Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

[8] Writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) picks up the reigns and steers the franchise into bold, new waters with an entry that summons Star Wars fans to let go of the past and wipe the slate clean, so that something new can…
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

[8] Seven months after the rape and murder of her daughter, a grieving mother challenges her local police department to find the culprit when she advertises on three incendiary billboards. Frances McDormand (Fargo) headlines Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which is being advertised…
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

[8] This is more of a remake than a sequel, but most fans agree that it tops the original. Director Sam Raimi continues his imaginitive use of camera angles and movement, sound effects, and low-budget visual effects, but the winning ingredient is…
The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)

[8] Without the burden of exposition, Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Inception) molds his Batman sequel into a compelling crime drama that probes deep into the frightening psyches of Bob Kane's characters. No Batman movie, or comic book movie for that matter, has ever…
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982)

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982)

[8] An orphaned teen (Jimmy McNichol) becomes fearful of his aunt (Susan Tyrrell) after she kills a man in their home. But that just scrapes the surface of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker. Add in that the aunt has incestuous desire for the boy and…
The 400 Blows (1959)

The 400 Blows (1959)

[8] François Truffaut made his feature directorial debut with this semi-autobiographical tale of a disenfranchised twelve-year-old Parisian boy who takes his first steps into a life of petty crime. Truffaut went into The 400 Blows with an admirable mission statement -- to capture…
The Experiment (2001)

The Experiment (2001)

[8] Twenty men who work menial jobs participate in an 11-day sociological experiment in which they are divided into two groups: prisoners and guards. The prisoners are told they will not have civil rights during the experiment and the guards are told…
Dead Calm (1989)

Dead Calm (1989)

[8] Aussie director Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) spins a Hitchcockian yarn based on a novel by Charles Williams. Dead Calm is a solid thriller that takes place almost entirely on the open waters of the Pacific. Sam Neill…
Contact (1997)

Contact (1997)

[8] Contact is a message-driven movie that may be too esoteric for a lot of mainstream moviegoers. It's a character-driven drama with only a few moments of your typical blockbuster spectacle -- but I applaud the movie for daring to tangle in…
Footloose (1984)

Footloose (1984)

[8] At first sight, you might mistake Footloose for just another teen rebellion movie, but Herbert Ross' (Steel Magnolias) sensitive direction and committed performances from John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest help the film transcend its genre. The story about a town where dancing…