This Veterans Day, we’re celebrating the importance of Veterans as storytellers. Film Independent is inviting 100 U.S. Military Veteran (working or aspiring) filmmakers or actors in the entertainment industry to receive a Film Independent Membership, for a contribution of just $1.00!
Veterans Day is a federal public holiday that always falls on the 11th of November – but why is that? The day’s origins date back to World War I. At 11:00 am Paris local time on November 11, 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne was signed to officially end WWI. In honor of this special day, we’ve curated 10 films (and one limited series!) that embody the values and spirit of the service members across all five branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
Patton (1970)
Branch: U.S. Army
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Carey Loftin
Where to Watch: VOD rental,...
Veterans Day is a federal public holiday that always falls on the 11th of November – but why is that? The day’s origins date back to World War I. At 11:00 am Paris local time on November 11, 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne was signed to officially end WWI. In honor of this special day, we’ve curated 10 films (and one limited series!) that embody the values and spirit of the service members across all five branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
Patton (1970)
Branch: U.S. Army
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Carey Loftin
Where to Watch: VOD rental,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
In the summer of 1996, Tom Cruise and director Brian De Palma achieved something that Hollywood would spend much of the next decade trying to replicate: a genuinely great movie adaptation of a popular television show that blew up at the box office. The first Mission: Impossible movie was somehow both an ode to the face-swapping, hi-tech hijinks of the original 1960s series while also serving as the perfect star vehicle for Cruise. Even De Palma was at the peak of his powers as an auteur, having just made his most underrated movie in Carlito’s Way.
In the years that followed, other big screen updates of small screen favorites would try to repeat the formula with often disastrous results. Film versions of shows like Wild Wild West, Lost in Space, The Avengers (not that one), and The Mod Squad all amounted to miserable trips to the multiplex. Meanwhile Mission: Impossible’s...
In the years that followed, other big screen updates of small screen favorites would try to repeat the formula with often disastrous results. Film versions of shows like Wild Wild West, Lost in Space, The Avengers (not that one), and The Mod Squad all amounted to miserable trips to the multiplex. Meanwhile Mission: Impossible’s...
- 7/19/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The Fourth Of July is always an exciting holiday here in the United States. It’s summer and people look to get together, have a cook-out, and watch some fun fireworks. If you’re young, then you love having the summer off and can’t wait to eat some hot dogs and play some baseball. If you’re older, then this time of the year brings back memories of frolicking through the summer with few cares. Either way, it’s a great time and you’re ready for it to get here. To pump yourself up for the summer fun let’s watch some of the best Fourth of July movies to get ready for those fireworks.
The Sandlot (1993)
If there was a movie that felt exactly like summer, then it has to be The Sandlot. They mention that the only night of the year they played a night game...
The Sandlot (1993)
If there was a movie that felt exactly like summer, then it has to be The Sandlot. They mention that the only night of the year they played a night game...
- 7/4/2023
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
Until the 1980’s, Hollywood had a strange relationship with the Vietnam War. While the war was actually being fought, movies, typically, did not depict the war unless they were something like John Wayne’s The Green Berets. If the war was dealt with, usually it was done metaphorically, or by using another war as a stand-in, such as what happened with 1970’s Mash. This started to change after the war finally ended, with the late seventies seeing the release of three major films – The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now and Coming Home, Despite their popularity, during the first half of the eighties, when the war was dealt with on-screen it was typically as wish fulfillment, where action stars such as Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone single-handedly refought the war, and won, to the delight of audiences.
That all changed when Oliver Stone made Platoon. For the first time, a Vietnam War...
That all changed when Oliver Stone made Platoon. For the first time, a Vietnam War...
- 7/3/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Need a break from the summer heat? Before the barbecue and fireworks extravaganza, cue up one of these 10 Fourth of July movies. Some are patriotic favorites, while others deliver summer vibes in spades. All are guaranteed to keep you entertained for a couple of hours.
‘Born on the Fourth of July’
Tom Cruise earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July. Based on the real-life story of Kovic, the movie follows him from his childhood through his time as a Marine in Vietnam to his return to the U.S. and embrace of anti-war activism.
Born on the Fourth of July is streaming on Netflix.
‘Top Gun’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
In the mood for some lighter Tom Cruise fare? Top Gun delivers a hefty dose of action and romance with its story of a...
‘Born on the Fourth of July’
Tom Cruise earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July. Based on the real-life story of Kovic, the movie follows him from his childhood through his time as a Marine in Vietnam to his return to the U.S. and embrace of anti-war activism.
Born on the Fourth of July is streaming on Netflix.
‘Top Gun’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
In the mood for some lighter Tom Cruise fare? Top Gun delivers a hefty dose of action and romance with its story of a...
- 7/3/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ah, Tom Cruise. The man, the myth, the eternal leading man of Hollywood. With a career spanning over four decades and a filmography full of iconic roles, it’s no wonder Cruise is a household name. But with so many Tom Cruise movies out there, it can be tough to decide which ones are worth your time. That’s where we come in!
In this article, we’ll be counting down the top 21 films from the legendary actor’s career, starting with the very best and ending with the ones that didn’t quite make the cut. Get ready to see which Tom Cruise movies come out on top (and which ones fall to the bottom) as we delve into the world of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
So sit back, relax, and get ready to see which of Cruise’s films made the cut (and which ones didn’t). Without further ado,...
In this article, we’ll be counting down the top 21 films from the legendary actor’s career, starting with the very best and ending with the ones that didn’t quite make the cut. Get ready to see which Tom Cruise movies come out on top (and which ones fall to the bottom) as we delve into the world of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
So sit back, relax, and get ready to see which of Cruise’s films made the cut (and which ones didn’t). Without further ado,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Dee Gambit
- buddytv.com
Following “Top Gun: Maverick”‘s big year, which saw Tom Cruise return as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the highly anticipated sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun”, the actor did not receive a Golden Globe nomination for the upcoming annual awards show.
Although the film was nominated in the best drama category upon Monday’s announcement of this year’s nominees for the 80th annual Golden Globes Awards, Cruise’s performance was overlooked.
Read More: 2023 Golden Globes To Be Hosted By Jerrod Carmichael
The actor’s snub comes after he returned his three Golden Globes statues last year amid the controversy that the show’s governing body- the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)- was up against.
The organization was under fire after a report by the L.A. Times detailed that the HFPA did not include a single Black journalist amongst its then-87 members. Numerous actors, including Mark Ruffalo, and companies,...
Although the film was nominated in the best drama category upon Monday’s announcement of this year’s nominees for the 80th annual Golden Globes Awards, Cruise’s performance was overlooked.
Read More: 2023 Golden Globes To Be Hosted By Jerrod Carmichael
The actor’s snub comes after he returned his three Golden Globes statues last year amid the controversy that the show’s governing body- the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)- was up against.
The organization was under fire after a report by the L.A. Times detailed that the HFPA did not include a single Black journalist amongst its then-87 members. Numerous actors, including Mark Ruffalo, and companies,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Chances are if you've seen an American war film in the last 30 years, the name Dale Dye might ring a bell. Dye is a former Marine captain whose brief cameos and appearances are peppered throughout action films like "Under Siege," "Mission: Impossible," "Starship Troopers," and "Saving Private Ryan." After his first onscreen appearance in Tobe Hooper's "Invaders from Mars," Dye played Captain Harris in Oliver Stone's semi-autobiographical war epic "Platoon." The concept of actor boot camps is nothing new, and the intense soldier training that goes on at these grueling sessions does tend to bond the players together. The experience can also add some verisimilitude that pays respect to the actual soldiers that had to go through actual boot camp. Dale Dye's actor boot camps are legendary in the business. Apparently, the one that Charlie Sheen and the other actors went through during the making of "Platoon" in 1986 was particularly brutal.
- 11/14/2022
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
When a topic gets the Oliver Stone treatment, it typically means that it's a controversial subject getting a cinematic deep dive into its origins. He's seemingly left no stone unturned, exploring topics like 1980s greed ("Wall Street"), the Vietnam War ("Born on the Fourth of July" and "Platoon"), the Kennedy assassination ("JFK"), and illegal surveillance ("Snowden").
For two decades, the director had professional football on his radar, dating back to an early 1980s project titled "The Linebacker," which would have starred Charles Bronson. In 1999, Stone's vision of the NFL finally came to fruition with "Any Given Sunday." By then, the game had changed exponentially from the time Charles Bronson was an A-lister in Hollywood. Player side hustles were replaced by multi-million-dollar advertising deals. The allure of "Monday Night Football" was supplanted by around-the-clock coverage on cable and SportsCenter highlights almost on the hour. What did that exposure mean for the modern athlete?...
For two decades, the director had professional football on his radar, dating back to an early 1980s project titled "The Linebacker," which would have starred Charles Bronson. In 1999, Stone's vision of the NFL finally came to fruition with "Any Given Sunday." By then, the game had changed exponentially from the time Charles Bronson was an A-lister in Hollywood. Player side hustles were replaced by multi-million-dollar advertising deals. The allure of "Monday Night Football" was supplanted by around-the-clock coverage on cable and SportsCenter highlights almost on the hour. What did that exposure mean for the modern athlete?...
- 11/8/2022
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
Thirty years sure can make a difference. In a newly resurfaced Playboy interview with Tom Cruise, the Oscar nominee shut down a possible sequel to “Top Gun.” Now, on May 27, the sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” will open in theaters.
Cruise previously shared criticisms over the portrayal of war in “Top Gun,” telling Playboy that the film was received in a variety of different ways.
“Some people felt that ‘Top Gun’ was a right-wing film to promote the Navy. And a lot of kids loved it,” Cruise said at the time, via Gizmodo. “But I want the kids to know that that’s not the way war is — that ‘Top Gun’ was just an amusement park ride, a fun film with a PG-13 rating that was not supposed to be reality.”
He added, “That’s why I didn’t go on and make ‘Top Gun II’ and III and IV and V.
Cruise previously shared criticisms over the portrayal of war in “Top Gun,” telling Playboy that the film was received in a variety of different ways.
“Some people felt that ‘Top Gun’ was a right-wing film to promote the Navy. And a lot of kids loved it,” Cruise said at the time, via Gizmodo. “But I want the kids to know that that’s not the way war is — that ‘Top Gun’ was just an amusement park ride, a fun film with a PG-13 rating that was not supposed to be reality.”
He added, “That’s why I didn’t go on and make ‘Top Gun II’ and III and IV and V.
- 5/3/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Tom Cruise’s long-delayed “Top Gun: Maverick” is finally set to blast off in theaters later this month, but making a follow-up to his classic 1986 action drama was not always of interest. A 1990 interview Cruise gave to Playboy magazine during the publicity tour for “Born on the Fourth of July” has resurfaced from Gizmodo and finds the A-list star calling the idea of making a “Top Gun” sequel “irresponsible.” Cruise was responding to the interviewer calling “Top Gun” a “Nintendo game and a paean to blind patriotism” in comparison to “Born on the Fourth of July.”
“Some people felt that ‘Top Gun’ was a right-wing film to promote the Navy. And a lot of kids loved it. But I want the kids to know that that’s not the way war is — that ‘Top Gun’ was just an amusement park ride, a fun film with a PG-13 rating that was not supposed to be reality,...
“Some people felt that ‘Top Gun’ was a right-wing film to promote the Navy. And a lot of kids loved it. But I want the kids to know that that’s not the way war is — that ‘Top Gun’ was just an amusement park ride, a fun film with a PG-13 rating that was not supposed to be reality,...
- 5/3/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
"Something began on that day that cannot be reversed." Area 23a + Iambic Dream Films have released the official US trailer for an indie documentary film titled We Are Many, made by Iranian filmmaker Amir Amirani. This originally premiered way back in 2014 at the Sheffield DocFest, and while it did open in the UK, it has never been released in the US. Perhaps because it talks about a big movement and demonstration against the war in Iraq, which has always been a very sore subject for America. The doc film tells the never-before-told story of the biggest demonstration in human history, which took place on February 15, 2003, against the impending war on Iraq. Up to 30 million people, many of whom had never demonstrated before, came out in nearly 800 cities around the world to protest. The film features interviews with Noam Chomsky, Ron Kovic, Medea Benjamin, Bill Fletcher Jr., Mark Rylance, John le Carré,...
