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Val Kilmer: The Doors, The Batsuit, and the Bucket List
14 Plays16 days ago
In this unexpectedly heartfelt and chaotically hilarious episode, Jim Phoenix welcomes longtime friend and globetrotting co-host Amelie to talk all things Val Kilmer. From Willow to Batman Forever, The Doors, and the haunting brilliance of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, they explore Kilmer’s transformation from underrated icon to personal inspiration. Along the way, they tackle bidets, jungle toilets, French TV, karaoke with Val himself, and what it means to live one day at a time. This isn't just a tribute to a chameleon actor—it's a reminder of why we love movies, and why we hold onto the people who love them too.
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Transcript
Introduction and New Co-Host
00:00:01
Jim Phoenix
Hey everyone, Jim Phoenix here. And today we've got a special streaming demons. It's the Val Kilmer one with a new, new special co-host for today with Amelie from somewhere.
00:00:14
Jim Phoenix
All this more on today. And yes, we can see us. Ooh, how swank. Hello. can see what you do as if I play my music. Well, I guess nothing. Oh my God. That's like, here go.
00:00:25
Jim Phoenix
There we go. Press the button once Jimbo.
00:00:30
Jim Phoenix
I don't have a drink today. I usually drink something from my voice and just don't have it today
00:00:37
Jim Phoenix
today. I know. So you're doing like the little dance. I'm doing the wow, my house.
00:00:46
Jim Phoenix
Today's go, go dancing brought to you by.
00:00:52
Jim Phoenix
i think it's good enough. Yeah, yeah, that's good enough.
00:00:53
Amelie
Would be good.
00:00:54
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, like there. oh Hey, kids. Hey, kids. That's actually Letterman. The Hey kids. That's come from Dave Letterman. I grew up on Letterman.
Streaming Demons Overview and Friendship Introduction
00:01:01
Jim Phoenix
Well, first of all, if you're new to Streaming Demons, it's season four.
00:01:05
Jim Phoenix
Go backwards in time. Listen to all of them or not. I don't know. But if you want to watch new ones, this is the one we we're at today. It's the Val Kilmer episode. It's the one we've been trying to do for a couple weeks now. and Get to do it.
00:01:17
Jim Phoenix
And with me, I've got very special guest with Amelie. Amelie, say hello.
00:01:22
Amelie
Hello!
00:01:24
Jim Phoenix
That is her actual voice.
00:01:26
Amelie
Yes, I speak like zzzz.
00:01:26
Jim Phoenix
Unlike me. Yeah. ah You know, the the funny thing is you've actually known me for 15 years and I didn't even know that until yesterday you were telling me this.
00:01:37
Amelie
Yes, we had a fight. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:01:39
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, and it was like 15 years.
00:01:39
Amelie
Fantastic.
00:01:41
Jim Phoenix
ah i Yeah, I even realized like, how how old are you?
00:01:41
Amelie
15 years, yeah.
00:01:44
Jim Phoenix
like how ah You can't be that old. I'm like, oh my God, you are?
00:01:46
Amelie
Yeah.
00:01:47
Jim Phoenix
Like, what the hell?
00:01:48
Amelie
oh that's crazy That's crazy because I met you when I was 18, 19 years old and you were this magnificent 34 years old athlete, Taekwondo champion, professor, right?
00:01:53
Jim Phoenix
What?
00:01:59
Jim Phoenix
Well, hold on, hold on. Hold on.
00:02:02
Amelie
Yes?
00:02:02
Jim Phoenix
Oh God. Yes. Okay. My ego's back. Yes. Here we go. Ego. Keep going.
00:02:06
Amelie
Yes, so
00:02:07
Jim Phoenix
I need two
Cultural Impressions and Geek Culture
00:02:08
Jim Phoenix
glasses because smarter.
00:02:08
Amelie
university teacher
00:02:09
Amelie
who who were from America but studied in England, wants to have a PhD, you know.
00:02:13
Jim Phoenix
Definitely. um America.
00:02:17
Amelie
Like, amazing, amazing.
00:02:17
Jim Phoenix
Oh, sexy. Damn. I'm sexy.
00:02:19
Amelie
And top of the top, cherry on the top. Crème de la crème.
00:02:24
Jim Phoenix
Ginger.
00:02:24
Amelie
You were geek. Meaning, you liked...
00:02:27
Jim Phoenix
Oh, I think I say ginger. Fuck, man. Whatever.
00:02:29
Amelie
No, no, no, because in French, geek is somebody who likes Superman, you know, Wonder Woman, this kind of thing. And I'm like, oh my God, is that possible? And that as me, the shy little friend, say, excuse me, sir, I have a question.
00:02:44
Amelie
Do you know Donjons et Dragons? Donjons Dragons. Do you play Donjons and Dragons with the dice?
00:02:48
Jim Phoenix
Dungeons and lichons.
00:02:51
Amelie
ah You know the dice? the dice
00:02:52
Jim Phoenix
Oui.
00:02:54
Amelie
Yes.
00:02:54
Jim Phoenix
Les 10, les 20, les 20. Les 20, les 20, les 20.
00:02:55
Amelie
The day. Yes, yes I do.
00:02:57
Jim Phoenix
I don't even
00:02:57
Amelie
And I was like, oh wow! he's ah e He's a sportsman, he's an American with the American accent because you were not speaking like the English people. like do-oo-oo-oo-oo you were like...
00:03:08
Amelie
what wo
00:03:10
Jim Phoenix
yeah i don't even know how I sound them right.
00:03:11
Amelie
Because American people, when they speak, they speak like this... And you don't speak English. So I was like, wow! I'm so... Oh my goodness! I was starstruck.
00:03:21
Amelie
Is that the correct term? Starstruck.
00:03:22
Jim Phoenix
yeah Yeah, apparently so. Shit, I should have you on every fucking episode.
00:03:24
Amelie
oh
00:03:26
Jim Phoenix
You're so good for my ego. I appreciate you.
00:03:27
Amelie
I was so starstruck.
00:03:28
Jim Phoenix
i do. ah do.
00:03:29
Amelie
But it's crazy because you were over the top.
00:03:31
Jim Phoenix
Fuck me.
00:03:32
Amelie
Like you were two meters tall, built like a supermine, very fit, and... You were so nice and you were like clean shaved because in France you have the mustache or the beard, etc.
00:03:38
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:03:42
Amelie
you You were clean shaved. And you have this fantastic Joe here, Joe line, who is very long, with a little facet here, like just like super mar American.
00:03:48
Jim Phoenix
Mm-hmm. Mm. Mm.
00:03:53
Amelie
Look at me. I'm an American. Yeah. And I look like an American. And I smell America. And I came from America. And I'm so perfect in the other talk. However, I was disappointed with your family name, but I won't reveal your family name.
00:04:02
Jim Phoenix
well
00:04:05
Amelie
I was like,
00:04:05
Jim Phoenix
Thank you.
00:04:06
Amelie
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:07
Jim Phoenix
Phoenix. I might actually break Kayfabe today, but I appreciate that. It's no, I'm not actually paying her to say that stuff. I don't think I am.
00:04:16
Amelie
No, na no, no.
00:04:16
Jim Phoenix
I probably will later on, but
00:04:18
Amelie
But what is really interesting is we kept friends for 15 years.
00:04:22
Jim Phoenix
yeah.
00:04:22
Amelie
I traveled the world, I did a lot of things, et cetera. And you were always there for me technically to speak, to talk, to to give some guidelines and stuff like that. And i really appreciate that. But I don't know why We kept just in touch, even if you I was in Australia, Asia, during COVID.
Living with Crohn's Disease and Resilience
00:04:40
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:04:41
Amelie
participate, I think now it's my third time to the podcast. The first time around was for a French movie, Les Jeux Sans Visages.
00:04:47
Jim Phoenix
Oh, yeah.
00:04:47
Amelie
The second time around, another...
00:04:48
Jim Phoenix
Eyes for the face. Billy Idol. and Not Billy Idol.
00:04:50
Amelie
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:04:50
Jim Phoenix
But it Billy All-Sonic. Yeah.
00:04:52
Amelie
Yeah, yeah, correct, yes.
