5 Films Hollywood Needs to Get to Work On

Back in 1990, my friend Steve and I were riding down the New Jersey Turnpike in a rented truck, delivering furniture to his parents' new home in Pennsylvania. The experience was memorable for two reasons. First, an 18-wheeler traveling right next to us blew a tire and scared the crap out of us. And second, we spent a good portion of the two hour drive reminiscing about one of our favorite childhood animated series, Speed Racer. Steve and I then proceeded to discuss how the show was a cult favorite, how the protagonist and premise (a young race car driver with a unique, high tech automobile) were ideal for the big screen, and the chances of us ever seeing a live-action Speed Racer movie. We then shared ideas about casting, including Johnny Depp as Speed (remember, this was 1990), Depp's former real-life girlfriend Winona Ryder as Trixie, Alec Baldwin as Racer X,  Fred Savage (The Wonder Years) as Spritle, Wilford Brimley as Pops and Michael Jackson's pet chimpanzee "Bubbles" as Chim-Chim.

Keep in mind, this was more than a decade before an ACTUAL Speed Racer movie would even take its first steps into production. Which is why, as ridiculous as we know it is, Steve and I still consider the Speed Racer movie OUR baby. So when the the Wachowskis gave us that hot mess of a picture back in May of 2008, we were both sorely disappointed and extremely bitter. A movie that we had wished and waited so long for, had been ruined. 

So there's nothing left for me to do now but move on and as I do, consider the other fantastic properties we need to see made. It's baffling to me how the Hollywood studios can't seem to get out of their own way and ink the deals needed to get these films into production. If they ever do, each of the following is a potential blockbuster that could earn huge dollars at the box office.

The Six Million Dollar Man

  

The premise of the 1970's series starring Lee Majors sees a test pilot/astronaut critically injured in a crash, fitted with bionic implants and turned into a government operative. I'm thinking Ryan Gosling -- who coincidentally recently starred in the movie adaptation of another Lee Majors series (The Fall Guy) -- for the role of Colonel Steve Austin.

Status Update: Several years ago, there were rumors of a Six Billion Dollar Man (Inflation's a bitch -- ain't it?!) being developed by the Weinstein Company, directed by Bryan (X-Men) Singer and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. More recently, there have been ongoing efforts to create a movie version with Mark Wahlberg attached to star. That project has been in development for almost a dozen years. Despite various delays and changes in filmmakers, Wahlberg remains committed to the project, stating that he's "still grinding every day to get it made."

The Warriors remake

The 1979 original was a low-cost surprising moneymaker for Paramount. Though the idea of New York City gangs dressed as mimes, wearing Yankee uniforms and Kiss-like makeup, and sporting silk purple vests and fedoras is light years beyond hokey, subsequent to its initial theatrical release, the film garnered huge cult status via cable and home video. In 2005, we even got a Warriors video game. As we near its 50th anniversary, a proper, more modern big-budget remake would be spectacular in the hands of a master of gritty violence like Breaking Bad writer/producer/director Vince Gilligan.

Status Update: Plans for a remake go at least as far back as 2005, when the Scott brothers (Ridley and Tony) were reportedly set to produce and direct. In 2016, the Russo brothers (The Avengers) were reportedly developing a TV adaption for Hulu but that project seems to no longer be on the radar.

The Donner Party

The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers in the 1840's who set out to California from Missouri. Through an incredible series of circumstances and misfortunes, the group was trapped by snow and forced to winter in Sierra Nevada, where members of the party succumbed to starvation, exposure, disease, and trauma before resorting to cannibalism. It's an absolutely riveting story and although the disaster movie genre that gave us classics like The Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno and Airport, has largely died out, here's a perfect opportunity to bring it back. I'm thinking an all-star cast featuring Kit Harrington, Emma Stone, Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in key roles.

Status Update: In 1978, there was a TV movie titled Donner Pass that recounted the story and in 2009, Crispin Glover starred in The Donner Party, a straight-to-DVD thriller in the vein of Alive, that takes certain liberties in retelling the actual events. Then in 2011, a feature film also titled Donner Pass was released. Billed as "a twisted take on the legend of the Donner Party", it was a historically inaccurate and pedestrian slasher pic about teens stranded in one of the Donner Party's old cabins who (rather predictably) get mysteriously killed and eaten one by one. There have also been multiple documentaries and made for TV movies about the Donner Party, such as Dead of Winter: The Donner Party (2015). 

