One Of The Dumbest Scenes In 'The Fast And The Furious' Makes Sense In The Script
The original "The Fast And The Furious" (not the new Folgers-themed film) tried its best to be a very accurate movie about tuner culture, and sometimes it did a passable job. The rest of the time the movie did substantially worse — we all remember Brian's floor falling off in that first big race — but one moment has always stuck out as particularly egregious. Brian rolls up to Dom's shop with a Supra on a trailer, and everyone is stunned that this A80 has a 2JZ-GE engine under its hood: the only engine we got in that car, and the boring non-turbo version to boot. As it turns out, though, there was an earlier draft of the movie where this scene made perfect sense.
The orange Supra was famously a personal car of Craig Lieberman, credited as the "import car consultant" for "The Fast And The Furious," but the original script for the film never called for a Supra. In fact, it never called for anything 2J-powered at all. Back in the script's "Blue draft" of May 2000, Brian's hero car was a Nissan 240SX pulled from an LAPD impound lot — a 240SX with a six-cylinder Skyline engine swapped in. No sh*t indeed.
Read more: SEMA Was Full Of Wild Concepts In 2002
Had Brian rolled up to Dom's shop in an already-swapped car — an idea eventually reused for "Tokyo Drift," where Sean Boswell crashes Han's RB26-swapped S15 Silvia and eventually reuses its engine in his Mustang — the line would make sense. No one expects to pop the hood on a 240SX and see a Skyline's RB sitting there. A KA24, sure; an SR20 is neat but expected. An I6 out of a Skyline is neat, regardless of which mill from the line it ends up being.
By the time of the script's next revision just two weeks later, according to Lieberman, Brian's final hero car changed to a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Neither the Eclipse nor the 240SX had enough open space in the roof to make Brian's rescue of Vince really work, though, so Lieberman's Supra and its targa roof ended up getting the hero role instead. For some reason, the engine-surprise line was left in, and we got the nonsensical scene that remains in the final movie. But at some point, early on, that line did actually make sense.
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Atlantic
3 hours ago
- Atlantic
When Mission: Impossible Had No Mission
Every major movie franchise has boxes to check. In Jurassic Park, dinosaurs must run amok; in Planet of the Apes, apes have to meditate on intelligence; in The Fast and the Furious, Vin Diesel absolutely has to evangelize the benefits of family, Corona beers, and tricked-out cars. But Mission: Impossible took four films to fully establish its franchise must-have: the ever more blurred lines between its death-defying, stunt-loving star, Tom Cruise, and the superspy he plays. For more than a decade, the series was defined instead by its lack of definition—at least, beyond having Cruise in the lead role as Ethan Hunt, and Ving Rhames recur as Hunt's ally. Each installment felt made by a director with a specific take on the material, and Cruise was their versatile instrument. But the four Mission: Impossible films that followed—culminating in the eighth and purportedly final installment, now in theaters—have taken a different approach. Instead of relying on a select few characters and story beats to link the films together, the movies have abided by a stricter canon. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, which earned a record-setting $63 million at the box office over its opening weekend, represents the most aggressive pivot away from the saga's more freewheeling origins: It self-seriously inserts supercuts of footage from its predecessors, reveals the purpose of a long-forgotten plot device, and turns a bit player from 1996's Mission: Impossible into a crucial character. In the process, it streamlines those earlier, delightfully unpredictable stories to the point of overlooking their true appeal. That tactic may be familiar to today's audiences, who are used to cinematic universes and intersecting story threads, but the Mission: Impossible franchise initially distinguished itself by eschewing continuity. New cast members came and went. Hunt lacked signature skills and catchphrases. The movies were messy, and didn't seem interested in building toward an overarching plan. Yet in their inconsistency, they prove the value of ignoring the brand-building pressures that have become the norm for big-budget features today. Like the 1960s television show on which they're loosely based, the early Mission: Impossible s were stand-alone stories. The first two movies in particular stuck out for their bold