Dreadful Minecraft Movie will make you want to block your memory of moviegoing

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Open this photo in gallery:Actress Emma Myers stars an an influencer whose backstory the movie doesn’t bother fleshing out.Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/The Associated PressSave for laterA Minecraft MovieDirected by Jared HessWritten by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James and Chris GallettaStarring Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Jennifer CoolidgeClassification PG; 101 minutesOpens in theatres April 4If Minecraft is the game where kids exercise their creativity by building new digital worlds full of tunnels and fortresses, A Minecraft Movie is where that creativity goes to die.The movie, scrapped together by Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess, is a jumbled mess of video-game-to-movie tropes and self-deprecating gags so lazily rehashed they tend to whimper toward the punchline. That didn’t prevent my own young teens – who were flattered by all the callbacks to their childhood experiences in the game’s so-called “Overworld” – from enthusiastically declaring A Minecraft Movie “a nine out of 10,” which just makes me question whether I’ve been raising them right.The problems with this latest attempt at mining a popular franchise begin with its very conception. Minecraft, one of the best-selling video games of all time (falling just behind Tetris), allows players to enter an earthy unspoiled landscape, where everything from the trees and concrete to llamas are blocky by design. The cubed aesthetic turned the pixelated look of decades-old video game graphics into a feature instead of a bug, while nodding to its tactile predecessor: Lego. And like Lego’s sandbox style of play, Minecraft left kids free to design their own intricate 3D worlds and roam their imaginations. That’s the core to its appeal.An unimaginative movie that narrows down those joys to a linear and derivative plot, aiming for the same appeal as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, runs counter to Minecraft’s very soul. And this one even lifts a key ingredient from those aforementioned blockbuster adaptations: Jack Black. But his performing monkey routine, complete with the occasional break into song, is missing actual gags this time around.Open this photo in gallery:From left, Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen.Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/The Associated PressHe stars as Steve, the blue shirt human avatar players can choose to adopt when building to their heart’s desire. In Minecraft’s exhausting opening minutes, Black’s Steve introduces us to the Overworld and its inhabitants, which include everything from sheep to zombies, and the magical orb that lands him in the Nether, a fire-and-brimstone underworld lorded over by a vengeful pig (voiced by Kate McKinnon).The prologue, which ends with Steve imprisoned in the Nether and tucking away the orb so a pig army can’t use it to destroy the Overworld, is so busy with plot and visual noise it feels like it’s cramming an entire abandoned first draft of the script into its setup. Six writers are credited to A Minecraft Movie, which, over the past decade, passed through the hands of three different directors (including Canada’s Shawn Levy of Night at the Museum fame) before landing with Hess.You can catch glimmers where Hess attempts to make this his own. Sebastian Hansen’s tween inventor Henry awkwardly trying to fit in at a new small-town school, while making a hobby out of building rocket-propelled jet packs, has a welcome Napoleon Dynamite vibe to it; especially when he befriends a has-been video game celebrity played by Jason Momoa. His Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, styled in a pink leather jacket with frills like Macho Man Randy Savage, is as out of time and place as any of Hess’s characters (including Jack Black’s Nacho Libre).I wouldn’t have minded seeing how Henry and Garrett’s dynamic would have developed in that small-town setting, with Momoa (signing up for Dwayne Johnson duties) trying his darndest with a knowing comic performance. But this wouldn’t be a Minecraft movie if they didn’t stumble across the hidden orb and follow it into the Overworld, where they proceed to pay stamp duties to the franchise by cycling through its digital realms and familiar characters.They’re joined by Henry’s guardian (Emma Myers), an influencer whose backstory the movie doesn’t bother fleshing out like so many abandoned subplots and gags, and a real estate agent played by Danielle Brooks. The latter, an Oscar-nominee for The Color Purple, puts on her best reaction faces while likely wondering what she’s even doing here, often dangling on the edge of the frame in dreck that couldn’t care less about utilizing her talents.The only actor to come out of this unscathed is Jennifer Coolidge. She basically grafts her White Lotus character into this movie, playing a preening school principal who hits a wayward villager from the Minecraft universe with her car. Drawn to his enormous blocky head, she proceeds to wine and dine him, while uttering those trademark nonsensical laugh-out-loud observations we love Coolidge for.Her scenes are tucked safely away from the main action, which is just a chaotic and laboured tour through the franchise, with the occasional chuckle-worthy bit often drowned out by the virtual designs or Black, who is giving loud YouTube gamer energy as our guide. There’s none of the wit or even pop cultural awareness here that helped The Lego Movie or Barbie both embrace and subvert their corporate trappings, nor the creative energy that Black’s Steve keeps paying lip service to.“It’s harder to create than destroy,” says Steve, in a movie that proceeds to take its pickaxe down the easy road.

