Jerry Maguire

As I mentioned before, I'm about to get married (again) to a wonderful woman who happens to have a 6 year old son. I work (when shit is normal) in the service industry, and often have trouble finding inspiration and joy from what keeps a roof over my head. I'm turning 34 this Saturday.

Jerry Maguire is a movie about a guy who, after breaking up with his fiance, meets and falls for a single mom while also dealing with a job where he struggles to find inspiration and joy. He is 35 years old.

I relate to Jerry Maguire.

Spoilers for Jerry Maguire to follow.

Even though our stars align at this point in my life, I still loved Jerry Maguire even as a 10 year old. For some reason I was very susceptible to emotional driven movies aimed at adults when I was that age. Having revisited most of those movies as an adult, it's clear that any theme or deeper meaning just went over my head. I was simply too young to understand adult problems. But for whatever reason, I understood the emotion. I understood that these characters were feeling things, some sad, some happy. I don't mean that in any depressing kind of way of course, it's just the way i found my connections with movies. I WAS MOVED BY ART. Even as a 10 year old. Bitch.

And for whatever reason, I thought Tom Cruise was the coolest. Maybe it's because I knew us small boys gotta stick together. Either way, I was a fucking Tom Cruise fan from day one, and Jerry Maguire was definitely my shit.

In the movie, Jerry Maguire is a hot shot sports agent (!) who finds himself having a crisis of conscience. He represents athletes who generate generous profits for both his company and himself, but at sacrifice to their own well being. One of the very first scenes in the movie has Jerry standing at the foot of his client's hospital bed as the athlete struggles to remember not only his agents name, but his wife and son's as well. As Jerry is leaving the hospital, the athletes son stops him, and questions his Dad's health to Jerry, saying that it's his fourth concussion. The kid is clearly worried about his fathers health. And Jerry, whose beeper goes off right as this is happening, calmly and charmingly assures the kid that his Dad is tough as nails, and can take anything.

"Fuck you", the kid says to Jerry. He runs off.

YIKES.


And then you get the famous phrases and freak out scenes and "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

And they all hit just as well now as they did 24 years ago.

I get it if you don't love Jerry Maguire, but if you do, then you know that this movie is peak CRUISE. His charisma is off the charts. The opening montage with his voice over is filled with scummy, yuppy energy. And you completely fall for it. Jerry's job is to sell, and in this scene he's selling the hot shot world of Sports Agent. And it all seems cool and satisfying simply because Cruise is such a great salesman. And then Jerry comes clean. His life is a sham. He doesn't care about money or fame, he wants fulfillment, personal relationships. He wants to be a better person.

Jerry Maguire is the ultimate Tom Cruise: Movie Star performance. Tom showcases a gamut of range here; dramatic, comedic, frantic, vulnerable, pathetic, human, sometimes all in one scene.

In another scene, Jerry is talking to his fiance about his non-excitement for his "surprise" bachelor party. She assures him it'll be fun. He knows she's wrong. We get the hint that he's unhappy.

The very next scene, Jerry falls to the floor, pretending to be surprised by his friends throwing him a bachelor party. He SELLS it. Jerry can't help but please, both at home and at work, for better or for worse. The party itself is exactly what Jerry didn't want, a video montage of all of his ex girlfriends talking about how selfish and childish he was in front of all of his friends. And Tom is devastating here, his 10,000 watt of a smile suddenly is without charm, fake as can be. You feel his anguish and embarrassment. Tom Cruise: Movie Star now seems truly vulnerable.

Of course, Cruise always excels when he's with good company, and it cannot be denied how great his co stars are in this movie too. Rene Zellweger is heartbreakingly real as Dorothy, a wise beyond her years single mom who takes the chance of her life on Jerry. Yes, this movie is about Jerry Maguire, a man struggling to find his place and peace both with himself and with his job. And he does! And then finally, FINALLY, he knows what he's missing. "You complete me." he tells her. There is no Jerry Maguire without Dorothy.

