There are almost more Cruise-related items this morning than any one blog can tackle, necessitating a morning round-up. Pull yourself up to the buffet and lose yourself in the all-you-can-eat action of The Morning Cruise:

· Warner Bros. is thrilled that Cruise will be tied up with War of the Worlds far from their red carpets, where his publicity shame-spiral won't taint Batman Begins. Also, Katie Holmes' recent behavior has people close to her thinking she's "brainwashed," and her career might be headed for the pooper. [Page Six/NY Post]
· Cruise has provided Holmes with a "best friend" from the Scientology HQ, whose job is to keep her "on the path" and annoy both Warner Bros. marketing folk and the press. Do you get the feeling that Warner Bros. folk are a little pissed about all the negative attention? [Lowdown/NY Daily News]
· Tom Cruise is bad reality TV. [LAT]
· Nicole Kidman refuses to comment on Cruise's antics, and she's doing it for the children. Nobody wants them atop a watertower on a studio lot with a sniper rifle. [The Scoop/MSNBC]

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