Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 532 - "VAL-halla: Top Gun / Willow (feat. Eric Sipple)"
Gobbledygeek Episode 532 - "VAL-halla: Top Gun / Willow (feat. Eric Sipple)" is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, or on Apple Podcasts.
Our second trip to VAL-halla finds Paul, Arlo, and Eric contemplating two very different experiences of Val Kilmer’s ‘80s career: Tony Scott’s 1986 pro-war classic Top Gun and the 1988 Tolkien rip Willow, helmed by–of all people–Ron Howard. The twist is that the mega-popular Top Gun is a terrible, empty film that survives on aesthetics alone and the notorious flop Willow is a fun little high fantasy romp. The gang discusses the insidious nature of Top Gun, Val’s fleeting scenes as Iceman, the superior role of Madmartigan in Willow, and the ominous James Horner horn riff. Plus, The Sandman season 2 arrives on Netflix and Arlo went to see The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
NEXT: everybody goes to see Fantastic Four!
BREAKDOWN
00:00:26 - Intro / Banter
00:17:50 - Top Gun
00:48:42 - Willow
01:35:25 - Outro / Next
MUSIC
- “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, Top Gun (1986)
- “Willow’s Last Journey (Madmartigan’s Farewell)” by KIMSUNGHOON, Val Kilmer Forever: A Tribute to a Hollywood Legend (2025)
GOBBLEDYCARES
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
- Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
- Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
- Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
- The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
- Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
- National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
- Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
- Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
- Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://www.unduemedicaldebt.org/
- Register to vote: https://vote.gov/