I’m continuing my series exploring the many lost movies from the 1990s here in episode 7!
Quick Change (1990)
Kicking things off with comedy this one follows three thieves that pull off a bank heist in New York City only to find it impossible to get out of town in Quick Change from 1990 starring Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, and Bill Murray who also co-directed alongside Howard Franklin.
This is a movie I’ve enjoyed since I was a teenager. I think it’s hilarious and I love the trio of Murray, Davis, and Quaid. Each brings their own comedic personality to this plot and with the fast-moving pace the result to me is an effortlessly engaging film. The first half is essentially a comical heist movie, then the second half is an even more amusing escape adventure in New York and the pairing of these two themes is fantastic. There is a surprising cleverness to the heist that makes it interesting then when this story hits the streets and everything that can go wrong does go wrong is when the humor ramps up and when the chemistry between the cast really shines. I also like the supporting cast here. You get Jason Robards delivering a charming performance as he relentlessly tries to catch these thieves. With Tony Shalhoub, Phil Hartman, Stanley Tucci, and Kurtwood Smith in smaller roles. And really Quick Change while not groundbreaking is a high energy comedy with a dialed-in sense of humor. There’s just enough range in the characters as the roadblocks mount and the frustration rises and overall, this is a feel-good flick.
Cadence (1991)
Next up is a gripping drama about a rebellious army private put into a work-camp stockade where he discovers the value of friendship and crosses paths with a commander battling his own demons in Cadence from 1991 starring Charlie Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, and Martin Sheen who also directed.
Now I will admit this movie isn’t as emotionally complex today as I thought it was when I was a teenager, but I do still think this is a great military drama that to this day is still a bit unique for the genre. Gary Busey was originally cast in the lead but after erratic behavior on set, Martin Sheen, who was directed, stepped in to play the role opposite his son. And I think it was a blessing for this movie. You have Charlie’s character tossed in the stockade after punching an MP in a drunken rage after losing his father. Then you have Martin’s character battling his own demons while also being a racist alcoholic. There is so much emotional intensity to pull from these dynamics and I think together the Sheens knock it out of the park. Then you get another great performance from Laurence Fishburne who is the leader of the group, younger Sheen gets thrown into the stockade with. And Cadence isn’t melodramatic, it simply is dramatic, it explores areas of the military genre we didn’t often see. It also delivers great music, well rounded performances, and a skillful blending of drama and humor that turn what could’ve easily been a heavy-handed film and makes it accessible.
Juice (1992)
Sticking with drama, this one centers on four inner-city teenagers who all in their own way get caught up in the pursuit of power and respect known as Juice from 1992 starring Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Khalil Kain, and Jermaine Hopkins. Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson.
Where Juice thrives as a gripping drama is in its realistic depiction of growing up in tough neighborhoods where violence is supreme and for a teen everything is working against you. This movie is unrelenting with its messages on police violence, social injustices, friendship dynamics and how the battle for self-control over a person’s surroundings can consume you in all the wrong ways and it’s quite riveting. The performances are all great, not perfect, which actually works in this story’s favor. This young cast really feels like the characters they are portraying, and it gives the plot such a grounded realism. The music fuels the energy of the story and watching Shakur’s Bishop descend into the darkness is surprisingly eerie. I remember watching this movie in the theater and thought the sadistic fire in Shakur’s performance was perfect. This story is about a group of friends all trying to prove to each other and themselves that they have control and respect, and it goes as sideways as you’d expect. Resulting in a great film that feels like a peek on everyday life more than it feels like a studio film.
Only the Strong (1993)
We’re stepping into the action genre for this next film about a former special forces soldier who returns to his high school only to see it overrun by violence and drug dealing in 1993s Only the Strong from director Sheldon Lettich. Starring Mark Dacascos, Geoffrey Lewis, and Stacey Travis.
