Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Working Title Films,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Niles East High School – 7700 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Bronson Pinchot, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur, Curtis Armstrong, directed by Paul Brickman, written by Paul Brickman, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Denby, James Berardinelli, Dave Kehr, Variety Staff, Ian Nathan, Chris Peachment, David Nusair, Sean Axmaker, Ralph Novak, Tom Hutchinson, MPAA rating R, high school, teen angst, coming of age, prostitution, brothel, Porsche, soundtrack, dark themes, social satire, commentary, capitalism, responsibility, adulthood, rebellion, peer pressure, negative outcomes, uncertainty, irony, sarcastic tone, underrated
 

Cast & Crew

Tom Cruise

Joel Goodsen

Rebecca De Mornay

Lana

Bronson Pinchot

Joel Goodsen

Lana

Barry

Guido

Rutherford

Tom Cruise – Joel Goodsen
Rebecca De Mornay – Lana
Bronson Pinchot – Barry
Joe Pantoliano – Guido
Richard Masur – Rutherford
Curtis Armstrong – Miles

 

Paul Brickman

Paul Brickman

Jon Avnet

Steve Tisch

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Paul Brickman
 
Writer(s)
Paul Brickman
 
Producer(s)
Jon Avnet, Steve Tisch

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

David Denby

James Berardinelli

Dave Kehr

Variety Staff

Ian Nathan

New York Magazine/Vulture

ReelViews

Chicago Reader

Variety

Empire Magazine

RISKY BUSINESS
 All Critics (49) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (4)
 Risky Business, a movie about a nice boy losing his virginity, is a first-time director’s clear failure that I normally wouldn’t get belligerent about, but the picture is so confused, so strange, and so openly corrupt that I can’t resist.
 
 December 31, 2019
 
 David Denby
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 For writer/director Paul Brickman, this was a case of being in the right place at the right time and, perhaps most importantly, getting the right leading man in place.
 
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 One of the finest film explorations of the end of innocence.
 
 August 6, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Writer-director Paul Brickman can therefore be accused of trying to have it both ways, but there’s no denying the stylishness and talent of his direction.
 
 August 6, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Good ’80’s teen movie with a suitable soundtrack and the loveable Cruise displaying his new found starry confidence.
 
 August 6, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Ian Nathan
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 What distinguishes it, however, is that it’s hovering permanently on the brink of stark, staring disaster in a way that strangely recalls The Graduate.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Chris Peachment
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 …a distressingly erratic comedy that’s far too slick for its own good…
 
 May 3, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 … you could call it an art movie version of the teen sex comedy.
 
 April 10, 2016
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Seanax.com
 As adolescent adventures go, Risky Business is an invigorating, first-class affair: It manages to make coming of age a witty proposition.
 
 July 31, 2013
 
 Ralph Novak
 People Magazine
 Writer/director Paul Brickman has honed a sharp satire on American go-getting here.
 
 July 31, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tom Hutchinson
 Radio Times
 It’s sexy, smart and funny, but also stylish and filled with social satire and commentary on the culture of money.
 
 August 11, 2010
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Turner Classic Movies Online
 A capitalist wet dream; one that we have long since woken up from screaming.
 
 July 16, 2009 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Chris Laverty
 Clothes on Film…

 

Plot
A suburban Chicago teenager’s parents leave on vacation, and he cuts loose. An unauthorised trip in his father’s Porsche means a sudden need for lots of money, which he raises in a creative way.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film Risky Business on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Paul-Brickman.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion, Bayerischer Rundfunk ARTE
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Carnegie Institute – 4615 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
Flashdance, drama, romance, 1983, Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Cynthia Rhodes, Lilia Skala, directed by Adrian Lyne, produced by Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer, written by Thomas Hedley Jr., Joe Eszterhas, box office performance, budget, R rating, reviewed by Richard Corliss, James Berardinelli, Variety Staff, Trevor Johnston, Roger Ebert, Janet Maslin, Yasser Medina, Justin Brown, Brandon Collins, Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
 

Cast & Crew

Jennifer Beals

Michael Nouri

Cynthia Rhodes

Lilia Skala

Sunny Johnson

Alex Owens

Nick Hurley

Tina Tech

Hanna Long

Jeanie Szabo

Jennifer Beals – Alex Owens
Michael Nouri – Nick Hurley
Cynthia Rhodes – Tina Tech
Lilia Skala – Hanna Long
Sunny Johnson – Jeanie Szabo
Kyle T. Heffner – Richie

 

Adrian Lyne

Thomas Hedley Jr.

