Forget Ridley: Tony Was the More Talented Scott Brother

Ridley Scott may be the better known Scott brother, but Tony Scott—who jumped to his death yesterday—was the better film director, writes Alex Pareene on Salon. He realizes this sounds "ridiculous," but challenges readers to "stop and think about how many films by each Scott they’ve actually loved." While Ridley has two masterpieces (Alien and Blade Runner) and a third winner (Thelma and Louise), the rest of his movies are "missteps, half-baked ideas, endless pompous historical epics, and OK genre exercises with heavy dollops of artistic pretension."

Tony, on the other hand, started his career with a bang and never descended from that level. Even his worst movies are "hugely entertaining," and none of them are "unwatchable." Plus, look at his accomplishments: Among other things, he made "baby-faced, 5-foot-something" Tom Cruise into an action hero with Top Gun. Perhaps most importantly, people just plain enjoy Tony's films. "In the end, Scott’s work speaks for itself," Pareene writes. "They’ll never make it to the 'Sight & Sound' list … but as long as people love movies they’ll love Tony Scott movies." Click for Pareene's full appreciation, including his thoughts on many of Tony's films. (More Tony Scott stories.)