Val as Madmartigan in Willow.
I was 12 when I fell in love — true, real love — for the first time. It will soon be 21 years since that day. He’s grown older. He’s gotten fat. He’s lost that beautiful, youthful glow he once had. But my love remains true. Probably because he was my first, but I just cannot let go.
I was in sixth grade and my best friend, Carrie, and I walked into the Arnot Mall movie theater in Big Flats to see Willow for the first time. Who knew it would change my life? I certainly didn’t.
We both adored the movie, but even more than that, we both met Val Kilmer for the very first time. (I pause to take a big, nostalgic and dreamy sigh.) I saw the movie in the theater several more times and bought all the magazines and posters and you-name-its that came along with the marketing.
I learned through the articles in the Willow magazines (which I read over and over and over) that Mr. Kilmer (VAL!!!) starred in three movies prior to Willow: Top Secret!, Real Genius and Top Gun. I’d never seen any of them and never heard of the first two. Of course, I had to drag my parents to the video store right away and rent them all.
Oh boy was I glad I did! Especially Top Secret! and Real Genius. I won’t go into the plots or any other details, but anyone who hasn’t seen these movies must — MUST — go now and get them and watch them. And watch them again. And then again. And even after you’ve watched them 50 times, you will still find new things to laugh at and notice, whether it be a subtle joke you didn’t quite catch the first 49 times or something happening in the background of a scene that didn’t stand out before.
I immediately introduced every one of my friends to these movies. I showed them to family when they visited. I have since brought Emma into the fold and she loves them as much as I ever did.
Oh, My Val, what happened to thou?
Suffice it to say, seeing Val in those movies did nothing to assuage my love and general worship of the man. Even when he got married, it was fine. I mean, he married his Willow co-star and I loved her, too. Just not in quite the same way.
Since those days, My Val has gone on to make many more movies, get divorced and start an obscure music career. He isn’t quite as good-looking as he once was. OK, he’s really not even slightly as good-looking as he once was. But the love remains.
Two years ago, I bought Willow for Emma for Christmas. She’d never even heard of it, but based on the movies and books she likes, I knew she’d love it. We watched it the day she opened it. I hadn’t watched it in many years at that point. And, like the man, the movie still holds its special place in my heart. It was incredible. It made me very happy. I need to watch it again soon.
the guy’s into animals i guess
oops, here’s part 1
Wow, he has changed! My first crush was Scott Baio! Ewww. Luckily, my taste has improved.
I never got Scott. He was OK, but I never thought anything special about him. I know a lot of girls did, though!
i like this site realy .. thanks alot my friend bookmarkd!
I thought Val was best in the Ghost & the Darkness. I thought he should play my husband when our life gets made into a movie. Of course I eventually realized that he’s way to old and has gotten way fatter and uglier. My hubby is aging much better – yay for me!
I’m quite concerned for him. I think he might be depressed. I mean, I think if he worked out a little and cleaned himself up, he could still be a darned good-looking man. He just let himself go.
Wow. Val is looking kinda old. I didn’t realize he and his wife had divorced. She was SO beautiful!
Years ago. For a long time, I thought he left her. And I was kind of mad at him because it happened when he started getting really successful.
A few months ago, I was reading his IMDB profile and it turns out that not only did SHE leave HIM, but she filed divorce papers while he was on location filming a movie and he found out on the news that night. It was really nasty of her.
So I forgave him.
Here by way of the nostalgia tag. Was Val “Ice Man”? I think I may have been more of a “Goose” girl.
He was Iceman, yes. *sigh*
Anthony Edwards (from ER) was Goose. He was a little nerdy for me. But I cried when he died.
I fell in love with Val after he played Jim Morrison…my love was apparently fleeting, though, because he lost me with whatever he did next.
And I hated that snapping teeth thing he did in Top Gun. It was way too uncool of a move for the cool guy to do…
WOW! I just watched Willow for the first time in many years about three weeks ago. I forgot how amazing it is! It really stands the test of time. And Val Kilmer is definitely gorgeous in it. I might have been slightly too young for a crush when it came out, but he definitely looks good. My favorite scene is when he has to pretend to be a woman. “Tempting!”
He really is a great comedic actor. He’s a great dramatic actor, too, but comedy is tough and he pulls it off.
