Movie Reviews
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Beetlejuice (1988)
"Beetlejuice" is an unusual comedy film about a deceased couple who become ghosts haunting their own home. This early film by director Tim Burton ("Pee-wee's Big Adventure" 1985) has so many stupid situations from from the screenplay by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren that it is nothing [..]
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
"A Fish Called Wanda" is a quirky comedy heist movie from director Charles Crichton. It was successful at the box office and received wide critical acclaim, winning the Best Actor Oscar for star Kevin Kline. However, it is our view that "A Fish Called [..]
Mystic Pizza (1988)
"Mystic Pizza" is a superior coming-of-age romantic drama-comedy starring Julia Roberts in her first box office hit. She is one of three young women working in a pizza restaurant, with their boyfriends and hopes for the future in tow. The screenplay by [..]
Tequila Sunrise (1988)
The star-studded crime drama "Tequila Sunrise" has both plusses and minuses. On the positive side, the film has three big-name stars in their prime and fantastic cinematography, which earned the picture's sole Oscar nomination for Conrad L. Hall. On the negative side [..]
Licence to Kill (1989)
"Licence to Kill" is the sixteenth James Bond movie to be produced by Eon Productions. The quality of the 007 motion pictures is still high: Lots of action, great stunt work, exotic locals, and a fantastic screenplay by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum which has [..]
The Big Picture (1989)
"The Big Picture" is a comedy movie about an Ohio film student trying to get his start in the motion picture industry in Los Angeles. Director Christopher Guest put together a mildly amusing film that seems to be somewhat autobiographical; this is Guest's big screen debut. [..]
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" is a science fiction comedy film about two teenagers attempt to pass the final exam in their history class by using a time machine to bring historical figures from the past. They would then interview them before the student assembly at their high [..]
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is the third in the series of vacation movies from prolific movie-maker John Hughes. The producer-screenwriter infused the picture with enough laughs to make it a holiday favorite, screened on cable television each and every Christmas. Good direction by Jeremiah S. Chechik [..]
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
"Fat Man and Little Boy" is an epic war film about the Manhattan Project, the secret Allied effort to develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II. Director Roland Jaffe ("The Killing Fields" 1984), who co-wrote the screenplay with Bruce Robinson, failed to make a top-rate [..]
Day One (1989)
"Day One" is a made-for-television docudrama about the Manhattan Project, the research and development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Director Joseph Sargent ("The Karen Carpenter Story" 1989) and teleplay writer David W. Rintels examined the relationship between General Leslie Groves and physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer [..]