The last real attempt to tell this story onscreen seems to be an adaptation of the novel The Hunger which purportedly incorporated the story of the Donner Party with a "Walking Dead-style twist." That project was being developed by 20th Century Fox, with Luke Scott (son of Ridley) set to write and direct -- but that was nine years ago and since then, nothing.

Logan's Run 

The 1976 thriller Logan's Run is set in a future dystopian society where people live a care-free, hedonistic lifestyle... until they're ceremoniously death-rayed at the age of thirty in order to control the population. As science fiction, the film has a cheesy, 1950's-type perspective of life in the future. But at the same time, it offers sobering Orwellian perspectives on totalitarian rule, how much humans should entrust to technology, and the dangers that come with blindly accepting the status quo.

Status Update: A proposed Logan's Run remake has bounced around Hollywood for years with various above the line talent attached, including screenwriter Will Beall (Justice League) and directors Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). Ryan Gosling was once rumored to star but he's far past 30 now. I'm thinking Timothy Chalamet, with directorial duties handled by Christopher Nolan, if you want to go big screen, but I can also picture Logan's Run as a multi-year Max or Netflix series that takes its time revealing the backstory of how exactly our culture and society went so far off the rails.

The Go-Go's 

The fact that a Runaways biopic was produced and released and we're still waiting for a Go-Go's movie is bizarre. Yes, when it comes to girl bands, the Runaways were trailblazing female rockers but the Go-Go's sold more records, were the first to have a number one album, had more hit singles, are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, are still performing together forty-seven years after they formed, and quite simply, are more iconic.

I had the idea for a Go-Go's film no later than 2001, and even started work on an extended treatment. For casting, I suggested the following (at the time) young, up and coming actresses: Christina Ricci as Jane Weidlin, Eliza Dusku as Kathy Valentine, Leelee Sobieski as Charlotte Caffey, Tara Reid as Gina Schock, and Charlize Theron or Kate Hudson as Belinda Carlisle.

Status Update: Over the years, the band has kicked around the idea of commissioning a script, but it's never happened largely because members of the band are hesitant about relinquishing rights, giving up creative control and airing their dirty laundry. Additionally, on multiple occasions, disagreements over compensation and royalties owed have created issues within the group. None of this seems to matter anymore though, as the poor performance of The Runaways all but killed any chance of a Go-Go's film ever seeing the light of day. Still, it's fun to imagine Lily-Rose Depp as Carlisle and Jenna Ortega as co-founding member Weidlin.

Belinda Carlisle and Lily-Rose Depp

Related Posts:

Beauty and the Beat Turns 40

Go-Go's Rock the Sunset Strip

Belinda Carlisle on Arsenio Hall

More Belinda

Great Album Covers: The Score, Head Games & Vacation

Go-Go's Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (About F**king Time!)

Happy New Year (from Belinda Carlisle!)

Defining Films of the 70's

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Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References, Vol. 2

The Pink Panther experiences the downside of corporate shilling.

   

Peter meets the "Dons" of pop culture.

 

The Game of Thrones walk of shame (Aretha Franklin style!)

   

Peter gets a little lost was traveling on the Great Space Coaster.

Now we know what happened to the other three Friends cast members.

   

It's true -- you never realized how disturbing the Lost in Space plots actually were.

   

Popeye is having health problems.

   

Peter falls in love with Kathy Ireland (sort of) and croons a Billy Ocean tune.

   

Related Posts:

Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References

What was the Best Movie Party of the 80's?

Here are your nominees:

Back to School

The setup:

Wealthy businessman Thornton Mellon (Rodney Dangerfield) -- in an effort to inspire and keep his son from dropping out -- enrolls and joins him at college. Father, son (and the son's best friend) have adjacent dorm rooms, until Thornton has the walls knocked out to create a luxury suite and then throws a post mid-terms bash to blow off some steam.

The highlights:

• Seminal 80's band Oingo Boingo plays the gig and rocks out on "Dead Man's Party."
• Police sent to break things up bring cases of beer instead.
• Thornton frolics in the hot tub with four bikini-clad coeds.

Bachelor Party

The setup:

The title says it all. Tom Hanks is groom-to-be Rick, and his brother and five degenerate best friends throw him a bachelor party "with chicks, and guns, and fire trucks, and hookers, and drugs, and booze..."

