Epic Tom Cruise 'Retrospective' Strangely Missing Scientology Video

As his Web persona expands more than ever on both Twitter and his own site, I've never understood why Tom Cruise wouldn't just back off and let his 30-year body of work speak for itself sometimes. Like, another contest? Really? The guy made Risky Business, Born on the Fourth of July and Eyes Wide Shut among so many other titles -- own it, right? Finally, Cruise is. And the self-love is awesome.

However, you'll notice two glaring omissions in the epic sizzle reel right off the bat: 1. It's not embeddable (not very viral, TC!), and 2. It features no sign of Cruise's extraordinary performance in that Scientology recruitment video from a few years back. One might understand the megastar's reluctance to feature his Oprah couch-jumping episode, but as truly historic and influential career milestones go, you've got to take the bad with the good. I mean, he included Cocktail, right?

Anyway, here you go; feel free to return here every now and then and intercut key passages where you see fit. We shall be nothing if not comprehensive.

[TomCruise.com via @TomCruise]



Comments

  • HaterzGunHate says:

    I actually came across his career video on his site the other day (follow him on Twitter) and i thought it was awesome! I totally forgot how many sweet movies he's been in...On another note, I'm SO f'ing pumped about Rock of Ages, am I the only one??

  • Susie says:

    He's mega talented, mega hot, and soon will be mine, muha. Ha, ha!

  • CiscoMan says:

    Can anyone get away with "Also sprach Zarathustra" in a video without seeming self-important and pompous? Strange that such an accomplished actor (as you said, look at all those great movies!) would fall into the trap of every noob YouTuber: terrible and obvious music choices.

  • MovieLuvr says:

    Of course those videos aren't on the reel, the reel is strictly for his films. I've actually checked out the site AND follow him on Twitter (don't judge me, he stole my heart in Jerry Maguire 😉 ). Anyway, I mean whatever, he's a great actor, and by far still preserving his good looks as he gets older....sigh....i love him, scientologist or not, the man is one talented human being, his work definitely speaks for himself. I think it's cool he tries to engage his fans using Twitter and all that stuff, staying on top of the game.

  • I follow Tom on Twitter and I personally feel that it's awesome that him or his team has created this channel to reach out to his fans. From the perspective of a fan, I see nothing wrong with a well-accomplished actor immersing himself in social media and making himself available to the common person. That makes him all the more endearing! I also don't see why the video above should be included in a career retrospective - it has everything to do with his religion and nothing to do with his career has an actor.

  • Cheri Jones says:

    I follow him on twitter too (he's the only reason I opened a twitter account) and I love that video retrospective...so many great movies thru out the years!!!! Knight and Day was epic an d his role in Tropic thunder (Les Grossman!) was awesome!

  • JAY_CHIAT says:

    Definitely feeling the upcoming Rock of Ages. Tom will make a great Stacee Jaxx, with the right mix of swagger brought by Chris Hardwick in the original performance. But without the nerdy undertones. Between Tom and Alec Baldwin, it should have the singing and comedy timing to wind up like a 1980s version of Momma Mia. Which would be awesome if in a more rocking way.

  • An Ex Fan says:

    Self absorbed much, Mr. Cruise?? That video smacks of "look at me, I'm still relevent despite my insanity". I certainly understand the social media perspective, but your twitter account (which I just checked out today) is nothing more than paid lackey's tweeting for you. Couldn't take the time to speak to your fans yourself, I see (as many others do). When I saw that Cruise participated in human trafficing by having people from the religious order of his "church" do all kinds of work for him without being paid (customizing motorcycles & cars, renovating his offices and homes, working as nannies and household help) , I lost all respect for him. I can't justify spending money to see an actor (or putting money in his pocket) who does something illegal and immoral. If he's so proud of his Scientology connection, which he shoved down our throats in the past, he should be proud of the recruitment video he made for them AND he should have it on his site. Of course he doesn't, which makes him a hypocrite as well. My days of being a Cruise fan are OVER, not because his work is bad (although it has gone steadily downhill in recent years), but because I've lost all respect for him and refuse to put my money in his pocket.

  • EdwardG says:

    You've heard the controversy surrounding the Cult of Scientology, now learn the truth by visiting this website:
    http://forums.whyweprotest.net/

  • T says:

    Actually, this retrospective is from several years back and was compiled by the Museum of the Modern Image for a tribute to Cruise. Check your facts, bro.

  • S.T. VanAirsdale says:

    Yes, those are such readily available facts, bro. Maybe if Cruise attributed credit to MoMI on his site, we could acknowledge it?

  • Tom Who? says:

    I can see the scientologist flies are swarming en masse this afternoon over this article.
    It smells like desperation to me........face it, Tom Cruise had a chance to redeem himself by waking up and realizing he had been duped by a cult. But instead, he is an aging "has been" that continues to drink the kool-aid, and refuses to accept reality.
    Since he went back to the cult several years ago, his career has careened off a cliff. Sadly, everyone else seems to realize that, except Tom.
    But Tom continues to surround himself with sycophants to desperately hold onto an illusion of his younger days. One day soon Tom will finally wake up and realize his cult's "Bridge to Total Freedom" has ruined his career, and those promised "superhuman" powers never really existed.

  • Viv says:

    Tom Cruise is damn cool! Screw anyone who says he's not! You're probably sitting in front of the computer doing you know what.

  • Luke says:

    That video cut alot of sections you know... the statement "uncut" is a lie

  • T says:

    That's ok, bro. It's called fact checking. I didn't expect Cruise's web designer to remember to provide a citation for that retrospective, but if it's going to be critiqued, how about honesty in sources? It's not hard to find out.

  • T says:

    I'm not a scientologist, I'm Lutheran. If you want to call me a Lutheran fly, I'm fine with that. Just b/c someone makes a positive statement about Cruise doesn't mean they're a scientologist. I'm not a member of greenpeace, but I occasionally make pro-environment comments. I'm just a student who was taking a break from studying and came across this story. Peace

  • ace says:

    Actually, the FBI report said Cruise didn't know about the human trafficing. If you're gonna lash out at him, how about some facts?

  • Rick Mycroft says:

    A link to that claimed FBI report?

  • I was at that tribute, bro, at Cipriani four years ago. I don't remember this bloated-ass video from that event, and in any case it _is_ the responsibility of website proprietors to attribute credit to original content providers when it's not stated or apparent otherwise. Though, judging from Cruise's site, I guess this is my opinion and not a "fact," bro.

  • Anonymous says:

    SCIENTOLOGY IS A DANGEROUS CULT.
    Google "Lisa McPherson" / Operation FreakOut / Operation Snow White.
    Educate yourselves.

  • T says:

    That's exactly the gala I'm talking about! You didn't see it? Maybe you hadn't entered the room in which they were showing it yet. Here's a link to that event. Look at the video at the 1:40-1:43 mark after they interview Leelee Sobieski. They show the video on a screen above a large room. And I said I didn't expect the webmaster to provide credit, not that they shouldn't have. And I was wrong; it's Museum of the Moving Image, not Museum of the Modern Image.
    http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/11/08/movies/1194817096718/honoring-tom-cruise.html
    Fact, bro!

  • Thanks! I dunno what happened. All I know is I asked Cruise beforehand for his recollections of _Losin' It_, and he smiled The Smile and walked away. True story. I tried!

  • Luke says:

    Recruitment? The video is from an annual celebration of the formation of the International Association of Scientologists...
    BTW... the video has cut out alot from it... "uncut" is a lie...
    Countlesss lies are told from critics entirely to get attention...