- 6/29/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Thank you for your service.” The words have become a cliché, but Hollywood has tried long and hard to make them matter. The industry has produced countless films about warfare and those who died for their country (whom we remember this week). But it has had a mixed record on presenting characters suffering the after-effects of putting their lives on the line. They may have survived, but lost comrades and innocence. It is their moment, too.
WW2 brought the most cinematic treatment, and one of the directors who himself served — William Wyler — later had the guts to depict the challenges soldiers faced when the fighting stopped. Vietnam was likely the most troublesome to depict, it being the one we lost. Right-winger John Wayne was up first, with “The Green Berets,” gung-ho in flavor. It wasn’t until the late ‘70s that a pair of exceptional movies focused less on the...
WW2 brought the most cinematic treatment, and one of the directors who himself served — William Wyler — later had the guts to depict the challenges soldiers faced when the fighting stopped. Vietnam was likely the most troublesome to depict, it being the one we lost. Right-winger John Wayne was up first, with “The Green Berets,” gung-ho in flavor. It wasn’t until the late ‘70s that a pair of exceptional movies focused less on the...
- 5/30/2021
- by Michele Willens
- The Wrap
Bruce Springsteen discusses the origins of “Born in the U.S.A.” and how it was misconstrued as an overtly patriotic song in a clip from the final episode of his podcast with Barack Obama, Renegades: Born in the USA.
In the clip, Springsteen says he started working on “Born in the U.S.A.” after meeting and befriending two Vietnam veterans, including Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July. In a surreal twist of fate, Springsteen says he met Kovic at a motel in Los Angeles a few weeks after...
In the clip, Springsteen says he started working on “Born in the U.S.A.” after meeting and befriending two Vietnam veterans, including Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July. In a surreal twist of fate, Springsteen says he met Kovic at a motel in Los Angeles a few weeks after...
- 4/2/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
When Oliver Stone interviewed for a Deadline The Film That Lit My Fuse timed with the release of his memoir Chasing the Light: Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador and the Movie Game, the three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker gave Deadline permission to provide our readers with a few passages from the book that was recently published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
A dishy coming of age of a filmmaker tale, Chasing the Light is a lively read that describes how the idyllic childhood of a boy raised in privilege was fractured by the divorce of his beloved parents. It sends him on a mission of self discovery that leads him to the jungles of Vietnam, from which he brought back an intensity that served him in the classrooms of NYU Film School, learning from formative influences like Martin Scorsese. The book is rich in anecdotes about a period when...
A dishy coming of age of a filmmaker tale, Chasing the Light is a lively read that describes how the idyllic childhood of a boy raised in privilege was fractured by the divorce of his beloved parents. It sends him on a mission of self discovery that leads him to the jungles of Vietnam, from which he brought back an intensity that served him in the classrooms of NYU Film School, learning from formative influences like Martin Scorsese. The book is rich in anecdotes about a period when...
- 8/29/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
As Americans prepare to take a well-deserved day off from work to remember the servicemen and women who have sacrificed their lives for this country during times of war, TheWrap remembered their favorite movies tackling the tough topic.
Some are fun, some are sad, but all are classics that are worth watching this Memorial Day weekend if readers haven’t already. From waging war with aliens to women raging against the military for justice, here are our favorite war stories of all time:
“Independence Day”
While many people pan “ID4” as a cheesy, big-budget Will Smith vehicle, I consider it one of my personal favorite feel-good, proud-to-be-an-American films. I always tear up when Randy Quaid sacrifices his life so his kids can live free from extraterrestrial tyranny. Bill Pullman’s patriotic speech should also be required viewing for High School civics classes.
“The Hurt Locker”
This film deserved a fate...
Some are fun, some are sad, but all are classics that are worth watching this Memorial Day weekend if readers haven’t already. From waging war with aliens to women raging against the military for justice, here are our favorite war stories of all time:
“Independence Day”
While many people pan “ID4” as a cheesy, big-budget Will Smith vehicle, I consider it one of my personal favorite feel-good, proud-to-be-an-American films. I always tear up when Randy Quaid sacrifices his life so his kids can live free from extraterrestrial tyranny. Bill Pullman’s patriotic speech should also be required viewing for High School civics classes.
“The Hurt Locker”
This film deserved a fate...
- 5/27/2019
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
My new book, Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs, tells the tales behind every officially released studio recording of Bruce Springsteen’s career so far. In addition to my years of Springsteen reporting, including five interviews with the man himself, the book draws on over 60 hours of brand-new interviews with musicians, producers, and other collaborators from throughout his career (including Max Weinberg, Roy Bittan, Nils Lofgren, Soozie Tyrell, Tom Morello, David Sancious and many, many more). I’m proud to debut this exclusive excerpt here at Rolling Stone, where...
- 3/24/2019
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
With three films already in release this year and another coming, Melissa McCarthy has been wallowing in worshipful media coverage. “Has anyone ever worked so hard to make us laugh?” the New York Times Magazine asked in this week’s cover story. Having established that she “owns” comedy, however, McCarthy, in true movie star fashion, has now switched to high drama. Mirthless Melissa’s new film, appropriately titled Can You Ever Forgive Me?, is best described by the New Yorker as “a mournful film suffused with an air of doom.”
I don’t want to pick on Melissa McCarthy, but the compulsion of stars to shed their true persona has always intrigued me. The pages of Hollywood history are steeped in examples of famed actors who want to prove that they can “stretch” — code for self-destruct.
On occasion, of course, the results have been inspiring: Remember how Tom Hanks, obviously...
I don’t want to pick on Melissa McCarthy, but the compulsion of stars to shed their true persona has always intrigued me. The pages of Hollywood history are steeped in examples of famed actors who want to prove that they can “stretch” — code for self-destruct.
