'08
MSNBC’s The Scoop reports that Tom Cruise was so afraid of the inevitable negative reviews of his bloated Nazi movie Valkyrie that he offered journalists a free screening at his mansion in exchange for some kind words. I wonder if they included a complimentary stress test with that. (You know I’m not going to be the only one to make that joke today.) It’s unclear if the screening actually happened or if it was just planned:
“Distractingly bad,” and “unengaging Nazi escapade” are among some of the reviewers’ comments attached to “Valkyrie,” Tom Cruise’s film that opens Christmas day.
Cruise’s people can’t be happy —for the obvious reasons — but also, according to a source with radio station K-Earth 101, the Cruise camp was willing to go to great lengths to garner some positive publicity. In fact, they went so far as to offer a screening for anyone at the station and their friends at the Cruise home, if only they’d “say ‘nice things’ about the movie,” according to the source.
Here’s what’s said to have happened. On Nov. 24, Mark Steines of “Entertainment Tonight” called into the show to discuss the exclusive interview “ET” had scored with Cruise. During the course of the interview with Lisa Stanley, Stanley mocks Cruise for not having a German accent in the film, says early viewers “laughed at it,” and then asks, “Listen, I’m just curious how you have no German accent, so many delays, and now people are saying, ‘It’s fantastic!’ It’s impossible.”
Impossible if you’ve seen the film … maybe. Which is why, according to the radio station source, a member of Cruise’s camp called the station to offer up a free friends and family screening.
“They offered to hold it in Tom’s home — they didn’t say if he’d be there or not,” the source says. “We just had to agree to say ‘nice things’ about the movie.”
[From MSNBC's The Scoop]
This isn’t uncommon in the movie industry and I remember reading an article by Roger Ebert that I’m having trouble finding again about how movie reviewers, especially lesser-known journalists from smaller outlets, are wooed by the studios. Free flights, vacations, meals and pampering help secure the taglines that go before terrible films you’ll feel you wasted precious minutes of your life being subjected to. The superlative quotes for the bad movies are followed by a credit in a tiny font for some person you’ve never heard of who was probably treated to at least a hot meal in exchange for selling out good taste.
Bad reviews may not negatively affect box office and there are plenty of other factors that come into play. The Scoop reports that Valykyrie is doing about as well in advance tracking, or polls, as Benjamin Button, which they attribute to all the publicity Cruise has been doing for the film.
The film is at 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and some top notch critics who are unlikely to have had beer and chips at Tommy’s house like it. Roger Ebert gives it three stars and calls it “a meticulous thriller,” with Tom’s performance “perfectly satisfactory, if not electrifying.” Ebert says he doesn’t understand why everyone was trashing Tom because he does pretty well in the role.
Maybe we were wrong and the film will do ok at the box office this holiday. I know I’d rather see Benjamin Button though.
Tom Cruise is shown at the premiere of Valkyrie on 12/18/08. Credit: PRPhotos
Written by Celebitchy
Posted in Movies, Tom Cruise
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23 Responses to “Tom Cruise screens Valkyrie at his place in exchange for good reviews”
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Has Cruise had a little work done? His face looks younger. Katie’s getting older looking and Tom’s getting younger. I guess they’ll meet in the middle somewhere. I won’t be rushing out to see Valkyrie any time soon. DVD will be cheaper.
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I think that for most people, what their best friend or brother or neighbor says about a film carries a lot more weight than what critics say.
I would guess that the success or failure of this film will have a lot to do with word of mouth.
Cruise is not really a draw for me, but the art direction of this film and the setting is. It looks like more of a big-screen experience than a DVD’er, unless you’ve (unlike me) got a large screen TV.
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I like Tom and I hope the movie does well. It depends on how good it is.
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Xenu be praised ! I’ll pass on this one.
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actually, rottentomatoes shows a fairly decent review for this movie… not great, but not bad either… i think reviews may be tainted by people’s dislike for cruise… and that’s unfortunate…
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I can’t stand Tom, but I do actually want to see this movie. Hopefully I won’t get distracted by his personal life.
I’m definitely going to see Button though!
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That Roger Ebert review is interesting. If it’s accurate (and I do rate him as a critic), then I’m glad because of the other cast members. TBH, considering who else is in it, I find it difficult to believe it’s as bad as some critis have been making it out to be. Seems that Cruise is still the kiss of death for many people. I’ll see it but for the cast, not Cruise.
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This movie makes me want to root for Hitler!
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Ebert’s an asshole. Of all the mainstream critics, he’s the one whose opinion I care about least.
If anything, unless the movie is an obvious turd, I use him as an anti-reviewer when making movie choices.
For chrissake, he loved Hackers. HACKERS.
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Ebert is a highly rated, highly respected critic. And I also loved Hackers. Different strokes.
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Hackers is awesome! I *actually* think Valkerie will find a niche audience of WWII-obsessed geeks (like my dad, who keeps dropping hints that he wants to see it over the holidays).
Meanwhile, I keep dropping hints that I want to see Doubt, Benjamin Buttons and Frost/Nixon.
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I loved Hackers!! I’m all for Doubt, Frost/Nixon & Milk!
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Bodhi- That’s the one I forgot! Milk – I’ll probably see that this weekend too.
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I’m watching Benjamin Button on Thursday, Valkyrie and Tom can rot in the paths of failure for all I care!
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Tom’s lost a TON of weight recently, plus he probably got some fat outta his face…which explains how skeletal and emaciated him and Katie look…must be on the same diet or something…
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Hey, RRRico. Suave-ay. Up one more button there.
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I wouldn’t see this if Tom paid me. Well maybe for $500.00. He sucked in Tropic Thunder too. These reviews, awards and box office stats are a joke. If people want to see a movie on a Friday night they will pick the least shitty movie that they haven’t seen yet. So Number one at the box office means very little.
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Two types of people like “Hackers.”
Nerds who thing Angelina Jolie will do them if they know Linux.
Chicks who say “OMG, I’m suuuuuch a TOTAL geek!” because they have an email address and a blog.
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Tom and Angelina Jolie are so alike.
They both lost a lot of weight, they seem energized and confident while their partners lost their youth and charm, and look exhausted and aged a lot.
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Tom and Angelina also share the same strategy to stay in the limelight:
they talk about their personal life all the time as talking points to promoting their films.
Since a Mighty Heart failed and in other projects, Angelina practically drove viewers away, I think the same will happen to Tom’s film.
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I’m not a Tom fan lately, but, he is looking very handsone and youthful. Many facials at his in-home salon. Love his hair. I just can’t get past the scientology. He brainwashed & blackmailed those 2 older kids fr. Nicole. How sad. Emotional blackmail is ABUSE. How charming he is.
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I think it is important to see the move Valkyrie simply because of the message it offers. I would advise everyone to go see it to clear up misconceptions about the German people. Tom Cruise did a great job acting and it doesnt really matter if he has a German accent or not, if you are complaining abut that then perhaps the movie should have been in German? I’m sure the film would have been burned for that too. The major message of this film is to show that all the German people did NOT support Hitler and they are not just NAZIs like everone seems to believe they are.
See this movie, not just to see Tom Cruise, but to learn more of the German people during WWII.
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I just saw Valkyrie and thought it was great — both moving and suspenseful. My family loved it too. I think Tom Cruise sounds like a bizarre person, but the movie was excellent. Why can’t reviewers seem to make a distinction between the actor and the part? It’ll be a shame if Valkyrie does poorly because of prejudice against Tom Cruise.
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