31st January 2005
Hi all,
These are hard days at work. No, not the getting up early in the mornings (although they aren't easy). No, not having to stand on the train all the way into Glasgow (although that isn't easy either). No, it is having just purchased the region 1 Top Gun special edition DVD and not having anyone to talk about it with.
Yes, since Gary left it was just my nutrionist and myself left in our section who were fans of the film. A few weeks ago I wrote "Any of you boys seen an aircraft carrier around here?" in her leaving card. I was left in the office alone (apologies to Anastacia).
Typically it was the day after my nutrionist left that the package containing the Top Gun dvds arrived. For those of you who are thinking of buying the region 2 copy when it is released in April fear not, here are the important notes from the "making of..." documentary (over two hours long, get in!).
Who isn't there: No Kelly McGillis. No Anthony Edwards. No Tom Skerritt. Would they really have been that difficult to find? Kelly McGillis has spoken about the film in depth on the VH1 "Behind the Movie" show about it, why not use some of their footage? Was Anthony Edwards out trying to sell box sets of old series of "ER"? Couldn't they have spoken with him for a few hours at least? It wouldn't have hurt, would it?
Incidentally the thing which isn't mentioned is about how Don Simpson is featured in some archive interview footage, but in nothing recently filmed. Again let me recommend the VH1 "Behind the Movie" show, which chronicled Simpson's demise in the right amount of detail (enough to tell you what happened but without putting a red top on the tales).
Kelly McGillis and Anthony Edwards are still alive and well though, it would have been nice to have some fresh from them contributing to the DVD.
What is quite disappointing: You know some of that really spectacular footage? Models. Lots of front and rear projection footage. I shouldn't have expected differently but somehow it was disappointing to learn this.
(That's the last negative comment I'm making, I promise!)
What you didn't know (seriously!): Some really good stuff here, including but not limited to:
Giorgio Moroder's mechanic wrote the lyrics for "Danger Zone".
Anthony Edwards was the first actor to work on the film who went up in an F-14 who didn't vomit during the flight. Val Kilmer never made a flight in an F-14.
Rick Rossovich (who played Slider) was thrown off the Aircraft Carrier early for going into prohibited areas.
Val Kilmer struggled to actually say the line "You can be my wing-man any time!" Director Tony Scott thought it was because the line was too cheesy.
The film cost $14M to make. Tom Cruise's salary was $1M. (Seems unbelievable, but I guess it was a mammoth amount of money in the mid 1980s.)
"That can't be true, can it?": Check out the chapter where the editors claim responsibility for the film's success. Most notably they say that the fact the actors wore masks was a big help. This was because you couldn't see their lips moving they could cut dialogue from other parts of the film and make them fit the story.
If that sounds unbelievable you need to see their faces when discussing Tony Scott's storyboards. "He had storyboards?" There is an extreme look of disbelief on their faces. Never mind the fact that there is another feature regarding Tony Scott's storyboards. Personally I doubt if he just scribbled them together for the DVD, but that's just my opinion.
"That must be true, mustn't it?": Pete Pettigrew served as technical advisor to the film, and he speaks as though he had been fighting a losing battle throughout the film.
However when it comes to the discussion of the flat spin scene what he has to say is very interesting. He discusses the gravity in the spin, why it would be easier for Goose to eject than Maverick and even what the air pressure would do to the canopy. Interesting stuff. Is it true? How would I know? How would anyone know?
Sorry, I need to put this bit in for the sake of the memory:
"Goose, I can't reach the ejection handle. Goose, you're gonna have to punch us out."
"Arrrgh, I'm trying! I'm trying!"
"Eject! Eject! Watch the canopy..."
(Yikes, I'm getting all emotional. Has anyone got a tissue? "Sir, you have to let him go sir!")
That was then, this is now: The archived Tom Cruise interviews look seriously dated. Perhaps because I was growing up at the time I've never felt any sort of embarrassment regarding the 1980s, but Tom's jumper could make me feel differently.
On the flip side it is pretty clear that he really enjoyed making the film. There is footage of him coming back from a ride in an F-14, wide-eyed and smiling, just trying to recollect the whole experience for himself as much as anyone else in the room.
In fact the feeling of fun permeates through the "making of..." feature. Stories of parties in hotels and apartments among the actors, it seems as if they all really enjoyed making it.
Just for the fun of it: Barry Tubb snuck his Stetson into classroom/hangar scene and wore it. Apparently the U.S. Navy would never have allowed that to happen.
Overall ranking: Eight out of ten. Points lost for not including everyone. Besides that the package is fun on all levels.
Now if you'll excuse me I have to watch the opening credits on DVD for the first time.
Have a good week!
Tony
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