The Last Star In Hollywood

The Last Star In Hollywood


18: Mission: Impossible

February 07, 2024

This week, we disavow any knowledge of Brian de Palma’s 1996 spy thriller Mission: Impossible. How does 1996 reimagine the 1960s’ spycraft of the original TV series? How does a labyrinthine plot collapse into three big actions sequences? Is this the Tom Cruise franchise we were waiting for?



Content warning: violence, drugs, betrayal





Unanswered Questions:



  • Does this film function as a response to GoldenEye? If so, in what ways?

  • What are the politics of the IMF, of individual heroism, and of American treason in a pre-9/11 world?

  • What is the function of a blockbuster franchise at this point in Cruise’s career?

Further reading:



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Join us next time as we show you the money in Cameron’s Crowe’s 1996 rom-com Jerry Maguire!



The Last Star In Hollywood is an independent podcast produced by Elizabeth Rae and Alastair Stephens.

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