Val Kilmer's 80s Movie Predictions

In 'Top Secret!', his first scene with Michael Gough is in an underground laboratory. The two would later play Batman and Alfred Pennyworth in Batman eternamente (1995) and their first scene together in the Batman film also takes place in an underground lab (the Batcave).

His Elvis Presley-like voice and singing "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" in a romantic scene made him destined to be Elvis in La Fuga (1993). Plus the fact that he sings a parody of the song and plays a fantasy version of Elvis (not the real thing in both cases).

In the underwater fight scene, there are cowboys playing cards, Nick beats his opponent by being too fast for him, then puts on a cowboy hat, winks and mimics shooting a gun - the whole thing seems like a nod to Doc Holliday in Los justicieros (1993).

His first scene* in both movies involves a pair of doors: in 'Real Genius' he walks through two-way glass doors, and in 'Top Secret!' the train compartment doors are opened and closed twice; the first time right after Nick says his first line. He also opens or walks through doors in several other scenes in both movies - all hints to The Doors (1991).

*Also, in both scenes, he speaks to three other characters - there are three band members besides Jim Morrison in The Doors.

His character's name in 'Real Genius' is Chris Knight, and he would later play two other knights - Madmartigan (a disgraced knight) in Willow, en la tierra del encanto (1988) and Batman (the dark knight).

It's interesting to note that Chris' character traits can be found in both of the other knights - he is a genius with a good heart, much like Bruce Wayne, but also confident, charming and care-free, which can be said of Madmartigan.

The students skate on ice in the hallway, Chris says the word "ice" 5 times in the movie, including the line "Ice is nice!" when he has an important breakthrough - a year later he was Iceman. Another parallel is that Chris and Iceman are both known as the best: the number one student and the number one pilot.

Fun fact: Chris first says "ice" in minute 19:40 and "Iceman" is heard for the first time in Top Gun: Pasión y gloria (1986) at 19:38.

Interestingly, the movie also has a title drop in 'Top Gun' , when Charlie says: "I see some real genius in your flying, Maverick, but I can't say that in there."

Several things in 'Real Genius' point to Doc Holliday:

1. Chris puts a coin in the vending machine, then holds a coffee cup that has playing cards on it (the first time we see Doc in 'Tombstone' he has a coin on one hand and cards in the other).

2. Chris rolls coins on his knuckles - it's our introduction to Doc Holliday. One time Chris does it with both hands while closing his eyes or not focusing, similar to Doc's "I have two guns" scene (meaning they don't have to see well to do something perfectly).

3. One of the T-shirts Chris wears in the movie is of Roy Rogers in a cowboy hat, and he wears it in a scene where he is helping a friend take revenge on someone.

4. Chris says the line "What's up, doc?"

5. Chris and the other students act dentists when they use dental tools to plant a transceiver in Kent's mouth.