00:04:53
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:04:53
Amelie
So, no, it's interesting because that's an example I will give to the next generation, any people who work with me, my kids, etc., It's um you will have friendship who lasts for years and friendship who lasts two years or six months.
00:05:08
Amelie
But it's the evolution of it because I became really good and fluent in English because I had my own life experience. And because we are some common thoughts, you like movies.
00:05:18
Amelie
I like movies. You like li literature, like literature, et cetera.
00:05:22
Jim Phoenix
Jane kind.
00:05:22
Amelie
You like a crazy, funny t-shirt. I like crazy, funny t-shirt and the bad and the ugly.
00:05:25
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:05:28
Amelie
Like, for example, I'm very sick. I've got Crohn's disease. I'm very proud of my disease and technically because I want to show people it's not because you have chronic disease you can't have a life, right?
00:05:37
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:05:38
Amelie
I travel the world, I've got kids, I'm fine, I do things, la la la la.
00:05:38
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:05:41
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, you travel the world with Crohn disease and I don't want to bring it.
00:05:44
Amelie
Yeah.
00:05:45
Jim Phoenix
I'm not going to bring it when it's personal until they bring it up first. But you travel the world of Crohn disease in places that didn't have bathrooms. That's amazing to me. I'm like, you went to places like in the middle of fucking jungles.
00:05:55
Amelie
That's correct.
00:05:57
Jim Phoenix
Oh, you can you can swear on this podcast, by the way
00:06:00
Amelie
ah Ah, so I'm going to agree to disagree, as my husband said. So yes, I went to places where there is no toilet at all.
00:06:04
Jim Phoenix
Okay.
00:06:07
Amelie
So it's, as we call, Turkish toilet. You need to see there is a hole and you go it ah for it. There's places is where I had to go to the nature in a bucket. But I don't mind because at the hospital, when you are really, really underweight and you need to be in a special world, they make you poop in a bucket. So I rather prefer being in the middle of the jungle or in the outback for example, do my thing and see the kangaroo away, there is no problem.
00:06:36
Jim Phoenix
see the kangaroos.
00:06:37
Amelie
In Malaysia jungle you're talking about, it's very clean, there is always a toilet and they are actually very very clean.
00:06:40
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Really?
00:06:43
Amelie
yeah So Malaysia, yes, Malaysia, the interesting thing is it's a jungle island and it's a Muslim island.
00:06:44
Jim Phoenix
and in the fucking jungle?
00:06:47
Jim Phoenix
Who knew?
00:06:53
Amelie
So there is different religion but the biggest religion, let's say, it's Muslim. In the Muslim religion you need to clean your hand, you need to take care of your shoes, clean your feet before going to the toilet. you go to the soil Then they have bidets, a little shower you can use to clean yourself.
00:07:10
Amelie
Then you clean the toilet for the following person. You go to the sink, you clean your hand, and then you clean your feet, and then you get out and you can put back your shoes on.
00:07:21
Amelie
and In any restaurant, even in the middle of nowhere, there is always a little sink to clean your hand before going to eat. They're very, very clean.
00:07:31
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, that's very good. I didn't know that was middle of jungle too. So that's that's cool, but I still appreciate all of this and travels. And then you traveled all way back to be with a podcast with me for Val Kilmer.
Val Kilmer's Filmography Discussion
00:07:42
Jim Phoenix
We're talking about Val a bit today.
00:07:42
Amelie
Yes.
00:07:44
Jim Phoenix
And i' again, I'm thanking for taking time. of we We didn't set this podcast up except for like an hour and a half ago, I think.
00:07:53
Amelie
Correct.
00:07:53
Jim Phoenix
And basically a text like, hey, do you anything about Val Kilmer movies? Like, yeah yeah, I'm okay.
00:07:57
Amelie
Sure.
00:07:58
Jim Phoenix
You want to talk about them? I'm sure.
00:08:00
Amelie
Sherbetwee the kind of people who talk about Butcher, then Batman, then who is the best Sherlock Holmes, and after, should I buy a toilet for my butthole?
00:08:04
Jim Phoenix
yeah
00:08:11
Amelie
And you say, no.
00:08:12
Jim Phoenix
You should buy that. to I think you should buy that toilet seat for your butthole.
00:08:16
Amelie
Yes, but a whole toilet, special toilet, like Japanese toilet, with Godzilla coming...
00:08:16
Jim Phoenix
I think you'll, your butthole will thank me.
00:08:21
Jim Phoenix
Yes. No, honestly, like I, Yeah, but I didn't know how much I was missing out until used mine. I'm like, what the hell? i I have one in my upstairs bathroom and nothing, like just a regular one in my down, like regular piece of shit toilet in my downstairs bath.
00:08:38
Jim Phoenix
And like when i have people over, I'm like, I'll use a downstairs one. I'm like, oh, the seat's cold. Like, why is the seat so fucking cold? Like, oh that's right. Because it's not warmed. Like, I have to keep, fire oh that's right. Because I don't have like water shooting at my ass. That's that's why.
00:08:51
Amelie
The best toilet I saw was in Normandy in a hotel.
00:08:51
Jim Phoenix
That's why. Yeah.
00:08:54
Amelie
So you would sit, there were bidets. And also when you push the button to evacuate, automatically the seat moves with a plastic bite around.
00:09:06
Amelie
to protect the toilet.
00:09:10
Amelie
And I was like, that's perfect. Yeah.
00:09:10
Jim Phoenix
We must project the toilet at all costs.
00:09:15
Jim Phoenix
Well, today's streaming demons toilet talk.
00:09:18
Amelie
Yeah.
00:09:19
Jim Phoenix
What's your, no, uh, we'll go into the Val stuff, but I do, I do really think you should get that toilet seat. If you need, let me know.
00:09:27
Amelie
Okay.
00:09:28
Jim Phoenix
I'm going to go through a list of movies. I know you grew up in France. I think we can say that it's again, the Northern part, right?
00:09:31
Amelie
Yeah.
00:09:34
Jim Phoenix
Northern part, Northern France.
00:09:34
Amelie
Correct. At the border of Belgium.
00:09:36
Jim Phoenix
Okay. I'm going to go through some movies that I honestly didn't know what was first movie for Val Kilmer was. And I'll probably talk a little bit about Val Kilmer while doing this later on. But I'm going through some movies and just let me know if you know what the movie was.
00:09:50
Amelie
Okay.
00:09:51
Jim Phoenix
And it's the English title, so it might be something else on French. That's why I might.
00:09:54
Amelie
Okay.
00:09:55
Jim Phoenix
ah Top Secret, where he plays this rock and roll star that goes to Germany, back when there's two Germanys.
00:09:57
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:10:03
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:10:03
Jim Phoenix
No? Okay. Do you remember that one? Or that ever done in France? It's okay if not.
00:10:08
Amelie
Probably.
00:10:09
Jim Phoenix
Real genius, or I think the French title was like, no, it's not very genius. Real genius where he's this kid at some boarding school, they develop a laser that kills everyone.
00:10:20
Amelie
who
00:10:21
Jim Phoenix
It's not that one, okay. Willow. Which I'm surprised.
00:10:25
Amelie
Yes.
00:10:26
Jim Phoenix
Okay. i i so I'll be surprised if you didn't know Willow because that's the whole Dungeons and Dragons type spiel right there, you know? So you saw Willow. How old were you when you saw Willow? Do you remember?
00:10:38
Jim Phoenix
Like pig kid, kid?
00:10:38
Amelie
I've seen it many times. I think I was 8 years old when I saw it for the first time and then 13.
00:10:41
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Wow.
00:10:45
Amelie
You know, is that that's the kind of movie, like a never-ending story you watch when you're a kid. know and you'll remember.
00:10:50
Jim Phoenix
That's true. No, that's a weird thing. It's because it came out in 88. So I must've been like eight years old as well. Except I saw it in the theater. You saw it on like TV, like kind of VHS. I'm like, I saw it in a theater.
00:11:02
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. It's, it's a thing that kind of sticks with you and he doesn't carry the movie. He doesn't have to. It's not called Val Kilmer. It's called Will. And the TV show, you did you watch the TV show? think it was two years ago.