Don Simpson

Jerry Bruckheimer

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Adrian Lyne
 
Writer(s)
Thomas Hedley Jr., Joe Eszterhas
 
Producer(s)
Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
11 wins & 14 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Corliss

James Berardinelli

Variety Staff

Trevor Johnston

Roger Ebert

TIME Magazine

ReelViews

Variety

Time Out

Chicago Sun-Times

FLASHDANCE
 All Critics (48) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (31)
 Unlike its grittily romantic predecessors, Flashdance is pure glitz.
 
 March 25, 2013
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Flashdance might be considered one of the first signs of Hollywood’s Apocalypse.
 
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 Virtually plotless, exceedingly thin on characterization and sociologically laughable, pic at least lives up to its title by offering an anthology of extraordinarily flashy dance numbers.
 
 May 23, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Depressing to think that this was a huge hit on the back of the Irene Cara hit single, since there’s absolutely nothing to it.
 
 January 26, 2006
 
 Trevor Johnston
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Jennifer Beals shouldn’t feel bad. She is a natural talent, she is fresh and engaging here, and only needs to find an agent with a natural talent for turning down scripts.
 
 October 23, 2004 | Rating: 1.5/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The story doesn’t help Miss Beals either, because she’s at her least convincing when having to register any emotion other than rapture.
 
 August 30, 2004 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Jennifer Beals can dance like a maniac under an electrifying soundtrack, but I have the impression that her role is not enough to invigorate a narrative that stumbles too much between the camp and the videoclip routine. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 June 19, 2022 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Yasser Medina
 Cinemaficionados
 The fact that this was considered a “hit” boggles my mind. I did not enjoy this. The 80’s was a wild time.
 
 March 31, 2022 | Rating: 1/5
 
 Justin Brown
 Medium Popcorn
 Besides the music, this film was tough to get through. The love story is incredibly creepy and came off very manipulative and toxic. This is the 80s but that doesn’t excuse the madness that was on screen.
 
 March 31, 2022 | Rating: 1/5
 
 Brandon Collins
 Medium Popcorn
 FLASHDANCE is an experience that grows upon you relying on the charism of Beals and the atmosphere created by Lyne’s keen eye for sexiness and Moroder’s ear for groundbreaking music.
 
 May 28, 2020 | Rating: B+
 
 James Clay
 Fresh Fiction
 With Flashdance, Beals gives a memorable performance that jump-started her career.
 
 May 18, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Allison Rose
 FlickDirect
 An obvious crowd-pleaser…
 
 March 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews…

 

Plot
Alex Owens is a female dynamo: steel worker by day, exotic dancer by night. Her dream is to get into a real dance company, though, and with encouragement from her boss/boyfriend, she may get her chance. The city of Pittsburgh co-stars. What a feeling!
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Jennifer Beals’ “appealing performance” in Flashdance, but criticizes the film’s “flat-footed” narrative.
 

 
Adrian-Lyne.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions,
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Paramount Building – 1501 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Robert De Niro

Jerry Lewis

Sandra Bernhard

Diahnne Abbott

Shelley Hack

Rupert Pupkin

Jerry Langford

Masha

Rita Keane

Cathy Long

CAST & CREW
Robert De Niro – Rupert Pupkin
Jerry Lewis – Jerry Langford
Sandra Bernhard – Masha
Diahnne Abbott – Rita Keane
Shelley Hack – Cathy Long
Tony Randall – Self

 

Martin Scorsese

Paul Zimmerman

Arnon Milchan

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Martin Scorsese
 
Writer(s)
Paul Zimmerman
 
Producer(s)
Arnon Milchan

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
3 wins & 8 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Bob Thomas

Richard Brody

Jason Bailey

Melissa Anderson

Gary Arnold

Associated Press

New Yorker

Flavorwire

Village Voice

Washington Post

THE KING OF COMEDY
  All Critics (64) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (7)
  Scorsese is capable of building tension, but what is he trying to achieve? A comedy about the nature of fame? But he evokes only the most nervous of laughter.
 
  October 17, 2018
 
  Bob Thomas
  Associated Press
  TOP CRITIC
  Scorsese infuses this tale with the passionate energy of New York street life and an outsider’s wonder at the powerful workings of show business and studio craft.
 
  June 27, 2016
 
  Richard Brody
  New Yorker
  TOP CRITIC
  The tone it establishes is challenging, because there are funny scenes and situations which could easily be played for laughs, but that black cloud of tension and danger hangs over all of them, and Scorsese won’t give you that release.
 