authorial styles. First came Brian De Palma's film, which he drenched in noir-ish flair while also deploying vivid color and Dutch angles. It arrived at a time when blockbusters such as Independence Day and Twister leveled cities and prioritized world-ending spectacle. Without a formula in place, De Palma got to challenge genre conventions—for instance, by mining tension out of mere silence during the central set piece, which saw Hunt's team staging a tricky heist. The second film, 2000's Mission: Impossible II, went maximalist under the direction of John Woo, who punctuated almost every sequence with slow-motion visuals and dizzying snap zooms. The filmmaker also asserted that Hunt himself was malleable: Whereas in the first film, he fights off his enemies without ever firing a gun, in Woo's version, he's a cocksure Casanova mowing down his targets in hails of bullets. Woo also indulged in the action pageantry that De Palma had avoided— Mission: Impossible II seemed to contain twice the amount of explosions necessary for a popcorn film—but the climactic stunt is perhaps the smallest Cruise has ever had to pull off: When the villain stabs at Hunt with a knife, the point stops just before reaching his eye. The two films that followed conveyed a similar sense of unpredictability. For 2006's Mission: Impossible III and 2011's Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, Cruise, who also served as a producer, picked unconventional choices to direct: J. J. 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They remind me of the instances of an individual filmmaker's vision found amid major cinematic properties these days, such as Taika Waititi putting his witty stamp on a Thor sequel, Fede Alvarez turning Alien: Romulus into a soundscape of jump scares, and on television, Tony Gilroy ensuring that the Star Wars prequel Andor never included a single Skywalker. If the older Mission: Impossible movies now feel dated and incongruous—whether within the franchise itself or as part of the cinematic landscape writ large—that's to their benefit. They let creative sensibilities, not commercial ones, take the lead.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Narrow Openings
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Narrow Openings Constructor: Marshal Herrmann Editor: Anna Gundlach Marshal: I'm happy to have another puzzle published at USA Today! It's a pleasure to construct themed puzzles for the USA Today because they allow a lot of freedom in the grid pattern, so I have more flexibility to create what I think is the most fun puzzle. I hope you enjoyed it! Crosswords are subjective, so what constructors find "fun" will vary based on their personal experiences and taste. Here are some entries that I particularly enjoyed because they had some personal connection: SEQUOIAS (I recently road-tripped from Chicago to Yosemite with my girlfriend, and we were in awe of those giants), LATTE ART (one of my best friends recently purchased an espresso machine, and I've been the happy beneficiary of many increasingly-artsy lattes), TRICK DECK (I took magic lessons as an adult and still own a trick deck, although I've since switched hobbies), BOSTON (I lived there for four years), and KENJI (my favorite food writer; his recipes and content are top-notch). ANTI (5A: "___-Hero" (Taylor Swift hit) "ANTI-Hero" is the lead single from Taylor Swift's 2022 album, Midnights. I quite enjoy this song with its lyrics that include, "I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser," and "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me." OAHU (14A: Waikiki's island) Waikiki is a neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is known for Waikiki Beach, located on the south shore of the island of OAHU. KENJI (19A: Food writer J. ___ Lopez-Alt) J. KENJI López-Alt is the Chief Culinary Consultant at the food blog Serious Eats, where he wrote a column called "The Food Lab." He adapted the column into his first book, "The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, which became a New York Times bestseller and won a James Beard Foundation award. BEALE (34A: ___ Street (home to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum)) BEALE Street is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and is the street that the song "BEALE Street Blues" took its name from. As the clue informs us, the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum is located on BEALE Street. This museum, which opened in 2000, began as a Smithsonian Institution research project, and is the Smithsonian's first permanent exhibit outside Washington D.C. and New York. PAI (53A: ___ gow poker) At first I thought that PAI gow poker was new to me, but then I