RIP Val Kilmer | The Boneyard

RIP Val Kilmer

In recent years Kilmer's reputation for being difficult got better context. He had a low tolerance for mediocre, end of career directors mailing it in (John Frankenheimer in The Island of Dr. Moreau) and strung out, creepy junkies (Tom Sizemore in Heat). I would probably take Kilmer's side in both of those situations. (On a separate note, it is baffling why a piece of human garbage like Tom Sizemore had the career he had.)

Kilmer didn't make the transition well to dad and older man roles as he got into his late 40's, with his career falling off a cliff after 10th and Wolf in 2006. Hollywood is constantly criticized for its treatment of female stars as they age, but Kilmer was a proven box office star and great actor, yet his selection of roles got dramatically worse as he aged. Kilmer's look definitely changed as he got into his late 40's, and Hollywood abandoned him, and then blamed him for it, which is messed up. He could just deliver at the box office for a long time, even carrying mediocre movies like The Saint over $100 million. I can not point to a bad performance in his prime through the mid-2000s.

His performance in Tombstone is an absolute masterpiece, particularly in light of the troubled production of that movie and the massive egos of the ensemble cast (Kilmer and Michael Biehn, who played Johnny Ringo, did not get along). Wonderland is an underrated small film that Kilmer did in 2003 that is probably streaming somewhere and worth a watch.
 
HCCForever said:
Sorry to read that this morning. He was great as Iceman in "Top Gun". He looked so cocky playing the jet pilot. Another favorite of mine was as Jim Morrison.
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Good call on Morrison. He was phenomenal in that role - Oscar like performance in a kind of underrated movie. Top Gun was iconic role - wouldn’t have been nearly as good without him in it - RIP.
 
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Real Genius is a Ghostbusters/Animal House-tier comedy, and Kilmer had Bill Murray-level comedic chops. In addition to being a brilliant method actor (The Doors), character actor (Tombstone), action hero (Willow) and supporting actor (Heat).

Most talented actor of his generation. It's a shame the back half of his career didn't go differently.

RIP
 
UCan3 said:
Good call on Morrison. He was phenomenal in that role - Oscar like performance in a kind of underrated movie. Top Gun was iconic role - wouldn’t have been nearly as good without him in it - RIP.
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Top Gun doesn't work without an antagonist with as much charisma (I would actually argue more) as the protagonist. Completely sells the macho fighter jock, but then in the two heavy-ish scenes in that film – "It's not your flying, it's your attitude" and "I'm sorry about Goose" – he gives depth and pathos to a character that was written like a high school bully.

Stole every scene he had in that film.
 
RIP Val Kilner. So many great roles. Tombstone was fantastic, Oscar worthy work. I didn't love The Doors, but he nailed it. Underrated gem was The Saint, he's quite good in it. Need to re-watch Real Genius. Glad he got to bring is Top Gun role back in Maverick.
 
One of the few movies I can watch multiple times and never be bored or disinterested, only because of Doc Holiday.

Huckleberry: "I'm the one you want," or "I'm the man for the job"

 
I’m your huckleberry is my favorite line. Watch that movie over and over. As a kid we argued who was the fastest gun in the west. Doc Holliday, Johnny Ringo, Wyatt Earp were the Michal Jordan, LeBron and Kobe of our day
 
Feels like the right time to remind everyone that his gunfight in the street scene from Heat was used for awhile as the correct way to reload under fire and retreat during a firefight by the United States Marine Corps. High praise for an actor. RIP
 
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I’m your huckleberry is my favorite line. Watch that movie over and over. As a kid we argued who was the fastest gun in the west. Doc Holliday, Johnny Ringo, Wyatt Earp were the Michal Jordan, LeBron and Kobe of our day
 
HuskyHawk said:
RIP Val Kilner. So many great roles. Tombstone was fantastic, Oscar worthy work. I didn't love The Doors, but he nailed it. Underrated gem was The Saint, he's quite good in it. Need to re-watch Real Genius. Glad he got to bring is Top Gun role back in Maverick.
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It was lkind of sad to see him in Maverick, a movie worth only the flight scenes I thought.
 
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Val Kilmer offered many great performances, for sure. If anything, his talent was underrated for a long time as the "he is difficult to work with" rumor about him was definitely given legs for well over a decade.

In his portrayal of Doc Holliday, however, Kilmer took his presentation to a whole other level. His portrayal of Holliday was one of the 3 to 5 best performances I have ever seen. He stole literally every scene he was in. Everyone remembers the "I'm your Huckleberry" scene of course. I have friends who to this day love to use that line. But his first scene playing poker that turned into a fight to the death with Frank Stallone (yes, Sylvester's brother), in addition to the scene where he mimics Johnnie Ringo's gun twirling with a mini whiskey mug and pretty much every other scene he is in are all the best, most memeorable scenes in the movie... and that is saying something with that amazing cast and how good Tombstone was overall.

As good as Gene Hackman was in "Unforgiven", Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday was simply better that year. The fact Kilmer did not even get nominated was an indictment of the Academy and whomever was on the voting committee for sure. Every aspiring actor and actress should have to watch that performance. It was a master class in character acting.

RIP Val Kilmer... you were a truly great actor and you will be missed.
 
HCCForever said:
Sorry to read that this morning. He was great as Iceman in "Top Gun". He looked so cocky playing the jet pilot. Another favorite of mine was as Jim Morrison.
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When I hear the doors I picture Val not Jim. That's the sign of a master.
I'm pretty sure Val is my favorites actor ever. Comedy, action, western, drama.... the saint!!!! He did it all
 
I always really liked this movie and his role...

51T8JQSEFYL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg
 
Tombstone and Top Gun get heavy play in my house as they both appear on Hulu Live constantly for whatever reason. I can watch either movie from any point and be happy.

I choose to forget he was Batman because every movie between Michael Keaton Batman and Christian Bale Batman plus a Batfleck kicker was atrocious, so it’s not really his fault.

RIP
 
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cohenzone said:
It was lkind of sad to see him in Maverick, a movie worth only the flight scenes I thought.
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I liked the movie, but what I liked about that is that Goose was better than Maverick all along, and his career and status in that movie reflects it.
 
He was awesome in an Entourage episode. I didn’t realize it was Kilmer until I looked up who played the Sherpa.
 
HuskyHawk said:
I liked the movie, but what I liked about that is that Goose was better than Maverick all along, and his career and status in that movie reflects it.
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Digressing from Kilmer I know, but I thought the love interest was thrown in, John Hamm was not believable nor was the rescue at the end. Could have been my mood. Was giving myself an afternoon off from caregiving my gravely ill wife whilev I had help.
 
I loved Tombstone and his performance. It's probably my favorite movie Kilmer was in with Heat being a close second.

It's funny because someone else mention his reputation as being difficult to work with and mentioned The Saint. I think that cemented his reputation when the costume designer brought like 2,000 sweaters for him to choose from and he said none were right for the scene and berated the woman. Still, I heard he mellowed a lot as he got older.

Another movie of his that was entertaining was Willow.
 
superjohn said:
I always really liked this movie and his role...

View attachment 108406
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Only other context, other than the NFL, where I've ever heard "Washington Redskin."

Underrated movie with a great cast.

I posted in another thread: "Though personally, my first exposure to his genius (intended) was Real Genius, he'll forever be your huckleberry."
 
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