We are concluding our journey through the lost movies from the 1990s here in episode 10!
The Rookie (1990)
Kicking this episode off is a textbook action thriller about a young cop paired with an old one to catch some bad guys in 1990s The Rookie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, as well as Charlie Sheen, Sonia Braga, and Raul Julia.
I couldn’t get enough of this movie when I was a kid. I remember renting it so many times and watching it every time it was on cable. The Rookie was also my first real introduction to Clint Eastwood. I was 12 or 13 when this movie came out. I knew him as Dirty Harry and had seen his old westerns playing on the tv from time to time, but this was his coming out party for me. This movie’s about as by-the-numbers as you can get yet it does the tropes well. Eastwood and Sheen are perfect. They really didn’t like one another, and their abrasive chemistry makes this basic character dynamic feel realistic. The plot is by-the-book as well, but it keeps a quick pace, it works in a blend of character work and practical action with an albeit recycled score to just make it all gel as a great procedural action flick. Complete with a couple of delightfully devilish villains in Julia and Braga who play their roles up phenomenally. And The Rookie shows just because you’ve had the meal before doesn’t mean it still doesn’t taste good.
Nothing But Trouble (1991)
This wildly bizarre movie follows a couple trying to head out to the country for a getaway. But all that they got was Nothing But Trouble from 1991 written, directed by, and starring Dan Aykroyd, along with Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and John Candy.
To say this movie was completely bizarre, over-the-top, and strange for every minute of its duration would be a gross understatement. Now Nothing but Trouble will certainly not be a movie for everyone. It’s absurd comical insanity throughout. However, there is something to appreciate about this movie for at least swinging for the fences and doing something completely unique to its own. I remember seeing a review relating Nothing But Trouble to being a cross between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Munster’s with a full throttle comedic focus and I would agree. This movie’s a blend of gross out humor, juvenile gags, and dumb laughs. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. Regardless, seeing Chase, Moore, Aykroyd, and Candy go all in on this absurdity is entertaining for those who enjoy wildly eccentric comedy. The production and make-up design are also so over the top but at the same time sort of amazing to look at. There is so much going on in this movie, it’s like a sugar rush of stupid comedy and it’s pretty awesome.
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
Next up is an underrated comedy starring a legend when Eddie Murphy would go from con man to congressman in The Distinguished Gentleman from 1992 directed by Jonathan Lynn. Also starring Lane Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Joe Don Baker, Noble Willingham, and more.
This movie did ok at the box office but was not so well received by critics and I will admit its flaws. The runtime is a bit longer than needed for the concept. And the direction is overly simplistic. From the framing of the shots to scene intros, camera movement, it’s basic direction and visibly bland. Despite that, this is a great time for those who enjoy skit comedy and seeing Eddie Murphy run through his entire comedic schtick. The Distinguished Gentlemen is not as flashy as some of Murphy’s more notable hits but seeing him play around in the world of politics with a heavy side of satire is a lighthearted, feel-good ride of mindless amusement. The supporting cast is strong, from Murphy’s sidekicks to the various political figures Murphy clashes with on his ultimate con, everyone works. They fill this movie with silly, likable, and comically unlikable characters, and with Murphy in the lead The Distinguished Gentlemen is a great pick for a night at home with an effective 90s comedy.
A Bronx Tale (1993)
This time period crime drama follows a normal hard-working man that will cross paths with a local crime boss who has taken a liking to his son in 1993s A Bronx Tale directed by and starring Robert De Niro, alongside Chazz Palminteri who wrote this story. With Lilo Brancato, and Taral Hicks rounding out the focal cast.
This was a movie that connected with me as an Italian kid who never met his father. In a way this movie sort of filled in some of the mentorship gaps for a kid as this father finds his son catching the eye of a local mobster. The Bronx Tale is a coming-of-age story of a young boy. It’s a neighborhood gangster movie. And De Niro in his directorial debut balances these themes with an intimate approach. The cast here is phenomenal. You get rock solid performances from De Niro as a working man with generational morals and Palminteri as a charming but deadly mobster. The younger cast breathe life into their characters and the result is a movie that takes you on a journey of a young boy that grows into a young man. And the struggle of a father to keep his son righteous and clear eyed to the dangers of mob life and not just blinded by the allure of power and money. This is really a beautiful movie that works inside the gangster genre but takes a side road to tell a story adjacent to organized crime. It’s humorous, sweet, ominous, violent, and thought provoking and for the genre I think this movie is the complete package.
The Ref (1994)
This adult holiday comedy follows a cat burglar who escapes his crime but is unable to escape the small town he’s in when he hides out with an ultra-dysfunctional family in 1994s The Ref starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis, and Raymond J. Barry.
I’ve always enjoyed this one. Every year when Christmas time comes around, I watch this silly little movie that takes all the cliches of the holiday, and holiday movies and turns them upside down with waves of irreverent humor led by Leary who is riding at full speed from start to finish. The Ref goes from being a farce comedy about a burglar who gets stuck in a small town he just pulled off a heist in. To being an emotionally depressing drama about a couple who have fallen out of love and somehow it all blends into a wildly amusing Christmas Eve with a dash of emotion. Leary feels perfect for this role and seeing him deal with this bickering couple is nonstop laughs. Then you get Spacey and Davis delivering this broken couple to a tee. These two really feel like lovers, one another turned to haters on one another with a passion. This collides with Leary bumbling his way through this seemingly endless night and the result is a movie for the holidays that’s perfect after the kids go to sleep.
