Tom Noonan

[4] I’d never seen Heaven’s Gate until recently. For decades, it has been the title synonymous with “flop” and studio bankruptcy, but it has also been picked back up, reexamined, and declared somewhat of an artistic treasure in recent years. The story centers around a bloody ongoing battle in 1890s Wyoming between rich cattle barons and struggling immigrant settlers. The settlers steal cattle to feed their …

[7] Directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back) and written by comic book legend Frank Miller, you’d think that RoboCop 2 would be vastly better and more interesting than it is. But for just another inferior sequel, it’s not half bad. The disjointed script eventually boils down to a big confrontation between RoboCop (Peter Weller) and the latest model from his makers at Omni …

[8] Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat) brings Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon to the big screen, introducing movie-goers to Hannibal Lecktor for the first time. Manhunter stars William Petersen (CSI) as an FBI profiler trying to stop a serial killer dubbed ‘The Tooth Fairy’ before he kills again. To stop the mad man, Petersen’s character decides to solicit the help of another mad man — …

[6] When classic movie monsters invade their town, a group of kids band together to keep them from finding a magical amulet that will enable the creeps to rule the world. The Monster Squad is an ebulient if uneven little horror/fantasy/kiddie film from the grand ole ’80s. I was surprised how politically incorrect the kids were (refreshing), and how daring the story was at times …

[10] Al Pacino is Vincent Hanna of the LAPD robbery/homicide division.  Robert DeNiro is Neil McCauley, the leader of a successful bank robbing team that includes his protege Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer. After a fouled-up heist puts Hanna on McCauley’s trail, Heat becomes an elaborate cat and mouse chase between a driven police lieutenant and a seasoned criminal. Even though it’s grounded in …