Dreadful Minecraft Movie will make you want to block your memory of moviegoing

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Open this photo in gallery:Actress Emma Myers stars an an influencer whose backstory the movie doesn’t bother fleshing out.Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/The Associated PressSave for laterA Minecraft MovieDirected by Jared HessWritten by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James and Chris GallettaStarring Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Jennifer CoolidgeClassification PG; 101 minutesOpens in theatres April 4If Minecraft is the game where kids exercise their creativity by building new digital worlds full of tunnels and fortresses, A Minecraft Movie is where that creativity goes to die.The movie, scrapped together by Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess, is a jumbled mess of video-game-to-movie tropes and self-deprecating gags so lazily rehashed they tend to whimper toward the punchline. That didn’t prevent my own young teens – who were flattered by all the callbacks to their childhood experiences in the game’s so-called “Overworld” – from enthusiastically declaring A Minecraft Movie “a nine out of 10,” which just makes me question whether I’ve been raising them right.The problems with this latest attempt at mining a popular franchise begin with its very conception. Minecraft, one of the best-selling video games of all time (falling just behind Tetris), allows players to enter an earthy unspoiled landscape, where everything from the trees and concrete to llamas are blocky by design. The cubed aesthetic turned the pixelated look of decades-old video game graphics into a feature instead of a bug, while nodding to its tactile predecessor: Lego. And like Lego’s sandbox style of play, Minecraft left kids free to design their own intricate 3D worlds and roam their imaginations. That’s the core to its appeal.An unimaginative movie that narrows down those joys to a linear and derivative plot, aiming for the same appeal as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, runs counter to Minecraft’s very soul. And this one even lifts a key ingredient from those aforementioned blockbuster adaptations: Jack Black. But his performing monkey routine, complete with the occasional break into song, is missing actual gags this time around.Open this photo in gallery:From left, Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen.Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/The Associated PressHe stars as Steve, the blue shirt human avatar players can choose to adopt when building to their heart’s desire. In Minecraft’s exhausting opening minutes, Black’s Steve introduces us to the Overworld and its inhabitants, which include everything from sheep to zombies, and the magical orb that lands him in the Nether, a fire-and-brimstone underworld lorded over by a vengeful pig (voiced by Kate McKinnon).The prologue, which ends with Steve imprisoned in the Nether and tucking away the orb so a pig army can’t use it to destroy the Overworld, is so busy with plot and visual noise it feels like it’s cramming an entire abandoned first draft of the script into its setup. Six writers are credited to A Minecraft Movie, which, over the past decade, passed through the hands of three different directors (including Canada’s Shawn Levy of Night at the Museum fame) before landing with Hess.You can catch glimmers where Hess attempts to make this his own. Sebastian Hansen’s tween inventor Henry awkwardly trying to fit in at a new small-town school, while making a hobby out of building rocket-propelled jet packs, has a welcome Napoleon Dynamite vibe to it; especially when he befriends a has-been video game celebrity played by Jason Momoa. His Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, styled in a pink leather jacket with frills like Macho Man Randy Savage, is as out of time and place as any of Hess’s characters (including Jack Black’s Nacho Libre).I wouldn’t have minded seeing how Henry and Garrett’s dynamic would have developed in that small-town setting, with Momoa (signing up for Dwayne Johnson duties) trying his darndest with a knowing comic performance. But this wouldn’t be a Minecraft movie if they didn’t stumble across the hidden orb and follow it into the Overworld, where they proceed to pay stamp duties to the franchise by cycling through its digital realms and familiar characters.They’re joined by Henry’s guardian (Emma Myers), an influencer whose backstory the movie doesn’t bother fleshing out like so many abandoned subplots and gags, and a real estate agent played by Danielle Brooks. The latter, an Oscar-nominee for The Color Purple, puts on her best reaction faces while likely wondering what she’s even doing here, often dangling on the edge of the frame in dreck that couldn’t care less about utilizing her talents.The only actor to come out of this unscathed is Jennifer Coolidge. She basically grafts her White Lotus character into this movie, playing a preening school principal who hits a wayward villager from the Minecraft universe with her car. Drawn to his enormous blocky head, she proceeds to wine and dine him, while uttering those trademark nonsensical laugh-out-loud observations we love Coolidge for.Her scenes are tucked safely away from the main action, which is just a chaotic and laboured tour through the franchise, with the occasional chuckle-worthy bit often drowned out by the virtual designs or Black, who is giving loud YouTube gamer energy as our guide. There’s none of the wit or even pop cultural awareness here that helped The Lego Movie or Barbie both embrace and subvert their corporate trappings, nor the creative energy that Black’s Steve keeps paying lip service to.“It’s harder to create than destroy,” says Steve, in a movie that proceeds to take its pickaxe down the easy road.

2025 Emmys Predictions: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Billboard Women in Music 2025

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.

