🎙️ Collateral — LA Crime, Michael Mann Vibes, and Will Abeles' Murder Ride

This week on Movie Wars, we dive into Michael Mann’s Collateral — a movie where Tom Cruise plays the most terrifying silver fox since Anderson Cooper, and Jamie Foxx gets one night to decide if he’s a cab driver or a hero. We’re joined by our good friend and touring standup Will Abeles, who took a break from crisscrossing the country to talk LA noir, digital cinematography, and, oh yeah — the time he gave a real-life Vincent a ride across Nashville.

We talk about how Collateral captures LA’s sweaty, neon-soaked vibe better than any other film since Heat, how Mann’s use of early digital cameras shaped the look of modern movies, and how Cruise’s weird hair dye and Bangkok suit are all part of the character’s ghostlike anonymity. Plus: Jamie Foxx’s quiet career pivot, what makes Mann’s cityscapes feel mythic, and a full-on Uber-from-hell story that somehow makes Collateral feel like a documentary.

This one’s full of chaos, crime, and comedy — basically, a perfect night in Los Angeles.

🔥 Takeaways

• Michael Mann doesn’t just film LA — he turns it into a character. From Heat to Collateral, the man is the city’s best cinematographer
• Will Abeles joins fresh off his special The Pride of Hagerstown, and shares his very own “Collateral moment” while driving for Uber.
• We talk about Mann’s bold use of early digital cameras in 2004 and how it gave the movie that immersive, eerie nighttime look.
• Tom Cruise’s gray hair and Thai-tailored suit? That wasn’t just a weird choice — it was a tactical one, designed to make Vincent disappear in plain sight.
• Jamie Foxx’s performance in Collateral marked a major turning point in his career, showing off the kind of dramatic depth we’d later see in Ray.
• Also: Scientology, strip mall comedy clubs, Morgan Wallen chaos, and an impromptu Nashville ayahuasca rant. You're welcome.