The highlights:

•  Rick's rival Cole offers him a Porsche to call off the wedding.
• "Drugs to the right, hookers to the left!"
• An Indian pimp, suicide attempts, an exotic dancer, and a donkey that OD's.

Sixteen Candles

High school hunk Jake Ryan has everyone over to his house for a rager.

• Long Duk Dong finds his Amazonian soulmate.
• Jake's girlfriend Carolyn gets her hair hacked.
• Barbells crash through the floor and destroy the wine cellar
• The aftermath: Pizzas on the turntable, suds coming out of the air vents, and Ted the geek (Anthony Michael Hall) leaves with Carolyn in a Rolls Royce.

Weird Science

The setup:

Teenagers Gary and Wyatt (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) go mad scientist and create their dream woman -- who goes on to throw a "nasty little soiree" at Wyatt's house.

The highlights:

• "A missile... A missile in my house Gary!" 
• Wyatt's grandparents placed in suspended animation (and the kitchen is blue for some reason.)
• Supernatural whirlwinds that strip girls of their clothes and send the piano crashing into a gazebo in the backyard.
• Killer mutants crash their motorcycles through the front windows.
• Aforementioned mutants dispatched by Gary and his .44 handgun

Risky Business

The setup:

"Future enterpriser" Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) just wants to graduate and go on to major in business at Princeton. But when he gets mixed up with sexy call girl Lana (Rebecca DeMornay), Joel's house party becomes a high-priced brothel and his high school friends the customers.

The highlights:

• Party tunes that include Talking Heads' "Swamp" and Prince's "D.M.S.R." 
• Amidst the debauchery, Princeton admissions officer Bill Rutherford arrives to interview Joel.
• Joel and Lana duck out to make love on a real train.
• Rutherford makes a couple of new friends.

Revenge of the Nerds

The setup:

College dorks trying to form a fraternity throw a dud of a party -- until "wonder joints" and the girls of Omega Mu kick things into high gear.

The highlights:

• "Are You Ready For the Sex Girls?" (Possibly the best party song ever!)
• Booger, Poindexter, and Louis all find hook ups.
• "You Mu's sure can party!"

Logic's List of Things He REALLY Wants You to Know About Himself

Disclaimer:
I actually like Logic. I admire his creativity, his passion for his art, his sincerity, and how prolific he is. We also have a shared admiration for Nas, Kill Bill, and a certain blue-eyed crooner from Hoboken. Still, the following has to be said.

I picked up on Logic with 2017's Everybody, then went back and listened to a lot of older stuff (Under Pressure, The Incredible True Story...) I then followed him through YSIV and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, until finally, with the 2021 release of Bobby Tarantino III, I was able to articulate Logic's place on the hip-hop landscape with this statement:

"Logic is the official poster boy for mediocre rappers."

Yeah, occasionally he'll wow you with a "1-800" or a "100 Miles and Running", but generally Logic is that dude who is technically proficient as a rapper but who doesn't quite have enough personality and uniqueness to his flow. Whose rhymes are serviceable, but not memorable. Whose beats are almost interesting... until you listen closer and realize they're actually monotonous. His latest LP, Vinyl Days, is another reminder of all this. It's also a reminder -- or should I say a summation -- of all the things Logic has spent seven albums, five mix tapes, and pretty much his entire career reminding you of. It also speaks to a couple of new developments in his life we seem similarly destined to hear about for the next decade.

He's bi-racial

You're alerted to this fact quite often whenever you listen to his lyrics. Oh yes, you'll learn fast that he was "a biracial baby... born to a black father and a white mother." You'll understand in no time that he's a "BLACKWHITEBOY" from a "half breed family" because, as he explains it, "I'm black again.. fighting for credibility from the lack of blacker skin"... It gets quite tiresome at times.

And hearing him going over this same ground again and again is even more tedious than Eminem complaining about his ex.

He's from a really rough neighborhood.

Yeah, so are Ice-T, Nipsey Hustle, Naughty By Nature, Gucci Mane, Future, 21 Savage, Lil’ Durk, NWA, Biggie, Eminem, Young Thug, and T.I., just to name a dozen. Spitting rhymes about the crime-ridden area he grew up in is yet another way Logic fails to set himself apart from other rappers.

He "grinded" and "worked for SO LONG" until he finally made it...

... even though he started in high school, signed with an independent label at twenty, and got a Def Jam contract at twenty-three.