I too cannot stop the affection I have always held for our Val. I remember the Val Kilmer bookmarks and postcards that adorned my room. Willow seemed so real…..You so need to see Heat. Val was still really hot in those days and it was a good movie to boot!
I’ll add it to Netflix. I still love my fat, greasy old Val.
[...] Some creative writing A little something about my clumsiness Some photography My crazy animals The love of my life [...]
He was definitely handsome in Top Gun!
I loved Val Kilmer too, don’t forget he played Batman in Batman returns. We have Willow it is such a good movie. My oldest son wanted to watch it again the other day.
It’s a fantastic movie! And he was a great Batman. I love Nicole Kidman, too, so that made that movie so much better for me.
Ahhh Val Kilmer…
Well I’ll show my age with this one, but my very first PG-13 movie that my parents allowed me to see was Dr. Zhivago. My first “IT” guy was Omar Sharif. I remember after the movie my best friend and I were standing outside waiting for my dad to pick us up, crying our eyes out. My dad was so freaked, “What’s the matter, are you OK?” How to explain that the my first crush just… died? AND oh YES to Top Secret! and Real Genius – those are great movies!!
Val is quite the comedian.
My very first crush was this adorable guy on a soap opera my mom used to watch. His name was Brian Bloom. His eyes sucked me in like the vacuum catching the frazzled edge of my throw rug…. I was a soap opera junkie…..until …..well, until I got over him… realized he wasn’t going to write me back even though I wrote and told him he had beautiful eyes and there was no doubt our children would walk the runway someday…..ok, I didn’t say that…. but I did OF COURSE comment on his dreamy eyes…. Ah, yes….memories…. Brian Bloom…..the man, the myth, the legend….. wonder what he looks like now…..gotta love the internet…. I’m so finding a recent photo of my 1st heart throb!. Sorry to my Hunk of Burnin’ love…you are still #1. Oh and for Sean Cassidy….
Loved the post! Momma
I remember Brian Bloom! I know he went on to other things. He was all over the teeny bopper magazines when I was in junior high — Tiger Beat and all of those. I think he was on 21 Jump Street or something like that. It was something I never watched because we didn’t have cable, though. I wonder what he looks like now, too! I’ll have to go look.
Ummmm……so just had to update. Founda recent photo and ….well…. Brian Bloom is still pretty dreamy……
Ciao Bellas~
Momma
Oh my! Yes, he is. And he has a cute butt, according to the nudie photo on the first Google page!
And he’s in the A-Team movie!
Yes … Val was definitely a cutie.
He was a cutie back in the day.
My man is Bono. Always has been. I am hoping and praying his back heals so he can continue to charm me with his sexiness and bring his songs to the world.
Once again, Happy SITS day!
Well isn’t that a daisy? I love him too. I suppose we can share. I first fell for him in gr. 9 when I discovered him as Doc Hollywood in Tombstone, skinny, pale and clammy with TB and my heart was his forever. Don’t even get me STARTED on him as Jim Morrison. Oh the BEAUTY, it is enough to make my heart cry!
I guess I can share. If I have to …
[...] tried last week to talk Chris into seeing MacGruber solely because The Love of My Life Val Kilmer is in it. Chris would have gone if I’d pushed the issue, but the reviews were tending towards [...]
I came across this blog while doing a search on ‘Willow’…and found it highly amusing (amusing as in entertaining)! I’ve always liked Val Kilmer, in a ‘non-gay’ kind of way, ever since i saw him in ‘At First Sight’. Sure, i like the guy as Batman but it was his performance as the mellow ‘blind guy’ that got me hooked. That movie was quite moving…and good performances all round. ‘Willow’,…. i don’t think was that good a movie, but then again it was waaaaay back in middle school when i saw the movie so i only remember it vaguely. I remember liking the hint of romance, though. And Kilmer was there, so that’s a big plus. Downloading the special edition now to rewatch and ‘relive’ the past
I share your disappointment (again emphasis on non-gay!) upon seeing Kilmer go from being ‘Batman’ to ‘Fatman’. But i still think he is a good actor.
On a side note…i also enjoyed reading the comment by Mommas Soapbox (liking the name 2..haha)!