Hey Friends!
Welcome to a special Grab Bag AUDIO-a-go-go edition.
We lost a special talent this spring with the passing of Val Kilmer. He was a shapeshifter kind of performer, slipping in and out of roles on stage (Citizen Twain, his one man show about Mark Twain; The Ten Commandments: The Musical !!!), too many films to list here (Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, Top Secret, Batman Forever, Willow), and in those strange happenings that make you go, “Wait, is that…VAL KILMER?” I’m thinking of Kilmer as the voice of KITT in the 2008 Knight Rider TV pilot and brief series. Damn, Val Kilmer!
One of my favorite Kilmer films is Real Genius. Released in 1985, directed by Martha Coolidge, Real Genius is the story of what happens when nerd power is unwittingly harnessed for potentially really bad aims. Kilmer plays Chris Knight, a super genius who’s abilities in the lab are only surpassed by his irreverent wit, charm, and t-shirt choice:
So when my friend Michael Estrin—of the ‘stacktacular publication Situation Normal — asked if I’d be interested in having a chat about this film, which is also one of his personal favorites, the answer was an easy, “Sure thing! How about now? Are you free now? What about now?”
Hang out with us for a far ranging conversation about genius v nerds; how comedy speaks truth to power; why the best revenge might also be the most creative one; and a look at the line tracing this movie to our current techbroliarchy, which makes Real Genius a moral imperative must-see-or-rewatch now!
Settle in, make a bowl of popcorn (if you know, you know), and off we go.
BONUS FEATURES!
Remember those on DVDs? Remember DVDs?
Check out this great article on the filming of Real Genius with particular attention to how they pulled off that epic final sequence.
And then enjoy this banging cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
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