Val Kilmer: Our Top 10 Favorite Film Roles

0:00 I gotta be honest, man, I this is a sad day because, yeah, we lost Val Kilmer. He just passed away. I've been out a funk the whole day, man, Like, I just. It's it's a tough day when it's the first thing you look at when you wake up in the morning, that's the first thing that came up for me, like, and it's like, really, this is how I'm going to start my day. I honestly wanted to believe it was like leftover April Fools, you know, like they always do those celebrity hoax things on April Fools, and I thought, well, that's kind of cruel, like why would you pick Val and then you find out it's it's real and it just sucks. Yeah, listen, I know we were we were all set to to talk about a different you know, we're gonna talk about director.

0:45 We're gonna talk about a movie. If you're cool with it, I said, we bumped that a week and let's just have it. Let's just have a conversation. Let's you know, like off the cuff, let's just come up with like our top ten favorite Val Kilmer roles. I think it's the least that we can do for so, I mean, you know, think about it like when I mean because because I'm just now like processing Gene Hackman is gone, you know. Yeah, and that wasn't too long ago. That wasn't too long ago. And I you know, when when you're dealing with a celebrity, you know, some an iconic actor or an actress, yep, you know, I think the best way to show tribute to that actor or actress or that director, that filmmaker, whatever the case may be.

1:28 You know you're going to go on a on like a binge of their their their work, right Yeah, so I know I'm already thinking of like Valcimer movies I want to watch right now. Remember the days of Sun Coast when we when someone passed away, we will always make like an end cap with their movies. Yeah, like a like in a remembrance type of thing, you know, tribute thing. Yeah. Yeah, all right, I'll tell you what. Let's let's do. Let's do our favorite top ten Valkilmer roles. All right, let's do it. You know, I risk that I love more. I want to be a better person. I try to figure that out every day and of being more grateful.

2:29 Hello everybody. I'm Jeff Johnson, David Byrne, and this is a film by podcast. Just a few things day before we get started, because you know, this might be fifteen minutes long, it might be fifty I don't I don't know, but I do want to. I do want to point out two things. If you were expecting to hear our Steven Spielberg episode on his director our debut Duel Dave, we are going to be We'll be back Monday, and we will do it the right. Yes, I'm looking forward to it, but this is Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to it, but I just, like you know, I'm not in the mood I want to talk Val Kilmer. So, uh, the only other thing I'll say, I gotta I gotta think.

3:13 First off, I gotta think Wayne White died. You know, are our beloved uh expert on on film scores and uh, you know your co host on Phaser set the stunt. Yep, we decided to play a little April Fool's joke on our listeners last week. Yeah, okay, yeah, I'm glad. Well, Wayne was just off the charts. I've never heard him like that. Uh, So I'll let me just catch up the listeners real quick if they if they weren't aware, you know, if they because sometimes you know, you you know you're gonna pick an episode just based on what the title is, you know, if it's a movie you like or director you like, and when you see April Fool's episode, you're like, well, what am I getting into?

3:54 I don't know. So we had some fun with our our buddies over at the Docking Base seventy seven podcast last well, actually Tuesday. We purposely went a day late so it could it could drop on April Fools. Yeah. Day Dayton purposely when a day early so he could hit on April Fol's day. Dayton and I switched places. So if you tuned into our show last week, you didn't hear me. You didn't hear you. Dave Wayne was here, but he was here with Dayton. Yeah, and they. Covered Napoleon Dynamite, which hats hats off to Dayton because he got me one last time. We agreed you do my show, I'll do your show and no, you know, I don't know what you're gonna do. I'll find out when when I hit play. Now, when I uploaded it, you know, he hands me the flash drive so I can upload it and it's ready to go now I want.

4:53 I handed him my flash drive for the episode I did on Docking Base seventy seven with Eric Dearth and Liam Lewis. Yeah, it just. Said April Fools they episode because I didn't want him to know a thing, because you know, he's expecting me to do something like a like Van Halen or you know, of course kick Ass movie. We did Whitney Houston's debut album from nineteen eighty five because it celebrated its fortieth anniversary. Yeah, I did it because I knew he'd never expect that. But Dayton, meanwhile, the title when I uploaded it says Napoleon, So I just I'm like, oh, well that's that's cool. You know him and wayn are going to talk about Ridley Scott's Napoleon film with Joaquin Phoenix. Imagine my surprise.

5:36 I heard Napoleon Dynamite. So listen if you if you didn't check those out, a lot of fun Dayton and Wayne. I can't thank them enough. They had a fun episode for us last week. And meanwhile, if you're if you're new to docu Base seventy seven, head over there. Watch listen to their episode because I I kind of took over his spot. Yeah, and we we had some fun talking about Whitney Houston. So yeah, nice nice twist for the. Yeah, and I just I love the fact. I don't know how we were able to keep it a secret because Dayton didn't tell any of his crew. I didn't tell any of you guys. You know, I remember what I told you guys, Like at the end of our Young Sherlock Holmes episode a couple of weeks ago. I was like, hey, ye, we're gonna be late and might have had something. You both were like you and Amber were like, what was going on?

