[9]

According to IMDb, this is the most well-liked movie of all time. And true enough, I’ve never met a person who did not like it. A film about two convicts passing the time behind prison walls could have been an insufferable downer, but there’s a mystery behind Tim Robbins’ main character, Andy, that keeps you deeply engrossed in Stephen King’s story. Andy selflessly inspires the other inmates at increasingly greater risk to himself, eventually becoming almost a folkloric hero by the end. Along the way, he endears himself to a fine cast of supporting players headed by Morgan Freeman as Redd, who narrates the film more beautifully than a film has ever been narrated before.

Threesome (1994)

May 5, 1994

[9] One girl. Two guys. Three possibilities... Josh Charles (Dead Poets Society), Lara Flynn Boyle (Twin Peaks), and Stephen Baldwin star in this college romp about three co-eds who wander into a sexual threesome of sorts and survive to tell…

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

April 23, 1994

[10] Two drag queens and a grouchy transsexual brave the Australian outback to perform at a hotel in the middle of nowhere. Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings) plays the drag queen with a secret, Guy Pierce (Memento,…

Jurassic Park (1993)

November 8, 1993

[9] If you think of this movie as Jaws on land, as director Steven Spielberg has suggested, it can't quite compare to that masterpiece. The characters aren't strong enough. But it's still a hell of a summer event movie, delivering…

The Piano (1993)

August 15, 1993

[10] Holly Hunter picked up an Academy Award for her performance as Ada, a rebellious mute who finds solace and a means of expression only with her beloved piano in Jane Campion's gorgeously crafted and erotically charged The Piano. Ada…

True Romance (1993)

July 30, 1993

[9]

This is a fucking cool-ass movie. The screenplay by Quentin Tarantino is an exciting blend of violence, sweetness, and dark humor. Director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide) brings it to life with his usual polished style, and attracts a large ensemble of A-list performers. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette play Clarence and Alabama Whorley, a comic book geek and a call girl who meet serendipitously and fall instantly in love. As Tarantino says, the title of the movie is not meant to be ironic. An edgy action movie may not be a likely place to find true love, but I would argue that Clarence and Alabama are a more engaging and believable couple than those found in the majority of romantic comedies.