The third year of Touchstone and Beyond has concluded and, yet again, I have been able to dive into movies I saw as a kid and discover some new films that I have missed. I would love to say that they have all been wonderful, but that’s not true. Here are the top five and the bottom five of the last year.
The Best
In no order, here are my five favorite films from the last year.
Captain Ron
Martin Short and Kurt Russell. One plays a dimwitted guide, leading the uptight Short and family back to Miami with their inherited boat. High seas adventures, some beautiful backdrops in the Caribbean and incredible comedic timing with Russell and Short. What more could anyone ask for.
High Fidelity
It’s not Grosse Pointe Blank, but there is a charm to High Fidelity featuring some incredible performances by John Cusack and Jack Black. It’s a comedy and a dramedy, with incredible music, and a lead character that is easy to hate, but easy to like. It’s a movie well worth revisiting many times.
Metro
Critics were very unfair to this Eddie Murphy action pic. The comparisons to 48 Hours were not justified, and the chemistry between Murphy and costar Michael Rapaport was incredible. Not only did the film have two compelling leads, great action scenes, but Michael Wincott was the villain. Perfection.
Tin Men
I never would have thought that a period piece focusing on aluminum siding salesmen in the 1960s would be so compelling, and I am proud to say I was wrong. Barry Levinson brings a rich story of character to life in a cutthroat market with incredible performances by Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito.
The Proposal
I slept on this film when it came out, because I didn’t care for romantic comedies. This is not only a funny sweet story, but it pairs Sandra Bullock with Ryan Reynolds in a perfect recipe of hilarity. Plus, The Proposal manages to give Betty White a fantastic role as the grandmother, who has an impact on the story. I want more Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock movies.
The Rest
Baby-Secret of the Lost Legend
This film is terrible. It has not aged well, the script is all over the place, and I never need to see this dinosaur film again.
Shadow Conspiracy
A political thriller that is dull with a lackluster lead character that no one could care for. The relationship between Charlie Sheen and Linda Hamilton’s characters was poorly developed, and I am happy to say that I never need to see this film again.
Before and After
This movie has Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep. Two great leading actors with a terrible storyline that makes their characters seem like horrible people. They are trying to protect their son after he commits a crime, however, their son is responsible for the death of his girlfriend. What are you teaching your child by covering up the crime? The ending tried to make the viewer sympathetic to what the family has gone through. Umm, hello, a girl is dead. I don’t care that the son and husband did time in jail.
Big Trouble
Dennis Farina is a great actor. Rene Russo is a great actor. Neither of them could save this movie.
Last Dance
A sentimental prison drama that is pulling on the heartstrings from the first scene to the last. The problem is that we can’t as an audience care about the lead character played by Sharon Stone, and there is no way I could ever be sympathetic to Rob Morrow’s character.
Coming Soon
The joy of this deep dive into the vault of Disney Studios past is finding the films that people missed and understanding why some movies were not loved. These are my opinions which anyone is free to disagree with. I hope you enjoy the films that you see. No movie is a bad movie. All movies are great, even the bad movies. Sometimes you need to prioritize what you see first.
Next week, starting the fourth year of Touchstone and Beyond, a look at the DreamWorks vampire flick Fright Night which Touchstone distributed.