To watch "Last Boy Scout, " "Crimson Tide, " "Enemy of the State, " "Pelham" and "Unstoppable" is to feel pressed for time.

CNN: Scott made tense films for jittery times

His first feature, the 1983 erotic vampire mood piece "The Hunger, " ended up a relative anomaly (except in sheer style) to such high-octane thrill machines as "Top Gun" (1986), "Revenge" (1990), "The Last Boy Scout" (1991), "True Romance" (1993), "Crimson Tide" (1995), "Enemy of the State" (1998), "Man on Fire" (2004), "Domino" (2005), "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" (2009) and "Unstoppable" (2010).

CNN: Scott made tense films for jittery times

But the trend is upwards (from a low of 34% in May 2005), and the numbers are likely to be better now after a strong legislative session and a tide of good press, even in the conservative eastern half of the state.

ECONOMIST: Washington's governor: Recovering from a bitter victory | The