The State of the Race

Looking at the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Emmy race in recent years, it’s notable that the last two winners starred in the show that also won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. And those series also happen to be two shows on Netflix that premiered in the spring. That would dictate the streaming service’s latest breakout hit “Adolescence” as a frontrunner in all Limited Series categories that apply, but the difference here is lack of clarity on who is the actual lead of the engrossing British crime drama.

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Is it creator/star Stephen Graham or newcomer Owen Cooper? Both are missing from entire episodes of a series that has only four installments, yet with both their performances being so lauded, it would benefit them to split categories so that they each have a chance of winning for their performances. One could argue that this being the category for leads, with several contenders that have either won an Oscar or been nominated for one, it would be smartest to put Graham here, as he is the more established actor. But the past decade has seen younger breakouts like Riz Ahmed, Darren Criss, Jharrel Jerome, and even Richard Gadd all win this category, so Cooper could better fit the criteria for what voters are looking for here.

That said, “The Penguin” star Colin Farrell is more undeniably the lead of his HBO limited series, and has already won several awards for it. “Adolescence” already being one of Netflix’s biggest hits of all time is intimidating, but “The Batman” TV spinoff also was a huge hit for its network under more traditional metrics. Farrell has never won an Emmy, or even been nominated before, fitting the mold of more recent winners like Mark Ruffalo, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Keaton, who all were primarily known for their film work beforehand.

This category will presumably have five nominees, so outside of the aforementioned frontrunners, Netflix still is coming on strong with Aaron Pierre in his breakthrough lead role in “Rebel Ridge” and the two leads from “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Cooper Koch being the bigger focus). But Apple TV+ is not to be counted out, with Kevin Kline, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Bryan Tyree Henry being major contenders for their respective series “Disclaimer,” “Presumed Innocent,” and “Dope Thief,” which have all been success for the streamer.

However, the real dark horse is Peacock, which boasts Kevint Hart in crowdpleaser “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” as well as Colin Firth in “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth,” which could also appeal to the increasingly anglophilic TV Academy.

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):Anthony Boyle, “Say Nothing” (FX)Nicholas Alexander Chavez, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Netflix)Robert De Niro, “Zero Day” (Netflix)Colin Farrell, “The Penguin” (HBO)Colin Firth, “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” (Peacock)Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror” (Netflix)Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix)Jake Gyllenhaal, “Presumed Innocent” (Apple TV+)Kevin Hart, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (Peacock)Bryan Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief” (Apple TV+)Kevin Kline, “Disclaimer” (Apple TV+)Cooper Koch, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Netflix)Aaron Pierre, “Rebel Ridge” (Netflix)Josh Andres Rivera, “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” (FX)Jimmy O. Yang, “Interior Chinatown” (Hulu)

More Limited Series and TV Movie Category Predictions:Outstanding Limited or Anthology SeriesOutstanding TV MovieOutstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a MovieOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a MovieOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie

View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 77th Emmy Awards.Last Year’s Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”Still Eligible: No.Hot Streak: Overall, Netflix is on a big hot streak, with Steven Yeun winning for “Beef” and Richard Gadd winning for “Baby Reindeer.” But specifically, if one of the stars of “Adolescence” wins the category, it would signal that Netflix has landed on a winning campaign model, as all three shows launched in the spring as talk of the Emmys started building up.Notable Ineligible Series: Taron Egerton, “Carry-On” (the film was not submitted for Emmys consideration); Orlando Bloom, “Deep Cover” (the film will not premiere in time to be eligible); Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Alexander Skarsgård, “Murderbot” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen, “Death by Lightning” (the season will not air in time to be eligible).

Viet Book Fest celebrates 50 years of diasporic literature following fall of Saigon

