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IN Memoriam: The Top 5 Tony Scott Films
by Winston "Stone" Ford
Most people don’t know Tony Scott, and may even confuse him for his younger brother Ridley. Scott’s films may not have won any academy awards, but beyond creating one of most legendary films of all time (Top Gun), he’s also had a hand in some of the most entertaining films of of the 90s and 2000s. Was it art house stuff? Not at all, but a good DVD rental nonetheless.
If you didn’t know, director Tony Scott committed suicide, jumping off of a bridge in California this morning.
5. Spy Game
Most people know Tony Scott for Top Gun, but in the late 90s/early 2000s he started making some rather smart action films, and Spy Game was one of them. The Brad Pitt/Robert Redford film again boasted some great cinematography and fine acting by both actors.
4. Crimson Tide
It’s no secret that Tony Scott loved to cast Denzel Washington, and Crimson Tide might be one of ‘Zel’s best roles. The film is tense throughout and Tony Scott went through some lengths to create the animosity between Denzel and Gene Hackman. Not much is said about this film now, but back when it dropped it received several Oscar nominations.
3. True Romance
Before there was Pulp Fiction, there was True Romance. In 1993, Tarantino wrote this film and most are calling it the best Tarantino project ever (I’m not). The gritty flick has some of the best acting of the past two decades, and loaded with star talent, from Christopher Walken, to Dennis Hopper, and a then unknown Samuel L. Jackson.
2. Man on Fire
This is quite possibly my favorite Denzel Washington film. If you don’t know, it’s the one where Denzel goes straight ham on some Mexico City kidnappers for taking a then young Dakota Fanning. Although critics were so-so about this flick, the cinematography and the action sequences made this film a sleeper hit. And the ending…one of the best tearjerkers around.
1. Enemy of the State
Perhaps one of the best Will Smith vehicles ever made. This “smart” thriller premiered in 1998, and like Man on Fire, has some of the best cinematography in an action film short of the Bourne series. Many people call this the best Tony Scott film, and I most certainly agree.