Each week we invite a famous face to watch a classic film they have never seen and tell us if it lived up to the hype or left them throwing their popcorn in disgust.

Inspired by Ruth and Martin’s Album Club blog, which reviews critically acclaimed music, we decided to form a club of our own to test the cinematic knowledge of Scotland’s great and good.

Up this week is Mark Millar, comic book writer and man behind movie phenomenons Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Despite being a heavyweight film buff, Mark has never seen Tony Scott's classic 1980s action flick Top Gun.

We aim to change this.

Why should we care?

Before delving into the review, STV's Moviejuice film critic Grant Lauchlan explains more about the film.

"Pure entertainment." That was the late director Tony Scott's answer to my question about Top Gun. A decade ago I had the chance to interview him about the (now forgettable) movie Deja Vu.

I wanted to squeeze in a question about one of the most successful (and unforgettable) films of his career. It made millions. It made careers. It was made to be "Star Wars on earth".

At the time of the interview, a sequel had been touted for years (still is). I was curious to learn his thoughts on the film's enduring appeal.

Why, after two decades, was Top Gun deemed iconic? Influential? A pop-culture classic? His face said 'let's not try to analyse the movie too much'. And he was right. It's a different kind of 'classic' than a Casablanca, a Godfather or indeed a Star Wars (forget the prequels).

But the film is the perfect popcorn movie. Fighter jets. Fast action. Romance. Bromance. Boundless beefcake bravado and a chart busting soundtrack that literally took your breath away.

It was a Hollywood blockbusting mould-breaker. And then, the cast. Oh the cast. Tom Cruise and his megawatt-million-dollar-smile saw his career finally take flight, cracking the A-list. Val Kilmer smirked and smouldered.

And before Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan was quintessentially everything we fell in love with about Meg Ryan in her first memorable role of that decade. Top Gun would launch careers for most of it's stars and film-makers for years to come (uber-producer Jerry-Pirates of the Caribbean-Bruckheimer anyone).

There's no more 80s a movie than Top Gun. And like its leading man, it's aged well. Still watchable. Still thrilling us as we fly into the danger zone. So, if you are in the need for speed, buckle up, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Scott was right, its appeal, its legacy, simply put - is pure entertainment.

Firstly, tell us about your three favourite films, Mark?

Superman The Movie, Jaws and The Godfather. I love them because they’re perfect movies. You couldn’t change a frame without ruining them. Everything just works and that’s very rare and I must have watched each one two dozen times. More in the case of Superman.

Star Wars, Goodfellas, The Godfather II, Flash Gordon and The Spy Who Loved Me all bubbling under, plus maybe The Incredibles, which is by far the best animated movie ever made. Brad Bird, the writer and director, is the guy behind everything you love, even if you don’t know it.

What, if anything, do you know about the film?

I’ve seen bits of it. I know it’s about fighter pilots and I know there’s a massive homoerotic subtext and it’s all hands clasping and chest-bumping and testosterone-fuelled guys who don’t know whether to fight or kiss every time they scream at one another in the locker room. I love Tony Scott, the director of the picture, so I know the action and the set-pieces are going to be incredible.

This is regarded as a modern classic, why have you never seen it?

It’s one of those movies that just slipped through the net. When it was released I was only 16 and so my cinema budget was a few movies a year, meaning I chose wisely and rarely ventured outside anything that looked superhero or sci-fi.

I also weirdly didn’t like Tom Cruise at first and, like Johnny Depp, had written him off as a lightweight before I got older and smarter and realised he’s one of the greatest movie stars of all time. He’s immensely likeable and only works with the best writers and directors and so, like DiCaprio and pre-Pirates Depp, one of those guys you can trust when you see his name on a poster. It’s usually a sign of a certain quality.

Now that you’ve had the chance to watch it, what did you think?

I liked it. It’s a great date movie. It’s just fun. I would have loved this at 16 especially and should have gone to see it instead of Howard The Duck.

Who was your favourite character?

Iceman. No question. Val Kilmer is probably the most underrated character working in Hollywood and he just nails this. He’s the perfect 80s bully who eventually becomes your friend.

Which scene did you enjoy the most?

I think Goose dying. He always kind of annoyed me in ER. He’s like a yoga teacher you’d get stuck next to at a dinner party. Yeah, seeing him getting blown up was quite good.

Do you have a favourite quote?

It’s hard to beat "This gives me a hard-on" when Wolfman is watching training videos of planes being shot down.

Would you watch it again?

Definitely.

Would you recommend it to a friend?

Yes, but I would be hard pushed to find someone who hasn’t seen it. You never know, though. I have a pal who works for a film magazine and he’s never seen The Godfather. A director I know has never seen the Wizard of Oz. I've still never seen The Goonies and it’s directed by my hero. Sometimes things just pass us by so yeah, I’ll be passing this DVD on.

Do you feel like a gap in your pop culture knowledge has been usefully filled?

I now get a lot of quotes my pals liberally throw around in the pub.

How would you rate the film out of 10?

Maybe an eight? I love Tony Scott. I love Tom Cruise. I felt the need for speed and it delivered. Can I really end this so cheesily?

So, Maverick and Ice Man passed with flying colours. Join us next week when Still Game's Gavin Mitchell watches another 1980s classic, The Goonies, for the first time.

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