Tony Scott Movies
While still a teenager, producer and director Tony Scott made his first foray into film with an appearance in his big brother Ridley Scott's first short film, Boy and Bicycle. He later attended London's Royal College of Art, as did his brother, and proceeded to get his feet wet behind the camera, at first by directing TV commercials for his brother's production company Ridley Scott Associates. He became a leader in the British commercial industry, directing countless ads and building up an impressive resumé over the years.By the early '80s, Tony Scott was ready to begin directing films, and for his first project, he agreed to tackle MGM's artful vampire pic The Hunger, starring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. The movie was released in 1983 to a disappointing silence at the box office, and for the next few years Scott returned to commercials as he waited for his next opportunity to come along. That project came in the form of an offer from producer Jerry Bruckheimer to direct a fun action drama about hotshot fighter jet pilots -- Top Gun. Scott's darker artistic sensibilities didn't jive with Bruckheimer's ideas at first -- he had images of Apocalypse Now and The Road Warrior in mind, while the producers were envisioning something poppier and easy to digest. Finally, Scott understood what they were asking for and created the rock & roll and blue-skies flick that they had in mind. The movie was a massive box-office hit, ushering Scott into the next tier of filmmakers and making a star out of Tom Cruise.
Scott almost instantly became the man to call on for fun action romps, directing films like Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987, Days of Thunder in 1990, and The Last Boy Scout in 1991. He also directed a script written by a then unknown named Quentin Tarantino called True Romance. Starring a top-notch ensemble cast including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, and Brad Pitt, the film was something of a sleeper at the box office. The exuberant tribute to cinematic expressions of love, crime, violence, and rock & roll quickly became another cult hit -- and a preview of things to come from the writer behind it. The movie also served as a reminder that Scott was capable of more sensitive and artistic sentiments than the testosterone-driven pictures that encompassed much of his filmography.
That is not to say Scott was not quite at home in the action and thriller areas of film, as he spent the 1990s churning out popular titles like Crimson Tide, The Fan, and Enemy of the State. He continued with his trademark action-with-a-sense-of-humor style in the new millennium with films like Spy Game, Man on Fire, and Domino, but by this time he was trying his hand at producing as well. Scott produced and executive produced TV ventures like The Last Debate, The Gathering Storm, and Numb3rs, as well as features such as Tristan + Isolde and In Her Shoes, and his own Man on Fire and Domino. Scott's next three films, 2006's Deja Vu, and 2009's The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, and 2010's Unstoppable, found the director becoming something of a frequent collaborator with Hollywood heavyweight Denzel Washington. Yet just as his career would circle back with the development of Top Gun 2, Tony took his own life by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro. He left behind a wife, two twin boys, and a breadth of work that was unique, satisfying, and always delivered with a stylish flair that only became more daring as his career went on. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
Director Joe Carnahan resurrects the popular 1980s-era action series with this explosive reboot following the adventures of four Iraq War veterans who begin a second career as mercenaries for hire. Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), Templeton "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper), B.A. Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson), and H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock (Sharlto Copley) are a group of former Special Forces operatives who have been fighting the good fight for eight years when they're sentenced to military prison for a crime they didn't commit. Breaking out with relative ease, they embark on a treacherous quest to clear their names while being hunted across the globe by Charissa Sosa (Jessica Biel), a high-ranking military officer and one of Face's many former lovers. Meanwhile, mysterious CIA operative Lynch (Patrick Wilson) offers tips that help point the federal fugitives in the right direction, which seems to lead straight to former military contractor Pike (Brian Bloom), who may have been responsible for setting them up in the first place. Just when it seems that the A-Team has all the evidence needed to prove their innocence, however, they discover that their latest mission is just getting started. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, (more)
Adapted from the best-selling novel by author Michael Crichton, director Mikael Salomon's made for television mini-series follows a group of specialized scientists as they race to cure a fast-spreading plague. A U.S. military satellite has crashed near a small Utah town, unleashing a deadly pathogen. Everyone who's come into contact with the virus has died, except for two survivors. Could something in the blood of these two survivors prove the key to immunizing the rest of mankind and preventing a devastating outbreak? Now, as a lone reporter begins investigating what he believes to be a vast government conspiracy, the military quarantines the area and a specialized team of scientists race to find a cure for the pathogen they have given the code name, "Andromeda." ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to Queue Add The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to top of Queue
Brad Pitt stars as legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James in Chopper director Andrew Dominik's cinematic rendering of the events that would eventually bring about the death of the man rumored be the "fastest gun in the West." An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw. When Robert and his brother Charlie sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status. Casey Affleck stars as Robert Ford and Sam Shepard co-stars as Frank James -- Jesse's devoted sibling and partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, (more)