On occasion, of course, the results have been inspiring: Remember how Tom Hanks, obviously...
- 10/25/2018
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
For the Fourth of July, let’s get into the All-American spirit with good old-fashioned patriotic movies? Whether you’re an astronaut, a Congressman, a mathematician or a hockey player, you typify the kind of best Americans that the movies want to celebrate on Independence Day.
The theme of our photo gallery above is all about the American spirit, which can be a rah-rah film (like “Miracle” or “Top Gun”), fighting for the people back home or even going against the grain to fight for what’s right in society. Our gallery also includes “The Right Stuff,” “Field of Dreams,” “Forrest Gump,” “Hidden Figures” and more. James Cagney, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Sally Field, Tom Hanks, Taraji P. Henson, James Stewart and Denzel Washington are some of the big names in starring roles.
Enjoy a hot dog and sit back to peruse (or even watch again) these 15 wonderful movies that...
The theme of our photo gallery above is all about the American spirit, which can be a rah-rah film (like “Miracle” or “Top Gun”), fighting for the people back home or even going against the grain to fight for what’s right in society. Our gallery also includes “The Right Stuff,” “Field of Dreams,” “Forrest Gump,” “Hidden Figures” and more. James Cagney, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Sally Field, Tom Hanks, Taraji P. Henson, James Stewart and Denzel Washington are some of the big names in starring roles.
Enjoy a hot dog and sit back to peruse (or even watch again) these 15 wonderful movies that...
- 7/4/2018
- by Tom O'Brien and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Jodie Foster could hardly hold back her feelings when announcing the Best Actor winner at the 1990 Oscars ceremony. Watch above as she swoons in saying the name of Daniel Day-Lewis for “My Left Foot,” his first ever victory at the Academy Awards.
In the 1980s, Day-Lewis was a young actor known mostly for British stage work and television, but he was building a reputation as an immersive method actor. He had received good notices for his performances in “A Room with a View,” as the wealthy suitor of Helena Bonham Carter, and as a romantic Czech doctor in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being.”
SEEDaniel Day-Lewis movies: Top 12 greatest films ranked from worst to best
In 1988 he was offered a screenplay based on the memoirs of Christy Brown, an Irish poet and painter born with cerebral palsy. When he read the opening scene where Christy puts on a record using only his left foot,...
In the 1980s, Day-Lewis was a young actor known mostly for British stage work and television, but he was building a reputation as an immersive method actor. He had received good notices for his performances in “A Room with a View,” as the wealthy suitor of Helena Bonham Carter, and as a romantic Czech doctor in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being.”
SEEDaniel Day-Lewis movies: Top 12 greatest films ranked from worst to best
In 1988 he was offered a screenplay based on the memoirs of Christy Brown, an Irish poet and painter born with cerebral palsy. When he read the opening scene where Christy puts on a record using only his left foot,...
- 2/10/2018
- by Jack Fields
- Gold Derby
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Triumph over adversity is drama defined, and Oscar nominations often go to actors whose characters find victory over physical or mental afflictions. The earliest example goes back to 1947; that was the year that non-pro Harold Russell won Best Supporting Actor and a special award for “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell was a WWII veteran who lost both of his hands while making a training film. Of note: Of the 59, 27 of these nominations went on to a win. This year’s roster of stars playing afflicted characters includes Jake Gyllenhaal as bombing victim Jeff Baumer in “Stronger,” Andrew Garfield as polio survivor Robin Cavendish in “Breathe,” Bryan Cranston as a millionaire quadriplegic in “The Upside,” and Sally Hawkins in two roles, as an arthritic painter in “Maudie” and a mute lab worker in “The Shape of Water.”
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
Check out Oscar’s rather astonishing legacy of afflicted contenders below.
Blind...
- 9/25/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
More so than ever it seems, we've become increasingly obsessed with acknowledging the anniversaries of beloved movies, TV shows and music. Not that there's anything wrong with celebrating our pop culture past, mind you. In fact, for someone as nostalgic as myself, I completely embrace it. Which brings me to a little milestone of my own. This one, though, doesn't simply focus on a particular piece of celluloid, but instead, revolves around a certain actor whose work has been an enduring presence throughout my movie-going life.
For the last 30 years, not only have I sat and watched every single Tom Cruise film that has come out since 1986, I have done so in an actual, honest-to-goodness movie theater. That's a total of 33 silver screen experiences (34 if you count his Austin Powers in Goldmember cameo), including the latest, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Yeah, you might say I'm a fan.
However, prior to the start of this streak -- and...
For the last 30 years, not only have I sat and watched every single Tom Cruise film that has come out since 1986, I have done so in an actual, honest-to-goodness movie theater. That's a total of 33 silver screen experiences (34 if you count his Austin Powers in Goldmember cameo), including the latest, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Yeah, you might say I'm a fan.
However, prior to the start of this streak -- and...
- 10/25/2016
- Entertainment Tonight
At first glance, there is little about Snowden that would seem to distinguish it from some of this year’s other “I’m not sure there’s a movie in that true story” based-on-a-true-story movies like Sully and Deepwater Horizon, especially in the wake of the Wikileaks film The Fifth Estate or the exceptional documentary Citizenfour. But Snowden has a secret weapon, and it’s one that I wasn’t expecting: a fully-engaged and on-his-game Oliver Stone. And when Oliver Stone is on his game and fully engaged, there are few filmmakers who are more interesting or provocative. I have been a fan of his work for most of the time I have been a film fan, even before I knew fully who he was. I was drawn to films he had written, and when he made the jump to directing full-time with the back-to-back accomplishment of Salvador and Platoon,...