He retired (but now he's back.)

Check the chronology:
No Pressure - Released July 2020
Bobby Tarantino III - Released July 2021
Vinyl Days - Recorded 2021–2022. Released June 2022

So two albums and a mixtape in less than two years... When exactly during that brief time frame did he manage to squeeze in a retirement? 

He made a lot of money in crypto.

In the fall of 2020 Logic posted on Instagram that he invested $6 million in cryptocurrency. On Vinyl Days, he brags:

Stupid motherf**ker, oh, yeah, you got a deal
But you spent your whole advance on a chain
I invested mine in crypto, and now I'm sailin' out to Spain

And also:

Now I think I'm a good father figure 'cause I was sonnin' rappers before I was a father, go figure
My cryptocurrency is in the seven figures.

Last month it was widely reported that the overall market capitalization of crypto assets had plummeted from about $3 trillion in November 2021 to now less than $1 trillion.

Hmm... Maybe this is why he needed to come out of retirement?

He's leaving Def Jam.

Mostly on good terms it seems but to hear Logic tell it, the label still owes him a lot of money -- although you wonder why this would bother him since he made so much in crypto.

He's the best rapper alive.

If you don't want to believe Logic himself the numerous times he's staked claim to this title, then perhaps you'll trust Morgan Freeman, who on the intro of Vinyl Days, informs "every other rapper in the game that Logic is the GOAT." 

Boasting of this type has been part of hip-hop literally since Day 1 -- but with Logic you somehow get the sense that he actually believes this absurd declaration could be true. 

It's not of course. He's not the greatest rapper of all time. Not the greatest of his era. Maybe not even the greatest from the state of Maryland, depending on how you feel about Wale. 

Perhaps moving forward he'll be able to produce superior material that better demonstrates the abundance of talent and creativity he's been blessed with -- but no, right now Logic is simply a solid, often redundant, and mostly mediocre rapper.

Introducing the NBA's "Somehow Still Underrated" Team

The NBA playoffs are here and the bright lights are on the league's biggest stars. But let's take a moment to give love to some players who are every bit the equal of those aforementioned "stars but never seem to receive their due accolades. To wit, here is the NBA's "Somehow Still Underrated" team comprised of guys who have been flat out balling for a minimum of five seasons but haven't gotten nearly enough headlines, press or All-Star consideration.

The Starters

Karl Anthony Towns - Minnesota Timberwolves - 7 seasons

True centers that are legitimate three-level scorers are a rarity. Towns is one of the few and also gets it done on the boards, averaging  more than 11 per game over his seven seasons. And get this, when it comes to their career numbers, Towns has outperformed 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic in scoring, rebounding, three point shooting AND free throw percentage, and also bests Joel Embiid in all of those categories, with the exception of rebounding where he barely trails (11.4 to 11.3.) Towns also averages more rebounds and assists and has higher field goal, free throw and three point percentages than Anthony Davis. Plus Towns is the only center to win the NBA All-Star Game 3-point contest AND skills challenge. Yet with all that, the guy has only made All-NBA one time (and that was third team selection way back in 2018.) 

Nicolas Batum (14 seasons)

His numbers aren't super impressive but it's the Frenchman's ability to fit in and contribute no matter the team (he's been a Blazer, Hornet, and a Clipper) or how many minutes he gets. "Three & D" players have become a necessity in the NBA and Batum is one of the best. He's been a double figure scorer eight times and is also a great passer -- averaging more than five assists per game in four different seasons. A true "glue guy" Batum never fails to crack the rotation regardless of changes to his team's roster and he always seems to be on the floor during those critical last five minutes of the game. If that's not enough, he's regularly called upon to defend the opponent's best wing and has emerged as a feared shot blocker.

Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics - 6 seasons

Though he plays Robin to Jayson Tatum's Batman, Brown is as skilled a swingman as there is in the league -- on par with the likes of the much more heralded Paul George and Jimmy Butler. He has averaged 22.8 points and 6-plus rebounds over the last three seasons on a very efficient 47.9 FG%. Over that span, those numbers are better in all three categories than most of the league's other top second options, including Khris Middleton (20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 47.2 FG%) and Fred Van Vleet (19.1, 4.1, 40.1) Brown is such a pure and versatile scorer and so adept at creating his own shot (whether it's off dribble penetration or pull up jumpers) he'd be averaging 30 points a game if he didn't have Tatum as a teammate.

