Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast! Our little store recently celebrated two separate milestones! Not only does March mark the one year anniversary of our fun little podcast, but this just so happens to be the 50th episode of the show, which means I (Rob "Flack" O'Hara), Ashley Thomas, and The Retroist have officially recommended 200 films for your viewing enjoyment. U hope you returned them all on time.

For this week’s show I had planned to do something that coincided with our show’s anniversary… and right as I was walking the store’s aisles looking for movies to recommend I learned of the untimely passing of Val Kilmer, which convinced me to change course. Kilmer will be remembered as one of the great actors of our time. From Batman to Willow, Kilmer was woven into the 80s and 90s. The hardest part about this week’s show was narrowing my selections down to only four.

Top Gun (1986)

Ride into the danger zone with this classic from the 1980s starring Tom Cruise as Maverick, Kelly McGillis as Charlie, and Val Kilmer as the one and only Ice Man. When I was a teen I didn’t know anyone who hadn’t seen this film and yet today it seems many younger film fans skipped it. Featuring an all-star cast and a soundtrack full of hits that will “take your breath away,” Top Gun is a classic that remains watchable and relevant today.

Real Genius (1985)

In Real Genius, a group of brilliant college students are brought together to work on a project that someone may or may not have nefarious plans for. Val Kilmer is Chris Knight, a loveable, quirky genius who takes a fifteen-year-old genius named Mitch under his wings. Will the geniuses have what it takes to complete their project — and if they do, will they also be able to stop it? Real Genius remains one of my favorite 80s comedies of all time. A guy’s gotta have his standards.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

In this old-school pulp detective story dragged into the 20th century, a thief (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a private detective (Kilmer) work together to solve a murder — and then more murders… and then try to avoid getting murdered. This is a fantastic film, dripping with style and unexpected twists and turns. Sit back, relax, and try not to lose the plot… or a finger.

Tombstone (1993)

No tribute to Val Kilmer would be complete without this film, featuring his iconic performance as Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp’s loyal friend. Also starring Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, and several others, Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone will never let you forget who’s your Huckleberry.

Rest in peace, Mr. Kilmer. If you haven’t seen any of these in a while (or at all) feel free to check one (or all) of them out — just don’t forget to rewind your tapes and have them back on time to avoid late fees.

Thanks for visiting our store over the past year. Business is booming and it looks like management will be renewing the lease for another year!

Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com