Count Von Strange
By Mitch Berg
This controversy heaps weird upon weird; Tom Cruise has been cast to play Claus Von Stauffenberg, who :
German officials have baulked at the choice of Cruise to play Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, who was executed by firing squad in 1944 after the failed assassination attempt.
They cite the actor’s ties to the Church of Scientology, which is viewed here as a “totalitarian” group that exploits vulnerable people, as making him unfit to play a German martyr.
Cruise is an odd choice. I was afraid they were going to cast Dane Cook.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Von Staufenberg’s heroic act would have been more heroic, regardless of its outcome, if he had attempted it in 1940 rather than 1944.
His attempted assassination and putsch were based more on class conflict and a desire to spare the wehrmacht the humiliation of 1918 than it was on revulsion at the horrors of nazism. He didn’t care about the death and destruction of war until his country began losing.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I heard they were leaning toward either Tom Green or Larry, the cable guy. Guess they decided to cast against type.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
At least Scientology aint one of them weird religions like The Church of Latter Day Saints.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Or the Episcopal Church in America.