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Cruisin’ for a bruisin’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new biography of Tom Cruise has skulked into bookstores, cobbled together by the esteemed biographer Andrew Morton. It’s probably not the low point in unauthorized celebrity biographies. But I’m sure it’s pretty close to the rug in that particular limbo contest.
I haven’t read the book, nor do I intend to. The New York Times has weighed in with a review, and thank you, Janet Maslin. If you’re collecting money to be hosed off after reading it so that others don’t have to, I will gladly send you a couple of bucks.
Why my contempt? Well, Morton is not exactly a great writer. He got super-lucky once, when Princess Diana decided to dish to him to get her version of events out without actually having to go on the record. Since then he’s been sort of a British Kitty Kelley, knocking out bios of Madonna and Monica Lewinsky.
As for the subject, I switched off Cruise a while ago. Loved him in “Risky Business” and “Jerry Maguire,” tolerated him in “Top Gun,” and stopped going to his movies sometime around the second “Mission: Impossible.” He’s capable of being a decent actor, but for 10 years or so, it’s been all about the promotion, and his Scientology, and not about the acting.
So we have a self-promoter doing a book about a guy who has become a self-promoter. Gee, where do I get my autographed copy?
Standard response from the media and the gawking masses to these books is to ask: What are the big revelations? I don’t care. I don’t care if Morton has videos of Cruise meeting with Osama bin Laden, or signed affidavits that he once beat a hobo to death with a hammer, or photos of him getting out a limo with no underpants.
OK. Time to go take my meds. Return to what you are doing. Unless you wish to take issue with that assessment.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: News and Reviews
Comments
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By Kate
January 22, 2008 8:17 AM | Link to this
Phil, I like it when you’re cranky! :)
P.S. Yeah, TC is a creep. He has one of those faces that I just want to smack.
By Jeff
January 22, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
OK Phil, I’m gonna do something even I don’t normally do:
Come to Tom Cruise’s defense.
Vanilla Sky, while an AWFUL overall movie, was a great ACTING job from Mr. Cruise. (OK, seeing his ‘real life’ since that movie makes it appear that maybe he was simply being himself in that one and not truly acting. Maybe not the best movie to point out.)
The Last Samurai was one I personally felt could rejuvenate his acting career. It was an absolutely SPECTACULAR movie, and easily one of my all time favorites.
And then came Collateral, which was a decent movie with great acting. Cruise went completely anti-type and actually managed to put in a decent performance.
Then came the War of the Worlds remake, and I knew Mr. Cruise was WAAYYYY too far gone for anyone to ever save him again.
The Oprah antics didn’t help him.
Nor did MI-III.
Valkrie (his next) MAY be another decent acting job for him, but the advance news is far more often about Cruise the man than about either Cruise the actor or Valkyrie the movie.
By mayretter local
January 22, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
forget Cruise and his $cientology bs.
goto www.clambake.org for lots of insider info on the CULT of $cientology and it workings.
another one is www.Xenu.net
please don’t let your friends and family get involved with these people.
By no plans to read the book
January 22, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good celeb bio, but I don’t plan to read the book. I’ve heard it’s trashy and not very nice to Cruise. I’m not a big fan, and I do think he’s somewhat creepy, and don’t consider him a great actor, but still I don’t have any interest in the book.
By ahh
January 22, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
Great commentary Phil! I agree whole-heartedly. I WILL NOT spend money to go see TC in anything nor do I wish to read a book about him. He lost me for good after his tirade against Brooke Shields and PPD…..like he has a clue…idiot!
By Anne
January 22, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
I tend to agree with most of what Jeff states. Yes, Tom Cruise is a good actor….could be a great one if he’d step off his Scientology driven rants and over the top self promotion whenever he is in a new movie, and just be one!
I won’t be reading this book because the subject matter is just not that interesting to me.
By wiseone
January 22, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Dear Mayretter Local,
Have you ever been inside a Church of Scientology, or talked to a Scientologist? These websites you promote are actually full of rumormongering lies about the church. If you want to know the truth, go to the official website or the local Church of Scientology. There’s a whole lot of misinformation on the Internet about Scientology. I should know, I’ve been a Scientologist for 15 years. Go to the local Atlanta church or talk to a Scientologist and find out what it’s all about. As for Tom Cruise, he is honored in our church for all the good he has done for mankind. As for jumping on the couch, why would you be adverse to someone being so happy? What’s wrong with having passion for life? What’s wrong with being succesful and happy? I have felt so good myself, I would jump on a couch, too. You’ve got to look beyond the media to find the real truth about anything. “Think for yourself” is something we do. I think it’s much better position to be in — to think for yourself and be self-determined in your life.
By wiseone
January 22, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
Dear Mayretter Local,
Have you ever been inside a Church of Scientology, or talked to a Scientologist? These websites you promote are actually full of rumormongering lies about the church. If you want to know the truth, go to the official website or the local Church of Scientology. There’s a whole lot of misinformation on the Internet about Scientology. I should know, I’ve been a Scientologist for 15 years. Go to the local Atlanta church or talk to a Scientologist and find out what it’s all about. As for Tom Cruise, he is honored in our church for all the good he has done for mankind. As for jumping on the couch, why would you be adverse to someone being so happy? What’s wrong with having passion for life? What’s wrong with being succesful and happy? I have felt so good myself, I would jump on a couch, too. You’ve got to look beyond the media to find the real truth about anything. “Think for yourself” is something we do. I think it’s much better position to be in — to think for yourself and be self-determined in your life.
By Joyce
January 22, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this
I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise. Maybe it is because he is so short.
But his outlandish opinions really get on my last nerve.
As a young man, he considered the priesthood, as young Catholic men do. Perhaps, he is transferring that religous zeal to the Church of Scientology.
It seems that other members of that faith/cult put it on a back burner to their career.
Of course, when I see Tom act, maybe the religous route is better for him.