- 9/16/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Nobody owns Oliver Stone. I’ve talked with this filmmaker for decades, and he’s consistent to a fault. The Oscar-winning writer-director (“Platoon,” “JFK,” “Wall Street”) has always gone his own way. If there’s an impediment, he’ll find a way around it. Hell, he’ll even con the El Salvador government to give him army soldiers for a movie critical of El Salvador.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
- 9/9/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Nobody owns Oliver Stone. I’ve talked with this filmmaker for decades, and he’s consistent to a fault. The Oscar-winning writer-director (“Platoon,” “JFK,” “Wall Street”) has always gone his own way. If there’s an impediment, he’ll find a way around it. Hell, he’ll even con the El Salvador government to give him army soldiers for a movie critical of El Salvador.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
- 9/9/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Oliver Stone would be the first person to tell you that the power of cinema is ephemeral — “beautiful ephemera,” in his own words, but ephemera nonetheless — but that doesn’t mean the filmmaker behind such landmark films as “JFK” and “Born on the Fourth of July” doesn’t also believe that movies can leave their mark on the world.
Stone is all over this year’s Nantucket Film Festival, where he was honored over the weekend with the festival’s prestigious Screenwriters Tribute Award. At the Saturday night event, Stone accepted his honor from fellow filmmaker Bennett Miller, before using his acceptance speech as a time to reflect on his career and what’s next.
It was a fine warmup for Sunday morning’s main event, during which Stone took to the stage of Nantucket High School to participate in an hour-long “In Their Shoes” chat as led by documentarian Eugene Jarecki.
Stone is all over this year’s Nantucket Film Festival, where he was honored over the weekend with the festival’s prestigious Screenwriters Tribute Award. At the Saturday night event, Stone accepted his honor from fellow filmmaker Bennett Miller, before using his acceptance speech as a time to reflect on his career and what’s next.
It was a fine warmup for Sunday morning’s main event, during which Stone took to the stage of Nantucket High School to participate in an hour-long “In Their Shoes” chat as led by documentarian Eugene Jarecki.
- 6/26/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
With a number of big Golden Globe wins last night, including best director and best dramatic picture for The Revenant, director Alejandro G. Inarritu finds himself once more in the thick of the Oscar hunt. The Mexican-born filmmaker won big last year with three Oscars for his avant garde drama Birdman, which scored him the best original screenplay, best director, and best picture awards.
This year, with the western revenge thriller The Revenant, Inarritu has once more directed a film that he wrote himself, this time adapting the screenplay from the novel by Michael Punke with co-writer Mark L. Smith.
Inarritu is not the only writer/director with films in the race this year, however, as a number of other contenders boast a director who also penned the film’s script. The original screenplay hopefuls include Spotlight (directed and written by Tom McCarthy with co-writer...
Managing Editor
With a number of big Golden Globe wins last night, including best director and best dramatic picture for The Revenant, director Alejandro G. Inarritu finds himself once more in the thick of the Oscar hunt. The Mexican-born filmmaker won big last year with three Oscars for his avant garde drama Birdman, which scored him the best original screenplay, best director, and best picture awards.
This year, with the western revenge thriller The Revenant, Inarritu has once more directed a film that he wrote himself, this time adapting the screenplay from the novel by Michael Punke with co-writer Mark L. Smith.
Inarritu is not the only writer/director with films in the race this year, however, as a number of other contenders boast a director who also penned the film’s script. The original screenplay hopefuls include Spotlight (directed and written by Tom McCarthy with co-writer...
- 1/12/2016
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Tom Cruise has come a very long way since his screen debut in Franc Zeffirelli’s Endless Love (1981). Thirty six movies and a whole lot of stardom later and he’s still the biggest movie star on the planet. He is perhaps, also the biggest film star in movie history. You’d be hard pushed to offer up any other actor that’s sustained that level of popularity and box office pull for that long. There is a good reason for this too. Cruise polarises opinion of course and there are those that would see his downfall, but in large part that’s due to all things that have little if nothing to do with Tom Cruise the filmmaker.
Being Tom Cruise must take a special kind of energy. So special in fact that he has sustained that level of dash for nigh on thirty years without letting up. And if Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,...
Being Tom Cruise must take a special kind of energy. So special in fact that he has sustained that level of dash for nigh on thirty years without letting up. And if Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,...
- 8/10/2015
- by Paul Donovan
- SoundOnSight
Like most talented performers who’ve doubled as quintessential movie stars, Tom Cruise doesn’t always get the chance to demonstrate that he can actually act. There’s often just too much Tom Cruise in the way for people to notice, especially when he lets his erratic personal life take center stage. Putting together an “essential” list for such an actor is a bit of a tightrope act, walking the line between crowd pleasing star turns and performances of real substance. That said, here are ten Tom Cruise films that are not to be missed:
Risky Business (1983) – The early 80s were awash in teen sex comedies, most of which have justifiably faded from memory. Then there’s Risky Business, which not only rose above the pack, but made an indelible mark on pop culture history. It wasn’t Tom Cruise’s first movie, but it might as well have been:...
Risky Business (1983) – The early 80s were awash in teen sex comedies, most of which have justifiably faded from memory. Then there’s Risky Business, which not only rose above the pack, but made an indelible mark on pop culture history. It wasn’t Tom Cruise’s first movie, but it might as well have been:...
- 8/7/2015
- by M. Robert Grunwald
- SoundOnSight
Tom Cruise has played many iconic roles over the course of his career - from the still-active Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible films, to Frank T.J. Mackey in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, to Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July - but ranking right up towards the top is his supporting turn as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. It's ridiculous, crude, and unlike anything we've seen from the movie star before - but what may surprise you is that the character was actually Cruise's idea to include. Diving into the making of Tropic Thunder, Grantland has published an oral history of how the Les Grossman role came to exist - and while there are no quotes from Cruise, the story does feature input from Ben Stiller, screenwriter Etan Cohen, co-star Bill Hader, and many more. As the story goes, the film was in...
- 7/31/2015
- cinemablend.com
Feature Ryan Lambie 21 Feb 2014 - 06:10
Last June, we were lucky enough to visit the set of X-Men Days Of Future Past and chat to some of the cast and crew. Here's what happened...
Nb: This article contains very mild spoilers for X-Men: Days Of Future Past.
