1988 Movies
BeetlejuiceDir: Tim Burton Stars: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones After such success with Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Tim Burton must have been given carte blanche...because in no universe should this batshit crazy work as well as it does. There are a lot of movies about ghosts...but few of them are from the point of view of the ghosts and how the afterlife operates. Burton creates a world full of imaginative macabre, visual gags, and acid-trip atmosphere. Keaton creates the titular character as one of the most manic characters of all time. It is so easy to get lost in this world and want to visit it again and again. B+ DVD |
BigDir: Penny Marshall Stars: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, Jared Rushton 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This is the movie that really showed the world how good Tom Hanks was, andwas going to be. Body Swap movies are a dime a dozen, but never before has the adult star of one of those movies portrayed the transformed child so perfectly. The speech patters, the awkwardness, the immaturity...Hanks tackles all of this masterfully and provides us with a very special movie about being a kid and growing up too fast. Sure...these days...some may be a bit creeped out by the statutory rape issue...but let it go. This is a very sweet, heartfelt movie. A- |
Big Top Pee Wee
Dir: Randal Kleiser Stars: Paul Reubens, Kris Kristofferson, Penelope Ann Miller, Valeria Golino This dumb-ass movie where Pee Wee Herman owns a farm, has a talking pig, grows a hot dog tree, and accommodates a circus, proves that a lot of Pee Wee's success was due to Tim Burton's handling of the material. Because in Kleiser's hands, the schtick gets old REAL quick...and everything just seems to get stupider and stupider. D+ |
Child's Play
Dir: Tom Holland Stars: Catherine Hicks, Brad Dourif Dolls always creep people out, and the idea of them coming to life is frightening. When this movie came out, there were dolls called "My Buddy" and "Kid Sister"...so the time was ripe for a horror film based on it. Also...the filmmakers were smart enough to not take it entirely seriously. The franchise has become a meta self-parody...but the original was funny and scary at the same time. It worked...and a lot of it had to do with Brad Dourif's voice...it was kind of perfect. B |
Cocktail
Dir: Roger Donaldson Stars: Tom Cruise, Elizabeth Shue, Bryan Brown When the central focus of your romantic comedy is bartending and bartending with flair...you are going to make a corny movie. But Cruise is a star, and he injects just enough enthusiasm and fun into the movie to actually make it kind of work. It is hard to care about your characters when bartending is their central focus, but somehow they pull it off. Elizabeth Shue was never hotter, and the soundtrack is great. The movie gave us Kokomo...so there is that too. B |
OSCARS
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup KEVIN'S PICK
Best Costume Design
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Coming to America
Dir: John Landis Stars: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, John Amos In my opinion, this is by far the best comedy that Eddie Murphy has to offer. Period. Everything just works...and Murphy has never been better in his multiple role antics. The movie has the fish-out-of-water comedy, slapstick comedy, racial comedy, and the romantic through-line that holds it all together. I really do defy you to keep a straight face while watching this movie. I am also astonished that Arsenio Hall fell off the map...because he is as good, if not better, than Murphy. A DVD |
Critters 2: The Main Course
Dir: Mick Garris Stars: Scott Grimes, Terrence Mann, Movie studios just don't know when to leave well enough alone. Critters was Z-grade nonsense, but had at least a corny charm to it. It didn't need a sequel...because the story about a bunch or killer furballs terrorizing small town USA was literally just done. Making them a Raiders of the Lost Ark-style boulder at one point doesn't make it ok. D DVD |
OSCARS
Best Editing
Best Sound Effects Editing Best Sound Best Visual Effects |
Die Hard
Dir: John McTiernan Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #121 Not only did this film make Bruce Willis one of the greatest action stars of all time. Not only is Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time. But this movie about an everyman cop trapped inside a besieged high-rise fighting back agains the encroachers basically created a new action genre. How many other movies are there? "Die Hard in a Plane"(Passenger 57), "Die Hard on a Ship" (Under Siege), Die Hard on a Mountain (Cliffhanger)...but they all pale in comparison to this original. It is so straightforward being a one Vs. many scenario...but Willis and Rickman are just so great...and McTiernan's direction is on point. A Bluray |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actor
Best Original Screenplay |
A Fish Called Wanda
Dir: Charles Crichton Stars: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Quite simply my favorite comedy of all time. The four leads in this film all seem to be daring each other to be funnier than them...and the only one that SLIGHTLY comes out on top is Kline...who may be portraying the funniest character ever. This film, simply about a jewel heist and the manipulation that accompanies it when the jewels go missing, perfectly balances the unbridled passion and violence of American comedy (Curtis & Kline) with the dry, repressed, and elitist comedy of Britain. That scene where Cleese's wife comes home early while he is trying to seduce Curtis? Pure genius slapstick. Nearly every line, every reaction, every situation fires on all cylinders. It is just brilliant in every way. A+ DVD |
KEVIN"S PICK
Best Supporting Actress
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Funny Farm