6:22 He was going on over there, don't worry about it. Yeah, Wayne had known for months, you know, so a lot of fun back to val Kilmer. Yes, let's get back to Valkilmer. Yeah, I I know, I know. Like I said, I don't know how long this episode episode's gonna last, because like we're just you know, we didn't really prep you know, so just rolling with it. But I did. I uh, I can tell you a couple of things, like, you know, on my way on my way home, I was like, you know what, a couple of fun things I at least want to have a couple of fun things. Of course, about Folcolm, did you do the same thing? I did the exact same thing, because I mean, come on, we gotta we got to look things up and this is what we do, right. So one of the things that I found very interesting. I didn't know this, uh he attended high school with Mary Winningham and Kevin Spacey.

7:10 But one of the things that I found very interesting was apparently, uh he stated in his biography that for Mary Winningham that he was in love with her because she was old enough to drive and he wasn't. Okay, I don't know. I could never see being in love with Mary Winningham, but I can't either, But I mean, come on, they were probably so come on, if you're Anthony Edwards and that that that nuclear bomb movie, yeah, I can't remember that it was called. I don't know, but I know exactly what you're talking about. You know the movie I'm talking about. I do. Yeah. Yeah. But also you know, I found an interesting quote too from him, which I was like, that's that's kind of cool. So he basically talks about how he got intact. So he says, when I figured out that have money you had to work. I knew I couldn't hack a regular job, so I thought acting would be good because basically, you made your own hours, were ridiculously overpaid, and got the girls. Don't laugh. That was the truth. How funny is that.

8:17 He is nothing if he's not honest, It's true. Yeah, that's fantastic. It is. It is and one more so, apparently he's notorious for turning down roles if you look back at some of his history. Oh, I know about this. So he turned down the role of pony Boy in nineteen eighty three The Outsiders because and this is the cool part, because he was working with a theater company at the time, and if he was to leave that theater group to go be in The Outsiders, they would have to cancel the show and all of those actors in that show would lose their jobs. So that is utter respect for Val Kilmer for staying there.

9:00 Hold on, so you're because, okay, I I had something about him turning on a role. I didn't have this. You're you're telling me that he's in a theater company and he he skips out on The Outsiders, which is one of the best movies from nineteen eighty three amazing book. And he does all that just because his buddies won't, so his buddies don't get fired or loser jobs. John, Yeah, I call that talk about loyalty. Absolutely. Could you imagine I can't imagine anyone, but but uh, Tommy Howell doing doing fonny board Curtis so that I'm going to say, I'm glad that he did it because it's the it was the right thing to do. But I'm also I just couldn't see I don't know if I could see Val Kilmer playing playing.

9:41 I can't either. So we obviously got the the correct versions of everything here. Well i'll tell you, uh, let me let me give you a couple uh near misses for for for Val Kilmer, I didn't know that one, but this one kind of connects because you know, obviously the Outsiders stars Patrick swayzey mm hmm. He turned down dirty dancing. What yeah, because he didn't want to be viewed as a sex symbol. Okay, all right, It's it's good to have a problem like that, you know. It is. Yeah, that is a good problem. I wish I had that problem, but it's yeah, uh. And then you got you gotta think about the timeline here, at the height of his his popularity, he's probably circling the same roles as William Baldwin and Keanu Reeves. Yeah, so I thought this was interesting. He turned down the William Baldwin roles in back Draft, Sliver and Fair Game.

10:40 Wow. Yeah, and then he was up for the roles. Uh. You know, Keanu Reeves roles that he was in the running for included Point Break the Matrix and Johnny numonic Man. A lot of a lot of sliding doors there. There is a lot of slighting doors there. Wow. Well, I mean, he made the decisions that he wanted to make and they were correct for him, and we got we got what we got. So it worked out. I think it worked out amazingly. Yeah, it did. All right, I'll tell you what. Let's let's do it. Let's do a top ten list. I'm gonna go first, and I'm gonna keep I'm gonna keep track here so we don't end up with nine or you know, we don't end up like fourteen.

11:21 No no cheating, Jeff, no cheating, no cheating, Yeah, no cheating. All right, I'll say number ten. I'm gonna start out I'm gonna go with one. I feel is is definitely underrated, and now the more I think about, maybe we should cover it. At some point, he played an FBI agent, uh in a movie called Thunderheart. Did you did you see that one? Oh? Yes he did. That's a really good movie. It's an awesome movie. Yeah what nineteen ninety two? I think that was. Three maybe Yuh. He he's playing an FBI agent and his character is like, uh, one quarter sue, which is kind of interesting because in real life he's he's like I think he's a quarter Cheroke here, he's maybe at eighth Cherokee. Yeah. So yeah, yeah, but it's a it's a really cool like, uh, if you're into like film now r it's kind of got that kind of I think it was him and Sam Shepard, Graham.

