{"id":483907,"date":"2026-10-03T12:52:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T12:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/483907\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T12:52:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T12:52:22","slug":"tom-cruise-goes-larger-than-life-in-digger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/483907\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Cruise Goes Larger Than Life in \u2018Digger\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. I\u00f1\u00e1rritu and Tom Cruise create a visual feast promoted all over Los Angeles<\/p>\n

Digger<\/a> is big and loud and all over the place. \u00a0The big-budget comedy\/drama (not a musical<\/a>) from Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. I\u00f1\u00e1rritu stars Tom Cruise as a Texas oil billionaire destroying the planet from the comforts of his ancient, deteriorating mansion.<\/p>\n

The reveals, twists and turns were like an exciting thrill ride. I was enthralled with the production design, cinematography and giant moving set pieces that had me on my feet. Tom Cruise is utterly captivating and his scenes with John Goodman as a mad president are a standout. But then there were long speeches that may or may not have caused me to slip into a little nap during at my late-night screening in an especially luxurious lounger. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Film premiere at the Director\u2019s Village in WestwoodCredit: Photo by John Shearer\/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)<\/p>\n

Movie promotion is always larger-than-life in Los Angeles, so we got an absolutely colossal shovel plunged into the earth outside of the Directors Village<\/a> theater in Westwood where the film premiered last week and equally enormous three-dimensional shovels popping out of billboards around Hollywood. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The oversized movie is also being screened in IMAX at venues including the TCL Chinese Theater <\/a>and in the 1950s-era VistaVision format at three theaters in the United States: New York, Boston and the AMC at The Grove<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Digger popcorn bucket at AMCCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols<\/p>\n

Themed popcorn buckets have become ubiquitous at summer blockbusters in recent years, growing ever more outrageous in size and special effects. Digger has a big, brown boot you can get filled with buttery popcorn \u2013 or leave empty for its trip to eBay. There\u2019s one on there now for $132 \u2013 more expensive than a barrel of oil!<\/p>\n

\"\"Tom Cruise in DiggerCredit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures<\/p>\n

Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n

Special menus and fan events are hitting local theaters with a \u201cBourbon Smash\u201d served with a cowboy skewer at Look Dine-In Cinemas<\/a> and a bourbon-based Strike Oil Smash cocktail at Alamo Drafthouse<\/a>, which says \u201cWitnessing a global catastrophe has never been this much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alamo is also offering an exclusive letterpress art print, but the biggest art event around the film\u2019s release was by L.A.\u2019s legendary Ed Ruscha<\/a>. The 88-year-old pop artist created a unique new poster for the film unveiled at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ruscha called the film \u201cepic\u201d and \u00a0\u201ckaleidoscopic\u201d and we agree, even if Time<\/a> called it \u201cpure, empty-headed trickery.\u201d It sure filled our head. I guess the trick worked.<\/p>\n

\"\"Alejandro G. I\u00f1\u00e1rritu, Ed Ruscha and Tom CruiseCredit: Photo by David Jon Photography<\/p>\n