  June 24, 2016
 
  Jason Bailey
  Flavorwire
  TOP CRITIC
  Brilliantly keeps viewers unmoored, the result of its consistently off-kilter tone.
 
  June 21, 2016
 
  Melissa Anderson
  Village Voice
  TOP CRITIC
  The King of Comedy fancies itself a scathing social satire about the lust for celebrity carried to extremes. But ultimately, director Martin Scorsese’s movie is a severely misconceived and distasteful study of delusional behavior.
 
  December 18, 2015
 
  Gary Arnold
  Washington Post
  TOP CRITIC
  A disturbing picture of a world in which television is taken for a “reality” higher than everyday life, it’s also darkly funny.
 
  April 18, 2014
 
  Philip Horne
  Daily Telegraph (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The exploration into the darkly twisted world of celebrity worship makes for a fascinating portrayal that is both excruciating to look at but at the same time incredibly engaging.
 
  May 25, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Josh Parham
  Next Best Picture
  Episode 46: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark / Share / The King of Comedy
 
  October 4, 2021 | Rating: 78/100
 
  Taylor Baker
  Drink in the Movies
  This jet-black comedy is a symphony of unease.
 
  August 29, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy
  The tone of The King of Comedy distinguishes itself in a very meritorious way. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
  May 8, 2020
 
  Alonso Díaz de la Vega
  El Universal
  The film is perfect, as much for its performances and its sheer un-comfortableness.
 
  April 17, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Patrick McDonald
  WBGR-FM (93.7 FM – Monroe, WI)
  If there was any doubt that Robert De Niro is the greatest and most unsettling actor in movies today and Martin Scorsese the director most adept at bringing out his genius, then The King of Comedy should dispel it.
 
  February 27, 2020
 
  Molly Haskell
  Vogue…

 

Plot
Rupert Pupkin is obsessed with becoming a comedy great. However, when he confronts his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford, with a plea to perform on the Jerry’s show, he is only given the run-around. He does not give up, however, but persists in stalking Jerry until he gets what he wants. Eventually he must team up with his psychotic Langford-obsessed friend Masha to kidnap the talk show host in hopes of finally getting to perform his stand-up routine.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Martin-Scorsese.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros. Pictures, Endeavor Content One Community
 
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Admiral Twin Drive-In, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Matt Dillon, C Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane, Tom Cruise, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, written by S.E Hinton, Kathleen Rowell, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Danny Leigh, Peter Bradshaw, Robert Osborne, Gilbert Adair, PG rating, Gray Frederickson, Fred Roos produced
 

Cast & Crew

Matt Dillon

C. Thomas Howell

Ralph Macchio

Patrick Swayze

Rob Lowe

Dallas Winston

Ponyboy Curtis

Johnny Cade

Darrel Curtis

Sodapop Curtis

Matt Dillon – Dallas Winston
C. Thomas Howell – Ponyboy Curtis
Ralph Macchio – Johnny Cade
Patrick Swayze – Darrel Curtis
Rob Lowe – Sodapop Curtis
Emilio Estevez – Two-Bit Matthews
and more…

 

Francis Ford Coppola

S.E. Hinton

Gray Frederickson

Fred Roos

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Francis Ford Coppola
 
Writer(s)
S.E. Hinton, Kathleen Rowell
 
Producer(s)
Gray Frederickson, Fred Roos

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Maher

Danny Leigh

Peter Bradshaw

Robert Osborne

Gilbert Adair

Times

Financial Times

Guardian

Hollywood Reporter

Sight & Sound

THE OUTSIDERS
 All Critics (47) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (15)
 It’s beautifully shot, written and paced, but the cast, really, is the thing.
 
 October 15, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie is sincerely anguished, sensitive to class. It can also wobble alarmingly.
 
 October 14, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Danny Leigh
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It is a movie with the heartfelt old-fashioned urgency of a Hollywood film from much further back, with the Brat Pack in this film the equivalent of the Dead End Kids who made Angels With Dirty Faces in the 1930s.
 
 October 14, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 In The Outsiders, the director’s class is consistently present, but it may be a case of the wrong man for the job, since overall film plays unevenly, with a cliche and detached ambiance that robs the plotline of what passion it might’ve whipped up.
 