00:11:15
Jim Phoenix
They came out of the TV show. it was kind of, um, yeah. Yeah. It got canceled after one season for a reason. They tried to reboot it from like 1988 to 2023 and just did not work out.
00:11:29
Amelie
That's difficult to reboot things.
00:11:30
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Especially about most of the cast.
00:11:32
Amelie
Because there's this stuff you don't want to reboot. I don't want them to reboot never-ending story. I'm telling you, if they do it, I set myself on fire.
00:11:42
Jim Phoenix
And I'll be there with the torch.
00:11:45
Amelie
Could you imagine you could do podcast?
00:11:46
Jim Phoenix
I was trying to think, what was that hotel room?
00:11:47
Amelie
So, ladies and gentlemen, do you remember our guest, Amelie? Well, now she's going to set herself on fire. Here, please.
00:11:54
Jim Phoenix
Jimi Hendrix version of it.
00:11:54
Amelie
right
00:11:55
Jim Phoenix
Hopefully and not the monk protest.
00:11:55
Amelie
It's vegan.
00:11:58
Jim Phoenix
Speaking of a fire though, speaking of fire, The Doors.
00:12:01
Amelie
Yeah?
00:12:04
Jim Phoenix
Did you see The Doors movie?
00:12:06
Amelie
Ah, the Doors movie. at Just a moment. Because I'm movie. Because the Doors for me, it's the rock movie.
00:12:15
Jim Phoenix
The band.
00:12:16
Amelie
Val Kilmer.
00:12:16
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
00:12:18
Amelie
right Yes, the Doors movie.
00:12:19
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:21
Amelie
Val Kilmer.
00:12:21
Jim Phoenix
That's him.
00:12:22
Amelie
Doors.
00:12:22
Jim Phoenix
That's him.
00:12:23
Amelie
It was him.
00:12:24
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. And Carl Barth.
00:12:26
Amelie
yes, I watched it.
00:12:26
Jim Phoenix
I know, right?
00:12:27
Amelie
I love that movie.
00:12:27
Jim Phoenix
Right? All right, here we go.
00:12:29
Amelie
No, it's
00:12:32
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
00:12:33
Amelie
No, I didn't recognize him.
00:12:33
Jim Phoenix
It's it's it's him, him.
00:12:36
Amelie
I watched it several times. I didn't know it was him.
00:12:40
Jim Phoenix
Now he'd love that. Now he would absolutely love that.
00:12:43
Amelie
Oh, la, la, la, la. That's the beauty of this actor I was telling you ah before the start of the podcast.
00:12:48
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:12:50
Amelie
He is not known. or as famous or recognized like George Clooney. If you say to French people, George Clooney, George Clooney, yeah, no problem, we know him, blah, blah, blah.
00:12:59
Jim Phoenix
We know.
00:13:01
Amelie
If you say Val Kilmer, people are like, I heard about that name. And me, me was in a cinephile. When I was, let's say, 11 years old, I thought Val Kilmer was a woman, like a blonde-told woman with long legs, like very sexy, know, like the typical American stuff.
00:13:13
Jim Phoenix
Didn't we all? It's
00:13:17
Amelie
Because my dad would say, yes, George Clooney and Val Kilmer were playing in that movie, da, da, da.
00:13:18
Jim Phoenix
actually me.
00:13:22
Amelie
I'm like, oh, Val Kilmer, Valérie Kilmer, yes, Val Kilmer. I imagine, like, hi, I'm Val Kilmer. I'm an American actress. Sensuality, beauty, doo-doo-doo.
00:13:30
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:13:31
Amelie
You see? And no, he is an actor. But the thing I really like about Val Kilmer is he's recognized and known as an excellent actor.
00:13:39
Jim Phoenix
right
00:13:40
Amelie
And how can I say? He just, it's just a chameleon. Like, everybody recognizes he is a good actor. He's not in People magazine, like Brad Pitt, like, I like Brad Pitt, but the problem is Brad Pitt is so beautiful and there's so many scandals.
00:13:55
Amelie
I'm like, is he just like a Sprite or a Coca-Cola or is an actual good actor?
00:14:01
Jim Phoenix
right River Phoenix used to be us.
00:14:05
Amelie
Leonardo DiCaprio, yes. Joaquin Phoenix, yes.
00:14:11
Amelie
Brad Pitt,
00:14:15
Jim Phoenix
But Val Kilmer, yes, then.
00:14:16
Amelie
yes, definitely.
00:14:17
Jim Phoenix
Because especially if he didn't even know it was him, i think that says a lot. And the Doors movie is kind of like, it's not the reason I meet him later on. is because It's because of the Doors movie, we had a chance to like hang
Critique of Val Kilmer's Roles and Movies
00:14:32
Jim Phoenix
out a bit.
00:14:33
Jim Phoenix
And that was like the the the speciality of it was, holy shit.
00:14:37
Amelie
Yeah.
00:14:39
Jim Phoenix
When I saw him do the Doors, I'm like, oh my God, that really is. That really is it. And we'll get back to that. but That was actually him singing too.
00:14:47
Amelie
No way.
00:14:48
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:14:48
Amelie
No way.
00:14:48
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Yeah. That's him singing.
00:14:50
Amelie
Oh, la, la, la, la. No way.
00:14:52
Jim Phoenix
Oh, i'm I'm blowing her away today.
00:14:53
Amelie
No way. No way. I am it completely because
00:14:56
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:14:57
Amelie
I watched it after you talked about Jimi Hendrix because I really like Jimi Hendrix as a person.
00:15:01
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:15:04
Amelie
Like, he's an interesting person. He used to be obese, fat. He lost a bunch of weight after university.
00:15:09
Jim Phoenix
Morrison. Or Hendrix Morrison.
00:15:11
Amelie
Oh, fuck. ah Tell the story, Joe. Jim, tell the story. Tell the story of Prague.
00:15:19
Jim Phoenix
out me.
00:15:19
Amelie
Tell the story of what I did in Prague. The insult. The insult I make in Prague. Tell it.
00:15:26
Jim Phoenix
I can't remember, but it's something like you were like ah talking about Jimi Hendrix, but he actually said something about like Jimmy Dean or is there something really bizarro like that.
00:15:36
Amelie
Something stupid be like that.
00:15:37
Jim Phoenix
You called Jimi Hendrix like, oh yeah, you oh that's what it was.
00:15:39
Amelie
We woke.
00:15:40
Jim Phoenix
It's a guy playing the music. You're like, oh this is a great Jimi Hendrix song.
00:15:45
Amelie
Yes.
00:15:45
Jim Phoenix
It's like the monkeys.
00:15:46
Amelie
and no And you looked at me and you're like, really?
00:15:47
Jim Phoenix
It's like
00:15:49
Amelie
And I looked at you and I'm like, my brain is like, fucking idiot.
00:15:50
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:15:54
Amelie
There one thing you need to say. This is your moment. It's a beautiful sunny day. You need to to say to your friends, I know what you like.
00:16:00
Jim Phoenix
There was.
00:16:04
Amelie
I remember because I know you for so many times. Let me be the intellectual woman. Oh, isn't it fantastic? The beautiful sun, the building of Frag and Jimi Hendrix. And he's like, no.
00:16:21
Amelie
Yeah, it's a... And I couldn't find the name of the door. So I said, yeah, the group, you know, the window.
00:16:28
Jim Phoenix
The windows.
00:16:28
Amelie
How can you be the windows?
00:16:29
Jim Phoenix
The windows.
00:16:31
Amelie
And you're like... the doors and I'm like yeah
00:16:36
Jim Phoenix
They both work. Window, a door.
00:16:37
Amelie
yeah Jimmy and Derek yeah yeah yeah the windows
00:16:38
Jim Phoenix
It's all good. You walk through one and get the other one.
00:16:41
Amelie
yeah yeah
00:16:42
Jim Phoenix
ah But no, but that was actually him singing through it.
