Mission Impossible III

[Karlifornia]

I think I want to become a devout scientologist just to confuzzle my parents and friends. Well, I won't really believe in it, but I'll just say I do. But don't I have to donate a buncha money to actually "acquire the knowledge"?

*Goes back to reading Dianetics*

Oh, and I don't think I'll see this movie, but that's just because I've become disenchanted with googleplex theaters.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I feel badly I missed this post.

It's amazing how intolerant someone who claims to be tolerant can be, isn't it?

I especially like the "tame subject" matter line. Tame to who? You? JIMG? Me? My two dogs? You cannot make that judgement for me or anyone else. You make judgements about the things important to you.

I'm not saying it's asinine that you go see a Cruise movie, I'm saying I won't do it. I also love the "I value my entertainment opportunities" line. Spare me, ok? There are literally thousands of things I can be entertained by in this world. From dating to video games to books to movies with Tom Cruise not in them to sporting events. . . I could go on and on.

Lastly, I asked you guys to stop in above posts, but you keep it up and up and up. Stop it with the comparisons!!!!! Just stop. You don't know what I find offensive. Something I might just laugh at, you might fly off the handle at. It's all about how important a topic is to you.

I'm sick of the people in this thread saying "well, if you are going to stop supporting Cruise for this you have to stop supporting. . ." NO, I DON'T. I have to do what I'm comfortable with. Nothing more, nothing less. The only thing you could rightfully nail me on is if I wasn't consistent with the given topic at hand. Say for instance, Jim hopped on the board and started shredding psychology, saying it was all a farce and that it never helped anyone. Then I purchased the game.

OK, now you have a fair, even comparison. If I purchased the game, I'm a hypocrite who deserves to be bashed and shredded and laughed at. I can promise you I would NOT purchase the game if that were to happen. I do value my entertainment time and dollar. I value it a great deal. I also value my personal beliefs. My entertainment dollar can go to a lot of areas. My beliefs are with me 24 hours a day. In this case, I think Cruise was out of line and I will refuse to support him or his movies further. YMMV.

Alright, I will back up a bit. Each person does have their own values and can apply those in making judgments to go to a movie. And yes, if Cruise's opinions were extreme on something I care about, then it would affect my judgment on whether to go to a movie. I guess I just thought that the topics he discussed were tame to me (and it did not seem to me worth deciding not to go to the movie). But clearly the topics are not tame to some - like psychiatrists. So, if you're a psychiarist, I could clearly see why you would not go to this movie.

I guess I liken it to this. I have some friends, and some of them have very different views than I have, but we're still friends. However, I guess there would be some things about the friend (e.g. deals drugs to kids, rapist) that would end the friendship. So, once Cruise does something like that I will go to his movie if it is one I am interested in.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Seriously though, here's a different question, one that's more on the point that's bothering me:

Did you consider the p.o.v. expressed & whether it's something you're willing to contribute money to support?

I think at some level the answer for everyone is yes.

My question: do you limit it to POV expressed? What if it's well known that the CEO of a company belongs to a group (political party, religion, social organization, etc.) you find objectionable? He doesn't necessarily talk about it in public, but you know that he donates a good portion of his salary to that organization. Same response? What if it's not the CEO, but someone in senior management?

We can take this to extremes, of course, but I'm sincerely wondering where you draw the line. Maybe public statements is an easy divider, but if you take this to the nth degree, at some point are you growing your own food and making your own clothes?

I'm not sure where I draw the line myself.

[Buccaneer]

Prior to the weekend, a Paramount spokesperson suggested an opening between Mission: Impossible II and War of the Worlds ($64.9 million) as the bar for Mission: Impossible III's success, compared to media and industry expectations that had ballooned past $70 million. On Sunday morning, a hopeful Paramount likened Mission: Impossible III's potential to Batman Begins, which had a weaker-than-expected $48.7 million first weekend but went on to earn $205.3 million. Both sprung from dormant franchises with baggage—Batman and Robin for the latter and Cruise's overblown off-screen antics in Mission's case.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by digamma

I think at some level the answer for everyone is yes.