Chris O'Donnell, Michael Keaton, and Alfred Molina star in this television mini-series event adapted from the book by Robert Littell and brought to the screen by cinematographer-turned-director Mikael Salomon (Salem's Lot and Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor). An epic thriller that traces the timeline of the CIA from the Berlin Base of the 1950s through to the Gorbachev putsch, The Company details the struggles of agents caught between double lives, that war waged against an enemy as immoral as it is elusive, and the internal battles that threatened to destroy "The Company" from the inside out. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chris O'Donnell, Michael Keaton, (more)
- 2012
- PG13
A covert female operative infiltrates an anarchist faction that stages clandestine attacks on major corporations, and finds her mission compromised when she falls for the group's charismatic leader in this tense and topical thriller from Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij -- the creative duo behind the indie hit The Sound of My Voice. When a mysterious group begins turning unsafe products against the very CEOs who manufacture them, former FBI agent Sarah Moss (Marling) is hired by a powerful intelligence firm to expose the culprit. Before long, Sarah has integrated herself into The East, the group thought to be responsible the frightening attacks, and she begins to collect evidence against them. In time, however, Sarah finds her sympathies shifting to the very people she once set out to destroy, leading to an intense crisis of conscience that causes her to reassess her priorities as she works quietly to maintain her cover. Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, and Patricia Clarkson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Robert De Niro is Gil Renard, baseball fan from hell. Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) is the player he is nuts about. No sooner does the talented Rayburn sign a huge contract with the San Francisco Giants, than everything in his life goes horribly wrong. Not only does his field play deteriorate along with his batting average, but someone murders his chief team rival. It's not revealing too much to say that Gil killed him, in the mistaken belief that he was doing Bobby a favor. When superfan Gil insinuates himself into Bobby's everyday life, the situation grows much worse, because this fixated nut-case has some very strange ideas about family solidarity. Amusing highlights come from John Leguizamo as a ballplayer's agent, and Ellen Barkin as a radio sports announcer. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, (more)
Today, Winston Churchill is regarded as one of the great leaders of his time, and a hero for helping to guide Great Britain through the crises of World War II. But in the 1930s, Churchill's place in history hardly seemed assured; his early warnings against the growing threat of the Third Reich were taken seriously by few of his contemporaries, and he suffered through a variety of personal, professional, and economic setbacks before German attacks on England gave credence to his theories about Hitler's desire to overtake Europe, and gave Churchill the opportunity to rise to the greatness that was his destiny. The Gathering Storm is a made-for-television biographical drama based on Churchill's memoirs about his life leading up to World War II. Albert Finney stars as Winston Churchill, Vanessa Redgrave plays his wife, Clementine, and Derek Jacobi appears as Stanley Baldwin. Jim Broadbent and Ronnie Barker co-star. Produced for the BBC, The Gathering Storm received its American premier on the HBO premium cable network in the spring of 2002. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Finney
- 2009
A disgraced politician's wife (Julianna Margulies) resumes her career as a defense attorney after her husband (Chris Noth) is jailed for corruption. ~ Tim Holland, Rovi
Liam Neeson stars in producer/director Joe Carnahan's tense adventure thriller about a group of tough-as-nails oil rig workers who must fight for their lives in the Alaskan wilderness after their airplane crashes miles from civilization. With supplies running short and hungry wolves closing in, the shaken survivors face a fate worse than death if they don't act fast. Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, and Frank Grillo co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, (more)
The exquisitely beautiful Catherine Deneuve plays Miriam, a centuries-old vampire capable of bestowing the gift of immortality on her lovers -- namely her current partner John (David Bowie). To sustain their sanguinary requirements, the pair cruises New York nightclubs in search of victims (as illustrated in a stunning opening sequence to the accompaniment of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" performed by seminal Goth band Bauhaus). When John awakens one morning to discover telltale signs of aging, it is revealed that his own sustained youth is not permanent, and his physical decrepitude begins to increase at an incredible rate. In a panic, John visits the clinic of scientist Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), who has recently published a book on reversing the aging process, but she initially dismisses him as a crank, leaving him to sit in the lobby for several hours... during which his body ages several decades. After learning of his condition, Sarah traces John to his uptown flat. John is nowhere to be found, having been consigned by Miriam to a box in the attic with her legions of undead loves, leaving Miriam to deal with Sarah -- which she does quite effectively, seducing her into a steamy lesbian tryst. Their passion is consummated by a mingling of Miriam's blood with Sarah's, which later manifests itself as a psychic link between the two women and leaves Sarah with a rapidly-increasing appetite for blood. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, (more)
