He’s been called the Lizard King, the Iceman, the Dark Knight, and is perpetually applying for the post of your Huckleberry. Val Kilmer is one of the most fascinating and elusive screen presences of the last 40 years. In the wake of Kilmer’s new memoir, your Be Reel hosts chronicle the highlights of a roller-coaster career from 1984 to present.
The questions are as high-minded and difficult as the actor’s persona: Is Kilmer the most talented actor of his generation? Could anyone have evoked Jim Morrison the way he did in “The Doors” (1991)? Was he an underrated comic actor from the beginning in spoofs like “Top Secret!” (1984)?
But if that’s true, why was he done making high-profile work by his forties? Why was his Bruce Wayne so unwatchably stiff? Why did a no-holds-barred attempt to capitalize on his sheer ability like “The Saint” (1997) fail so miserably?
LISTEN: Remembering Lynn Shelton, Master Of The Comedic Heart-To-Heart [Be Reel Podcast]
We certainly acknowledge there are far more important things in the world right now, but we hope you’ll come along with us when you can, at least from “Real Genius” to “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.”
As always, Be Reel is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The Discourse, The Fourth Wall, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
