Tony Scott committed suicide over the weekend and will be dearly missed in Hollywood. His visionary style of filmmaking made action films unlike any other... and that includes his brother Ridley. From Beverly Hills Cop to Unstoppable, the director had a stamp that was solely his own and in his honor, Movie Fanatic presents the top 10 films of Tony Scott.
10. The Hunger
Given our passion for vampire movies these last few years, Scott proved to be ahead of his time with this 1983 classic that starred Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. Extremely stylistic and haunting, the first indications of the visual touches that would become Scott's trademark style are in full effect in The Hunger.
9. The Last Boy Scout
A fun film that capitalized on TV star Bruce Willis' rising film fame, The Last Boy Scout also introduced audiences to a future Oscar winner in Halle Berry. Damon Wayans starred as a washed-up football player who holds the key to a scandal that will expose pro football in the most unflattering of lights. When the film begins with a pro football game where the man running with the ball towards the end zone fires a gun at those who seek to stop him, it certainly has one of the more attention grabbing beginnings to any of Scott's films.
8. Enemy of the State
Will Smith starred in another Scott film that proved ahead of its time. When Smith's character is drawn into an international spy ring unwillingly, we see a side of the government that would prove to be real once the Patriot Act was signed into law and our leaders were given further powers to eavesdrop on our lives.
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7. Unstoppable
Denzel Washington starred in what would be the fifth and, sadly, final time he collaborated with Scott. The true story of a runaway train was pure Scott: Thrills, explosions and nail-biting suspense that didn't ease until the final credits.
6. Days of Thunder
Another blockbuster for Scott, this time with Tom Cruise -- who was riding a wave of success after the pair hooked up in Top Gun. The race car driver story also served as the meeting place for Cruise and his second wife, Nicole Kidman. The racing sequences alone were worth the price of admission as no one ever, or since, has captured professional racing as Scott did with his camera.
5. Beverly Hills Cop 2
Stepping into a film series for its sequel after a successful first film is no easy task. But when the helmer has Scott's abilities, the second film in the Beverly Hills Cop series proved that a movie franchise can get better with its sequel.
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4. True Romance
Wildly original, True Romance starred Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, a youthful Brad Pitt and an almost unrecognizable Gary Oldman. The story of a Detroit man (Slater) drawn into a drug deal that promises to set him up for life compelled audiences in big ways in 1993. The closing sequence in a Beverly Hills hotel room is classic in how it's shot and executed, with the look that is the pure Scott stamp.
3. Crimson Tide
Washington again hooks up with Scott and once again they create cinematic magic. The film is a submarine tale and easily joins the list of the greatest of the sub-genre (get it?).
2. Man on Fire
Surprised to find a Scott-Washington film again on this list? Hardly! Man on Fire is probably one of Scott's most underrated films in his career. It is a thriller that hits home on so many levels and gives his favorite actor a role that should have resulted in an Oscar nomination.
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1. Top Gun
Cruise again pairs with Scott in a film that is not only one of the Top 10 Patriotic Films of All-Time, but is the best movie from the wildly talented filmmaker. There is almost a senior film thesis amount to write about Top Gun, but in a nutshell, between the flag waving, the soundtrack and the action sequences, this 1986 classic still stands as one of the best in the genre.