Nostalgia, Entertainment, Shock and Hypocrisy All in One...
While this might be more appripriately be placed in my "Mike's Movies" blog, I think there's something to be said for diversity here and this one's no exception.
While cleaning up my office this afternoon on my half day off, I was looking for an appropriate DVD commentary to listen to while focusing on other things. I chose the December 04 release of "TOP GUN : SPECIAL EDITION" in which you can hear the commentary of:
"Producer Jerry Brockheimer
Directory Tony Scott (btw, brother of the famed Ridley Scott)
Co-Screenwriters Jack Epps, Jr. Captain Mike Galpin
Technical Advisor Pete Pettigrew and
Vice Admiral Mike McCabe"
For what it's worth the commentary on here is second to none. You've got the regular Hollywood stories from the producer, the at first unwanted director, and the rest of it is outstanding: The real guys telling you what was real, what was possible, what wasn't possible, how the screenplay was adapted (the writers are actual fighter pilots) so that "the public could understand what was going on better" and a lot more in-depth things that really make it "magical."
Speaking of magical, you may recall that at the end, a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) with the callsign "Merlin" has now replaced the "I-hit-the-canopy-in-a-flat-spin-out-to-sea Goose (Anthony Edwards) in the back seat of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's F-14 (the "Ready 5" fighter). Now until now, I never really took notice of him and it's funny how I eventually noticed who plays this character.
While looking for the commentary, I went into something called "the Vintage Gallery" on the disc and saw the "MUSIC VIDEOS" option. After a quick viewing of "DANGER ZONE (hums the guitar riff), I clicked on down to:
"Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens "TOP GUN ANTHEM""
This is the song that opens "TOP GUN" and was surely the song of legend at may a prom back in 1986 and beyond (it was at ours - snort). As I'm watching the end of this video (this and Danger Zone are INCREDIBLY 80's music videos folks: take a peek when you get the chance, man. Crazy) I see all the people on the aircraft carrier congratulating Maverick on the flight deck, manly hugs everywhere, smiles and fists held high. And then I see:
TIM ROBBINS?
After a few errant blinks, I rewinded the DVD a bit and played it in slow mo several times and - sure as the Russians in this film are dumbasses about flying, there is Tim Robbins, an actor whom I like in many of his works, and non-stop whiner of today's American left wing movement. I wasn't sure it was him until I snapped back to the scene where he and Maverick are engaging MIGs everywhere, and DAMN! It's him! The whiney voice that's being the doomsayer was doing it allll the way back in 1986 too!
"Maverick: We've got a MIG on our tail..."
"Shit! We just flew right through his jetwash!"
"Get control Mav, Get control!"
"Let's get back in the game, Maverick!"
"Get in ther Maverick you can't leave him - what he hell are you doing?"
"He won't last down there alone - Get in the for chrissake!"
"Oh my gawd..."
"Maverick! We've got a MIG coming around on our tail - we've gotta' get outta here."
"He's coming around - he's comin' around he's gonna' get behind us!"
"He's right on us - he's between our tails - you haven't lost him."
"What are you doing you're slowin' down, you're slowin' down?"
"He's going to get a lock on us!!!"
"Mustang this is Voodoo 3 - remaining MIGs are buggin' out..."
Ironically enough, Merlin is used in the movie in honor of the man that much of the real "story" of TOP GUN was taken from about an airman in Vietnam that claimed many badguys during his tour in the military. Apparently the paycheck was worth getting over his beliefs for this film.
In any case, strange how past experiences and FILM make for an interesting revisit.
While cleaning up my office this afternoon on my half day off, I was looking for an appropriate DVD commentary to listen to while focusing on other things. I chose the December 04 release of "TOP GUN : SPECIAL EDITION" in which you can hear the commentary of:
"Producer Jerry Brockheimer
Directory Tony Scott (btw, brother of the famed Ridley Scott)
Co-Screenwriters Jack Epps, Jr. Captain Mike Galpin
Technical Advisor Pete Pettigrew and
Vice Admiral Mike McCabe"
For what it's worth the commentary on here is second to none. You've got the regular Hollywood stories from the producer, the at first unwanted director, and the rest of it is outstanding: The real guys telling you what was real, what was possible, what wasn't possible, how the screenplay was adapted (the writers are actual fighter pilots) so that "the public could understand what was going on better" and a lot more in-depth things that really make it "magical."
Speaking of magical, you may recall that at the end, a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) with the callsign "Merlin" has now replaced the "I-hit-the-canopy-in-a-flat-spin-out-to-sea Goose (Anthony Edwards) in the back seat of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's F-14 (the "Ready 5" fighter). Now until now, I never really took notice of him and it's funny how I eventually noticed who plays this character.
While looking for the commentary, I went into something called "the Vintage Gallery" on the disc and saw the "MUSIC VIDEOS" option. After a quick viewing of "DANGER ZONE (hums the guitar riff), I clicked on down to:
"Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens "TOP GUN ANTHEM""
This is the song that opens "TOP GUN" and was surely the song of legend at may a prom back in 1986 and beyond (it was at ours - snort). As I'm watching the end of this video (this and Danger Zone are INCREDIBLY 80's music videos folks: take a peek when you get the chance, man. Crazy) I see all the people on the aircraft carrier congratulating Maverick on the flight deck, manly hugs everywhere, smiles and fists held high. And then I see:
TIM ROBBINS?
After a few errant blinks, I rewinded the DVD a bit and played it in slow mo several times and - sure as the Russians in this film are dumbasses about flying, there is Tim Robbins, an actor whom I like in many of his works, and non-stop whiner of today's American left wing movement. I wasn't sure it was him until I snapped back to the scene where he and Maverick are engaging MIGs everywhere, and DAMN! It's him! The whiney voice that's being the doomsayer was doing it allll the way back in 1986 too!
"Maverick: We've got a MIG on our tail..."
"Shit! We just flew right through his jetwash!"
"Get control Mav, Get control!"
"Let's get back in the game, Maverick!"
"Get in ther Maverick you can't leave him - what he hell are you doing?"
"He won't last down there alone - Get in the for chrissake!"
"Oh my gawd..."
"Maverick! We've got a MIG coming around on our tail - we've gotta' get outta here."
"He's coming around - he's comin' around he's gonna' get behind us!"
"He's right on us - he's between our tails - you haven't lost him."
"What are you doing you're slowin' down, you're slowin' down?"
"He's going to get a lock on us!!!"
"Mustang this is Voodoo 3 - remaining MIGs are buggin' out..."
Ironically enough, Merlin is used in the movie in honor of the man that much of the real "story" of TOP GUN was taken from about an airman in Vietnam that claimed many badguys during his tour in the military. Apparently the paycheck was worth getting over his beliefs for this film.
In any case, strange how past experiences and FILM make for an interesting revisit.
posted by Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking at 2:43 PM
2 Comments:
Mike I just watched that just a few months ago and didn't catch Tim Robbins. Good eye...but you obviously missed his other part in the movie where his character and a young Susan Sarandon (playing the part of Jane Fonda) chain themselves to the outside of one of the Soviet migs protesting the US Imperialism that was clearly evident in the film. This could only be seen in the Special Edition. Take a look closer next time.
Ahh, yeah well -- real good there, B.
I've contact the nice men in white jackets and asked them to stop by for a bit tonite.
Cheers!
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