This is one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever had to write. While many may not know the names of the people behind the cameras who make movies, one that audiences worldwide have always known and loved, was Tony Scott. He was best known for his great action films, such as ‘Top Gun’, ‘Crimson Tide’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2’, ‘Man on Fire’, and ‘Enemy of the State’, and the kinetic and exciting energy that he brought to these films in only a way he could. His sense of style and energy, while many tried to replicate it, could never be touched. I’ve been a long time fan of Scott’s, ‘Crimson Tide’ was a movie I saw early on in my life when my parents took me to see it in theaters. So it’s with a heavy heart and regret that I report to you that Tony Scott died yesterday at the age of 68, after jumping to his death off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, Ca.
The news has absolutely stunned and saddened Hollywood, as well as movie fans worldwide, collectively. Many wanting to believe the news wasn’t true, myself included. Scott’s films had a tremendous impact on me at a young age. I grew up watching TV broadcasts and VHS copies of many of his films, specifically ‘Top Gun’, ‘Crimson Tide’, and ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2’, that were in constant rotations in my household. But it wasn’t until I got older that I really started to understand the man’s true genius. He brought a hyper and exciting sense of action and mayhem to his films, and really pushed us to the edge of our seats. ‘Enemy of the State’, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman, is what I consider not only to be his best film, but one of the best films in the thriller genre, period. That movie, along with ‘Man on Fire’, not only solidified my absolute love for Scott and his films, but proved to me that he would be a director who would never be forgotten. With the public outpouring I’ve witnessed over the last fifteen hours or so, I think it’s safe to say he did indeed leave his mark on the movie industry forever.
Scott’s films were able to transcend generations, as his career lasted almost thirty years. Be it the all out action fare such as ‘Top Gun’, ‘Man on Fire’, ‘Domino’, and ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2’, or his brilliant thrillers such as ‘Enemy of the State’, ‘The Taking of Pelham 123’, ‘Deja Vu’, ‘Unstoppable’, and ‘Crimson Tide’, he mastered it all. Scott was also the man who introduced the world to Quentin Tarantino, when he directed the young filmmaker’s ‘True Romance’, starring Christian Slater in the early 1990’s. Scott was a filmmaker whose films I would actively wait for, and I’d make sure I was there opening weekend to see it. His work with Touchstone pictures, including ‘Enemy of the State’, ‘Crimson Tide’, and ‘Deja Vu’, I consider some of the best of his career. Those were also some of Disney’s best films over the last two decades, and I’m glad to see they have a part of the Scott legacy that they can share. I own almost his entire catalog now on blu-ray as well, because his movies are some of the most fun, exciting, and in a way, timeless films that I can’t help but love experiencing time and again. I honestly never thought for one moment when I saw ‘Unstoppable’ back in 2010 that it would be the last Tony Scott movie I’d ever see. I couldn’t even imagine it then, and I’m still having a hard time imagining it now. Without him, the action movie landscape would look a lot different.
There’s never going to be another like Tony Scott. Try as they might, filmmakers can never replicate what he brought to the screen. This years ‘Safe House’, starring Scott regular Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, was very much in the vein of Scott’s most recent films, down to the films look and action, but never matched it. Scott leaves behind a loving wife, his two sons, his big brother, Ridley Scott, and a huge legacy in Hollywood that many only wish they could accomplish. I think I speak for everyone hear at the Chip and Company family when I say that our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott family, and we wish to offer our condolences. This is tragic news, and I am heartbroken at the fact that we’ll never be treated to another action film made by one of the masters. I’m sad to see this has also put ‘Top Gun 2’ into an uncertain future, because that was one I was very excited to see Scott and Cruise revisit.
Do you have a favorite Tony Scott film? Which one is your favorite? Or what about some great memories seeing his films? Let me know in the comments below, only here on Chip and Company. I look forward to hearing your stories as well.
Goodbye, Mr. Scott. Thank you for all the wonderful films, fun memories, and great times I’ve spent enjoying your films with my family, friends, and so many moviegoers. You will be terribly missed. Rest in peace.
‘Enemy of the State’ Trailer
‘Crimson Tide’ Trailer
‘Top Gun’ Trailer
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Thank you, Maria. I thought long and hard about it how to do this, and I decided to write it more as a tribute than an obituary. Thank you for reading. 🙂
Lovely Tribute! Crimson Tide…no matter how many times I watch, my pulse races most of the movie. Prayers to his family!