Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise: The Spiegel Interview

First of all, I'm always amused at epitets such as "bizarre" used in such articles. Had Cruise and Spielber shown up wearing clown suits on an elephant's back, THAT would have been bizarre. There's nothing bizarre in moviemakers talking to the media together about a joint effort.

Secondly, a bit of context is needed. Cruise's religion (which happens to be my own as well) is widely accepted as a bonafide religion across the world, but has been the target of unprecedented discrimination in Germany (well, not really unprecedented if one goes back to the 1930s). And one of the key barking dogs of that antireligious propaganda has been Der Spiegel (same rag that published oodles of antisemitic propaganda 70 years ago)

So there's nothing surprising in the beligerant and openly confrontational tone of the reporter, even if it is patently unprofessional.

I applaud both Spielberg and Cruise in their crusades to achieve something meaningful and humanitarian with their fame, beyond the glitter of the red carpet. Spielberg's Shoa Foundation is a laudable organization, and Tom Cruise has personally funded two Detox projects to help the firefighters of 9-11. (http://www.nydetox.org). Tom Cruise is also a spokesperson for Applied Scholastics (www.appliedscholastics.org), and has been active in education and literacy projects for some time. Considering the very busy schedule of a person in his line of work, I find that quite commendable.

I don't know if War of the Worlds will live up to the hype. But I admire both these men for using their fame to do something constructive and leave behind legacies of helping others.

Sincerely,
Greg Churilov
www.liveandgrow.org

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A couple things...

Isn't the whole Scientology thing a little played out? I like that Spiegel really pushed back on Cruise's RIDICULOUS position that Narconon is the only successful drug rehab program that is proven to work, but why can't we let this topic go? And if they're so interested about religion, they should ask Spielberg about his efforts with Judiasm, since he's made THE film about the Holocaust, as well as his other charity efforts. It's only fair.

Of course, I think Scientology is not legally recognized as a religion in Germany, so that might have something to do with it.

Second, I think the most shocking quote in this story actually came from Spielberg himself. Did anybody notice when he said he probably wouldn't have made War Of The Worlds if 9/11 hadn't happened? His reasoning is sound, but that means it was actually a consideration in making this film? Should the makers of Independence Day get a lot more respect now for not trading on a tragic moment in our history?

SPIEGEL:
Mr. Spielberg, your plans to make a film of "War of the Worlds" date back to the early 1990s. Would you have made the film if September 11 had not happened?

Spielberg:
Probably not. Wells' novel has been made into a film several times, notably always in times of international crisis: World War II had just begun when Orson Welles terrified millions of Americans with his legendary radio play version, the headlines were dominated by reports on Hitler's invasion of Poland and Hungary. When the first screen version came into the movie theatres in 1953, the Americans were very afraid of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. And our version also comes at a time when Americans feel deeply vulnerable.

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Spiegel FAKE their title:

it's the journalist who harrassed Tom Cruise with scientology.
Tom was just talking about the movie.
It's misinformation, injust. Solicit. Quite degrading.

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Churilov said it so well. Der Spiegal is doing its usual hack job to creat a controversy in hopes of fabricating interest. The intrviewer just brings up things so he can take wacks at the interviewees. It's merely being quite rude.

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1/ Scientology is far from recognized as a "bonafide" religion the world over. In my own country the Netherlands they are still paying taxes and in England and Wales Church of Scientology's attempt to become a registered charity in the UK failed because the Commission has concluded that Scientology does not operate for the "public benefit".

See: http://members.lycos.nl/gormez/charity_commission/

2/ Narconon has no independant statistics proven it is the most successful drug rehab rganization in the world. Far from it! They make figures up on the go. The only independant statistics found that 6.6% of Narconon entrants remain drug-free permanently.

The Swedish evaluation found also that:

* Most Narconon entrants do not complete the programme.
* Most of those who do complete the programme return to drug abuse subsequently.

See
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/studies.htm#swedish

Sincerely,
Mike Gormez
www.taxexemptchildabuse.net

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While Spielberg is describing his social responsibilities after 9/11 in choosing which films he makes, Der Smeagol tries to car-bomb the interview because they dislike someone's religion.

For shame, psuedo-journalists.

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"Cruise: You don't understand what I am saying. It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period."

Does anyone know where we can find those statistics? I assume they are from a credible, independent source?

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Don't know the statistics. I am pretty sure that a person like Tom Cruise would know his numbers pretty well when talking to the press though.

Here's something from an independent source though:


“Addicts characteristically subordinate values such as work, family relationships, and community responsibilities to the ingestion and unwise use of alcohol and/or drugs.Social neglect and criminal behavior are frequent companions of drug abuse and alcoholism. Efforts to develop a functional normative system, as it is done in the Narconon® program, should result in favorable outcomes. The Narconon program has demonstrated that this redefinition of the normative system of addicts is possible to implement with empathy, compassion, and respect for the addict.”

Alfonzo Paredes, Sr., MD
Professor of Psychiatry,UCLA School of Medicine
Board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology

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Anyway, I don't believe it's relevant or on-topic to begin a debate on whether you're a fan of Narconon or you aren't.
Narconon exists. It delivers a drug-rehabilitation program. It's ONE option for people wanting to quit drugs.

Other options that people subject themselves to: "The Priory", England's most famous rehab, costs over $40,000 to go through. Some people like Rock-Star Pete Doherty chose to go to a thailandese monastery instead, where bamboo floggings are part of the program.

To each his own.

The point of the article, and the topic of this thread, is actually the Spiegel interview with moviemakers Spielberg and Cruise, the challenging tone of the interview, and the responses of the two interviewees.

Everything else is off-topic.