00:16:42
Amelie
a
00:16:44
Jim Phoenix
Most people maybe not know that, but yeah. Okay, then I know you know this one. and we don't won't go through Thunderheart or something like that, but Tombstone. We talked about that one. tombstone you see him again if you look at the doors where he had the weight tombstone he's playing doc holiday he loses almost everything to play a person dying of uh tuberculosis tuberculosis i can't talk to today so you see all these things kind of transform and then the big one for you batman forever which is weird because i don't think anyone thinks that's the best batman movie right
00:17:18
Amelie
yeah
00:17:21
Amelie
No, no, it is not. It is not. It is really strange because it's an excellent example as Cinefield, as you and I, of it's not because you've got A-list actor, bankable, who makes a movie good.
00:17:31
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:17:38
Amelie
You know what I mean? Like, for example, we were talking today about our favorite Batman. Yeah, because when we have conversation, we talk about Batman.
00:17:46
Amelie
Yeah, I know.
00:17:47
Jim Phoenix
True.
00:17:47
Jim Phoenix
True.
00:17:49
Amelie
And I told you my favorite Batman, it's Tim Burton version because Catwoman is fantastic. The guy who played Batman was not supposed to be Batman, but he's doing so well.
00:17:59
Amelie
Now, everybody, whenever they think about Batman, is they think about that guy, point.
00:18:00
Jim Phoenix
Michael Keaton.
00:18:05
Amelie
Here we excellent actors who are known around the world and no, no it didn't work. I watched it as a little girl, I watched it with my dad and we were like meh.
00:18:21
Amelie
It lacked the heart, it lacked the emotion.
00:18:24
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:18:25
Amelie
Like for example when you watch Tim Burton, Tim Burton did Tim Burton but it's cartoonist. So even if you like the comics, you're like, yeah, it's the comics. The penguin is fantastic. There's penguin everywhere.
00:18:36
Amelie
Here, you you have the fantastic Canadian actor, but and
00:18:41
Jim Phoenix
Jim Carrey.
00:18:42
Amelie
mercyr ah Jim Carrey.
00:18:44
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:18:45
Amelie
And he's great. I like him a villain. He's great. Like, he has a fashion expression.
00:18:49
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:18:50
Amelie
He plays, etc. And I'm like, great, amazing. That guy did the mask. He will, for sure, succeed to be that character. Nope. Twas me, no.
00:18:59
Jim Phoenix
No, it was it was really weird.
00:18:59
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:19:01
Jim Phoenix
I think because this Batman, Batman Forever was hindered by not so much the acting or the directing, or not the directing, but not so much the acting or the choices of cast.
00:19:16
Jim Phoenix
it is pretty much hindered by like the bat suit. Like if Kilmer is always saying he couldn't even move in it, he can't move his neck. So he can't really act anything because you can't see he has to be straight ahead.
00:19:27
Jim Phoenix
There was no way to move his actual neck. It was um a molded on. So he can't see anything and he's trying to walk and it's like, it's stiff as hell. And then have Tommy Lee Jones who has all this makeup prosthetics and he's kind of over, maybe overdoing it a bit. And,
00:19:44
Jim Phoenix
You've got Nicole Kidman coming back. And then you just got for no reason whatsoever, Chris O'Donnell playing Robin. No reason whatsoever.
00:19:52
Amelie
yeah and a very ah the woman she was being tap woman I think the blonde girl
00:19:52
Jim Phoenix
As like a 35-year-old Robin.
00:19:57
Jim Phoenix
ah Catwoman, I was I think the one before and that's going to be, ah God, Pfeiffer, Michelle Pfeiffer.
00:20:05
Amelie
and No, oh she she no, na na na na na na no, There is in that movie, Robin.
00:20:14
Jim Phoenix
Drew Barrymore is in this movie as well
00:20:15
Amelie
And after Robin, there is a blonde girl who plays a sort of bad girl, bad girl, I think.
00:20:21
Jim Phoenix
well. Well, Drew Barrymore is going to be a
00:20:21
Amelie
And she's, I think, if I remember correctly, yes. And she's um as a butler so the niece and he's dying. And Batman is sad because his best friend is dying.
00:20:34
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, there's a hell of a lot going on in this movie, too.
00:20:36
Amelie
Oh. Mm-hmm.
00:20:37
Jim Phoenix
but that That's why the movie doesn't work.
00:20:38
Amelie
Yeah.
00:20:39
Jim Phoenix
It's like i' hell of a lot. It's still better than Batman and Robin, like with Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman and Lisa Silverstone, which, again, not to do it with their the actual actor's ability.
00:20:42
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:20:52
Jim Phoenix
It's just the writing stops and then like the directing sucks. and just it just falls up the the comic i mean the The costume becomes too much of hindrance, I think.
00:21:00
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:21:00
Jim Phoenix
So you have all of this.
The Saint and Vintage TV Memories
00:21:02
Jim Phoenix
And then, you know, there's other things like Red Planet. And there's going to be a Prince of Egypt when he plays the voice of God. And then the saint.
00:21:12
Jim Phoenix
You've seen the saint.
00:21:15
Amelie
ah long time ago yeah yes so not really
00:21:18
Jim Phoenix
Do you remember?
00:21:25
Jim Phoenix
No, not really. See, The Saints are reboot from a, I want to say, Timothy Dalton ah TV show. And it' it's like a little bit of a movie.
00:21:36
Jim Phoenix
We're talking about how we're going to adapt different shows and different films, adapt from TV shows or from books and into movies and stuff like that.
00:21:42
Amelie
so when we watch him
00:21:44
Jim Phoenix
Roger Moore, not Timothy Dalton.
00:21:44
Amelie
rud
00:21:45
Jim Phoenix
It was a Bond, dude. Yes, Roger Moore. Yeah. As soon as I said, Timothy Dalton, it doesn't sound right.
00:21:48
Amelie
Roger Moore. The saint Roger Moore.
00:21:50
Jim Phoenix
but
00:21:51
Amelie
Okay, so for the saint, yes, yes, yes, I remember now.
00:21:51
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. So it's a reboot of that. As a movie.
00:21:57
Amelie
ah Okay, so situation.
00:21:57
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:21:58
Amelie
In France, we really love Roger Moore. Roger Moore is well known for James Bond.
00:22:01
Jim Phoenix
Oh. Yeah.
00:22:04
Amelie
For the saint, do do do do do I remember the opening.
00:22:06
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:22:09
Amelie
It's a blue opening and you see a little character coming with a whoosh.
00:22:11
Jim Phoenix
Running. Yeah.
00:22:13
Amelie
It's very known, so everybody likes him. And there is a series He's known where he plays a very rich a bourgeois from England, best friend of an American, who is a billionaire and they live both in Monaco and they work for the so Secret Service.
00:22:33
Jim Phoenix
All right.
00:22:36
Amelie
And that the series is called Amicalement Votre. But in American and in English, it's a different name. It was really bad. for UK and America.
00:22:47
Amelie
so they did one season only, but we French people really love that that series.
00:22:49
Jim Phoenix
yeah
00:22:53
Amelie
And he played with Tony Curtis.
00:22:53
Jim Phoenix
really
00:22:57
Amelie
And for us, Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, they're really cool. And what makes ah the series so cool is because the people, the French people who were voicing the two actors were changing the ah the speech and make it really cool.
00:23:11
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:13
Amelie
So you see Monte Carlo, you see the backstory of an American who came from New York, released the bottom of the barrel, became really rich and then get bored. And then you have this bourgeois who the high education, who is not like the other and he likes to fight, to be a soldier, etc.
00:23:31
Amelie
And there is the opening when you see both life for the two protagonists, the two characters. And it's really well known in France. So when people get married, there is always And you see the different ah picture of the groom and the future spouse and how they met and stuff.
00:23:48
Jim Phoenix
Oh, I thought that but that's the funeral march. Isn't that the funeral march? Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.
00:23:55
Amelie
It's a beautiful...
00:23:56
Jim Phoenix
Oh, dun, dun, dun, dun
00:23:57
Amelie
Yes, it sounds like this. It's basically...
