Val Kilmer was my first modern Hollywood crush, thanks to Batman Forever (1995). I was fifteen when that came out, and I fell for him immediately, and then watched both it and Willow (1988) repeatedly throughout my teens, followed by a deep obsession with Tombstone (1993). Over the years, I have loved so many of Val's movies. I also really enjoyed his memoir, I'm Your Huckleberry.
I'll be posting a list of my top ten favorites sometime soon. For now, I'm just really sad.
I couldn't count how many times I watched Willow! I was in high school then, and we both went to the theater and rented it over and over again.
ReplyDeleteGypsi, I wish I could have seen Willow on the big screen! I first saw it at a friend's house during a sleepover in the mid 1990s because she learned I had just seen Batman Forever and neeeeeeeeded to see more Val Kilmer. (She's always been a good friend that way!) She had recorded it off TV, so we didn't even have the whole movie because, of course, it had bits shaved off to make space for ads -- but I fell in love all the same.
DeleteMy best friend Ellen and I went, and as the credits rolled, we ran out to the payphone in the lobby to call our moms and beg to be able to stay and watch it again. 😆
DeleteGypsi, that is magnificent! What a great memory :-D And yeah, it's totally a bingeworthy movie.
DeleteDid you see Val(Iceman) in Maverick? Is was a short role but a key and touching scene with Tom Cruise( Maverick)!
ReplyDeleteYES! It was such a treat to have Iceman have that pivotal scene in Top Gun: Maverick. I had heard Val Kilmer was going to have a small role, and I assumed it would basically be a walk-on, but it turned out to be a crucial scene for the film, and so poignant. I was really happy.
DeleteMadmartigan will always be my favorite reluctant hero. </3
ReplyDeleteChloe, he is so golden. My daughter has a hamster named Madmartigan right now, he's that special to our family.
Deletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=JV41q27aMl8
ReplyDeleteWith the passing of Val Kilmer, I thought it would be fitting to talk about one of his more obscure roles, the 1989 Billy the Kid. His version is regarded as the most historical accuracy.
I also remember him as Moses from The Prince of Egypt.
Thank you for sharing that link!!! I have never actually seen that particular film of his, so now I have a little treat ahead of me for this weekend :-)
DeleteIt's really amazing what a broad range Val Kilmer had.
While receiving little general attention, the 1989 TV-movie Billy the Kid seems to have a cult following especially with those who study the historical Billy the Kid due to its comparative historical fidelity. Kilmer was praised for his portrayal based on his extensive work to not only physically resemble the real Billy the Kid as much as possible, but also to capture his personality as related in historical accounts. Interestingly, Julie Carmen, who co-stars along Kilmer in "Billy the Kid" was one of those who paid tribute to him on his death. Perhaps It make an interesting review?
DeleteI can well believe that Val Kilmer did a lot of research to support his portrayal of Billy the Kid. He was so dedicated to his craft!
DeleteI still haven't had a chance to watch it (my movie-watching time is very limited these days), but I've got it saved on YouTube so when I get a chance, it will be right there for me.
If I repeated my comment many times, I just saw my other one appearing already on "Announcing the Back to 1985 Blogathon", so I thought mine had not been sent at first; sorry for the enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteThat's okay! Like it says in my comment form message, I love comments older posts, but any post older than 7 days, the comments have to wait for me to approve them. It cuts down spam comments a lot.
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