Arts & Culture, Books

Đặng Thơ Thơ, in her thirties and in a new country, was able to turn what was just a hobby in Vietnam into her occupation in the United States.In 1992, she immigrated from Saigon to California and by 2002, the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association was hosting the signing of her first short story collection, “The Winter Exhibition.”Two decades later, the novelist, short-story writer and editor will be a panelist for VAALA’s fourth Viet Book Fest — an all-day literary event on April 6 celebrating Vietnamese literature.The event, to be held at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, brings together acclaimed Vietnamese authors who will speak on their writing and this year’s theme: “A Celebration of Vietnamese Diasporic Literature and Storytelling in light of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end.”For Thơ Thơ, the milestone is an opportunity to “promote Vietnamese literature, strengthen our community ties and provide a platform for discussion between generations.”Thơ Thơ co-founded the Vietnamese literary e-zine damau.org in 2006, serving now as its editor-in-chief and overseeing its creative direction. The inspiration behind Da Màu, Thơ Thơ said, is to “to promote awareness and acceptance through literary art and expression.”Da Màu, translating to “skin color,” curates special issues published entirely in Vietnamese. The magazine delves into a wide range of topics, spanning language, race, gender, sexuality and other literary genres. Currently, Da Màu features a special issue commemorating 50 years of diasporic literature, parallel with the theme of Viet Book Fest. For the book festival, Thơ Thơ said she will speak on publishing in the diaspora.“I started writing when I was in Vietnam, but because of censorship and our family background, I did not dream of having my stories published,” Thơ Thơ said, speaking on her own literary journey. “Isn’t that a privilege? That I can make a living with the Vietnamese language.”Legal scholar and author Lan Cao will also be featured in this year’s Book Fest, but to speak on the evolution of Vietnamese American voices in literature.Cao is the author of “The Lotus and the Storm,” “Family in Six Tones” and “Monkey Bridge,” a semi-autobiographical story of a girl and her mother as they flee from Vietnam to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War. Cao herself was flown out of Vietnam in 1975 and came to the States as a 13-year-old refugee.But for Cao, the 50th anniversary is a “quantitative categorization of something that can not be quantified.”“A marker of having left a country, starting over in a new country, rebuilding your life, that, to me, is an ongoing process,” Cao said. “Even though I have spent 50 years in this country and fewer in Vietnam, there’s always the sense that there’s a dislocation.”Growing up, Cao found solace in books, she said. Her favorites include Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children,” Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and James Joyce’s works.Cao’s passion for literature, she said, is inseparable from the circumstances that persuaded it.“I want a place to explore that chaos of having a fragment in one place and a fragment in another place,” she said. “Writing is a place that the unruly part of me can explore.”For the upcoming Book Fest, Cao’s co-panelists include author and journalist Andrew Lam, whose newest book is “Stories from the Edge of the Sea,” and Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of several novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Sympathizer,” recently adapted into an HBO TV series.Find out more about the Viet Book Fest, including the schedule and panelists, at vaala.org.Originally Published: April 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM PDT

Udon Entertainment Signs Book Market Distribution Deal with Publisher Simon & Schuster

Arts & Culture, Books

Image courtesy of Udon Entertainment©Udon EntertainmentUdon Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a new book market distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster, effective April 1. Udon will depart from its previous book market distribution agreement with Diamond Book Distributors following its bankruptcy filing in January.Simon & Schuster will handle new releases and backlist titles for all Udon books for the book trade worldwide as of Wednesday.
Udon Entertainment entered on February 13 a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Lunar Distribution to handle its direct market sales, beginning with May 2025-shipping comic book products. With the agreement, Udon Entertainment’s two 2025 Free Comic Book Day titles — Street Fighter vs. Rival Schools #1 and Mega Man #0 (pictured right) — will be handled exclusively by Lunar Distribution. Udon’s titles will also be available through Universal Distribution and Diamond Comics Distribution. Udon stated to retailers that orders for the two titles made through Diamond Comic Distributors will be canceled, and retailers are asked to reorder the books from Lunar Distribution.
Udon Entertainment’s Chief of Operations Erik Ko stated regarding the decision:

It’s a rocky time for the entire comic industry right now. Diamond has been a very supportive partner of UDON since we started publishing over 20 years ago, and we respect that support a great deal. We are very hopeful that Diamond can come back strong from Chapter 11 restructuring, but with the uncertainty ahead it makes the most sense for us and for the retailers who carry our books to open up our distribution options and make our materials available through additional partners like Lunar Distribution.
Udon Entertainment also assured that with the exception of the two Free Comic Book Day titles, almost all orders placed with Diamond will still be filled. Udon listed Street Fighter Prime #0, Final Fight #4, and Street Fighter Masters: Guile #1 comics as products “shipping exclusively through Diamond before May 2025.”
This year’s Free Comic Book Day is scheduled on May 3. Udon’s titles Street Fighter vs. Rival Schools #1 and Mega Man #0 will lead into new mini-series and other products for 2025.

© Diamond Comic DistributorsDiamond is one of the primary distributors of print comics in the United States.Diamond announced on January 14 that it has filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the District of Maryland. Companies who file under Chapter 11 are able to maintain business assets, which may or may not include licenses, in order to attempt to reorganize. Diamond cited that the decreased consumer activity, rising operating costs, and declining sales in the comic book industry post-COVID-19 led to its decision.
Diamond will continue to operate business during this time. Orders will continue to process as usual. The company plans to continue running Free Comic Book Day.
Diamond’s two largest unsecured creditors are Penguin Random House (a publishing company and distributor for other publishers, including manga ones such as Dark Horse) and Bandai. Diamond owes these two companies US$9,202,181 and US$4,348,743, respectively. Diamond also owes money to companies such as Viz Media, Square Enix, The Pokémon Company International, Hasbro, and more. Bankruptcy filings stated the company owed Udon Entertainment US$202,694.
Source: Press release

Udon Entertainment Signs Book Market Distribution Deal with Publisher Simon & Schuster

