Tom Cruise Fired By Paramount

Yeah, well, one studio's undesirables is another studio's cash cow. Cruise/Wagner had some aces up a plethora of sleeves, and now they're getting pulled out.

Personally, I find Tommy a little creepy. I have visions of poor Katie Holmes sobbing by herself in a locked closet while Tom, holding their new baby, lectures her from other side about Scientology and proper public conduct. After handing the new baby over to a Scientologist nurse maid (and babysitter/warden for Katie), Tom and his male lover go enjoy some alone time leaving Katie to reflect on where her priorities lay and how to be a better Scientologist.

Rachelle, I think tom's creepy, too.

Enoch, I agree. I don't think Cruise/Wagner will be hurting for suitors. The article almost made it sound like the hedge fund angle was an attempt by Cruise/Wagner to downplay getting the boot from Paramount but I didn't see it that way. I mean, if Paramount was asking for concessions and Cruise/Wagner had other sources for Paramount money without making concessions, why would they make concessions?

The nasty quote from Redner is probably just the typical cut throat "I'm gonna trash you on the way out the door" crap.

Well, Tom is getting kinda old anyway, so it's time for more fresh blood to come on board for our male leads.

I do think it's very sad that Tom is not portraying his religion better. I am not a fan of Scientology but I have known a few Scientologists who were nice people. I think Scientology isn't any less valid and certainly scares me less than a lot of extreme fundamentalist Christianity in this country.

John Travolta and Kirstie Alley know how to present themselves much better...he oughta follow their lead.

Stephanie, why doesn't it surprise me that you have a fondness for the great Xenu?

From Wikipedia:

"In Scientology doctrine, Xenu (also Xemu) is an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth in DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to wreak chaos and havoc today."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu

Does christianity charge multiple thousands of dollars to "get to the next level?"

Many Christian denominations require or at least heavily encourage tithing. You don't think those fundamentalist evangelists get to be so huge without people pouring money on them, do you?

I'm with the rest of you, Tom's downright creepy. I find it strange that ole Tom is the only Scientologist who is so blatantly fanatical about his religion. You don't see Travolta et. al jumping on couches and if I am not mistaken, Kelly Preston gave birth in a hospital.

Personally I never liked Tom Cruise and couldn't ever figure out why. It's just that "vacuous" look in his eyes - as I told my husband when he asked what my problem with him was. When he had that "melt down" with Matt Lauer on the Today Show I finally knew what it was. He's nuts.

Good point about John Travolta, donna. I've always rather liked him and haven't seen him get all stupid and weird about his beliefs.

I'm not sure what happened to him. He seemed so normal in Risky Business, Top Gun, Cocktail, etc. Then he totally weirded out and now he's downright creepy.

Jake, I heard the news this morning and having worked at Viacom, I wouldn't be surprised if this stems from them not agreeing to Redstone's deal. If there's money to be made, business is business, regardless of how fanatical and creepy Tom is. Can't say at all that I'm sad to see it but I'm sure he'll be picked up by someone else.

I agree with donna also. Between his crazy antics and claiming he knows the history of psychology, he has turned many people off.

I used to like Tom Cruise and to think he was a very good actor. Now, I really can't look past his antics. The couch jumping thing was just silly but the the Matt Lauer episode revealed Mr. Cruise as an ignorant ass.

Stephanie, go for it. Keep comparing tithing with the money making activities of the Scientology cult. Perhaps even expand on it. As usual, I'm entertained.

Following up on my response to Enoch above, I don't think this is really the spanking that press reports seem to be inclined to portray.

I think it's basically just a case of Paramount wanted a price cut, Cruise/Wagner figures it can get the same financial deal (maybe better?) PLUS more independence elsewhere so why should it make concessions. So Paramount kicks them out and then tries to damage its future competitor in the process by saying nasty things.

Not that mysterious, I guess.

Mr.Cruise has always been too full of himself!
I'm a pretty boy, here I am fawn over me, tell me how good I am.
I wonder how much time he spends grooming and checking hisself out in a mirror.
His big phony, wild eyed, toothy grin always set my nerves on edge.
Needless to say I never did like the little punk !Eeeesh!
He has the biggest case of little man syndrome I've ever seen.
R.B.