I'd like to think so to but that doesn't appear to be the case based on what's been posted in this thread, that's what tripped my freakin' trigger.

I couldn't care less about an actor/producer's personal politics or religious beliefs.

if I stopped seeing movies based on principle, there's not many movies left to see.

No kidding.

posted in agreement with quote #1

Ding Ding!

posted in agreement with quote #1

Maybe Steven Spielberg molests collies. I could care less. ... Just make good movies.

And that's just from the first two pages of the thread.

If your quote was right, that there was some consideration of ethics/values/p.o.v./what- have-you then this sidebar of the thread wouldn't have taken place. Instead, there's pretty regular & adamant denial of such.

[chinaski]

scientologists get a lifetime ban in my league. :P

[Drake]

Y'all are late to the Tom-Cruise-is-a-nutcake bandwagon. I knew he was a nutcake the moment he left Nicole Kidman.

[Neon_Chaos]

Batman Begins was an amazing phenomenon of a movie. It started off really slow (a stigma of following the pevious Batman disasters)... but then word of mouth that the movie was not only watchable, but actually good, just catapulted it straight to the top.

And it still is up there in my "best comic book movies" category, closely tied with V for Vendetta (currently my bar for movie excellence for 2006)

[molson]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'd like to think so to but that doesn't appear to be the case based on what's been posted in this thread, that's what tripped my freakin' trigger.

Well, you definitely made me think in this thread, but at the end of the day, I think you're way off base. I'm one of these "principle-lacking" people who could care less about the political beliefs or criminal record of anyone involved in the entertainment that I expose myself to. This doesn't however, mean that I'm putting ethics/principles over entertainment - in fact it's quite the opposite. Entertainment is a frivolous, usually meaningless part of my existence. Ethics and principles matter when I'm dealing with my family, friends, career (the stuff that's important), but they don't come into play at all with the stuff that's meaningless (what crappy movie I'm seeing at the mall).

I also think you're confusing "no principles" with "principles different than yours". Your system of ethics/principles seems include boycotting movies if you disagree with the viewpoints of the main actor. My system of ethics/principles does not. I read Mein Kempf in college, even though I'm not a Nazi. On the other hand, I may, and probable do, utilize my principles/beliefs in scenarios in life that you haven't even thought to. That doesn't make me better.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Vinatieri for Prez

Alright, I will back up a bit. Each person does have their own values and can apply those in making judgments to go to a movie. And yes, if Cruise's opinions were extreme on something I care about, then it would affect my judgment on whether to go to a movie. I guess I just thought that the topics he discussed were tame to me (and it did not seem to me worth deciding not to go to the movie). But clearly the topics are not tame to some - like psychiatrists. So, if you're a psychiarist, I could clearly see why you would not go to this movie.

I guess I liken it to this. I have some friends, and some of them have very different views than I have, but we're still friends. However, I guess there would be some things about the friend (e.g. deals drugs to kids, rapist) that would end the friendship. So, once Cruise does something like that I will go to his movie if it is one I am interested in.

FWIW, I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm just one of the millions of Americans who have had a close friend or family member helped by the profession.

[Raiders Army]

Another facet to this conversation is that Tom Cruise is one guy in the movie. What if 30 people who worked on the movie opposed Scientology or agreed with the views of the "public". Would that make a difference in going to see the movie? Sure, you're supporting Tom Cruise with your money, but you're also supporting numerous other people with your money as well. Would it make a difference if you knew the caterer or the guy who plays a violin in the movie for the soundtrack and their views?

[Raiders Army]

Dola, if it would make a difference what would the threshold be? Would it be in numbers of people or in the amount of money they make compared to Cruise?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

Would it make a difference if you knew the caterer or the guy who plays a violin in the movie for the soundtrack and their views?

the caterer and the violinist aren't marketed to sell the movie. their contributions are so tiny that what they stand for/believe in thusly doesn't not matter.

when the movie studio says "see this movie because Tom Cruise is in it", that's what i care about.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'd like to think so to but that doesn't appear to be the case based on what's been posted in this thread, that's what tripped my freakin' trigger.

