Germany Bans Cruise

Germany bans Cruise film shoot from military sites
Mon Jun 25, 2007 12:33PM EDT
By Louis Charbonneau

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Cruise, also one of the film’s producers, is a member of the Church of Scientology which the German government does not recognize as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject.

The U.S. actor has been cast as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Nazi dictator in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase.

Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers “will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult”.

“In general, the Bundeswehr (German military) has a special interest in the serious and authentic portrayal of the events of July 20, 1944 and Stauffenberg’s person,” Kammerbauer said.

Cruise’s publicists could not be reached for comment.

Stauffenberg had been deeply opposed to the Nazis’ treatment of the Jews and planted a briefcase bomb under a table near Hitler in his “Wolf’s Lair” headquarters on July 20, 1944. The bomb went off but only wounded the Fuehrer.

The film, slated for a 2008 release and to be directed by Bryan Singer and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is called “Valkyrie” after Operation Valkyrie, the plot’s codename.

The main site of interest would be the “Bendlerblock” memorial inside the Defense Ministry complex in Berlin. This is where Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators hatched the plot and where he and his closest comrades were executed when it failed.

Kammerbauer said the ministry had not yet received official filming requests from the producers of “Valkyrie”.

I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?
[/quote]
First Judaism and now Scientology?! Too bad the only way to take this dude down a notch is to discriminate against his religion–horribly lame and exploitative as it is.

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

First Judaism and now Scientology?! Too bad the only way to take this dude down a notch is to discriminate against his religion–horribly lame and exploitative as it is.[/quote]

It doesn’t even seem he is using he movie as a vehicle to promote Scientology.

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:

I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

[/quote]

He may be an idiot, but he’s a good actor (I didn’t believe that until I saw him in “Magnolia”). I dont understand why they think Cruise wouldn’t do a serious portrayal. The German government is wrong to do this.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

[/quote]

Only the USA is capable of infringing on a person’s civil rights. In any other country they call it “exercising their sovreignty” or “expressing diversity” or some other bullshit.

[quote]MrRezister wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

Only the USA is capable of infringing on a person’s civil rights. In any other country they call it “exercising their sovreignty” or “expressing diversity” or some other bullshit.[/quote]

This is a correct assesment. Bad things start in the west and poison the wells as it moves east. Germany is just protecting their Germaness after all.

Glad to know freedom of expression and religion exists in central europe. Make me wanna rethink buying that Porche.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

First Judaism and now Scientology?! Too bad the only way to take this dude down a notch is to discriminate against his religion–horribly lame and exploitative as it is.

It doesn’t even seem he is using he movie as a vehicle to promote Scientology.

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

[/quote]

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.

The film producers are foolish. It’s Germany 2007.

They need to simply claim that Stauffenberg tried to kill Hitler because he didn’t take Global warming seriously enough and was being used as a tool of the Americans. Do this and the film will have the overwhelming support of the EU.

[quote]entheogens wrote:
He may be an idiot, but he’s a good actor (I didn’t believe that until I saw him in “Magnolia”).

[/quote]
Every single one of his characters is the same person with a different name. Magnolia might be an exception to that…the only exception.

I got tired of his self-obsessed megalomaniac roles starting with Days of Thunder.

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.[/quote]

Good point. We should take the safe route and ban any and all religious belief/expression just in case.

While we’re at it, we better ban the private exchange of funds, because eventually one person will take advantage of another in order to get his/her money. Exceptions will be made for government-approved transactions, of course.

[quote]MrRezister wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.

Good point. We should take the safe route and ban any and all religious belief/expression just in case.

While we’re at it, we better ban the private exchange of funds, because eventually one person will take advantage of another in order to get his/her money. Exceptions will be made for government-approved transactions, of course.[/quote]

Germany’s allegations are spot on. Scientology = Cultist bastards who ruin NORMAL people’s lives. What Tom Cruise get and what Joe Blow get from Scientology are very very different.

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Every single one of his characters is the same person with a different name.

I got tired of his self-obsessed megalomaniac roles starting with Days of Thunder.[/quote]

bump

[quote]Ren wrote:
MrRezister wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.

Good point. We should take the safe route and ban any and all religious belief/expression just in case.

