David Newman

[8] The Brave Little Toaster bares the title of an innocuous children’s cartoon, but there’s more to this gem than may initially meet the eye. First, know that Pixar Animation founder John Lasseter originally pitched this movie as his first computer-animated feature, an honor that later went to the similarly-themed Toy Story. Many of the top talent from The Brave Little Toaster went on to …

[8] Danny DeVito directs his Romancing the Stone co-stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in this supremely dark comedy about a divorcing couple who are each prepared to fight to the death over who keeps their lavish home. No one and nothing is safe in the feud — not friends, pets, automobiles, or even fish dinners — as stubbornness leads to tragedy in this cautionary …

[3] Scott Valentine, most well known for his recurring role on Family Ties, stars as a homeless New Yorker who turns into a demon whenever he gets horny. Lucky for him, there’s a young gal (Michele Little) with dreadful taste in men. The two hit it off and try to work Valentine’s predicament into their love life. But before they can work it out, the …

[7] There’s a lot to like about the first animated feature produced by 20th Century Fox, even if the sum of the parts is a bit uneven. Directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time) can always be relied upon for solid aesthetic design, but the merging of CGI with traditional animation is a little clunky here. The voice …

[4] Somehow, Oscar-winners Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night) and Kim Hunter (A Streetcar Named Desire) got swindled into starring in this sub-par creature feature about a scientist (Hunter) who performs Frankenstein-like genetic experiments in her basement. On her deathbed, she begs her son (a wooden David Allen Brooks) to destroy her experiments before it’s too late. And wouldn’t you know it? One …

[10] This superb dark comedy blows apart any precious John Hughes-like notions of high school life. Winona Ryder stars as Veronica, a high school girl caught in an elitist bitch-clique with three other young women (including Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty) — all named Heather. But when the dangerous and alluring JD (Christian Slater) rides into town, Veronica falls under his spell as the …