Entertainment

‘Top Gun’ celebrates 25th anniversary

The iconic 80’s movie “Top Gun” celebrated its 25th birthday Tuesday with the release of a new DVD and Blu-ray set which includes a six-part documentary on the making of the film as well as interviews with the cast.

The movie, released in 1986 at the height of the Cold War starred Tom Cruise in the role of “Maverick” along with love interest Kelly McGillis. It became instant classic with signature lines like “I feel the need, the need for speed” and “You can be my wingman any time.”

The film became the highest grossing film of 1986, raking in $176 million domestically and $353 million worldwide.

It also helped popularize hit songs like Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” and The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling.”

The film, which featured several dazzling scenes of air-to-air combat between all-American F-14’s and Russian MiG-28’s as well as scenes of beach volleyball and Cruise’s daredevil romancing of his flight instructor became synonymous with the 1980’s and helped turn Cruise into the world’s biggest movie star.

It also made bomber jackets and Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses the height of cool.

“I never thought the film would be considered a classic; it was just a fun movie to make,” McGillis, 54, said in an interview with MovieWeb. “It had good-looking people and great visuals. It was pure entertainment and a way for people to escape and forget their problems.”

In the same interview, McGillis admitted that she’d never watched the film since making it.

“No. I have not,” she said when asked. “I have seen glimpses of it when my kids are watching it on television. Maybe, when I am walking through the house doing laundry, I will see some of it. But no, I have never sat down to watch it.”

AMC is airing the iconic film at 8:00pm ET Tuesday night.