Now this action flick certainly follows many tropes in the genre, and it did not fare well at the box office or with the critics. However, I always enjoyed this tried-and-true plot and the elementary level emotional undercurrent that lines it. Despite the predictability I think there is more than enough charm and appeal from the performance of Dacascos. It’s nostalgic now to go back and look at his leading studio action romp and he kicks ass in the action department. There may be an overreliance on slow-motion, even for the time, but the fight choreography is surprisingly intricate for the time. Only the Strong has a lot of action on display working in its favor and to me it more than compensates for some of the recycled story themes, and cheesy drama. Sitting down for Only the Strong now is like taking a ride back to the days when 80s action was fusing with the new styles of the 90s and it’s enjoyable. Dacascos is a bit on the nose with his performance, and this movie may feel clunky at times, however Only the Strong is a product of its time that plays better now on nostalgia than it did when it was released.
No Escape (1994)
Sticking with the action genre this one blends sci-fi with it when a soldier convicted of murder is sent to a remote prison island where convicts are divided into factions in Martin Campbell’s No Escape from 1994 starring Ray Liotta, Lance Henriksen, Stuart Wilson, and Ernie Hudson.
This is a movie that has always been near and dear to me. It feels like an 80s action movie blended with lord of the flies, blended with 90s sci fi and it all gels into a fast-moving, action-packed film that can entertain even on rewatch. It’s awesome to see Ray Liotta as the leading man. He’s brilliant as a bad guy but he carries the action star persona easily on his shoulders for this thrilling movie. No Escape also has a great supporting cast with Lance Henriksen, Ernie Hudson, and Kevin Dillon. With Stuart Wilson coming in to drop a world class bad guy into the mix to get the story wheels turning. All of it makes this a fun movie and with awesome production and set design, and creative and detailed wardrobes the visual appeal in No Escape holds up great. And really this is the perfect movie to sit back for. If you want to escape to another time and place with its own rules and potential for violent action, then No Escape is a winner. This cast all put in the effort to bring this world to life and sure they are all having to elevate the thin writing, but it works, and when the action ramps up and the battle of controls rages, this movie is a blast.
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
This true crime drama came out in 1995 and tells the story of a young high school basketball prospect that finds his dreams threatened when he spirals into the dark world of heavy drug use in The Basketball Diaries directed by Scott Kalvert. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Lorraine Bracco.
There has been a good amount of controversy surrounding this movie for years. It’s out of print, not available on streaming or online rental and it’s certainly due to the many lawsuits filed against the studio for its connections to real life connections to tragic school shootings. I sequence in which DiCaprio’s character has a dream sequence about just that. This film is about the life of Jim Carroll, a high school kid with a bright future that falls into heroin addiction. Now these emotionally searing and hard-hitting films were frequent in the late 90s and to me Basketball Diaries is a good one. It’s well acted, the drama hits hard in the hands of DiCaprio and Wahlberg is strong as well. I think this movie holds up relatively well, but I do think the style of director Scott Kalvert was a bit too indulgent. He frames many great shots to capture the despair and euphoria of drug use however he really dials up the stylistic veneer a bit too much. It’s hard to tell if this is a cautionary tale of a bright life consumed by drugs, or an artistic puff piece that dabbles in emotion for the sake of glamorizing addiction. Clearly, he isn’t doing the latter but that tinge of uncertainty in this movie is disappointing but not a dealbreaker when you want a gritty 90s drama.
The Frighteners (1996)
Next up is a supernatural horror comedy about a guy who discovers he can communicate with the dead after his wife dies in a car accident in The Frighteners from 1996 directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Chi McBride, Dee Wallace, John Astin, and more.
To me, The Frighteners is another interesting film. It made a little profit at the box office, and the critics for the most part enjoyed it, but this movie never really got the attention it deserved. It’s possible the juxtaposition of the tones wasn’t to everyone’s tastes. This movie does have a playfully haunting tone to it and holds that for the most part, but it does get a bit grim and dark in places and some may not like that. With the passing of time, however I think this movie thrives with its bizarre energy and lighthearted mean streak. The plot feels fresh, and it works for humor nicely for being horror themed. The performances are all awesome to me, specifically Michael J. Fox is so much fun in this movie. Fox never got the recognition he deserved for the variety of roles he took on and his range as an actor. Regardless he carries the humor and the energy of this movie. The special effects are solid, they are dated but still more than nostalgic. However, the make-up work still looks awesome with all these different dead characters that come back to help a guy make some money and with Peter Jackson’s skilled direction The Frighteners should be an annual Halloween viewing.
