A Year in Review: A Look back at 1990 part 2
October 18th 2010 22:53
Continuing my look back at 1990 the year i turned 13 an really started my love fest with movies. I would like to present my top movies from the 2nd quarter of the year.
#5 Dick Tracy
At an illegal card game, a young street urchin witnesses the massacre of mobsters Shoulders (Stig Eldrid), Stooge (Jim Wilkey), the Rodent (Neil Summers), the Brow (Chuck Hicks), and Little Face (Lawrence Steven Meyers) by Flattop (William Forsythe) and Itchy (Ed O'Ross), who are on the payroll of Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice (Al Pacino). Caprice's crime syndicate is aggressively taking over small businesses in the city. Detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) catches the urchin (who calls himself "Kid") in an act of petty theft. After rescuing him from a ruthless guardian, Tracy temporarily adopts him with the help of his girlfriend, Tess Truehart (Glenne Headly).
#4 Back to the Future Part III
In 1955, Marty McFly and Doc Brown use the information in Doc’s 1885 letter to retrieve and repair the damaged DeLorean. As they retrieve the car, Marty spies a tombstone with Doc's name, dated six days after the letter. Learning Doc was killed by Biff Tannen's ancestor, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Marty decides to go back to 1885 to save Doc.
Marty arrives on September 2, 1885, in the middle of a U.S. Cavalry pursuit of Indians. While evading the pursuit the car's fuel line is torn, and Marty hides the car in a cave. While walking to Hill Valley, Marty meets his Irish[1] great-great-grandparents Seamus and Maggie McFly. To disguise his identity, Marty adopts the name "Clint Eastwood". In town, Marty runs afoul of Buford and his gang who begin hanging Marty before Doc saves him. Doc agrees to leave 1885, but with the fuel tank in the DeLorean empty and gasoline unavailable, there is no way to power the car to 88 mph. Doc devises a scheme to use a locomotive to push the DeLorean up to speed. As Doc and Marty explore the rail spur they intend to use, they spot an out-of-control horse-drawn wagon. Doc saves the passenger, Clara Clayton. The two fall in love, finding many common interests, especially the works of Jules Verne. Buford tries killing Doc at a town festival, but Marty intervenes. Buford then goads Marty into a showdown in two days' time. Consulting the picture of Doc's tombstone, they note that Doc's name has disappeared, but the tombstone is otherwise unchanged. Doc tells Marty the tombstone represents the events of the future and warns him that it could be Marty instead of Doc that Buford shoots.
#3 Spaced Invaders
As the armed forces of the planet Mars, known as the Imperial Atomic Space Navy (Battle Group Seven), fight a vast interstellar war against a presumably long-time enemy called the Arcturans, under the direction of imperious "Enforcer Drones," the idiotic, incompetent crew of a small Martian spaceship (actually that of the Civilian Asteroid Patrol) intercept a momentary distress signal from the fleet, and then a rebroadcast of Orson Welles' 1938 The War of the Worlds radio dramatization.
#2 Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Several years after the destruction of Kingston Falls, the mogwai Gizmo, the source of the menacing Gremlins who destroyed the town, loses his home with the death of his owner Mr. Wing and the demolition of his antiques store. Gizmo is taken to the main office building of Clamp Enterprises in New York City, where coincidentally his old friend Billy Peltzer and his fiancee Kate work, Billy working in the design department and Kate is a tour guide. The owner of the company, eccentric Daniel Clamp arrives and befriends Billy, quickly impressed with his design skills. Billy's boss Marla Bloodstone also takes interest in Billy, and invites him to dinner. Beforehand, Billy rescues Gizmo from the research lab of the company's science division, run by Doctor Catheter. Gizmo is left in the office building for Kate to pick up, but he accidentally gets wet and spawns a new batch of Gremlins - duo George and Lenny, insane Daffy, and Mohawk, the reincarnation of the first film's antagonist Stripe. Billy and Kate learn of the spawning after accidentally taking Daffy home instead of Gizmo.
#1 Days Of Thunder
Cole Trickle is promising race car driver with aspirations of one day racing in NASCAR. A wealthy team owner Tim Daland, played by Randy Quaid, sees Trickle race and is convinced that he has the skill to become the next great racer. Daland successfully convinces Harry, played by Duval, a retired pit chief to see Trickle take a few laps. Having never driven a NASCAR vehicle, Daland arranges for Trickle to drive current NASCAR champion Rowdy Burn’s car. Trickle posts the fastest lap of the day, beating Rowdy. Impressed with what he sees, Duval agrees to come out retirement to coach Trickle. Cole’s first several races are not impressive as he has much to learn from the experienced Duval. At this time, Rowdy is making it hard for Cole to succeed as he taunts and messes with Trickle during races. As time progresses, Trickle’s performance improves and he establishes himself as one of the better drivers. Things would come to a screeching halt when a major crash occurs at Daytona. Many drivers are hurt including Cole and Rowdy. Both are injured severely and must go through extensive therapy. It is during this time that Cole takes a liking to his brain surgeon, played by Nicole Kidman. Eventually, Trickle becomes romantically linked with the brain surgeon and his once uneasy relationship with Rowdy become something of a friendship as both offer support during their recoveries. Still unable to race, Daland hires hot shot driver Russ Wheeler, played by Carey Elwes, to take Trickle’s spot. Rowdy’s condition begins to worsen and comes to terms that he will not be able to race. He asks Cole to drive his car for him while he recovers. Trickle wants to get back into a race car but has serious doubts about his own confidence. Trickle convinces Harry to come back and act as his Crew Chief.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I was still a teen but a little older than you in 1990 and had already been in love with films for sometime.
Mixed reaction to your list - A few good B grade gems that would certainly entertain at 13 and beyond (Eg: Tremors, Spaced Invaders etc)
One of my most hated films of all time is Pretty Woman (one of the first and only films I ever walked out of in a cinema) so I will just ignore that and also Back to the Future III is easily the weakest in the series, still fun enough though.
Anyway here are some of my faves from 1990 that at the time blew my mind:
1. Millers Crossing
2. Goodfellas
3, Edward Scissorhands
4. La Femme Nikitta
5.Jacob's Ladder
6. Wild at Heart
7. King of New York
8. The Grifters
9. State of Grace
10. Miami Blues
Here are some others that i saw in cinemas and ended up watching multiple times
Mo Better Blues
Bullet in the Head
Arachnophobia
The Witches
Henry and June
Europa, Europa
The Hot Spot
Pump Up the Volume
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead
Meet the Feebles
Cry Baby
Total Recall
Hardware
The Krays
The Reflecting Skin
Comment by Rick Gillispie
NBA Loud
Champions League Watch
Films Rock
Racing Weekend
Baseball is Good
Golf Slate
How many are foregin movies. Trying to see if that is why i haven't heard of them.
Like most years the best movies come out towards the middle and end. It was hard to do a list based in quarters like i wanted to.
Also, being only 13 i was in love with Juila Roberts so i watched the heck out of Pretty Woman with my older sister.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
A couple are foreign films (Europa Europa, La Femme Nikitta) but most are English language.
I have reviewed several of these on my site so if you click the titles below they will take you to my reviews.
Miller's Crossing
Jacob's Ladder
Miami Blues
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead