The Texas Theatre Is Honoring Val Kilmer With Tribute Showings This Week

The legacy of the late Val Kilmer is woven through a wide spectrum of unforgettable roles. From his career beginnings as an Elvis Presley pastiche in Top Secret! to the catapulting of his role as “Iceman” in Top Gun, Kilmer is an ideal subject for the latest run of films at Oak Cliff’s Texas Theatre.

Over his varied career, Kilmer established fans in all corners of the artistic world, whether through arthouse cinema devotees, a certain generation of Batman fans or folks nostalgic for ‘80s cinema, Kilmer was a treasure. His widely beloved stature was reaffirmed in the wake of his tragic passing earlier this year on April 1 at the age of 64.

For those looking to raise another toast to the legend, the Texas Theatre’s early July programming has you covered. The Dallas theater will be showing a string of beloved Kilmer movies for a limited return to the big screen. The eclectic line-up of features reinforces the breadth of his artistic endeavors: westerns, comedies, fantasies and more.

In the later years of his life, Kilmer was fixated on portraying Mark Twain on stage and in a potential movie. The critically-acclaimed 2021 documentary Val also chronicles Kilmer’s life as he cycled through roles for many of the films featured for the series at the Texas Theatre.

Here’s a look at Kilmer’s films featured from July 3 - 10.

Batman Forever
July 3 - 4

Don’t settle for the red, white and blue this Independence Day – embrace a swatch of neon Gotham in Joel Schumacher’s Kilmer-starring Batman Forever. On July 3 and 4 (at 7 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively), Schumacher’s inaugural Batman feature takes over the Texas Theatre. Kilmer only did one stint as the dark hero, but he’s remained a fan-favorite version of the character for franchise loyalists. Per his 2021 documentary Val, Kilmer opted out of playing Batman a second time following the 1995 film because he wanted to devote time to inhabiting multiple personalities across The Saint.

Tombstone
July 4 - 6

For the weekend of July 4 there will be a quartet of opportunities for Texas Theatre patrons to see one of Kilmer’s most revered roles. The 1993 Western Tombstone was chock full of beloved faces like Kurt Russell and Sam Elliot. It was Kilmer’s role as Doc Holliday, though, that swept critics and audiences away. His achingly captivating take on the character made for a larger-than-life performance. Now, moviegoers can relive this extraordinary highlight in his career when the dynamite western graces the Texas’ screen.

Willow
July 5

Some of Kilmer’s most famous movies (Heat, Tombstone, Top Gun) were firmly set in noteworthy eras of American history. In Willow, the actor tackles the character of Madmartigan in an unabashedly fantastical world removed from our own. Kilmer lends a distinctly everyman aura to the 1988 film, which twists director Ron Howard’s otherwise classic storytelling approach.

The Doors
July 10

Oliver Stone's 1991 music biopic The Doors starred Kilmer as Jim Morrison, lead singer for the titular seminal rock band. Though critically divisive at the time of its release, The Doors has garnered a greater cult following today, especially compared to the lackluster modern music biopics dominating movie theaters lately. Kilmer's work as Morrison, though, was universally praised even when the film's initial reviews came out.

The aforementioned Val extensively details the immense level of preparation and research Kilmer did for this role to get every tiny facet of Morrison just right. His tremendous commitment inspired a performance that has been in revered whispers for decades now. If you want to see that beloved turn, plus performances from the film's stacked ensemble cast (Kyle MacLachlan, Crispin Glover, Billy Idol), then you'll want to bookmark July 10 at 9 p.m.

Top Secret!
July 2

The final film in the Texas’ Kilmer tribute lineup goes back to the very beginning of his career. The wacky spoof comedy Top Secret! was Kilmer’s first credited acting role and entailed him playing Elvis knock-off Nick Rivers. Given that this film was written and directed by Jim Abrahams and David & Jerry Zucker — the trio responsible for helming Airplane! and writing The Kentucky Fried Movie — it should be no surprise Top Secret! is a relentlessly wacky affair. Jokes come at a breathless pace in the film, and include everything from an inspired pun on the phrase “I know a little German” to fourth-wall breaks and the consistently hysterical sight of a cow wearing boots. It’s all anchored by Kilmer’s fully dedicated lead performance, spurred from the same level of conviction he’d later lend to darker, weightier projects.

More details on details and showtimes for these screenings can be found here.