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‘Top Gun’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Jason Concepcion

July 23, 2019 · Top Gun (1986) · Action · Drama · 1:46:49 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 24:00You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' scene and the beach volleyball scene
Bill Simmons▶ 28:41Leads a collaborative list of most rewatchable scenes: the beach volleyball scene ('so fucking good' — his favorite part being Cruise leaving early for his date), Goose's death ('just great stuff'), the Great Balls of Fire double date (crucial setup for Goose dying), and the Top Gun graduation.
Chris Ryan▶ 24:49Agrees with both scenes, provides detailed commentary on why they work despite being ludicrous
Chris Ryan▶ 29:03Deep-dives the volleyball scene's absurd narrative purpose (its only function is making Maverick late), calls Goose's death 'fucking emotional,' and relishes Ice's 'We all liked Goose... Mitchell' apology; no single crowned pick.
Jason Concepcion▶ 24:29Supports both scenes, focuses on the absurd choreography and details that make them memorable
Jason Concepcion▶ 31:04Shouts out Cruise's two-armed watch check in the volleyball scene and riffs on the crowd materializing 'like the Matrix Neo-Morpheus fight'; no single crowned pick.
Mallory Rubin▶ 26:01Conflicted about the You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' scene - finds it both appealing and horrifying due to how public it is
Mallory Rubin▶ 32:57Defends the volleyball scene as 'a work of cinematic genius,' annotating the wardrobe (only Maverick in jeans; Ice and Slider in athleisure) and the watch/aviators absurdities; no single crowned pick.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Mallory Rubin▶ 52:52I don't know if she even likes him - questioning whether Kelly McGillis's character actually likes Tom Cruise's character given their lack of chemistry

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:29How weird it is that Tim Robbins is in the movie but just as window dressing without any lines

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:01Mav going to the ladies room to hit on Charlie - 'in 2018, you're arrested'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:50Various unanswerable questions and plot inconsistencies, including the geopolitical implications and character decisions
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:03:13Maverick following Charlie into the ladies room after being rebuffed - 'that's stalkerish' and 'that's a crime'
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:03:23The ladies room scene being played as a joke when it's actually problematic behavior

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:08Matthew Modine — Matthew Modine would have been really good as Maverick
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:17:31Judd Nelson — Suggested Judd Nelson or Charlie Sheen as Maverick alternatives
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:17:12Robert Downey Jr. — Robert Downey Jr. would have been good as Maverick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:16Shared multiple trivia facts including film's California Magazine origin, Navy involvement and script changes, $7,800/hour fuel costs, Art Shaw's death during filming, Kansas City Barbecue bar scenes, and Tom Cruise's height adjustments with Kelly McGillis
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:44Discussed Christopher McQuarrie's original Top Gun 2 concept about Maverick vs drone pilots, speculated about Miles Teller playing the surviving piano
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:21:36Added commentary about Robert Downey Jr.'s lift shoes and height adjustments in films
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:22:13Contributed trivia about Top Gun pilots being fined for quoting the movie, Charlie based on Christine Fox, advisor Peter Pettigrew connection to Harry Potter, Duke Cunningham claiming Maverick was based on him, and Tony Scott paying $25,000 to turn the ship for proper lighting

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:46Kelly McGillis — Agrees on Kelly McGillis and Rasevich as apex mountain, argues Simpson Bruckheimer peaked with this after Beverly Hills Cop combo
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:29Kelly McGillis — Proposes Tom Skerritt (but accepts Aliens counter), agrees Kelly McGillis is apex mountain, suggests Navy as apex mountain
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:24:07Kelly McGillis — Kelly McGillis - had Witness and Top Gun in consecutive years then vanished

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:13James Tolkan — The bald guy who plays James Tolkien (Stinger)
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:25:19James Tolkan — Acknowledges the bald guy/James Tolkien character, describes him as 'the principal from Back to the Future'

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:38Multiple quotes including 'I feel the need for speed', 'You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28?', 'That was some of the best flying I've seen a day. Right up to the part where you got killed', 'The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they're stupid', plus various pilot dialogue
Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:42Participated in the group recitation of 'I feel the need... the need... for speed' and mentioned 'International relations?' and 'because I was inverted'
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:31:45Completed the group recitation with 'For speed' and emphasized the delivery of 'because I was inverted' with the hand gesture
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:29:35Five quotes: 'Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash', 'Take me to bed or lose me forever', 'I'll have what he's having hemlock', 'The list is long but distinguished / So is my Johnson', 'Every time you go up there, it's like you're flying against a ghost'

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:02Tom Cruise
Chris Ryan▶ 1:44:00Tom Cruise

Movies Referenced (44)

Platoon (1986)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion▶ 12:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Days of Thunder (1990)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Need for Speed (2014)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan▶ 1:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 43:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Best of the Best (1989)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan▶ 1:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

3 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 22:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghost Rider (2007)

3 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Mallory Rubin▶ 53:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Risky Business (1983)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 3:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dead Poets Society (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 4:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Legend (2015)

2 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Bill Simmons▶ 3:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Tony Scott

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan · Known for Domino, Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 10:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike McCoy

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Act of Valor, Flight of the Phoenix▶ 1:12:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 9:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 22:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Slatter

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hot Fuzz, The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Tub Time Machine▶ 1:32:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 57:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (49)

Tom Cruise

62 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 0:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 12:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly McGillis

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan · Known for Witness, Top Gun▶ 1:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Edwards

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion · Known for Top Gun, Zodiac▶ 26:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 12:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Migs Govea

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion · Known for Ocean's Eight, Motherless Brooklyn▶ 7:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Skerritt

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion · Known for Alien, Contact, Top Gun▶ 58:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Robbins

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion, Mallory Rubin · Known for Mystic River, The Player, Howard the Duck▶ 18:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Downey Jr.

7 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Endgame▶ 37:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kenny Loggins

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion · Known for Footloose, Caddyshack, Top Gun▶ 2:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matthew Modine

6 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion · Known for Full Metal Jacket, Cutthroat Island, The Dark Knight Rises▶ 1:15:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ahsia Pettigrew

5 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion▶ 1:22:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Jerry Bruckheimer

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun: Maverick, Armageddon▶ 20:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher McQuarrie

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Usual Suspects, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning▶ 1:19:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