerine Dream, and it's pure bliss.
Just ask the great Roger Ebert, who blessed it with a 4 Star Review.


4. A Few Good Men

Cruise pairing with one of the best writers in the business.

I love just about everything Aaron Sorkin has written.

From "The West Wing" to THE SOCIAL NETWORK, he always delivers quality dialogue.

While not every actor can handle his writing style, Cruise excelled with it.

The questioning of Colonel Jessep will live on in film history.

Jack Nicholson got an Oscar nomination and Cruise helped him get it.

This could have easily won Best Picture and I still think UNFORGIVEN is overrated.

3. Mission: Impossible

This was the start of Cruise's second career as an action star.
I went to see MISSION on opening day, when I got there, it had already started.

I walked into an amazing sequence with a helicopter and a speeding train.

What a way to open a film!

After, Cruise has coffee, The Cranberries kick in and then, end credits?

I had walked into the wrong theater and saw the ending of an earlier showing.

Luckily, I was 11 years old and psyched that I got to see the chase twice.

For my money, this is the best installment of the series.

You know, before it became Kickin Impossible.

2. Top Gun

The start of The Streak.

What is the Streak?

It's possibly the greatest run of successful features by an actor in film history.

Here it is, in order:

TOP GUN, COLOR OF MONEY, COCKTAIL, RAIN MAN, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, DAYS OF THUNDER, FAR AND AWAY, A FEW GOOD MEN, THE FIRM, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, JERRY MAGUIRE.

That's 12 huge, awesome movies, in a row, over a 10 year span.

And if you want to get crazy it can keep going:

EYES WIDE SHUT, MAGNOLIA, M:I 2, VANILLA SKY, MINORITY REPORT.

That's 17 years without a flop!

TOP GUN never gets old and is infinitely quotable.

Plus, I think it was on TV every weekend, of my entire life.

At least once a year I find myself popping it in the DVD, playing with the boys.

1. The Color Of Money

Cruise and Scorsese.

A match made in pool hall heaven.

Oh, and another guy you may have heard of, Paul Newman.

This film is a sequel to THE HUSTLER, but stands up on its own merits.

Cruise plays the flake so well in this movie.

He even plays the flake, who is playing a flake, well.

Got that?

And his hair was perfect!

Now I'm gonna need you to go ahead and Do It To 'Em Cruisey!

Chris's List 

I don’t dislike early Tom Cruise. He made some solid, entertaining films that many now consider classics. Risky Business, The Color of Money, even Cocktail and others had there moments. Likewise, I don’t dislike action hero Tom Cruise – I have enjoyed all of the Mission: Impossible films, Edge of Tomorrow, and more. I just like him even more when he steps out of those two comfort zone roles (cocky pretty boy/action star) that he plays over and over again.

#5 – Top Gun

Obviously picking this at my #5 completely throws all of what I previously said out the window, but there is just too much fun and nostalgia in this movie for me to leave it out.

#4 – Minority Report

I feel this is an overlooked sci-fi gem for both Cruise and director Steven Spielberg. My appreciation for it grows every time I watch it. Some great futuristic tech and production design mixed with a stellar cast and even some philosophical pondering, which all great sic-fi films should have.  

#3 – Interview with the Vampire

I don’t know what it is about this film–maybe it’s my hometown Louisiana setting–but I love it. Cruise stands out in a rare villainous turn, and he looks to be having a blast as a blood-sucking blonde.

#2 – Magnolia

Leave it to Paul Thomas Anderson to coax out the best performance of Cruise’s multi-decade career. In a film full of towering performances (William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman), Cruise doesn’t get lost in the shuffle as he sheds his amped-up cocky persona for a few daddy-issue tears.

#1 – Collateral

Dan and I have never seen eye-to-eye on this Michael Mann crime classic. It didn’t even crack his Jamie Foxx Top 5 or Michael Mann Top 5, so no surprise he left it off of his Cruise list as well. A great, tense film that beautifully captures L.A. at night, as only Michael Mann can.  

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Check Out Our Other Best Of Lists:

Bill Murray - Brad Pitt - Robert Downey Jr. -  Denzel Washington - Robin Williams 
Christian Bale - Matt Damon - Johnny Depp – Jamie Foxx - Reese Witherspoon - Michael Mann
David Fincher - Wes Anderson - Ron Howard – Tony Scott – Michael Bay – Stanley Kubrick 
Space Movies – Movie Lawyers – Movie Bars – Concert Movies - Airplane Movies - War Movies
Badass Ladies - Baseball Movies – Films From 2000-Now – Movie/Video Game Combos - Kill Bill

Now Playing: American Made and Flatliners

Greetings from The North!
Here's The Rundown On What's New In Theaters This Week:


AMERICAN MADE

Official Synopsis: Barry Seal, a TWA pilot, is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the burgeoning communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellin cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House.

North's Thoughts: 
AMERICAN MADE re-teams Tom Cruise and director, Doug Liman.

Previously, they paired for EDGE OF TOMORROW, which was a stellar sci-fi flick.

They will work together again, as EDGE is getting a sequel in the next year or so.

Cruise you know/check out of Best Of Tom Cruise.

He's possibly the biggest movie star in history with an absolutely incredible filmography.

And while Liman, may not be a household name, he should be.

MR. AND MRS. SMITH, and THE BOURNE IDENTITY ?

Both Liman.

GO and one of my all-time favorite films, SWINGERS ?

Liman again and again.

They guy is money, Baby!

With this much talent involved, I give AMERICAN MADE the benefit of the doubt.

It's got ripe source material, and top talent in front of, as well as behind the camera.

That's a recipe for a good trip to the movies.

Besides, what the worse case scenario?

Cruise goes over the top and it hits JACK REACHER levels of absurdity?

Well, then as a wise man once said, "Do It To 'Em Cruisey!".

Check Out The Trailer Here

FLATLINERS

Official Synopsis: Five medical students embark on a daring and dangerous experiment to gain insight into the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life. The bold adventure begins when they trigger near-death experiences by stopping their hearts for short periods of time. As their trials become more perilous, each must confront the sins from their past while facing the paranormal consequences of journeying to the other side.

North's Thoughts:

Julia Roberts.

Kevin Bacon.

Kiefer Sutherland.

In 1990, these actors were all poised to become superstars.

FLATLINERS helped them get there.

It also kept director Joel Schumacher's career rolling and is definitely a worth a watch.

These days any movie that once had a pulse (pun intended) is reboot fodder.

The concept of FLATLINERS is cool and the details are easy enough to freshen up.

I'm actually surprised it took this long to get a remake.

Will Ellen Page, Nina Dobrev and Diego Luna reach the heights of their predecessors? 

Doubtful.

Although we have seen great work from Page (JUNO) and Luna (ROGUE ONE).

Hopefully this version has as many thrills as the original.

If so, maybe someday we will be playing Six Degrees Of Nina Dobrev.

Check Out The Trailer Here

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