I like Tom.

The last Tom Cruise movie I saw was, ah ah, ah. Wait don't tell, I'll remember. It was ah, ah, ah, ah, I think it was that one where he was stranded on that desert island and talked to the coconut.
That was a Tom Cruise movie wasn't it ? H-m-m-m-m., I'm sure I've seen one of his movies recently. Oh yeah, I saw the one were he was dancing in his underwear. Or was that him on Oprah ?
I'll have to get back to you.

I think it suits Paramount perfectly. He is in Hollywood terms coming to the end of his leading actor phase and they would be keen to to promote another, or other actors for their movies. I think if they were genuinely concerned about his behaviour that they would have dropped him like the proverbial hot potato when he was displaying his cult's insanity to the world rather than leave it several months. Scientology is a money making scam, and it does not differ from most other religions in that respect.

I've never been a Tom Cruise fan either, although I think he is a decent enough actor. I'm also not a fan of Scientology, but then again, I'm not a fan of organized religions...and that one seems real organized. Further, the whole Xenu thing and L. Ron is God makes me think snake handlers of the Christian cult variety are sane in comparison.

I understand that Tommy boy had the same PR person for over a decade and although he never came off as 'Mr. Personality,' he never weirded me out. After he hired his sister as PR, started jumping on Oprah's sofa, and became the driving force behind the anti-psychology movement my feelings changed. For the first time I debated seeing MI III just because he was in it, even tough it is a genre I usually enjoy. I did see the movie and liked it, but that was despite of Tom Cruise, and all because of J. J. Abrams (the genius behind 'Lost').

It seems like Paramount smelled the stink and made a wise decision to back away. I think Cruise and company are more likely to irritate than endear themselves to the American public from now on. Already he seems to be drawing the Michael Jackson sort of fanatic fans. If there isn't a wholesome adage that you can only talk so long about being an expert on something you clearly have no understanding about, then there should be, and Tom Cruise should be on the poster.

The whole Katie Holmes episode is just plain odd. Judging from photos, if any woman is suffering from postpartum depression it is her. Quite frankly, I'm hoping she leaves the squinty-eyed midget and takes her sperm donor baby with her. To honor one of my favorite episodes of Southpark 'Force him out of the closet!'

I wrote an article on the subject too. Noticed last nite and this morning the local LA news stations had their crew outside Paramount Studios to air the story. Would be better if they interviewed someone from inside.

I interviewed for a job there about 17 years ago, but liked working at Capitol Records in the late 80s.

I agree that John Travolta does not act this way. I heard on a radio program interview or maybe it was MSNBC that his cut of the profits is a lot higher and he is not bringing in the numbers.

Johnny Depp is much better an actor and the same age range.

That man is crazy, and he's got crazy money. That's all there is to it. Paramount is doing the sane thing, for whatever corporate reasoning. Mel Gibson isn't as crazy as Tom Cruise, or as scary.

I've never been a great fan of Tom Cruise. I don't care for his antics, don't care that he was fired from Paramount...he's just getting more press time for being weird.

Not digging Tom lately. Never really did.
'The Outsiders' was a fine movie, though.

he's so weird. it scares me!!

peg - your photo icon is too funny.

"Stephanie, go for it. Keep comparing tithing with the money making activities of the Scientology cult. Perhaps even expand on it. As usual, I'm entertained."

I think my general feeling on this is Scientology, at least currently, is much less dangerous to this country than fundamentalist Christianity, which has deep pockets and often gets very intimately involved in our political system.

Evangelicals may not tell you that you have to pay $5,000 to reach the next level, but they'll tell you you'll go to hell if you don't follow their religion and believe in the literal word of the Bible, which is enough to get a lot of people giving a heck of a lot of money to them.

Personally, I'd like to see Scientology and fundamentalist Christianity duke it out. They are both crazy cults in my opinion.

"Personally, I'd like to see Scientology and fundamentalist Christianity duke it out. They are both crazy cults in my opinion."

I would soooo pay to see that.