00:24:00
Jim Phoenix
and
00:24:00
Amelie
so It's very philosophic because its like it's not because you have money, you're... happy, it's not because you're poor you're going to die rich, and what's the sense of life, what makes life a sense, and that really, really was a big hit in France, because it was funny, a great actor, philosophical test of what makes happiness, what's happiness, is it success, is it challenge, is it waking up every morning and trying to do something, etc., etc.,
00:24:10
Jim Phoenix
right
00:24:24
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:24:31
Amelie
And yes, the opening song is really good. And it's a little bit sad, the opening song, but it's so 70s and good. People play it at Mariage with the PowerPoint, with the different life of people when they were babies, adult, teenager, how they met together, and then a beautiful video when they get married and all the hands.
00:24:49
Amelie
That's the French thing.
00:24:51
Jim Phoenix
Oh, wow.
00:24:51
Amelie
So yeah, I know the scent.
00:24:51
Jim Phoenix
it must be.
00:24:52
Amelie
And I remember when they did a reboot, ah people didn't like it.
00:25:00
Jim Phoenix
Okay. See, I didn't grow up with the Saint TV show. I was familiar with it existing, but, you know, Americans, well, we only had one channel.
00:25:11
Jim Phoenix
We had NBC where I grew up. And once in a while, we get PBS. Every once a while, public broadcasting.
00:25:15
Amelie
You're so old. Did you see the dinosaur? Didn't you see the dinosaur? And was the TV in color or black and white?
00:25:27
Amelie
Yes.
00:25:29
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, fucking black and white, okay?
00:25:30
Amelie
I suck at this.
00:25:31
Jim Phoenix
Well, I had a black and white TV, all right? I admit that.
00:25:32
Amelie
Yes.
00:25:33
Jim Phoenix
I had a black and white fucking TV. I had a TV bigger than my fucking desk. With no remotes, no remotes.
00:25:37
Amelie
Wow!
00:25:39
Jim Phoenix
Black and white. You couldn't even move TVs because they're physically impossible. You couldn't steal one because you needed a fucking forklift.
00:25:44
Amelie
Yeah, same for Spotlight's Color.
00:25:48
Jim Phoenix
and But you was yeah, the original was black and white.
00:25:48
Amelie
I watched an episode of... Do you know the series F for Family on Netflix?
00:25:53
Jim Phoenix
No.
00:25:54
Amelie
No. So F for Family, it's a series created by Blur about his past.
00:25:55
Jim Phoenix
No.
00:26:01
Amelie
It's just taken it from his past, his family, and stuff like that.
00:26:02
Jim Phoenix
Okay.
00:26:05
Amelie
And there is an episode where the dad buy a big TV and it's a color TV. So it's a big thing. It's a color TV, blah, blah, blah, blah. blah blah And something happens with the TV because one of the kids play with a magnet and broke the TV. So they took back the TV to the TV shows they're like, Hey, your TV doesn't work, blah, blah, blah. We want to refund on exchange.
00:26:23
Amelie
And they asked this question, did you put water on the TV? And I was watching it with friends. I'm like, why are they asking that? And someone said, but, Because people used to have TVs and put plants on the top of the TV like flowers.
00:26:39
Amelie
And they would water the plant and sometimes they would watch her go on the TV and break the TV. And I was like...
00:26:43
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:26:46
Amelie
Ah, because it was so big.
00:26:49
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. You'd use it for a shelf space. That's how big they were.
00:26:52
Amelie
Yeah.
00:26:52
Jim Phoenix
You would actually use them for shelves.
00:26:54
Amelie
That's crazy, right?
00:26:55
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, and all the radiation comes up, so it's probably okay for some of the plants to be able to keep watering it.
00:26:55
Amelie
That's crazy, yeah?
00:27:00
Jim Phoenix
I think we watered plants as well. So if you watched The Saint, you didn't like it. I liked The Saint only because, not only because, but maybe because I didn't see the TV show. Now, you didn't probably see this one. Kiss, kiss, bang, bang.
00:27:13
Jim Phoenix
It's got Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer in it.
00:27:19
Amelie
Robert Dernier Junior and Val Kilmer.
00:27:21
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, and Val. Yeah, yeah.
00:27:24
Amelie
And?
00:27:25
Jim Phoenix
And Val Kilmer. So it's going to be ah like a remake of an older, older, older, older movie, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
00:27:31
Amelie
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I think I watched it.
00:27:33
Jim Phoenix
You might have. You might have. It's allegedly one of Robert Downey Jr.'s favorite movies making.
00:27:35
Amelie
Kiss.
00:27:38
Amelie
bang bang bang we would know that crazy he had a very bad life on he made a very good film about
00:27:40
Jim Phoenix
And this is about the time where Robert Downey Jr. was getting a, let's say a second chance. His second chance coming.
00:27:51
Jim Phoenix
Well,
00:27:56
Amelie
that's that's an interesting character he's a napole baby he was a drug addict he was a loser for a time he had mental issues and stuff like that really burns a candle by the two sides, as we said in French.
00:28:11
Amelie
And he's an actually incredible actor. And he's really interesting to hear his interview. Because as you know, since I'm fluent in English, I like to watch interviews, like very long interviews of actors I always like.
00:28:26
Amelie
And he's an interesting guy. Like he's not a bad guy. it'ss It's interesting to see.
00:28:31
Jim Phoenix
Oh no, people can have bad moments in their life. Doesn't mean they're bad people though. I mean, he he's sober now.
00:28:36
Amelie
he did a good movie about charlie shaplin i've seen his movie about charlie shaplin really good really good you see that sorry that for melchie's kismet then
00:28:39
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, Chaplin. Brilliant. Brilliant. It is. it is. It is absolutely brilliant. But Val Kimmer. Episode called Val Kimmer. Right, right. Yeah. That's right.
00:28:50
Jim Phoenix
So, yeah. I mean, okay. For Robert Downey Jr., yeah, people have bad history sometimes. And they eventually do find their way, hopefully find their way.
00:29:03
Amelie
i watch it
00:29:04
Jim Phoenix
Which he did. And I'm putting my other glasses on so it's a little less glary.
00:29:07
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:29:10
Jim Phoenix
But for ki Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, if you ever want to see a true... It's not even like a buddy comedy. It's it's a very sweetheart movie.
00:29:23
Jim Phoenix
It's with Val and Robert Downey Jr. playing off each other. And Val is just a support lead. he's He's not the lead. He's a support role. And it works so well because he's playing...
00:29:36
Jim Phoenix
like a little bit about himself, but mostly against character. Like it's it's the gay Perry. Like it's the, the wit is his. The delivery is is definitely someone else's.
00:29:49
Jim Phoenix
So I think, you know, of course we can talk about Top Gun because he's in both Top Gun movies and stuff like that. But I believe for Val Kilmer directly, i think you hit it on top of the head. Like the people that really seen a lot of his movies may have liked it because he can really play different characters.
00:30:12
Jim Phoenix
Like he disappears in the character and he came from the Juilliard school.
00:30:15
Amelie
Correct.
00:30:16
Jim Phoenix
And so he's, he's got some pretty impressive acting credentials and active learning. But one of the other things that most people don't even know, he's also Mark Twain.
00:30:28
Jim Phoenix
He put a lot of money into making his own production of citizen Twain.
00:30:33
Jim Phoenix
that was an amazing theatrical piece.
00:30:33
Amelie
Really?
00:30:36
Jim Phoenix
It's a one man show.
00:30:39
Jim Phoenix
i mean, I actually, back there is the one he did with Morrison, but.
00:30:40
Amelie
See, that's what my dad tell me. One day we had a conversation about American actors like John Freeney, Brad Pitt, stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff. And my dad don't know what's going on in America.
00:30:52
Amelie
We talk about before internet, like before TikTok, internet, and Instagram, because nowadays it's really easy.
00:30:54
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:30:58
Amelie
Hey, what about that actor? Oh, now we know actors from Korea. During the 90s, we had no clue who were the Korean actor, except people were watching Korean movies, who were like these people, who were intellectual, who money, you know.
00:31:11
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:31:12
Amelie
Anyway, When my dad watched a movie, there are some movies and series he would be like, you see that guy? Well, I saw that guy in the series, something, something.
00:31:23
Amelie
He plays the pharmacist. Or you see that woman? She is an actress who plays a lot with big movies, but she's not famous in Europe. I don't know her name. I don't know her name.
