I’m fully out of the closet as a Tom Cruise fan. But it is at least possible that I’m an even bigger fan of Alamo Drafthouse programmer Greg MacLennan and his ongoing series of film marathons in which a Hollywood titan’s whole filmography is up for contention, but only 5 picks will make the final (and top secret until the credits roll) cut. Having previously attended such glorious experiences as “Stallone Zone” and “Caged” (but ashamedly missing “Russellmania”), I was a guarantee to attend Cruise Control. But with such a massive filmography to choose from, which 5 Tom Cruise movie picks was Greg going to make? And how far down the rabbit hole would he take us? Traditionally Greg refuses to go with the obvious picks. No doubt there will be some classics, but a deep cut or two are also fairly guaranteed as well.
My Hopes Going In
Before stepping into the Alamo Ritz last weekend, I had a couple of hopes for what we would see. I realistically thought there was a good chance we’d see Eyes Wide Shut, which I would have gladly welcomed as I’ve never actually seen the film before. My biggest hope, though, was to see Collateral, as I’d been itching to revisit that title in the last year or so, and probably hadn’t seen it since theaters. A title I secretly hoped would play, but I imagined would be too obvious of a pick, was Mission: Impossible 2. I knew the chances were slim that a title as big as Top Gun or any of the M:I films would happen, but if an M:I WERE going to play, perhaps the John Woo entry would be the most likely. But let’s move on into the picks of the day.
The Picks
Film #1: The Color Of Money (1986) Dir. Martin Scorsese
Too often overlooked as a subpar sequel to an all time classic (1961’s The Hustler), not only is The Color Of Money due for a cultural reevaluation, but it might be worth studying as a master class of film direction. With shots so cool I could only smile in wonder, The Color Of Money is a master/protege long con film that more than triumphantly announces the return of Paul Newman’s Fast Eddie Felson. And perhaps the film ages so well precisely because Cruise has gone on to such heights of superstardom that his role as Fast Eddie’s hot-headed young protege feels like it has echos in real life as well. An older screen legend teaching an up and comer the ropes. Who though, in the end, has the sharpest skills? This becomes the burning question of the film as young Vincent’s talent inspires Eddie to pick up the cue stick once again. With an ice cold soundtrack, and unbelievably controlled and confident direction, The Color Of Money was a top-notch film to open this marathon with. Cruise as a pompadore-sporting young guido with a smoking hot young Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio on his arm as not just his girlfriend, but also a player in her own right in this hustle, was a different character than his more recent filmography has given him the leeway to play. Scorsese proves he’s a master among masters with trick pool shots done in one wide shot, clearly pulled off by the actors themselves. Billiards as ballet, with a few of cinema’s all time greats at the helm. What more could/did people want?
Film #2: Cocktail (1988) Dir. Roger Donaldson
Roger Donaldson is one of those directors who has been constantly working, and on a fairly high level, for decades now, but isn’t a household name at all. I myself just looked over his filmography and was shocked to see such familiar titles as The Bank Job (more recently) and Species and Dante’s Peak in the 90s. In the 1980s, however, he concocted a little film called Cocktail, our second mentor/mentee movie of the day. This time fellow Aussie Bryan Brown plays the older/wiser bartender with a ticket to fame and riches, and Cruise plays the success-obsessed Brian Flanagan, fresh out of the army and always holding a self-help book under his arm. When Brian begins to fall in love with Elizabeth Shue whilst bartending in the Caribbean, it throws off his plans to marry a rich older benefactor and open an NYC bar that’ll net him his millions. I had never seen Cocktail before (the only one out of the five for which this was true) and I can now say, with confidence… that… I have seen Cocktail. Much like with obscure foods, I’ll pretty much try anything once. I’ve now given Cocktail all the time it is likely ever to get from me. With wince-inducing smooth-Caribbean music throughout (a distracting step down in quality from the music of The Color Of Money), and characters so money-focused and insufferable that I couldn’t latch on to any of them, Cocktail’s blend just wasn’t for me. It fascinates me that Greg MacLennan loves the film so much, though, and if I ever was going to see Cocktail, I’d want it to be in an environment like the one I saw it in.
