The Year in Review- 1982

   It was the year audiences met two of the most benevolent figures of all time- Spielberg's cuddly alien and Gandhi. Harrison Ford may or may not have been an android, Hoffman wore a dress, and Streep became the new gold standard. Stallone ran through the jungle and some real estate company built houses on an Indian burial ground(never do that). Here are the ten best films in order for 1982.

1. "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial"(1982)

The most financially successful film of the 1980s BY FAR and easily one of the best was Steven Spielberg's heartwarming and semi-autobiographical tale of a fatherless boy and a stranded alien. The legendary director's instincts and Midas touch when it came to producing all-ages entertainment during this period was nothing short of extraordinary. Ten year old Henry Thomas is sensitive and moving as our young protagonist Elliot, Drew Barrymore's adorable Gertie is why moviegoers stuck with her for so long, and E.T. himself is one of the most memorable creations ever committed to celluloid. This wrinkled puppet gave Yoda a serious run for his money(watch out for that Halloween cameo!) and John Williams' magnificent score lifts this timeless story of friendship and love to heights few movies ever come close to.

 

2. "Gandhi"(1982)
Director Richard Attenborough's fascinating and ambitious biopic is over three hours long, but this is one subject worthy of the investment. The sweeping story covers Gandhi's life from his rise to prominence as an equal rights activist in 1893 to the 1948 assassination and funeral of the saintly leader who led India to freedom from British opposition and occupation through nonviolence. The film is loaded with intelligent insight into colonial and post-colonial life in India and at the center of this epic production is an amazing and utterly convincing performance by Ben Kingsley. One scene contains over 300,000 extras- a record sure to remain unsurpassed in today's CGI-heavy climate. The rewards for such all-around excellence were the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Actor, and Director.

 

3. "Blade Runner"(1982)

Ridley Scott's visually stunning sci-fi classic has probably grown in stature more than any movie in the last thirty years. The fact that it bombed at the box office doesn't seem to matter one bit, as an ever-increasing legion of fans extol the film's virtues, leading to a seemingly endless array of DVD re-releases, and it's current position at the top of most lists ranking the best films in the genre. Harrison Ford, one year removed from "Raiders", continued his rise as Hollywood's premier leading man in the role of Deckard, the hard-boiled detective assigned to track down sinister 'replicants' in the bleak Los Angeles of 2019. Rutger Hauer achieved lifelong cult status as violent ringleader Roy Batty, but this has clearly become MUCH more than a cult movie, as Scott himself recently revealed that a sequel is in the works.

 

4. "Sophie's Choice"(1982)

The incomparable Meryl Streep took a quantum leap ahead of just about every female who ever acted for a living with her haunting and unforgettable portrayal of a guilt-stricken survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. With her subtle mannerisms and flawless Polish accent, Streep's tragic heroine is what got all that 'greatest actress in the world' talk started, making her second Oscar win a foregone conclusion(the first came for "Kramer vs. Kramer"). Writer-director Alan J. Pakula may spend a little too much time on Sophie's 1947-set triangle with temperamental lover Nathan(a debuting Kevin Kline) and timid neighbor/confidant Stingo(Peter MacNicol), but his Holocaust flashbacks have undeniable power. 

5. "Tootsie"(1982)

Dustin Hoffman is delightfully self-aware and humane as an unemployable NYC actor who takes drastic action to save his career in director Sydney Pollack's hugely successful comedy. Michael Dorsey dresses in drag to land a job on a soap opera, and eventually becomes a better man through his experiences as an assertive middle-aged Southern woman. Dorothy Michaels is definitely one of Hoffman's acting triumphs, and that's really saying something. Best Supporting Actress Jessica Lange and Teri Garr are both terrific as the confused real women in his life. A great script by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and Dave Grusin's music helped make "Tootsie" the early '80s equivalent of "Some Like It Hot".
 

