319 Comments

Agreed except: "The Ukrainian World Congress appealed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences calling for the withdrawal of “Top Gun: Maverick,” a film funded by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, Dmitry Rybolovlev, from the 95th Academy Awards on March 12. Notably, the film, unlike its predecessor, does not name Russia as America’s enemy. This is propaganda by omission and the movie should have been scratched from the award nominations." Diane Francis substack

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Well, of course, the Academy didn't honor Maverick or Cruise with the top prize. To be honest, it was the first Hollywood movie I have seen since the pandemic began. The other stuff the Academy loves leaves me cold. I don't want to go to a movie and be preached at. I can go to church and get that.

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The US voted what they like to watch and how they feel by seeing Maverick to the tune $700 million ....But Hollywood still fails to know How America really feels

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I just got cancelled for writing about Cruises' status with Scientolgy..

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I often wonder why Cruise is Cruise as a Scientologist, one of the truly evil cults ever devised my mere mortals. I can understand Trovolta and the other "celebrities"...but, Tom Cruise! It must be childhood damage that made him so insecure that he thought that was the best he could do and...never to be released by the zealots that inhabit his nightmares. Either that or he's taller than David Miscavish and likes to not have to stand of box to accept an award from him Incidentally, where is David? I hear he's hiding out for some interesting reasons. Maybe somebody found his wife who has been missing for nearly two years and he's on a second honeymoon!

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I guess simple can be good but in this case you don’t ignore the direct order of a commanding officer and return a hero. I was never in the military but I think you go to federal prison. Am I wrong?

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Agree with every word, but I would have given reference to Edge of Tomorrow with Emily Blunt as one of the best, and best sci-fi

Great movie

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Mar 12, 2023·edited Mar 12, 2023

If you didn't see this movie in a theater (you streamed it); you really didn't see it. Exhilarating!!

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Top Gun 2 reminded me of visiting the intrepid air sea and space museum as a kid. Jets are still cool, patriotism is still cool. I think we all needed a good dose of pro America propaganda after leaving Afghanistan the way we did.

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He should have won the Oscar for Tropic Thunder.

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Underrated performance. Two Oscar’s for the last 10 min of that movie alone.

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founding

Tom Cruise is easy to dislike. He might even want it that way. I’ve heard stories of his arrogance early in his career. But as a producer and star it’s fair to say “nobody does it better” than Cruise today. He deserves an Oscar, which is the main reason the AMPAS will deny it to him. They are the ultimate sour grapes committee.

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"the joy of a cathartic military and moral triumph" absolutely well said. The whole world is so thirsty for movies like this. Unapologetic, unperturbed heroism.

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All I’m saying is that if a bunch of people are going to spend millions making a movie, you should spend more than $100 on the script. Really bad dumb unimaginative yes cute story.

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Simple stories are the easiest to move along and can be very powerful

Same as simple food

Little olive oil, a bit of garlic and some mushroom and you’ve got the most amazing pasta

Nothing wrong with simplicity.

The follow up Knives Out was a mess I thought?

Nice and complex

And boring

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founding

I don’t see a lot of movies, but happened to see this one on a flight from London to Seattle. I enjoyed it, and Mr. Techera makes some good points.

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Cruise looking right at the audience, prior to the screening of the film, and sincerely thanking us for seeing his art in a theater, was something I'd never seen a big star do before.

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As an Oscar voter, I wish I had read your reasoned essay prior to the deadline for voting.

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