What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36
“Vanilla Sky” (2001) opens with aerial shots of Manhattan, or what it looks like if you’re flying in too low, ready to crash into a building. Thus, begins the dream… and what is a movie if not a dream? Sometimes, dreams predict things. The camera zooms down toward “The Dakota” – that notorious apartment building we all know from “Rosemary’s Baby” and from where John Lennon was murdered.
The Beatles – Illuminati hand signals by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
“Vanilla Sky” was filmed in 2000 and then released on Dec. 14th, 2001. I’m surprised it wasn’t cut – reedited – as some other pre-9/11 films were. (e.g. “Men in Black 2”, “Spiderman”, and “Collateral Damage”.) There are more 9/11 references , which I’ll get to later.
PLOT. David Aames (Tom Cruise) is a rich playboy who has everything. David and his best friend/employee Brian (Jason Lee) are nearly killed in a car accident toward the beginning. Brian remarks, “You know what? Your life flashed before my eyes.” This warning is laughed off.
David’s quandary: He controls a media conglomerate (left to him by his father), but he’s not taken seriously by “the board”, who want to take it away from him.
More seriously: He is involved with Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz) whom Brian refers to as his “fuck buddy”. When Sophia (Penelope Cruz) enters the picture, Julie knows she’s about to lose him.
When David meets Sophia (originally Brian’s girl), they become soulmates in one evening. Just when our hero thinks he’s found his dream girl, Julie returns, luring him into her car, possibly for a sexual rendezvous. While driving, she begins to unravel, revealing that she knows she’s his “fuck buddy” and asks “When did you stop caring?” Ms. Psycho Girlfriend asks “Do you believe in God?”, then rams her car through a railing, crashing into a concrete wall.
David survives, but is left disfigured, his side partially paralyzed with excruciating headaches. After some time of being alone and depressed, he attempts to resume his relationship with Sophia. On their reunion date, she brings along Brian. Things do not go well from there. Drinking tequila shots, David sees Sophia dancing and also sees that she has moved on.
In a short, but very funny scene, David stares at his face in the men’s room mirror. Three guys pass by and one tells him, “Dude, fix your fucking face!” (Even Tom Cruise laughs.)
David finds Sophia (speaking with another man) and basically wants her to tell him where they stand. She doesn’t want to say, then finally she blurts out: “I’ll tell you in another life, when we’re cats.”
Going home, she ditches him for Brian and our former hero is left passed out drunk on the sidewalk.
“Vanilla Sky” shifts into many gears after this, but like I promised , I’ll get to the other 9/11 references.
[WARNING – SPOILER ALERT.]
At the conclusion, David (whom we do not know if he’s dead, alive or dreaming), is forced to confront his greatest fear: heights. His dream guide takes him up an elevator into one of the tallest skyscrapers in New York City. His guide explains that he’s in the future now, “much has changed and your money will not last long.” On top of the building, he meets with his psychiatrist, Brian and Sophia. He is faced with a decision: stay in his “Lucid Dream” or wake up by jumping off the building. Speaking with the only woman he ever loved, he asks Sophia if she remembers telling him – “Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around.”
David makes the decision to jump. End the dream.
9/11 – The Falling Man
As he is falling, one cannot help but be reminded of the 9/11 jumpers. This is the subliminal message. America was woken out of its dream – its vision of invulnerability. So how did the filmmakers know this beforehand?
In the last shot, we see one eye opening.
Text ©2017-ERN
On Feb. 12, 1976, actor Sal Mineo was stabbed to death after rehearsal for the L.A. stage production of “P.S. Your Cat is Dead.” Who did it and why?
Kevin Spacey has reached the depths of despair. If his death occurs, will this be another sacrifice to the ruler of Tinseltown: Satan?
On Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, Devin Patrick Kelley opened fired on the First Baptist Church congregation in Sutherland Springs, TX, killing 26 and wounding 20. Wounded while trying to escape, Kelley later drove off the road and fatally shot himself in the head. The mainstream media motive? He was an avowed atheist who wanted revenge on his in-laws.
Day 2 – Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo(for whatever reason) angrily denounces this “conspiracy theory”, naming Stephen Paddock as the sole assailant. A few days later, he is forced to say that Paddock couldn’t have acted alone. Mounting evidence is proving there was an accomplice, very likely a woman seen with the killer at the casino-hotel.
The first and worst example is “Change of Habit” (1969), where the King portrays Dr. John Carpenter, a doctor working in the ghetto. He is joined by three nuns incognito. (Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair and Jane Elliot.) In the plot, Dr. Elvis mistakenly believes the three women are there for abortions, which he refuses. (It was illegal then.) The punchline? He asks them “By the way, was it the same guy?” This scene was cut by Universal, I presume, so that people don’t know abortion was once considered a bad thing.
Next, “Elvis on Tour” (1972), is a documentary released by MGM. Today, it’s owned by Warner Bros. The original song over the title credits was “Johnny B. Goode”. It’s been replaced by “Don’t be Cruel”. Now, we can argue back and forth about Elvis being on something while singing “Johnny B. Goode”. I don’t care. Elvis on chemical substances is still ten times better than the singers of today. “Elvis on Tour” is not the same without this song.
Finally, “This is Elvis” (1981) is an excellent retrospective of the King’s career: part documentary-part reenactment. Towards the conclusion, Elvis sings “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” which has been removed for the “Special Edition” at the request of his estate. (His ex-wife? His daughter?) This song was cut because Elvis forgets the words at one point. It does show, however, Elvis at the end of his rope, raw and unvarnished.