  

6. "First Blood"(1982)
Nineteen-eighty-two was an incredible year for Sylvester Stallone, as he launched his OTHER iconic franchise character(more on that a little later). The larger-than-life iconography of the "Rambo" sequels have caused some to forget that this low-budget intro is legitimately a fantastic movie. Stallone set the tone for the rest of his career with the quiet intensity he brought to a brooding ex-Green Beret that wages a retaliatory one-man guerrilla war against Brian Dennehy and his dastardly redneck cops in the Washington mountains and woods. Richard Crenna is rock-solid support as his former commanding officer, and Ted Kotcheff's direction is taut and energetic. Jerry Goldsmith's moody, underrated score is icing on the cake.

7. "The Verdict"(1982)
The late, great Paul Newman gave us many roles to cherish throughout his storied onscreen life and his alcoholic ambulance-chaser Frank Galvin deserves to get mentioned in the same breath as Luke, Butch Cassidy and "Fast" Eddie Felson. Director Sidney Lumet(we miss him, too) had a real knack for depicting lone idealists and this is his spiritual sequel to "12 Angry Men". Galvin gets a shot at redemption via a medical malpractice suit that sparks a crusade to expose a Catholic hospital's negligence in the case of a comatose woman. A nuanced Newman thoroughly engages during the tense proceedings, rewarding patient viewers at the conclusion of this classy, intelligent gem.

 

8. "An Officer and a Gentleman"(1982)
This unabashedly sentimental yet effective romantic drama established Richard Gere as a perennial favorite among the fairer sex, but it's also one of the few films on his resume that the male gender won't object to. That's because Gere's hard-luck Navy recruit endures hellish boot camp and Louis Gossett Jr.'s Oscar-winning, brass-balls drill instructor. He soon falls for the ever-underrated Debra Winger's local factory girl, and I dare you not to cheer as she gets swept off her feet to that swelling theme song in the famous ending(pictured above) that just shouldn't work, but somehow, it just does.

9. "48 Hrs."(1982)
Has there ever been a more assured, impressive film debut than that of a 22 year old Eddie Murphy in this hilariously profane sleeper hit? The whip-smart SNL sensation struts around like movie stardom is his birthright, and the irresistibly cocky persona he created during his formative years was enough to(mostly) forgive all those family-friendly misfires that came later. Nick Nolte is the perfect contrast as the tired, gruff San Francisco police detective who springs Murphy's quick-witted convict from jail to help him catch two vicious cop killers. Director Walter Hill matched the verbal fireworks with bursts of action to unofficially kickoff the modern buddy film. They all reunited for the 1990 sequel "Another 48 Hrs.", which had more violence but fewer laughs.

10(tie). "Poltergeist"(1982)
I wasn't kidding when I said everything Spielberg touched turned to gold for much of the Reagan era. But legend has it that he did a little more than just touch this franchise-starting haunted house hit. There have been persistent rumors that he directed it on top of his producing/screenwriting duties, and that Tobe Hooper("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") was only credited to avoid conflict with Universal while he was supposed to be hard at work on "E.T."! The quality scares and impressive visuals on display here certainly back up those claims. Regardless, this suburban shocker delivered the goods and (briefly) offset a crummy genre quickly degenerating into cash-grab sequels.

10(tie). "Rocky III"(1982)
I might as well just come right out and say it. I'm a huge "Rocky" fan. The Oscar-winning 1976 original is indisputably the best, but the entertainment value of this second sequel is off the charts in everything from the opening 'Eye of the Tiger' montage to Carl Weathers' beach attire. After a charity tussle with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, the Italian Stallion must contend with the malicious taunts and sledgehammer fists of the ferocious Mr. T. "RIII" represents the exact point in time that Sylvester Stallone became the ridiculously ripped symbol of '80s machismo and a cable mainstay. It's 99 minutes of sports movie nirvana.

