Cruisin'

from herocomplex.latimes

After a spontaneous yet enjoyable viewing of MI:4 Ghost Protocol, my friend and I began the next actor kick (a period of time when one watches as many films as possible with the same actor/actress).

I honestly didn't see this one coming. Who would have thought that I'd spend the next two weeks watching this guy?

Why would I do that? I'm a jerk. (Watch video if confused.)

But I have to say, like Harrison Ford, he knows how to pick the blockbusters.

His filmography has been oh-so-much more uplifting than my Robert Redford run. Did you know Robert Redford dies in every other movie he appears in?  Don't quote me on that, but after watching his filmography one can't help but notice that the guy must be attracted to scripts with unfortunate endings. Or, as we call them, "unapproved by Katie" endings. (i.e., The Great Waldo Pepper, The Clearing, The Great Gatsby, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Up Close & Personal, Out of Africa, etc...)

As you guessed it, Mr. Cruise selects the scripts with "approved by Katie" endings. I mean, even when I think there's nooooo possible way he's going to make it out alive--for instance, though he was perforated like a paycheck with a machine gun by the Japanese army which  somehow killed EVERY OTHER samurai who fought bravely beside him--the Cruiseman walked away unscathed. Okay, maybe not completely unscathed--in his defense, he may have been limping a little, but he lived and was able to walk back to the village to finish what he started with the beautiful Japanese woman. Gee, I hope I'm not a spoiler, but the movie has been out for almost a decade. It should have free-reign for discussion.

Or, in M:I-3 when he electrocutes himself to de-activate the explosive embedded in his scull, killing himself briefly, but only until his fiance resuscitates him. So technically he died, but it's still "approved by Katie". (Okay, be honest, how many of you are hearing Kelly Kapoor describe how Netflix works while you are reading this post?)

In other words, I'm really appreciating this intense filmography with all the happy endings.  I've gained so much more respect from him after seeing how consistently intense he is. I'm going to pretend that I've never seen Tropic Thunder.  I don't think there's another actor as intense. Go ahead, who is more intense than T.C.? Who can compete? Did you know that he even conducted a portion of the score to Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol? Impressive! Here's the viewed roster as of now for those of you who are dying to know what movies I've watched in my free time (hahahaha):

The Outsiders
Risky Business
Legend
Top Gun
Rain Man -"K-mart sucks, Ray."
Born on the Fourth of July - 
Days of Thunder
Far and Away - "Tell me you like my hat, Shannon."
A Few Good Men - "I need my bat. I think better with my bat. Where's my bat?"
The Firm - "It's not sexy, but it's got teeth!"
Mission: Impossible-
Jerry Maguire -"It was a mission statement."
Magnolia 
Mission: Impossible II - "If I let you know where I'm going, I won't be on holiday."
Minority Report- "Goodbye, Crow."
Vanilla Sky
The Last Samurai - "I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed."
Collateral - "You no longer have the cleanest cab in La-La Land. You gotta live with that. Focus on the job. Drive."

War of the Worlds

Mission: Impossible III -"Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall."
Lions for Lambs
Tropic Thunder
Knight and Day -"...Bikini, June."
Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol- "No, S***!"

And, 13 of those in the course of two weeks. I guess that's what happens when your computer has a virus and is being repaired so you can't get any work done...or I mean, you choose not to get any work done.

I've still yet to see "T.P.S." ("Why don't you just say Taps?"), Cocktail, The Color of Money, "Balkyrie" (Valkyrie), and maybe Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles...

Here is a classic video for anyone else who may be going through Mr. Cruise's filmography at this time.

Enjoy!

And, thus concludes the most pointless blog I have ever posted. This post will self-destruct in 5...4....3...