40 Years of Movies: 1988

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

1988:

Die Hard
About: This was an easy choice. Die Hard is one of my favorite films of all time, so seeing it come up for 1988, it was easy to pick this as my favorite of the year. Starring Bruce Willis as a grizzled NYPD Detective caught up in a hostage situation at a Christmas Party in Los Angeles, this is a classic. It's got a great blend of humor and action, plus a great story. This is one of the best Christmas movies, too. So, this is easily my favorite film for this year!

Other Considerations:
Young Guns
About: That's not to say there aren't other movies from 1988 that I enjoy. This western features Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid, and a number of other young actors from the time, including his brother Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland, as Billy's colleagues. This one has good action and some iconic scenes. The sequel isn't quite as good, but I enjoyed this original quite a bit.

Willow
About: This adventure from director Ron Howard based on a story from George Lucas is a lot of fun. Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis make a good screen team and this film is a lot of fun. Davis has played some classic characters in a number of projects and works well here as Willow. It's one of Kilmer's better film's too. This one seems to be a little overlooked now, but it makes the list for me.

Lady in White
About: This ghost story centers on a boy (Lukas Haas) locked in a closet at school on Halloween who sees a ghost that leads him on an adventure to solve a crime. I remember when I saw this as a kid, and it was chilling when the killer is revealed. Even years later, the film stuck with me in some memorable ways. This is probably not a high profile or well known film among audiences, but it's one that I've always enjoyed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more