Honorable Mentions- "Personal Best"(1982) Lesbianism and female athletics. "Barbarosa"(1982) Gary Busey and Willie Nelson roam the West. "The Border"(1982) Jack Nicholson chases illegal immigrants. "Diner"(1982) Barry Levinson's Baltimore-set tale of male friendship in '59. "Deathtrap"(1982) Michael Caine and Chris Reeve are rival playwrights in this Sidney Lumet pic. "I Ought to Be in Pictures"(1982) Walter Matthua livens up another Neil Simon talk-fest. "Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip"(1982) We don't do enough fucking in America. "Victor/Victoria"(1982) Julie Andrews changes sexes in Blake Edwards' acclaimed musical. "Annie"(1982) John Huston's musical remains ideal family viewing. "The Thing"(1982) The best Kurt Russell-John Carpenter collaboration. "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid"(1982) Steve Martin spoofs the b&w 1940s with director Carl Reiner.

"Firefox"(1982) Clint Eastwood is a daring fighter pilot. "Conan the Barbarian"(1982) Arnold Schwarzenegger swings a sword in his first starring role. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"(1982) The Enterprise crew finds their big screen mojo. "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy"(1982) Woody Allen wants Mia Farrow AND Mary Steenburgen. "Night Shift"(1982) Michael Keaton enters our lives. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"(1982) Amy Heckerling's classic teen comedy. "The Beastmaster"(1982) This mainstay of '80s cable is the textbook definition of a guilty pleasure. "The World According to Garp"(1982) Robin Williams wins over the critics. "The Entity"(1982) Unexplainable things happen to Barbara Hershey in this hidden horror gem. "Honkytonk Man"(1982) Clint Eastwood as a Depression-era country music star. "Six Weeks"(1982) Dudley Moore and Mary Tyler Moore in an amiable tearjerker. "Best Friends"(1982) Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds are screenwriting newlyweds in this inoffensive romcom. "Kiss Me Goodbye"(1982) Sally Field is torn between James Caan and Jeff Bridges in an otherworldly love triangle. "Frances"(1982) Big year for Jessica Lange.

R.I.P Roger Ebert 1942-2013

   On April 4th, legendary film critic Roger Ebert passed away after a long battle with thyroid cancer. It was a sad day that left a huge void in the profession that I first became aware of at ten years old. "Wait a minute, you can ACTUALLY get paid to give your opinions about movies?" It seemed to good to be true. But even if I were to ever join the professional ranks, I couldn't possibly match Ebert's contributions. Next to Pauline Kael, he was without question the most famous and influential film journalist of all time. He definitely influenced me. I probably wouldn't be writing blogs about movies if the rotund Illinois native hadn't done so much to pioneer the art of film criticism. He started his career in 1967 with the Chicago Sun Times, published more than 20 books, and became the only critic to ever win a Pulitzer prize. In 1975, he started reviewing movies on television with his Windy City rival Gene Siskel. For nearly two-and-a-half decades, this dynamic duo bickered as they broke down every new release, and their trademark endorsement of 'Two Thumbs Up" entered the public lexicon. Sadly, Siskel died of a brain tumor in 1999. Richard Roeper took his seat on the balcony in 2000 and the show went on for several more years. Roger's health rapidly deteriorated in 2006. He never stopped writing reviews, but was unable to do the show anymore and it was ultimately cancelled in 2010 after a series of stuffy stand-ins had failed to click with the masses. Nobody else has ever been able to launch a successful movie review show.

    Ebert reminded me to never judge a movie based on what it's about. A good movie can be made about any subject, and good movies are never depressing. Only bad ones are. He detested the star rating system. Just because two movies get the same star rating doesn't mean that they're on the same level. Film is too complex for such simplicity. Movies and politics are two subjects that everybody THINKS they know about, but most people know nothing about either one, and movies are at least as complex as politics. Maybe even more so. We're talking about a medium that has existed for almost 100 years and a man that dedicated his life to studying every genre as well as countless actors, writers and directors. But despite a wealth of knowledge, he was never pretentious or alienating. He recognized when a film was weighty and 'important', yet never dismissed 'entertainment'. His list of 'Great Movies' included "Citizen Kane" AND "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". He loved "Schindler's List" AND "Indiana Jones", and when the likes of Rob Schneider needed to be dealt with on the flip side, he could handle that, too.