Out of the films 5 Oscar nominations, including one for Tom for Best Actor and the film itself for Best Picture, it was Cuba Gooding, Jr. who won the films single trophy that night. His character, Rod Tidwell, is easily one of the most quoted characters of the 90s, full stop. But what's fucking crazy is that I forgot just how good Cuba is here. It's a big, show-y part, and while Gooding, Jr. plays that part to the T, it's the smaller moments, the moments where Rod and Jerry are actually just talking, and being friends, that we learn how soulful and good a person Rod is, and that's all Cuba. Well, him and a good script, but you know what I mean. Hoo Boy, that scene. The touchdown scene, where Rod is knocked unconscious for several minutes. Talk about the biggest fucking smile on my stupid little face once he gets up from the ground and begins to celebrate. His joy is so infectious and genuine. I feel like people have forgotten how good a performance this is by Gooding, Jr., and perhaps because it's so over the top most of the time it makes it hard to remember the more quiet moments he has. Watching it again though, it's clear he earned the Oscar that year.

It's really not all that surprising that I related so intensely on this latest viewing. As I mentioned at the beginning of this rant, Jerry and I got A LOT in common, but also I'm just older and I understand the struggles of Life. and Jerry Maguire is an amazing movie about Life.

 Jerry Maguire came out in December 1996 and earned $153 million in the US, becoming Cruise's fifth film in a row to gross more than $100 million in the states.

His next film would end that streak, however, and it just so happens it'll be next on our journey through the CRUISE career. That's right, baby! We're getting on the Kubrick train and going full steam ahead with Eyes Wide Shut. 

I'll be back as soon as i can with that installment, but until then remember, there's only one thing that matters. I like movies.

A Tom Cruise Period.

I love Tom Cruise. I've always loved Tom Cruise. But ever since "The Incident" on Oprah's talk show for his press tour for Mission: Impossible III, the whole world started to look at Cruise differently. For most, he simply became crazy Ol' Tom. For me, he stopped being Tom Cruise: Movie Star and became Tom Cruise: Action Star. Once Cruise figured out that audiences loved him again as an action lead in Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Tom didn't look back, and almost his entire output of films have been action. Granted, most of those movies have ranged from really fucking good (Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow) to action masterpieces (Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation and MI-Fallout).

But I miss Tom Cruise: Movie Star. 

I realized this while watching Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds the other night with my fiance. Right before starting it, I was excited to revisit one of Spielbergs unsung classics, a movie that seemingly fell to the way side in terms of Spielberg's filmography. The movie was one of the biggest hits of 2005, but for some reason never really found enough ground to stand as one of Spielberg's best, something common for his early aughts output (which in my humble opinion, was one of his best periods. War of the Worlds, Minority Report, A.I. GTFO if you don't think those movies rip). 

Anywho. 

As soon as the movie started I instantly fell victim to Cruise's charisma. In the movie he plays a hot shot dock worker (!) and deadbeat Daddy to Dakota Fanning and that other guy. Cruise immediately IS this character. He doesn't get either of his kids, but we believe he loves them. When shit goes down, he protects his kids. He has the correct instinct to get the kids to their mother, because she'll know what to do. This is a very quick summation of the very, very good work Cruise does in the movie, but simply put, I believed him. I believed that he was scared for his life and for his kids lives. I believed he would do anything to keep them alive. He did great work in that movie, and I personally find it crazy and offensive that it's not more talked about not only for Cruise's sake but for Spielberg's. The movie is incredible. 

SO. 

I've decided to look into Tom's catalogue and talk about what made me love Tom Cruise in the first place. I'm starting with Jerry Maguire because I fucking want to, and will follow Tom until about 2002 territory with Minority Report, at least at first. I've seen these Cruise movies countless times, but less so in the last 10 years, and I want to remember more the Cruise I grew up with. And then, I'll dig deeper. Top Gun. Cocktail. Days of Thunder. Far and Away. Interview with the Vampire, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, etc. I want to talk about Tom before he was crazy, when he was the world's biggest movie star making the best movies. But for real, I'll probably talk about most the Mission: Impossibles, Collateral, The Last Samurai, and Jack Reacher too. I love Tom Cruise. I want to talk about Tom Cruise because I like movies, and he makes good movies. 

So in the next few days I'll be back here with some thoughts on Jerry Maguire (which i revisited today), so until then, good day. 

I love you, 

but most of all, 

I like movies. 

Out of Sight

Out of Sight is cool.

Out of Sight is real cool.