12:21 Green and yeah, Graham Green, Yeah, we love I know you're. A big Green great uh Graham Green fan. Uh yeah, if I remember it was it was kind of based off of a wounded knee, right, like the all the murders in the seventies. Yeah, but he's like an FBI They bring him in because they're like, oh, well he's he's part Native American, so maybe they'll open up to him, and you know it's you know, I don't know, I dig that movie. Yeah, we should definitely, I'm bringing that down. We should maybe cover that one. We should cover that one. I'm surprised we haven't covered that one because great film. And again, some of these films kind of slipped through the cracks, which is why we do this podcast, because we find them and we rediscover them and talk about him again.

13:02 Yeah, all right, Uh, let's go. Let's let we're gonna count our way down to number to the number one pick here, Okay, and again, let's be honest, Dave, We're we're shooting from the hip here. So this isn't the best. This is in top top ten, I'm ranked. I mean, it's there's ten of them. But we're just we're just we're just we're just talking about our favorite movies, right, I'm not our favorite, our favorite, our favorite performance because I dig him, it wouldn't. And you know another thing about about that movie, I remember the soundtrack is awesome. It is. There's the reason why it's awesome. Jeff, who did that one? Remind me the amazing James Horner? Of course? Yeah, who am I talking to like, Yeah, you know you you have to know that you and Wayne are going to do another composer episode later this year, right, Yeah.

13:49 Yep, we absolutely James Horner, Yeah, a lot of content to talk about. There's a man and a man in his anvil. Yeah about all right, Uh, give me give me a go number nine. Uh, let's give me give me a give me a pick here here do you guys? Well, Jeff, I think I'm gonna go with nineteen ninety five's heat when he plays Chris. Was it shareless, heearless? Careless? Yeah? I mean, come on, man, you're you're dealing with uh bank robberies and you know, scoring one last big score basically for money. And come on, let's talk that final fight, that fight through the streets when Valcimra comes out with that smile on his face and then yeah, oh my gosh, dude, and just just just a powerful scene there. But I mean, Val Kilmer really did an amazing job in this performance. He does amazing job with all of these performances that we're talking about.

14:45 While by Michael Mann of course, yeah, Michael Mann. A while back, Uh Dayton invited me. I did a Patreon episode for Documay seventy seven, and he specificly goes like, I know you want to do this because I'm gonna talk about heat and he knows how which I love heat. So it's like absolutely the bank robbery scene that you're talking about, though, I had a very what I felt was a very non controversial take, but Dayton was like, are you kidding me? Have you got in mind? Of course, I just just you know, there was something about Tom size Boar. I you know, I had, I had an opinion. I'm standing by it though, but you know, you know, and just doing research for for for that episode, I can tell you I mentioned him and Count of Reeves kind of circling roles. Michael Man cast him in Heat because the original actor, who was in fact Count of Reeves had to back out afore shooting.

15:40 So it worked out. It works out. Yeah. Uh did you ever notice though, I and again I had to go diging to find this back when we were doing I was doing research on heat. Uh, did you ever notice like when he wakes up at Robert de Niro's place, his beach house, he's got this very strange his like his right elbows, like it's like naturally swollen, almost looks like it's broken or something. It's like, think it's broken or something. And he always like when you watch, he always assumed like, well, you know, he got drunk, he was at the casino. Something happened, maybe he got in a fight, but they never acknowledge it, right, and that's it's so it's just been weird. I found out that's a real wound. Uh, it's because he broke his arm. Yeah, he broke his arm while he was filming the doors. He broke his arm doing a stage dive as Jim Morrison. And apparently the stunt guy that was there to catch him did not catch. You understand the didn't understand the assignment. He did not catch falcilmer you. Yeah, he he broke his arm like as bad as you can, you can break it.

16:43 And that's like it was like a permanent thing like he that that that uh, that swollen elbow never went away. So wow, but you know you never you've never see it any of his other movies. So no, you don't. Well that makes sense now why you see that? Okay? Yeah, I did that, good tip bit. Well, Jeff, what's next for us? Okay, So this is number eight, right, yes, eight. We gotta stay honest. We're not gonna be like I'm a cheat and take six more. We're not doing a Hoffman here. Come on. Yeah, I'm gonna get it out of the way. I'm gonna get it out of the way because I'd be surprised if you don't mention it. He's Batman, He's, you know, Batman. Forever he is Batman. Come on, you got to give credit to that, right Yeah. Look. One of one of my all time favorite Kilmer Batman stories is that he actually found out that he had the role when he was literally in a bat cave doing research for ghosts in the darkness where you were.