Dir: George Roy Hill Stars: Chevy Chase, Madolyn Smith Besides the classic Vacation movies, this is my favorite Chevy Chase fare. It seems like almost every other performance he does is tongue-in-cheek and sketch-comedy-esque (Fletch, Caddyshack, Three Amigos). His role here as Andy Farmer, a sports writer who has retired and moved to the country to write his novel, is his most down to Earth...and it has a sweet authenticity to it. Andy is a naive idealist, and to watch his hopes and dreams about country life go down the tubes is hysterical. Also, Madolyn Smith is right there with him, matching his comedy gold with her own wonderful performance. But it all comes down to that last third with their scheme to sell their house. Every time I see it...it makes me smile and laugh so hard. B+ DVD |
Hot to Trot
Dir: Michael Dinner Stars: Bobcat Golthwait, Dabney Coleman, John Candy, Virginia Madsen OK. Follow me here. This is a movie starring Bobcat Goldthwait at his Bobcat Goldthwait-iest who befriends a talking horse, voiced by John Candy. I'm not kidding. That's a movie. But with Ace Ventura zaniness and complete disregard for anything mature, I can't help but laugh. Of course, one's opinion about this film will hinge almost entirely on how much you can stand Bobcat. His screaming, mumble-mouthing, and insanity are not for every palette. Me? I can't help it. I think he is hilarious. B- |
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Dir: Stephen Chiodo By no means is this a good movie, but it has a certain grotesque ridiculousness that appealed to me. It doesn't really make sense but it is an alien invasion where the aliens look like horrific circus clowns and they kill their pray in clown-y ways. Every time one of the faceless townsfolk fall victim to these absurd villains, I felt the need to call out "Oh come on!!!", but I did it with a smile on my face and an embarrassed chuckle. There is no other movie like it though, so there is that. B- Bluray |
The Land Before Time
Dir: Don Bluth After the fantastic An American Tail by Don bluth and Steven Spielberg, they return with another sweet, though not as good, animated film that doesn't patronize the kids again. Sure, the film is populates with a lot of colorful, cutesy dinosaurs...but they suffer loss, sadness, and danger. It is this kind of darkness that makes these animated films better. Without the dark, you can't appreciate the light. Watching this band of dinos adventure to find their families would be really boring if everything was upbeat and safe. B |
License to Drive
Dir: Greg Beeman Stars: Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Heather Graham, Carol Kane Even though this movie is shallow and materialistic, it is still a hoot. Getting a car is very important to a young kid. It opens up an entirely different world, and this movie captures that sentiment pretty perfect. Haim and Feldman have great onscreen chemistry and their antics are pretty funny...punctuated with hilarious stuff from Haim's parents, Kane and Richard Masur. B DVD |
Mac & Me
Dir: Stewart Raffill Stars: Christine Ebersole This film is so obviously a rip-off of ET. It was inevitable because Spielberg's movie was so successful...but these filmmakers don't have the money or the talent to even come close. The puppet effect is absurd and the movie is trying to manipulate us by putting the main kid in a wheelchair. It's all just a mess. The best thing to come out of it? Every time Paul Rudd is ever on Conan...he plays a clip from this movie as a prank. I suggest you youtube that. It is infinitely more entertaining than the movie. D |
The Naked Gun:
From the Files of Police Squad Dir: Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Pricilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, OJ Simpson 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die ZAZ are comic geniuses. I never thought they would be able to do anything even close to as perfect as Airplane!, but this movie comes really close. Tapping into their Airplane co-star, they have made one of the greatest spoof films of all time. The idea started out as a police procedural spoof on TV, but it was cancelled quickly because the higher-ups complained that you REALLY had to pay attention to get the jokes. And that is true. The jokes in this film are wall to wall, and almost none of them misfire. The quality would slip a bit as the franchise went on...but this original movie is near-perfect. A- DVD |
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Dir: Renny Harlin Stars: Robert Englund Renny Harlin isn't the worst director in the world...but these people had nothing else to do with Freddy Kruger. Again he is resurrected, again he is stalking Elm Street teens, and this time a girl can pull people into her dreams...whatever. The whole thing was just state at this point. It took New Nightmare and then Freddy Vs. Jason to get any life out of the franchise. D |
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
Dir: Alan Myerson Stars: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, GW Bailey, Matt McCoy, George Gaynes, Rene Auberjonois Out of all of the Police Academy movies, this is the one I can tolerate the most. One...Steve Guttenberg is gone, so that helps. Two...Captain Harris is more central to the proceedings and he was always the strongest part of every film. Three, Rene Auberjonois is a really fun villain. It is all incredibly dumb, as it always is, and I am sure a lot of it is nostalgia since this is the PA I grew up with, but this one is harmless. C+ DVD |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actor
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Rain Man
