Real Genius – We Love Toxic Waste

Real Genius was Val Kilmer's second big screen appearance. His first, Top Secret!, we also covered on this podcast.

Like that one, Real Genius is a tremendous showcase for his immense acting talents. This is a truly great 80s comedy, propelled by the infinite charisma of Kilmer as brilliant slacker Chris Knight.

It doesn't hurt that William Atherton plays his despicable foil Professor Jerry Hathaway. Atherton just excels at playing an asshole. Thus, as Knight relishes in making a fool of him, the audience can't help but laugh.

Alas, Real Genius is on this pod for a reason. Despite being a cult classic now, it fared poorly upon its release, grossing $13 million on a budget of $8 million. Thankfully, people smartened up, cementing its rewatchable status over the years. 

Now, sit back, get inspired with a Space Food from Warped Wing Brewing Co., and fill out those entries for the Frito-Lay sweepstakes! The Thunderous Wizard, Chumpzilla, and Bling Blake are unwittingly building murder lasers for the government!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – When he gets mad, he doesn't get even... he gets creative!
• Lingering Questions – Best Chris Knight one-liner? (24:42)
• The "Long Series of Distractions" Trivia Challenge – Bling Blake challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (45:23)
• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue our tribute series for the great Val Kilmer as we head back to The Island of Dr. Moreau! (1:03:19)

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!