As a young man – too young to know what a director actually did – there were a few filmmakers that seemed to really shine in my young mind. Tony Scott gave me the inspiration to be a Navy pilot, he also helped fuel my passion for vampires, and he even made one of the most romantic action flicks ever made. This is the man that I remember. Scott’s movies took me all over the world and whet my appetite for the adventure of cinema. His passing is tragic. With that said, we here at JoBlo.com wanted to take a moment to look back at his incredible body of work, specifically our top 5 favorites for a Tony Scott movie marathon. The following is a list my own five favorite Tony Scott films, but please feel free to note your faves below and help celebrate the filmmaker and the legacy he offered filmgoers everywhere.
In the first of the two Gene Hackman/Tony Scott collaborations on my list, I was pleasantly surprised at how well ENEMY OF THE STATE holds up. The film stars Will Smith who was enjoying “fresh” success as an action star thanks to INDEPENDENCE DAY, BAD BOYS and MEN IN BLACK. Not only is this an impeccably well directed thriller, it also features an on their way to be star-studded cast including Jack Black, Scott Caan and Jason Lee among others. Filled with nail-biting suspense, ENEMY only continued to show Scott’s impressive craftsmanship as an action director.
And the Gene Hackman/Tony Scott collaboration continues with this impressive undersea suspense drama. The visuals are extremely remarkable here including some pretty intense submarine action. Along with Scott’s visual flair, CRIMSON TIDE offers Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman verbally duking it out. Both actors are at the top of the game, with their performances only amplified by the claustrophobic suspense that builds up to a thrilling climax.
THE HUNGER was introduced to me when I was much too young to actually be viewing steamy lesbian lovemaking… I was a happy lad! You can’t get much more erotic than Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve exploring their sexuality. This stylistic vampire tale also features David Bowie as Deneuve’s lover and a number of terrifyingly beautiful images. Forget TWILIGHT or “The Vampire Diaries,” THE HUNGER is an audacious and oftentimes brilliant first feature film from the director.
“I feel the need… the need for speed!” and so did the entire nation when TOP GUN flew into theatres back in 1986. Three years after THE HUNGER the director went in an entirely new direction and helped solidify Tom Cruise as a box office sensation. Sure looking back there is a certain amount of homoerotism in this Navy pilot adventure, however this high flying flick is as thrilling today as it was back when Mr. Cruise was known as the dude who danced around in his underwear in RISKY BUSINESS. And the soundtrack really rocked!
Quentin Tarantino may have written the script for TRUE ROMANCE, yet it was Tony Scott’s keen eye for smart casting and outstanding imagery that made this arguably one of the coolest flicks of the Nineties. Val Kilmer as Elvis, Brad Pitt as a stoner and who could forget Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken in one of the greatest scenes ever put on celluloid. To me, this is Scott’s true violently romantic masterpiece. And is there any on-screen couple as adorable as Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette were here? I think not.