1990 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
OSCARS
Best Original Screenplay
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Alice
Dir: Woody Allen Stars: Mia Farrow, William Hurt, Joe Mantegna This is one very strange Woody Allen film. First of all...I am not a huge Mia Farrow fan. I feel more often than not that she is one-dimensional and that dimension is too often whiney and helpless. This film is full of colorful characters, and weirdly placed fantasy sequences involving speaking with the dead, invisibility, and flying. But I have to say, even though there is no defined protagonist or antagonist, and they switch throughout the film, I was never bored and was dying to see where it all went. There is that usual Woody Allen cynicism and nihilism...so any happiness is fleeting...but that's what I expect. I can't even label a genre for this film. Dramatic fantasy? Comic satire? Serious drama? No idea. B- |
Arachnophobia
Dir: Frank Marshall Voices: Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, John Goodman A perfect example of the days of yore when filmmakers didn't rely on special effects for their story. Frank Marshall pulls of something incredible by using real spiders to tell a tale about a town being overrun by an incredibly dangerous species of spider. It must have been a horror for the actors to deal with their arachnid co-stars...and that horror really translates through the screen. You will jump, scream, and squirm, at all the right places. Taps into a primal fear the same way Jaws did. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Actor Best Adapted Screenplay |
Awakenings
Dir: Penny Marshall Stars: Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams Certainly a emotionally rich movie, no doubt. A story about a man, who has been catatonic for 30-years, and aware of that, being taken out of his stupor due to an experimental drug, really touches on medical ethics and the human condition...but my aversion to this film is that it supreme melodrama. Sometimes a movie feels so jammed down our throats about how and when we should laugh and cry that it is almost unpleasant. Robin Williams is a common offender in this respect B- |
Back to the Future Part III
Dir: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen This is a wonderful conclusion to my favorite franchise of all time. The sounds and sights are authentic in a bit of fantasy, archetypal way...and Thomas F. Wilson has never been better as Mad Dog Tannen. It is obvious that the cast and filmmakers have matured a bit with this film, as it takes its time and doesn't too much whiz-bang moments to keep things moving. Also...the final train sequence is one of my favorite action sequences of all time. A- Bluray |
Child's Play 2
Dir: Jon Lafia Stars: Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif The adventures of Chucky the killer doll has always been ridiculous...but in recent years it has gone so far of the deep end of ridiculousness that they hardly resemble movies. The second installment still had a bit of scares and creepiness as to make a slightly passable horror film. As a kid, having a killer doll follow you to a foster home when your mother is in the loony bin, is enough to give you some nightmares. C+ |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Cinematography
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Dances With Wolves
Dir: Kevin Costner Stars: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Kevin Coster has been a bit indulgent when he is at the helm of his movies. Think of The Postman. Here...he creates a bit of a White-Man's Guilt situation, but does it with gorgeous cinematography and meditation. The story of a Union soldier befriending and thus respecting the Native American tribe he is stationed near is interesting but obvious. This is solid, epic entertainment...but always felt a bit self-important to me. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Sound
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Sound |
Days of Thunder
Dir: Tony Scott Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall Such an exciting movie. Tony Scott's direction is so superb that you really feel like you are either attending the NASCAR track or are actually inside the car with Tom Cruise's Cole Trickle. This came out right smack in the middle of Cruise's meteoric rise to A-list...and he proves he is up to carrying an action drama perfectly. His chemistry with Kidman, Duvall, and Rooker are all very well handled, as they all have very different relationships. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
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Dick Tracy
Dir: Warren Beatty Stars: Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino I consider this movie a grandfather of movies like Sin City. It is a masterfully crafted live-action comic book...peppered with colorful characters chewing more scenery then they would ever be allowed in a more realistic movie. Beatty knew he was a perfect match to play the title character and thus cast himself. This is simply a lot of fun and a lot of money was definitely spent on screen. B |
