Author: Vincent Leo

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1990s

Goodfellas (1990)

Characterizations are the key to this fantastic mob story, perhaps only rivaled by The Godfather as the best of them all.  Violent, compelling, daring and rich, Scorsese (The King of Comedy, The Last Waltz) crafts Nicholas Pileggi’s...

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1980s / Comedy / Romance

The Sure Thing (1985)

Rob Reiner followed up his cult smash comedy, This is Spinal Tap, with a more conventional form of film: the road trip comedy.  It’s a bit of an easy putt to make on first glance,...

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1990s / Science Fiction / Thriller

Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Surely there is very real and very convincing data that the planet cannot survive the excesses of the human race: the proliferation of atomic devices, uncontrolled breeding habits, the rape of the environment, the...

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2000s / Action / Horror / Superhero

Ghost Rider (2007)

One of Marvel’s second-tier “superhero” comics combines elements that were popular in the 1970s, including horror influences, motorcycle stunts, and a nomad protagonist who righted wrongs wherever he was needed.  “Ghost Rider” wasn’t exactly...

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2000s / Drama / Thriller

Infernal Affairs 3 (2003)

The Infernal Affairs series borrows another page from the Godfather series by having the next entry serve as both a sequel and a prequel to the first chapter (the first sequel mirrors The Godfather Part II by tracing the character...

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2000s / Action / Thriller

Infernal Affairs (2002)

As much as I love Hong Kong action films, I must still admit that most directors tend to prefer style over substance, slow-motion shootouts over character development.  This is why it comes as a...

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1980s / Action / Thriller

The Living Daylights (1987)

It’s interesting to see that, after the critical failure that was A View to a Kill, that the brain trusts behind the Bond franchise would choose to ride the same horses behind the scenes, as...

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1980s / Action / Thriller

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

It’s difficult to divorce Lethal Weapon 2 from the first Lethal Weapon, as it assumes a certain familiarity with the characters that is crucial in order to understand their nature and motivation, as well as to relate...

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1990s / Drama / Thriller

Ransom (1996)

Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon 2 & 3) stars as multimillionaire Tom Mullen, who built his airline fortune from the ground up.  Despite allegations that he paid off people in order to stay in his business, he...

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1990s / Action / Adventure / Science Fiction

Waterworld (1995)

The tag of Waterworld being Mad Max in the water is an appropriate one, as both films are set in a post-apocalyptic world full of anarchy, eccentric madmen, and vehicular mayhem.  The film would become infamous for being...