Reggie Jackson - Los Angeles Clippers - 13 seasons

The Clippers combo guard has spent most of his career playing second fiddle to guys like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard. Jackson finally broke out during last season's playoffs when he upped his scoring average to 18 a game as the Clippers bounced top-seeded Utah in the conference semis. Jackson then topped that by scoring over 20 a game and giving the Phoenix backcourt all they could handle in the conference finals. This year, with Leonard out for the season and George missing 51 games, Jackson filled in as the team's number one option by averaging 16.8 and doling out close to five assists. Jackson also routinely closed games for the Clips and led them to wins where they came back from 20+ point deficits an astounding five different times. 

Dejounte Murray - San Antonio Spurs - 6 seasons

21 points... 8 rebounds... 9 assists... That's what Murray averaged this year. The young (25-year-old) star has improved his stats in each of these categories every (full) season he's played and oh by the way, he also led the league in steals this year. Murray only made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2022 as a replacement selection for an injured Draymond Green -- which was a travesty because Murray's points, assists and rebounds were all better than All-Stars Fred Van Vleet and Jimmy Butler, who were both voted in.

The Bench

CJ McCollum - New Orleans Pelicans - 9 seasons

It's no surprise McCollum makes this list; he's been overlooked since his college days at Lehigh, where he finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in the Patriot League and was a 2-time conference player of the year. Despite playing in the same Portland backcourt as Damian Lillard, McCollum developed into a midrange assassin offensively and averaged 19.2 on 45.5% shooting and nearly 40% on threes) while providing leadership and great on-court decision-making. Since moving on to New Orleans, McCollum has upped his game to 24.3 and 5.8 assists over 26 games and led the team to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Steven Adams - Memphis Grizzlies - 9 seasons

Adams is the epitome of a lunch pail guy and good for a minimum 10 points and 10 rebounds every single night he's out there. He's also one of the strongest big men in the league, which helps make him a force down low on both ends of the court. A perennial top five offensive rebounder and superior passer from the post, Adams has been selfless player in OKC, New Orleans and now Memphis, where he reliably rebounds, fires outlets to initiate the offense, sets great screens, and facilitates for superstar Ja Morant.

Brandon Ingram - New Orleans - 6 seasons

Coming to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade is the best thing that ever happened to this former L.A. Laker. Since that deal, Ingram has won most improved player and become one of the league's most versatile scorers, pouring in 23.4 a game this season -- nearly ten more than he was averaging in Los Angeles. Ingram also length, which makes it difficult for opponents to get good looks against him. Though he did make the All-Star game last year, Ingram's skill and production has been too often ignored since Zion Williamson became his teammate, but make no mistake, right now Ingram is the overall better player.

Spencer Dinwiddie - Dallas Mavericks - 8 seasons

Maybe it's the fact that his name makes him sound less like an NBA player and more like a social studies teacher but Dinwiddie is the perfect third guard. With the exception of 2020-21, when he only played three games for Brooklyn, Dinwiddie has been a double figure scorer for six straight seasons. He's also proven he can carry a team offensively. In 2019-20, he averaged 20 points, 7 assists and was the Nets leading scorer before Kyrie Irving came to the squad late in the season. Dinwiddie plays in Dallas now and when Luka Doncic is off the court, Dinwiddie is the team's clear go-to guy, in  part because he's unafraid to take big shots late in games.

Most Memorable Sports Moments of the 2000s

This started out as just fun reminiscing between me and my son, but it quickly evolved into a half hour long exercise. It's important to know that in the course of compiling this list, neither of us searched YouTube, checked any Reddit threads, or Googled things like “Greatest sports moments”. It wasn’t intentional; it's just that neither of us thought to do it. And that's a good thing because in retrospect, if you have to use the internet to find more moments, then by definition those moments weren’t actually all that memorable... Makes sense, right?... Oh, and if you're wondering why the list only includes football and basketball... well I guess it's just more proof that those are in fact the two greatest sports God ever invented : )

Kawhi's buzzer beater - 2019

Like something out of the cheesiest sports movie ever, the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference semifinals ended at the horn with the ball bouncing around the rim (seemingly in slow motion) while everyone in the arena and watching at home held their breath.