realized I wrote about it when we saw PAI GOW POKER as a theme answer a couple of years ago. PAI gow poker, also called double-hand poker, is a card game version of the Chinese gambling game, PAI gow, which is played with dominoes. JOUST (55A: Compete in a Renaissance Faire sport) A Renaissance Faire (or Ren Faire, for short) is a medieval-themed festival. If you go to a Renaissance Faire, you might be addressed as "Lord" or "Lady," watch a JOUSTing event, or purchase Renaissance-themed handcrafts at the shoppes. You might even compete in a JOUSTing event. THIN MINTS (60A: Top-selling Girl Scout cookie variety) Honestly, I will eat almost any variety of Girl Scout cookies. But I can understand why THIN MINTS are the top-seller; they are delicious. (The second-best selling Girl Scout cookie variety is Samoas.) MARTY (62A: "Back to the Future" hero McFly) Back to the Future is, of course, the classic 1985 movie that starred Christopher Lloyd as eccentric scientist Doc Brown, who sends his friend MARTY McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) on a time travel journey. EDNA (67A: "Country Girl" author O'Brien) Country Girl is the 2012 memoir of Irish writer EDNA O'Brien (1930-2024). EDNA O'Brien's debut book, The Country Girls – the first book in a trilogy – tells the story of two Irish country girls that move to the city in search of love and adventure. The book was published in 1960, a time when women in Ireland did not have many rights. EDNA O'Brien wrote about sexual matters and social issues facing women. All three books in The Country Girls trilogy were banned by the Irish censorship board when they were published. BOSTON (1D: City home to Bunker Hill and Beacon Hill) Bunker Hill is a hill in the BOSTON, Massachusetts neighborhood of Charlestown. The Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War was fought near there. Beacon Hill is a historic neighborhood in BOSTON. The Massachusetts State House is located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. TRICK DECK (7D: Magician's prop that might have blank cards) This entry reminds me of the TV Magic Cards that were popular when I was a kid. Those TRICK DECKs didn't have blank cards, however. Instead, every other card in the DECK was identical. HIJINKS (12D: Rambunctious antics) HIJINKS is a fun word. It's also spelled "high jinks." DES (22D: Marathon runner Linden) I just learned about DES Linden – who won the Boston marathon in 2018 – when she appeared in the puzzle a week ago. MARGOT (28D: "Barbie" star Robbie) MARGOT Robbie portrays the title character in the 2023 movie Barbie. Although to be fair, there are quite a few characters in the movie named Barbie. One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when all the Barbies are greeting each other. "Hi, Barbie!" "Hi, Barbie!" "Hi Barbie!"... IBISES (30D: Sacred birds to ancient Egyptians) One species of IBISES, the African sacred IBISES, are known for their role in Ancient Egyptian religion. The Egyptian god, Thoth, was depicted as having the head of an IBIS. SEQUOIAS (37D: Giant trees in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove) Giant SEQUOIAS are the largest known living tree on Earth. (They are not the tallest, though they are tall, but are the largest by volume.) Giant SEQUOIAS are native to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Mariposa Grove is the largest grove of Giant SEQUOIAS in Yosemite National Park. Another good place to view SEQUOIAS is in SEQUOIA National Park. Both Yosemite National Park and SEQUOIA National Park are located in California. KILL TIME (39D: Solve a crossword while waiting around, perhaps) Solving a crossword is an excellent way to KILL TIME, I'd say. USHER (52D: 2024 Super Bowl halftime headliner) USHER released his self-titled debut album in 1994 when he was 15 years old. In 2024, USHER headlined the halftime show for Super Bowl LVIII. On the same day he performed at the Super Bowl, USHER released his ninth studio album, Coming Home. NPC (61D: Uncontrollable video game figure (Abbr.)) NPC here stands for "non-player character." NPCs are having a moment in the crossword sun, as yesterday we saw NPCS clued as [They may bestow quests in video games (Abbr.)]. A few other clues I especially enjoyed: TACKLE (25A: Football move or position) LIFTOFF (46A: Word after a NASA countdown) LATTE ART (38D: Pictures made by baristas) SKINNY-DIP (17A: Swim in one's birthday suit) SLIM PICKINGS (37A: What a rummaged-through rummage sale has left over) THIN MINTS (60A: Top-selling Girl Scout cookie variety) NARROW OPENINGS: The OPENING word of each theme answer is a synonym for NARROW: SKINNY, SLIM, and THIN. I am a fan of synonym themes, and this is a fun one. It's particularly nice that these synonyms of NARROW have meanings other than NARROW in the theme answers. I appreciated learning, from his constructor's notes, which entries Marshal was especially excited about. Thank you, Marshal, for this enjoyable puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for May 31, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Yahoo
