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DVD Talk review of 'Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition'

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DVD Talk review of 'Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition'

Old 12-07-04, 05:21 PM
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DVD Talk review of 'Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition'

I read Matthew Millheiser's DVD review of Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=13566 and...

Gay Porn?? You mean to say every war movie that doesn't have women, or just a token woman or two, is Gay Porn? Talk about applying one's own preconceptions and making what you see fit those preconceptions. You're an idiot, and just because some other idiots see Gay undercurrents everywhere they look doesn't make it credible.
Old 12-07-04, 05:27 PM
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I was disappointed in this review - no matter what your thoughts about it are - it definitely has high rewatchability, at least for a lot of people.
Old 12-07-04, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by datarush
You're an idiot, and just because some other idiots see Gay undercurrents everywhere they look doesn't make it credible.
Oh, come on -- the volleyball scene in particular is one of the most legendarily homoerotic sequences ever captured on film.

If you genuinely think he's assailing every male-centric war movie ever made, then you're reading way, way, way too much into Matthew's review.
Old 12-07-04, 05:39 PM
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Hey, you guys should be glad I didn't review Lawrence of Arabia...
Old 12-07-04, 06:13 PM
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Or Spartacus.
Old 12-07-04, 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by datarush
Gay Porn?? You mean to say every war movie that doesn't have women, or just a token woman or two, is Gay Porn? Talk about applying one's own preconceptions and making what you see fit those preconceptions. You're an idiot, and just because some other idiots see Gay undercurrents everywhere they look doesn't make it credible.
Methinks he doth protest too much.
Old 12-07-04, 07:22 PM
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Old 12-07-04, 07:37 PM
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This thread is pretty amusing. Please don't let it get moved to Mature

This is one of those reviews where I just bypassed the movie part (sorry). I was more interested in the technical review so I can feel good about holding off from buying the crappy initial release.

I've sorta felt guilty about not buying it since some of it was filmed here in San Diego (We held the San Diego Otter Meet at Kansas City Barbque where they filmed the "take me home or lose me forever" scene") and I knew one of the flight deck crewmen who wound up on film.

So, thanks for the good review Matt! At least the parts that I read
Old 12-07-04, 07:55 PM
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In brief defense of Matthew Millheiser - there's moer than one way to read a text or watch a movie. Under feminist theory, Bluebeard was a complete controlling, obsessive-compulsive loser. My college film course final paper, as issued by the professor, was to discuss the gay love aspect of the film.

You don't like it - well, you don't have to think about it. But, really, the breathless way that Cruise and Ace hold hands kind of pushes the boundaries, if you ask me. You want to watch it for the surface story, just do that. But that doesn't mean that other people can't justifiably look at the same thing from different angles.
Old 12-07-04, 08:03 PM
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datarush, have you ever seen Top Gun before? I'm serious.

Even if the homoerotic elements weren't obvious to you, they were to many, many others to the point that it's part of pop culture.
Old 12-07-04, 09:10 PM
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I've seen Top Gun several times over the years and I personally never noticed or was aware of any homosexual undercurrents, but its been a long while since I've last since it. When the SE arrives, I'll have to take another look.
Old 12-07-04, 09:14 PM
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There is NO defending Mr. Millheiser.

Similar to the C & D-List celebrities on the various "I Love the xXx's" shown on VH-1, he's gone out of his way to look for a sexual subtext that has warped this reader's fragile little mind.

Watching Top Gun in the theatres oh-so-many-years ago, the adventures of Maverick and his fellow enlisted soldiers entertained me to no end. At that point in my life, girls were still "icky", but I knew that, given the choice, I would bone Kelly McGillis endlessly.

However, after reading Mr. Millheiser's so-called "review" I will never view Top Gun again and I also plan to donate my Village People albums to the Salvation Army in the Village.

Thank you, Mr. Millheiser. I'll let you go now. I'm sure you have some malls to cruise on your crusade to let the little children know that Santa Claus doesn't really exist.
Old 12-07-04, 09:46 PM
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This thread absolutely requires a quote from the following scene in the movie Sleep With Me, in which the character of Sid was played by Quentin Tarantino:

Sid: You want subversion on a massive level. You know what one of the greatest fucking scripts ever written in the history of Hollywood is? Top Gun.
Duane: Oh, come on.
Sid: Top Gun is fucking great. What is Top Gun? You think it's a story about a bunch of fighter pilots.
Duane: It's about a bunch of guys waving their dicks around.
Sid: It is a story about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality. It is! That is what Top Gun is about, man. You've got Maverick, all right? He's on the edge, man. He's right on the fucking line, all right? And you've got Iceman, and all his crew. They're gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they're saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways.
Duane: What about Kelly McGillis?
Sid: Kelly McGillis, she's heterosexuality. She's saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They're saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what's going on throughout that whole movie... He goes to her house, all right? It looks like they're going to have sex, you know, they're just kind of sitting back, he's takin' a shower and everything. They don't have sex. He gets on the motorcycle, drives away. She's like, "What the fuck, what the fuck is going on here?" Next scene, next scene you see her, she's in the elevator, she is dressed like a guy. She's got the cap on, she's got the aviator glasses, she's wearing the same jacket that the Iceman wears. She is, okay, this is how I gotta get this guy, this guy's going towards the gay way, I gotta bring him back, I gotta bring him back from the gay way, so I'll do that through subterfuge, I'm gonna dress like a man. All right? That is how she approaches it. Okay, now let me just ask you - I'm gonna digress for two seconds here. I met this girl Amy here, she's like floating around here and everything. Now, she just got divorced, right? All right, but the REAL ending of the movie is when they fight the MIGs at the end, all right? Because he has passed over into the gay way. They are this gay fighting fucking force, all right? And they're beating the Russians, the gays are beating the Russians. And it's over, and they fucking land, and Iceman's been trying to get Maverick the entire time, and finally, he's got him, all right? And what is the last fucking line that they have together? They're all hugging and kissing and happy with each other, and Ice comes up to Maverick, and he says, "Man, you can ride my tail, anytime!" And what does Maverick say? "You can ride mine!" Swordfight! Swordfight! Fuckin' A, man!
Old 12-07-04, 10:03 PM
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I found the review to be offensive. For example, taken from his review:

The men are so in love with each other and their ships that you half expect to see Tom Cruise nudging a meatball with his nose during an outdoor spaghetti dinner with his F-16, while two swarthy Mediterranean types croon "Bella Note" to the delight of closeted jocks everywhere.

