Top Gun

CHICAGO – One of the great movie character actors is hale and hearty at age 85. Tom Skerritt has over 50 years of roles, and has appeared in such film classics as “M*A*S*H,” “Harold and Maude,” “Up in Smoke,” “Top Gun” and “Steel Magnolias.” Skerritt was at the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival for the 40th Anniversary of “Alien.”

CHICAGO – Tom Cruise was once a Top Gun, but his newest film “American Made” never really takes off. It wants to be a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction kind of satire where commercial airline pilot Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) winds up getting involved in the Iran Contra Affair and the Medellín drug cartel, but it never creates an enthralling place or story.

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 free Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray combo packs up for grabs for the highly anticipated home entertainment release of “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer!

LOS ANGELES – Director Tony Scott, the high octane helmsman of “Top Gun” (1986), “True Romance” (1993), “Enemy of the State” (1998) and the recent “Unstoppable” (2010), died on Sunday of an apparent suicide. Los Angeles officials say that Scott jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California. He was 68.

CHICAGO – I like to think of myself as a bit of a maverick. I always thought how awesome it would be to be Tom Cruise in “Top Gun,” killing bogeys, winning the girl’s heart, and showing Val Kilmer what’s what. I guess you could say I was excited to strap on the seat belt and give “Ace Combat: Assault Horizon” a try.

CHICAGO – “Top Gun” is one of those movies that defies critical analysis. It’s purposefully stupid, playing off and even redefining macho archetypes in such a way that I would argue that it’s one of the most influential blockbusters of the ’80s. But is it a “good” movie? Not really. But who cares? It’s fun and the 25th Anniversary Edition plays right into the wallets of fan’s need for speed.

CHICAGO – Whenever we hear the term “Slacker,” it does harken back to a certain movie called “Back to the Future.” And the actor that interpreted that famous invective is none other than veteran actor James Tolkan, portraying Principal Strickland.