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Dir: Renny Harlin Stars: Bruce Willis, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia I don't know why...but I really never liked Die Hard 2. The first movie is a masterpiece of action cinema and it was never going to live up to it...but I enjoy 3 & 4 much more. Some of that is probably the fact that Renny Harlin is just not a good director...at least compared to John McTiernan. John McClane trying to save the day when Dulles airport is overtaken seemed like a scenario where the single protagonist just didn't seem feasible. It worked in subsequent Die Hards...but not here. C Bluray |
OSCARS
Best Makeup
KEVIN'S PICK
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Edward Scissorhands
Dir: Tim Burton Stars: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Alan Alda 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This film is a wonderful adult fairy tale. People often poke fun at the consistent Depp/Burton team-ups, and this is one of their most magical. Depp's Edward is a sympathetic, tragic character...whose physical and social shortcomings really bring forth the best and worst parts of the "normal" people who come in to contact with him. The Danny Elfman score is one of my very favorite of all time, and the bizarre, surreal universe that this movie takes place in just perfectly sets the stage for Edward's story. It is a modern retelling of the Frankenstein story, but in my opinion, it is gentler, more focused, and more enjoyable than any of the old Universal versions of the story. This was my first foray in both Burton and Depp...and I have been a life-long fan ever since. A- DVD |
OSCARS
Best Sound Editing
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Flatliners
Dir: Joel Schumacher Stars: Keifer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt Watching these crazy med-school students kill themselves and revive themselves...all to get a glimpse of what happens when you die...is a roller-coaster ride. Joel Schumacher uses colored light, angles, and sweeping camera movements that make these revival scenes as exciting as bombastic, kinetic action scenes of other films. I like each and every character in the film...all at different levels of determination, fear, and insanity. A- DVD |
OSCARS
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Ghost
Dir: Jerry Zucker Stars: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg Jerry Zucker stepped away from his spoof films and made this, an incredibly melodramatic, but completely satisfying romance. The death of Patrick Swayze's character, and the resultant misery that Demi Moore must deal with is poignant. Whoopi Goldberg's charlatan character who can hear Swayze is hilarious and perfect. The special effects are a bit hokey but they serve the purpose. I just enjoyed the ride. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and your heart will swell with the story. B |
OSCARS
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Goodfellas
Dir: Martin Scorsese Stars: Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #17 One of the most infinitely re-watchable movies of all time. I dare anyone to name another movie that is so simple to get drawn into at any time, on any day, when it is playing on cable. This is once of Scorsese's greatest accomplishments. He paints a portrait of organized crime life in New York from the 50s through the 80s, and it is 100% authentic and perfectly realized. Each actor and actress are pulling of their career bests and Scorsese's abilities with cinematography, editing, and music shows that he is like a Renaissance painter of cinema. Very few could match up too his visions. A DVD |
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Dir: Joe Dante Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover A few years ago, there was a skit about a pitch meeting for Gremlins 2 on "Key & Peele" where idiots pitch all sorts of stupid versions of Gremlins and a character based off of Hollywood in Mannequin loved every suggestion and wanted it in the movie...and they all did. It was brilliant and perfectly captures the insanity of this film. It is ALL over the place and subversive...the perfect Joe Dante movie. To watch the depths and lengths Dante was willing to go with the Gremlins is a lot of fun. He even breaks the 4th wall with Hulk Hogan screaming at Gremlins that seem to have taken over the projection booth and ruined the movie. Love it. B Bluray |
OSCARS
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design |
Hamlet