I guess I was speaking more generally, and I'd like to think that cthomer was talking specifically about movies here. Again, maybe movies are an easy place to draw a bright line because the stars are visible and easy targets, if you will, but my side bar to your side bar was a more general hypothetical about where we draw the line in less crystal situations. Maybe it's a separate thread all together.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Originally Posted by TroyF

FWIW, I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm just one of the millions of Americans who have had a close friend or family member helped by the profession.

Yes, that too.

[JeeberD]

I was forced to go and see it this weekend and it was better than I had anticipated, though it was definitely cheesy at times. The best part was the the girl playing his wife was fookin' HOT!

[ISiddiqui]

I know I'm late to the shitstorm, but put me down as someone who won't see this in the theater because I refuse to support something with Cruise. It isn't just scientology. I mean, Hell, you can be a scientologist and not try to force it on others. Cruise getting all huffy about Brooke Sheilds was waaay out of line. And then going on Matt Lauer and spreading false information, perhaps influencing some impressionable person out there to go off his meds because its all the 'aliens'. You can believe whatever religious principles you want to believe, but don't start condemning people left and right based on those principles.

Listen, I don't mind seeing John Travolta movies (if they are any good), because I don't feel that he forces his message on others. He's never, to my knowledge, castigated someone else in public for taking pills for depression or whatever.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Listen, I don't mind seeing John Travolta movies (if they are any good),

Well that certainly minimizes the number of times it becomes an issue

[korme]

I double dipped and dropped $15 to see X-Men and Mission Impossible today. I left X-Men3 pleasantly happy and loved it. I just got back from MI3 and it was the best movie I saw today. Great action sequences, great movie.

[korme]

Damn, why did I read this thread? I thought it'd be about the movie.

I told my buddy AJ this as we were leaving, "I know Tom Cruise is crazy and all, but he's got to be the best actor in Hollywood."

Honestly, dude's a bad ass on screen... I can name a ridiculous amount of movies he's done that I would watch again - MI, MI3, Vanilla Sky, Collateral, The Last Samurai, Cocktail, The Firm, A Few Good Men, The Color of Money, Top Gun, Born on the Fourth of July, to name a few. Who cares off screen, appreciate what he does ON screen.

[Anthony]

not only is TOm Cruise short, i hear he has an inadequate sized scotum.

i can't support this movie.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

that's a great example in the case of tom cruise.

I know this is quite late to check in but I wanted to relate a story that is real. It happened almost 30 years ago so I won't say it's relevant now or anything more than anectdotal but anyway here goes.

My mom's best friends sister was a scientologist. Not a garden variety scientologist but a high ranking one who wanted out and got out. We had to hide her out literally as she had been told she could not leave and she did.

There were several times when we'd be questioned ( yes, a knock at the door and a "do you know where this person is" kind of questioning ) and we were followed quite a bit.

The worst moment was when I saw two of them at my middle school. It turns out that they had told the principle that they were friends of my moms and they were picking me up for her. They left when she said she had to call my mom to verify this.

Now, to me that is terrorism and I lived in terror for a while. Until the school thing I didn't but that kind of creepiness is understood even by a middle schooler.

Again, YMMV and they may be different now but to me his example isn't that big a stretch.

This only went on for a couple of months though. Once they realized she had no intentions of talking about what she knew they backed off.

Unfortunately she died of cancer in less than a year but she was one of the most amazing women I've ever met. She saw something positive in their teachings but saw something she really couldn't deal with in the organization.

Unfortunately, she never did say just what either thing was as far as I know.

I don't see Tom Cruise as some kind of sinister figure btw but I wouldn't be surprised if his words aren't directed by one. That's my take on it anyway.

Oops, without HA's post that you replied to this makes no sense.

cthomer: hi, i'd like to purchase your product

merchant: just so you know, i plan on funneling the proceeds of this purchase to fund a terrorist organization. death to all Americans

cthomer: awww, what the hell do i care about your beliefs?