While we’re at it, we better ban the private exchange of funds, because eventually one person will take advantage of another in order to get his/her money. Exceptions will be made for government-approved transactions, of course.

Germany’s allegations are spot on. Scientology = Cultist bastards who ruin NORMAL people’s lives. What Tom Cruise get and what Joe Blow get from Scientology are very very different. [/quote]

Still, can the level of abuse and absurdity practised by the followers of a religion be the standard to judge if something is a “true religion”.

Christianity= Resurrection, original sin, ritual cannibalism in some Christian sects…

[quote]Ren wrote:
Germany’s allegations are spot on. Scientology = Cultist bastards who ruin NORMAL people’s lives.[/quote]

From a non-believer’s perspective ALL religions are cults:

  1. A particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies;

  2. An instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers;

  3. The object of such devotion;

  4. A group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc;

  5. Group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols;

  6. A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader;

  7. The members of such a religion or sect;

  8. Any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

Since I am not a believer all sects are “unorthodox” and therefore false.

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

First Judaism and now Scientology?! Too bad the only way to take this dude down a notch is to discriminate against his religion–horribly lame and exploitative as it is.

It doesn’t even seem he is using he movie as a vehicle to promote Scientology.

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.[/quote]

So they don’t allow it’s practitioners to make movies that have nothing to do with the cult?

I understand why they think Scientology is a scam but they aren’t banning him from promoting a cult.

They are banning him from making a movie on their property because he is in a cult.

[quote]Ren wrote:

Germany’s allegations are spot on. Scientology = Cultist bastards who ruin NORMAL people’s lives. What Tom Cruise get and what Joe Blow get from Scientology are very very different. [/quote]

I would tend to disagree with this assessment. I have actually undergone one of the Scientologist’s free “Personality Screenings” in Orlando. I was politely solicited to come back with money. I refused. I found the experience to be mildly amusing, not unlike visiting a fortune teller.

Has Scientology ruined my life? Certainly not, though what I have seen of that Travolta film did make me slightly ill.

What is the method by which Scientology ‘ruins Normal People’s Lives’? By lying to them about their future in order to get their money? Hell, my own government does that better than anyone.

Maybe the people whose lives are ruined are not normal. Or perhaps the people whose lives are NOT ruined by Scientology are the ones who are not normal? Now I’m worried.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
I think Tom Cruise is an idiot but how repressive is Germany to do this?

First Judaism and now Scientology?! Too bad the only way to take this dude down a notch is to discriminate against his religion–horribly lame and exploitative as it is.

It doesn’t even seem he is using he movie as a vehicle to promote Scientology.

To ban someone based on religion (as shady as Scientology may be) seems to be a pretty serious infringement on civil rights.

I don’t know. Germany alleges that Scientology is a cult that manipulates people by preying on their past and then takes their money. I tend to agree with them.

So they don’t allow it’s practitioners to make movies that have nothing to do with the cult?

I understand why they think Scientology is a scam but they aren’t banning him from promoting a cult.

They are banning him from making a movie on their property because he is in a cult.[/quote]

They’re not banning him from making a movie, they’re simply not letting him use public property to do so. The U.S. does that all the time, and quite rightly, when it thinks the film in question reflects badly on the country.

Xenu and the body Thetans will be pleased at Germany’s move. They are coming to get us all…AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Run to Narconon all!!! We must be saved from the horrible pharmacuticals!!!

We must purge the rotten demons from our souls so we glow like mr. cruises teeth!

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:

They’re not banning him from making a movie, they’re simply not letting him use public property to do so. The U.S. does that all the time, and quite rightly, when it thinks the film in question reflects badly on the country.[/quote]

The movie apparently does not promote his cult and does not reflect poorly on the country. The are discriminating against him because he has a kooky religion.

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
The movie apparently does not promote his cult and does not reflect poorly on the country. The are discriminating against him because he has a kooky religion.[/quote]

Give the continental Europeans some time. This whole “individual freedom” thing hasn’t had much time to take root. They like to make fun of us for our “young” culture, but remember Germans have only been living under a democratic government for less than 60 years. Well at least half the country has been. And it was imposed at the end of the bayonet (thought that was impossible?)