   Some people don't give a damn about film criticism. They never refine their tastes. They like what they like, and are unapologetic about it. These are the same people that will line up for the sixth installment of "Fast & the Furious" and "The Hangover Part III" on Memorial Day weekend. We should never discriminate against people, but we MUST discriminate when it comes to movies. There's simply too must crap that isn't worth our time and money. If we stop funding so much crap, Hollywood might produce less of it. I don't know, it's just a wild theory. I doubt I would be thinking this way if it wasn't for this bespectacled scholar and his iconic thumb. Thanks for the education, Roger.

The Year in Review- 1994

   It was the year Tom Hanks made history as a Southern fried simpleton and Tarantino gave John Travolta's career(and the entire film industry) a shot of adrenaline. There was a bomb on a bus, a cartoon lion was King and Jim Carrey became the new king of comedy. Cruise and Pitt were hunky vampires, Mickey and Mallory were every bit as bloodthirtsy and a lifelong bond was forged behind prison walls. Here are the ten best films in order for 1994.

1. "Forrest Gump"(1994)
Tom Hanks was unquestionably THE actor of the '90s. You'd be hard-pressed to find any actor at ANY time that had a better run than Hanks did during the Clinton era. From 1992-2002, he didn't make one false step, and the clearest illustration of his infinite likability is this seminal crowd-pleaser. He's simply magical in a role that I can't imagine anyone else pulling off with nearly the same results(everyone forgets what a risky proposition this character was). I'm surprised that so many misread the true intention of Robert Zemeckis and Eric Roth's adapted screenplay. It's not about politics, or U.S. history, or special effects, or the mentally challenged. This wholesome, heartwarming fable is simply metaphor for life and how luck plays a greater role in shaping our destiny than most of us care to admit. "Gump" was a genuine phenomenon that dominated the summer '94 box office, gave us several immortal catchphrases and won the Oscars for Best Picture, Actor, and Director(Zemeckis). And the only reason anybody has a problem with that is because it beat the next two movies on this list.

2. "Pulp Fiction"(1994)
Quentin Tarantino's landmark crime drama is still a joy to behold. Hugely inventive and influential, this mesmerizing tale marked the true arrival of it's brash writer-director who'd spent the previous two years kick-starting the indie film movement, breaking all the rules of conventional cinema and taking Hollywood by storm. QT became a rock star following the release of "PF" with a rash of imitators trying(and failing) to replicate his signature style. In Tarantino-land, literally anything CAN and WILL happen. Fading superstars John Travolta and Bruce Willis were completely reinvigorated in career-saving comeback roles, while previous bit players Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman became household names. It lost at the Oscars. It doesn't matter. This film may define the '90s more than any other.

3. "The Shawshank Redemption"(1994)
Writer-director Frank Darabont's touching prison drama, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella, about the friendship between two convicts(Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) is a rare and special case. The story of hope and the survival of the human spirit under harsh conditions bombed at the box office, yet near-constant airings on basic cable have transformed this modest Oscar underdog into a huge favorite. It's since been called one of the greatest movies of all time. Now, I'm not trying to dispute it's lofty place in pop culture, but I'm begging for a little perspective here. How many "great" films have the voters on IMDB actually seen? I love "Shawshank", it's a classic, it's also #3 on this list(below "Gump" and "Pulp", mind you). Somebody had to knock it down a little.

4. "The Lion King"(1994)
"Hakuna Matata!" Disney's old-school animation Renassaince(1989-1999) definitely peaked with this wildly popular tale of a lion cub's coming-of-age, that came in a close second to "Forrest Gump" in a fiercely-competitive summer movie season. It's a grand spectacle that thoroughly entertained children and adults alike with humor, lush hand-drawn visuals, and Oscar-winning music by Hans Zimmer, Tim Rice, and Elton John. The large and talented voice cast includes Mathew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Robert Guillaume, and Cheech Marin.