Opposite and a little way to my left, Richard Nixon sits happily eating his lunch. Well, not the real Richard Nixon, obviously, but Mark Camacho, an actor so cunningly made up to look like the infamous Us President circa 1973 - complete with architectural nose and hairline - that it’s impossible not to stare. We’re sitting in the canteen tent of X-Men: Days Of Future Past, where tables have been arranged in long rows, one after the other, so the place looks like Da Vinci’s The Last Supper multiplied in a hall of mirrors.
Days Of Future Past marks an important...
Last June, we were lucky enough to visit the set of X-Men Days Of Future Past and chat to some of the cast and crew. Here's what happened...
Nb: This article contains very mild spoilers for X-Men: Days Of Future Past.
Opposite and a little way to my left, Richard Nixon sits happily eating his lunch. Well, not the real Richard Nixon, obviously, but Mark Camacho, an actor so cunningly made up to look like the infamous Us President circa 1973 - complete with architectural nose and hairline - that it’s impossible not to stare. We’re sitting in the canteen tent of X-Men: Days Of Future Past, where tables have been arranged in long rows, one after the other, so the place looks like Da Vinci’s The Last Supper multiplied in a hall of mirrors.
Days Of Future Past marks an important...
- 2/19/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
This week, you've got four whole days to celebrate the birth of our country. But besides watching endless fireworks and eating more BBQ than your belly can handle, why not spend some time with a movie, too?
The perfect way to stay out of the heat and sport some American pride is with a classic 4th of July flick, and we've made a list of the best Independence Day-themed movies available to stream right now. Get historical, get musical, or get scared with these Fourth favorites.
"The Patriot" (2000)
A Revolutionary War film by Roland Emmerich starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, "The Patriot" is the perfect addition to your Independence Day weekend. If that's not epic enough, did we mention that Gibson's Benjamin brutally kills 22 redcoats with a Tomahawk in one scene? "The Patriot" brings a ton of red to your white and blue.
Stream It On: Vudu, Amazon...
The perfect way to stay out of the heat and sport some American pride is with a classic 4th of July flick, and we've made a list of the best Independence Day-themed movies available to stream right now. Get historical, get musical, or get scared with these Fourth favorites.
"The Patriot" (2000)
A Revolutionary War film by Roland Emmerich starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, "The Patriot" is the perfect addition to your Independence Day weekend. If that's not epic enough, did we mention that Gibson's Benjamin brutally kills 22 redcoats with a Tomahawk in one scene? "The Patriot" brings a ton of red to your white and blue.
Stream It On: Vudu, Amazon...
- 7/4/2013
- by Erin Whitney
- Moviefone
It's probably more difficult to rank the films of a particular actor than those of a given director. A filmmaker's ouevre is often bound together by similar thematic elements or stylistic trademarks, whereas most actors work within a wide range of styles and genres, with directors of vastly varying abilities. And while most dedicated cinephiles have seen the majority of Stanley Kubrick's or Martin Scorsese's features, how many can say they've seen even half of the performances from legends like Paul Newman or Robert De Niro (or even more modern stars like Sean Penn or Bruce Willis)? No one would ever mistake him for Daniel Day-Lewis, but Tom Cruise has been nearly as selective over the course of his career, consistently working with prominent filmmakers: Scorsese, Kubrick, Spielberg, Coppola, De Palma, Mann, Stone, the brothers Scott. Seriously, who else's resume reads like that? Even when collaborating with up-and-comers...
- 12/24/2012
- by Kevin Blumeyer
- Rope of Silicon
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that they will host An Evening with Tom Cruise on Monday, December 17th, taking a look at some of Cruise.s most iconic character work in a conversation with moderator and New York Film Festival Director of Programming, Kent Jones. The event will be followed by a sneak preview screening of Cruise.s new film Jack Reacher, in which he plays a tough ex-military investigator out for justice . a character that audiences have come to love from the three-time Academy Award® nominated actor. Tickets are $50 and $35 and all proceeds from the event will go to the Film Society of Lincoln Center.s 50th Anniversary Fund, which supports the new education program and emerging filmmaker initiatives. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 10th. The event will be held at the Rose Theater, (5th floor of the Time Warner Center, Broadway and 60th street). Visit Filmlinc.
- 12/3/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In The Sessions, opening in theaters this weekend, John Hawkes plays late poet Mark O’Brien, who was paralyzed from the neck down due to polio, and sought, in real life, to lose his virginity by working with a therapeutic sex surrogate. Hawkes is beyond emotionally and physically adept as O’Brien, restricted to laying flat in a huge iron lung, or being wheeled around on a portable cot, his face shifted to the side, his arms pinned to his sides. He’s partially nude at times, staring up at his sex therapist, played by distant-then warm Helen Hunt, and by turns funny,...
- 10/20/2012
- by Solvej Schou
- EW - Inside Movies
Chicago – A number of films have been inducted into the Universal line of 100th Anniversary Blu-rays, the best wave of catalog Blu-ray releases of 2012 and an increasingly impressive collection, but few have been as current as Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July.” Oliver Stone has a new movie in theaters (“Savages”), co-star Kyra Sedgwick is starting her final season of TNT’s “The Closer” this week, and, well, star Tom Cruise has been in the headlines a bit lately. Maybe you noticed.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
My concern about all the drama surrounding Tom Cruise’s personal life and religious beliefs is that it will overshadow the fact that he’s a damn good actor. He’s one of the best of his generation and he’s constantly underrated in large part due to his actual drama. He should have at least two Oscars by now for either “Magnolia” or...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
My concern about all the drama surrounding Tom Cruise’s personal life and religious beliefs is that it will overshadow the fact that he’s a damn good actor. He’s one of the best of his generation and he’s constantly underrated in large part due to his actual drama. He should have at least two Oscars by now for either “Magnolia” or...
- 7/9/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Blu-ray and DVD Release Date: July 3, 2012
Price: DVD $14.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $19.99
Studio: Universal
Tom Cruise if Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July.
Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) delivers an Oscar-nominated performance in Oliver Stone’s (Platoon) acclaimed 1989 biographical war drama Born on the Fourth of July. concerning one man’s experiences during and after the Vietnam War.
