#807 Spoorloos (The Vanishing) (1988)

Spoorloos or The Vanishing is an incredible 1988 Dutch film from George Sluizer that presents the inner self analysis of … More

#763 The Color Purple (1985) and The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

Somehow it took me three English degrees, writing and teaching for over twenty years, and a hazy summer in 2023 … More

Repo Man (1984)

This is one of those films that just happens to be on the Criterion Collection’s list, but not on the … More

#747 Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus is Miloš Forman’s brilliant adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s stage play of the same name that mesmerized Broadway for almost three … More

#689 The Elephant Man (1980)

The Elephant Man was David Lynch’s first major studio motion picture. Of course, before 1980 he independently gave birth to … More

#797 Moonstruck (1987)

Moonstruck is a romantic comedy from 1987 that seems to have defined the genre itself. The film follows the magical … More

#821 Die Hard (1988)

When Die Hard hit the big screen, Bruce Willis wasn’t much of anyone on Hollywood’s big screens. After this movie … More

#727 Terms of Endearment (1983)

Terms of Endearment swept the 1983 Academy Awards as a “successful Mainstream American weepie” (Schneider) that combines comedy, fun, romance, and … More

#723 The Big Chill (1983)

The Big Chill is Lawrence Kasdan’s sharply anti-Hollywood ensemble piece that takes a bunch of 1960s baby boomer friends, shoots … More

#704 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

One of the most memorable films of my youth, E.T. is easily a vehicle that carried the career of Spielberg … More