Al's Top Rated Films: 1992

Spectacular crime drama/thriller and the first fully written and directed film from Quentin Tarantino. The story follows a team of six criminals assembled by a major crime boss named Joe Cabot. They are given generic titles named after colors to keep things anonymous. He tasks them with robbing a recent shipment of diamonds that hits a local jewelry store, and things end up going terribly wrong. Mr. Brown is shot and killed by police, Mr. Orange gets shot in the gut, while Mr. White and Mr. Pink barely make it out alive and find their way back to the warehouse that is their rendezvous point. After arriving at the warehouse, they conclude that that must have a rat on the team, since it was obvious the police ambushed them. Tensions rise when the crazed and kill-happy Mr. Blonde arrives with a tortured policeman he captured. Intense paranoia starts to set in as they attempt to figure out which member of the gang sold them out to the police, which leads to a highly dramatic conclusion when Joe and his son Nice Guy Eddie arrive on the scene to handle the catastrophe. Classic and thrilling story from front to back, with gripping dialogue and interaction between all the actors. There's not a dull moment to be found. Tarantino completely reinvented the crime drama with this film. Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen arguably deliver their all-time greatest lead performances. They were all phenomenal. Tim Roth, Chris Penn, and Lawrence Tierney also had fantastic starring roles. Quentin Tarantino, Edward Bunker, Kirk Baltz, and Randy Brooks also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic drama from Martin Brest that follows a prep school student named Charlie Simms who attends a prestigious boys boarding school named Baird in Oregon. He decides to look for work over Thanksgiving to make some money, and accepts a job "babysitting" a retired Army Ranger Lieutenant named Colonel Frank Slade, who is blind and intensely difficult to reason with. Charlie reluctantly agrees as the family jets out of the house for some much needed time away from Frank. What is supposed to be a simple and boring babysitting job turns into Frank informing Charlie that they are flying to New York for their own mysterious Thanksgiving celebration. The story then turns into an eye-opening journey for the two as they learn about each other's life and struggles. Meanwhile, an incident concerning some of Charlie's peers back at school has him fearing expulsion, which Frank is able to help him with. Fantastic and powerful story with an iconic ending. Al Pacino arguably delivers his greatest performance. He was on-point throughout the film. The same could be said Chris O'Donnell's layered and complex lead performance. The two shared great chemistry. Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bradley Whitford all have great roles among the supporting cast. Hoo-ah!

Fantastic western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The story is set in 1880 Wyoming and follows an infamous gunfighter, widower, and farmer with two young children named William Munny. While he has retired from gunfighting, he's approached by a young gunfighter named The Schofield Kid who wants William's help killing two cowboys named Davey and Mike for committing a brutal crime. While he initially turns him down, he soon has second thoughts after struggling to make a living on his farm. So he comes out of retirement with the help of his old partner-in-crime, Ned Logan, and reluctantly takes one last bloody job that blurs the line between good and evil. Fantastic western in every respect, and arguably Clint Eastwood's best film of all time. His lead performance was fantastic along with the rest of his duties. There's no wonder why he won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best actor in a leading role. Gene Hackman's Oscar-winning performance as also fantastic, along with Morgan Freeman's excellent showing. Richard Harris and Jaimz Woolvett also had excellent starring roles. Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anna Thomson, Anthony James, Tara Frederick, Beverley Elliott, Liisa Repo-Martell, Shane Meier, Aline Levasseur, Jefferson Mappin, and several others also had great roles among the supporting cast.