Based on a true story, the film follows Long Island-born Ron Kovic (Cruise) from a zealous teen who eagerly volunteers for the Vietnam War, to an embittered veteran paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Deeply in love with his country, Kovic returns to an environment vastly different from the one he left, and he struggles before emerging as a new voice for the disenchanted.
Co-starring Raymond Barry (Falling Down), Caroline Kava (Year of the Dragon) and Kyra Sedgwick (Gamer), the movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and went on...
Price: DVD $14.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $19.99
Studio: Universal
Tom Cruise if Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July.
Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) delivers an Oscar-nominated performance in Oliver Stone’s (Platoon) acclaimed 1989 biographical war drama Born on the Fourth of July. concerning one man’s experiences during and after the Vietnam War.
Based on a true story, the film follows Long Island-born Ron Kovic (Cruise) from a zealous teen who eagerly volunteers for the Vietnam War, to an embittered veteran paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Deeply in love with his country, Kovic returns to an environment vastly different from the one he left, and he struggles before emerging as a new voice for the disenchanted.
Co-starring Raymond Barry (Falling Down), Caroline Kava (Year of the Dragon) and Kyra Sedgwick (Gamer), the movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and went on...
- 4/11/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Winner of two Academy Awards®, including Best Director, and four Golden Globes®, including Best Picture, the award-winning classic Born on the Fourth of July will be available on July 3, 2012 on Blu-ray. Combo Pack with DVD and Digital Copy featuring perfect hi-def picture and sound. Born on the Fourth of July stars Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible . Ghost Protocol, Minority Report) who delivers a riveting and unforgettable portrayal of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone.s (Savages, Platoon) Academy Award®-winning masterpiece.
Based on a true story, the acclaimed film follows Kovic from a zealous teen who eagerly volunteered for the Vietnam War, to an embittered veteran paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Deeply in love with his country, Kovic returned to an environment vastly different from the one he left, and struggled before emerging as a brave new voice for the disenchanted. Also starring Kyra Sedgwick (.The Closer.) and Willem Dafoe...
Based on a true story, the acclaimed film follows Kovic from a zealous teen who eagerly volunteered for the Vietnam War, to an embittered veteran paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Deeply in love with his country, Kovic returned to an environment vastly different from the one he left, and struggled before emerging as a brave new voice for the disenchanted. Also starring Kyra Sedgwick (.The Closer.) and Willem Dafoe...
- 4/10/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
When it comes to the movies, there are some certainties in life: The guy in front of you is going to be texting through the whole film, popcorn tastes better with butter and Denzel Washington is a hero. But when "Safe House" opens this Friday, all bets are off, as Washington turns heel to play one of the most sinister villains of the year, rogue CIA agent Tobin Frost.
Of course, this isn't the first time Washington has put on the black hat, but it got us thinking: What other Hollywood good guys have taken a ride on the wild side and smashed expectations by dirtying up their heroic reputations? For the answer, take a look at our ultimate countdown of Good Guys Gone Bad.
But watch your back. Because Denzel Washington is out there somewhere -- and there's no telling which side he's on this week.
Tom Cruise in...
Of course, this isn't the first time Washington has put on the black hat, but it got us thinking: What other Hollywood good guys have taken a ride on the wild side and smashed expectations by dirtying up their heroic reputations? For the answer, take a look at our ultimate countdown of Good Guys Gone Bad.
But watch your back. Because Denzel Washington is out there somewhere -- and there's no telling which side he's on this week.
Tom Cruise in...
- 2/8/2012
- by Scott Harris
- NextMovie
Monday Rewind is on hiatus today. Sure, I could tell you that Larry Crowne got his ass handed to him by Transformers, Cars 2 and Bad Teacher this weekend, barely getting one over on Monte Carlo. But that’s just depressing. (Why the hatin’ on Larry? Look up “character based story”, people. Then get back to me.) Instead? Since it’s one of my favorite holidays — the day when you can blow up stuff and be called a True American — I’ve decided to whip out a top ten list. This is a list of all things good, fine and true, movies that you can point to and say yep, that right there? America. Speaking of whipping things out, let’s get started:
10) Blazing Saddles: More schnitzengruben? Yes, please! If you haven’t seen this movie yet, unhook yourself from your internet IV and watch it Right Now. Don’t worry,...
10) Blazing Saddles: More schnitzengruben? Yes, please! If you haven’t seen this movie yet, unhook yourself from your internet IV and watch it Right Now. Don’t worry,...
- 7/4/2011
- by Denise Kitashima Dutton
- Atomic Popcorn
A hardcore film buff can rattle off a list of their favorite cinematographers, maybe even editors or production designers. But when it comes to "military advisors" there is only one: Dale Dye.
He pretty much invented the role of current military advisor for films, and his list of credits is a mile long. He's also wound up before the cameras, acting first in walk-ons and is a regular on the forthcoming Falling Skies. We spoke with the man about his career starting with Platoon (coming to Blu-ray for an anniversary edition this Tuesday,) the actors he's trained and what he's got coming up next.
Jordan Hoffman: Did you invent this job? Are there other people out there doing it now?
Dale Dye: Yeah, ever since my role in motion pictures as a military advisor has gotten some publicity, there are a number of guys who have come around,...
He pretty much invented the role of current military advisor for films, and his list of credits is a mile long. He's also wound up before the cameras, acting first in walk-ons and is a regular on the forthcoming Falling Skies. We spoke with the man about his career starting with Platoon (coming to Blu-ray for an anniversary edition this Tuesday,) the actors he's trained and what he's got coming up next.
Jordan Hoffman: Did you invent this job? Are there other people out there doing it now?
Dale Dye: Yeah, ever since my role in motion pictures as a military advisor has gotten some publicity, there are a number of guys who have come around,...
