equinoxx.info: Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer has passed away yesterday at the age of sixty-five. So, I thought I'd spend today's post writing about some of the films I remember him in.

- First there's the obvious one: Top Gun. I first watched that film back when I was a child. There was one period in our childhood when a good friend of mine was nicknamed 'Iceman' after Kilmer's character.

- Then I suppose the next film I recall him in was Willow. The fantasy movie starring Warwick Davis in the title role.

- Now, we're onto the one I like the best (as controversial as this will come across!): 1995's Batman Forever. That Batman movie was not critically respected, but I have a fondness for it (and its soundtrack!). It was VERY campy but so was the 60's TV series. Val Kilmer played a decent Bruce Wayne/Batman. But, he was kind of doomed to fail in the role because he was the heir to Michael Keaton.

- Heat. Need I say any more? That bank heist, and its aftermath, is one of the best ten minutes in an action film. I always remember seeing a shot of those scenes in Empire Magazine when the film was being made and thought 'oh, this looks cool'. I was right. It turned out very cool.

- The Saint with Elisabeth Shue. I cannot remember much about it, but I chose to watch it because Shue was in it.

- I've gone through the movies I remember Kilmer from in order. Until now. Only because I must have seen the following film AFTER the others even though it could be his first*. Top Secret was created by the Zucker Brothers - the people behind the Airplane movies - so, with those names attached, you'd immediately assume it's a film full of visual/weird comedy. Well - you'd be right. I recall seeing this film late one night after coming home from a night out or from work and thinking to myself 'I should try and watch all of this from the start' because I didn't know what was going on. Anyway, many years later, I introduced my eldest nephew to Airplane and I found a DVD boxset with Airplane, the Naked Gun films, Police Squad and.. Top Secret in it. It was an immediate purchase. Seeing it in full made Top Secret even more enjoyable.