17:37 He was like an affort or something like that. Doesn't even read the script. He just he just accepted the job. And I guess, I guess if you're an actor, like, are you really gonna if someone off if if Warner Brothers offers you Batman, are you really got me? Let me let me read the. Script, let me see what it's. Yeah. No, you're not. No, you're not. Somebody came to you, Jeff and said, we're gonna we're gonna cast you as Clark. Can't I mean come on, you're you're not turning that down. You're not gonna fil So. Let's get let's get a really good wig maker. You know, yes, I'll shave I'll shave my beard off. Yeah I could. Yeah, Uh no, I just I gotta you gotta give credit to him there, because Michael Keaton. It was Keaton's role, right, And I know he had talked about I'd seen at some point I'd seen. Uh, he's like on Entertainment Tonight maybe I think Val Kilmer talked about how excited he was, and you know, he loved the franchise and he was excited to be a part of it. Yeah. It just sucks though, because even though they speak respectfully of each other, he and Joel Schumacher, they did not have a good time working together. And it started off so good because, like I you know, if you think about it, they're like a couple of weeks into production and Schumacher is telling Kilmer like, hey, I've got this other, I got this John Grisham book. I'm gonna do a movie. Uh it's got a time to kill and you are gonna be the lead. And they have such a bad time filming Batman Forever that Joel calls up Matthew McConaughey instead,

19:09 So and Kilmer, you know, like they come knocking for for Batman and Robin He's like, no, thanks, I'm I'm good. Does not want to play Batman again? Yeah, I mean he got his fill I guess, so time to move. On, I guess yeah, yeah, yeah, all right, let's see what what was this? Number? Seven numbers? We'll call it. Yeah, I got I'm gonna write this down. You need to keep notes. Okay, keep keeping I'll keep notes. I'll keep it, keep it. Yeah. You know, we typically don't do this. We're like we're just we're. Ride without a hip right now from the hip hip. So, okay, what do you got? What? Pick? Pick one here. I'm going to kind of date myself on this one.

19:50 So this is the year I graduated from high school, nineteen ninety one, and it is an Oliver Stone film. Jeff, Okay, I know what you're talking. Wait, I don't know he's worked with Stone, like what twice? Twice? Yeah? Okay. This is the story about Jim Morrison in the Door. Oh there you go. Yeah, I mean this is a story obviously that where he plays Jim Morrison and absolutely becomes him. If you watch this movie, it is crazy on how much he looks, acts, sings everything in this film. It is ridiculous. Okay, he's doing his own singing. And yes, as I recall, like the surviving members of the band said, he was so convincing. Yes, and his vocals were so good that they couldn't distinguish him from the real Jim Morrison.

20:33 Correct. If that's gotta be the greatest compliment an actor could receive. Absolutely. I mean, if you get that, you know you've done your job. And I mean if if you the movies that we're talking about tonight, for valcilm or you just see the range this guy has. Okay, he is all over the place, and he shows you how talented this guy was. But I found another quote that I found kind of interesting, So it's a little long, so just bear with me. Here he says, I listened to a lot of records, I smoke quite a few cigarettes, and that the smoking stayed with me, unfortunately, And I copied his voice in much the same way as I would learn an accent with a lot of work. I got it. I found Jim's voice. Whenever people see me singing it's really me singing it's live Oliver Talking about Oliver Stone was counting a lot on the spontaneity and the authenticity, especially in the concert scenes. Everything was pre recorded just in case by I ended up performing it all live. It is all the thing of imagination, and one can have the tendency to underestimate it physically. I enjoyed myself a lot when I had to gain weight to incarnate Jim Morrison at the end of his life when he is in a stupor intoxicate about alcohol and drugs.

21:39 He resembles Karl Marx. The makeup artist. Took polaroids and showed them to the doors which you're talking when you were talking about guitarist, and to Alan Rene to get their approval. They were amazed by the resemblance. That helped me a lot. Wow, doesn't it just give you chills? Man? It does? It does? I'll tell you. So. I want to call out our buddies Jason and Dee at the show that you can't be serious podcast. So they've got like their Patreon. I'm a part of it, and they got like there's like a chat you know that we you know, it's like the Patreon members and and you know you can't help but become really good friends with a lot of these guys. Okay, and you know, obviously that chat is just exploding with this news about Val Kilmer.

22:25 I want to shout out though, a little shout out to to Tristan Martin if he's listening to this one he shared. He actually shared a post from Jennifer Tilly, who you know, I've always had a thing for Jennifer Tilly, You know that, Dave. Yeah, this is listen to this post that she that she shared today. She writes, A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie The Doors. It was kind of a cattle call. They paired together potential gems with potential pamelas, and they were running behind, so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn and the driveway. All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring doors music at top volume, and a guy jumped out and strode inside. He had wild hair, and he was barefoot, shirtless and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants.

23:15 We all looked at each other, like, who is this guy. We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well, of course it was Val Kilmer, and from that minu and on, nobody else stood a chance. Rest in peace, King Wow, And I hope I hope, uh you know, I mean, I hope you heard that in Jennifer Tilly's voice because I did. How could you not? Yeah? But uh but Tristan, you know, I know, I know we were all talking today. Uh, Tristan, thanks for sharing that, because I thought that was really cool and I saw it. I was like, you know what we're gonna talk about, Val Kilmer. I know we'll talk about the door. So so thanks Tristan. Absolutely wonderful quote. Good job. Well, Jeff give us our number six.

