Last Updated: 9/30/2000.
Newest Information is at the top.
A BIG THANKS to Mr.Showbiz for the regular updates!

Well, is there anybody in North America who has not watched M:I-2 yet? If so, shame on you. ;) As everybody knows, M:I-2 had its world premiere on May 18 in the legendary Mann's Chinese Theater in LA and it opened to the general theaters on May 24. It was the fourth-biggest Wednesday launch of all time totalling an impressive $12.5 million. There are several "good", but also "bad" reviews on the Internet, you can get the URLs from a Tom Cruise message board that I highly recommend as it is informing about Tommy news in a very comprehensive way and is always up-to-date: Heidi's Tom Cruise Forum at http://www.everything-about.com/_disc_tom_cruise/toc.htm I myself can watch the movie not before July 6 when it hits theaters in Germany. Having read only a few reviews as I was worried about spoiling it, I have got the impression that some people don't appreciate the exaggerated action scenes very much, though Tom insisted on doing 95 percent of his own stunts. "People think I'm crazy, but I find danger very relaxing." Tom said according to an article published at http://www.suntimes.com. There you can also read that the only time in the movie where they depended on visual effects was when Tom jumps out of a moving helicopter into the vents of a skyscraper. Let's hope that M:I-2 will have at least as much success as the first mission, as there are already rumblings about M:I-3!
According to SCMP.com, Tom and Nicole are now leaving their Australian mansion overlooking Sydney harbor for cruising off to Spain where Nicole will make a new sci-fi movie called "The Others".
Again, last but not least, rumors, rumors, rumors ... about Tom's possible next project(s). One interesting rumor had Tom and Nicole planning to stage Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in London and New York. Nearly everybody believed it until publicist Pat Kingsley told US Today columnist Jeannie Williams: "They haven't any real plans to do theater right now."
There is also a new movie in question again called "The Colditz Story", starring Tom as a prisoner attempting heroic escapes from one of Germany's most secure prison camps. Let's wait and see...

For April it seems that there is nothing new apart from rumors on MI:2 about "some heavy scissoring to bring the running time down and to make the action sequences make sense."

[5-08-00] Streamsearch is hosting the the Official Release Party of the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack. They will be streaming a concert by Godsmack, who is on the soundtrack.

When: May 9th, 10pm cst
Where: http://www.ss.com

"Six degrees of Kevin Bacon? Well, we've done the same thing for Tom Cruise, except we took a different angle. You see, right now Kraft Parmesan Cheese is holding its "Guess Who's Parming" contest. In this contest, anyone who can guess the three celebrities who are "shaking their green thing" and putting Kraft parmesan cheese on their food is eligible to win $10,000. And guess what? Tom Cruise is ?? degrees away from one of the celebrities who's using Kraft parmesan cheese. (If they are related to two celebrities, put that in there too). We are pretty sure that the people who frequent your site would like to win $10,000, and you might like that, too. So we invite you and your site visitors to participate in the Kraft "Guess Who's Parming" sweepstakes, at http://www.kraftparm.com. "

Okay, what shall I tell you that you do not know yet... The "Academy" has once again proved (in my personal opinion, anyway) that its members are not capable of appreciating Tom's excellent acting abilities. The "Academy" members have ignored Tom for the THIRD time, and have given the Oscar to Michael Caine. However, one little comfort for me is that Tom ought to be an Oscar winner already for ten years now, and not for a supporting role but a leading role - "Born on the Fourth of July". It seems we will have to wait for Tom to first get an Oscar when he turns 60 years old and has lost some of those good looks that scare the Oscar judges so much... ;) (But losing those good looks is unlikely even at 60 for Tom! - Elle's comment.) "Magnolia" has also been overlooked in the categories Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. :( A real shame.

AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM AND TO "MAGNOLIA"! Obviously all of you did keep your fingers crossed! Tom has not only gotten an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor in "Magnolia" but (and this makes me very happy, too, since I'm German) "Magnolia" has won the "Golden Bear" at the Berlinale which means that "Magnolia" has won the "German Oscar"! :) Tom did not attend the Berlinale but Paul Thomas Anderson and Julianne Moore were there. The critics as well as the audience regarded "Magnolia" as the hot favorite for the "Golden Bear" during this international film festival in Berlin, which lasted from February 9 until February 20. When the "Golden Bear" for "Magnolia" was announced, the audience went wild.

CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM!!! As surely most of you already know, Tom has won the Golden Globe as best supporting actor in "Magnolia"! He attended the Golden Globe Awards with his sister-in-law because Nicole was busy shooting in Australia. Now we have to wait and see whether Tom will get the Oscar nomination ( we'll know on Feb.15 ). Keep your fingers crossed!

At this event, Tom also talked about "Minority Report" as his next project hopefully. Steven Spielberg is still keeping us guessing about whether he will commit to it or not. He is still focused on "Minority Report" as of now, but if a delay were to happen he might do a Harry Potter movie instead/in the meantime.

"Mission: Impossible 2" is still not completely finished, but its countdown has begun at http://countingdown.com/mi2 ( 116 days and counting... )

There is some new information and rumors about another one of Tom's possible next projects (if not "Minority Report"): A movie named "Fertig" has caught Tom's interest. It is based on the real life of Wendell Fertig, an American soldier in the Philippines who became a hero in the Pacific Theater during World War II. (Yahoo news, Jan. 13) We shall have to wait and see as always.

On Dec. 8, New Line Cinema presented the premiere of "MAGNOLIA" in Los Angeles. Of course, Tom attended the premiere. There was a limited release of the film in New York and L.A. on Dec. 17 and it will open nationwide on January 7. So far, Tom has been nominated for the Golden Globe Awars as best supporting actor. Hopefully he will get it and maybe even an Oscar nomination. Everyone outside the U.S., however, will have to be patient to see "Magnolia". According to the information I found, "Magnolia" will not begin showing in Germany (for example) until August.

Concerning the other Tom Cruise film which we are eagerly anticipating, Mission:Impossible 2, there have been some difficulties on the set, reminescent of "Eyes Wide Shut". Paramount is in disagreement with director John Woo and Tom, concerning the rating and the length of the film. Woo's current cut of the film will earn an R-rating and runs about 132 minutes. Since the film has now exceeded its budget and has also been delayed, Paramount has asked Woo to cut the length of the film to around 2 hours and to trim the content for a PG-13 rating, in order for a better box office total realization. We'll have to wait and see for the result of this debate.

The news about "Minority Report" is not so good either. The shooting of this film should begin in February and the release date has been given as November 17, 2000. But now Steven Spielberg does not seem to be sure whether "Minority Report" will be his next project. He is probably wondering whether it is such a perfect project. In an interview with Spielberg on Entertainment Tonight on Dec. 22, during which he was asked whether it's likely that he will be directing Tom Cruise next, Spielberg answered: "Oh yeah, it may very well be next. Everything is developing." In my opinion, one reason for Spielberg to doubt whether "Minority Report" will be his next project is possibly due to the delay in filming M:I-2 and the debates mentioned above.


Magnolia Review, by Elle
After seeing the movie on its nationwide opening night in the U.S., I must say that there have been many opinions from the viewers. Sadly, most were negative. Most members of the audience found the movie much too long and dragging at times. (My date and beau can especially be quoted as saying "I will never get those three hours of my life back again" upon the end of the movie.) Personally, I believe the movie had great genius and many wonderful moments, although it was rather long. But the great highlight of the movie was Tom's performance. Even my depressed significant other agreed that Tom's perfomance was excellent. If you want to see an awesome display of "Seduce and Destroy" by one of the most talented actors ever born, (not to mention a great scene with Tom in his undies), I highly recommend you see it. The message and point of the movie are also worth the three hours to some, such as myself.

I would be very interested to hear your opinions of the movie, so please email me if you see it and would like to share! (elle@ixplosive.com)

Revised release dates for "Magnolia" are now available: New Line Cinema now has announced the official premiere of "Magnolia" for December 8, 1999. There is a limited release in Los Angeles and New York on December 17, 1999 for Oscar qualification, and the film opens nationwide on January 7, 2000. We have to be prepared for "Magnolia" as a film dealing with very severe subjects. According to a certain film review, every character is has personal problems; they have either been the victims of parental abuse (emotional and/or physical) or have carried out abuse themselves. But we can also be sure that Tom's performance is excellent as always, that his character is completely different from his previous roles and that this film is one more opportunity for him to prove his ability as a very versatile actor.

