To me, Val will always be Nick Rivers...
Posted on 06/11/2022 3:04:54 PM PDT by Rummyfan
As arguably America’s last remaining movie superstar, it’s hard to call any Tom Cruise movie a “surprise” hit, but Top Gun: Maverick has had surprisingly powerful legs in its second week at the box office. But much like the way they turned out en masse for Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, American audiences are thrilled to finally see a military-themed movie that’s pro-America.
While it has its weaknesses, Top Gun: Maverick is superior to the original 1986 movie in many ways. I had never seen the original until last week, in order to get up to speed (pun intended) before watching the sequel on the big screen. Why didn’t I see it in the ‘80s? I think I was turned off by the MTV videos created to help sell it and the original middling reviews, such as this clip from Siskel & Ebert at the Movies...
Watching Top Gun on Netflix, I was reminded of its ‘80s production values; it plays like an extended MTV video, with erotic shots of F-14s that recall Dr. Strangelove’s opening credits, with a mating B-52 and tanker plane — but without the irony. The ‘80s music score, all Yamaha DX-7 synthesizers (then-the state of the art digital instrument), drum machines, and guitars through Scholz Rockmans also contribute to the Reagan-era feel. I didn’t care about the characters; the recent death of Ray Liotta reminded me that I cared far more about the gangsters and hit men of Goodfellas and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction than daredevil American fighter pilots on the front lines of the Cold War because the writing and directing of the former movies were so good. The contrived Kelly McGillis subplot didn’t help matters....
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
I didn’t see the original, and won’t see this one.
The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis had a very short release last year as an event movie, but it's now streaming on several platforms. People who missed it in the theaters may want to check it out. It's a niche film for people who already know something about C.S. Lewis. It's competently acted and well enough made: solid, not great. I'd score it a B. But the strength of the film lies in a handful of scenes that deal directly with Lewis' conversion experience, and they are definitely worth seeing. I wish these parts were longer, but they are very good. Worth seeing. For those who understand the story.
Big stars don’t do dangerous stunts because the risk of injury is too high. That’s a financial constraint, not a “movie stars are sissies” constraints. Big productions are expensive. The really big ones are bleeding hundreds of thousands of dollars a day once shooting starts. TC can break his neck for all anyone cares, except that if he breaks a leg and production has to be shut down for a couple of months, the studio takes a bath. This is why stunt doubles were invented.
Suggest then, if you’re thinking about seeing this latest one, go back and watch the original first.
(“talk to me, Goose”)
Necromancy by Maverick!
What the hell is wrong with everyone?
Scientology gets a ton of Cruise’s money. He is their show pony.
HOW is that not understood? HE IS SCIENTOLOGY’S SHOW PONY.
So some jets and flag waving make everyone not care???!!!!
Go to an airshow! There’s a thought.
And I know everyone knows how effed up that evil money cult is. There isn’t an excuse of ignorance, the lid was blown of it years ago.
This is little Tom Tom’s best friend... David Miscavige
LOOK HIM UP!
Since he assumed his leadership position, there have been a number of allegations made against Miscavige. These include claims of human trafficking, child abuse, slavery, forced separation of family members, coercive fundraising practices, harassment of journalists and Church of Scientology critics, and emotional and physical abuse of subordinates by Miscavige. Miscavige and spokespersons for the organization deny the majority of these claims, often criticizing the credibility of those who bring them.[7][8][9][10][11]
Miscavige has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to allegations of criminal activities within the Scientology organization.[12][13] He is named as a defendant in numerous lawsuits involving his role in the organization.[22] The most recent lawsuit, filed in April 2022, refers to repeated sexual assault of children by senior Scientology officials in the Sea Org during Miscavige’s leadership. The case also involves allegations of human trafficking, forced labor, and other forms of child abuse.[19][20][21]
Real question is: What the heck is wrong with YOU?
I am not going to apologize to some left wing crazy for watching and really enjoying a great Tom Cruise movie.
I'll probably go watch it again instead.