Dir: Franco Zeffirelli Stars: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Helena Bonham Carter, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm Many actors want to prove that they can be serious actors by tackling Hamlet, Either on screen or on stage. Mel Gibson is one of them, and this is a perfectly serviceable rendition of the Dane's story. Zeffirelli had tackled Shakespeare before, most successfully with Romeo & Juliet. Gibson's problem here is that he isn't that good handling the language or the role, and he is surrounded by thespians that run circles around him. What diminishes this as well is Kenneth Branagh's quintessential version of Hamlet that came out only 6 years later...which is MUCH better. Still...it isn't bad but there are certainly better adaptations. B |
OSCARS
Best Original Score
Best Original Song |
Home Alone
Dir: Chris Columbus Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara I think that most of the success of this classic is Pesci & Stern Without their chemistry and banter, the film is actually a bit bland. Sure there is a handful of christmas spirit to be had...almost completely due to John Williams's beautiful score, but things like O'Hara's Planes, Trains, & Automobiles adventure never gets the laughs it needs to be interesting and Culkin is cute but not nearly as good as I have seen from child actors recently. I don't think it is a good "Christmas Movie" but it is a serviceable slapstick comedy. Almost like a PG version of Saw, where the audience gets its jollies from watching characters in immense, excruciating pain. B DVD |
OSCARS
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The Hunt for Red October
Dir: John McTiernan Stars: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill My favorite Jack Ryan adventure. This movie is so well done, and cold-war exciting, that the fact that a Russian general sounds exactly like Sean Connery's Scottish accent doesn't make a bit of difference. I love submarine thrillers and this is one of my favorites. It doesn't rely on high octane action, even though there is some of that, but it relies on paranoia, claustrophobia, and it has the patience to tell a great story about a possible defection and how it would be handled. This will take your breath away. A- DVD |
It
Dir: Tommy Lee Wallace Stars: Tim Curry, Harry Anderson, John Ritter Stephen King's story about a subterranean force playing havoc on a group of children and their adult counterparts was made for TV...and it shows. It is FAR too long, the effects are laughable, and the acting is less than sub-par. However...Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise the clown is so nightmarish and unforgettable that it makes the entire 3-plus hour slog worth it. You could almost watch this film on mute and just absorb Pennywise into your psyche and the movie would be just as successful. B DVD |
Joe Vs. the Volcano
Dir: John Patrick Shanley Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Abe Vigoda Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have great chemisty, and it gave us some decent romantic comedies. This one is a bit different. It is a story of a hypochondriac that learns he is dying and accepts an invitation to sacrifice himself by flinging hinself into a volcano. It is a wacky, quirky, ridiculous farce but it sort of works. It that central Hanks/Ryan romance wasn't in the middle. It would just be nonsense. B- |
Kindergarten Cop
Dir: Ivan Reitman Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller I am one of the few that doesn't really enjoy this film. I have an aversion to Arnold except in very specific roles. I like him as a Robot in the Terminator movies and he works in True Lies. But he is not a good actor, and he has never been a good actor...and surrounding him with kids is just not a good idea. That all being said...with someone as talented as Ivan Reitman at the helm, he prevents the ship from COMPLETELY sinking. C+ |
Look Who's Talking Too
Dir: Amy Heckerling Stars: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley It is amazing how a cute little novelty movie can have all the life sucked right out of it by sequelizing it. This is just a rehash with Roseanne Barr adding her voice to another kid...and it just feels repetitive, dull, and uninteresting. I just saw this movie...it was called Look Who's Talking, and all the clever jokes and puns were all used up in that first film. D+ |
Lord of the Flies
Dir: Harry Hook Stars: James Badge Dale, Balthazar Getty William Golding's famous novel is probably better off in the theater of the mind. This adaptation works ok...but I don't think the kids are up to the task to effectively portray themselves devolving into savagery. This is a very delicate subject and it takes a lot of talent to not make it seem corny. This movie gets by...but not to the level that the novel deserves. B- |
OSCARS
Best Actress
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Misery
Dir: Rob Reiner Stars: James Caan, Kathy Bates This movie is terrifying...and it is so subtle about it. James Caan is an author who is in a major traffic accident, up in the mountains, and a local fan takes him home and nurses him back to health. This could be a gentle love story...but Stephen King wrote it as a horror story based on how unhinged Kathy Bates's Annie Wilkes is. Moment to moment, one never knows if she will be the sycophantic, bubbly fan or the psychotic, obsessive, dangerous psychopath. Her performace is perfectly executed and the desperation and hopelessness of James Caan is so horribly palpable. This must have come from the dark recesses of King's psyche about the possibility of being abducted by a #1 fan. A- |