Producer Joel Silver, director Tony Scott, and screenwriters Shane Black and Greg Hicks team up for this gridiron-set action thriller. Bruce Willis stars as Joe Hallenbeck, who was once a top-of-the-line Secret Service agent but has since become an alcoholic, flea-bag detective. While performing the chores of a two-bit shamus, he discovers his wife Sarah (Chelsea Field) is having an affair with his best friend. Joe is hired to protect Cory (Halle Berry), a stripper who has been getting death threats; Joe begins to sober up when Cory is blown to smithereens. Cory's boyfriend, Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans), was at one time a NFL football quarterback, but was thrown out of the game for gambling and addiction to Demerol. Smelling something fishy, Joe and Jimmy begin to investigate further and discover layers of corruption in professional football circles, leading up to Sheldon Marcone (Noble Willingham), a corrupt team owner who wants to pay off legislators to legalize gambling on pro football games. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, (more)
- 2000
The fine line between reporters objectively covering a political campaign and attempting to sway its outcome is explored in this made-for-cable drama based on the novel by noted television journalist Jim Lehrer. Newspaper columnist Mike Howley (James Garner) is asked to moderate a nationally televised debate between two presidential candidates. In collusion with fellow newspeople and debate panelists Barbara Manning (Audra McDonald), Henry Ramirez (Marco Sanchez), and Joan Naylor (Donna Murphy), Howley formulates a plan to boost the campaign of the Democratic candidate, whom they favor. They ask the Republican nominee a number of pointed questions about unsubstantiated charges that he has a propensity for violence, eventually prompting the candidate to leave the stage in a huff after throwing a microphone. Several weeks later, the Democrat carries the election. While the debate served the goals of the reporters, and boosted their public image, some observers have serious questions about what went on, and investigative reporter Tom Chapman (Peter Gallagher) is determined to bring the public the truth. A number of noted journalists and political figures served as consultants for The Last Debate and appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Garner, Peter Gallagher, (more)
Ian McShane, Donald Sutherland, and Rufus Sewell headline this eight-part miniseries adapted from the best-selling novel by author Ken Follett. As England moves out of the Dark Ages, the tensions between ambitious mason Tom Builder (Sewell), Bishop Waleran Bigod (McShane), and the heirs of King Stephen (Toony Curran), King Henry (Clive Wood), and Queen Maud (Alison Pill) come to a head when Builder's plan to construct an opulent cathedral threaten to trudge up some damning secrets that the royal families would rather remain buried. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ian McShane
A New York City subway dispatcher draws on his extensive knowledge of the subway system in order to outsmart a dangerous criminal mastermind who's hijacked a subway train in this remake of the 1974 thriller inspired by John Godey's best-selling book. Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is drifting through his daily routine when he receives word that a heavily armed gang of four has hijacked a subway train and is holding all of the passengers hostage. Led by cunning master thief Ryder (John Travolta), the gunmen will begin executing everyone aboard should the authorities fail in delivering ten million dollars in the space of just one hour. With the tension in the tunnels rising, Walter races to save the hostages before the shootings start. But through it all, there's one part of Ryder's plan that Walter can't quite comprehend: even if the thieves do succeed in getting their money, how could they possibly get out of the tunnels undetected? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, John Travolta, (more)
Devil-may-care navy pilot Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is sent to Miramar Naval Air Station for advanced training. Here he vies with Tom Kasansky (Val Kilmer) for the coveted "Top Gun" award. When not so occupied, Mitchell carries on a romance with civilian consultant Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). Shaken up by the death of a friend, Mitchell loses the Top Gun honor to Kasansky. Worried that he may have lost his nerve, Mitchell is given a chance to redeem himself during a tense international crisis involving a crippled US vessel and a flock of predatory enemy planes. The story wasn't new in 1986, but Top Gun scored with audiences on the strength of its visuals, especially the vertigo-inducing aerial sequences. The film made more money than any other film in 1986 and even spawned a 1989 takeoff, Hot Shots. An Academy Award went to the Giogio Moroder-Tom Whitlock song "Take My Breath Away." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, (more)
One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in this historical drama. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh (David O'Hara) of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke's most valuable allies is Tristan (James Franco), Marke's protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland's presence in England, Tristan has a secret he's been hiding from Marke -- after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), King Donnchadh's daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation's greatest warriors, an extreme and rather personal surprise is in store for Tristan. Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Franco, Sophia Myles, (more)