Arts & Culture, Books

Image courtesy of Udon Entertainment©Udon EntertainmentUdon Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a new book market distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster, effective April 1. Udon will depart from its previous book market distribution agreement with Diamond Book Distributors following its bankruptcy filing in January.Simon & Schuster will handle new releases and backlist titles for all Udon books for the book trade worldwide as of Wednesday.
Udon Entertainment entered on February 13 a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Lunar Distribution to handle its direct market sales, beginning with May 2025-shipping comic book products. With the agreement, Udon Entertainment’s two 2025 Free Comic Book Day titles — Street Fighter vs. Rival Schools #1 and Mega Man #0 (pictured right) — will be handled exclusively by Lunar Distribution. Udon’s titles will also be available through Universal Distribution and Diamond Comics Distribution. Udon stated to retailers that orders for the two titles made through Diamond Comic Distributors will be canceled, and retailers are asked to reorder the books from Lunar Distribution.
Udon Entertainment’s Chief of Operations Erik Ko stated regarding the decision:

It’s a rocky time for the entire comic industry right now. Diamond has been a very supportive partner of UDON since we started publishing over 20 years ago, and we respect that support a great deal. We are very hopeful that Diamond can come back strong from Chapter 11 restructuring, but with the uncertainty ahead it makes the most sense for us and for the retailers who carry our books to open up our distribution options and make our materials available through additional partners like Lunar Distribution.
Udon Entertainment also assured that with the exception of the two Free Comic Book Day titles, almost all orders placed with Diamond will still be filled. Udon listed Street Fighter Prime #0, Final Fight #4, and Street Fighter Masters: Guile #1 comics as products “shipping exclusively through Diamond before May 2025.”
This year’s Free Comic Book Day is scheduled on May 3. Udon’s titles Street Fighter vs. Rival Schools #1 and Mega Man #0 will lead into new mini-series and other products for 2025.

© Diamond Comic DistributorsDiamond is one of the primary distributors of print comics in the United States.Diamond announced on January 14 that it has filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the District of Maryland. Companies who file under Chapter 11 are able to maintain business assets, which may or may not include licenses, in order to attempt to reorganize. Diamond cited that the decreased consumer activity, rising operating costs, and declining sales in the comic book industry post-COVID-19 led to its decision.
Diamond will continue to operate business during this time. Orders will continue to process as usual. The company plans to continue running Free Comic Book Day.
Diamond’s two largest unsecured creditors are Penguin Random House (a publishing company and distributor for other publishers, including manga ones such as Dark Horse) and Bandai. Diamond owes these two companies US$9,202,181 and US$4,348,743, respectively. Diamond also owes money to companies such as Viz Media, Square Enix, The Pokémon Company International, Hasbro, and more. Bankruptcy filings stated the company owed Udon Entertainment US$202,694.
Source: Press release

Val Kilmer: Where To Stream 10 Of The Actor’s Classic Films

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Iconic actor Val Kilmer died Tuesday, leaving behind a lasting body of work on film and stage.

Val Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, broke the news to the New York Times about her father’s death from pneumonia at age 65. Kilmer had been battling health problems for more than a decade, including throat cancer. Sadly, the actor largely lost his ability to speak after his cancer treatments in 2014.

Kilmer’s screen career kicked off in 1984 with the lead role in directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker’s slapstick comedy Top Secret! In a matter of a couple of years, Kilmer went from Top Secret! to the top of Hollywood’s A-list opposite Tom Cruise in one of the top films in 1986, forever cementing his place in Hollywood history with dozens of more great works ahead of him.

Below is a list of 10 of Kilmer’s classic films and the streaming services that are carrying them. In addition, all of the films are available for purchase or rent on video on demand.

Top Gun (1986)/Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Technically this is a two-film entry but both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are classics in their own right. In Top Gun, Val Kilmer stars as Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who is continually at odds with his fellow U.S. Naval Aviator Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as both vie to become the Top Gun pilot at an elite flight school.
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Both Cruise and Kilmer reprised their roles with the bookend film Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer appears in a profoundly emotional reunion scene with Cruise. Top Gun: Maverick marked Kilmer’s last film appearance.

Top Gun is streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video, while Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount+.