Out of Sight is real fucking cool.

How many times can I saw cool in this post?*

The film stars George Clooney as Jack Foley, a career bank robber on the run, and Jennifer Lopez as the cop after him. The film also carries a supporting cast that includes Don Cheadle, Luiz Guzman, Albert Brooks, Steve Zahn (Long Live Steve Zahn), Catherine Keener, Dennis Farina and Michael Keaton!

Hoo boy this movie hit the spot. It had been quite a few years since I watched it last, and it was a great reminder that this is without a doubt one of my favorite movies. Which isn't surprising really, I've long since been identified as a "Soder-Boy", a devout and loving admirer of the film's director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Trilogy, The Limey, Traffic). Oh yea, I'm a big, big Soder-Boy. The dude is fearless, and even though he doesn't always hit the mark, I love that he always takes a swing (sport reference brought to you by Fuck You).

But Out of Sight works. The movie has so many cool flourishes throughout (a few choice freeze frames, for example) and its two lead actors are actually oozing chemistry (ooooooooozing). No, but really, George and Jennifer have that true blue movie star chemistry, that lightening in a bottle. Lopez has never been better (HUSTLERS OWNED THOUGH) and this is easily my favorite Clooney performance (I'd say his best is Michael Clayton). In the films' infamous car trunk scene, George and Jennifer are in the trunk of a car, talking to each other for the first time, as criminal and hostage, and Clooney effortlessly goes from criminal, to buffoon, to charming, to sexy, to funny.

But there are also scenes where he is as cool as cool gets. In fact, just as The Hunt for Red October molded my inner perception of Sean Connery, Out of Sight gave me the way I immediately picture George Clooney. Cool. Just fucking cool. *wipes drool*

Y'all, Out of Sight is just fucking good. A top auteur director working with one of his greatest collaborators at the very beginning of their relationship. V cool.


Movies are real cool, dudes. I like movies.

I'll be back here soon, y'all.

*10

The Hunt for Red October and Crimson Tide

I made a mistake.



I did something I shouldn't have.


I FUCKED up.



I watched The Hunt for Red October right before Crimson Tide.


*Deep Breath*


That was a mistake. It was my mistake, and my mistake alone. The thing is, I love Crimson Tide. It's a stylish Tony Scott action/thriller with Gene Hackman (HACK-MAN) and Scott's frequent collaborator, Mr. Denzel Washington. The movie is a well made popcorn flick with a cast that is simply too incredible to name everyone here (Long Live Steve Zahn), and the back and forth between Hackman (HACK-MAN) and Washington is just some plain ol' good shit.

I actually hadn't seen Tide in a number of years, and I'm not sure I had ever actually watched my Blu Ray copy (Blu Ray baby), and for whatever reason, I had the worst itch to watch some 'Dad' thrillers. I had just recently purchased The Hunt for Red October, so this seemed like an ideal time for a double feature (The Fugitive is next!).

For reasons unknown, I had decided to watch Red October first. Could it have possibly been the fact that the movie had just turned 30? Perhaps.  Or could it have possibly been that I had purchased it on 4K Blu Ray and I'm a little bitch when it comes to that? Yes. So Red October was first.

Jesus Christ, what a fucking masterclass in action filmmaking.

John McTiernan had just put out Predator three years prior, and Die Hard a year after that. Red October was his follow up to both films. 

Let that sink in. Three action masterpieces within 3 years of each other. One after another. McTiernan was, simply put, working on another level at that time. His sense of geography is akin to Spielberg, every action is clear, every cut is precise. He cuts back and forth between different locations on a submarine, back and forth between CIA offices and Naval ships. It's never once confusing, something that has plagued action films in subsequent decades.

The pace of this film moves at lightening speed, which is all the more impressive when you realize there really aren't any traditional action scenes. No fist fights. Maybe a few bullets are shot. But it's all just a game of cat and mouse between Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery. And it's fucking exhilarating.

Speaking of Connery. Holy Shit. What a commanding performance. I didn't realize it until this viewing (and I hadn't seen this since maybe junior high), but this is how I've always pictured Sean Connery. His sense of honor, a little bit of rebellion, authority. When ever I thought of Connery, I was thinking of him in Red October. Which is insane. James Bond. The Untouchables. The Rock. Indiana Jones' Dad. But my mental image of Sean Connery was him in this movie. He was so good, it actually imprinted on my brain.