00:31:34
Amelie
So she plays the killer in that movie. She plays with Robert De Niro, the mistress, and she gets killed.
00:31:37
Jim Phoenix
right
00:31:41
Amelie
there's... my dad in his world in this french world he sees the american movie and there is people who play sometimes major uh you know uh role like for example the secretary or policewoman is like yeah that's somebody who's tabcast as a secretary or the doctor or but he doesn't know that person he doesn't know that person and then i grew up i'm a real an australian i go to australia america
00:31:51
Jim Phoenix
Well, yeah. Right.
00:32:07
Amelie
and I watch a lot of movies and I watch a lot of series and I realize that person is very
Perception of Actors in France vs. U.S.
00:32:13
Amelie
famous. She's actually a Broadway dancer. She had a lot of movies.
00:32:19
Amelie
She had a lot of price. She's a run-on actress, etc.
00:32:20
Jim Phoenix
right
00:32:21
Amelie
etc And she became a person and I know who that person is. But for my dad, she's just Betty the secretary, you know. But that's interesting to see.
00:32:29
Jim Phoenix
Well, it depends. where Yeah, it depends where you grew up Like for Val in the United States, I think Val would be bigger in the United States than he was in most places. Val, know, especially English-speaking places, because especially if you're playing someone like Jim Morrison and the actual voice is all you, or if you're playing Doc Holliday, this is American Western staple, Doc Holliday, or even from right?
00:32:36
Amelie
Correct.
00:32:51
Jim Phoenix
you know You're playing in Heat, which is the American staple, I guess, besides The Godfather and maybe Scarface for a gangster movie. It's it's Heat. Like a modern gangster movie, that's Heat.
00:33:01
Amelie
You are what we call in France, you have your big hits.
00:33:01
Jim Phoenix
Fucino.
00:33:06
Amelie
Okay, you've got your big hits.
00:33:06
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:33:07
Amelie
Bam! Amélie Poulain. Boom! You became famous. Here we go. Right? And you start to have contract with other movies. American movie or French movie, etc.
00:33:19
Amelie
And we have an expression in French. Ça passe ou ça casse. It passe ou it break. So either you have a big hit and everybody knows you from the movie Hit as a ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta.
00:33:29
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:33:30
Amelie
Right? Or you Jump, like for example, Timothée Chalamet. Timothée Chalamet, as we said you said.
00:33:40
Jim Phoenix
right
00:33:41
Amelie
He had one movie, he got super famous, and then um boom, boom, boom, boom. He had a lot of movies, he became a hit guy, and because he's young, they started to sell him, etc.
00:33:54
Amelie
But a guy like Val Kilmer, yes, he's known for hits, but that's all. Either he goes under, and you really need to be cinephile to know who he is, Or he's well-known in America, respected, excellent actor, chameleon, worked in theater, worked in Baudet, worked there, was there.
00:34:12
Amelie
And he has his career, but he's just not worldwide like Timothée Chalamet. He's known. He's known. He's on the the top. Yeah, the actor, voilà.
00:34:20
Jim Phoenix
Well, yeah, not for saying anything against Tim Fanny Shalala, but couldn't carry the wave with him. But Timothy also has and advantage of social media having fucking everywhere.
00:34:33
Amelie
Correct.
00:34:33
Jim Phoenix
Now, they burn out in five minutes, who knows? He might just burn out like everyone else does.
00:34:36
Amelie
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:34:38
Jim Phoenix
Where a lot of people actually had to build and build and build and build and build and build and build. So you you have this aspect of it and for longevity, like if Val's first movie was in 84 and his last movie is 2022 and he couldn't talk for a while, like that's a big chunk. That's 40 some years close to it. 38 years, 38 years of just film.
00:35:06
Amelie
yeah
00:35:07
Jim Phoenix
So talk to me about to me, shall 20 years from now, you know,
00:35:14
Amelie
i agree to disagree because I think it's ah also a question of contract so you have top gun he became famous with top gun but even if the main protagonist is more known than him right
00:35:18
Jim Phoenix
I
00:35:29
Amelie
he gets signed in contract and you have two ways. Either you became famous and you choose your movie or you follow the contract and you do the movie, movie one, movie two, movie three. I think maybe he had the choice.
00:35:42
Jim Phoenix
i mean, watch, it goes from top secret, which is absolutely stellar haven't seen
00:35:45
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:35:47
Jim Phoenix
Real genius, another one, to Top Gun.
00:35:49
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:35:49
Jim Phoenix
So he's playing ah more or less age and a little bit of a younger and then Top Gun.
00:35:55
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:35:55
Jim Phoenix
And then takes one, two, then does Willow. Takes one, two, then does The Doors.
00:35:59
Amelie
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:36:01
Amelie
Yeah.
00:36:02
Jim Phoenix
Takes one, two, then does Tombstone.
00:36:04
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:36:05
Jim Phoenix
Takes one, then does Batman.
00:36:07
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:36:07
Jim Phoenix
then Heat, then Island of Moreau, which could better. Ghosts in Darkness, The Saint, Prince of Egypt, At First Sight. ah you know i don't really mention him at first sight. That's where he plays a man who gets eyes.
00:36:21
Jim Phoenix
It's actually the vision for a first time. It freaks him out because we take that stuff for granted. so So it goes on and then there's a string where he's either doing smaller roles or smaller films and a string of stuff like that. it comes back and ends with...
00:36:34
Jim Phoenix
Top Gun Maverick. Not a bad way to end, really. But you you see all this stuff, the longevity of it at all. But it's not one dimension another.
00:36:41
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:36:45
Jim Phoenix
So, we we talked about a lot of the films. Was there anything you wanted to see that I know we didn't talk that much about all the films, but is any Val Kilmer movie that you might want to see now that you didn't before? Like, would you want to see Top Secret or Real Genius? Because i I don't think you've seen those yet.
00:37:07
Jim Phoenix
Are you to maybe rewatch The Doors, realizing that's actually a Val singing?
00:37:11
Amelie
<unk>s crazy because i didn't know it was him like I like that movie I like that movie a lot like I watch it it's the girl movie you watch when it's raining and it's a lovely lovely movie you know and I like it
00:37:28
Jim Phoenix
and so I'm going through some of this.
00:37:28
Amelie
bus
00:37:29
Jim Phoenix
I'm like, oh, I want to see this one again. want to see that one again. and Like I said, like the beginning of what if fit anyone's knowing why we're doing this, not just I know we're a horror.
Character Revelation and Personal Insights
00:37:41
Jim Phoenix
I guess we are sort of a horror company still doing a Val Kilmer episode. But the end of the day, we're also people. and I've been thinking about this.
00:37:52
Jim Phoenix
I've been you know on this podcast. it's gonna be I've been... Jim Phoenix or whatever for however long this is. But um yeah, it's not was just a character I play.
00:38:08
Jim Phoenix
Now I'm not really Jim Phoenix in real life. And um very few people actually call me that in real life. And it's not my real voice. This is actually not you've you've heard my real voice. This is my real voice.
00:38:18
Jim Phoenix
and No, no.
00:38:19
Amelie
no No, no, your real voice sounds like this.
00:38:25
Jim Phoenix
I'm so worried. You think it's my real voice for him? Okay. Let's be my real voice then. ah So when when going back, when when I found out, okay, when I found out he died, it was is kind of like, oh shit, it's weird because like I said, we met in 19, oh boy, I'm dating myself now.
00:38:49
Jim Phoenix
We met in 1991.
00:38:52
Jim Phoenix
and eight don't know don't know this is back when people were like new clubs in vegas weren't having influencers coming in they were having stars come in and so kilmer in 98 was you know was just not done with the doors he just didn't quite do heat no did he do heat no he didn't do heat yet Maybe.
00:39:19
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, 95. He did Heat already. And he's just got off the Saint. You know, he's between like coming off of Heat and coming with the Saint, right? So he was pretty big.
00:39:31
Jim Phoenix
And they would just like give money to people to come by and say, hey, look at our premiere of this new club. We've got Val Kilmer. You know, shit like that. And for right or wrong, him and I ended up at doing karaoke.
