Top Gun turns thirty years old on 4 September. We’ll give you a second to process that. One of the definitive movies of the ’80s, Tony Scott’s combat epic encompasses belting rock ballads, softly lit sex scenes, an enormous amount of sunsets and really bad outfits. We adore it – and are thrilled to hear that ODEON is of a similar mind. To celebrate Top Gun’s big birthday, the cinema chain is offering two-for-one tickets at 88 of its sites across the UK. Head here for more details. But how much do you know about Top Gun? We bet you a ride in our jet engine that you don’t know all of these facts about your favorite eighties obsession. Caveat: We don’t actually have a jet engine.
1. Elevator Scene
The elevator love scene between Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise was only added after test audiences demanded more obvious romance, the filthy perverts.
2. Danger Zone
Toto and REO Speedwagon were offered the chance to record Danger Zone before the honour went to Kenny Loggins.
3. Role Competition
Among those who were considered for the role of Maverick were Sean Penn, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Michael J. Fox and Tom Hanks
4. OST Issues
Bryan Adams was asked to allow the use of his song Only The Strong Survive on the film’s soundtrack but he refused as he felt the film glorified war.
5. In Memory
The film is dedicated to Art Scholl, a stunt pilot who was killed during production when his plane went into a tailspin and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
6. 3 Times Fired, But Still There
Director Tony Scott was fired three times during production, once for making Kelly McGillis look beautiful in a way that the studio considered “whorish”.
7. Star Wars on Earth
The film is based on an article that appeared in California magazine in 1983. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer read the piece and pitched it to his producing partner, Don Simpson, as “Star Wars on Earth”.
8. Not A Pleasant Flight For Tony
Anthony Edwards, who plays goose, was reportedly the only one of the actors not to vomit when flying in the fighter jets.
9. Expensive Rent
Every hour of F-14 flight cost Paramount $10,000.
10. It Was Profitable Regardless
Top Gun was the highest grossing film of 1986 with $177 million in the US. The second and third spots were taken by Crocodile Dundee and Platoon.
11. There was going to be a sequel – it was even written
It would follow Maverick as an instructor at the Top Gun academy with a female pilot reminiscent of his younger self coming under his charge. It was far too expensive so canned.
12. Goose’s actual name
Goose’s actual name is Nick Bradshaw. You’re forgiven for not knowing this as it’s never mentioned in the film.
13. Studio’s thoughts on the movie
One of the notes the producers received from the studio, Paramount, was “Too much flying”.
14. McGillis was too tall
At 5’10”, Kelly McGillis was three inches taller than Tom Cruise. McGillis was asked to act barefoot after the studio raised concerns over the height difference.
15. There were other directors in the running
John Carpenter and David Cronenberg were both in the running to direct before Tony Scott (Ridley’s brother) was signed.
16. Recruitment for the Navy
Producer John Davis claimed that Top Gun was really a recruiting video for the Navy. He thought the public’s reaction would be: “Wow! I want to be a pilot.” Well…it worked. The US Navy said the number of young men who wanted to be Naval Aviators went up 500% after the movie’s release.
17. Children’s movie cameos
The Disney movie Planes (2013), had a small tribute to Top Gun. Both Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards were also used in the voice cast.
18. There’s no trophy
There is no Top Gun Trophy in real life. Life isn’t the same with this knowledge, I know. You either pass the course or you don’t.
19. *Geek alert* plane mistakes
When Maverick is going into a flat spin, you hear a voice while the camera pans over to look at the rear of his F-14. They say: “Engine 1 is out” and the right engine flames out. This would have actually been Engine 2, because Engine 1 is the left engine. Little bit of geek plane fact for you there.
20. Another one?
Anytime Maverick “puts on the brakes”, it shows him pushing the throttle quadrant forward and pulling back on the stick. This would have actually put him in a full-afterburner climb, but that doesn’t make you stop and it wouldn’t work in a medium speed tail chase. The air brake doesn’t do much for the F14, because it’s too small and not deployable at full power.
21. You can visit the bar they sing in
Maverick, Goose, and their dates sing in a bar, which is real and is still open. It’s called Kansas City BBQ, and is on Harbor Drive in San Diego, California. In 2008, there was a fire that destroyed a lot of memorabilia. The piano is still there, and they still offer Top Gun t-shirts.
22. I’ve seen those missiles before
The US Navy offered a lot of assistance to director Tony Scott while filming. They did, however, tell him that he could only fire the F-14’s missiles twice. Scott filmed them both, then decided to reuse those same shots throughout the movie.
23. China used the footage
In 2011, the Chinese government showed scenes from Top Gun , but they claimed it was the Chinese Air Force.
24. Why did Goose have to die?
The writers said it was a tough decision to kill off Goose, but they needed to an emotional element to the movie.
25. Kilmer and Cruise didn’t get along
In case you missed it, there was a lot of tension between Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. That wasn’t acting. The two never interacted on set and didn’t get along.
26. Ray Bans got a boost
Ray Ban sunglasses have a lot to thank Top Gun for, the brand got a nice boost in sales during 1986.
27. Shirtless scenes were added later
The locker room and volleyball scenes where Maverick and his colleagues are shirtless were added later – so Tom Cruise could show his body off for his female fans.
28. Why did they have those patches?
The Seabees patches were worn on the jackets because the Navy Seabees helped build the set. The Seabees are a construction unit.
29. Going where VHS had never gone before
The VHS 1987 release of Top Gun was the first time the format featured an official commercial before the movie. There was a 60-second long Top Gun-inspired Diet Pepsi ad – it allowed US retailers to drop the price by three dollars. Every little helps.
30. So many parodies and homages
It’s inspired so many parodies and homages from Hot Shots!, to Saturday Night Live sketches and who could forget Will Young’s video for Switch It On. The weirdest has to be Quentin Tarantino’s discussion of the homoerotic subtext in his cameo on the 1994 rom-com Sleep With Me.
31. There’s a sequel FINALLY on the way