Monumental historical biopic from Spike Lee on the life of controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, Malcolm X. The story is very detailed, starting with his father being murdered by the KKK in 1931, and his family being broken up by the authorities. That leads to a troubled childhood and directionless early adult-hood, which leads him to becoming a thief, drug-dealer, and a hustler under the umbrella of a big time numbers runner named West Indian Archie. He soon lands himself in prison, where he meets a Muslim man named Baines that reinvigorates his life by teaching him the Nation of Islam writings of Elijah Muhammad. He's released in 1952 and becomes Elijah Muhammad's protégé as he preaches his philosophy. However, when the Nation of Islam feels Malcolm is getting too much press and may be trying to take over the nation himself, deadly power struggles lead up to controversial struggles that leads to ill-fated assassination on February 21, 1965. The film runs is quite long at 3.5 hours in length, and is very entertaining and thought-provoking throughout. It brilliantly paints a picture of a flawed man who's made mistakes in his life and career, and does all he can to do the right thing and bring revolutionary change to the world. Denzel Washington arguably delivers his all-time best lead and most layered performance as Malcolm X. Angela Bassett, Al Freeman Jr., Albert Hall, and Delroy Lindo also had fantastic starring roles. Spike Lee, Kate Vernon, Theresa Randle, James McDaniel, Ernest Thomas, Giancarlo Esposito, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lonette McKee, Tommy Hollis, Debi Mazar, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Peter Boyle, Karen Allen, Christopher Plummer, Ossie Davis, and others also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic crime drama from James Foley and David Mamet set in 1983, and follows the cut-throat world of high-pressure real estate sales. The firm sends a top salesmen named Blake (Alec Baldwin) to motivate the office's four real estate agents to reach their sales goal. He offers prizes as incentives—first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado, second prize is a set of steak knives, and third prize is you're fired. The outlook for these salesman looks extremely bleak with the inferior leads they are forced to work with, which drives them to take desperate, disheartening, and immoral things to achieve success and keep their dreadfully terrible jobs. This film done incredibly well, and paints such a dark sense of hopelessness that one may expect in a high-pressure career such os theirs. The cast is phenomenal. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino (Oscar-nominated), Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, and Kevin Spacey are all at the top of their game delivering excellent lead performances. Alec Baldwin only appears for a few minutes, but gives one of the most memorable and hard-hitting speeches of the whole film. Jonathan Pryce, Jude Ciccolella, and Bruce Altman also had great supporting roles.

Excellent sports drama from Penny Marshall that presents the first female professional baseball league in 1943, which was created to help keep baseball alive while men were away fighting World War II. The story mainly follows Dottie Hinson and her young sister Kit, who are both excellent baseball players in their local Oregon farm-based fast-pitch softball league. An ill-mannered talent scout from the league sees them play and recruits them to the program. Struggles with rules, other players, coaches, and other obstacles faces each woman as all of their men are off fighting war. And a battle between sisters becomes inevitable when Dottie becomes the star of the league, which sets a fire under Kit, who feels her purpose for living is to play baseball. The writing, acting, and cinematography is superbly done throughout. It may be my favorite baseball film of all time. Geena Davis and Lori Petty all both deliver fantastic lead performances. Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell also deliver excellent starring roles. Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, Ann Cusack, Anne Ramsay, Freddie Simpson, Renée Coleman, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Don S. Davis, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent music-inspired comedy from Penelope Spheeris and Mike Myers. Since I'm an 80s baby and grew up with Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, this is probably my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live film. The story follows a fun-loving and hard-rocking underachiever named Wayne Campbell who lives with his parents and has a blast running his public-access cable TV show "Wayne's World" with his like-minded best friend, Garth Algar. The show has made them local celebrities in local concert venues, Stan Mikita Donuts cafe, and elsewhere around the city. Their popularity catches the attention of a television producer named Benjamin, who has corrupt plans to exploit the show and steal Wayne's girlfriend in the process. Excellent story and cast all around. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey both arguably deliver their all-time best lead performances. Tia Carrere and Rob Lowe also had excellent starring roles. Brian Doyle-Murray, Kurt Fuller, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ed O'Neill, Chris Farley, Alice Cooper, Lee Tergesen, Sean Sullivan, Colleen Camp, Meat Loaf, and several others have great supporting roles.

Hilarious crime comedy from Jonathan Lynn that follows a loud and abrasive New York attorney named Vinny Gambini who travels to a simple rural Alabama town with his fashionable big city wife Mona Lisa Vito, after his cousin Bill and his friend Stan are wrongly accused of murder. Locals don't take kindly to strangers causing trouble in their town, and the penalty is death if they are found guilty. Vinny has his work cut out for him with zero courtroom or murder case experience, which gets him into plenty of hot water with the judge who continues to pick on his appearance and lack of procedural knowledge. Excellent story, great dialogue, and a fantastic cast of unique and memorable characters. Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei delivered perfectly hysterical lead performances, and Fred Gwynne was absolutely perfect as Judge Chamberlain Haller. Lane Smith, Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield also had great starring roles. Bruce McGill, Austin Pendleton, James Rebhorn, Maury Chaykin, Paulene Myers, Raynor Scheine, Chris Ellis, Lou Walker, and others also had excellent supporting roles.