00:39:47
Jim Phoenix
Also why I know he can sing the doors because he did it with me.
00:39:51
Amelie
No way!
00:39:52
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. yeah
00:39:53
Amelie
That's so cool!
00:39:53
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know. This is like fucking 25 years ago, but still, so you you have that. And it was just one of those things where it kind of comes in the right moment in my life.
00:40:06
Jim Phoenix
You know, as this kind of like this kid, not, you know, on however old I was back then.
00:40:07
Amelie
Yeah.
00:40:11
Jim Phoenix
And you're just trying to feel your way through shit. And you're like, Oh, my God, everything you do is wrong. Or people want something from you or people want, especially in Vegas, everything comes with a price. And you're just trying to like feel your way through who you really are. And he came at a time where I kind of needed I really just needed that that, you know, be yourself.
00:40:32
Amelie
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:40:32
Jim Phoenix
Like really just be who you are speech, everything else comes and goes.
00:40:32
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:40:37
Jim Phoenix
Like people like you or not, people be money or whatever going to Everything else comes and goes. Just really ah be yourself. Have faith in yourself. being being Being yourself. Doing what you think you need to do instead of what you think other people want you to do.
00:40:52
Jim Phoenix
And I think that came at the right spot for me. But I i'm always like, you know, thank him for that. But then when he got sick, I and i didn't talk to him for a long ass time.
00:41:03
Jim Phoenix
And then he got sick. But I'm... I had a chance to say hi again. Like, Hey, you know, how you doing? And I was like, ah, fuck. Cause I remember, I remember him singing the doors with me and like this big ball of energy and having fun and just being, ah, and then we all both got old, you know, I don't know.
00:41:22
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:41:23
Jim Phoenix
I think he's actually, he is older me. and Not no more. He's dead, but still. And I beat you. ah Um, I know, right? But then it was like, I couldn't even say hi.
00:41:38
Jim Phoenix
wasn't because I was shy. It's not that. I was like, ah. It wasn't like, hey, remember those diamonds? You know, he can't talk anymore. I'm like, hey, remember that time were like doing daughter songs until we both blew our fucking vocal cords?
00:41:52
Jim Phoenix
You know, it's like, oh. It's like, I can't remember anything like that. don't care. No, it just didn't feel right.
00:41:58
Amelie
Yeah.
00:41:59
Jim Phoenix
It didn't feel right. So I felt like shit for a while. Felt like fit shit for a while.
00:42:01
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:42:02
Jim Phoenix
i was like It was like a punk move to do. It really is. And maybe it's because like Gilgamesh and Induku, saying that name's wrong, where you like, you see your mortality in your friend's demise.
00:42:13
Jim Phoenix
Like, oh, fuck.
00:42:14
Amelie
Yes.
00:42:14
Jim Phoenix
You know, like, oh, my fuck. You know, I'm noticing my own voice going out and just like everything losing weight.
00:42:16
Amelie
But it's beautiful in some way, no?
00:42:20
Jim Phoenix
you know, yeah. So you start seeing your your own demise in your friend's demise. Like, oh, fuck, man.
00:42:25
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:42:26
Jim Phoenix
And so maybe that I was stepping away from, which is a bitch ass move to do. And I'm sorry for that. i am And then late last year, I think.
00:42:38
Amelie
you
00:42:38
Jim Phoenix
A little bit after my birthday, I think. Just started talking again. Just started talking again. I was talking to my friend like, ah should I buy a ranch? Because he lost a lot of ah land in New Mexico and like he was doing some art stuff. like, you know, maybe we just buy some land in New Mexico again and just go for it.
00:43:00
Jim Phoenix
um So I got some some cool, like, ah before he dies, like this, the cool connection reconnection, right? And then he fucking dies. I'm like, oh, well.
00:43:11
Jim Phoenix
So the moral story is, I've been very lucky
Reflections on Mortality and Friendship
00:43:14
Jim Phoenix
this way. Usually if I, if I fade out of your life and sometimes it's in good terms or not good terms, but if I ever come back, very coming back near your life and we reconnect, it usually means you're going to die really quickly.
00:43:28
Jim Phoenix
So get your affairs in order. I'm like, I was just driving home. I'm realizing this, like, yeah, everyone I kind of spaced away from and I came back with, they fucking die like almost immediately like that.
00:43:41
Jim Phoenix
Not you. It's been... We didn't like go like years without talking, motherfucker. We went through like a month or two.
00:43:46
Amelie
That's... That's why still your friend. Because...
00:43:52
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, because if you stop being my friend, I'll come back on your ass one day. and Grim Reaper-ing everyone.
00:43:56
Amelie
Why are we friends? been 15 years. Don't you understand? well i don't know. I don't know. Nah, no. Well, you didn't die.
00:44:05
Jim Phoenix
Yeah, that basically it. But basically, to stop being my friend, death has to come in.
00:44:10
Amelie
yeah
00:44:11
Jim Phoenix
But I get the the the, I don't know, it's kind of like you get to say goodbye and then you du kind of make things right before the end. Not because you know it's going the end. because No one knows when their end comes.
00:44:22
Jim Phoenix
But it's kind of like the random ass, I was just thinking about today, it's just the random ass, like the luck of it all. Because I know if he would have died without me saying hello again, would have been like, fuck me.
00:44:28
Amelie
yeah
00:44:33
Jim Phoenix
Which makes it all about me again, which is weird. But you know because his death is about his family and himself.
00:44:38
Amelie
The thing is, you know you're going to die. right i spoke of i spoke to
00:44:41
Jim Phoenix
and I'm not fucking dying. I ain't got plans for that. Fuck that.
00:44:43
Amelie
I spoke to a doctor when I found out had Crohn's disease. I was 20 something.
00:44:46
Jim Phoenix
yeah
00:44:47
Amelie
Could you imagine you're 20 years old and the doctor is like, take a seat.
00:44:50
Jim Phoenix
yeah
00:44:52
Amelie
You've got Crohn's disease. Great. You know what I have? Is it cancer? No, it's not cancer. Fantastic. Give me the medication. And they're like, there is a problem. There is no cure. And you realize you won't.
00:45:02
Jim Phoenix
Here's the pill. It's this size.
00:45:04
Amelie
You won't. Yeah. It depends, people.
00:45:07
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:45:07
Amelie
Some people, it's injection and stuff. It depends.
00:45:09
Jim Phoenix
And that's the butthole.
00:45:11
Amelie
And you realize you're fucked. You won't lift it 80 years old. You're going to be sick. You need to go to the hospital and colonoscopy and stuff.
00:45:18
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. Yeah. yeah
00:45:20
Amelie
And I'm like, this is bullshit. I learn English, I want to live, I want to make friends, I want to have sex, I want to have kids, I want to go to Australia, I want to go to the mountains, I want to do all the stuff. And I remember yelling at the doctor saying, that's bullshit, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I'm not an alcoholic, I'm not depressed, I have a schedule, I want to get out, find a work, fuck, do this, I have an allergy, I don't care. And I really say that, I want to have an allergy.
00:45:46
Amelie
And I met this lovely doctor, 85 old, who's like,
00:45:47
Jim Phoenix
You heard it here first. Yeah.
00:45:52
Amelie
You may live till 80, you may live till 50, you may have a car accident tomorrow, you may have cancer within 20 years because of Crohn.
00:46:00
Jim Phoenix
yeah
00:46:00
Amelie
But I'm going to tell you you, all of you thinking you're going to live till 85 years old is a lie. Yes, most of the French people die at 85 years old, but it's just a very small percentage.
00:46:13
Amelie
35% of a population born in a special year die before the age age of 50 years old. Car accident, suicide, heart attack, burn, accident, murder, sometimes poison, leukemia, etc, etc, etc, etc.
00:46:29
Jim Phoenix
ah you fucking ah Hey, hey, hey, hey. Amelie, you know me. No spoilers. You can't spoil how I'm going to die.
00:46:35
Amelie
Yeah, all those things at the same time. That's why I've known you for 15 years, and I know who you how you are.
00:46:38
Jim Phoenix
turning it. Yeah.
