30 Years Ago, Tom Cruise Made His Directorial Debut with ‘Fallen Angels’

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As a longtime admirer of Tom Cruise and his illustrious career in Hollywood, I found myself intrigued by the opportunity to delve into one of his lesser-known endeavors – directing an episode of Fallen Angels. Having grown up during the era of VHS tapes and late-night cable TV, I remember this anthology series with fondness, so I was eager to revisit it.

Regardless of doubts about celebrities’ ability to drive ticket sales, there’s one actor whose star power remains largely unwavering in attracting audiences to theaters. Few actors can rival the global recognition and respect that Tom Cruise has earned over his career. With a diverse filmography spanning several decades, he has given fans memorable performances in films like “Risky Business” (1983), “Top Gun,” (1986), “Mission Impossible” (1996), “Jerry Maguire,” (1996), “Minority Report” (2002), and many more, extending into the modern era with box-office giants such as “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) and fan favorites like “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014).

For several decades, Tom Cruise’s acting talent has consistently shone bright, overcoming controversies linked to his affiliation with Scientology and peculiar interviews, like the infamous couch-jumping incident on Oprah Winfrey’s show in 2005. However, it is his command over his acting career that keeps him at the forefront of Hollywood. This control extends even to directing, making his debut and final directorial projects rather unusual.

‘Fallen Angels’ Was Neo Noir Perfection on TV

Drawing influence from “The Twilight Zone,” Fallen Angels was an American neo-noir anthology television series showcasing tales penned by some of the genre’s leading authors. Originally broadcast on Showtime starting August 1, 1993, it spanned over two seasons with a total of 15 episodes. Fallen Angels was set in a melancholic Los Angeles during the aftermath of World War II, capturing the ambiance of the classic black-and-white productions from the 1940s and 50s.

Not only am I thrilled to be part of this exciting endeavor, but I must share that some remarkable individuals are associated with it. As a matter of fact, I’m honored to mention that Tom Cruise is directing an episode, and other talented directors such as Peter Bogdanovich, John Dahl, Phil Joanou, and Steven Soderbergh have contributed their skills to the series. The ensemble cast boasts some well-known faces, including Gary Oldman, Kiefer Sutherland, and Danny Glover who graced our screens with recurring roles. To authentically capture the era’s essence, Elmer Bernstein, a renowned composer, crafted the opening and closing themes for the show. His son, Peter Bernstein, also played a significant role in composing music for each episode.

In my opinion, “Fallen Angels” was a groundbreaking series that garnered recognition, being nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. However, some fans of the noir genre felt that its half-hour format didn’t fully capture the scope of the stories it aimed to tell. Despite getting somewhat overshadowed in the ’90s, it managed to maintain a dedicated fanbase among noir enthusiasts. Interestingly, Tom Cruise’s episode was released during a time when the director was already gaining widespread acclaim, coinciding with the release of “The Firm” the same year and following closely after “A Few Good Men”.

Tom Cruise Took to the Director’s Chair to Make ‘The Frightening Frammis’

In the fourth episode of Season 1, entitled “The Frightening Frammis,” Tom Cruise makes his directorial debut on the TV series Fallen Angels. This episode is adapted from the short novel by Jim Thompson and revolves around Mitch Allison (played by Peter Gallagher), a con artist who decides to use some of his wife’s newly acquired wealth to launch his own get-rich-quick scheme. However, when he encounters a woman named Babe (Isabella Rossellini), he becomes infatuated and finds himself caught up in a series of schemes aimed at winning her favor.

While it would be ideal to say that Tom Cruise’s directorial debut showed potential, the truth is that the episode does little to distinguish itself from the existing format or show any flare one could point to. The episode is an engaging back-and-forth backstabbing drama as various individuals race for a large sum of money, perfectly paced at half an hour. Still, it is not even the best episode in the series, with that title being a toss-up between Alfonso Cuarón’s Murder, Obliquely, Steven Soderbergh’s Professional Man, or his The Quiet Room.

Tom Cruise’s role in the movie “Fallen Angels” doesn’t reveal his opinions about directing or if he found the experience enjoyable. However, it’s known that when working with his production company, Tom Cruise is quite active. For instance, in movies like “Mission Impossible,” he would assist with camera work, stunts, and dialogue. This might have given him initial confidence to handle multiple aspects of filmmaking, but it could also mean he has no desire to direct again, especially in the role he played in “Fallen Angels.

Should I Watch Fallen Angels and Tom Cruise’s Directorial Debut?

The TV series “Fallen Angels” is exceptional, yet carries the distinctive flavor of its time period. It came before shows like “The Sopranos,” which later set new benchmarks in television production. Essentially, the series may seem a bit raw or unrefined to contemporary viewers, and one had to be part of that era to truly appreciate this raw style, as it was commonly found; however, it is undeniably sleek and fashionable for its time.

The show “Fallen Angels” delivers clever tales that could have benefited from longer episode lengths (ideally around 45 minutes or more). However, for enthusiasts of the noir genre and those fond of pulp novels who are familiar with the original source material, there’s a wealth of enjoyable content to discover within the series. Tom Cruise’s episode may not be particularly exceptional, but it remains entertaining nonetheless. Given his involvement in the production, watching this particular episode is hardly something to skip, especially considering his status as a Hollywood legend. Unfortunately, “Fallen Angels” is currently unavailable for streaming, but you can find individual episodes on YouTube.

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2024-12-09 02:03