Excellent courtroom drama/thriller from Rob Reiner and Aaron Sorkin that follows a military lawyer named Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee that is tasked to defend two Marines accused of beating up and murdering another Marine named Private William Santiago. If they are found guilty, they face a court-martial. However, there are mysterious details that don't lineup with the information regarding whether or not the accused was acting under orders. Fantastic story and dialogue throughout, and one of the finest legal thrillers out there; as evidenced by its 4 Oscar nominations. The cast was fantastic. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson (Oscar nominated), and Demi Moore all delivered some of the best lead performances of their careers. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, Wolfgang Bodison, J.T. Walsh, Christopher Guest, J.A. Preston, Cuba Gooding Jr., Matt Craven, Xander Berkeley, John M. Jackson, Geoffrey Nauffts, and several others among the star-studded supporting cast delivered great roles.

Excellent western adapted from John Steinbeck's classic novel and just about the only film directed by Gary Sinise. The story is set in 1930s California during the Great Depression, and follows an educated nomadic farm worker named George Milton and his big and strong intellectually disabled partner Lennie as they look for work after fleeing their previous job where Lennie was wrongly accused of rape. They find work at the Tyler Ranch, and they both have big dreams of buying their own plot of land and raising rabbits. Things go great at first, but end up taking a terrifying turn when Lennie's strength and mental confusion lands him in a world of trouble. Excellent story all around, great dialogue, and just beautifully filmed all around. Gary Sinise arguably delivers his best lead performance, and his direction was fantastic. John Malkovich also delivers one of his greatest lead roles. Ray Walston, Casey Siemaszko, Sherilyn Fenn, John Terry, Joe Morton, Richard Riehle, and others also have great roles supporting roles.

Excellent comedy crime drama/mystery from Robert Altman that follows a hot-shot Hollywood film studio executive named Griffin Mill who has the power to make a writer's dream come true and turn their script it into a motion picture. One day he starts receiving threatening postcards from a resentful and vengeful writer who he rejected and never contacted again, and they don't stop. Finding the culprit isn't easy, since Griffin has rejected and disrespected so many writers in his tenor, and is already hated by so many. After fear starts to set in, he starts investigating the incidents himself, and ends up chasing the wrong man, which sets off a crazed plot-twisting set of events. Great writing, comedy, and drama all around. The amazing cast of famous actors was unique to see in one film, and was perfectly done throughout. No cameo felt wasted. Tim Robbins delivered one of his all-time best lead performances. Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Stevenson, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Stockwell, Richard E. Grant, Lyle Lovett, Dina Merrill, and many others has excellent supporting roles.

Fantastic drama that follows a daytime soap opera star (May-Alice) who gets in a car accident that leaves her a paraplegic. With her career over, she moves back to her family home in the bayous of Louisiana. She initially scares off a string of nurses from the agency working with her, due to her anger and depression, which is fueled by lots of alcohol. Chantelle is the last nurses to arrive. She's a single-mother and recovered cocaine addict who lied on her application to get the job, which she desperately needs to get custody of her daughter back. Throughout the picture, both woman struggle with their current and past demons as they make a true connection and become a guiding light for each other's futures. Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard both delivered their absolute best lead performances. They had great chemistry and interaction throughout. David Strathairn, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Angela Bassett, Maggie Renzi, Marianne Muellerleile, and Shauntisa Willis all had great supporting roles, among others.

Wildly fun sports comedy drama from Ron Shelton that follows a cocky black street basketball player named Sidney Deane who pairs up with a former college basketball player named Billy Hoyle who makes his living by hustling Sidney and other streetballers who assume that he can't play because he's white. The two team up to trick their opponents into thinking that all white boys are chumps on the court, and can't possibly compete. Billy ends up playing the chump card to his benefit as he and Sidney form a rocky partnership based on their abilities to hustle—while sometimes also hustling each other. Meanwhile, turmoil brews in the background with their respective romantic relationships. Nice drama mixes well with the plenty of hilarious comedy. Great story all around, and fairly underrated in my book. Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, and Rosie Perez all delivered excellent lead performances, and had great chemistry together. Tyra Ferrell, Kadeem Hardison, Ernest Harden Jr., Marques Johnson, and many others had great supporting roles.

Excellent drama from Robert Redford set in rural Montana 1910–1935, and follows two brothers who grow up alongside a strict and uncompromising Presbyterian minister father and devoted mother. Paul is the rebellious type and refuses to conform to society, and has his vices with liquor and gambling; while Norman is a reserved and disciplined man who aspires to be a literature professor and start a new life far away from Montana. Great story with well-developed characters and acting throughout, as evidenced by Richard Friedenberg's Oscar win for best screenplay. Craig Sheffer and Brad Pitt both delivered excellent lead performances. Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Lloyd, Edie McClurg, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephen Shellen, Susan Traylor, Vann Gravage, Michael Cudlitz, and others also had very nice supporting roles.

Excellent and very powerful crime drama from Neil Jordan that follows a British soldier named Jody who's been kidnapped and held hostage by Irish Republican Army terrorists, and is befriended by an IRA volunteer named Fergus that's guarding him, but also has great sympathy for predicament. When the mission takes a deadly turn and Jody is killed, Fergus escapes from the IRA to London and feels a responsibility to meet and look after Jody's wife, Dil. He eventually meets her and weaves his way into her life after finding her very attractive. But there's a heavy and revealing plot twist that completely changes the situation for them both. Very unique story with great writing and acting all around. Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, and Forest Whitaker all deliver excellent lead performances. Miranda Richardson also had a great starring role. Adrian Dunbar, Jim Broadbent, Ralph Brown, and Tony Slattery also have very nice supporting roles.

Excellent and underrated drama/thriller from Barbet Schroeder that follows a young New York City software designer named Allison who posts an ad for a new roommate after breaking up with her fiancé, Sam. She ends up meeting a like-minded girl named Hedra Carlson who would seemingly make a great roommate and would help her move on from her failed relationship. While Allison is excited at first, she quickly regrets taking Hedra in, as her intense jealousy and hostility erupts in crazed fashion. When she tries to part ways with Hedra and get back together with Sam, Hedra goes off the deep end. Great story, great dialogue, and excellent thrills throughout. I'm truly puzzled why this thriller doesn't get more attention. Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh both deliver fantastic lead performances. Steven Weber, Peter Friedman, Stephen Tobolowsky, Frances Bay, Jessica Lundy, Renée Estevez, and others also have nice roles among a solid supporting cast.

