Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a fantastic neo-noir that is carried by outstanding lead performances from Robert Downey, Jr. (RDJ) and Val Kilmer.
Written and directed by Shane Black, it is a film that thrives on its witty banter, sleek visuals, and intricate plotting. Ok, that latter bit can sometimes be a bit convoluted, but that doesn't detract from the repartee.
Kilmer has never been better than he is here. And RDJ capitalized on his exceptional performance as Harry Lockhart to catapult back into the mainstream. Yes, he's that good in this.
Sadly, this movie didn't fare nearly as well at the box office as its spiritual successor, The Nice Guys, nor did it ever get the sequel it so richly deserved.
Now, sit back, choke down a Rowdy Peach IPA from Sweetwater Brewing, and avoid peeing on the corpse! The Thunderous Wizard, Chumpzilla, and Bling Blake are investigating the untimely and mysterious death of Proto-Cop!
This Week’s Segments:
- Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Sex. Murder. Mystery. Welcome to the party!
- Lingering Questions – Why didn't this revive Kilmer's career the way it did RDJ's? (36:24)
- The "Johnny Gossamer Thriller" Trivia Challenge – The Thunderous Wizard challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (1:10:50)
- Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We conclude our tribute series for the great Val Kilmer with the campy, caped classic Batman Forever! (1:26:02)
And, as always, hit us up on Threads, X, Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids from this week’s episode!
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