 March 27, 2018
 
 Robert Osborne
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 One of the most overtly aesthetic, art-for-art’s-sake films in Hollywood’s history, a faux-naf Pre-Raphaelite mural in which angels with dirty faces but immaculately pure hearts burn with a hard, gemlike flame before being snuffed out in their prime.
 
 August 2, 2015
 
 Gilbert Adair
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Because it falls in with the undulating rhythm of the life of its heroes, for whom a fatal fight and a quiet night have almost equal importance, the picture never manages to reach the peaks of satisfying Hollywood melodrama.
 
 December 11, 2007
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 The deep, honest emotion undercutting the performative toxic masculinity of these young men is beyond charming and vitally essential, but the melodramatic randomness of the plot ultimately lost me.
 
 November 22, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 MaryAnn Johanson
 Flick Filosopher
 What particularly sells this pensive if occasionally overwrought melodrama is the amazing collection of then-rising stars.
 
 November 21, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 This begins as a great film but, unfortunately, slowly gives way to ever weaker melodrama across its second half. Well worth it, though, to see the beginnings of so many notable careers and for Stephen H. Burum’s cinematography.
 
 October 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Sam Inglis
 HeyUGuys
 [A] surprisingly sweet, earnest and vulnerable in a way that from some angles could be considered cloying, but ultimately succeeds in capturing the overwhelming and all-encompassing emotions of adolescence.
 
 April 27, 2021
 
 Priyanka Bose
 The Spool
 Because of his sentimentality, Coppola misses the opportunity to reflect more vigorously on the life of these teenagers. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 February 5, 2020
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 Watching it again recently I found all of Coppola’s cornball flourishes to be rather endearing, even generous.
 
 July 31, 2018
 
 Sean Burns
 The ARTery…

 

Plot
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1965. Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis is the youngest of three orphaned brothers who live on the north side of town, the “wrong side” of the tracks. Sensitive Ponyboy used to have a good relationship with his oldest brother Darrel, but since Darrel became the household caregiver, he is always on Ponyboy’s case. Caught in the middle is third brother Sodapop, who dropped out of school to work full time. They all belong to The Greasers, a gang of boys from the north side also from working class families, often broken. Ponyboy’s main concern is that any problem they may encounter, especially in their Greaser activities, will lead to the authorities splitting up their family. He also believes Darrel would have outgrown them and become something in his life if it wasn’t for his loyalty to the gang, and the need to take care of the family. The rest of the world sees the Greasers as all the same, the face being Dallas Winston, the most volatile one who has just been released from prison, despite each boy having his own specific view of life. Similarly, the world sees the Socs, the Greasers’ primary rivals, as all the same, rich spoiled entitled boys with a sense of superiority from the south side of town, despite again each boy being his own person. A connection between the two gangs happens in the form of Ponyboy and Cherry Valance, which doesn’t sit well with Cherry’s Soc boyfriend, Bob Sheldon. As a result, an incident occurs involving the Socs, Ponyboy and fellow Greaser, sixteen-year-old Johnny Cade, an equally sensitive boy who wants a better life for himself, but seems stuck in a downward spiral with parents who don’t give him the time of day. Beyond Ponyboy and Johnny’s lives being threatened by that incident, the Greasers and the Socs agree to a rumble to settle things once and for all. Some of the boys realize the rumble will accomplish nothing, with the questions being if they can convince their colleagues of the same, and if not what the consequences will be.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Outsiders includes a young and talented group of actors, including Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise.
 

 
Francis-Ford-Coppola.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Hardangerjøkulen Glacier, Finse, Norway
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for sci-fi action violence
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, directed by Richard Marquand, written by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, PG, box office gross $309.3M, reviewed by Philip Strick, Michael Blowen, Evan Williams, Rena Andrews, Harper Barnes, Sheila Benson, Brian Eggert, David Gonzalez, Cory Woodroof, Eddie Harrison, Tony Black, George Lucas as writer, Lawrence Kasdan as writer, Howard G Kazanjian as producer, 20th Century Fox as distributor, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track as sound mix, Scope (2.35:1) as aspect ratio, Star Wars Saga as collection
 

Cast & Crew

Mark Hamill

Harrison Ford

Carrie Fisher

Billy Dee Williams

Anthony Daniels

Luke Skywalker

Han Solo

Princess Leia

Lando Calrissian

C-3PO

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams – Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
Director – Richard Marquand
Producer – Howard G. Kazanjian
Writers – George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas

 

Richard Marquand

George Lucas

Howard G. Kazanjian

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Richard Marquand
 
Writer(s)
George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
 
Producer(s)
Howard G. Kazanjian

 

Film Festivals
Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
25 wins & 20 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Philip Strick

Michael Blowen

Evan Williams

Rena Andrews

Harper Barnes

Sight & Sound

Boston Globe

The Australian

Denver Post

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

STAR WARS: EPISODE VI — RETURN OF THE JEDI
  All Critics (98) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (17)
  If the revels of Star Wars are indeed now ended, Jedi couldn’t have been a better resolution for them.
 