‘Willow’ (1988)
Val Kilmer stars as the mercenary Madmartigan opposite his then-real-life wife, Joanne Whalley as Sorsha, the daughter of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) in Willow.
Willow is an epic fantasy adventure directed by Ron Howard and co-written and produced by George Lucas. At the center of the film, of course, is Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), an aspiring sorcerer who rescues an infant child prophesized to bring Queen Bavmorda’s reign to an end.
Willow is streaming on Disney+.
‘The Doors’ (1991)
Val Kilmer channels the late legendary rock singer Jim Morrison in The Doors, a music biopic from director Oliver Stone. While the film refers to the name of the classic 1960s rock band, The Doors is largely a chronicle of Morrison’s life and career before his death at age 27 in July of 1971.
The Doors also stars Meg Ryan as Morrison’s longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson, as well as Kyle McLachlan, Frank Whaley and Kevin Dillon as Morrison’s Doors bandmates Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore, respectively.
The Doors is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.
‘Tombstone’ (1993)
Val Kilmer stars as legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday opposite Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.
An old-school Western set in Tombstone, Ariz., Tombstone finds Holliday and Earp alongside Earp’s brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) as they off against a band of criminals including Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) and Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). Tombstone’s massive ensemble cast also includes Charlton Heston, Dana Delaney, Michael Rooker, Thomas Haden Church, Stephen Lang and Jason Priestley.
Kilmer, however, steals the show as Doc by citing, among other things, his famous phrase, “I’m Your Huckleberry” — words that eventually became the title of the actor’s 2020 memoir.
Tombstone is streaming on Hulu, Fubo and FX Now.
‘Heat’ (1995)
Val Kilmer stars in the key supporting role of Chris Shiherlis, the right-hand man of prolific thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) in Heat, an epic crime thriller written and directed by Michael Mann.
As Heat chronicles the deadly cat-and-mouse game between Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and McCauley, it brings in an impressible cast of ensemble players, which in addition to Kilmer includes Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, Danny Trejo, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner and Ted Levine.
Heat is streaming on Hulu and Netflix.
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Following Michael Keaton’s two Batman films for director Tim Burton, the franchise took a new creative direction under filmmaker Joel Schumacher, who hired Val Kilmer to assume the dual role of Batman and Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.
The film not only introduces Batman’s legendary sidekick, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), but it finds the dynamic duo taking on a new pair of villains: Harvey “Two-Face” Dent (Tommy Lee Jones) and Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), aka The Riddler. Nicole Kidman also stars in the film as Bruce’s new love interest, the psychoanalyst Dr. Chase Meridian.
Batman Forever is streaming on Max.
‘The Saint’ (1997)
Val Kilmer stars as Simon Templar — a role that originated on television in the 1960s by future James Bond actor Roger Moore — in the big-screen adaptation of The Saint.
A thief who expertly disguises himself as various Catholic saints, Templar is hired by the Russian mob to steal a cold fusion energy plans from a top scientist, Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue). Simon’s mission takes a detour, however, when he falls for Emma and discovers he’s being targeted by the people who hired him for the heist.
The Saint is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)
Val Kilmer plays a private detective, Perry van Shrike, aka Gay Perry, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s Harry Lockhart in writer-director Shane Black’s dark crime comedy. When Lockhart is mistaken for an actor after stumbling into a movie audition while eluding authorities in New York, he is sent to Los Angeles to study under Perry to prepare for another audition.
While in Hollywood, Perry and Harry get caught up in a murder investigation, where a struggling actress, Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), is trying to unravel the mystery behind her sister’s death.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.
‘Val’ (2021)
A Prime Video original documentary, Val chronicles Val Kilmer’s life and career through footage pulled from hundreds of hours of the actor’s home movies and videocassette collection, as well as a new interview with the actor and artist. The film not only delves into Kilmer’s film and stage career, it takes a deep dive into his battle with throat cancer.
Val Kilmer’s son, Jack, who sounds remarkably like his father, narrates the film. In addition to Jack Kilmer, the film also features Val’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, their mother and the actor’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley.
Val is streaming on Prime Video.
Bonus Pick: ‘Real Genius’ (1985)
Before Val Kilmer soared in the action genre with Top Gun, he appeared in a pair of comedies — 1984’s Top Secret! and Real Genius in 1985. In the latter, Kilmer stars as Chris Knight, a teenage genius who conspires to ruin a professor’s plan to develop a highly powerful laser weapon to use for nefarious purposes.
Real Genius is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.

Val Kilmer: Where To Stream 10 Of The Actor’s Classic Films

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Iconic actor Val Kilmer died Tuesday, leaving behind a lasting body of work on film and stage.

Val Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, broke the news to the New York Times about her father’s death from pneumonia at age 65. Kilmer had been battling health problems for more than a decade, including throat cancer. Sadly, the actor largely lost his ability to speak after his cancer treatments in 2014.

Kilmer’s screen career kicked off in 1984 with the lead role in directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker’s slapstick comedy Top Secret! In a matter of a couple of years, Kilmer went from Top Secret! to the top of Hollywood’s A-list opposite Tom Cruise in one of the top films in 1986, forever cementing his place in Hollywood history with dozens of more great works ahead of him.

Below is a list of 10 of Kilmer’s classic films and the streaming services that are carrying them. In addition, all of the films are available for purchase or rent on video on demand.

Top Gun (1986)/Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Technically this is a two-film entry but both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are classics in their own right. In Top Gun, Val Kilmer stars as Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who is continually at odds with his fellow U.S. Naval Aviator Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as both vie to become the Top Gun pilot at an elite flight school.
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Both Cruise and Kilmer reprised their roles with the bookend film Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer appears in a profoundly emotional reunion scene with Cruise. Top Gun: Maverick marked Kilmer’s last film appearance.