23:56 I'll give you. I'll give you another one. And it's only because uh it's fresh and my mind. It's probably the most recent Valkimer movie I've watched. And what I mean most recent mean you know I love all his movies. But we we actually did back in December for our Shane Black episode. We did a movie called Kiss, Kiss Bang Bang. Oh yeah, yeah, go back and check that out. Me and Andrew had a great time talking about this one, So I don't want to step on that one too much, Dave. But you've seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bank. Correct, it's been a while, yes, and him and Robert Downey junr. Yes. I think he gets mistaken for an actor or something along those lines, if remember. Correctly, Rdij gets mistaken for Ardij correct. Yeah, yeah, who's trying to become a detective. He's playing the role of a detective. And then they pair him Gabe Perry.

24:43 Yeah, yeah, yep. It's just I'll give you a couple just because it's it's still fresh in my head. I do remember me and Andrew talking about he had to drop fifty pounds to play the role really quickly because he had just played a heavy set king in Alexander, and his character is typically viewed as the first openly gay character to lead a Hollywood action film. And I say that just so I could say this, because I Andrew got a kick out of this. There's a scene if you were called, they have to prove him and Robert Downie Jun. You have to prove that they're in a relationship and they are going to kiss. And when asked about how do you prepare for something like that, you know if you're told that you have to kiss Robert Downie Junior, what what's your what's your preparation? He said, I just I really just thought about Kevin Bacon. No, no other context.

25:38 I don't know if he's got a he had a thing for Kevin Bacon or what. But I just we got a kick out of that one. Yeah. Yeah, listeners at a lot of fun on that on that episode. Go back check out our Kiss Kiss Bank Bang episode. Uh. And with that, Dave, we're probably I think we're yeah, we're out. According to my notes, we're like halfway through, so we are number five. Pick give me give him, give me a I'm gonna said, Kevin Bacon movie. Give me a Val Kilmer movie. Here, Dave, so little history on this film. This was my introduction actually to Valkilmer. It okay, surprised. Take a guess what do you think you said? It's your introduction to Val Kilmer? Correct? What do you think it is?

26:18 It's gotta be real genius or top gun? That would be incorrect on both on both of those. Okay, what do you got? My introduction to Val Kilmer was seeing this film in the theater in nineteen eighty eight, and it is, of course Ron Howard's Willow Willow. Yes, sir, you are great. Yeah. Mad. He plays Mad Martigan in this and is just an absolutely stunning character in this This is the movie that caused me to go back to watch Real Genius watch Top Gun because I saw how talented this dude was and I wanted to see more of him. He is such a fun character in that movie.

26:59 He is, I mean, he plays strong, he plays a fool, and he's an accidental hero. Really in this film, he's all over the place. Is He's kind of like a fantasy, middle aged fantasy version of like Jack Burton, Like he's stumping, like he's falling asked backwards into like saving the day for most. Of the movie, I think, I mean, I think Joey Whaley's character kind of helped him out a little bit throughout. Who became his wife, because yes they did, they had a couple of kids together. I'll tell you, I'll tell you. As I recall, John Cusack had tested for the role and was he had it all but locked up until Val Kilmer showed up, you know, and it could have been a sixties convertible, like the situation with the Doors. We don't know, but but yeah, he took the role from Junky right right out right out of John Cusack's hands. You know, you's a great movie.

27:54 It is a great movie. Love it, great fantasy film. You mentioned earlier about him getting hurt breaking his arm on the in the Doors. Apparently Howl Kimber is like really into his role. So, uh, he got hurt on this one too. Remember the scene that he was in the cage when he got with Willow met him. Yeah, well apparently he felt out of that case the cage came down and slammed on his foot over him pretty bad. So there's some scenes that you'll see him like walking gingerly in some some of those scenes. So yeah, apparently he really gets in his roles and doesn't care if he gets hurt or not. But just makes me appreciate him so much more as an actor. You know. Okay, so you I don't know why I didn't think about this earlier, but we we we had just talked to to Ron Howard. What was there yesterday? Yeah, it was yesterday. Yeah, did you I mean you, well, you talked to him. I didn't talk to him, did you?

28:46 Did you mention Willow at all? Did you did you talk about cars Filmer? Of course I mentioned had sign my Willow poster, so well, okay, well yeah I did. Actually it had to be quick, obviously because his lunge was really long. But first off, Ron is super nice and just had a genuine smile on his face when I walked up to him. But I asked him, I said, you know what, what was Val Kimer liked to work with? And he immediately responded and said he was wonderful at what he did and that was the very reason why he was chosen to be a mad Martigan in Willow. I followed it up with mentioning how versatile and that he had an amazing range, which Ron quickly agreed with me on that is absolutely incredible.

