The world’s most famous fictional Top Gun is now a decorated naval hero.  Tom Cruise received the U.S. Navy’s highest honor yesterday. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro gave him the Distinguished Public Service Award for, quote, “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps” through movies like “Top Gun”, “A Few Good Men”, and others. Tom said, quote, “I admire all of the servicemen and women.  I know in life, something that is very true to me, is that to lead is to serve.  And I know that to my core.  And I see that in the servicemen and women.”

Beyoncé holds a new record with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).  She now has the most certified titles by a female artist of all time . . . with a total of 103. Taylor Swift won 2024 with the highest certification level of the year and top album with “The Tortured Poets Department”, which went six times Platinum. (You can see Beyoncé’s 103 titles at RIAA.com.)

Say what you want about Cheech & Chong, but they’re here to stay . . . forever.  Their first movie from 1978, “Up in Smoke”, is officially being added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. It’s one of 25 films being inducted for preservation.  To make the registry, a movie must be at least 10 years old and have some sort of cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.  Also joining are “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Dirty Dancing”, and “Spy Kids”.

In the new “American Masters” documentary “Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around”, people talk about the success of the now-classic song, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”.  But it didn’t start off well.  Here are music historian Alan Stoker, Brenda Lee, Keith Urban, and Shotgun Tom Kelly talking about the legacy of the 1958 song. It became #1 again last year when she released a new video for it.  That’s when it knocked Mariah off the top spot.  “Home Alone” came out in 1990. 

The news many fans of a certain blue dog have been waiting for has arrived. A movie based on the popular children’s animated series “Bluey” is headed to theaters.

Tinsel Town Talk – Wed 12/18/2024