Tom Cruise – Topical Fruit

I don’t love Tom Cruise. And it’s not the Scientology. Or maybe it is and I just don’t know it. He’s weird. Let’s just put it down to that.

But there’s one movie of his that I’ve seen probably a hundred times or more; if not start-to-finish, then in bits and pieces as I’ve happened upon it while channel surfing and been powerless to pass it by: “The Firm”.

Released in 1993, “The Firm” stars Cruise as Mitch McDeere, a Harvard Law graduate recruited by a small firm in Memphis. What Mitch soon discovers is that the firm secretly represents the Morolto crime family . . . a.k.a. the mafia, and there’s no way out. At least not alive.

Mitch ends up stuck between the firm, the mob, and the feds, who want him to snitch, which would get him disbarred, and put him on the mafia’s not-so-loved list.

His solution? Instead of revealing client secrets, he gives the government evidence of massive overbilling at the firm . . . enough to indict every partner on federal charges; destroying the firm and keeping him from getting whacked. Or so he hopes.

“The Firm” is a tense, well-written thriller with great characters . . . including Wilford Brimley ignoring his diabeetus and playing against type as the evil, badass head of security for the firm. (“What do you think I am here, a fuckin’ night watchman?!”)

But here’s where The King comes in . . .

Mitch doesn’t come up with the overbilling idea on his own. He gets it from a client. A black client.

But at the end of the movie, when an FBI agent asks him how he came up with it, he says, “It was on the bar exam. They made me study like hell for it.”

In other words, he steals the intellectual property of a black man and passes it off as his own. Not only that, but he does it in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the man who did it best: Elvis Aaron Presley.

And he never even offered so much as a “Thank you very much.”

62-year-old Tom Cruise has made a career out of pushing the limits of what’s possible in action filmmaking — and now he has the Guinness World Record to prove it.

While filming “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”, Cruise completed 16 high-altitude parachute jumps — with a twist that only he would dare attempt. Each time, he leapt from a helicopter with a parachute that had been soaked in fuel and set ablaze mid-air. The jaw-dropping feat has officially earned him the Guinness title for “most burning parachute jumps by an individual”.

According to Guinness World Records, no other actor or stunt professional has come close to attempting, let alone completing, this many flaming jumps.

Behind-the-scenes footage reveals just how risky the stunt was, with Cruise explaining that if the parachute twisted during descent, it would cause him to spin uncontrollably — while still on fire.

“If this is twisted while it’s burning, I’m going to be spinning and burnt,” Cruise says in the clip. “I have to kick out of the twist and then ignite in 10 seconds.” Despite the extreme nature of the stunt, he adds, “We’re going to be real smart. I’m not saying be risky. We don’t take risks, obviously.”

The Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, praised Cruise’s unmatched dedication to authenticity. “Tom doesn’t just play action heroes — he is an action hero.”

“A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do.”

This isn’t the first time Cruise has raised the bar for cinematic stunts. He’s previously scaled the Burj Khalifa, clung to the outside of a military aircraft during takeoff, and performed hundreds of HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) jumps. But lighting himself on fire mid-skydive adds an entirely new level to his reputation as Hollywood’s most fearless leading man.

Cruise’s commitment to doing his own stunts has become a defining trait of the “Mission: Impossible” series. With “The Final Reckoning” expected to be the last in the series, this record-setting spectacle feels like a fitting — and fiery — finale.

Cruise also holds the record for the most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies (as an actor) for his 11 films between “Jack Reacher” (2012) and “Mission: Impossible –The Final Reckoning” (2025).

Tag: Tom Cruise

When Tom Cruise Became the New Elvis (And Not in a Good Way)

I don’t love Tom Cruise. And it’s not the Scientology. Or maybe it is and I just don’t know it. He’s weird. Let’s just put it down to that.

Mitch ends up stuck between the firm, the mob, and the feds, who want him to snitch, which would get him disbarred, and put him on the mafia’s not-so-loved list.

But here’s where The King comes in . . .

Tom Cruise’s Latest Guinness World Record Is Literally Lit

According to Guinness World Records, no other actor or stunt professional has come close to attempting, let alone completing, this many flaming jumps.

The Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, praised Cruise’s unmatched dedication to authenticity. “Tom doesn’t just play action heroes — he is an action hero.”