29:29 I'm glad. I'm glad you got to mention Val. I mean, of course, it's how unusual it is, though, that I finally get to meet Ron Howard after all these years. They never thought I would get to meet the guy. And the week I get to meet him is the week that Val Kilmer passes away. I mean, honestly, what are the chances of that? Well, yeah, because like you don't want to bring him down. You know, No, we're all we're all there. We were all there at Still City to have. A good time in Pittsburgh, right. But I liked it. I liked that he had something nice to say. Yeah. Absolutely, well, Jeff, let's move on. I'll give us our number four, buddy. Well, you know i'll because I just said it, and you know I was wrong. Uh, it's Real Genius. We got, you know, hey, and he's playing he's playing Chris Knight.

30:12 You know, I tell you one thing I love about Real Genius helped me with my movie Math. But I'm pretty sure he's the second movie character to stick it to William Atherton. I think correct, because yet Bill Murray didn't Ghostbusters, and that was that would have been the year before Real Genius, right, and then Bonnie Bedelia and die Hard does it a couple of years after him. So he's right there in the prime. You know, he's a good club. Why is William Atherton always a dick? You know? He just plays it so well. That's why. Yeah, I'll tell you that Chris Knight. He speaking of Bill Murray, I feel like his char I feel like Valle's character in Real Genius is reminiscent of Bill Murray's character and Meatballs. Yes, yeah, he's kind of like the older, cooler guy that takes the shy adolescent under his wing and teaches him to be confident but also cut loose.

31:07 I definitely did that. I didn't think a double feature. Yeah, yeah, because Meatballs and real, real, real genius. Yeah, I mean it takes place with what an engineering college? So I mean, yeah, you have you have a summer school for you know, and then you have it works out. It could work out. Yeah, the kids gotta leave camp and they go they go at the school. Yeah. That movie is so fun though, And Chris Knight is just cool, like he's he's clearly you know, at that time, I think he was what he had already done, like what top secret? I think. Yeah, so he's like the he's the the lead, he's the headliner. You know, his Chris Knight. Remember the VHS box cover like Chris Knight is the the eighties Einstein or something like that.

31:51 How could you forget that that cover? I mean you see it right ahead of your head, especially when working at Suncoast, you just know it. Yeah, and I'll tell you. I'll tell you one other thing. I don't care what anyone says. If you if you tell me that h Ryan Reynolds wasn't looking at Val Kilmer as Chris Knight as a template to play a lot of Ryan Reynolds roles like Van Wilder and Waiting and all these movies where he's the older, kind of cooler guy that shows the adolescent how to be cool. Yeah, he's he's he he he had to watch real genius. I think he had to, right, Yeah. What's that?

32:31 What's that? Leader? I think that we got three left left your your turn, because there's there's only a couple more that I can think of right off the top of my head. So I'll, you know, and listen freaking out right now because they're like, oh my god, they're not gonna say this, but what are these. Guys watching like, well, I mean again, no prep, we just were just just talking. So exactly what do you got? What are you thinking? So you mentioned this one a little bit ago, and this is one of the Willow was one of the reasons why I went back to see this. Uh. And of course that's a nineteen eighty six top gun, which we had a great conversation on the nineteen eighty six series with the group about this film where he plays Ice ice Man, whatever you want to call him.

33:11 He's credited Tom Kazanski Icemance, He Flies Ice Cold, The Mistakes. Exactly, directed by Tony Scott of course. Yeah again. You know, Val Kilmer has played with so many amazing directors through down this list. It is nuts. This shows you his talent because he's gonna work with talented directors because he's so good too well. But I mean he he didn't want to do this movie. No, he forced to do it by contract. Yep. Yeah, Tony Scott's promising him it's gonna be a great experience. Uh. From our episode, didn't didn't Val? Didn't He say something like Top Gun was both a blast and the education, and it goes yep, su, Yeah, that's something like that.

33:54 So one of his quotes, jeffic Hen reminds me me and you. So I'm gonna say you you are still dangerous, but you could be my wingman anytime. Bullshit you can be boy. Oh speaking of bullshit, Davy. Maybe I don't know if we talked about this or not on our our Top Gun episode for nineteen six, but one of the more quotable lines delivered by Ice is when he costs the word bullshit at Maverick's claim of flying inverted over the MiG. Yeah. That was ad libbed by Kilmer, and everyone's reaction that you see in the movie is real because they had no idea how perfect that perfea. Yeah, I got to love when that stuff like that happens. Man, I absolutely love it the fact. Yeah, and I'm not cheating here just as an ad on the top gun, I love the fact that that Tom brought Valkimmer back. Yes, because there that's maybe the best moment in that movie, the most heartfelt moment in that movie.

