The Iceman melteth

Val Kilmer to star in Arctic horror flick

Posted by Sarah van Schagen at 2:28 PM on 16 May 2008

Read more about: green living | celebrity | movies

Photo: � Val Kilmer

This summer, the Iceman cometh ... to a horror flick about global warming. The Thaw, which begins shooting mid-June with star Val Kilmer, is based on the premise that melting ice caps reveal a woolly mammoth hosting a deadly prehistoric parasite that comes back to life to infect the world ... mwa-ha-ha. Ahem.

From director Mark A. Lewis:

"I think ultimately where this story comes from is the idea or, more accurately, the feeling of vulnerability. The discussion eventually evolved into one about the vulnerability of our species and how we're about to experience the wrath of Mother Nature as a result of global warming."

But he doesn't intend for the film to be preachy ...

"I don't consider it my job to tell people about how or why we're fucking up the world," Lewis continues. "The older I get, the more vulnerable I see people are (as individuals and communities). Global warming is a very scary part of our place in time on this revolving rock in the middle of God knows where. I consider it my job to translate, into a story, the emotions (in particular the fear) I'm experiencing around an issue that is extremely interesting to me. Hopefully people will find the result enjoyable, relatable, and perhaps even cathartic."

Check out the movie poster, below. Looks like the film may hit theaters next spring.

For story: The Iceman melteth
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Val Kilmer trivia

from IMDB:

<<
Loves buffalo and owns several on his ranch in New Mexico.

Loves candles.
...

Turned down Patrick Swayze's role in Dirty Dancing (1987) because he didn't want to be perceived as a "hunk."
,,,

He was in the Kalahari Desert in Africa researching a story he was writing about witch doctors when he was offered the Batman Forever (1995) Batman role. [?]

Wrote poetry for actress Michelle Pfeiffer.

Was originally set to play the lead role in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) but asked to switch roles because of his divorce. [?]
,,,

Kilmer was eventually succeeded in the role of Batman by Christian Bale after George Clooney vacated the role. In The Prince of Egypt (1998), Kilmer provides the voice of God, while Bale played Jesus in Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999) (TV).
,,, [!]

His family has Scottish, Irish, Sephardic Jewish, Cherokee Native American (from a paternal great-grandmother), Swedish, German and distant Mongolian ancestry. [!; that sounds like joshing]
...
>>

"The Island of Doctor Moreau" is a real hoot; possibly it could be considered yet another Mother-Nature-strikes-back movie.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 7:42 PM on 16 May 2008

Interesting

It is encouraging to see these types of issues being tackled in popular culture (it's apparently a priority for Fox, according to Rupert Murdoch - http://www.1degree.net.au/files/RMurdochRemarksClimateCha ... - but I'll believe that when I see it). This particular example looks like it will be fairly shallow - do you really need the threat of a virus along with everything else that will be happening? I think a better answer is to have sustainability and environmental issues incorporated into all movies, TV shows etc rather than one-off 'global warming scare' films but given the commercial orientation of mainstream media and whatnot that's unlikely to happen.

greenpictures.wordpress.com

by Rowan at 8:01 PM on 17 May 2008

This is happening now in Germany

"I think a better answer is to have sustainability and environmental issues incorporated into all movies, TV shows etc rather than one-off 'global warming scare' films but given the commercial orientation of mainstream media and whatnot that's unlikely to happen."

Which is why I have become desensitized to the issue. It's a constant. Eventually I just got fed up with it. I just don't give a shit anymore.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 12:17 PM on 05 Jun 2008
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