But McTiernan. Man. One particular sequence involving a deep ocean canyon and a cocky Connery is an absolute all timer. The man just knew exactly how to get the heart racing, and like his previous films, knew exactly how to cast and create iconic characters. This man basically molded my action childhood, and I feel ashamed that I hadn't revisited this one sooner.


Crimson Tide never stood a chance.


Anywho, I'm gonna do this more. I recently published another post, it's a little personal (ew), but its there if you wanna poke this brain. Like I said, I think I'm gonna watch The Fugitive soon, so I'll be back on here to talk about that ASAP (or whatever the hell else I decide watch if anything).

BYE

I still like movies.

Hello world, it's me Jordan (Robert). There have been some changes in my life since I last wrote in this here thing. I'm engaged again. That's cool. I'm about to be a Step Dad. That's terrifying. I'm about to be 34. That's fine.

I still like movies, though. Very much so. I usually watch at least one movie a day. I hear it keeps the social life away. LOL. Anyway, like I said, I like movies. No matter if times are good or bad, I like movies. One thing I've noticed though, is how much I miss writing about movies.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll talk about movies with anyone willing to listen (usually just my Mommy) all day long, but I miss taking those conversations and thoughts and conclusions and writing them out. I used to do it regularly, mostly when I was married and living in North Carolina. That was a hard time for me. I never made many friends when I moved, and I had missed my old friends and family something fierce. My marriage at the time seemed fine, but later I realized it was during those years that it began to deteriorate. And rather than actively deal with my loneliness (which eventually blossomed into a full on case of depression) or work on my marriage, I turned to movies. Oh and maybe too much booze (BUT I'LL DEAL WITH THAT LATER).

But I wrote about movies, just not on here but for a local newspaper in North Carolina. My taste in movies didn't match very well with theirs, but it was a cool opportunity and I got to see movies for free.

As I mentioned before, I'm giving marriage another go. I'm excited about it. I feel like I learned a lot last time, and I'm ready to take that knowledge and apply it with my new wife (who is pretty fucking cool if I do say so). But even as I enter this new and exciting chapter in my life, I find myself distracted. Stressed. Anxious.


In recent years I helped create Playtime Comedy with three of my best friends. It's been an amazing creative outlet. But recently, due to schedules mostly and some thing called a "Pandemic", we haven't had much chance to get together. The lack of a creative outlet has led to a serious creative dry spell for me, which in turn ignites that anxiety I'm working so hard to control.

I also recently made the decision to start taking antidepressants and anxiety medication to help with my depression and anxiety. Finally admitting the fact that i have both anxiety and depression immediately feels like admitting defeat. I'm finally admitting I'm broken.


"You can't think that way." "You're taking the first step!" "There are only three Die Hard movies!" Wait, I mean yes, but, shit. Whatever. Look this shit is scary is all I'm saying.

It's a tough spot to be in for sure. I want so badly to create yet cannot no matter how much I try. Now yes, times will change, schedules will clear, writers block goes away (if it ever really existed). But right now, I need something. I need a release. I need to talk about movies. You don't have to listen of course (I'm also assuming you can't read), but I'm going to use this space to talk about movies, because I like movies, and that's cool and stuff.

CREED II

CREED II is a rousing sequel to Ryan Coogler's masterpiece, CREED, and while it fails to live up to heights of its predecessor, the tried and true formula the franchise helped mold proves as solid as ever, cementing the fact that I'll never not cry during one of these movies. Even ROCKY V. (HEY FUCK YOU, PAL) 

I'd like to let the record show at this time that ROCKY IV is my least favorite ROCKY picture. 

Calm down. Shhh. It's OK. It's OK. I never said I didn't like it. I mean, I love to drink beer and watch Stallone stroll through the 90 minute montage as much as the next person, OK? But ROCKY IV is Stallone at his most vain and over the top (LOL), and what's worse, ROCKY IV feels like the cliff notes version of a ROCKY movie. Apollo Creed's death simply doesn't hit in the same way Mickey's death does in ROCKY III, which is kind of crazy when that event is what truly drove Apollo and Rocky to finally become best friends as opposed to just respected peers. The film drowns in 80's excess, showing off household robots and diving headfirst into Rocky ending the cold war. Full stop, ROCKY IV is fucking ridiculous. ROCKY V has probably aged the worst, but I respect it's efforts in trying to get back to the roots of the characters and remember that they are the reason we love these movies so much, and not just watching them train in montages. 