5. "Speed"(1994)
It was a sad day for Sly and Arnold when slender stud Keanu Reeves was embraced as an action star. "Point Break" paved the way for daredevil SWAT cop Jack Traven to race around Los Angeles to stop the diabolical Dennis Hopper from terrorizing the city with his innovative use of explosives. It may be "Die Hard" on a bus, but the rip-roaring directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Jan De Bont is brilliant in it's simplicity and execution. A strong argument could be made that "Speed" did even more for Sandra Bullock than it did for Reeves, as she maximized her plucky girl next door persona to challenge Julia Roberts as America's Sweetheart. Don't let that unfortunate sequel cloud your judgment. This is one of the best rides of the decade.

6. "Ed Wood"(1994)
It's ironic that Tim Burton's affectionate look at the 'worst director of all time', turned out to be the best film of his eight collaborations with his favorite leading man Johnny Depp. Burton focuses on Wood's eccentricities and unwarranted belief in his own talents, as he fought to produce a string of increasingly dire horror films in the 1950s such as "Glen or Glenda?" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Depp enthusiastically attacks the title role, while Martin Landau took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Bela Lugosi, the aging, washed-up star of Wood's most infamous productions. Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, and Bill Murray also appear in this black-and-white homage to a true cult hero.

7. "Quiz Show"(1994)
This smart, well-written historical drama chronicles the game show scandal of the late 1950s and sits right next to "Ordinary People" in the rankings of Robert Redford's directorial efforts. TV was becoming a big business in the aftermath of "I Love Lucy", as networks, producers, and sponsors scrambled for the next ratings draw. The three main contestants in this battle for televised integrity- John Turturro's jittery whistleblowing bookworm, Ralph Fiennes as his handsome, charismatic rival, and Rob Morrow of "Northern Exposure" fame, as the righteous Congressional investigator. David Paymer, Paul Scofield, Hank Azaria, and Christopher McDonald all contribute in supporting roles. Unlike Charles Van Doren, "Show" didn't make much money sandwiched between "Gump" and "Pulp", but is still a damn fine film.

"Thanks, but I'm gonna have to pass on that Scientology Center invite".

8. "Interview with the Vampire"(1994)
Long before "Twilight" cast a spell on a generation of preteen girls, the two heavyweight heartthrobs pictured above were the best known vampires to hit the big screen. Author Anne Rice strongly objected to the casting of the normally clean cut Cruise as her literary creation, the seductive bloodsucker Lestat. That was until she saw the movie. Tom more than did the role justice, and passed celluloid immortality unto his rapidly rising co-star Brad Pitt, but they're both nearly upstaged by Kirsten Dunst, who never bettered her performance as child vampire Claudia. With a cast this good(Christian Slater and Antonio Banderas are thrown in for good measure), Neil Jordan's stylish thriller goes for the throat.

9. "True Lies"(1994)
Arnold Schwarzenegger's last solid hit for a long while came courtesy of the man who made him a box office giant in the first place- action extraordinaire James Cameron. Before he became obsessed with the ocean, the soon-to-be King of the World wrote and directed another mega-budgeted extravaganza with his "Terminator" star and the public ate it up. Humor was an integral ingredient in this Bond-style adventure(Tom Arnold and Bill Paxton are both hilarious) and the transformation of Jamie Lee Curtis from oblivious wife to sexy sidekick can't be understated. Her hotel-room striptease ranks as high as any explosive set-piece.

The Year in Review- 1988

   It was the year Bruce Willis changed the face of action cinema forever and Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman bonded all the way to the Academy Awards. Tom Hanks got big, Bob Zemeckis took us to Toontown, and Robert De Niro bickered with Charles Grodin. Martin Scorsese tackled Christ, Kevin Costner took up baseball, and Michelle Pfeiffer was pfantastic. Here are the ten best films in order for 1988.

