Subgenre Sampler

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A Bit of a Do (TV Series) (1989): Feat. David Jason, Gwen Taylor, Nicola Pagett…; A curly class comedy based the books by REGINALD PERRIN author David Nobbs, this gets good mileage out of its premise of two families – one…
A Dry White Season (1989): Dir. Euzhan Palcy
Feat. Donald Sutherland, Susan Sarandon, Marlon Brando…; Enraged by the brutal, senseless murder of his black gardener’s son by a racist ‘special policeman’, a South African schoolteacher (Sutherland)…
Abyss, The (1989): Dir. James Cameron
Feat. Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn; Ed Harris leads a civilian diving team who encounter an alien aquatic species while searching for a lost nuclear submarine. Director James…
Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989): Dir. Terry Gilliam
Feat. Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, Robin Williams; An elaborate and hugely expensive adventure for dir. Gilliam who successfully visualises the fantastic tall–tales of the real–life 18th…
Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989): Dir. Masanori Hata
Feat. Dudley Moore; Dudley Moore narrates this charming story about a dog and a cat that stray from their home and experience the obstacles of man and Mother Nature.
Akira (1989): Dir. Katsuhiro Otomo; Dazzling cyberpunk animated feature adapted from the cult comic books, it's a violent, anarchic, wildly ambitious ride through Neo–Tokyo in…
All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989): Dir. Don Bluth; From Disney renegade Don Bluth comes the slightly off–beat animated adventures of a rascal dog called Charlie.
Always (1989): Dir. Steven Spielberg
Feat. Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman, Holly Hunter; Heartwarming fantasy about a deceased pilot whose spirit returns to help his best friend pursue the same career and lady.
Andy Kaufman - I'm From Hollywood (1989): Dir. Lynne Margulies
Feat. Andy Kaufman; Cheeky doco tracing renowned comic Andy Kaufman's foray into the world of professional wrestling with all the thrills and spills of specialised…
Apartment Zero (1989): Dir. Martin Donovan
Feat. Colin Firth, Hart Bochner; Weird tale in which a loner (Colin Firth) rents half of his apartment to a man of dubious motives and background (Hart Bochner). Pays homage to many…
Around the World in 80 Days (TV Mini-series) (1989): Dir. Buzz Kulik
Feat. Pierce Brosnan, Eric Idle, Peter Ustinov…; Mostly delightful version of Jules Verne's light adventure yarn, in which Phileas Fogg (Brosnan) attempts the titular feat for a bet. More complete…
Babar (TV Series) (75th Anniversary Collection) (1989): Excellent Anniversary Collection featuring 14 Babar episodes across three discs.
Back to the Future 2 (1989): Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Feat. Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson…; Second part of the trilogy has Marty McFly catapulted into 2020 and back again into a dark alternate reality. With Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd,…
Bangkok Hilton (Mini-Series) (1989): Dir. Ken Cameron
Feat. Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Denholm Elliott…; Gripping mini series with Kidman giving a dynamite performance as a young woman sent to the horrific "Bangkok Hilton" prison, after being tricked…
Batman (1989): Dir. Tim Burton
Feat. Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger; The box–office sensation that almost survived its own hype. Jack Nicholson's Joker and the incredible set designs will ensure it to be…
Bear, The (1989): Dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
Feat. Jack Wallace, Tcheky Karyo; Shot in the Canadian mountains, this follows the unique story of an orphaned bear cub, the Grizzly who befriends him and the two hunters who try to…
Beetle Bailey (1989): Latterday remake of the 1960s TV series based on Mort Walker's classic cartoon character: a recalcitrant WW2 private who devises unlimited ways to…
Behaving Badly (TV mini-series) (1989): Dir. David Tucker
Feat. Judi Dench, Frances Barber, Maurice Denham…; A bleak though blackly–comic mini–series with Judi Dench as a dowdy housewife who belatedly comes out of her shell after her husband of…
Beware! Children at Play (1989): Dir. Mik Cribben
Feat. Michael Robertson; Visiting Tromaville(!), a family discover a cannibalistic cult transforming the town’s youngsters into bloodthirsty serial killers.…
BFG, The (Big Friendly Giant) (1989): Dir. Brian Cosgrove; Animated as a telemovie this version of Roald Dahl's story is commendable is a little stiff. Concerns the adventures of orpahn Sophie who is abducted…
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989): Dir. Stephen Herek
Feat. Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin; Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter play a couple of crazed teenagers who are sent on a Excellent Adventure, collecting famous historical figures via a…
Bill Hicks - Sane Man (1989): Feat. Bill Hicks; An early–ish dose of standup genius from Bill Hicks, here offering himself in Austin, Texas, in 1989 as a rare 'sane man' in the strange world…
Billy T James Show, The (TV Series) (CUZ FM) (1989): Feat. Billy T. James, Ilona Rogers, Mark Hadlow…; Episodes from the hit sitcom "CUZ FM", centred around the unique persona of NZ's best loved entertainer. Billy plays a radio personality who…
Birds of a Feather (TV Series) (1989): Feat. Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Lesley Joseph; Charming and concise British sitcom following the fortunes of two sisters, each married to small–time crooks, who move in together after their…
Black Rain (1989): Dir. Ridley Scott
Feat. Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura…; Unrelenting violence made impressive by Scott's visual flair, sees Michael Douglas as a NY cop in Japan assigned to deliver a dangerous mobster.