  December 17, 2019
 
  Philip Strick
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  “Return of the Jedi,” the final act of George Lucas’ first “Star Wars” trilogy, is the best one yet.
 
  April 26, 2018
 
  Michael Blowen
  Boston Globe
  TOP CRITIC
  There are all sorts of hints in the latest escapade (notionally directed by Richard Marquand) that we are meant to be taking it seriously.
 
  December 15, 2015
 
  Evan Williams
  The Australian
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s everything it ought to be — glorious, exhilarating, exciting, absorbing, technically wondrous. But there also is something bittersweet in the knowledge that, with Jedi, we are bidding a fond farewell to all of the characters we got to know so well.
 
  December 15, 2015 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Rena Andrews
  Denver Post
  TOP CRITIC
  The characters and dialogue get lost somewhere between the bug-eyed monsters and the exploding spaceships, but it is all so much fun it probably really does not matter a whole lot.
 
  December 14, 2015
 
  Harper Barnes
  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  TOP CRITIC
  With this last of the central Star Wars cycle, there is the sense of the closing of a circle, of leaving behind real friends. It is accomplished with a weight and a new maturity that seem entirely fitting, yet the movie has lost none of its sense of fun.
 
  December 14, 2015
 
  Sheila Benson
  Los Angeles Times
  TOP CRITIC
  Given how well Return of the Jedi was put together from a technical perspective, and how entertaining the whole thing ends up being, it’s difficult not to enjoy the film on very basic levels, but it stands as the original trilogy’s odd man out.
 
  April 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  The Return Of The Jedi offers enough moments that is not only a fitting entry into the franchise but what was thought of at the time as a fitting conclusion to it as well.
 
  February 18, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  David Gonzalez
  Reel Talk Inc.
  Return of the Jedi is easy to nitpick, but its best qualities are simply that it’s got the aura of an original trilogy film.
 
  February 11, 2022
 
  Cory Woodroof
  615 Film
  …the decline that began in The Empire Strikes Back has becomes a malaise by now, with continuity stretches making nonsense of the narrative…
 
  August 25, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Eddie Harrison
  film-authority.com
  It’s well constructed, tonally in spirit, and hugely enjoyable, but the Force simply isn’t as strong in this one.
 
  February 16, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Tony Black
  Cultural Conversation
  An enthralling resolution that brings the epic story of Darth Vader to a close.
 
  September 8, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi Master’s help will Luke survive when the Dark Side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Richard-Marquand.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Z Films Inc.
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
 
Keyword(s)
starring Anna Carlisle, Paula E Sheppard, Susan Doukas, directed by Slava Tsukerman, written by Slava Tsukerman, Nina V Kerova, Anne Carlisle, Sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Eleanor Ringel Cater, Jay Carr, Alan Scherstuhl, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Rob Gonsalves, Cindy Patton, Alan Jones, Matt Brunson, Diego Galán, Tyler Smith, R rating, Z Films Inc., Margaret, Jimmy, Adrian, Sylvia, Flat (1.85:1), aspect ratio, punk subculture, alien creature, opiate, brain, orgasm
 

Cast & Crew

Anna Carlisle,Jimmy

Paula E. Sheppard

Susan Doukas

Slava Tsukerman

Margaret

Jimmy

Adrian

Sylvia

Director

Anna Carlisle – Margaret, Jimmy
Paula E. Sheppard – Adrian
Susan Doukas – Sylvia
Slava Tsukerman – Director

 

Slava Tsukerman

NA

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Slava Tsukerman
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Malcolm

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Jay Carr

Alan Scherstuhl

Variety Staff

Guardian

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Boston Globe

Village Voice

Variety

LIQUID SKY
 All Critics (27) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (2)
 The film is a melange of electric theatre, parody, caricature and mock-seriousness. It works well if you let it. Some might not bother. But I rather liked it.
 
 August 20, 2021
 
 Derek Malcolm
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 This film doesn’t give a Day-Glo damn about making sense, but in its own deadpan, punked-out way, it’s quite funny.
 