Top Gun is streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video, while Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount+.

‘Willow’ (1988)
Val Kilmer stars as the mercenary Madmartigan opposite his then-real-life wife, Joanne Whalley as Sorsha, the daughter of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) in Willow.
Willow is an epic fantasy adventure directed by Ron Howard and co-written and produced by George Lucas. At the center of the film, of course, is Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), an aspiring sorcerer who rescues an infant child prophesized to bring Queen Bavmorda’s reign to an end.
Willow is streaming on Disney+.
‘The Doors’ (1991)
Val Kilmer channels the late legendary rock singer Jim Morrison in The Doors, a music biopic from director Oliver Stone. While the film refers to the name of the classic 1960s rock band, The Doors is largely a chronicle of Morrison’s life and career before his death at age 27 in July of 1971.
The Doors also stars Meg Ryan as Morrison’s longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson, as well as Kyle McLachlan, Frank Whaley and Kevin Dillon as Morrison’s Doors bandmates Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore, respectively.
The Doors is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.
‘Tombstone’ (1993)
Val Kilmer stars as legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday opposite Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.
An old-school Western set in Tombstone, Ariz., Tombstone finds Holliday and Earp alongside Earp’s brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) as they off against a band of criminals including Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) and Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn). Tombstone’s massive ensemble cast also includes Charlton Heston, Dana Delaney, Michael Rooker, Thomas Haden Church, Stephen Lang and Jason Priestley.
Kilmer, however, steals the show as Doc by citing, among other things, his famous phrase, “I’m Your Huckleberry” — words that eventually became the title of the actor’s 2020 memoir.
Tombstone is streaming on Hulu, Fubo and FX Now.
‘Heat’ (1995)
Val Kilmer stars in the key supporting role of Chris Shiherlis, the right-hand man of prolific thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) in Heat, an epic crime thriller written and directed by Michael Mann.
As Heat chronicles the deadly cat-and-mouse game between Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and McCauley, it brings in an impressible cast of ensemble players, which in addition to Kilmer includes Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, Danny Trejo, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner and Ted Levine.
Heat is streaming on Hulu and Netflix.
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Following Michael Keaton’s two Batman films for director Tim Burton, the franchise took a new creative direction under filmmaker Joel Schumacher, who hired Val Kilmer to assume the dual role of Batman and Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.
The film not only introduces Batman’s legendary sidekick, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), but it finds the dynamic duo taking on a new pair of villains: Harvey “Two-Face” Dent (Tommy Lee Jones) and Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), aka The Riddler. Nicole Kidman also stars in the film as Bruce’s new love interest, the psychoanalyst Dr. Chase Meridian.
Batman Forever is streaming on Max.
‘The Saint’ (1997)
Val Kilmer stars as Simon Templar — a role that originated on television in the 1960s by future James Bond actor Roger Moore — in the big-screen adaptation of The Saint.
A thief who expertly disguises himself as various Catholic saints, Templar is hired by the Russian mob to steal a cold fusion energy plans from a top scientist, Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue). Simon’s mission takes a detour, however, when he falls for Emma and discovers he’s being targeted by the people who hired him for the heist.
The Saint is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)
Val Kilmer plays a private detective, Perry van Shrike, aka Gay Perry, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s Harry Lockhart in writer-director Shane Black’s dark crime comedy. When Lockhart is mistaken for an actor after stumbling into a movie audition while eluding authorities in New York, he is sent to Los Angeles to study under Perry to prepare for another audition.
While in Hollywood, Perry and Harry get caught up in a murder investigation, where a struggling actress, Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), is trying to unravel the mystery behind her sister’s death.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.
‘Val’ (2021)
A Prime Video original documentary, Val chronicles Val Kilmer’s life and career through footage pulled from hundreds of hours of the actor’s home movies and videocassette collection, as well as a new interview with the actor and artist. The film not only delves into Kilmer’s film and stage career, it takes a deep dive into his battle with throat cancer.
Val Kilmer’s son, Jack, who sounds remarkably like his father, narrates the film. In addition to Jack Kilmer, the film also features Val’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, their mother and the actor’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley.
Val is streaming on Prime Video.
Bonus Pick: ‘Real Genius’ (1985)
Before Val Kilmer soared in the action genre with Top Gun, he appeared in a pair of comedies — 1984’s Top Secret! and Real Genius in 1985. In the latter, Kilmer stars as Chris Knight, a teenage genius who conspires to ruin a professor’s plan to develop a highly powerful laser weapon to use for nefarious purposes.
Real Genius is not available as part of any streaming service package but is available to purchase or rent on video on demand.

Local photographer holds book signing at Mason’s Cloverdale Home Furnishings

Arts & Culture, Books

For his first-ever book launch, things went “quite well,” says John Banovich. 

Banovich, a wildlife photographer and filmmaker, and now a published author, launched his new book at Mason’s Cloverdale Home Furnishings March 28.