1. "Die Hard"(1988)
The best movies tend to come without warning, and NOBODY saw this one coming. Wait a minute, Bruno from "Moonlighting" made the greatest action movie EVER?! You better believe it. Sly and Arnold were regularly blowing stuff up at the multiplex as the champions of the Reagan era, but there was something about John McClane that just resonated with the testosterone-loving masses even more. Unlike those superhuman musclemen, McClane is very human, and Bruce is terrific as the working-class East Coast cop whose always in the wrong place at the right time. Alan Rickman is the perfect foil as the icy, cultured leader of a group of terrorist-robbers holding thirty hostages in L.A.'s Nakatomi Corporation on Christmas Eve. Director John McTiernan kept ratcheting up the tension and excitement, working wonders with the claustrophobic setting that gave virtually every action filmmaker a new blueprint to work from, while Willis became a certified leading man that would 'Yippe-kay-ay' in four sequels of varying quality.

2. "Rain Man"(1988)
Dustin Hoffman's virtuoso performance dominates this enormously successful Best Picture winner. It's so rare to see a film that scoops up major awards AND tops the box office for weeks but this effective and affecting drama did the trick(Judge Wapner's ratings went up, too). Hoffman doesn't make one false move in his characterization of autistic savant and human calculator Raymond Babbitt, which made it easy to overlook Tom Cruise's leap from megastar heartthrob to formidable actor in his own right(something his other '88 release "Cocktail" failed to achieve). Their amazing chemistry and unlikely bond kept audiences coming back to this unusual road trip and Barry Levinson deservedly took home the Best Director Oscar for balancing fine humor with subtle emotion.

3. "Dangerous Liaisons"(1988)
The setting may be 18th Century France, but director Stephen Frears' elegant costume drama is SO contemporary that it was easily modernized in 1999's "Cruel Intentions", and would have likely won Best Picture if Dustin Hoffman hadn't been counting cards that very same month. John Malkovich built a reputation off his role as the rakish Valmont who accepts the challenge of his equally icy cohort Glenn Close to seduce the married and virtuous Madam De Tourvel(Michelle Pfeiffer). The results are as sensual as they are tragic, with the added bonus of seeing younglings Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves earning their apprenticeships as well. With so much great dialogue and superb acting on display, you don't have to be a professional critic or a stuffy film scholar to fall for this classy gem.

4. "Big"(1988)
Tom Hanks lights up the screen in one of the most pleasant surprises of the late '80s. When a twelve year old boy makes a wish to be an adult on a magical fortune-telling machine at a carnival, he wakes up the next morning to discover his wish has been granted. After turning overnight into one of Hollywood's most lovable actors, he runs off to the big city and he lands a lucrative job at a major toy company where he falls for executive Elizabeth Perkins. This charming comic fantasy is expertly directed by Penny Marshall and brilliantly acted by Hanks- he is perfect as a child trapped in a man's body. If you think that's an easy thing to do, you can check out some of the other body-switching comedies from the same time period("Like Father Like Son", "Vice Versa"). Or you could just take my word for it.

5. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"(1988) Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg's most talented disciple, followed up his decade-defining megahit "Back to the Future" with another huge summer crowd-pleaser. This technological breakthrough ambitiously combined live-action and animation in seamless fashion. Bob Hoskins is our human anchor as a down-and-out detective in 1947 Los Angeles who reluctantly takes jobs involving 'Toons'. The film noir-styled plot finds him paired up with a particularly lively 'toon Roger Rabbit(voiced by Charles Fleischer) falsely accused of murder. Nearly every Golden Age cartoon character is present and accounted for in this magical production. Where else are you going to see a Disney/WB merger with Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Donald and Daffy Duck? How about Kathleen Turner's ravishing Jessica Rabbit?? I still can't believe they never made a sequel.

6. "Midnight Run"(1988)
Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin made a highly entertaining odd couple in this exceptional action comedy about an ex-cop turned bounty hunter who will collect $100 grand if he can deliver a fussy mob accountant from NY to L.A. in four days. There's just a few difficulties- they can't fly, and the mob, the FBI, and a rival bounty hunter(John Ashton)are hot on their trail. De Niro's legendary ability to fully immerse himself in every character made Jack Walsh feel like a real guy with a real history, lending the film a surprising depth it wouldn't have had otherwise, while director Martin Brest handles the combination of laughs and gun-play just as well as he did in "Beverly Hills Cop".