Did he watch the same movie that I did?? Did I read his review right? Does he thinks Mavrick and Goose were homosexuals? How disgusting to think military comradery is slandered as gay porn? Top Gun was a great action movie which this guy has distorted into some kind of porn. How unfair of a review it is.

And the remark about Kenny Logins was uncalled for. I just hope this guy does not review other movies like Indiana Jones. Who knows what he would find there, with Indy's whip and all.
Old 12-07-04, 10:11 PM
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the "The DVD" and "Final Thoughts" sections were a bit outta line, IMO... I don't know that a cynic social commentary about how crappy the movie was + revisiting the gay connection (although well documented heheh)... I did however enjoy the technical / DVD-content review sections tho, some good information there.
Old 12-07-04, 10:47 PM
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They were flying F-14s anyway. F-16s are air force planes and they are a one seater to boot.
Old 12-07-04, 10:49 PM
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Well, that makes sense. F-14s would never even begin to consent for rough trade.
Old 12-07-04, 10:51 PM
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I think Ice says "You can be my wingman any time." Mavericks resorts "Bullshit, you can be mine"
Old 12-08-04, 12:14 AM
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Must disagree with the "gay agenda" shpiel for one reason: Kelly McGillis is a goddamn sex idol for me. I saw this film when I was like 13, right when my view of girls was going from "yuck" to "they make my F-14 feel all funny," and Kelly McGillis will forever be a core part of my lust for women. And Sigourney Weaver, too, thanks to her kickass-bitch scenes in Aliens (again, I was about 13 at the time.)

So, no way this film represents gay porn. These comments are interesting but irrelevant. Even if Goose had given Iceman a blowjob halfway through the film, I would still be 100% incapable of seeing a connection to male homosexuality. Because, well, Kelly.

Anyway - that said:
Originally Posted by datarush
You're an idiot, and just because some other idiots see Gay undercurrents everywhere they look doesn't make it credible.
Calling anyone here an idiot will not be tolerated. Take that as stern caution that if you do this again, you'll be suspended, no questions asked.

- David Stein
Old 12-08-04, 07:05 AM
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I gotta agree with David on this one. Kelly McGillis was one hot mama in this movie..made me feell all weird down there...I remember seeing the "sex scene" and going woah..tongue.
Old 12-08-04, 03:44 PM
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I too will never watch Top gun the same way as I did before.

However its a movie that came out in the 80's, so the review hasn't changed my mind about this great film.
Old 12-08-04, 04:17 PM
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Just a thought... and bear in mind, I'm loving this entire conversation... that my review (or at least the MOVIE review section) is in no way structured to change anybody's mind about TOP GUN. I mean look, I gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, which is hardly a barbed criticism, and an overall REPLAY value of 3.5 stars. I recognized the film's nostalgic appeal, and took into account its reference quality soundtrack. After all, I gave the DVD a "Highly Recommended" rating, which is our second highest honor to bestow...

The way I see it, there's nothing I can write that's going to change anybody's mind on TOP GUN. That film will live on long after I'm downconverted to a worm buffet. All I can do is review the disc's technical merits (of which there are plenty) and offer up my own $0.02 as to why TOP GUN is the cinematic equivalent of amyl nitrate.
Old 12-08-04, 04:38 PM
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Datarush: You can be my wingman anytime!
Old 12-08-04, 10:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt Millheiser
Just a thought... and bear in mind, I'm loving this entire conversation... that my review (or at least the MOVIE review section) is in no way structured to change anybody's mind about TOP GUN. I mean look, I gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, which is hardly a barbed criticism, and an overall REPLAY value of 3.5 stars. I recognized the film's nostalgic appeal, and took into account its reference quality soundtrack. After all, I gave the DVD a "Highly Recommended" rating, which is our second highest honor to bestow...

The way I see it, there's nothing I can write that's going to change anybody's mind on TOP GUN. That film will live on long after I'm downconverted to a worm buffet. All I can do is review the disc's technical merits (of which there are plenty) and offer up my own $0.02 as to why TOP GUN is the cinematic equivalent of amyl nitrate.
Yeah, but your review is like telling someone that santa clause isn't climbing down the chimney just to leave gifts, that he is also gonna stop by moms room. Your review took something idealistic, and perverted it. Top Gun is about comradery, patriotism, fighting communism, and overcoming.

Think about your review for a second? What criteria did you use? A vollyball game? Two men that are friends? By that criteria, any movie where a guy takes off his shirt is gay porn? What would you say about Rocky or Platoon? Was Rocky a gay guy trying to find a way to express his affection to Apollo? Was Platoon about a bunch of guys who had to go oversea's to do what they could not here? The problem with your review is the criteria is flawed.

BTW, can you use simple english? Amyl nitrate? I had to look that up. Once again, very disgusting.

I for one, will be skipping any reviews by you. I am disappointed that someone would use the review section for propaganda.
Old 12-08-04, 11:01 PM
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Personally I thought the review was pretty hackneyed due to the incessant talking about the gay theme..its something that has been talked about for years..not very informative really.

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