City of Industry (1997)
Moving along is a dark and seedy crime drama about a man that sets out for revenge when his brother is killed by his partner after a heist in 1997s City of Industry starring Harvey Keitel, Timothy Hutton, Stephen Dorff, and Famke Janssen. Directed by John Irvin.
I’ve always thought this was a well-rounded action crime thriller but for some reason it never took off. It had mixed to positive reviews, but it came and went at the theater with barely a ping on the needle. Maybe this movie came out 5 years too late however it’s still a moody and methodical movie that lives in the world of crime where there aren’t really any good guys and bad guys, everyone is really up to no good in this seedy little story and that’s what I like about it. This movie relies on bravado as Keitel hunts the killer of his brother and that’s really all it needs. It’s filled with tension, splashes of action, and with Los Angeles as the backdrop theirs just a west coast vibe to this movie that kicks ass. To me City of Industry is a down and dirty movie build on man code, and it oozes from the performances. This movie has a great ensemble cast with names like Keitel, Dorff, Hutton, Jannsen, with smaller performances from Lucy Lu, Michael Jai White, and Elliot Gould that fill this film with grounded characters. And sure, this movie may not have the gusto of others in the genre during the time but if you want a gritty thriller that lives in the underworld, then City of Industry is a winner.
Clay Pigeons (1998)
Coming up next is a comedy crime story about a love triangle that goes as wrong as one possible could in this little indie flick from 1998 called Clay Pigeons from David Dobkin. Starring a great trio consisting of Joaquin Phoenix, Janeane Garofolo, and Vince Vaughn.
I love movies like Clay Pigeons for a few reasons. First, I love watching movies with familiar actors in their early days and Vaughn, Phoenix, and Garofolo are all fantastic in these quirky performances. Second, I love these movies that feel like they’re living in a grounded, common reality – where everything seems just slightly off when you pay attention. This allows the dark humor of Clay Pigeons shines. Everything in this movie feels embellished but not overly exaggerated and it’s a great time. The story keeps a quick pace with just enough sub plotting, and a nice tight cast of characters that all add their own flavor to the amusement of this twisted tale. Vaughn is high energy and riding at full speed. He’s a total schmuck and I love it. Phoenix is well rounded and charismatic. And Garofolo and her dry persona complements them well. Clay Pigeons is one of those movies you never really know where it will go next, and that unpredictability is awesome. This movie didn’t have a huge budget. It relied on the story, the characters, and the atmosphere and it resulted in a movie that can easily entertain more than 20 years later.
Bringing out the Dead (1999)
Next up is a moody psychological thriller about a deeply burnt-out Manhattan paramedic that is haunted by the people he failed to save in Martin Scorsese’s undermentioned Bringing Out the Dead from 1999 starring Nicolas Cage, John Goodman, Patricia Arquette, and Ving Rhames.
This movie was an interesting case for its times. It was well received by audiences and critics, yet it was a financial failure. Certainly, due to the fact I’m not sure mainstream audiences knew what to do with this haunting, gritty, and darkly intimate film. I’ve been a Scorsese fan since I was a teen, and I loved how he went in a completely different direction with this movie. However, I certainly drew more from it when I watched it again in college. This is where the subtext of the movie and the subsequent brilliance in Cage’s performance truly shines. He looks just gutted emotionally and physically in this role and I think he delivers one of his best performances. Plus, this movie has a great supporting cast. Everyone delivers great performances. I love the energy from Rhames’ character and the chemistry between Cage and Arquette has that chance-innocence feel to it that adds a sincere appeal to their meeting. The scoring and music are perfect for this dark story and Scorsese’s direction added with the cinematography gives Bringing out the Dead a sinister but inviting atmosphere that I think makes this movie timeless.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