Boise State's trick plays stun Oklahoma - 2007

Trailing powerhouse Oklahoma by seven with :18 left and faced with a 4th and 18, heavy underdog Boise State used a backyard football favorite -- the hook and lateral -- to score and take the the game to overtime. Moments later, the Broncos gambled big again and called on another gadget play (the "Statue of Liberty") to complete a 2-pt conversion and end the game. The cherry on the sundae was watching running back Ian Johnson (after scoring) race over to celebrate with the Boise State fans and then propose to his cheerleader girlfriend.

Ray Allen's clutch three - 2013

In Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs were on the precipice of sending the Miami Heat superteam home, when unsung hero Chris Bosh rebounded a LeBron miss and got the ball to the corner for this series saving three-pointer by the always unflappable Ray Allen.

Lebron's chase down - 2016

Speaking of King James, this was perhaps the greatest play of his career, executed at the biggest moment because this layup by Golden State's Andre Iguodala would have likely clinched them the championship.

"The Bush Push" - 2005

Another epic match-up between Notre Dame and USC ended with the defending national champion Trojans (who came into the game on a 27 game winning streak) trailing but sitting at the ND goal line with fifteen seconds left. In a crazy sequence, quarterback Matt Leinart tried an end run but was crushed by the Irish defense and driven out of bounds as the ball was knocked loose. The clock continued to run down to 00:00 but the refs (correctly) put time back on for one more play. Leinart then tried a QB sneak and was initially stuffed, only to have teammate Reggie Bush plow him into the end zone for the win. After this game, the NCAA outlawed this type of runner assistance, but then later reversed that rule so these "push the pile" plays are actually legal once again.

Chiefs vs. Rams on Monday night - 2018

Two 9-1 teams, both with super-charged offenses, collided on Monday Night Football and slugged it out touchdown-for-touchdown for sixty minutes. Highlights included four lead changes in the fourth quarter, 50+ points scored by each team, and the highest cumulative score in the history of MNF.

The "Beast Mode" run - 2010

This one might have made the list even if it wasn't a playoff game. Never has there been a more fitting nickname for a professional sports highlight. 

Syracuse vs. UConn, 6 overtimes - 2009

Over the years, the Big East Tournament has been a showcase for tons of great players -- Pearl Washington, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony and Kemba Walker, just to name a few. But what this game lacked in star power, it more than made up for in edge-of-your-seat excitement. Remarkably, this was only a quarterfinal game and the winning team (Syracuse) had to play again the very next night.

Odell's impossible grab - 2014

With all eyes watching in a Sunday night game against "America's team" the Dallas Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr.'s jaw-dropping catch was a cultural shift that naturally broke the internet.

Chris Davis' "Kick Six" - 2013

A great call by the Auburn announcers ("There goes Davis!... Auburn's gonna win the football game!") only added another layer of memorability to this frenzy of a finish in the 2013 Iron Bowl.

The helmet catch - 2008

There's no bigger stage than one minute to go and trailing in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl. David Tyree's name would be forgotten today except for this amazingly clutch catch in what was at the time, the most-watched Super Bowl ever.

Honorable Mentions

#16 Seed UMBC smashes #1 Virginia

Kobe's last game

Kobe scores 81

"The Decision"

Jalen Suggs' heave from half court defeats UCLA in the Final 4

Villanova wins NCAA Championship at the buzzer

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 3

The countdown continues with numbers 10 through 6. Also, be sure to check out The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s, Part 1 and Part 2

10. The Silence of the Lambs
1991
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Written by Thomas Harris, Ted Tally (Based on the novel by Thomas Harris)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glen

A more chilling film, you will not find. A sexually ambiguous serial killer named Buffalo Bob lives in a dank, isolated backwoods home, keeps his female victims in a dungeon, fattens them up, and then skins them so he can wear their flesh as a woman suit... Oh, and this guy's not even the main villain! It's actually Dr. Hannibal Lechter, a brilliant but insane psychiatrist who, when he isn’t murdering and eating the livers of his colleagues, enjoys playing head games with his fellow asylum inmates and coercing them into suicide. Thrust into all of this is Jodie Foster as rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling, working against the clock to track down Buffalo Bob and his latest victim, the daughter of a US Senator, before it’s too late.

Foster and Hopkins give riveting performances as Clarice has to let Lechter inside her head in exchange for his assistance in finding the killer. Taught with suspense and utterly creepy, this film paved the way for a slew of similar psychological thrillers including Final Analysis, Seven, The Bone Collector, Kiss the Girls, and Taking Lives.