- 5/19/2011
- UGO Movies
People, there's a lot of crap out on the interwebs and I probably read too much of it. But, even the goofiest rumors can lead to serious thought, which in turn can prompt a Seriously Random List and perhaps some interesting discourse over what we want from our movie stars. Do we really care if they are gay, straight, bisexual, married or single? Me, I couldn't care less. An actor's sex appeal might have bearing on whether or not I buy a ticket, but his sexual preference certainly does not. Should an actor feel the need to hide? At this point, plenty of people in Hollywood have come out and their careers continue to thrive. But what about the ones who are known for their "macho" or "movie star" leading roles--do the same rules apply? Would a gay Brad Pitt have the same box office appeal? What if our action...
- 3/22/2011
- by Cindy Davis
Opening to general audiences September 24, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to his successful 1987 indictment of unchecked greed, recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival, with a predominantly positive critical reception. The film follows Gordon Gekko who, after having spent twenty-three years in prison for insider trading, returns to society to find that his daughter won’t speak to him and the American economy is on the brink of collapse. Occupying a role similar to the one played by Charlie Sheen in the first film (who will make a brief appearance in this picture), Shia Labeouf plays the fiancé of Gekko’s daughter, a young stockbroker who suspects that the death of his mentor may be the result of foul play. Despite the insistence of critics who agree that this film marks a solid return to form for Stone, given the world’s current financial circumstances,...
- 6/4/2010
- by Joseph Oliveto
- JustPressPlay.net
Like most boys, I grew up interested in weapons and war, from toy guns to model fighter planes to heavily-armed Transformers. Maybe I was drawn to the simplistic morality of "good guys versus bad guys" and "kill or be killed," or the allure of the power to bring death and destruction when children rarely have control over anything. With a patriotism bred into me from both school and institutions like the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts, there was also a pride in the idea of fighting and risking one's life for one's country, as well as an image of manliness and heroism that only the military seemed to provide. In short, I wasn't too different from Ron Kovic, who grew up wanting desperately to join the military so he could defend his country, prove his patriotism and be...
- 4/1/2010
- by Jonathan Kim
- Huffington Post
(Actor Richard Erdman, left)
by Jon Zelazny
The craft of acting in the 20th century breaks neatly into two distinct phases: before Marlon Brando and after Marlon Brando. He first conquered Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. Three years later—and sixty years ago—he made his first movie.
The Men (1950) is a grim drama set in a Va paraplegic ward. Brando is the bitter new arrival; Jack Webb and Richard Erdman play the patients who become his best buddies.
A native of Enid, Oklahoma, Erdman spent his teenage years in vaudeville, and began his Hollywood career in 1944. He most recently appeared on the NBC series "Community."
Richard Erdman: Brando and I went out to Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, where all the war paraplegics were still being treated, and we stayed there a few days, learning how to use wheelchairs, and how to get in and...
by Jon Zelazny
The craft of acting in the 20th century breaks neatly into two distinct phases: before Marlon Brando and after Marlon Brando. He first conquered Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. Three years later—and sixty years ago—he made his first movie.
The Men (1950) is a grim drama set in a Va paraplegic ward. Brando is the bitter new arrival; Jack Webb and Richard Erdman play the patients who become his best buddies.
A native of Enid, Oklahoma, Erdman spent his teenage years in vaudeville, and began his Hollywood career in 1944. He most recently appeared on the NBC series "Community."
Richard Erdman: Brando and I went out to Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, where all the war paraplegics were still being treated, and we stayed there a few days, learning how to use wheelchairs, and how to get in and...
- 3/23/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Welcome to a new series here on Cinematical where we select an actor or actress and the role we think is their all time best.
There may be no other actor to have such an impressive resume of great performances in hit films, yet receive so little respect for his acting talent, than Tom Cruise. Starting with his breakout performances in Taps, The Outsiders and Risky Business, through his 1980s star turns in Top Gun, The Color of Money and Rain Man, then on to his 90's hits Days of Thunder, Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire, Cruise has held onto a solid fan base while still being seen as little more than a flashy set of teeth. He's one of the top box office draws in the world and, though he's made a couple of unfortunate choices (Cocktail, anyone?) he's never turned in a performance that's been totally eviscerated by...
There may be no other actor to have such an impressive resume of great performances in hit films, yet receive so little respect for his acting talent, than Tom Cruise. Starting with his breakout performances in Taps, The Outsiders and Risky Business, through his 1980s star turns in Top Gun, The Color of Money and Rain Man, then on to his 90's hits Days of Thunder, Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire, Cruise has held onto a solid fan base while still being seen as little more than a flashy set of teeth. He's one of the top box office draws in the world and, though he's made a couple of unfortunate choices (Cocktail, anyone?) he's never turned in a performance that's been totally eviscerated by...
- 1/8/2010
- by Dawn Taylor
- Cinematical
Aah, the Fourth of July. It’s the perfect weekend for barbecuing, enjoying your family… and watching Rambo rip a man’s Adam’s Apple out with his bare hands?
We have tons of Christmas movies, Halloween movies; hell, there’s even a “Groundhog’s Day” film. But what do we watch when we gather around the TV on Independence Day? To help solve the problem, here are the top 10 films we’d recommend as must-see holiday viewing.
“Rambo” series
Take your pick, folks. In a bizarre, twisted way, there are few things as patriotic as watching Sly Stallone blow up freedom-hating bad guys. Even if he were somehow eating a slice of apple pie while shooting those explosive-tipped arrows, it couldn’t be any more American.
“Born on the 4th of July”
Okay, the movie is kind of a bummer. It’s also hard to take Tom Cruise seriously...
We have tons of Christmas movies, Halloween movies; hell, there’s even a “Groundhog’s Day” film. But what do we watch when we gather around the TV on Independence Day? To help solve the problem, here are the top 10 films we’d recommend as must-see holiday viewing.
“Rambo” series
Take your pick, folks. In a bizarre, twisted way, there are few things as patriotic as watching Sly Stallone blow up freedom-hating bad guys. Even if he were somehow eating a slice of apple pie while shooting those explosive-tipped arrows, it couldn’t be any more American.
“Born on the 4th of July”
Okay, the movie is kind of a bummer. It’s also hard to take Tom Cruise seriously...
- 7/4/2009
- by Larry Carroll
- MTV Movies Blog
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