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Don't know the statistics. I am pretty sure that a person like Tom Cruise would know his numbers pretty well when talking to the press though.

Here's something from an independent source though:


“Addicts characteristically subordinate values such as work, family relationships, and community responsibilities to the ingestion and unwise use of alcohol and/or drugs.Social neglect and criminal behavior are frequent companions of drug abuse and alcoholism. Efforts to develop a functional normative system, as it is done in the Narconon® program, should result in favorable outcomes. The Narconon program has demonstrated that this redefinition of the normative system of addicts is possible to implement with empathy, compassion, and respect for the addict.”

Alfonzo Paredes, Sr., MD
Professor of Psychiatry,UCLA School of Medicine
Board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology

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Alfonso/Alfonzo Paredes is not independent. He is part of the Narconon Advisory Board.
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Stop-Narconon/AdvisoryBoard/


Sincerly,
Mike Gormez
www.Stop-WISE.biz

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I don't know what it is, but I have always experienced that Scientologist are always on the defensive. Although I don't agree with Scientology and its rants, I do see much merit in how Cruise and Speilberg might feel assailed by this interviewer.

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Yeah, but Greg, you're part of the church. Respectfully, you shouldn't talk about independent sources if you know they aren't. There's no shame in saying you're a Scientologist and defending Cruise. Otherwise you're just going to keep going perpetuating negative stereotypes about the church.

And with all due respect, the journalist was just doing his job, and rightfully questioning Cruise about a rather suspicious assertion. I wish American journalists would have been so untrusting the past four years.

Best.

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Woops, I apologize. You did say you're part of the church Greg. My oversight. Still, trying to pass that professor off as an independent source keeps negative stereotypes about Scientologists going.

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Yup, sorry. Too hasty, did not check out the professor's affiliations. Should've.

In regards to being on the defensive: There are a small group of people that are active scientolophobes. They invest a considerable amount of effort and time at libeling and smearing my religion in the media and elsewhere. Much of the discrimination in Germany is the result of the efforts of people like this.

And Mike Gormez is exactly an example of a bigot with an axe to grind. So yes, I am a bit defensive. Because he's a bit "attackive" (I know, I know, not a word. Sue me, Mike.)

The main reason why Cruise had an information tent on the set, as he himself says, was to show the good programs Scientology has, and how it can help people. Part of it is extending a helping hand to the community, part of it is saying "learn about us, we're not weirdos or punchbags for bigots, we're people of good will just like you."

Having recently spent two weeks doing relief work in Indonesia with other volunteers of my Church, it incenses me that we are constantly hit with lame-ass accusations and innuendo.

We're here. Get used to it. Those who want to find out about Scientology, can. Those who don't want to, don't have to. Those who constantly attack us just for believing differently than them will have to answer to a higher power someday for their own prejudiced black hearts.

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Prejuidiced black hearts? And you really wonder why people are anti-Scientology? Come on Greg.

I think it's great that you do charity work in the church's name, as I think it's great for all other religions. And I actually think the idea of the eMeter measuring the ability for your body to conduct electricity could prove to have merit for future psychotherapy. After all, the millions of syapnses that fire every second is what allows us to even function in the first place.

However, again, if you attack people and say they have "black hearts" don't be surprised if they attack you back that much harder.

Best.

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Tom Cruise and Steven Speilberg are two of the most awesome artist , and successful businessmen the world has ever seen. I can't wait to see War Of The Worlds. As for Scientology, and all of it's social betterment programs. They work. Period. However if you are not into helping other people I can see how you might have a problem with these programs that help people. Tom is all about helping people with what he knows, and that is Scientology. So if your not into help, that is unfortunate for you. There's an awful lot of help comming your way.

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Tom Cruise and Steven Speilberg are two of the most awesome artist , and successful businessmen the world has ever seen. I can't wait to see War Of The Worlds. As for Scientology, and all of it's social betterment programs. They work. Period. However if you are not into helping other people I can see how you might have a problem with these programs that help people. Tom is all about helping people with what he knows, and that is Scientology. So if your not into help, that is unfortunate for you. There's an awful lot of help comming your way.

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JPG, I stand by my post. I believe that if someone focuses his energy at attacking people of good will, at badgering those who devote their energy at rehabilitating drugaddicts or work on literacy programs, if someone pours all their zest into attacking the beliefs of others, then that person has a black heart and little love in it.

In Indonesia, I saw soldiers who built houses for the refugees, and I also saw soldiers who charged a relief truck a $50 bribe to allow them access. There's good in the world, and there is evil. And to say otherwise is just naive.

Keep in mind I'm not talking about someone who posts a comment challenging some aspect of my views. That's just debate, and I'm open to it.

But I know for a fact that kids of Scientologist families have been beat up because of our religion. I know that Germany tried to ban Mission Impossible because Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, and that the German govt did not allow Chick Corea to perform in Germany because he's a Scientologist. Germany even had a problem with Windows 2000 because some of the americans who worked on the software were Scientologists.

One of the reasons why Cruise makes such an effort to make the humanitarian efforts of Scientology known is to break through the wall of prejudice and lies. And I'm not a big fan of those who keep promoting the prejudice and the lies.

I don't believe everyone should become a Scientologist. Do your own thing. Just get used to seeing us around, because we're not going anywhere. And we're tired of being the media's punching bag - We do way too much good work to see our religion constantly portrayed in some negative way. Especially when we have Rudy Giulianni thanking us for our work after 9-11, when we have Jeb Bush commending us for our disaster relief work in Florida, when we have thousands of former heroin addicts say that one of our programs saved their life. I've spoken to enough of these people personally to know the programs work.

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