34:47 Most heartfelt movie. Yes it is. Yeah, we saw that together. Yeah, I mean I just I just remember just the feeling you got when that scene started. You knew it was coming, and it's just man, just it gives you chills because you didn't think it was gonna happen in this film, and they actually made it work, and it's just phenomenal that they did that. It really is. What's he saying, Maverick, The Navy needs Pete Mitchell, and that's why I fought for you all these years. Yeah exactly, Yep, Yeah, I know, man. It's minor cheap top gun, Top Gun, Maverick. It's the same character, so we same character. That's exactly yes, yeah, oh Jeff, that pulls us down to number two. What is it? I'm dying to watch it, but I always wait till summertime.

35:29 And don't ask me why. It's a summertime movie for me. Maybe the shortest amount of screen time he's had and you don't really even see his face. But one of my all time favorite movies Tony Scott again again True Romance, where he plays the Mentor. Yes, okay, in the history of movies, no character has had a cooler subconscious than Clarence Worley in True Romance. His inner thoughts, like Christian Slater, his inner thoughts are basically brought to life by what is clearly the visage of Elvis Presley. But they didn't want to get in trouble with the Presley estates, so they called him the Mentor. And he's played by Val Kilmer beautifully perfect decision. Oh yeah, his voice like it's just and it's just cool, like his in the Sage Advice he gives clearance as insane as it is in some of the cases. But remember this is all this is Clarence's head. He's just basically trying to talk himself into or out of doing things. You can only hope that your your inner monologue sounds like Val Kilmer doing in Elvis Presley in personation. It's awesome, it's so cool.

36:39 It is in a film written by Quentin Tarantino. Yeah, written by QT. Like, what's what's he? What's the Uh Clarence's little what he's not as confidences like, hey was that cool? He's like, oh you were cool? And I love it? Oh man. Yeah the mentor again, uh, not his biggest role or his most prominent. Role, but his coolest role, but its coolest role. Yeah. Yeah, there's a I don't I have to check, but there's a I forget that I figured the company, but there's there's a company that's doing true romance action figures, and the mentor is one of them. They're only I think they're doing like Clarence Alabama, Drexel and the Mentor.

37:20 I think that's what they're doing. But yeah, I gotta give me a mentor here. I gotta get me a mentor figure. All Right. It just dawned on me this whole time we're talking. Yeah, and we haven't brought this one. We have one pick left. I I hope you're gonna you're you know, you're not gonna say like the Sultan Sea or you know. The Saint the same. It's a good movie, don't get me wrong. Can we can we do like an honorable mention for the Saint? Yeah? I thought that movie was that should have been a franchise. I agree it should have. I don't know why it wasn't, And I didn't do any research on so I can't tell you what it wasn't, but I do I will say this, that was one of those Sun Coast movies, like when we were back at the store. Yeah, I remember when that one came out on on VHS and DVD. Yeah, we played the we put the ship out of that thing.

38:12 It was a good movie. Yeah, it was a good movie. Him and Elizabeth Shoe Yeah. Yeah, all righteah, sorry, honorable mention. That's that's our number one. There we go, no kidding. So yeah, for all the fans of the Saint, uh, we at least gotta we gotta give it some love, So we do, all right, give you better, you better say the right title here, what do you? What do you? What do you? What are you about to say? Well, Jeff, I'm your Huckleberry. Yeah, nineteen ninety three's Toonstone Holiday to me, Jeff, the best performance of all times from Val Kilmer. And that says a lot because he has done a phenomenal job in all the movies that we've already talked about. Okay, but yeah, how he portrays Doc Holliday and it is an absolute damn crime he did not win an Oscar for this role.

39:07 Hold on, now, Okay, so think about this because I'm sure he wasn't even nominated for this one. Yeah, and now you got me thinking about oscars like what he did to become Jim Morrison like and Alburton like, I don't know, I'm not gonna look it up right now. But if he wasn't not I don't know how he didn't win, But if he wasn't nominated, that's that's the real crime it is. But yeah, I'm glad that we we we were ending on Tombston because that's I think I'm gonna say that's his best role, his best film role ever. It is it is. I mean, he's playing a guy with tuberculosis and he pulls it off so well man. I mean, you watch him on screen, you believe he is freaking sick man.

39:51 And I'm still is able to, you know, make the performance real and feel real. I know the scene at the ok Corral wo when they were, you know, getting ready to fight, and I believe it was it Thomas Hayden Church that he says that you're a daisy if you. Do or what? Okay that that's at the the end of the gunfight. I can't remember which choy is URCH know, well, Thomas Hayden Church is the one that that that kicks things off. Okay, that's okay. It's the guy with the mustache. I can't remember. I can't remember who it was because the guy's like I got you, you son of a bitch or something like that, and he's like, you're a daisy. Yeah, great line.