Killer Sequence: Lechter breaks Clarice down and forces her to recall haunting childhood memories of what happened on her uncle’s farm.

9. The Rock

1996

Directed by Michael Bay

Written by David Weisberg and Douglas Cook & Mark Rosner

Starring Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris

Despite two unlikely heroes -- quirky Nicholas Cage and a pushing seventy Sean Connery -- this picture serves as the measuring stick for 1990s action movies. Screenwriters Weisberg, Cook and Rosner flipped the tables by having the two protagonists break in to Alcatraz prison to stop a rogue general (Ed Harris) from wiping out San Francisco with a stolen cache of chemical weapons. Since this film’s release, Hollywood has sought to duplicate director Michael Bay’s heart racing “can-you-top-this” action sequences, but the two films that come closest may very well be Bay's own Armageddon and his latest effort, Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Killer Sequence: General Hummel makes his demands, and sets off nearly two solid hours of edge of your seat action and suspense.

8. American History X
1998
Directed by Tony Kaye
Written by David McKenna
Starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Avery Brooks

Ed Norton, who holds the edge over Johnny Depp as the best young actor to emerge during the 1990s, gives a commanding performance as Derek, an intelligent, but disillusioned Venice, California youth who rises to a prominent position in a neo-Nazi skinhead organization. After serving time in prison, Derek reforms, but upon his release finds that his younger brother is making the same mistakes he did. The film shifts back and forth in time, showing us how Derek was initially drawn into the group, his rise to power, and his eventual rehabilitation and release from prison. The film offers a frighteningly authentic depiction of exactly how hate groups recruit and convert their members and infuse them with their doctrines of prejudice and intolerance.

Killer Sequence: A flashback where Derek murders a black car thief, and a family confrontation where he fully reveals his philosophies of white supremacy to his mother and her Jewish boyfriend are both powerfully disturbing.

7. The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Directed by Tim Robbins

Written by Stephen King, Frank Darabont (Based on the short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King)

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

This tremendously moving film, based on one of Stephen King’s lesser known short stories, stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, justafiably imprisoned for the murder of his adulterous wife, and traces his experiences through the 30 years he spends in a New England prison. Fine supporting performances by Bob Gunton as the prison warden and the always reliable Morgan Freeman as Andy’s best friend Red, help make this film an engrossing testament to the indominitability of the human spirit. Had it not been released the same year as Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, this film would have walked away with Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.

Killer Sequence: Andy fulfills the film's credo, "Get busy living, or get busy dying", by carrying out a long-planned, daring and ingenius escape.

6. There’s Something About Mary

1998

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Written by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss & Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Starring: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon

The Farrelly Brothers had given us a couple of films that featured good old fashioned, gross-out humor (Dumb and Dumber and the underrated Kingpin) but they scored a box office smash with TSAM, which sprinkled in healthy doses of sentimental romance and hilarious slapstick alongside its’ over-the-top bathroom humor.

Stiller plays straight man through most of the film (whether it’s to Mary’s mentally challenged brother, Warren; Dillon’s sleazy private dick; a homicidal hitchhiker; or Puffy, the border terrier on speed) as he seeks to track down his one and only true love from high school.

Though some found it's scatalogical humor a bit much, TSAM features BIG laughs from start to finish and the film's success kicked off a trend among contemporary American comedies to see how far they could push the raunchiness envelope (see American Pie, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Borat, etc.)

Killer Sequence: The “hair gel” scene gave the 90s the same thing the diner scene from When Harry Met Sally gave the 80s -- the single funniest screen moment of the decade.

Related Posts:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 1

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 4

Defining Films of the Decades

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 1

Came across an article on Rolling Stone's website titled "The Worst Songs of the 90s" and it triggered two thoughts:

First, the list is full of songs that were MONSTER hits, including "Achy Breaky Heart", "Ice Ice Baby" and "My Heart Will Go On". Regardless of how you feel about Billy Ray Cyrus, Vanilla Ice or Celine Dion, it's important to remember that these songs (and the others on the list) weren't popular for nothing. Radio stations were playing them, people were buying them, and folks all over the country were jamming to them whenever they were played at clubs or at parties. So I guess what this list tells us is that for a 10 year span twenty years ago, the majority of us were complete idiots. Either that, or just maybe, when we look back at our musical (and other pop culture) choices, we sometimes turn into hyper-critical revisionists. (But that's a blog post for another time.)

