Vanilla Sky

Welp, critics are already calling this movie very suspenseful, but they won't tell you things that will give it away *applause applause*

Only two days away!!

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"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

Tom Cruise hasn't made a good movie in 5 years so I won't hold my breath on this one.

How do you figure? What was five years ago?

Depending on his taste, I guess he means either Jerry Maguire or the first Mission: Impossible, both released in 1996.

I happen to think Eyes Wide Shut is a great movie, one of the very best of the decade. And although I have major problems with the overall film, his performance in Magnolia was quite good. But different strokes.

Vanilla Sky isn't anything like Jerry Maguire (also directed by Cameron Crowe), or Mission:Impossible (and thank the Movie Gods for that). So if either is your standard for excellence, don't bother with Vanilla Sky.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

I just threw out 5 years but it looks like I was right on. Eyes Wide Shut aptly describes my opinion of Tom Cruise lately. *snore* Jerry Maguire was a cool flick and MI was entertaining but aside from that what has he done recently? Tom Cruise is slipping IMHO.

I don't think Cruise has ever done all that much to slip from. I actually think the guy can act, but he so rarely chooses roles that call for it.

Since Jerry Maguire he's only been in Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Mission: Impossible 2 and now Vanilla Sky, followed by Minority Report in the first half of next year. Eyes Wide Shut took close to two solid years to shoot, so that ate up his time for most of 1997 and 1998.

The only performances I really respect Cruise for are Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Rain Man, The Color of Money and Born on the Fourth of July. The rest has been varying degrees of fluff, either in what was required acting-wise and/or the overall film. His worst stuff, Days of Thunder, Cocktail, Far and Away, is just downright embarassing. And I find most of his blockbusters, stuff like Interview with the Vampire, Top Gun, and both Mission: Impossibles, to be dull Hollywood dreck.


But to each their own. I actually have pretty high expectations for Crowe's Vanilla Sky re-make and think it'll be a good challenge for Cruise, one I suspect he'll be up to.

how about jerry maguire? I thought that's one of his best performances

I have some problems with Jerry Maguire, which I think is incredibly overrated. Cruise is fine in it I guess, but I wouldn't rank it with his very best work as an actor. I'd put it in that second tier, with The Firm and A Few Good Men. Not bad stuff from Cruise acting-wise, immesurably better than Cocktail and Days of Thunder, but not all he's capable of.

I definitely think Jerry Maguire is Cameron Crowe's weakest film (yes, I even like Singles much more). And whaddayaknow, it's by far his most successful too.

I think he's come a long way. He could've have fallen by the wayside, in the sea of talentless, good-looking men, pool. He's hung in there though. I respect the guy, I find his career looking more and more promising each year.

My dad watches Top Gun all the time, so I've grown to like it. My mom, loves Rain Man, so that movie is a fav of mine as well.

Cruise is a mediocre actor, so you can only expect mediocre things from him.

He was perfect in A Few Good Men.

While neither of them are great actresses, I'd rather see Jaime Pressly in Not Another Teen Movie this weekend over Penelope Cruz in Vanilla Sky. Cruz annoys the hell out of me and is reason enough for me NOT to see this movie. I'd rather laugh my *** off with Not Another Teen Movie and see Pressly in a tight cheerleader outfit.

Any reason, with merit, why you don't like Cruz? I've got a few...do you? Or were you just lookin' for an outlet to talk about teens in cheerleading outfits?

So anyone see it yet? Looks like I won't be able to get to the theater today. I thought the Royal Tenenbaums opened today but it's not playing. Grrr....

Saw it today.

I. Am. Speechless.

I am with out speach. The movie was brilliant. It was beautiful. It was warm. It was fuzzy. It was creepy. It was loving. It was hatefull. It was perfect.

I will say nothing more, see it with a clear state of mind, and you will be happy for the rest of the day.

I sat in my friend Grants car for 45 minutes after the movie, eating checkers and listening to soundtrack (I bought it immediately afterwards) and just remembering the movie. I strongly, and I can't stress strongly enough, consider this to be one of, if not the, best movies of all time. If your still reading this your obviously a fool for you should be reaching for your keys and on the way to buy your ticket.

To put it simply enough; WOW!

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Horror's Not Dead
Latest Movie Review(s): Too lazy to keep this up to date. New reviews every week.

Sigh.

Anyone know when it's released in Australia?

OG, Oscar wise, what are you thinking?

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Deffinetely nods all over the place. Best Screenplay adaption, possibly best actor (Cruise did a good job). Lee did an excellent job as always. Best Picture nom no doubt. It truly deserves it, IMO.

I thought Requiem For a Dream was quite possibly the best movie I have ever seen, but now I'm not so sure anymore.

I haven't seen "Vanilla Sky," but I don't think anything will convince me that it deserves a "Best Adapted Screenplay" nod over Harry Potter...let alone LOTR, in all it's guaranteed glory.

I liked Vanilla Sky, but I have to raise my purist head and admit the original Spanish film was better, even with a smaller budget and no wall-to-wall pop music.

Crowe did an admirable job in adapting the movie, wisely not changing ANY of the substantial details. There are cosmetic changes, but even a relatively few of those. I still don't think the movie needed to be re-made in any way, but Crowe did it as well as can be done.


As for Oscars, the only thing you can tell for sure is that you can never tell. I don't know that the Hollywood establishment will "get" the movie enough to raise it to the level of Oscar nominee. After all, this is the same voting body that just gave the top honor to frippin' Gladiator in March. Taxing their brains and going out on a limb is not what they're collectively known for. Cameron Crowe will likely get the screenplay nomination, and Tom Cruise as actor has a very good shot, but otherwise I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. But time will tell.


I'd grade the original Open Your Eyes (1997) an A-, and Vanilla Sky (2001) a B.

WOW!

I saw this movie at 7:20 last night, and was blown the f--k away. Then I watched it again at 9:40. I couldn't say a word. Only this morning can I even think clearly again - I dreamt about it all night. It is a revelation, a masterpiece, one of the most beautiful, experiences I can remember having. This is a movie everybody should see twice - first to be blown away, second to be heartbroken. I love it so much. I would NEVER have expected Vanilla Sky to be made by a Hollywood studio...this movie spits in the face of Hollywood assembly-line crap like The Mummy Returns, & requires so much more emotional involvement than the garbage infesting the multiplexes. Last night after the second showing, a woman outside the theater called it "icky". I wanted to scream at her and shout in her face and shake her by her shoulders. Movies like Vanilla Sky are why I love the movies.