00:46:43
Amelie
You know, there's many times you were like, I think I'm going to die, I would like to say to you, you're an amazing girl. Do not commit suicide or cry my death! Hi, it's Joe.
00:46:55
Amelie
So, um what's up? I'm not dead yet. Yeah, no, no, I'm fine. I'm fine. Oh, me. Hi, Joe. Hi, it's Emily. I'm going to the hospital. I'm going to be rushed. I would like to tell you I love you.
00:47:06
Amelie
Please, please kiss everyone. but Two weeks later. Yeah, hi. I've got new suppository. Yeah, it was just gas. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:47:14
Jim Phoenix
Well, yeah, well, you're you're making you are making light a you're making a joke a little bit at the end, but I do remember conversations like that because we both been in places where we didn't know.
00:47:14
Amelie
Bademuride.
00:47:29
Jim Phoenix
if the next thing is the last thing.
00:47:33
Amelie
Yes.
00:47:33
Jim Phoenix
And thankfully, and it's always like the, when you make those phone calls and then you don't die, it's kind of like a letdown.
00:47:41
Amelie
Oh, last time, last time I thought I was going to die.
00:47:41
Jim Phoenix
Like, oh, Jesus, now it's like, call people again, I'm not dead.
00:47:45
Amelie
i remember looking at the camera and you and say, I need to call you. No, don't call me. i don't like to call. no No, no, no, no, no. Right now. And I had this, uh, Do you remember my catheter, this big thing to feed me because I was super underweight?
00:47:57
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:47:59
Amelie
i was at the hospital in ICU, and they just told me i had leukemia.
00:47:59
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:48:04
Amelie
Joseph, Jim, I love you. Jim, you're very important for me. Jim, da-da-da-da-da-da.
00:48:09
Jim Phoenix
You can call me Joe for fuck's sakes.
00:48:09
Amelie
But we need to...
00:48:11
Jim Phoenix
It's okay. I'm Joe. Hello, everyone. My real name is Joe. Jim's a character I play.
00:48:17
Amelie
and and And this is it.
00:48:18
Jim Phoenix
Or is it Joe character Jim plays?
00:48:19
Amelie
um I'm dying. And I was losing weight and stuff. And I'm like, this is it.
00:48:22
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:48:22
Amelie
This is the end. I've got leukemia. The blood test came back. that i did ah I'm not a delusional. I want you to tell you to tell you I really like you. And you send me a poem. Like, no, they know they cannot break us.
00:48:36
Amelie
They cannot break your spirit. You need to fight and everything. but bla but And the next day, they come to me. They're like, Emily, are... I am a Gregor. ah There is a problem with ah your blood test. Yeah, it's not leukemia. Don't worry. It's just because you have a problem with Crohn's, you produce more white cell.
00:48:56
Amelie
So it is Crohn's. It's fine.
00:48:57
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:48:58
Amelie
Ah, so I can get out. No, you you like Auschwitz.
00:49:00
Jim Phoenix
No, you have to stay here.
00:49:02
Amelie
You like Auschwitz.
00:49:02
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:49:03
Amelie
Very skinny. So do not eat too much because you heart attack.
00:49:06
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:49:07
Amelie
Yeah, for the people who don't understand, I'm French, but I live in Czech Republic and no one speaks English. Adios, Fido.
00:49:13
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:49:13
Amelie
So they were like trying to explain to me. So no, I'm still alive and I die every five years or so. There's always something like, oh, I lose weight. Oh, I'm bleeding.
00:49:23
Jim Phoenix
Right.
00:49:23
Amelie
Oh, I don't see. can't see. I was blind one time. I was blind for one month.
00:49:28
Jim Phoenix
True story.
00:49:28
Amelie
Like...
00:49:29
Jim Phoenix
ah Emily was blind when we met. This is why she likes me. She was blind.
00:49:33
Amelie
Exactly. Yes, yes, yes. I'm like, ah!
00:49:36
Jim Phoenix
Like, ah, who the fuck's this guy?
00:49:38
Amelie
Oh, it's so hot. It's so beautiful. Oh, no, no, no, no.
00:49:40
Jim Phoenix
Yeah. And then she's like, fuck, that's what he looks like? God damn it.
00:49:44
Amelie
No, it's it's just like the the thing with death is we had a conversation about that and I think we disagreed on that better.
00:49:45
Jim Phoenix
ah Val Kilmer movie.
00:49:51
Amelie
I'm like, everybody I met, there is an end date.
00:49:55
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:49:55
Amelie
So I'm like, yeah, that person i'm think six months, that was a person a year, maybe three years for that one because first, I think I'm not that interesting. And number two, I think everybody use everyone. And third, I think every every good thing at the end, you know, there is ah an expiration date or It's just a complete story. People move out in different countries or, for example, they get babies, so you start slowly, slowly to do your life apart and blah, blah, blah, blah.
00:50:24
Amelie
But the thing is with death, having Crohn's disease gives me the opportunity of really enjoying every day. Like every day is a victory.
00:50:33
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:50:33
Amelie
Every Sunday is the biggest victory. I plan my life in three months, but I don't plan my life in two years. I plan in 10 years. I want to to do stuff, to be a better course, that kind of thing.
00:50:43
Jim Phoenix
We'll see.
00:50:46
Amelie
But with the life we have, it's more like next week, 100%.
00:50:48
Jim Phoenix
Yeah.
00:50:50
Amelie
wanted a cent Next month, 75%. Next trimester, 50%. steep send ah End of the year, 25%.
00:50:56
Jim Phoenix
um say yeah
00:51:00
Amelie
If you take your medication and everything is fine. Next year, let's pray.
00:51:05
Jim Phoenix
We'll see. Yeah, i mean, I think that's at the end, that was kind of what not to speak for him because he's dead. But I think that's what I saw with but Val Kilmer was like the you start going, OK, this is it. This is this is me now. So what can I do and still enjoy it like one day at a time?
00:51:22
Jim Phoenix
Just enjoy it one ah one day at time. like He was painting thing every fucking minute, like one day at a time. He was doing arts one day at a time. So I think that's the thing is no matter who you are, as long as you're doing what you need to do one day at a time, that's all we can ever ask for.
00:51:36
Jim Phoenix
Everything else is just like a bonus.
00:51:37
Amelie
Are you trying to pass the message like you're going to to not be there around?
00:51:41
Jim Phoenix
I don't know, dude. I don't know.
00:51:43
Amelie
Because it starts to be scary.
00:51:45
Jim Phoenix
ah Well, don't be scared. But for next next time, but this is the the the funnest Dreaming Demons we've done. It's like the barrel of laughs Dreaming Demons. That's more of a pain voice right here. Hey, Jimbo.
00:51:56
Jim Phoenix
Hey, Jimbo. Jimbo. So we got to land this fucking plane, buddy. So next week, we'll do... What do you want to do? what We'll we' think of a special...
00:52:07
Jim Phoenix
What were we talking about before? The Batmans? No, Sherlock Holmeses. We'll see. We'll see something...
00:52:11
Amelie
Yo.
00:52:13
Jim Phoenix
Something cool for us for next time. And until then, folks, remember, you can always take an elephant to water, but it's pretty big. So you have to have a lot of water.
00:52:23
Jim Phoenix
All that's more of the next streaming demons. Hit it. My outro. And it's going to play the out. Play us out.
00:52:33
Jim Phoenix
down down I know. don't see any dancing with it. I'm kind of like, oh, come on. Get in. Get it in.
00:52:45
Jim Phoenix
And thanks again with Amelie all the way from the Czech Republic today for coming in last minute, flying that fucking plane, landing it like a champ, like a pro, like a video champ, like a video vamp.
00:52:56
Amelie
Yeah. Yeah.
00:52:58
Jim Phoenix
Oh, that's Def Leppard.
00:52:59
Amelie
It's the step of a finger.
00:53:01
Jim Phoenix
Mm-hmm. Ooh, lickety-lickety.
00:53:02
Amelie
Mm-hmm.
00:53:03
Jim Phoenix
Mm-hmm.
00:53:09
Jim Phoenix
And of course, we also need to... Yeah, motherfucker.
00:53:12
Amelie
but