Black Rain (Kuroi Ame) (1989): Dir. Shohei Imamura
Feat. Yoshiko Tanaka, Katzuo Kitamura, Etsuko Ichihara; Alarming, mournful insider's view of post–nuclear devastation that focuses on a surviving family that have been contaminated by the fallout of…
Blackadder Goes Forth (TV Series) (1989): Dir. Richard Boden
Feat. Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson; Final official series, set on the Western Front 1917. Six episodes contained on a single DVD or two tape volumes: 'Captain Cook', 'Corporal…
Blaze (1989): Dir. Ron Shelton
Feat. Paul Newman, Lolita Davidovich, Richard Jenkins; Paul Newman plays flamboyant Southern governor Earl Long, who was scandalized over a love affair with an exotic dancer (Lolita Davidovich, in a…
Blind Fury (1989): Dir. Phillip Noyce
Feat. Rutger Hauer; A nice comic turn for Rutger Hauer as a blind cane–wielding tough guy in this martial arts parody.
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989): Dir. Howard Brookner
Feat. Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Julie Hagerty…; An American Playhouse adaptation of four Damon Runyon tales which intersect on New Year's Eve 1928 in a milieu of jazz–age hedonism. A good…
Born On the Fourth of July (1989): Dir. Oliver Stone
Feat. Tom Cruise; Tom Cruise gives an exhilarating performance as Ron Kovic, the teenage patriot who became an embittered, paralysed Vietnam vet, to finally emerge as…
Boys from the Blackstuff (TV Series) (1989): Dir. Philip Saville
Feat. Bernard Hill; Alan Bleasdale's series of plays vividly encapsulates the bleaker side of life in Thatcher's Liverpool. Beginning with the feature–length…
Brain Dead (1989): Dir. Adam Simon
Feat. Bill Pullman, Bill Paxton, Bud Cort; Long unreleased in New Zealand (which possibly explains why Peter Jackson also claimed the title), this arrives a bit of a lost gem from the halcyon…
Brotherhood Of The Rose (Mini-Series) (1989): Feat. Robert Mitchum, David Morse, Peter Strauss…; Mini–series from author David Morrell about two orphans raised to be super–soldier CIA operatives who become embroiled in an…
Burbs, The (1989): Dir. Joe Dante
Feat. Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher…; A worthwhile comic spin on that age–old comic scenario – what if those strange new neighbours were members of a cannibalistic cult?…
Canton Godfather, The (Miracles; Mr. Canton and Lady Rose) (1989): Dir. Jackie Chan
Feat. Jackie Chan, Anita Mui; Though light on martial arts, this lavish period production is generally considered Jackie Chan's most accomplished movie. At once inspired by THE…
Casualties of War (1989): Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, John Leguizamo…; A squad of soldiers become caught in the moral dilemma of wartime Vietnam. Platoon leader Sean Penn goes beyond the call of duty while Michael J.…
Cheetah (1989): Dir. Jeff Blyth
Feat. Keith Coogan; Bored American teenagers in Kenya befriend a Masai boy and together they attempt to raise an orphaned cheetah cub. Battles with a gang of poachers…
Chorus of Disapproval (1989): Dir. Michael Winner
Feat. Jeremy Irons, Anthony Hopkins, Prunella Scales…; A light and slight drama set around widower Jeremy Iron’s move to a seaside town and involvement with a local theatre group. Superb cast livens the…
Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian (1989): Dir. Alex Kirby
Feat. Richard Dempsey, Johnathon R. Scott, Sophie Cook…; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This second part of the saga sees Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy return to the enchanted land of…
Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989): Dir. Alex Kirby
Feat. Richard Dempsey, Johnathon R. Scott, Sophie Cook…; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This third part of the saga sees Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace search with King Caspian…
Civil War, The (The American Civil War) (1989): Dir. Ken Burns; An extraordinary documentary series on the American Civil War, widely recognised as one of the greatest ever made. Using archival photographs,…
Class of 1999 (1989): Dir. Mark Lester
Feat. Malcolm McDowell; This is a tongue–in–cheek sequel to CLASS OF 1984 in which prototype androids are brought in to teach class and wield some discipline.
Come In Spinner (TV Mini-series) (1989): Dir. Robert Marchand
Feat. Lisa Harrow, Rebecca Gibney, Gary Day; Something of an Australian TV classic, this revolves around three women working in a Sydney beauty salon during the closing years of WW2 and the…
Comic Book Confidential (1989): Dir. Ron Mann; A comic–buff’s guide to late 20th century comics that gains the confidence of mainstream and offbeat talents alike, including Stan Lee,…
Common Threads (1989): Dir. