Considering how many doors "Top Gun" opened for Kilmer, it may be surprising to learn that Kilmer only accepted the role of "Iceman" Kazansky out of contractual obligations.
In "Val," Kilmer described "Top Secret!" as a painful transition from acting in the theater to acting in movies, noting that he spent months learning to play the guitar only to be asked not to play seriously because it made for a better gag.
Kilmer's reasons for turning down a second "Batman" movie have gotten contested with time — some claim he was fired from the sequel
When it comes to science fiction, the best option for a filmmaker is to be the greatest director of your generation at the top of their game.
f your career is balanced precariously between the work of prestige filmmakers and direct-to-video schlock, a feature-length adaptation of a "Saturday Night Live" skit might not be the most obvious move.
Based on real-life events — the Tsavo man-eaters are estimated to have killed as many as 135 people – "The Ghost and the Darkness" made great use of its on-location shoot and squeezes genuine jump scares out of its cast of talented animal performers.
While many might describe Kilmer as a '90s movie star, some of the actor's most interesting work did not happen until he had already begun to fade from public view.
"The Salton Sea," the first film by journeyman director D.J. Caruso, might be nothing more than an Americanized version of "Snatch," but a dynamic cast of character actors keeps the movie from ever feeling less than entertaining.
What could possibly be said about Michael Mann's "Heat" that hasn't already been covered? Not only has the film been the subject of countless essays and retrospectives, it was also the inspiration for a podcast that went minute-by-minute through the film over the course of 166 episodes.
Not every '80s comedy worth watching was directed by John Hughes. "Real Genius," the 1985 comedy directed by Martha Coolidge, may have cast a teenage Gabriel Jarret in the central role, but much of the movie is about the perilous transition to adulthood.
Even without the benefit of hindsight, it would not be outrageous to say that Val Kilmer was the safest bet on the set of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."
Over the course of his career, Kilmer has demonstrated true skill at playing iconic characters that fall somewhere between a commercial and a critical success. One such character is Jim Morrison in "The Doors."
If you were raised on '80s and '90s action movies, then "Tombstone" is pretty much the platonic ideal of a movie cast. And part of the appeal is that it should not exist; by all accounts,