Excellent, intense, and vulgar crime drama/thriller from Abel Ferrara that follows an extremely crooked New York City police detective known as LT, who's investigating a young nun's rape. Meanwhile, he's completely preoccupied with his crack, cocaine, sexual escapades (some being underage), and gambling addictions, which finds him being a far worse criminal than anyone he's after in his crime-ridden territory. His behavior is intensified due to the massive debt he's built up with his bookies. He finally reaches a crossroads where he meets a moment of clarity, reflects on his chaotic lifestyle, and tries to find a way to redeem himself. Harvey Keitel holds nothing back, and he arguably delivers his all-time best lead performance. I can't imagine anyone better in such a vulgar role. Frankie Thorn, Zoë Lund, Paul Hipp, Peggy Gormley, Stella Keitel, Brian McElroy, Victor Argo, Paul Calderon, Bo Dietl, Vincent Laresca, Victoria Bastel, Fernando Véléz, Joseph Micheal Cruz, Eddie Daniels, Bianca Hunter, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent sports comedy drama/romance from Paul Michael Glaser that follows a wealthy and temperamental world-class figure skater named Kate Moseley who's forced to find a new partner after losing the pair skating event at the 1988 Winter Olympics with her previous partner. Her pompous and pretentious attitude to the whole situation scares off every competitive skater that fits the bill. After they reach the bottom of the list, they pair her up with a former star hockey player named Doug Dorsey who has the skills to get the job done. Many comical debacles take place as she reluctantly accepts the pairing and 4 years of training as the work to compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, they seemingly can't stand each other, but it's possible that opposites may attract. D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly both deliver may all-time favorite lead performances from them both. They has excellent comedic and romantic chemistry. Roy Dotrice, Terry O'Quinn, Dwier Brown, Chris Benson, Rachelle Ottley, Kevin Peeks, Barry Flatman, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent crime drama from Ernest R. Dickerson set in the gritty streets of Harlem in the early 1990s, and follows four best friends that reach a crossroads in their near adult lives. The story mainly follows an intelligent aspiring DJ named Quincy "Q" Powell and a DJ competition contest he's set to compete in. Eric "Steel" Thurman is kind a caring kid who sticks by Q. Roland Bishop has headed in a more violent and power-hungry position which collides with the last of the four, Raheem Porter, who is worried about Bishop's violence along with the others. Things heat up with Bishop when the others won't follow his lead to gain respect and power with violence and murder, and it puts all their lives in extreme risk as they learn about the man Bishop has become. Powerful story, great soundtrack, great acting, and very nicely done throughout. Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins, and Khalil Kain all deliver excellent lead performances. Vincent Laresca, Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah, Cindy Herron, Grace Garland, Eric Payne, and many others have nice supporting roles.

Excellent music-inspired comedy drama from Cameron Crowe set in heart of the grunge music scene in early 1990s Seattle. The story focuses on a young single environmentalist named Linda Powell who has been burned so many times in her previous relationships that she she'd prefer to be alone. That's until a charming man named Steve Dunne who's had similar experiences enters her life. They both fall in love, but it quickly turns very complicated. The story also follows a beautifully sweet young waitress named Janet Livermore who's obsessed with her grunge rock star boyfriend Cliff Poncier, while Cliff sees their relationship as being more casual. It also follows several other singles and potential couples, and speaks on the necessity of love and the freedom of living alone. Great story all around with great dialogue and clever character development. It was also awesome to see Eddie Vedder and other Pearl Jam members as actors, along with Chris Cornel, and musical appearances from Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, and Matt Dillon all deliver excellent lead performances. Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, Bill Pullman, James Le Gros, Ally Walker, Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, Tom Skerritt, Paul Giamatti, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent sequel to Home Alone (1990), which is one of my all-time favorite Christmas films. And I must say that this sequel is almost just as good. The story takes place 1 year after the first film, which finds Kevin losing his parents in a crowded airport and accidentally jumping on the wrong plane to New York City, while the rest of his family boards a plane to Florida. Kevin is shocked when he arrives in New York City, but soon realizes that he could have the greatest Christmas vacation all by himself. He's helped along by a credit card and a stack of cash that he found in his dad's bag he was carrying for him in the airport, and checks in the luxurious Plaza hotel and enjoys his vacation. However, one day he runs into his old enemies, the Wet Bandits, on the street. They have escaped from prison, and have plans to dispose of Kevin and knock off a lavish toy store on Christmas Eve...but not if Kevin can help it! It may be a cookie-cutter plot of the first film in many ways, but it's wildly entertaining and I watch it every year without fail. Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern all deliver excellent lead performances. Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Devin Ratray, Tim Curry, Brenda Fricker, Eddie Bracken, Rob Schneider, and others all had great roles among a solid supporting cast.

