Cruise Pedals Eye Protection

Should the mighty Warner Bros. have any ideas about toying with Eyes Wide Shut in the editing rooms now that a protective Stanley Kubrick is no longer with us, they'd better think again or expect a confrontation with one VIP. "If anyone tries to do it, they've got to go through me," was the stern warning from the film's sub-six-foot star, Tom Cruise. The warning reared itself in an interview with his wife/co-star, Nicole Kidman, for a sidebar to Newsweek's Kubrick obituary. Cruise - who has enjoyed a succession of recent court battle victories - stated clearly that there was "no way" anyone's going to change the film. "Warners doesn't want to cut it... It's our movie, Stanley's movie, and no one's going to touch it," he added. Presenting the first glimpse of Kubrick's highly anticipated swansong to attendees of the ShoWest exhibition last week, Warners co-chair Terry Semel said that, minus a few "technical changes," the film is in the can and ready for its July 16 release. Hence the statement from Cruise. Nicole Kidman spent over a year on the shoot, but clearly familiarity bred no contempt on or off-set. "He was like a father, we became very close. Even when we weren't working on the film, I'd sit in his office for hours. We'd talk about everything. I could call him at three in the morning. For everyone else, Stanley was mysterious. For me, he was solid, kind, so caring. He understood your humanity and revelled in your dedication" she said. Cruise also maintained that he had few qualms over his career being placed on hold for two years in order to work with the legendary director. "For me, it was no sacrifice" he said. "He became a dear friend and a mentor. Sometimes I'd look at him and think, 'This guy made 2001!' I'll carry this experience the rest of my life"