 June 9, 2021
 
 Eleanor Ringel Cater
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s punk sci-fi, black comedy executed at the level of a vicious high-fashion comic strip; yet it rises above its banalities and leaves an imprint.
 
 April 28, 2018
 
 Jay Carr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 The film might sound ludicrous, and it is often funny – intentionally – but it’s impassioned rather than some grim joke.
 
 April 10, 2018
 
 Alan Scherstuhl
 Village Voice
 TOP CRITIC
 Liquid Sky is an odd, yet generally pleasing mixture of punk rock, science fiction, and black humor.
 
 April 11, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Anne Carlisle, who stars as both the model and her creepy male counterpart, projects a disturbing and original aura of opaque, ingrained despair.
 
 April 11, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Its post-punk callousness gives it an irreverent kick.
 
 December 1, 2022 | Rating: A-
 
 Rob Gonsalves
 Rob’s Movie Vault
 The film does not permit despair or inaction. Rather, it begs a wry laugh and the courage to change our world against all odds.
 
 September 13, 2022
 
 Cindy Patton
 Gay Community News (Boston)
 Over-indulgent and stylistically over the top to a distracting degree on every level.
 
 August 1, 2022
 
 Alan Jones
 Starburst
 The film’s throbbing music score, trippy effects, and commentary on sex, drugs & (punk) rock’n’roll mark it as a particularly spacey odyssey.
 
 August 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 A rare film where color and fantasy don’t hide the attempt to discuss love and drugs. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 September 6, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 Those that are willing to engage with the film on its own strange level will be rewarded with a memorable film experience.
 
 July 9, 2019
 
 Tyler Smith
 Battleship Pretension…

 

Plot
An alien creature invades New York’s punk subculture in search of an opiate released by the brain during orgasm in the sci-fi film Liquid Sky.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars Anna Carlisle in a dual role as both the model and her creepy male counterpart.
 

 
Slava-Tsukerman.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
2.4.7. Films, France 3 Cinéma The Kennedy Marshall Company,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, punk culture, Los Angeles, music, X, Black Flag, Fear, Germs, Catholic Discipline, Alice Bag Band, Penelope Spheeris, directed by Penelope Spheeris, produced by Penelope Spheeris, written by Penelope Spheeris, reviewed by Nathan Rabin, reviewed by Michael Anthony, reviewed by Scott Cain, reviewed by Eleanor Ringel Cater, reviewed by Lynn Van Matre, reviewed by Joe Pollack, reviewed by Rick Chatenever, reviewed by Robert W Butler, reviewed by Cameron Cohick, reviewed by Terry Orme, reviewed by Stephen Hunter, reviewed by George Williams, genre, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, Alice Bag, Claude Bessey, Don Bolles, Exene Cervenka, Philo Cramer, Darby Crash
 

Cast & Crew

Alice Bag

Claude Bessey

Don Bolles

Exene Cervenka

Philo Cramer

Alice Bag

Claude Bessey

Don Bolles

Exene Cervenka

Philo Cramer

Alice Bag – self
Claude Bessey – self
Don Bolles – self
Exene Cervenka – self
Philo Cramer – self
Darby Crash – self

 

Penelope Spheeris

Penelope Spheeris

Penelope Spheeris

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Penelope Spheeris
 
Writer(s)
Penelope Spheeris
 
Producer(s)
Penelope Spheeris

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nathan Rabin

Michael Anthony

Scott Cain

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Lynn Van Matre

Globe and Mail

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Chicago Tribune

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
 All Critics (40) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (40)
 The film’s style is as brutal, stripped-down and purposefully devoid of frills as the music of its subjects.
 
 May 8, 2021
 
 Nathan Rabin
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 Spheeris’s film does have Its funny moments.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 Michael Anthony
 Minneapolis Star Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 The musicians and their fans are both amusing and pathetic.
 
 March 23, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Scott Cain
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 Penelope Spheeris’ aptly and ironically titled documentary… is a disturbing, often hilarious, strangely exhilarating look at the punk rock scene in Los Angeles as it was during the first six months of 1980.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 Eleanor Ringel Cater
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 Producer and director Penelope Spheeris… lets the bands and fans speak for themselves; and it is their message, rather than the music, that makes “Decline” so fascinating.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 Lynn Van Matre
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 I enjoyed the movie, but then, was luckier than most I got to see it with the volume turned way down.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 Joe Pollack
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 TOP CRITIC
 Spheeris’ treatment goes out of its way to present a broad look at the subject that avoids easy generalizations in either direction.
 