However, a funny thing happened. CREED gave ROCKY IV meaning. I go into more detail here, but let's face it, if you've watched CREED then you know what I mean. All of a sudden it felt like the movie had a righteous place in the ROCKY franchise. 

And then CREED II just goes ahead and makes ROCKY IV a better movie. 

The film opens with Adonis, again played by an electrifying Michael B. Jordan, becoming World Champion, just like his father and Rocky before him. He's about to propose to Bianca, who might I add is expecting their first baby. All is well. Until it isn't, of course. 

Honestly, the actual plot of CREED II is fairly obvious and not in the least bit surprising. How can it be, 8 films in? CREED found a way to make the franchise feel fresh and revitalized again, but CREED II never quite matches that energy and leans just a little too far into the formula to become another classic like the first and seventh entries. 

BUT. 

And there is a but. 

But, as I mentioned before, the formula still works. And it works really well. 

Dolph Lundgren is of course back as Ivan Drago. Lundgren has never been the greatest actor, and to be fair, he never really tried to be. But he does have a certain look about him. He stands out, to say the least, and age has served him well it seems, as Ivan in CREED II looks as if life has chewed him up and spit him out. Lundgren has pain and regret all over his face throughout the entire film. In fact, the movie does a great job of getting you to understand the damage that Rocky inflicted in their last fight, and how that has pushed the man towards revenge, even at the expense of his relationship with his own son. 

Speaking of the Drago boy, Florian Munteanu plays Creed's opponent, and he proves to be the most intimidating villain the franchise has had since at least Clubber Lang in ROCKY III. Not only does he have the look of a dude who could beat all life out of me, but the weight of thirty years of training and hatred towards the Creeds and Balboas hangs over his head and gives a clear and concise motivation for the character. 

Stallone once again brings tears to my eyes almost every damn minute he's on screen, which actually isn't as much as you'd think, but still, it's clear he has deep love and understanding of Rocky, even as he continues to fight the battles life throws at him, like the diminishing relationship with his son. I really don't know what else to say about Rocky other than he's my favorite film character of all time and as long as Stallone is willing to play him I'll keep watching. 

Michael B. Jordan, though. God damn. The dude is ferocious here, giving everything as if everything is on the line. And of course, for Adonis, everything is. Not just his legacy, but his family. He risks everything by accepting this fight knowing that he could die just like his father, and Jordan shows every ounce of fear, anger and determination with perfection. 

Like any good ROCKY picture, we see the hero fall. And it hurts. It hurts because we care about them. It hurts because we want them to better themselves, to overcome the toughest obstacle. To win. 

And like any good ROCKY picture, it feels oh so good when that iconic theme comes on at the most crucial moment during the fight, the moment where it all counts. I'll never get tired of that feeling. 

CREED II isn't a masterpiece like CREED. CREED II relies on nostalgia for it's success whereas CREED seemingly created nostalgia and formed its own legacy. But that's not a diss. CREED II makes ROCKY IV matter, it gives ROCKY IV weight and meaning 30 years after the fact by examining the toll a legacy can take. 

CREED II fucking rules. 

Transformers: The Last Knight (Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Remembered That I Love Michael Bay)

I used to call myself a "Bay enthusiast". Bad Boys and The Rock, coming out just a year apart from each other, were quite the one-two punch debut for the former music video and commercial director. Both of those became action staples in the Hunt household almost immediately, with The Rock in particular catching my interest as it introduced me to the one, the only, Nic Cage (ALL HAIL CAGE).

Armageddon only solidified Bay's standing in my eyes by having Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck save the world by finding and drilling oil on an asteroid racing toward Earth and saving the world's economy in the process (or wait...). Anyway, I cry every time I watch it AND GUESS WHAT I'M SMART.

But let's be real here, Bad Boys II is the greatest trash masterpiece of all time. Gleefully inappropriate, insanely over the top and filled with some of the best action that Bay has ever put on screen, Bad Boys II is what puts Bay in the Hall of Fame for me. (What Hall of Fame is that, you ask? SHUT UP).

Now, it's safe to say that in the time since, Bay has never been able to reach the heights of that buddy cop action sequel (though he tried damn hard and came close with Pain & Gain) but my love for him remained the same.

And then he made Transformers. 


Honestly, I really like the first one. Actually, I love it. It's big, it's dumb and it's fun. I think at the time Bay was the perfect, and perhaps, only choice to bring such a stupid cartoon (get over it, nerds) to the big screen. Pure popcorn entertainment.

The second is a chore to sit through admittedly, but I remember liking it (though it's possible I was clouded by my Bay enthusiasm), and I think the third one gets a lot of undeserved hate, as it features a ton of great and ridiculous action.


*Sigh* But Age of Extinction is borderline unwatchable. Clocking in at almost 3 hours, I somehow managed to watch this garbage more than once, though on my third go round (look, I'M SICK OK?) I had forgotten most of the movie and was positive I was almost finished only to discover I had over an hour left and promptly turned it off.

To me, Bay had lost it, or perhaps even worse, he no longer cared.

You see, I like movies. I know we live in a time where we are offered more than ever before, and if you're paying attention, there are actually a shit ton of great films of all shapes and sizes and budgets and blood types, easily and readily available for your viewing pleasure.

But sometimes, well, sometimes I want Michael Bay movies.

And over the course of a decade it just felt like the Transformers franchise had taken it out of Bay. Sure, he was able to sneak in the previously mentioned Pain & Gain, but the overall response to that film was mostly underwhelming, leading the director to his absolute worst effort with the fourth morphing robot movie. The Bay I knew and loved was dead. And so, it felt, was I.

So when a fifth car robot motion picture was announced with Bay directing, I really didn't care. I watched 13 Hours, and while watchable, it was still but a flicker of what the director used to be.

Transformers 5 came and went. Critics had never been kind to the franchise, but this time even audiences didn't care, as the film delivered the lowest box office grosses of all five movies. "So what?", I thought, as I watched Batman & Robin for the 47th time.


Then something funny happened. I saw that Transformers: The Last Knight was streaming on Hulu, and wouldn't you know it, I felt a hint of curiosity. I had heard nothing good of the Mark Wahlberger blockbuster, and his presence certainly didn't help the previous installment. But still, I had to know.


So I did it. I fucking watched it. I fucking watched the entire goddamn 2 hour and 20 minute thing.

And I kind of liked it.


Be careful. I'm not saying it's good. It's just, well, it's crazy. It begins with Merlin (you know, the wizard) drunk on a horse on his way to meet with King Arthur and all of them other knights to fight side by side with Transformers to save the world. I don't really know why and I don't really care, but I can say I thought it was very silly and very insane in a way that reminded me of the Bay I once loved.

Cut forward to present day where transformers are being hunted by the TRF (whatever) and are seeking sanctuary either in Cuba (!) or Wahlbergies junk yard. The Merlin stuff eventually comes back into play over an hour later, though I couldn't tell you how, but honestly I was just glad to see that Bay was back to not giving a shit, but in a good way.

The action scenes here have more life in them than the entirety of the previous entry, and I think I actually laughed like twice at some of the jokes, both times coming from a butler transformer who is actually the only funny thing to ever come out of the franchise. (Seriously, the transformers themselves have always been the worst part of these movies, with blood boiling dialogue and even worse racial stereotypes).

More than anything, it seemed like Bay was trying again. He even got Anthony Hopkins, who is not a stranger to simply collecting a paycheck, to give his all even while arguing with John Turturro over the phone about....well honestly it doesn't fucking matter. Point is even Hopkins was having a good time.

Shit. I realize this turned into a short essay about loving and missing Michael Bay, and I'm basically just giving Transformers 5 a back handed compliment by saying that I wanted to watch trash and trash is what I got, but I have to admit that it gave me a little hope. I could see Bay having some fun again and I really hope he gets his groove back.


Here's hoping that he is forever done with robots that change, and that he gets back to making good, old fashion action Bayhem like he did in the 90s. Give Nic a call, Michael. I think y'all could be good for each other again.