Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
[4] In this animated film from Japan, a teenaged boy tries to take care of his little sister after their mother dies in a bombing by the Americans during World War II. The children's father is a soldier at sea…
Talk Radio (1988)
[7] Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK) directed this underseen and underappreciated stage adaptation about a shock-jock radio deejay (Eric Bogosian) who riles up listeners with his harsh personal criticisms and grim social commentary. Bogosian, who wrote and starred in the one-act…
Stand and Deliver (1988)
[7] In this film based on a true story, Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica, Blade Runner) stars as Jaime Escalante, a math teacher at a Hispanic high school in L.A. As the school is in danger of losing its funding…
Young Guns (1988)
[5] Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, and Lou Diamond Phillips lead an ensemble cast in this film based loosely on the life of William H. Bonney, aka 'Billy the Kid'. Billy (Estevez) is an aimless street kid in 1870s New Mexico…
Red Heat (1988)
[4] Co-writer/director Walter Hill returns to the same action/comedy formula that made his earlier film, 48 Hrs., such a big hit. This time the buddy cops are played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi, but unfortunately, the magic just isn't…
Distant Thunder (1988)
[4] John Lithgow gives a commendable performance in this stillborn drama about a Vietnam vet suffering from intense post-traumatic stress living in the remote wilderness with a few other troubled vets. After one vet 'kisses the train' (steps into the…
Cocoon: The Return (1988)
[5] The old folks who left Earth in a UFO at the end of Cocoon are back for an unnecessary sequel that retreads the first film in so many ways, it's shameful. The entire cast and composer James Horner return…
Monkey Shines (1988)
[8] After an accident leaves him quadriplegic, a man (Jason Beghe) struggles to find a reason to stay alive. He finds hope in an adorable capuchin monkey trained to help him with his every-day activities. The man and the monkey…
The Great Outdoors (1988)
[6] John Candy and Dan Aykroyd costar as prickly brothers-in-law who try their best to get along after Aykroyd unceremoniously crashes Candy's planned family vacation. The Great Outdoors was spawned from the ever-prolific pen of John Hughes, coming off a…
Akira (1988)
[7] Katsuhiro Ôtomo directs this adaptation of his sprawling manga series about (okay, deep breath...) a futuristic biker who squares off against a former friend who has turned evil through scientific experimentation, transforming him into a dangerous super-being of both…