40:31 Yeah, And do you believe it or not? But that is an actual line that the real doc Holiday said that they use it in the film. How would what was that like in the paper or something or how would they well, I guess they had they had printing presses and all that. Of course they did. Jeff, you know you were talking about Thomas Hayton Church. You gotta keep it this in mind. Val Kilmer always the improv guy. So that's scene how it kicks up. Remember it kicks off because Val Kilmer, oh, I should say, Doc Holliday winks at it like everyone's frozen, no one's moving, and he winks at Thomas Hayden Church. And that's what causes Kurt Russell to be like, oh my god. And then you know it's all him him, yeah, him winking at Thomas Hayden Church. Him whistling. Yeah, you know, they're they're doing that walk down the down the street and he's he's it's quiet, but he's whistling the whole time.

41:22 You know, even uh when he's gambling earlier, like he's rolling the coin on his knuckles. That's that's. That's all Val Kilma in the moment. That's not that's no one saying, hey, try to do this, and he's he's got that that that thing like yeah, he he I think in the doors he's he's using a drumstick, you know, twirling it between his knuckles. In top Gun, it's it's an ink pin. When they're talking about the hard deck, Yeah, that's that's the thing. He always rolls an object on his knuckles. It's like a I can't remember correctly, but didn't he do something with swords and Willow? Where he was like where he was like doing something him like. A playful little Yeah, I have to watch. That's been a while since I've seen Willow, but it is so for me too.

42:04 But I dig that he's something like that. Yeah. I dig that he improvs mannerisms like sometimes it's a line, like like the bullshit line, but sometimes it's just physicality that he puts in the end of the road. I dig that. And speaking of lines, Jeff, you know how much I love quotes. Okay, Yeah, and I love to put him in here. I found one actually. Volcomer mentions his role as Doc Holliday. Okay. He says, I liked being Doc Holliday. It's fun to be insightful and aristocratic, to stand up for your friend and make sacrifices for him. It was fun to be arrogant like he was and have the goods to back it up. He was a very noble character, although let's not forget he did kill a lot of people. Yeah, I'll tell you what, Uh wrapping things up here, Doc Holiday, And if I'm thinking, I'd probably Iceman. Between Doc Holliday and and Icepan Who who would you think, in your opinion, who has the better quotes? Who or which character do you think is more quotable? And you're in your opinion they.

43:08 Both got some great quote They've got some great ones, right, yeah, yeah, they really do. Dude, I have to go with Doc Holliday. They're going to go. Doc know many good ones throughout that film, and the fact that some of them were actually real from the actual Holiday. I gotta go with him. I think I might. It's so easy to go Doc Holiday, but it is Iceman has so Okay, I'll say this, I think Holiday has the more fun quotes, but but I think Ice no pun Intendent, has the cooler quotes. You know that is the hell of a thing for you to say to me. Well, Dave, the plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room, So you know I don't like Yeah, do your times. I've like at work, I've you know, been in the moment, just gotten one of my buddy's face and said I don't like you because you're unsafe, especially what we're doing like safety training.

44:07 That's awesome. I'd be curious as to see what people think. Like, Yeah, listeners, what's what's the right answer here? You gotta you gotta tell us, like reach out on social media, tell tell us on you know, help us or Instagram or Facebook or email us? You know who? Who? What's your favorite quote? Who has the better quotes? Do we mention? Yeah, you're a daisy if you do? Uh? You know, I can't wait. Someone's gonna send us an angry letter because we didn't. We didn't mention the one of their favorite valcamera movies. I'm just gonna reply like I want. I'm like, I'm gonna tap a gun. Are we cross? Maybe it is a caliday now I think about it, but I don't know. Dave, thanks for just having a cool chat man and and uh and celebrating the uh, the career of Alcilmer. It's unfortunate that we lost him, but it is we have his movies, you know, for forever, and that's that's a that's a good thing for us.

45:07 I think absolutely, it is. Man, It's a pleasure. Well, listeners, As I said, uh, did we talk about your favorite movie? Did we what's your favorite quote? You can let us know. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and x. You can reach out to us at a Film by a Podcast at gmail dot com, and you can check out our website www dot a Film by a Podcast dot com, and Dave, there's always Patreon. I'll say you guys, you just kicked off the a film at fifty escape to which Mountain? Yep, and got another big one coming up soon. Yeah, I noticed you didn't You didn't tee it up? Are you gonna make us guess?

45:48 Because yeah, we're keeping a secret because we want people to think about what came out in nineteen seventy five and then just join us to see what we're talking about. So we're not gonna tell you what the next one is. Listeners, check out hit you on dot com slash a film by podcast. You can join for as little as three dollars a month, or you can sign up for a free trial. So like a free what is it, Dave? Like a free seven day trial? Yep? Get in there like Columbia houses. Just get in there, download everything and get like, you know, I'm out. It's six days in, I'm out. You know that's cool, but you know, at least you're gonna be, you gonna be getting some cool You're gonna be. You're gonna be getting some cool exclusive episodes. And David's been a bit so that we've got quite a catalog built up over there.

46:37 Oh my gosh, do we ever? Yeah, a lot to dig into. Yeah. Well, for those of you following listening, checking us out on social media, we thank you and we hope that you're gonna watch the Valcomer Movies. Absolutely this week. See you next time.