“We had a whole building full of people,” the Cloverdale resident said. “I met a lot of new folks in the area and it was, overall, very positive.”

He said there was a good-size crowd on hand, about 50 to 70 people, which included friends, family, and community members. They were there to meet Banovich, get a copy of his book, and possibly grab one of his prints.

Self-titled “Banovich,” his book—a massive 450-page, 9-lb coffee table book—is filled with more than 300 images of wildlife photography and personal stories behind the photos and the animals.

He said both his art and the book were well-received at the launch. He signed every book and said that most people requested personal messages be included, which he was more than happy to do. Banovich said out of every print, every book, and every postcard he brought along, he sold everything but one print.

“I was shocked, actually. Everyone gobbled everything up. It was surprising. I didn’t expect that kind of warm response.”

The book was scheduled to be released at the end of March online, but due to some printing and shipping delays, The book is now scheduled to be released at the end of April.

“The book itself is very Canadiana,” Banovich said. “It has a good sampling of images from across the country, most provinces and all the territories. It’s wildlife and wilderness.”

He’s also penned some personal reflections that have been included in the book.

“There’s quite a few stories that tie a lot of the images together and bring relevance to the photos,” he explained. “There are stories behind certain animals that reveal a little bit about their personality, their character. I named some of them. Some of them I have long-standing relationships with—certain grizzly bears and woodland caribou and certain moose. These are animals that I have revisited year after year after year. And so there’s some stories behind (the animals) that I share in the book.”

Banovich also reveals some of the tribulations he’s gone through working in remote areas and offers insight into the rewarding aspects of being a wildlife photographer as well.

“What I’m hoping to do with this particular book, and this is the first of three, is to engage and inspire people,” he said. “I hope I can lead the reader on a bit of a journey.”

Next up, Banovich will be travelling throughout B.C. and Alberta to do some promo for the book, including some events with Sony Canada. Banovich shoots all his images on Sony cameras.

“They’re going to have me come out and do some presentations,” he said. “They want to buy a bunch of the books. They’ve got a new camera coming out in the near future and they’re going to package the book with the camera.”

Visit shepherdsterling.com/banovich to read more about the book.

“Banovich” by John Banovich, 450 pages, Shepherd Sterling Publishing, will be available on Amazon sometime at the end of April.

Local photographer holds book signing at Mason’s Cloverdale Home Furnishings

Arts & Culture, Books

For his first-ever book launch, things went “quite well,” says John Banovich. 

Banovich, a wildlife photographer and filmmaker, and now a published author, launched his new book at Mason’s Cloverdale Home Furnishings March 28.

“We had a whole building full of people,” the Cloverdale resident said. “I met a lot of new folks in the area and it was, overall, very positive.”

He said there was a good-size crowd on hand, about 50 to 70 people, which included friends, family, and community members. They were there to meet Banovich, get a copy of his book, and possibly grab one of his prints.

Self-titled “Banovich,” his book—a massive 450-page, 9-lb coffee table book—is filled with more than 300 images of wildlife photography and personal stories behind the photos and the animals.

He said both his art and the book were well-received at the launch. He signed every book and said that most people requested personal messages be included, which he was more than happy to do. Banovich said out of every print, every book, and every postcard he brought along, he sold everything but one print.

“I was shocked, actually. Everyone gobbled everything up. It was surprising. I didn’t expect that kind of warm response.”

The book was scheduled to be released at the end of March online, but due to some printing and shipping delays, The book is now scheduled to be released at the end of April.

“The book itself is very Canadiana,” Banovich said. “It has a good sampling of images from across the country, most provinces and all the territories. It’s wildlife and wilderness.”

He’s also penned some personal reflections that have been included in the book.

“There’s quite a few stories that tie a lot of the images together and bring relevance to the photos,” he explained. “There are stories behind certain animals that reveal a little bit about their personality, their character. I named some of them. Some of them I have long-standing relationships with—certain grizzly bears and woodland caribou and certain moose. These are animals that I have revisited year after year after year. And so there’s some stories behind (the animals) that I share in the book.”

Banovich also reveals some of the tribulations he’s gone through working in remote areas and offers insight into the rewarding aspects of being a wildlife photographer as well.

“What I’m hoping to do with this particular book, and this is the first of three, is to engage and inspire people,” he said. “I hope I can lead the reader on a bit of a journey.”

Next up, Banovich will be travelling throughout B.C. and Alberta to do some promo for the book, including some events with Sony Canada. Banovich shoots all his images on Sony cameras.

“They’re going to have me come out and do some presentations,” he said. “They want to buy a bunch of the books. They’ve got a new camera coming out in the near future and they’re going to package the book with the camera.”

Visit shepherdsterling.com/banovich to read more about the book.

“Banovich” by John Banovich, 450 pages, Shepherd Sterling Publishing, will be available on Amazon sometime at the end of April.