Tom Cruise

[Martin Waldron 0]

Tom Cruise just did a motorcycle jump into a BASE jump on a movie set. Ok there was huge preparation, but a BASE jump is still a BASE jump. That's gone beyond stunt stuff; I know everyone here BASE jumps, but hats off to him regardless of what you think of him!

https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/new-mission-impossible-video-captures-tom-cruise-attempting-a-death-defying-stunt/

Edited December 20, 2022 by Martin Waldron

[dudeman17 226]

A youtube video about this was posted in Bonfire the other day.

I believe Tom Cruise first learned to skydive while he was in Florida filming Days of Thunder, which came out in 1990. In that era I knew a jumper who worked with one of the major Hollywood catering companies that feed movie crews, one that Tom like to use. Tom knew this guy was a jumper, and a few times on location he had my friend find a local dropzone that he could sneak off to to make some jumps on off days. TC also did HALO jumps for one of the other MI movies, and while he was promoting that one he jumped along with James Cordon doing a tandem (not as the TI). That was at Perris, and I don't think Dan BC would sign off on that unless he was capable. I don't know if he stays constantly current, or how many total jumps he has, but he's certainly no whuffo approaching this stunt. Plus, as you said, a lot of preparation specifically for this. So yeah, hats off to him indeed.

[Bokdrol 38]

Tom Cruise was at Skydive Jeffrys Bay in South Africa very recently filming a promo for Mission Impossible 8. Some of his film stuntwork has been done in the UK at RAF Weston and nearby DZ's.  He allegedly has to be persuaded not to perform the more dangerous e.g. pyrotechnic type, stunts himself. Whether or not this extends to mc base jumps, I couldn't say. He is reportedly a more than competent skydiver. 

[RolandForbes 40]

Gotta love that subterminal track. 

Thats awesome though that ramp must have taken forever to setup!

 

[skydiverek 43]

 

[Bluhdow 28]

That's one very expensive marketing stunt/ego stroke. 

They could have gotten Brad Slums to do it for a sliver of the time and money, I suspect.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Bluhdow

[billvon 1,753]

2 hours ago, Bluhdow said:

That's one very expensive marketing stunt/ego stroke. 

They could have gotten Brad Slums to do it for a sliver of the time and money, I suspect.

Didn't BJ do that exact stunt for Goldeneye?

 

[RayLosli 8]

On 12/28/2022 at 11:19 AM, Bluhdow said:

That's one very expensive marketing stunt/ego stroke. 

They could have gotten Brad Slums to do it for a sliver of the time and money, I suspect.

 

  Of course it would have been more economical and faster just to subcontract a stunt crew to do the jump. but I give Hats Off to Cruise for taking the time and expense to do his own jump. It really shows he has pride in his work and believes in what he is doing. It's smart business, 100% adds quality to the product he is selling, and doing it himself, he gets the Ego stroke for a job well done .
  He demands quality for his Fan base with profit return. It really showed bigtime few years back when Cruise took all the time and money also in doing 'top gun Maverick' with all the elaborate cockpit Imax camera setup for flight effect and flight time for Imax theater release, instead of going CGI .

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[The111 0]

On 12/28/2022 at 11:19 AM, Bluhdow said:

That's one very expensive marketing stunt/ego stroke. 

They could have gotten Brad Slums to do it for a sliver of the time and money, I suspect.

Pretty sure most of skydiving and base jumping could be described that way (especially by outsiders), minus the "marketing" part.