Buckle up.

It's been a long while since I sat my ever expanding derriere down to write a blogpost. But the public, noticing a literary, insightful and humorous void in their lives has spoken.

Nah, I'm just messin' with you. No one even noticed. But it's a slow night and a great movie so here we go.

There was a time when the word "maverick" would conjure up images. To audiences of a certain age, it represents the long-running television show of the same name that starred the late, great James Garner. In more recent times, it brings to mind a certain former senator from Arizona who, in hindsight, might have been the last reasonable Republican before he lost his battle in 2018 to an aggressive brain cancer.

But thanks to Paramount Pictures, Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski, "maverick" will heretofore only refer to one thing: the Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.

Like this blogpost, it's been a long time coming—36 years since the first Top Gun film. I don't say this very often, but it was well worth the wait.

Not unlike my high school girlfriend, from the first frame the movie is thrilling, fast and wildly entertaining. Cruise is in top form again as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a Top Gun flight school instructor known for pushing the envelope and a healthy disregard for the rules.

He's joined by Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly and Miles Teller all at the top of their game.

Cruise has long been known for the authenticity he brings to his roles, whether it's hanging on the outside of a C-130 as it takes off in Mission Impossible, or hanging out a top floor of the Burj Kahlifa, the world's tallest building, in a different Mission Impossible.

In Top Gun: Maverick, he's actually in the cockpit of an F-18, actually taking off of an aircraft carrier, actually doing barrelrolls and actually in the seat during most of the dogfights.

It's an example of what Hollywood does best when it's firing on all afterburners. Pure adrenaline, pure entertainment, pure emotion. Just like my high school girlfriend (alright, I'll stop now).

Since this is definitely not a movie where you should be flying solo, my co-pilot for the afternoon was my good friend, esteemed colleague, fellow bronze medal curling champion and proprietor of Roundseventeen, Rich Siegel.

It was a little embarrassing when Rich and I left the theater after the movie, and we got stopped and asked several times if that was us in the beach volleyball scene. We get that a lot. Understandable, since we're both built so similarly to those actors. Like looking in a mirror.

Anyway, after I got home Rich texted me what he thought of the movie. He summed it up perfectly (no surprise), and I couldn't agree with him more.

Top Gun. Top Fun.

Point of no return

I have a few pet peeves (if you hadn't noticed). But one of the biggest ones of all is not having calls returned. I use the picture of an older rotary-dial phone, because apparently the idea of returning calls in a timely fashion, or at all, is a notion from the past.

I understand we all have busy lives, but I'm just not buying that everyone is so busy they can't return a call. When Sherry Lansing was head of Paramount Pictures, she had every call returned the same day by someone in her office. It wasn't just PR. I know this from personal experience.

By the way, still waiting for my three picture deal.

I supposed there are better and more significant ways to take stock of a person, but for me, returning calls is high on the list. When I held associate creative director and cd positions, I always set aside time at the end of the day to return calls to reps, job seekers, friends and students.

I never forgot what it was like trying to get a call back from someone at an agency. I still haven't.

Some of the people I'm most loyal to in the business, and who I have the highest regard for are people who got back to me when they didn't have to. I know it seems like such an old school idea. But it's a simple gesture. And it speaks volumes about the person making it.

Friends are sometimes bad at calling back. There's a certain take-it-for-grantedness that comes with friendships or relationships of any length of time. For some reason, we're willing to let the unreturned call from a friend slide more often.

Although I find less so as I get older. Tick tock Clarice.

And in case you were wondering, I consider returning a call with an email the coward's way out. But only because it is.

Anyway, if you have any thoughts about this just leave a comment.

I'll get back to you.