OSCARS
Best Actress
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Pretty Woman
Dir: Garry Marshall Stars: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander Julia Roberts came onto the scene in a big way with this film, and it is one of her most iconic performances...but people are blinded by her stardom and don't really realize how run-of-the-mill this romantic comedy really is. Rich guy hires hooker for companionship, and not sex, and falls in love anyway. Its a cliche of a cliche. But, with Roberts performance and the underrated Gere performance, it keeps your interest. Even if you know what the destination is going to be...the journey can be enjoyable. B- |
Problem Child
Dir: Dennis Dugan Stars: John Ritter, Amy Yasbeck, Jack Warden, Michael Richards, Michael Oliver Again...a comedy about a kid that hinges on the performances of the adults...because the kid isn't that good. John Ritter is great as the idealistic, forgiving dad. Jack Warden is hilarious as the cynical, angry grandfather. Richards is in his pre-Kramer best. And there are a bunch of other supporting roles that make you laugh...all the while Junior makes you role your eyes in annoyance. B- |
Repossessed
Dir: Bob Logan Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Linda Blair I guess this made sense. Leslie Nielsen was riding high with his brilliant The Naked Gun notoriety, so why not spoof The Exorcist. Not only that...they actually got Linda Blair to return as the possessed and it is a masterstroke of comedy. If it weren't for rights issues, I would have loved to see this as an actual official spoof sequel to The Exorcist...which is essentially is. There are jokes galore. Some of them hit, alot of them miss...but Nielsen is at his comic best. B- |
Short Time
Dir: Gregg Champion Stars: Dabney Coleman, Matt Frewer, Teri Garr I have a bit of a soft spot for this film because I remember enjoying it with my Dad...who laughed uncontrollably at its nonsense. The story is about a cop who find out he is dying, but realizes that his life insurance pays out much more if he gets killed in the line of duty. What follows is a cop diving head first into the most dangerous, most unwinnable situations, so he can get killed, is solid black comedy. The fact that he keeps getting accommodations for surviving gets funnier and funnier. Great stuff. B |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Dir: Steve Barron Voices: Judith Hoeg, Elias Koteas This movie is so stupid. Recent films have proven that to effectively portray the TMNT, you need to animate them of CGI them. They are ninjas for god sake. To watch these costumed monstrosities try to fake themselves through any semblance of fighting is laughable. It is almost completely why this movie fails. It has a bit of charm in its naivete to its shortcomings...but stupid is the best word for the entire endeavor. D+ |
OSCARS
Best Sound
Best Sound Editing |
Total Recall
Dir: Paul Verhoeven Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The success of this sci-fi actioneer hinges on a lot more than Scwarzenegger. The story is a classic from Philip K. Dick and Paul Verhoeven is a really fun director. Watching the story unfold and seeing the creative visuals around this futuristic society is a lot of fun...almost in spite of Arnold's stiffness. He is a good action star...but really fails at comedy and mystery. B |
Tremors
Dir: Ron Underwood Stars: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward This is my favorite creature feature. This is an old fashioned B-Monster movie that is extremely unbelievable...but charming in its execution. This has a bit of a Jaws vibe to it that you can't see the horror below the surface, and you can't move or the moster will kill you. There is some good humor, some silly, fun deaths, and a cast of colorful characters that elevate the film to a comic book level. The Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward back and forth is great. B DVD |
The Witches
Dir: Nicholas Roeg Stars: Angelica Huston This really is one of the greatest movies to ever come out of the Henson treasure trove. Roald Dahl wrote a great, kid-friendly story about British witches at their annual convention and an innocent boy who has an unfortunate run in with them. The Henson-ness, between the talking mice and the sensational make-up job with Huston, is the absolute best. Also, the mythology behind the witches really make them a lot of fun. They always itch their scalps and children smell like dog poop to them. This is just a fun romp in every sense of the word. Props to Rowan Atkinson's role for really spicing up the proceedings with his own sense of humor. B+ |