The other thing this article tells me is that maybe 80's nostalgia is finally winding down and is being displaced by 90's nostalgia.

So with that in mind, let's jump on board with a list of:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s:

20. Higher Learning

1995
Written and Directed by John Singleton

Starring: Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rappaport, Ice Cube, Tyra Banks

Director John Singleton’s follow-up to his fine but overly praised Boyz N The Hood is far more ambitious and more technically sound than his previous work, as the tensions created by racial conflict mount and eventually wreak havoc on the campus of a large California university. Singleton’s interesting camera work, the broader scope of his story, and the performances he elicits from his ensemble cast (particularly within the storyline depicting how a freshman misfit falls in with a band of skinheads) are all evidence of his growth as a filmmaker. An extremely engaging and realistic examination of race relations among college students and the ingredients that can sometimes lead to conflict.

Killer Sequence: The disturbing climax featuring an on-campus mass shooting is (sadly) all too familiar these days.

19. Happy Gilmour

1996

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Written by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler

Starring: Adam Sandler, Carl Weathers, Christopher MacDonald, Julie Bowen

Adam Sandler plays the title character, a golf phenom whose sensibilities and demeanor are more suited to the hockey rink than the PGA Tour. Reminiscent of Caddyshack (not only in subject matter but also theme and characterizations) this film has a broader appeal than Sandler’s quirkier, earlier effort, Billy Madison. A home video classic and the picture that kicked Sandler’s movie career into high gear.

Killer Sequence: Hard to top that fight scene with The Price is Right’s Bob Barker.

18. Friday

1995

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Written by Ice Cube, D.J. Pooh

Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Nia Long

Twenty-five year old director F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, The Italian Job) capitalized on the growing popularity of urban, inner city dramas (Boyz N The Hood, Menace to Society, Juice) by showing us a fun side of life in the hood. Ice Cube, as Craig, proves that he can do more than just scowl into the camera but the breakout star here is Chris Tucker as Craig’s drug peddling friend Smokey, who expertly jives, whines and connives his way through a film that traces a lazy Friday afternoon in the lives of two slackers. Tucker creates one of the funniest and most memorable film characters of the decade and Friday's success on home video led to two sequels.

Killer Sequence: Craig settles the score and shows what it really means to be a man in his final confrontation with the neighborhood bully Deebo.

17. Armageddon

1998

Directed by Michael Bay

Written by Jonathan Hensleigh, Robert Roy Pool

Starring: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton

Director Michael Bay (of the Transformers movies) proved that he is master of the action genre with this sci-fi thrill-ride. It’s a familiar storyline: Gaggle of oil drilling miscreants fly into outer space, crash land on an asteroid that’s hurdling towards earth, and somehow manage to blow it up and save the world... (Okay, so the story’s not so familiar...)

This was the second of two runaway asteroid movies in less than a year (Deep Impact was the other) but producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carribbean, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Top Gun) and star Bruce Willis know their way around an action movie like no one else. Throw in some killer special effects and a little comic relief courtesy of Steve Buscemi and this movie scores big time as thrilling, edge of your seat, pass the popcorn entertainment.

Killer Sequence: The opening CGI scenes of midtown Manhattan being decimated by a meteor storm.

16. Schindler's List

1993

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Thomas Keneally, Steve Zaillian (Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Steven Spielberg has perhaps enjoyed more success than any other filmmaker in history. In the 90's, his films grossed over $1.2 billion at US box offices. Though many of his pictures have also been critically acclaimed (Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun) Schindler's List is still considered Spielberg's masterpiece. Disturbing, heartrending and uplifting all at once, the film tells the then little-known story of Czech business magnate Oscar Schindler, and how the morally bankrupt war profiteer finds his heart and saves his soul by orchestrating the escape of hundreds of his Jewish workers from the clutches of Third Reich. It’s impossible not to be moved by this film or the performance of a commanding Liam Neeson in the title role. Filmed mostly in black and white, the movie has an almost documentary type feel, particularly during those scenes depicting the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This film solidified Spielberg as not only one the world’s most popular and successful directors, but also one of its’ most important and enduring.

Killer Sequence: The once callous Schindler breaks down in front of his workers, openly and inconsolably weeping as he tells them, “I didn't do enough.”

Related Posts:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2
The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 3
The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 4
Defining Films of the Decades