Obsession (1976)
Feb 6, 2002Reincarnation Thriller
Brian De Palma with Paul Schrader on script make a homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo with Cliff Robertson wandering Venice believing he has found the reincarnation of his late wife
John Lithgow
Blow Out (1981)
May 27, 2010Psycho-Thriller
One of Brian De Palma's most stylish psycho-thrillers, featuring John Travolta as a sound engineer who becomes targeted after he accidentally records evidence of a political assassination
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Dec 16, 2000Fantasy Anthology/TV Series Remake
Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, John Landis and George Miller came together to make this film homage to Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. The episodes are variable but the standout is Miller's Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
The Day After (1983)
Jan 1, 2002Nuclear Holocaust
From Nicholas Meyer, a TV movie (released theatrically in some countries) that was considered controversial in its day for its no-holds-barred depiction of a nuclear attack on the US
2010 (1984)
May 5, 20012001: A Space Odyssey Sequel
2001: A Space Odyssey did not need a sequel but this fits the bill surprisingly well. A warmer and much more human film than Stanley Kubrick made, this has some of the very best effects of its era.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension (1984)
Apr 16, 1999Funky Inventor Hero vs Alien Invaders
An object lesson in how to create an instant cult film – exceedingly eccentric, a commercial failure at the box-office, it instantly receiving a fan clique – all without it ever being a particularly great film
Santa Claus – The Movie (1985)
May 25, 2003The Santa Claus Story
The producers of the Christopher Reeve Superman films turn to making a Santa film but this proved a massively over-budgeted flop
The Manhattan Project (1986)
May 12, 2004Teenager Builds Atomic Bomb
Teen thriller where Christopher Collett decides to build an atomic bomb for the school science prize
Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
Jan 11, 2003Friendly Bigfoot
Likeable effort from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Productions in which a Bigfoot is befriended by a family. The star of the show is Kevin Peter Hall in the amazingly expressive Bigfoot makeup from Rick Baker
Ricochet (1991)
Jan 6, 2003Ex-Con's Revenge
This rehashes Cape Fear, remade by Martin Scorsese the same year, with Denzel Washington as an upstanding lawyer whose life is torn apart by vengeful ex-con John Lithgow. A frequently ludicrous script is made worse by Russell Mulcahy's overwrought direction
Raising Cain (1992)
Jul 6, 1999Split Personality Psycho-Thriller
Brian De Palma made a return to his trademark psycho-thriller for the first time in several years but the benchmarks of the genre were now The Silence of the Lambs and Basic Instinct and De Palma’s wildly contorted plot and flourishes of style for their own sake seem dated
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)
Jan 1, 2010Animation/Talking Babies
The second entry in the ultra-annoying animated franchise spun off from the animated tv series that only seems to centre around poo and pee jokes, this is marginally more enjoyable than the first film
Shrek (2001)
May 22, 2001Animation/Fairytale Spoof
Before this was spun out into a series of ho-hum sequels, the original was an animated film that burst with a freshness and a series of winning voice characterisations
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Aug 12, 2011Planet of the Apes Prequel
Reboot of the classic franchise, a loose remake of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Thanks to some remarkable CGI effects, the apes entirely outshine the humans
Interstellar (2014)
Nov 8, 2014Space Expedition
This could be Christopher Nolan's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he draws from in many respects, but where Kubrick was cold and oblique, this is a 2001 with a heart. A pleasure to see a film rooted in credible science and dealing with high concept SF
Pet Sematary (2019)
Jul 5, 2019Resurrection of the Dead/Stephen King Adaptation
Remake of the Stephen King novel that opened to very divided reaction. The surprise about the film is bar one central aspect it is surprisingly faithful to the book. On the other hand, the changes make the crucial difference
The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
Mar 1, 2026Psycho in a Retirement Home
Rather good New Zealand made horror film set in a geriatric home with Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow engaged in a series of psychological games as a stroke-impaired Rush tries to stop a murderous Lithgow