The great Val Kilmer passed away on April 1 at the age of 65. He left behind a filmography filled with idiosyncratic classics: Top Secret!, Top Gun, Willow, The Doors, Tombstone, Heat—hell, even The Island Of Dr. Moreau and that one Batman movie are pretty great. Oh, and don’t forget Kilmer’s second film: 1985’s hilarious Real Genius.
Want to see Real Genius on the big screen? Reserved seating tickets to our Wednesday, June 18 screening at the Avalon Atmospheric Theater are on sale NOW. (Hello? Hello, Jesus?)
Think of Real Genius as an elevated “slobs vs. snobs” ’80s flick. Kilmer plays Chris Knight, a brilliant laser physics student and wise-cracking slacker at the fictional Pacific Tech University. Joined by young freshman prodigy Mitch (Gabriel Jarret), he applies his talents to the top secret pet project of Professor Jerry Hathaway (go-to ’80s heel William Atherton). But when the true nature of the project is revealed, the boys rebel. Hi-tech hijinks, endlessly quotable lines (“Can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?”) memorable turns from Michelle Meyrink and Jon “Uncle Rico From Napoleon Dynamite” Gries, and a truly silly/transcendent ending ensue. Just remember: Old Man Hathaway hates popcorn!
Reserved seating tickets to the 7 p.m. screening are $11, and, like we said before, are on sale NOW. As always, the screening will be sponsored by our friends at Lakefront Brewery, Gruber Law Offices, and Skilos: A Family Pet Store. No purchase necessary, enter as often as you want. (Okay, you do have to purchase the tickets, but you get the reference.)
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