Excellent sequel to Tim Burton's fantastic reimagining of Batman (1989). This time we follow Bruce Wayne battling some new enemies. The first is corrupt businessman Max Schreck, who teams up with the horrifying and revolting Oswald Cobblepot (aka Penguin) to make him Mayor of Gotham, with plans to take down Batman once and for all. Meanwhile, a smoking hot vigilante named Selina Kylek (aka Catwoman) also teams up with Schreck and Penguin to put an end to Batman, but has a change of heart once she tries to complete her mission. Excellent sequel all around, which includes many of Tim Burton's signature touches. I remember this having a disturbing horror feel as a kid, since the Penguin is so repulsive and horrifying. Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Danny DeVito all deliver excellent lead performances. Christopher Walken also had a great starring role. Michael Gough, Cristi Conaway, Michael Murphy, Andrew Bryniarski, Vincent Schiavelli, Paul Reubens, Diane Salinger, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent sports-inspired family comedy drama from Stephen Herek that follows a cocky and egotistical lawyer named Gordon Bombay who's obsessed with winning, gets caught drinking and driving, and must serve community service by coaching the worst Pee Wee hockey league in Minnesota. He could care less about hockey and the kids, and is still focused on his court cases he plans to get back to soon. But he soon realizes others in the firm are taking over his cases, and becomes more discouraged. When he finally takes a genuine interest in a player named Charlie Conway, he starts to take being a coach seriously, and grows along with the rest of the team. This has always been a nostalgic favorite of mine and one of my all-time favorite hockey films. Emilio Estevez delivers arguably his best known lead performance, and I can't imagine anyone playing the role better. Joss Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Josef Sommer, Joshua Jackson, Vincent LaRusso, Elden Henson, Shaun Weiss, M.C. Gainey, Matt Doherty, Brandon Quintin Adams, Marguerite Moreau, and many others had great performances.

Underrated family comedy drama from Brian Levant that follows a lovable, drool-crazed, disorderly, and very intelligent St. Bernard that escapes from evil dog-nappers, and makes his way to the Newton family household in the suburbs. The wife and kids have wanted a dog forever, but the father George hates dogs, and insists they are "goldfish people". When he shows up, the entire family is thrilled (except for George) and they name him "Beethoven". George reluctantly ends up taking care of Beethoven in a series of hilarious debacles, as he predicted. However, when evil dog-nappers come back looking for Beethoven, George has a change of heart after his life is put at risk. Fun and touching story all around with a great cast. Charles Grodin delivers on of my favorite lead performances of all time as George. It's the role I'll forever remember him by. Bonnie Hunt, Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, and Sarah Rose Karr also had excellent starring roles, along with Beethoven himself. Dean Jones, Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt, David Duchovny, Patricia Heaton, O-Lan Jones, and many others had great supporting roles.

Hilarious high-school comedy from Les Mayfield and one of my favorite nostalgic comedies of the 1990s. The story follows two high-school rejects and best friends named Dave and Stoney that stumble upon an ice-encrusted caveman in their backyard while digging a homemade swimming pool. After thawing him out and reviving him, they get the idea that they will become the most popular guys in school with the fortune and fame discovering a caveman could bring. They clean him up, name him Link, and enroll him in all their high school classes. He inadvertently ends up being loved by everyone and becoming the coolest guy in school. Dave and Stoney attempt to ride off his coattails of popularity, but tensions heats up when Link's mystery is exposed. Great story and a great soundtrack to boot. Sean Astin, Brendan Fraser, and Pauly Shore were the coolest guys to me when I saw this movie at age 11, and I still enjoy it today. They delivered excellent lead performances. Megan Ward, Michael DeLuise, Robin Tunney, Richard Masur, Mariette Hartley, Ke Huy Quan, and others also had great supporting roles.

Hilarious and underrated comedy adventure from Thom Eberhardt that follows the Chicago Harvey family as they embark on a vacation to the Caribbean Islands. They end up hiring a laid-back one-eyed legendary sailor named Captain Ron to lead them on a voyage to Miami in an old yacht the family recently inherited. Many things comically go wrong with the ship, and Captain Ron is far from an expert sailor—let alone a competent one. But through all the heartache and catastrophes, the family grows closer than they've ever been before. Hilarious story with a great cast. I'm often puzzled why this movie is rated so low, since Kurt Russell delivers one of his funniest and best lead performances. I'd have to say the same for Martin Short. Mary Kay Place, Benjamin Salisbury, and Meadow Sisto also had great starring roles among a solid supporting cast.

