Two Pop Culture Moments
I got the Paul Potts CD (yes, I know it's not supposed to be released yet in the States but I got one. Don't ask how. Yes, I liked it. The song choice is NOT imaginative and the songs don't stretch him, but who expected that? He had only two or three weeks to make it, so there was really no time for mulling over song selections. Still, his voice sounds lovely and I quite liked it. And he's going to be on the final of America's Got Talent! This is show I would never watch, but Paul will on this episode, so I'll watch that.
The other thing is about the whole Tom Cruise/Valkyrie/Scientology mess. In case you haven't heard, Tom Cruise is making a movie about Count von Stauffenburg. The Count is a hero to many Germans, as he was a leader of a plot to blow up Hitler in 1943. The plan did not succeed and the Count and his allies were put up against a wall in Berlin neighborhood and shot. I actually saw the spot in Berlin many years ago-it's in a courtyard of a nice building and my friends and I were going to the French Embassy which was located in the building. We saw the plaque on the wall and as I translated it...well, it was Berlin moment, which means it was interesting and horrifying at the same time.
The Count is a hero to the German people, he's one of the few who actually stood up to Hitler and wanted to do something about him (although all the Berliners hated him as an upstart Austrian, many were too afraid, with good cause, to do anything about it out in public). The Count had to know the price he would pay if his effort did not succeed-and being shot by a firing squad was actually not too bad, considering what could have happened to him. And the Germans hate Scientologists-they consider it a dangerous cult-I'm not sure if it's been outlawed there or not but the German government has NO love for the Scientologists. So, you can imagine the uproar when the most prominent Scientologist in the world decided to play a true German hero. The Army said no and then they said yes we will let you shoot in Army headquarters. The governement said no, we won't let you shoot-and first it was because "you're a Scientologist" but then it was because of "logistics". So Tom Cruise is now shooting his movie (can't I know where and this is a publicity still) all I know is is that this picture makes me feel the exact same way I felt when I saw a picture of Colin Farrell from Alexander-that emotion can best be expressed by the phrase "you have to be kidding". I can't paste in the picture so here's the link
http://defamer.com/hollywood/defamer-wardrobe-dept/tom-cruise-can-really-fill-out-a-uniform-280322.php
I'm sorry, I just can't buy it. He looks like he's trying very hard to be a hard-nosed German officer who is trying to save his country from a madman but instead looks like he's playing dress-up. I think the Germans in Hogan's Heroes (as others have noted) look far more convincing. While I find the subject fascinating, I don't think I can bring myself to see this movie.
The other thing is about the whole Tom Cruise/Valkyrie/Scientology mess. In case you haven't heard, Tom Cruise is making a movie about Count von Stauffenburg. The Count is a hero to many Germans, as he was a leader of a plot to blow up Hitler in 1943. The plan did not succeed and the Count and his allies were put up against a wall in Berlin neighborhood and shot. I actually saw the spot in Berlin many years ago-it's in a courtyard of a nice building and my friends and I were going to the French Embassy which was located in the building. We saw the plaque on the wall and as I translated it...well, it was Berlin moment, which means it was interesting and horrifying at the same time.
The Count is a hero to the German people, he's one of the few who actually stood up to Hitler and wanted to do something about him (although all the Berliners hated him as an upstart Austrian, many were too afraid, with good cause, to do anything about it out in public). The Count had to know the price he would pay if his effort did not succeed-and being shot by a firing squad was actually not too bad, considering what could have happened to him. And the Germans hate Scientologists-they consider it a dangerous cult-I'm not sure if it's been outlawed there or not but the German government has NO love for the Scientologists. So, you can imagine the uproar when the most prominent Scientologist in the world decided to play a true German hero. The Army said no and then they said yes we will let you shoot in Army headquarters. The governement said no, we won't let you shoot-and first it was because "you're a Scientologist" but then it was because of "logistics". So Tom Cruise is now shooting his movie (can't I know where and this is a publicity still) all I know is is that this picture makes me feel the exact same way I felt when I saw a picture of Colin Farrell from Alexander-that emotion can best be expressed by the phrase "you have to be kidding". I can't paste in the picture so here's the link
http://defamer.com/hollywood/defamer-wardrobe-dept/tom-cruise-can-really-fill-out-a-uniform-280322.php
I'm sorry, I just can't buy it. He looks like he's trying very hard to be a hard-nosed German officer who is trying to save his country from a madman but instead looks like he's playing dress-up. I think the Germans in Hogan's Heroes (as others have noted) look far more convincing. While I find the subject fascinating, I don't think I can bring myself to see this movie.
posted by SHbookworm at 12:31 PM
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