 May 8, 2021
 
 Rick Chatenever
 Santa Cruz Sentinel
 Miss Spheeris has captured some harrowing and hilarious images with her camera and she shows a natural film maker’s instinct for editing, particularly in the way she crosscuts interview footage for humorous effect.
 
 March 24, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Robert W. Butler
 Kansas City Star
 What emerges is remarkable – not only a gripping documentary, but one of the funniest movies of the year.
 
 March 24, 2021
 
 Cameron Cohick
 South Florida Sun-Sentinel
 The Decline of Western Civilization is a crisply-edited, well-crafted documentary film which explores something which is often a topic of conversation, and also, that few people know much about.
 
 March 24, 2021
 
 Terry Orme
 Salt Lake Tribune
 [Penelope Spheeris] never preaches (the film has no narration; no pious experts are consulted; it’s pure testimony) and her message is the louder for it.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 Stephen Hunter
 Baltimore Sun
 A primer on punk rock… Marvelous.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 George Williams
 Sacramento Bee…

 

Plot
The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes members of punk bands such as X, Black Flag, Fear, Germs, and Catholic Discipline.
 

 
Penelope-Spheeris.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Bavaria Film Twin Bros., Productions, Radiant Film GmbH,
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Torchy’s Bar – 218 1/2 West Fifth Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole, Frank McRae, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver, directed by Walter Hill, written by Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross, Steven E de Souza, action, comedy, box office success, budget, reviewed by Bob Thomas, Richard Schickel, Ian Nathan, Dave Kehr, Roger Ebert, Janet Maslin, James Kendrick, Peter Canavese, Matt Brunson, Danielle Solzman, MPAA rating R, buddy movie, San Francisco, bank robbery, federal prison, killing spree, chemistry, odd coupling, shoot-em-up, crime thriller, racism, Eddie Murphy’s film debut
 

Cast & Crew

Nick Nolte

Eddie Murphy

Annette O’Toole

Frank McRae

James Remar

Jack Cates

Reggie Hammond

Elaine

Haden

Albert Ganz

Nick Nolte – Jack Cates
Eddie Murphy – Reggie Hammond
Annette O’Toole – Elaine
Frank McRae – Haden
James Remar – Albert Ganz
David Patrick Kelly – Luther

 

Walter Hill

Roger Spottiswoode

Lawrence Gordon

Joel Silver

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Walter Hill
 
Writer(s)
Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza
 
Producer(s)
Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Bob Thomas

Richard Schickel

Ian Nathan

Dave Kehr

Roger Ebert

Associated Press

TIME Magazine

Empire Magazine

Chicago Reader

Chicago Sun-Times

48 HRS.
 All Critics (46) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (3)
 What makes it work are Walter Hill’s switchblade-sharp direction, and the inspired teaming of Nolte and Murphy.
 
 November 12, 2018
 
 Bob Thomas
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 Neither jokes nor fast, flashy action can completely distract audiences from the failure to establish an authentic, rather than a purely conventional connection between Nolte and Murphy.
 
 June 6, 2009
 
 Richard Schickel
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Although dated, there is a brute edginess to this popular slice of formula odd coupling.
 
 March 1, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ian Nathan
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 All in all, a superior genre piece, if not the height of Hill’s artistry.
 
 March 1, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie’s story is nothing to write home about. It’s pretty routine. What makes the movie special is how it’s made. Nolte and Murphy are good, and their dialogue is good, too — quirky and funny.
 
 October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 [It] is more memorable for its characters than for its high style, more a series of energetic scenes than a collection of handsome imagery. It has life, ferocity and humor in place of icy, stylized elegance, and that seems more than a fair trade.
 
 August 30, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 For all its vulgar language and bloodshed, 48 Hrs. is a genuine buddy movie in the best sense of the term.
 
 September 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Kendrick
 Q Network Film Desk
 The chemistry of the rumpled, grizzly, grumpy Nick Nolte paired with the sassy, funny upstart Eddie Murphy (in his film debut) elevates this San Francisco-shot, typical shoot-em-up buddy comedy. (Paramount blu-ray review).
 
 July 18, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Peter Canavese
 Celluloid Dreams
 Eddie Murphy makes a film debut for the ages. Nick Nolte’s performance is often overlooked on his resume, but he’s superb in the film.
 
 July 11, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 The racism doesn’t hold up but 48 Hrs. would change cinema with the big screen arrival of Eddie Murphy.
 