7. "The Last Temptation of Christ"(1988)
Long before Mel Gibson courted controversy and broke box office records, Martin Scorsese did the same(or at least the first part) albeit to a much lesser degree with his own biblical epic. Jesus, as played by Willem Dafoe, is presented with many weaknesses as he struggles with doubt, lust and guilt before summoning the incredible strength to fulfill his destiny. There's just no way this type of film isn't going to have it's detractors, but Scorsese was up for the challenge and his treatment of the material isn't lacking in power or passion. The strong supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, and David Bowie.

8. "Bull Durham"(1988)
Ron Shelton's directorial debut(that he also wrote) is an affectionate, funny look at minor league baseball, based on his own personal experiences as an aspiring infielder from 1967-71. Kevin Costner was perfectly cast as an aging catcher brought to North Carolina to mentor a dimwitted rookie pitcher, played by Tim Robbins in his breakthrough role- but this summer sleeper just may belong to Susan Sarandon, whose sultry groupie set her up for an A-list '90s run. The enduring appeal of the Durham Bulls was illustrated by Sports Illustrated- they put it at #1 on their list of fifty greatest sports movies in 2003. That's certainly debatable, here's a few things that aren't- Costner was never cooler, Sarandon was never hotter, and America's favorite pastime has rarely been this fun on screen.

9. "The Accused"(1988)
A 25 year old Jodie Foster loudly announced her arrival as a formidable grown-up with this Best Actress Oscar-winning triumph as a low rent party girl turned gang-rape victim. A top-billed Kelly McGillis of "Top Gun" fame, is solid in her good role as the young prosecutor that sets out to not only convict Foster's assailants but those who cheered them on as well(Leo Rossi is an all-time slimeball). Director Jonathan Kaplan wisely teased out the infamous barroom pinball machine attack that we finally see in a harrowing flashback sequence. That grim highlight coupled with some tense courtroom testimony makes this a dark but compelling tale.

10(tie). "Married to the Mob"(1988)
Jodie Foster took home the gold, but has ANY actress ever shone more brightly than Michelle Pfeiffer in 1988? Five years after Brian De Palma gift wrapped her to the collective male psyche in "Scarface", the thirty-year old stunner wouldn't be denied A-list status with a trio of wildly different roles that were all well-received by critics AND audiences("DL" and "Tequila Sunrise" both dropped in December). In this cinematic precursor to VH1's "Mob Wives", Pfeiffer is as engaging as she is gorgeous as Angela De Marco, who leaves the Family to live a poor-but-honest-life in NYC after her hit-man husband(Alec Baldwin) gets whacked. Basic cable omnipresence was bestowed upon this quirky comedic gem and it's game supporting cast(Dean Stockwell, Matthew Modine, Mercedes Ruehl) that set director Johnathan Demme up to make "The Silence of the Lambs".

10(tie). "Mississippi Burning"(1988)
Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe(busy year for both) are mismatched FBI agents investigating the murders of three civil rights workers in the racially-charged Mississippi of 1964 in "Midnight Express" director Alan Parker's taut dramatization. The buttoned-up pair get strong support from Frances McDormand's repressed housewife and a murderer's row of creepy character actors- Brad Dourif, Michael Rooker, R. Lee Ermey, and Stephen Tobolowsky. Hackman's quiet authority is the sturdy center of this Oscar contender, but "Burning" isn't exactly burned in the collective consciousness, despite Roger Ebert declaring it the best film of 1988(he wasn't that far off). It happens, and that's why I write this blog. These horrors shouldn't be forgotten.

