Anastasia (1997)
[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. Anastasia draws upon Russian history and legend, centering around the youngest daughter or…
One Crazy Summer (1986)
[5] Writer/director Savage Steve Holland reteams with John Cusack for another absurd comedy in the vein of Better Off Dead. This time, Cusack heads to Nantucket island after graduating from high school. Once there, he and his friends come to…
Better Off Dead (1985)
[8] John Cusack stars as a comically suicidal teen who doesn't think he'll ever get over being dumped by his girlfriend (Amanda Wyss). As he trains to beat a douchebag high school ski captain in an upcoming downhill race, he…
The Sure Thing (1985)
[6] This may be one of the least insufferable John Cusack romantic comedies out there. He's nauseatingly pussy-whipped like always, willing to drill a hole in his own head to catch a piece of hair pie. When his friend (Anthony…
The Paperboy (2012)
[7] Lee Daniels (Precious, The Butler) directs this moody piece about a college dropout who helps his older brother investigate the murder of a police officer. The convicted killer's girlfriend joins the investigation to help prove his innocence. Zac Efron…
1408 (2007)
[5] This haunted hotel room flick, based on a short story by Stephen King, brings nothing new to the haunted house subgenre. It even veers straight into cliches like dramatic temperature changes, ghostly images of murders past, and (my favorite)…
The Thin Red Line (1998)
[5] John Toll's cinematography and Hans Zimmer's music will wash over you in an ecstatic kind of way in The Thin Red Line. The shots rolling over wind-swept grassy hills are mesmerizing and director Terrence Malick incorporates many other elements…
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
[5] John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, and Clark Duke star in this Back to the Future parody of sorts, about three men and a nephew who take a nostalgic vacation at an old ski lodge from the men's youth,…
The Player (1992)
[9] Director Robert Altman made his post-Popeye comeback with this biting takedown of the film industry. Tim Robbins (Jacob's Ladder, The Shawshank Redemption) stars as Griffin Mill, an unscrupulous studio executive who's paranoid about being replaced by an up-and-coming rival…
Stand By Me (1986)
[10]
Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride) adapts this dark coming-of-age tale from Stephen King, about a band of four boys who embark on a weekend journey to find the body of a missing teenager. Stand By Me is the best film of Reiner’s career, and the best film adaptation of King’s work. It’s a moving, hauntingly nostalgic piece, bolstered with healthy doses of good humor and some of the best adolescent performances ever put to film.