In the October newsletter I told you about Tom doing his own stunts in Mission:Impossible 2, cliffhanging on a sheer rock face. This scene is part of a very cool teaser trailer which you can download on the official site at http://www.missionimpossible.com. The movie poster is much cooler than the one for the first Mission:Impossible film. You can view not only the poster but also some pictures on the fan site. I am looking forward to M:I-2 more than to Magnolia because there will be many exciting scenes - a love scene with Thandie Newton included :) According to Mr.Showbiz, M:I-2 is scheduled to hit theaters May 26, 2000. According to Variety, a lot of scenes still remain to be filmed for M:I-2 and the filming for Minority Report cannot start before February or March 2000.

One filming location for M:I-2 was Fox Studios, Australia. On November 7, there was a Hollywood-style gala in Sydney for the site's opening to the public for studio tours, which Tom and Nicole attended. The two-hour opening spectacular was beamed by satellite to 53 countries. According to The Detroit News, the guests erupted with a deafening round of cheers when Nicole made her way down the long red carpet. Nicole, of course, enjoyed this very much and spent a long time on the red carpet chatting with reporters and friends. Tom does not seem to like gala events as much.

In a lawsuit filed in February in Los Angeles Superior Court, Judita Gomez, a former housekeeper of Tom and Nicole, claimed she served more than five years for the Cruises and was then fired without reason. She demanded unspecified damages because she was unable to obtain employment-related benefits at the same salary she was earning. The court has dismissed the lawsuit because Judita Gomez lied under oath. ( Yahoo news, Nov. 11)

You will remember that Tom and Nicole instituted legal proceedings against the magazine "Star" because it had published an article claiming that Stanley Kubrick was forced to hire two sex therapists for making the love scene in "Eyes Wide Shut". Now Tom and Nicole have agreed to settle the lawsuit. The tabloid "Star" will donate an unspecified amount of money to a charity of Tom's and Nicole's choosing. In addition, the "Star" is running a complete retraction of the story in its current issue. (Yahoo news, October 16)

Tom's character in "Magnolia" was described in L.A. Times, October 10, as a "smarmy, misogynistic leader of a men's movement called 'Seduce and Destroy'. I have told you before that the film was already presented to the press and that the critics were very much impressed by Tom's performance. The film is about how a family's broken relationship must be mended in 24 hours. First the release date was given as December 25, now I have heard that there will be a limited release on December 20 and the nationwide release will be in January 2000.

Tom Cruise, Michael Ovitz and Ron Burkle want to buy an NFL team (American football) in Los Angeles. League officials originally suggested a down payment of $ 100 million but they lowered their request after meeting with Ovitz. (The Detroit News, October 4)

Tom is doing his own stunts in "Mission: Impossible 2" (as he did in "Mission: Impossible"). On location in Utah, Tom insisted to perform his own cliffhanging on a sheer rock face 1,500 feet above the ground. He lost his footing and was hanging by his hands, said Tom's spokeswoman Pat Kingsley. Thank Goodness Tom was tethered to an emergency wire. (Mr. Showbiz, October 25)

"Eyes Wide Shut" opened the film festival in Venice on September 1st (the official European premiere). Tom and Nic attended the gala and were showered with god-like adoration. The critics were not so much impressed by EWS as we might wish, but as far as I know the Italians in general liked the film.

• Tom Cruise wants to spice up MI 2 with hot love scenes with actress Thandie Newton. Going beyond the "race borders" by a white top star is regarded as unusual even in multi-cultural Los Angeles (according to the US magazine "Premiere", Yahoo news).

• "Magnolia" had its first press screening in New York this week. It won't be released to the general public until Dec.10. The film is said to be more than three hours long and Tom's part is said to be about 45 minutes. Tom plays a "sleazy hustler who hawks his seduction know-how on late-night infomercials" (from Mr.Showbiz, August 27). Critics are very impressed by Tom's performance, maybe it is "Oscar-worthy". (Elle's note: I have read much praise on his part in this movie from critics who say they are in no way "Cruise-Fans" but nonetheless claim that this performance, first scheduled to be a cameo walk-on then turning into 45 minutes screen time, in this movie is seriously Oscar caliber, as Evelyn says.)