Honorable Mentions- "Braddock: Missing in Action III"(1988) Chuck Norris makes it a trilogy. "She's Having a Baby"(1988) Kevin Bacon freaks out over fatherhood in this John Hughes joint. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"(1988) Daniel Day-Lewis in 1968 Czechoslovakia. "Frantic"(1988) Harrison Ford and Roman Polanski unite in Paris. "Masquerade"(1988) Rob Lowe, Meg Tilly, and Kim Cattrall heat up this erotic thriller. "Biloxi Blues"(1988) Mathew Broderick joins the Army. "Mystic Pizza"(1988) Julia Roberts enters our lives. "Vice Versa"(1988) Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage jump on the body-switching bandwagon. "18 Again!"(1988) So did George Burns. "Stand and Deliver"(1988) Edward James Olmos was an Oscar nominee. "Beetlejuice"(1988) Michael Keaton meets Tim Burton. "Colors"(1988) Sean Penn and Robert Duvall are cop partners in South Central, L.A. "The Milagro Beanfield War"(1988) Robert Redford directs a big cast in New Mexico. "Rambo III"(1988) A ripped Sly Stallone tears through Soviet-occupied Afghanistan.

"Crocodile Dundee II"(1988) Paul Hogan's Outback hero takes down a Colombian drug cartel. "Willow"(1988) George Lucas and Ron Howard rip off LOTR. "The Presidio"(1988) Sean Connery and Meg Ryan are movie stars, Mark Harmon is not. "Funny Farm"(1988) Siskel and Ebert loved it. "Coming to America"(1988) Eddie Murphy was the king of comedy. "A Fish Called Wanda"(1988) Kevin Kline won on Oscar for this quirky comic caper. "The Dead Pool"(1988) Clint Eastwood's fifth and final outing as 'Dirty' Harry Callahan. "Clean and Sober"(1988) Michael Keaton checks into rehab. "Tucker: A Man and His Dream"(1988) Jeff Bridges builds cars for Coppola. "Running on Empty"(1988) River Phoenix shines in this Sidney Lumet drama. "Crossing Delancey"(1988) Amy Irving and Peter Riegert in a Jewish romcom.

"Eight Men Out"(1988) The 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal. "Another Woman"(1988) A rare drama from Woody Allen. "Gorillas in the Mist"(1988) Sigourney Weaver bonds with primates in Africa. "Bird"(1988) Clint Eastwood directs Forest Whitaker in this tribute to tormented jazz legend Charlie Parker. "The Bear"(1988) This French family film found favor with critics. "Bat*21"(1988) Danny Glover rescues Gene Hackman in Vietnam. "They Live"(1988) 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper kicks ass and chews bubblegum. "Punchline"(1988) Tom Hanks teaches Sally Field the art of stand-up comedy. "Dead Ringers"(1988) Jeremy Irons play creepy twin gynecologists for David Cronenberg. "Alien Nation"(1988) James Caan and Mandy Patinkin star in this minor classic. "Child's Play"(1988) Killer doll Chucky is the textbook definition of a guilty pleasure.

"The Vanishing"(1988) This dark Dutch drama has American fans. "Memories of Me"(1988) Billy Crystal reconnects with his old man. "Everybody's All-American"(1988) Dennis Quaid plays football in the '50s. "Cinema Paradiso"(1988) This foreign film favorite put Italy on the world stage. "Cocoon: The Return"(1988) More senior citizens mixing with aliens in this amiable sequel. "Scrooged"(1988) Bill Murray is back. "Twins"(1988) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito were a smash as unlikely siblings. "Tequila Sunrise"(1988) Michelle Pfeiffer is torn between Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell. "Working Girl"(1988) Mike Nichols makes Melanie Griffith a movie star. "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!"(1988) Leslie Nielsen's debut as Lt. Frank Drebin. "A Cry in the Dark"(1988) The dingo ate Meryl Streep's baby. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"(1988) Steve Martin and Michael Caine are competing con men on the French Riveria. "Beaches"(1988) Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in the ultimate chick flick. "Talk Radio"(1988) Oliver Stone and Eric Bogosian aren't silent types.