The Combine Interview puts Tom Cruise in new light

by Justin McElroy { Sep 3rd 2008 at 1:00PM }

Actually, we've just had our second viewing of "The Combine Interview," which re-imagines Cruise's Scientology diatribe as a scary statement of purpose from an anonymous member of the Combine. And now, we think it puts the Combine in a new light, as the one force on earth capable of taming Maverick himself (Kelly McGillis notwithstanding).

Rather than crank out another Tom Cruise gag (we've got plenty of them, we assure you) we'll opt to mention how well-made and creepy the short film actually is, and how Valve should really already have Tom Hall on the payroll. Take a look after the jump and see if you don't agree.

[Via Digg]

Tags: combine-interview, half-life-2, valve

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:10PM

That was really well done. Very creative.

Mr.ESC @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:10PM

Sweet.

Yes I so want a Combine costume.

Hickeroar @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:11PM

Wow. How creepy is THIS? I don't think I'll ever look at cruise the same way again.

syrik zero @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:24PM

That was awesome! I've been having an urge for the past few weeks to go back and play through Half-Life 2 and the 2 episodes again

Jerk Face @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:56PM

Me too! I often forget that HL2 is one of the best games ever made. I need to go back through it again.

Zertoss @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:26PM

The hilarious thing about this is that the creepy Combine video is just as creepy as the Tom Cruise video it's parodying.

steve @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:11PM

I thought this video was great, until I saw your avatar. I gotta know, where are these coming from..

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:27PM

Very well done.

Bravo!

Shmil @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:27PM

Scie[n]tology

Zertoss @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:31PM

Scientolgoy

Ed Andersen @ Sep 3rd 2008 1:30PM

NukeAssault @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:37PM

No its Ed. Dont you know your own name?

Marty @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:04PM

Oh good... because I want to think about the world's real problems with religion every time I play Half-Life 2. Thanks, asshole.

FOXHOUND @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:07PM

Xenu! XD

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:47PM

Anon

Tidy Cog @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:37PM

Art, along with most worthwhile entertainment, is commentary on, or at least riffs off, some real world event or situation on some level, right? Part of HL2's success (for me at least) is because of the story's sci-fi take on the authoritarian regimes we see all around us nowerdays.

I expect the Half Life 2 writers would be disappointed if the story didn't make you think just a little tiny bit about the shitstorm of religious and political fundamentalism that our own world is swept up in right now. The fact that Cruises wacko-space-cult speech expresses the combine mindset so neatly is no accident. With minor modification, it could also be applied to a Cheney mind fart or a Nazi rally and still stir the loin cloths of any apes who care to listen (no offence meant to genuine apes who I assume do not keep a woodie spare for the thought of authoritarian regimes).

It's almost a shame it needs some bright spark film creator to clearly link the two before people start to cotton on. It was a bloody good film though, so I’ll forgive him.

343 Guilty Fart @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:05PM

While extremely well done (Valve really should hire this guy), it's a shame that they had to alter some of Cruise's original speech in order for it to work. It would have been great if it had just been taken verbatim.

Obie @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:07PM

There were only small changes, and they fit very well.

ronald.raygun @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:13PM

wow that was great, i'd much prefer a half-life movie over a halo movie.

journeyman @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:03PM

NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO.

For the simple fact that for a HL movie to work it would require putting words in Gordon Freeman's mouth, entirely fucking up one of the core defining features and interesting points of Half-Life. Just... just don't suggest something like that again please.

Ihavepants @ Sep 6th 2008 3:29AM

The world of Half-Life is much more interesting than Gordan Freeman, a movie wouldn't need him in it.

[.sm0ke.] @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:18PM

That was pretty great :D

Duke @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:19PM

Actually very haunting. I am impressed. (Cruise is batshit crazy, but here it almost made sense to hear such madness coming from the combine.)

rTwelve [xbl:chilblane] @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:27PM

now i can stop thinking tom cruise was awesome after seeing tropic thunder.

what a relief

Misfit Toy @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:28PM

CRE-EPY...

LuckyEMS @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:29PM

need...episode 3

Bango Shank @ Sep 3rd 2008 2:48PM

Scary thing is: a Scientologist would look at the Half Life 2 story and think: "That's feasible"

Ed @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:11PM

this is f'n brilliant

Conor @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:44PM

Very good.

Are you sure they were anonymous?
They gave their names at the end haha.

Rabidkeebler @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:36PM

I think I'm ready to convert to Combinetology. ALL HAIL OUR GREAT OVERLORD THE MIGHTY HEADCRAB!

Faar @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:58PM

Holy freakin crap, that was incredible.

I know it's been repeated a dozen times already, but it's precisely the word I was thinking while watching this vid: CREEPY!

And, Tom Cruise's a nutcase. These people need to be stopped. Scientology is not a religion, it's an insidious cult, and a scam.

popozao @ Sep 3rd 2008 7:26PM

S cientology is a creeeeeeepy cult; beware free thinkers...

iamkaptaink @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:00PM

it seems like instead of actually coming up with clever jokes joystiq usually just writes sometime like-

"Rather than crank out another Tom Cruise gag (we've got plenty of them, we assure you)"

you got plenty of tom cruise gags joystiq? let's hear em!