Murder in the First (1995)
Coming up next is a gripping legal drama about a young public defender who takes the case of an abused prisoner accused of killing his cellmate in 1995s Murder in the First. Starring Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, and William H. Macy. Directed by Marc Rocco.
I did have reservations about putting Murder in the First on this list because it is a film with notable flaws. This one’s based on a real-life story of a man imprisoned but it has been known that this script took many liberties in massaging the facts for the sake of storytelling. Now this is done in every film based on true events but if you read the facts of the story Murder in the First is based on then you will see right away it’s lacking a lot of accuracy. Now as a pure film, telling a story, and thinking of these people as characters and not real people does allow the drama of this movie, particularly from the performance delivered by Kevin Bacon to shine through. I think this is one of Bacon’s best pure acting performances and he alone is worth watching this film once to see him pour his soul into this part. Gary Oldman is also great here and Slater, while possibly adding a little too much sauce on his performance, is still strong as well. You can just tell he’s acting for an award, but he and Bacon are good together and this well acted drama can pull you in even if you need to take its story beats with a grain of salt.
The Arrival (1996)
Next up is a little alien mystery about an astronomer who finds a signal to alien life and must learn their secrets in The Arrival from 1996 starring Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Schiff, and Ron Silver. Written and directed by David Twohy.
Now The Arrival was a box office flop, and the movie really never caught on. The problem was it came out a month before, one of the most iconic films from the entire decade. Another little alien invasion movie called Independence Day. This, coupled with Sheen’s star as a big screen draw fading in the US at the time and the result was a movie that came and went with nary a blip. However, over the years I feel this movie has aged extremely well and still holds up as a smart, and inventive film in the genre. Sheen gives really an impassioned performance as this researcher that has stumbled onto something extraordinary, and he carries this story more than capably. And what I enjoy about The Arrival is how it focuses on the science, the scenario, and course of action, rather than the visual gusto. It’s a thinking movie. Yet there’s a grounded visual style to this movie that gives it a cold polished vibe, and this is another of those movies that will never feel too dated.
Lost Highway (1997)
This psychological thriller a truly bizarre narrative involving a musician, a murder, mysterious video tapes, and parallel timelines in the ultra-trippy Lost Highway from 1997 written and directed by David Lynch. Starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Gary Busey, and Robert Loggia.
Although this movie won’t be for everyone, there’s just a sinister appeal to Lost Highway that I enjoy. To me Lost Highway is close to being a masterclass in surrealist cinema, however if you prefer concise stories that are direct with their approach this may be one to pass on. But if you dig a movie that is an artistic mess of dreamlike sequences, and waves of imagery that feel irrational and or absurdist with their approach, then this will be a mind-bending ride of eccentric characters, and a series of bizarre events that don’t seem to fit. Regardless, Lost Highway will have you thinking. It’s filled with performances that go all on the craziness. Pullman and Arquette are great. Robert Blake is perfectly insane as this Mystery Man. I also love the production design, and the abundance of style that Lynch infuses into this film. Some would say it’s a case of style over substance and I wouldn’t completely argue that. But with this scoring, Lynch’s feverish direction, these performances, and this movies moody atmosphere dials up the style in Lost Highway enough to make it worth a viewing at least once.
Dark City (1998)
Sticking with the neo-noir vibe this movie is about a man who begins to have memories of the past that he doesn’t remember in 1998s Dark City directed by Alex Proyas. Starring Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, and William Hurt.
Probably one of the better films in this entire series, Dark City, is a feast for the senses. Visually it’s a buffet of cold, bleak, ominous, and alluring visuals as this story takes you into another world with many similarities to our own. Story wise this movie is interesting from start to finish as it explores these unique characters, and this sleek dark city. This movie is part drama, part sci-fi adventure, part noir thriller and it’s a trippy blast of a ride. I always love sitting down for Dark City. Every time I watch it, I escape into the world and find this ever-evolving story consuming me regardless of already having seen the movie. The performances are also strong here with Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Kiefer Sutherland all bringing life to these roles. And really you have to commend Alex Proyas’ visionary imagination in bringing this movie to reality. It’s gritty and intimidating but also a bit seductive. It’s a movie that will bring your guard down then hit you with its mind-bending suspense and 20 years from now Dark City will still be great.
The Hurricane (1999)
This biopic tells the story of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, a boxer wrongfully imprisoned for murder and those who fought with him to prove his innocence in 1999s The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Deborah Kara Unger, and Clancy Brown.
Now this movie does come a little slow out of the gate and there are times where you can feel it’s maneuvering itself in the biopic formula rather than taking chances. Regardless, The Hurricane is a fantastic film that rides almost solely on the emotional intensity of Washington’s performance. This is one of his best outings. I think he should’ve taken home the Oscar for his performance here. He’s able to capture the full spectrum of emotion, from anger, to pride, sadness, helplessness, conviction. You name it, Washington delivers it over the course of this intriguing story. The Hurricane is a movie that explores a man’s life, while also exploring the injustice at the core of the plot and I feel the balance between these elements was smooth, continually engaging, frequently thought provoking, often enraging, yet inspirational at the center and after this film ends you’ll certainly feel emotionally fatigued because of the investment you’ll have in seeing how a man fought everyone to try and get his life back.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