13 hours ago
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Brian Avnet, Longtime Artist Manager and Music Executive, Dies at 82
Brian Avnet, the respected personal manager and music executive who discovered Josh Groban, collaborated with David Foster and helped The Manhattan Transfer to great success, has died. He was 82. Avnet died May 14 at his home in Los Angeles after a years-long battle with Parkinson's disease, a publicist announced. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ed Gale, 'Chucky' and 'Howard the Duck' Actor, Dies at 61 Shaboozey Defends Megan Moroney Amid AMAs Backlash: "Let's Not Twist the Message" Judge Quickly Rejects Mistrial Request at Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial The Baltimore native also worked closely with the likes of Johnny Mandel, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Cyndi Lauper, Take 6, Jean-Luc Ponty, Eric Benét and Joshua Ledet. Avnet began working with The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, and two years later the vocal group became the first to win Grammys in the pop and jazz categories in the same year, earning trophies for 'The Boy From New York City' and 'Until I Met You (Corner Pocket).' 'Brian was an excellent manager and like a brother to me,' Manhattan Transfer founding member Alan Paul said in a statement. 'He was savvy, honest, funny and gifted with a heart of gold. I never met anyone personally or in business who didn't like him.' Added fellow founding member Janis Siegel: 'Brian got into the rough and tumble with us as we all negotiated the ups and downs of the music business. He was fiercely loyal, passionate about his opinions, smart and kind.' With composer and producer Foster, Avnet teamed on recording projects for Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Toni Braxton, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Faith Hill, Brandy, En Vogue, Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Michael Bolton, All-4-One, Julio Iglesias and Smokey Robinson. Avnet discovered Groban through vocal coach Seth Riggs, who helped develop his career and became his manager. And in 1995, when Foster launched 143 Records at Warner Bros., he appointed Avnet to lead the label. The roster included Groban, Michael Bublé, The Corrs and Beth Hart. Avnet was born in Baltimore on July 16, 1942. His father, Duke, practiced law in the area for 54 years and was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his defense of actor-singer Paul Robeson. His mother, Beatrice, was a social worker. At 15, Avnet landed a job at the newly opened Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland, and he would become the venue's youngest-ever manager. He also assisted Lee Guber at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. A graduate of Gettysburg College, Avnet completed an internship with Princeton's theatrical department. He worked in summer stock, shared a New York apartment with Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight and went on to produce A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Voight, at the Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, New York. Avnet also collaborated with Bette Midler, starting when she was playing bathhouses in New York before becoming a Broadway sensation in the 1970s. He served as G.M. for her 19-show run at the Palace Theatre in New York in December 1973, for which she won a special Tony Award 'for adding lustre to the Broadway season.' In 1974, Avnet moved to Los Angeles to work with Lou Adler on the production of The Rocky Horror Show at The Roxy, and the success of that nine-month run led to the 1975 film adaptation. He also produced an L.A. stage production of Tommy and managed Jesus Christ Superstar at the Universal Amphitheatre, where he oversaw its first season. Avnet, who in 2017 was named Manager of the Year by Pollstar and inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame, never signed a contract with any of his artists. 'It was a long career, and he was beloved. His word was his bond. And that's rare in the entertainment industry,' said his wife of 26 years, Marcia. Survivors also include his brother, Richard, and his nephew, Evan. A private memorial service will be held in L.A. in September. Donations in his memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