• First off, let's discuss Eyes Wide Shut as I promised above. To start, I'd like to quote what Tom said in his interview with Diane Sawyer about the film: "It's not about sex. ... Stanley never said it was about sex. It's about sexual obsession. It's a thriller about sexual obsession and jealousy." Well the critics have been kind mostly and I tend to agree with them and Tom. The movie has much sex, but it's not the foul pornographic kind (sorry for the judgement, just not my thing). It's the kind that's a minor element of a much larger point, if that makes any sense. It's something that is required to tap into a certain part of the audience's mental center which produces the desired effect on the psychee to allow understanding of what Kubrick is trying to say with this film. I don't think many Tom fans, who are approx. mostly females aged 14-24, could understand that or appreciate it, and thus I received many letters of disgust for the film. Perhaps if you look at the whole and see the message, the sex scenes no longer bother you as much. What did I think? I thought it was a masterfully made movie which produced in me the desired emotional effect very easily and naturally. It made me think. And I happen to appreciate that. :)
• Tom is considering the movie Death Race 3000 or so claims http://www.mrshowbiz.com, after he finishes the filming of Steven Spielberg's sci-fi thriller Minority Report, which in turn will be filmed after Mission: Impossible 2 wraps in Australia. The film would be directed by Paul Anderson and the script would be written by J.F. Lawton. Interesting thought, reminds me of Days of Thunder, one of my favorite Tom movies. (Probably because I'm also a fast - but GOOD - driver.) We shall see how that goes.
• Mission: Impossible 2, set at December 26th release date, is sadly stalling and behind schedule. The filming is to wrap this month in Sydney but several key scenes have not been shot yet. There have been setbacks from the start, but hopefully all will end well and on time. To see how it's doing and for more info, check out the following page: http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/brazil/503
• We may see Matt Damon join the cast of Spielberg's Minority Report, playing the role of a villain, "a would-be murderer who also happens to be Cruise's brother." (mrshowbiz) Very interesting. I'm not a big Damon fan, but he is a good actor.

Tom Cruise News from last month:

[4-30-1999] Besides new sounds from Int. with the Vamp. being added to the Sounds Section, the newsletter is out once again and here are happenings from last month:

Tom is down under in Australia ready to start filming Mission: Impossible 2 directing John Woo, but they are having minor technical difficulties apparently. The filming was scheduled to begin March 20th but was pushed back allegedly due to "layoffs affecting the production staff and art departments." The truth behind this however, was the fact that Paramount Pictures did not want to give the go-ahead due to the incredible planned cost of $135 million. Director John Woo is thus being forced to cut down on costs. Another factor having to do with the slow get-going supposedly has to do with a reworking of the script by Robert Towne (who also worked on the script for the first Mission: Impossible). They are trying to fit in a love story for Cruise's character similar to that between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, while keeping the traditional action/thriller aspects. Sounds intriguing, I dare say! :) Meanwhile, Nicole is contemplating a project of her own in her homeland of Australia -- she may end up doing Miramax's Birthday Girl, a story about mail-order brides. (I assume it's a comedy.) If Nicole signs, she is planned to start shooting around the end of May. And so the happy couple sticks close together even in work.

Remember, to get the news first - join the Fan Club! It's absolutely free.

[3-2-1999] January - February News:

Another possible project came up for Spielberg and Cruise, besides the previously mentioned "Minority Report" - "Spares": Spares, 'about an ex-cop who attempts to rescue clones bred by the wealthy for organ donation' as Mr.Showbiz puts it. Both pictures abouts cops - interesting! I think I prefer the first (Minority Report) from the short description - it sounds like a unique idea for a movie (a rare occurrence, I have noticed lately in the theatres). And I am very happy to report that Tom and Mr. Spielberg have settled on my preference also! :)

[1-22-1999] HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! The second issue of the Club Newsletter will be sent out shortly (tonight if the internet allows). The following is old Tom news from last month:

The summer of 2000 is looking promising - Tom has committed to his next project! Teaming up with Steven Spielberg, the two are scheduled to begin filming in the Fall of 1999 (right after Tom completes Mission:Impossible 2) the movie Minority Report. This is the first time that Spielberg and Tom will be working together and no doubt it'll be awesome. The movie is about a cop in a futuristic society where people are arrested for crimes they have yet to commit! Sounds intriguing... The phone tapping you may have heard about of a conversation between Tom and Nic on Feb 5th has been resolved! The spy has been found, his name being Eric Ford, 27, and he is currently up for court proceedings facing up to 15 years in prison. YAAAY to the Cruises for battling (and very well, too) those critter tabloids/paparazzis! Hopefully they will all soon keep a respectful distance from the Cruises and give them at least a little bit of privacy... Nicole and Tom share a fairy-tale love and life. To read more about a recent interview, visit here!

To receive the news fresh and early, make sure you join the Fan Club!!! Once again, happy New Year and all the best! ;)

[11-22-1998] OK, the club is going well, members are being added, everything is running smoothly! The Fan Club room is still under construction, but accessible in its current form. Within a week, that shall be completed too. Give me feedback as to what you'd like to see, members!! To check out the Tom Cruise CYBERSTORE, click here!

[11-15-1998] Tommy NEWS Alert! This past October and beginning of November, has been another month in Tom's life: Well first of all, Nicole has finished in London and has now moved back to the US, taking Tom and kids with her, to continue with The Blue Room on Broadway! This run starts on December 13th for her. So the Cruise family homebase is to be Manhattan for a while... Tom is also talking about a cameo for the movie Magnolia, where he would be unbilled but credited in the end credits. The film deals with parents, children, love, and loneliness according to Mr.Showbiz. On another happy note (well sort of) the Cruises just won a law suit with the London's Express on Sunday newspaper - it claimed Tom was gay, the marriage was business, etc... other stupid and unfounded lies. Well, the Cruises finally sued and won! Yippee!! And on another amusing note, supposedly Tom tried to become a member of a Blockbuster store in London, but was turned away because he did not have two forms of ID with him!!! Incredible... And that ends the summary for Tom to date! Keep tuned...

[9-11-1998] Tom and Nicole are planning to build a house on a lake in Brainerd, MN. There is a really nice race track there. Tom used to race there in a ameture league. - Anonymous source

[8-15-1998] Anyone else see "Ever After" yet? Great movie - now, why am I mentioning this on the Tom Cruise Page? Because its lead actor, Dougray Scott, the Prince - has just joined the cast of Mission:Impossible 2 for a much more evil part! Read all about it here!

[8-8-1998] OK, there has been a great outcry for the picture of Tom with the wild hair that frames the menu for this page, and thus I have put in a huge version of it in the images on the 13th page - enjoy. ;) I have also become an official partner site for Countdown (remember Countdown to Titanic??? That's the one!!!) I have also added a new title page for this site - with Tom at the Cocktail bar as Brian Flannagan - let me know if you like it! ;) Take care! And thanks for the awesome responses in the Guestbook. I swear, you people rock! :)

[8-1-1998] Well well, long month and so many possibilities for Tommy in the works. Basically, as the long-awaited Eyes Wide Shut directed by Stanley Kubrick is hopefully completed, Tom is going through movie possibilities deciding what to pick. He has been eyeing the possible production and also the chance to star in the comic book follow-up movie Ironman. He has also considered Steinbeck's Point of View and The Void, the true story of Joe Simpson and his friends' survival in the Peruvian Andes after an accident. We have all heard about the Mission: Impossible sequel directed by John Woo that he and co-producer Paula Wagner have been working on. He is also rumored to have been talking to Steven Spielberg about working together on a movie in the near future (that being sometime next Summer, because that is the earliest both can make room in their busy schedules)! No definite word yet, however, and with Eyes Wide Shut tentatively to be released sometime in 1999 (sure...), Tom will soon be accompanying wife Nicole Kidman to England yet again for her appearance on stage in "The Blue Room". Who knows, maybe they'll bump into Kubrick never to be seen in America again? Let's hope not. That's the updates so far! We'll be watching. :)