Dir: Barry Levinson Stars: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Valeria Golino Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond Babbit is astonishing. In the hands of a lesser actor, this savant performance could have come across as goofy, exploitative, and disrespectful. As it is, it is beautiful, nerve-wracking, and devastating. He deserves all the praise in the world and the Hoffman almost single-handedly makes this an "A" movie...but don't forget Cruise. His acting as the slighted, desperate, impatient brother is very important as the counter balance to Hoffman. To watch their adventure cross-country is one of the best road trip/odd couple films ever. A DVD |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Original Song
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She's Having a Baby
Dir: John Hughes Stars: Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth McGovern This is the John Hughes movie that I love. This film focuses on Kevin Bacon's POV as he and his wife are attempting to get pregnant and then having a child. All the fears of the unknown, all the pressures from the family, all the extra-marital temptations; it all really feels authentic, emotional, and poignant. Hughes expertly navigates the story from mostly slapstick, almost meta humor to an emotional climax that is incredibly powerful...to a near unbearable level. I love it. A- |
Short Circuit 2
Dir: Kenneth Johnson Stars: Fisher Stevens, Michael McKean Ok. The original film was a neat little artificial intelligence fantasy. This sequel completely and stupidly ridiculous. Johnny 5 ships himself to Ben Jahveri, who is selling minature Johnny 5 robots on the street, and he is excited to soak up all the input the city offers. People want to destroy him, sell him, use his naivety...all so blatantly obvious. Still...there is a certain charm to the character of Johnny 5, and Fisher Stevens' incredibly inappropriate performance actually makes me laugh in spite of myself. That absurd, race against the clock climax? Pretty audacious for such idiotic fare. C |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Documentary
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The Thin Blue Line
Dir: Errol Morris 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Errol Morris is a talented documentarian, and this story about a cop who was killed and the wonky activities that went into convicting a man who swears he is innocent is interesting enough...but the entire thing seems a bit inconsequential. Of course that cop being killed is not the bland, pointless part....but the film has not much to say about the justice system overall, the cop killing mentality, or the prosecutorial misconduct rampant in our culture. It is hyper-focused on THIS case and THIS occurence...and it is almost a "So What?" I also did not really appreciate the re-enactments...which added an unintentional corniness to the proceedings that I am sure Morris thought would add to the story. Its ok. But I have seen MUCH better police procedural documentaries. B- |
Twins
Dir: Ivan Reitman Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston Most people consider this movie the funniest movie Arnold has done. For my money...this is almost exclusively DeVito's film. Arnold is just there to show his muscles...because as I have always said...he isn't much of an actor at all. Almost all the comedy comes from DeVito's apathy at Arnold's presence and amazement at what a specimen he is. Also, when the truths about their pedigree are revealed...it is actually pretty effective. Point being, without DeVito, it just doesn't work B |
Vice Versa
Dir: Brian Gilbert Stars: Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage I actually like all these body swap movies, but I realize that the reason they are never great movies is because of the kid actors. Like Father Like Son is good because Dudley Moore is so funny. Same with Jamie Lee Curtis being the strong point of Freaky Friday. Here, Judge Reinhold is a hoot...and Fred Savage doesn't pull off the adult. When only half of the body swap works, it always feels like half a movie. C+ |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Director Best Adapted Screenplay Best Editing Best Cinematography Best Art Direction Best Visual Effects Best Sound Effects Editing Best Sound Best Original Score |
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Dir: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Stubby Kaye 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This is one of my favorites of all time because it is so technically dazzling, incredibly clever, and creates a fantasy and atmosphere that works 100% of the time. The perfection at which Hoskins pantomimes and acts against nothing is nothing short of miraculous...because he makes Roger, Jessica, and all the other toons infinitely more real and believable than almost any modern day cgi character. That is the major success. But then take into account the production design, the cinematography, the costumes, the music...nothing else in 1988 held a candle to it...and hardly any since. Finally, the screenplay, perfectly painting the canvas of a world where cartoon characters are real, gives us some dark humor, some scares, some subversive elements, and a flawless way to get Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna Barbara, and countless other intellectual properties under the same roof. A+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Visual Effects |
Willow
Dir: Ron Howard Stars: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer What a whimsical, fun fantasy. Willow is one of those movies that slipped through the cracks from my childhood. It tells the story of a dwarf (Warwick Davis...wonderfully out of makeup or a full costume for a change) who comes into possession of a human baby. Prophecy this, journey that...it follows the 80s fantasy trope but it does it as well as it can be. Ron Howard was obviously young and a bit inexperienced here...and Val Kilmer is a bit uninteresting...but it is a glorious time and I am sad I did not have this movie throughout my younger years. B+ |