In honor of Tom Cruise‘s birthday today, Lakeshore Records takes a look back at Tropic Thunder (rent it on iTunes), a highly entertaining film which stars Tom Cruise as the hilariously hotheaded movie producer, Les Grossman.  Composer Theodore Shapiro (Blades of Glory, Marley & Me, Dinner for Schmucks) created a decidedly epic score which highlights the movie’s beautiful cinematography and explosive action sequences.  The various artists soundtrack is the perfect playlist for this movie: Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Run Through The Jungle”), Edwin Starr (“War”), Ten Years After (“I’d Love to Change the World”), The Temptations (“Ball of Confusion”), MC Hammer (“U Can’t Touch This”), The Crystal Method and more.

Cruise’s comical turn as the hip-hop dancing man of excess is arguably the icing on the cake in Tropic Thunder.  With an ensemble cast headlined by Ben Stiller (Megamind, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Robert Downey, Jr. (Charlie Bartlett, Zodiac), Jack Black (Year One, Be Kind Rewind), Nick Nolte (Warrior, The Spiderwick Chronicles), Brandon T. Jackson (Californication, Fast & Furious) and Jay Baruchel (How To Train Your Dragon, Million Dollar Baby), this action adventure about a movie cast who are unwittingly thrown in the middle of a drug war in the jungles of Southeast Asia is not to be missed.

Related: Three Soundtracks We Love Featuring ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ Composer Christophe Beck

Download The Album!

Tropic Thunder (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): iTunes | Buy CD
Tropic Thunder (Original Motion Picture Score): iTunes | Buy CD

Watch this interview with Tropic Thunder Score Composer Theodore Shapiro, featuring film stills from the movie:

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