Walter Chaw

Denver

@natsocfilmcrix. @nytimes, @laweekly, @decider, @vulture, @criterion, @theplaylist, @wapo, @pchh, @netflix's VOIR, @ebertvoices, @flmfrkcentral. https://t.co/Q5bJQtCaWu

Articles

Val Kilmer Was Gen X’s Brando: Messy, Gorgeous, and Defiant

2 weeks ago | decider.com | Walter Chaw

I saw Val Kilmer on the street in Boulder when I was fifteen and he was beautiful. Willow had just come out and as an ardent fan of Top Secret!, Real Genius and Top Gun, my buddy and I secured tickets to one of the performances that summer of Hamlet at the long-running Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Kilmer was cast in the lead role and his interpretation, we were soon to find, was rakish and cocksure, rebellious and pouting.
Val Kilmer Was Gen X’s Brando: Messy, Gorgeous, and Defiant

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Walter Chaw

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key TakeawaysI saw Val Kilmer on the street in Boulder when I was fifteen and he was beautiful. Willow had just come out and as an ardent fan of Top Secret!, Real Genius and Top Gun, my buddy and I secured tickets to one of the performances that summer of Hamlet at the long-running Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
Gene Hackman was at his best when portraying powerful men in crisis

1 month ago | decider.com | Walter Chaw

Harry Caul has a hard time talking to people — even to, no, especially to people he loves. He can’t say “I love you,” because it’s too risky. If he understands anything, he understands how words can put you at risk. Words make you vulnerable. Words are deadly weapons. Harry is Gene Hackman’s greatest creation, the hero of the film Francis Ford Coppola made between Godfather films or, rather, began then abandoned three-quarters of the way through: The Conversation.
Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance? : Pop Culture Happy Hour

2 months ago | npr.org | Glen Weldon |Linda Holmes |Walter Chaw |Liz Metzger |Lennon Sherburne |Mike Katzif | +1 more

Should you give 'Presence' the ghost of a chance? Download Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1227458702/1265408577" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Callina Liang in Presence. Peter Andrews/Neon hide caption toggle caption Peter Andrews/Neon Callina Liang in Presence.
David Lynch Transcended the Barriers Between The Conscious and Unconscious

Jan 18, 2025 | msn.com | Walter Chaw

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David Lynch Transcended the Barriers Between The Conscious and Unconscious

Jan 18, 2025 | decider.com | Walter Chaw

David Lynch saw a purpose in things, an undercurrent that pulled and a quiet voice that sang — he saw menace in the quotidian and wondered how it could be he was alone in that.
Tony Todd's physical presence was only eclipsed by the weight and intonation of his voice

Nov 10, 2024 | decider.com | Walter Chaw

We used to play a game he called “Movie/Movie.” He would name a title of a film and I’d have to respond with another: the last letter of his needed to be the first letter of mine. It’s the kind of game you invent for children on a long road trip. My wife and I used to do it with ours when they were very small, but with animals. When Tony and I stumped each other we would talk a little trash, a lot of trash. I beat him the last time we played and he promised vengeance upon a rematch.
Teri Garr Was Funny, Smart, And Beautiful - And Always Came Out On Top When Sparring With Men

Oct 30, 2024 | decider.com | Walter Chaw

Teri Garr only has a handful of lines in The Conversation, and when she’s done with her scene she never appears again, but she breaks my heart as Harry Caul’s secret girlfriend who wants more than he’s willing to give and so chooses herself. “Harry, I was so happy when you came over tonight,” she says, “when I heard you open up the door, my toes were dancing under the covers.
Bird on a Wire: Kris Kristofferson (1936-2024)

Sep 30, 2024 | rogerebert.com | Walter Chaw

Almost exactly forty-seven years ago, I saw Kris Kristofferson for the first time when my two primary interests as a four-year-old bled into each other. On the September 23, 1977 season three premiere of "The Donny and Marie Show.," a variety show I watched with a ritualistic, almost religious dedication, I was favored with a sketch riffing on the just-released "Star Wars." Donny was Luke Skywalker, Marie was Princess Leia, and Kris Kristofferson was Han Solo.
Gregg Araki knows his films aren't for everyone, but relishes knowing "people that get them, *really* get them"

Sep 24, 2024 | decider.com | Walter Chaw

Gregg Araki’s films are the kinds of mixtapes you’ve kept for thirty-some years: the ones with unicorns and bootlegs, strange 4AD one-shots and Peel Sessions outtakes, and the unmistakable glow of passionate erudition. I wouldn’t be a lifelong Curve fan without his films, would never have felt so seen as I did when Slowdive and Lush popped up on his soundtracks alongside Love & Rockets and The Wolfgang Press.