 July 6, 2021
 
 Danielle Solzman
 Solzy at the Movies
 Murphy’s performance as Hammond, displays an actor on the verge of blooming into the most fruitful years of his career.
 
 July 6, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Allison Rose
 FlickDirect
 The two leads form an entirely watchable partnership amidst a generally competent crime thriller.
 
 August 31, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Oddball cop and tough guy, Jack Cates is the only survivor of a cop shooting and in hunting down the murderer collects Reggie Hammond from jail for 48 hours. Hammond is oddly motivated to help. The killer is searching for his stash of cash. Cates and Hammond who have the Black-white, cop-crook thing to work out make surprisingly good partners as they navigate through the city looking for their suspect.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Eddie Murphy’s performance in 48 Hrs. is often cited as one of his best and helped launch his career as a leading man.
 

 
Walter-Hill.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Reiserovo castle, Samobor, Croatia
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol, Josef Sommer, Rita Karin, Stephen Newman, directed by Alan J Pakula, written by Alan J Pakula, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bob Thomas, Stanley Kauffmann, Keith Phipps, James Berardinelli, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Marvin Hamlisch, Nestor Almendros, Holocaust survivor, postwar period drama, emotional, powerful, tragic, poignant, character-driven, slow-paced, nuanced, intense, disturbing, heartbreaking, captivating, enthralling, sobering, literate, gifted, awe-inspiring, Oscar-winning performance, human instabilities, great secrets
 

Cast & Crew

Meryl Streep

Kevin Kline

Peter MacNicol

Josef Sommer

Rita Karin

Sophie

Nathan

Stingo

Narrator

Yetta

Meryl Streep – Sophie
Kevin Kline – Nathan
Peter MacNicol – Stingo
Josef Sommer – Narrator
Rita Karin – Yetta
Stephen Newman – Larry

 

Alan J. Pakula

Alan J. Pakula

Alan J. Pakula

Keith Barish

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alan J. Pakula
 
Writer(s)
Alan J. Pakula
 
Producer(s)
Alan J. Pakula, Keith Barish

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
13 wins & 12 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Bob Thomas

Stanley Kauffmann

Keith Phipps

James Berardinelli

Variety Staff

Associated Press

The New Republic

The Dissolve

ReelViews

Variety

SOPHIE’S CHOICE
 All Critics (41) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (9)
 Sophie’s Choice is a rare film, literate, deeply moving and gifted with an absolutely awe-inspiring performance by Meryl Streep.
 
 November 12, 2018
 
 Bob Thomas
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 In other ways the film is just as unsatisfactory as the book, because it’s inseparably strapped to basic flaws. The story has no center, no protagonist. To whom does the action of the novel happen?
 
 January 9, 2018
 
 Stanley Kauffmann
 The New Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 The way Streep inhabits Sophie, and brings her history to life whether she’s explicitly talking about the past or carrying herself across the room with wounded grace, can’t help but make parts of the rest of the film seem smaller by comparison.
 
 April 29, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Keith Phipps
 The Dissolve
 TOP CRITIC
 Without Streep, Sophie’s Choice would have been a very good motion picture. With her, it attains greatness.
 
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 4/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 Astoundingly tedious.
 
 June 26, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The picture is completely devoid of cinematic interest, adopting instead a tiresome theatrical aesthetic in which showy monologues are filmed in interminable, usually ill-chosen long takes.
 
 June 26, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s both crushing and triumphant.
 
 September 7, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 For all the significance of the revelations about Sophie’s past, it is the interaction between the three central characters that gives the story its strength.
 
 July 13, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Parkinson
 Radio Times
 The film is tentative when the story demands voice. Sophie’s Choice, no matter how disturbing, remains muted.
 
 July 13, 2020
 
 Leonard Klady
 Winnipeg Free Press
 Streep and Kline, embodying their characters in a way that goes beyond performing, obliterate the excesses on their straight and stirring journey to the heart.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 People Staff
 People Magazine
 The amazing intimacy Pakula creates with the audience ultimately makes Sophie’s Choice the best film of the year.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 Lawrence O’Toole
 Maclean’s Magazine
 Whatever the film’s weaknesses are, it is, albeit unsurprisingly, saved by Streep.
 
 June 17, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 John Oursler
 PopMatters…

 

Plot
Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie’s narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Meryl Streep’s performance in Sophie’s Choice is described as “astonishingly impeccable” and “transformative” by Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Alan-J.-Pakula.jpg