Quentin Tarantino scripted this wild and wooly blend of action and dark comedy, which reached theaters a year before his breakthrough hit Pulp Fiction. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a well-meaning but socially unskilled comic-shop clerk whose idea of a big night out is catching a Sonny Chiba triple-feature at a downtown grindhouse. Clarence is celebrating his birthday in just such a manner when he meets a beautiful girl named Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and it's love at first sight for both of them. Clarence's enthusiasm isn't dampened much when he discovers Alabama is actually a prostitute who was paid by his boss to bump into him; she's only been in the business for a few days, and is more than eager to give up streetwalking to be with Clarence. However, Alabama is certain her pimp, Drexl (Gary Oldman), will not be happy; he's an ill-mannered sort with mob connections and a fondness for violence. Chivalrous Clarence offers to break the news to Drexl and collect her belongings, but he doesn't tell her he also plans to kill Drexl while he's there; a melee breaks out that leaves Drexl and his henchmen dead. Clarence grabs a suitcase that he thinks contains Alabama's clothes, but he discovers it instead holds five million dollars' worth of cocaine. The couple hits the road for California, planning to sell the dope and enjoy the good life in South America with the proceeds, but soon a group of very unhappy underworld characters are after them, as well as the police. True Romance also stars Dennis Hopper as Clarence's father, Christopher Walken as a mob boss who wants his cocaine back, Brad Pitt as a cheerful stoner, and Val Kilmer as the ghost of Elvis Presley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, (more)
In this action thriller from director Tony Scott, rookie train operator Will (Chris Pine) and grizzled veteran engineer Frank (Denzel Washington) learn that a runaway locomotive carrying carloads of dangerous chemicals is headed for Will's small Pennsylvania hometown, where his wife and child live. In order to save the day, they must figure out how to catch up to the rogue engine, and stop it before harm comes to the town. Standing in their way is Galvin (Kevin Dunn), the head of the company who is more interested in saving the stock price than lives. On the plus side, the duo have competent corporate employee Connie (Rosario Dawson) on the radio, talking them through their various attempts to corral and then stop the potentially lethal locomotive. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, (more)
Their relationship steadily deteriorating in the eight years following their daughter's untimely death, a married couple unable to break the cycle of grief gets a second shot at love thanks to a scrappy, underage prostitute in this family drama starring James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart. Ever since the death of their daughter Emily, Doug (Gandolfini) and Lois Riley (Leo) have been drifting apart. As Lois wrestles with a suffocating sense of guilt over her daughter's death, Doug copes by entering into an affair with Vivian, a local waitress. Lately, Lois hasn't even been able to muster the courage to venture outside, summoning hairdressers to her home in order to maintain appearances and communicating with few people other than her sister Harriet and the local pastor. When Vivian dies and Doug finds himself in a Baton Rouge strip club during a business trip, he realizes he's come to a dangerous crossroads in life. Turning down an offer for a private dance by 16-year-old stripper Mallory, Doug instead accompanies the girl home and makes a most unusual proposition: if Mallory will allow him to stay in her run-down apartment long enough to straighten himself out, he will pay her $100 a day for her trouble. For Mallory, who isn't used to getting money for nothing, it seems like a great deal. She accepts, and Doug phones Lois to tell her he won't be coming home. As time passes, Doug and Mallory settle into an unconventional kind of domesticity. Meanwhile, back home, Lois realizes that she'll have to act fast in order to save her marriage, even if that means venturing well outside her comfort zone for the first time in nearly a decade. Most days she can't even make it to the mailbox, but after a couple attempts, Lois manages to start up her car and get on the freeway heading south. When Lois arrives in Louisiana and discovers that her husband is living with a foul-mouthed, underage hooker, she is at first horrified. Like Doug before her, however, Lois quickly warms to Mallory, due in part to her striking similarities to Emily. Before long, Lois, too, has moved in, and the three form something of an unconventional family. But when Lois attempts to steer Mallory from the path of self-destruction, the young girl bristles. Later, Mallory is hospitalized after being badly beaten by a client, and Doug and Lois rush to be by her side. Could this be the thing that pulls them back together? When Lois admits to Doug how their daughter really died, his kind understanding gives hope for a new beginning. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Melissa Leo, James Gandolfini, (more)
An ailing criminal and his excitement-starved nurse decide to knock over a bank for fun and profit in this comic suspense story. Legendary bank robber Henry Manning (Paul Newman) pushes his luck too far and ends up in prison, where he suffers a massive stroke. He is transferred to a nursing home, in the care of Carol Ann McKay (Linda Fiorentino), a high school prom queen who married her boyfriend Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), the star of her school's football team, and whose glamour days are well behind her. After a few of her personal effects mysteriously disappear, Carol Ann starts to suspect that Henry isn't as sick as he seems, and she and Wayne are soon working with Henry to plan his last and greatest score. The title comes from the remark attributed to the outlaw Willie Sutton, who when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that's where the money is." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
Based on Ken Follett's epic novel of the same name, this eight-hour mini-series set in the Dark Ages finds England preparing for a prolonged war with France as the Black Death descends on Europe. As the war drums begin to beat, Caris and her lover Merthin defy both the church and the crown by forming a sovereign community in Kingsbridge. Meanwhile, an assassin targets the king, and a devastating development threatens to hinder the arrival of a new era of enlightenment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.