Let’s get one thing straight. Top Gun wasn’t just a movie. It was the moment. The soundtrack. The aviators. The slow-mo volleyball. The blue-lit sex scene that taught a whole generation of kids absolutely nothing useful. And now it’s flying back onto the big screen where it belongs, under the stars with fireworks and a full crowd, at the Top Gun Cinespia screening on the Fourth of July.
Why the Top Gun Cinespia Screening slaps
This isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about legacy. My dad was a Marine. My son is in the Army National Guard. And somewhere in between those two generations, Top Gun became our unofficial family anthem. We had the VHS. We had the cassette soundtrack and we had a weird amount of emotional attachment to Goose. He was everyone’s favorite. No debate.
I wasn’t going to really write a whole article about this but growing up, this movie was serious business. My sister and I walked home every day after school with David and Robert. They were the sons of my mom’s best friend since kindergarten. Their dad had served with ours in the Marines. We weren’t blood, but we were family and we spent all our time together (And you all know my sister Shelley from this so remind me to tell you about the time Shelley & Robert keyed a bunch of cars and how our parents were sued for it).
We’d throw our backpacks down and hit play on Top Gun like it was sacred ritual. I need to share that this movie remains iconic because it was our first exposure to sex on the screen. We watched this every day and fast-forwarded that VCR through every dogfight and every locker room scene until the tape begged for mercy. We knew all of it by heart. That steamy romance scene? Confusing. Awkward. Blue. We didn’t get it but we knew it meant something. And no, our parents didn’t stop us. Y’all, let’s be clear, it was the ’80s and I was raising all four of of us with hose water.
What to Expect at the Top Gun Cinespia Screening
Now imagine all that childhood chaos playing out on a giant screen under the stars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. You’ve got picnic blankets. You’ve got DJs. You’ve got hundreds of people shouting “Talk to me Goose” like it’s a prayer.
The Top Gun Cinespia screening isn’t just a movie night. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with beer and fireworks.
Cinespia knows how to throw an event. DJs spin before and after the film. A themed photo booth lets you live your aviator fantasy. And on July 4, the fireworks hit right as the nostalgia peaks.
This screening also hits a little harder this year. It’s my first time watching Top Gun since we lost Val Kilmer. Seeing Iceman again, in that unforgettable rivalry turned brotherhood , feels big, like full-circle kind of big.
If you’ve never been to a Cinespia screening, this is the one to go to. You don’t need to be a movie buff. You just need a blanket and a memory. Bring the people who matter. Bring your favorite snacks. And prepare to twirl a pencil between your fingers and quote your way through one of the most iconic films ever made.
Tickets are on sale now at www.cinespia.org
Top Gun + Fireworks | July 4 | Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Bring your aviators. Bring your tissues. Let’s ride.
This one’s for Goose. For Val. For every kid who rewound that love scene 12 times just trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
Cinespia Summer 2025 Schedule at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Coming Up Next: June Screenings
- Saturday, June 7 — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A love letter to late 60s Los Angeles with movie stars, Manson family mayhem and Tarantino vibes in full force. Wear something groovy.
- Saturday, June 14 — Showgirls (30th Anniversary): It’s camp. It’s glitter. It’s chaos. Come celebrate three decades of one of the most infamous cult films of all time. Nomi Malone demands your respect.
- Saturday, June 21 — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Life moves pretty fast. Bring your friends and skip responsibility for one magical night under the stars.
- Saturday, June 28 — Casablanca: Here’s looking at you, cemetery lawn. Romance, war and one of the greatest screenplays ever written.
July Screenings + Firework Spectacular
- Thursday, July 4 — Top Gun + Fireworks: Highway to the nostalgia zone. Aviators, feels and a firework show you won’t forget.
- Friday, July 5 — La La Land + Fireworks: Tap into the magic of modern LA dreams. Jazz, love and skyline views with a firework finale.
- Saturday, July 12 — IT (2017): Float with the Losers’ Club and scream under the stars. Pennywise is not clowning around.
- Saturday, July 19 — Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion: Post-its, platform shoes and lifelong friendship goals. This one’s for the weird girls who never stopped being fabulous.
- Saturday, July 26 — The Addams Family: Spooky, silly and sharp as ever. Bring your inner goth and get ready to snap twice.
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