Excellent drama from Robert Mandel set in 1959, and follows a working-class Jewish 17-year-old star quarterback named David Greene who receives a scholarship to a prestigious Massachusetts prep school named St. Matthew's Academy, and one day hopes to attend Harvard. When one of his classmates finds out he's Jewish, all of his wealthy, spoiled, and prejudice Evangelical peers don't see him to be an equal, which leads to violence and alienation. Things get even more heated when David finds one of the students cheating on a test, which divides the school. Very well written and acted throughout and presents a great star-studded cast. Brendan Fraser, and Matt Damon both have excellent lead performances. Chris O'Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, Amy Locane, Kevin Tighe, Anthony Rapp, Zeljko Ivanek, Michael Higgins, Ed Lauter, and many others had great supporting roles.

Great crime comedy drama/mystery from Phil Alden Robinson that follows a veteran hacker named Martin Bishop who has a team of experts who specialize in testing security systems, when he's blackmailed by National Security Agency officers to steal a code-breaking device to break through top security encryption. In return, they will pay Martin and his team a cool $175,000. However, after they discover the device they are being paid to steal would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands while also learning the NSA agents they're working for aren't part of the NSA at all, it puts them all at risk, as these mysterious agents have devious plans for Martin and his entire crew. Clever plot with nice writing and acting from the excellent star-studded cast. Robert Redford delivered an excellent lead performance. Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell, and Ben Kingsley also had great starring roles. Stephen Tobolowsky, Timothy Busfield, James Earl Jones, Eddie Jones, Donal Logue, Lee Garlington, and others also had very nice supporting roles.

Excellent drama from Richard Donner that follows a father named Mike who recounts a story of a dark, disturbing, and magical time of his childhood when he, his younger brother Bobby, and their single mother Mary relocates from New Jersey to a small California town after her husband deserted the family in 1969. Things start out great, but quickly turns grim when she starts dating a heavy-drinking man they call "The King" and feels completely trapped in the relationship. And when he gets drunk, Bobby becomes the focus of his beatings and abuse. Not knowing any real world way to fix the problem, Mike and Bobby decide to transform their toy Radio Flyer wagon into a make-shift aircraft to fly Bobby to a far away land where he'll be safe. As a kid, this was a pretty disturbing drama with the dark interactions with The King. Great story and well acted throughout. Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazzello both deliver excellent lead performances. Lorraine Bracco also had a great starring role. Adam Baldwin, John Heard, and others also had nice supporting roles.

Excellent conclusion the wrap up a solid sci-fi family comedy drama trilogy. When Dr. Carson and his android son Chip are at a robotics convention, Dr. Carson is kidnapped and replaced with a fake android Dr. Carson by a wealthy and corrupt businessman named Dr. Frederick Berrigon, who's looking to acquire his knowledge and secrets to android technology. Chip witnesses the swap and reprograms the android into partner to help find his real dad. I just loved these movies as a kid, and I keep hoping they'll be released again someday. I probably watched this film the most of the three as a kid. Jay Underwood and Alan Thicke deliver great lead performances once again. Christopher Neame, Rosa Nevin, Adam Philipson, and Betsy Palmer also had very nice supporting roles.

Classic Disney animated comedy adventure from Ron Clements and John Musker that follows a young troubled thief named Aladdin who lives in the streets and stumbles upon a magic oil lamp from the Cave of Wonders. The lamp contains a jolly and fun-loving genie who's personal wish is to have freedom. He soon learns that the Sultan's evil advisor Jafar has sinister pans for the lamp, Aladdin, and Princess Jasmine. This film won 2 Oscars and is undoubtedly a Disney classic. It's very well done through and through, but it just isn't one of my favorite Disney films. Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, and Jonathan Freeman all delivered great lead performances. Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Charlie Adler, Corey Burton, Jim Cummings, and many others also had very nice supporting roles.

Solid sequel in the Lethal Weapon saga, even if I do feel it's the weakest of the four films. That said, it's still plenty of fun and is definitely worth watching. Richard Donner handles the direction once again, and this time we follow Los Angeles police sergeants Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs as they investigate a former Los Angeles police lieutenant who's using his inside info to sell confiscated guns on the black market. The film is solid and has nice action and solid acting throughout, but the story is forgettable compared to the other three Lethal Weapon films in my book. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover deliver great lead roles as usual. Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Stuart Wilson, Steve Kahan, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Damon Hines, Ebonie Smith, Gregory Millar, Nick Chinlund, Mary Ellen Trainor, and many others had solid supporting roles.