Waterworld (1995)

Waterworld (1995)

[7] Even when a movie doesn't quite come together, I sometimes admire the effort and ambition so much, that I have to give a little extra credit. Waterworld is one of those movies, especially after viewing the extended 'Ulysses Cut'…
Black Widow (1987)

Black Widow (1987)

[4] Debra Winger plays a federal investigator on the trail of a 'black widow,' a woman (Theresa Russell) who marries and murders one rich man after another, collecting inheritances as she goes. It's great to see Debra Winger in anything,…
Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

[7] Dennis Hopper co-writes, directs, and stars in this counter-culture cornerstone about two hippies (Hopper and Peter Fonda) who embark on a cross-country motorcycle road trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans, trying to figure out how to live their…
Speed (1994)

Speed (1994)

[8] It's formulaic, overblown and downright preposterous at times, but it's also everything moviegoers want in a summer action movie. Speed has a tight, rapid-fire script, awesome sound design, a remarkably kinetic score, and surprisingly good acting for a movie…
True Grit (1969)

True Grit (1969)

[7] John Wayne took home the Oscar for his performance as crotchety Rooster Cogburn, an alcoholic US Marshall recruited by a young girl (Kim Darby) to capture her father's killer and bring him to justice. Wayne is low key as…
My Science Project (1985)

My Science Project (1985)

[6] John Stockwell (Christine) stars as a teenage motor head who steals a bizarre piece of alien technology from a local junk yard to try and pass off as his high school science project. Trouble is, the device keeps depleting…
True Romance (1993)

True Romance (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.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

[10] James Dean stars as Jim Stark, an angst-ridden teenager who quarrels with his parents almost as much as he tangles with high school bullies. I normally hate tough guy movies, and I'd normally put teenagers with puffed-out chests in…