Film #3: Far and Away (1993) Dir. Ron Howard
After Cocktail, which I perceived to be a pretty douchey enterprise all around (what’d Elizabeth Shue even see in that guy anyway?), I needed something rousing to re-ignite me. With none of my hoped-for picks yet making an appearance, and Tom Cruise trailer after Tom Cruise trailer in between each film reminding me of just how many potential options there were for the rest of the day, I wanted something big and loud. And Far And Away definitely fits that bill. I last watched that film at the local dollar theater with my mother in the early 90s, and for whatever reason I’d always vividly remembered many of the details of the movie. They were fond enough memories. But this revisit took the film down a notch or two in my estimation. Is there more “Hollywood” of a film than Far And Away? The answer is yes, I’m sure, since Far And Away doesn’t distinguish itself in really any area quite enough to be the “most” or “least” of anything. With an on-the-nose score from all time great John Williams, and a cutesy, magical-realism tone, Far And Away swings big with a Cruise/Kidman pairing, the former as a roguish young Irish scrapper, the latter as an upper-crust lady. The pair end up in America and ultimately overcome their socio-economic differences and participate in the great Oklahoma land race. The movie winks its way through history in the most broadly entertaining way possible. You can’t go wrong with Cruise bare-knuckle Irish boxing, however, and anyone who claims the final OK land race isn’t a rousing finale filled with impressive filmmaking and horse stunt work is selling you something.
Film #4: Collateral (2004) Dir. Michael Mann
Ahh, at last, one of my most hoped-for picks makes it into the marathon. Greg mentioned when kicking off the day that he’d watched every single Tom Cruise film in this calendar year in preparation for this day, and while I have no idea how he ultimately makes some of the final decisions, I felt a sense of spiritual-in-tunedness with this title. I believed, deep down, that Greg would pick Collateral. Among the only villain roles in all of Cruise’s career, and directed by an uncontested master that may not quite be in Scorsese’s league, but is more in line with my own personal tastes, Michael Mann’s Collateral was the perfect choice for the fourth film of the day. And while I still totally dig the small, almost intimate character study that Collateral brings, I have to say I distinctly noticed and was distracted by the early use of digital cameras to capture the look of the movie. At times Collateral looks absolutely spectacular, capturing darks in a way that perhaps only digital can. But at other times that awful “motion smoothing” effect was evident. That dated a movie from 2004 far worse than anything in The Color Of Money. But technology aside, Collateral has to bend logic and reality sometimes to tell its story over the course of one night and remain contained to such a few characters. But with Jamie Foxx holding his own as our cab-driving protagonist against the cool and villainous Vincent (2nd Cruise character named Vincent in one day!), I still love this tale of loneliness and little moments. With just enough action and wonderful interplay between Foxx and Cruise, this film shows us an older, wiser Cruise having a ton of fun, totally unconcerned with the impact that playing a villain might have on his career.
Film #5: Days Of Thunder (1990) Dir. Tony Scott
Sadly, real life was encroaching on me severely, and I made the decision to bounce out before even knowing what the final pick was going to be. With Collateral, my most hoped-for pick, having happened for me, I reasoned that if I left the theater before knowing what the final pick was, I couldn’t be hooked into staying, since I really did have way too much to do. Responsibility won out, but I knew I’d be disappointed whenever I learned what the final pick was that I missed. And, it turns out, much like Greg’s grand finale at Stallone Zone with Over The Top, a 70mm print of a giant movie was chosen. The Alamo Ritz is kitted out with a projector capable of displaying true 70mm, and Greg took the die hards out with a bang as the audience was able to see Tony Scott’s Nascar drama Days Of Thunder as God intended it to be seen. While I’m sad to have missed that experience, I’ll always have the million times that I rode the Days Of Thunder interactive ride at King’s Dominion as a kid to hold me over until that next glorious occasion when perhaps I can see the adventures of Cole Trickle on the big screen once again.
Final Thoughts
A marathon at the Alamo Drafthouse, complete with secret titles, is a grand trust fall. You hand over your cost of admission, you mark off an entire day from your calendar, you envelope yourself in the darkness of the Drafthouse, and you fall back into Greg MacLennan’s arms. A day spent with one of cinema’s greatest heroes, and some of Austin’s most die-hard film fans, is always a day well spent. This time out I only saw one new film that I’d never seen before, and I’m glad to have seen it, even if I’ll never see it again. And I’ll just have to get on top of that whole “I’ve still never seen Eyes Wide Shut” problem that I can’t believe I’m publically admitting, since it didn’t play this marathon.
I probably wouldn’t have chosen the exact same five films that Greg did, but then again… I have access to just about any Tom Cruise movie I could ever want right here in my own home. Cruise Control was about seeing Tom Cruise movies, on 35mm, as chosen by Greg, and I can confidently say that while Cocktail and Far And Away weren’t entirely my jams, I love these experiences and will gladly be present at future marathons. One has to assume that The Arnold Classic or The Mad Mel are just around the corner, and I’ll do my best to outrun Tom Cruise to be the first in line to attend them.
And I’m Out.
Tough Guy Cinema presents CRUISE CONTROL: The Tom Cruise Marathon from Alamo Drafthouse on Vimeo.