A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

[6] Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) returns for more murderous mayhem in this entry directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight). First, he dispatches of the three remaining characters from The Dream Warriors, including returning character Kristen (Tuesday Knight,…
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

[7] Sigourney Weaver plays anthropologist Dian Fossey in this biopic from director Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, Thunderheart). Fossey studied mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the Congo, living among them for nearly 18 years in '60s, '70s, and '80s. Her fervent conservation…
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

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 who never…
Talk Radio (1988)

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 play on…
Stand and Deliver (1988)

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 due to…
Young Guns (1988)

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 when he's…
Red Heat (1988)

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 there. Schwarzenegger…
Distant Thunder (1988)

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 path of…
Cocoon: The Return (1988)

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 for the…
Monkey Shines (1988)

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 bond, unaware…