Dish Me Up Some

tom cruise

"BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Cruise, also one of the film's producers, is a member of the Church of Scientology which the German government does not recognize as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject.

The U.S. actor has been cast as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Nazi dictator in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase.

Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers "will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult."

"In general, the Bundeswehr (German military) has a special interest in the serious and authentic portrayal of the events of July 20, 1944 and Stauffenberg's person," Kammerbauer said.""

Valkyrie (2008) is in preproduction phase.  Of note, to all those reading, when I post Greatest Work, I mix it up with films that make the most $$$, most exposed ones/marketed, ones that friends or family like with some of my favorites.  I did omit some of Tom's later work partially because I have not seen the film as well as I am hoping to draw in some film opinions from "ya all".  Feel free to participate.  As I have stated about some other actors, for some reason if I had to rank, I would say Tom's earlier work appeals to me more than his latter.  I try not to let my personal opinions about an actor or actresses personal life necessarily steer me away from a good film (yes, he and  I definitely differ on some topics), but "the oldies still are my favorite".  Of the newer films, The Last Samurai was one I would pick to watch again.  I really have general preference to those films with a picture perfect fuzzy warm ending (Yes, I adore the typical chick flick) but do appreciate an action packed film with a psuedo -history overtone.

So will Tom Cruise be able to sweet talk, bribe or use his international and/or rich buddy influence somewhere out there to find a suitable place to shoot his movie? Time will tell.

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i liked him best in Born on the Forth of July, Color of Money, Vanilla Sky, and Magnolia.

His baby is walking already. 

I guess Bruno Ganz isn't a Scientologist... 

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It looks like all the photos that were taken recently in France were posed/planned shots.  Their baby is cute. 

Since the initial uproar in Germany, there has been rebuttal comments to the press stating that those who are in opposition of Tom Cruise "were only standing up to him to get publicity themselves".  Hum, let me think about that.

I hope Tom makes time for his other kids.

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Those weren't paparazzi shots, that's for sure.

In Germany, follow the $$$. The film company practically has all the permits needed, behind various government types talking about citizen rights. A major film in the $100s of millions range? Please.... Their real problem is arranging to film in the true locations, which are now memorials and government offices.

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Are they selling these photos or just authorizing them to all these magazines that have Suri's pics on them.  I am torn on if I think if it is a right or wrong thing to do.  They seem to be marketing their daughter too much.  But then again, if they hide her, the paparazzi may even be worse.  Maybe there is a happy medium?

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So now Germany is giving the production company $6.5 million to do the movie in Germany.

The baby looks happy, so that's good.

Our friends' daughter just graduated from the California Culinary Academy and to celebrate, she and three other graduates had dinner at the French Laundry in Yountville. The basic cost for a meal is $240 (including service charge), but by the time they had finished, the tab was about $350 each. When her parents went, it cost $800 for the two of them.

Brad Bird ate there when collecting info for Rataouille and by coincidence there were 4 Pixar execs at the next table when the 4 graduates ate there. The two tables ended up chatting all evening. Pixar is in Emeryville and the execs were all local. They're involved with Toy Story 3 and were very enthusiastic about it. They said it wouldn't be out till 2010, but they've already signed up Tim Allen and Tom Hanks.

Pixar used to be situated in a little building next to Target in Mountain View. But then, Google used to be in a small building in Mountain View. And Yahoo in a small building in Santa Clara... I used to drive by all these places every day; if I had had a crystal ball, I would have stopped in and applied for a job at one of them.