Scientology gets a ton of Cruise's money. He is their show pony.
So what?
Scientology is far more legitimate than the illegitimate, fake January 6th Committee.
We haven't arrested people for donating money to the Jan 6 slime-ball committee members yet.
Is this the same FBI that just illegally arrested the 72 year old Peter Navarro who has never committed a crime in his life?
And when did Tom Cruise become Miscavige?
Lighten up, Francis.
Dang there are some crotchety, humorless, grumpy, “Get off my lawn!” FReepers.
Left wing crazy? Nope. Not accurate. Started listening to Rush in 89 and voted in every election against democrats. Without fail. Full stop. Scientology is a money cult that destroys lives and worse. Also full stop.
Scientology thanks you for your support of Tom Cruise’s very large paycheck which he gives to them.
I personally think NOT giving an evil money cults show pony more money to give to his cult to continue to do horrible things to families and worse IS conservative.
Crazy talk I know.
One day it will all come out, and people will be shocked how deep in Cruise was and what he knew, and possibly committed himself I would not be shocked at all on that. Hollywood is full of freaks. That cult is a fortress of secrecy.
So we're supposed to ignore real life and just keep repeating, "Trump good, Biden bad?"
I thought War of the Worlds was a great movie!
Tom Cruise is worth an estimated massive $600 Million today and probably much more after Top Gun Maverick money is added. If he is giving his paycheck to Scientology, how come he is still so rich?
Again, last time I looked, Scientology is totally legal in this country.
Everyone is free to join or not join as they wish.
I'd take Tom Cruise over 99% of the far left creeps in Hollywood anytime any day.
He is a much better human than they are.
On TV today, I heard the film of pilots flying was of the actors flying in co-pilot seat, shot while the jet was in air.
Agreed. I do not care how good the movie is. I will not willingly and knowing give money to the horrible people in hollywood. It is well past time to create parallel societies and get away from leftist democrats.
It’s the lesbian pearadox. Now matter how hot they are at first, they always end up looking like a pear.
I am all in favor of building a conservative counterculture. There is enough truth to O’Sullivan’s Law (“All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing”) that we should be attentive to building our own institutional infrastructure. But retreating to the catacombs is ultimately defeatist. We need our own long march through the institutions. We should support conservative cultural content when we find it.
I’m not trying to pick a fight with you, but I am curious about something. There is a recurring theme in many of the movie threads coming from the #$^@& Hollywood crowd (of which I was a part until a couple of years ago). There is a lot of reflexive denunciation of the industry, and many freepers have not been to a theater in years. (This probably has more to do with us getting old than it does with politics.)
But when many of these folks are done grousing, it often turns out that they have a self-curated list of golden oldie favorite films to which they return again and again. And often they also have a favorite tv show or a series or two. With some mental acrobatics, they’ve somehow separated the stuff they like from a generic denunciation of an industry that they loathe.
This often is expressed as, “Hollywood used to make great movies but it’s gone around the bend. They just don’t make movies like they used to.” I used to think this way. Then I discovered that I had developed a huge blind spot. I had gotten a bit older. I rarely went out to movies anymore and I didn’t watch much tv. I really only heard about the highly hyped blockbusters, which I had outgrown, and the films that attracted controversy, often for very good reasons. I had become blind to the good stuff, which was hiding in plain sight.
People still make good, culturally conservative movies and tv shows from time to time. We should support them when they do. The left is culturally, morally and artistically bankrupt. Audiences do respond to non-woke content. The success of TGM is just one example. Our target acquisition systems are broken. That’s why I always ask freepers for their recommendations on good films and shows that they’ve seen recently.
Maybe you are the exception. Perhaps you have not seen any films or tv shows in the last ten years, or at least not any that you would recommend. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist; it just means that you haven’t been paying attention. Which is fine if you have no interest, but you might be surprised if you followed up on the recommendations that do arise here and on other conservative sites.
Yeah, and all pre-flighted and ready to go. Hey, it's a movie.
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