THE BUD METHOD FOR THE A-LIST

Robert De Niro's pot scenes in Jackie Brown have set a new standard for realistic on-screen reefer madness. But a big part of the attraction was that De Niro's method intensity made him a surprising choice for naturalistic inhaling. We have, however, detected an actor even higher upon the ladder of stardom, whose square-jawed (or just square) '80s-style uprightness gives him a marijuana factor at or near Absolute Zero.

More important, Tom Cruise now has some stiff competition for his place at the top of the pyramid, and Leonardo DiCaprio's forgettable portrayal of Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse already gives him an edge in the mind-altering race to stardom. But we're encouraged by the homoerotic "edginess" Cruise displayed in Interview with the Vampire, and confident that with a little training, he may yet learn how to handle his weed. Come on, Tom, all the cool kids are doing it!

1) TRAINING

2) RESEARCH

3) THE METHOD

4) ON THE SET

5) WIDE RELEASE