Field of Dreams (1989)

Field of Dreams (1989)

[9]

This delicate fantasy about regret and second chances casts a powerful spell that brings many grown men to tears before the credits roll.  To that effect, Field of Dreams is a beautiful indictment of the unspoken, unrequited nature of father-son relationships — the main ingredient in any male weepy. It helps that Kevin Costner is the lead.  He has an ‘everyman’ quality that allows everyone in the audience to identify with him.  And he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that includes Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, and Burt Lancaster.

Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard (1988)

[9] An off-duty police officer takes it upon himself to stop a gang of German terrorists who take an office Christmas party hostage in John McTiernan's iconic action film, Die Hard. Let me put it another way: Die Hard is The…
Pumpkinhead (1988)

Pumpkinhead (1988)

[9]

As far as monster movies go, this is the one to beat. It’s the only film directed by the late Stan Winston, the special effects wizard who brought so many creatures and otherworldly characters to life in movies like Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, and Edward Scissorhands.  I always wished he’d directed another movie, because Pumpkinhead is creepy as hell, a superb dark fairy tale that’s drenched in atmosphere. 

Running on Empty (1988)

Running on Empty (1988)

[10]

Director Sydney Lumet sets the gritty streets of New York aside temporarily and gives us an emotionally stirring family drama about two parents who have to uproot their family every time the feds catch scent of their trail. If they ever get too comfortable, they run the risk of being locked away for an act of protest that accidentally ended in a fatality during the turbulent ’60s. The family’s vagabond routine is put to the ultimate test when the eldest son, played by River Phoenix in an Oscar-nominated performance, comes of age and wants to attend music school. But if he leaves the family, he may never see them again. Running on Empty is an incredibly moving story about family bonds — both suffocating and empowering — and how loving someone sometimes means letting them go. 

Willow (1988)

Willow (1988)

[9] George Lucas produces and Ron Howard directs this fantasy adventure about an unlikely band of heroes who protect a  prophetic baby against an evil queen who seeks to destroy them all. Willow is its producer's baby and has a…
RoboCop (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

[10] In the not-so-distant future, a Detroit policeman is murdered by a vicious cop-killer, only to be resurrected as the ultimate cyborg law enforcer. But will RoboCop have free will, or will he be slave to the corporation that facilitated…
Raising Arizona (1987)

Raising Arizona (1987)

[10] Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage star as Ed and Hi, a police woman and a supposedly reformed felon who try to start a family in Joel and Ethan Coen's Raising Arizona. But when they can't conceive a child of…
Hellraiser (1987)

Hellraiser (1987)

[9] Clive Barker holds nothing sacred, least of all flesh, in exploring the fine line between love and pain in this sado-masochistic fantasy. The movie throbs with an intense, dark passion -- dark enough for a woman to love the…
Lethal Weapon (1987)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

[9] Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star in the definitive ‘buddy cop’ movie, written with humor and heart by Shane Black (The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Nice Guys) and directed with cinematic flare by Richard Donner (Superman, The Goonies). Glover plays…
The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys (1987)

[9]

The public will never let director Joel Schumacher live down his Batman movies, but let’s not forget that before there were nipples on the Batsuit, there was The Lost Boys. A divorced mother brings her two sons to a coastal California town to live with their grandfather and make a new life for themselves. There’s just one problem. The whole town is prey for a gang of vampires!