2. Highway to the Danger Zone Top Gun (1986)
No, not the volleyball scene, nor the rendition of Youve Lost That Loving Feeling, not Gooses death or the final dogfight, not even a scene featuring Tom Cruise, the ultimate scene of Top Gun is the introduction, when the world was introduced to those now infamous MiGs. Right up until writing this down, the scene selected from Top Gun was going to be the final dogfight, culminating with the whole you can be my wingman any time line. But really what works about Top Gun, why it has been such an important movie in terms of shaping the modern day blockbuster, is there right from the off. Top Gun ignited the career of Tom Cruise, but his acting, charm and star quality did the rest, not Tony Scott. What Tony Scott did was a whole different ballgame. Inspired by a magazine article, producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson were looking for a director for their plane movie, and they found him in the shape of advertisement specialist, Tony Scott. The film was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr, remember them? No? Of course not, because that isnt what Top Gun was ever about. This wasnt a writers film, this was a production. Top Gun is about spectacle, pure and simple. In order to make Top Gun, Tony Scott set about fetishizing the aesthetics of filmmaking, it was big, it was loud, it was in your face and it set a precedent, whether good or bad, of things to come. It was basically an advert, but it wasnt selling anything, except itself. As the Paramount logo assembles the introduction to Joe Satrianis theme tune fades in. The screen goes black and the key players are introduced, Simpson, Bruckheimer, Scott, Cruise, McGillis, in that order. The backstory is told by way of a title card that holds the screen for no more than 10 seconds as the phallic nose of a silhouetted MiG enters stage left against the dusky red hew. Engines roar as Satrianis theme transitions to Kenny Loggins Highway to the Danger Zone. As the silhouettes begin to colour the action kicks off, almost from the get go. These machines can barely fit on the screen, suddenly bigger was definitely better and a new kind of bravura filmmaking was born. Whether Top Guns influence was hugely positive is perhaps up for debate, but its influence shouldnt be overlooked. From here on out, summer blockbusters were different, they were bigger. The summer blockbuster wasnt anything new, arguably starting with Jaws in 1975, these movies were certainly events, but they didnt look like Top Gun did, the ultra-high concept was here to stay and Scott had helped create it.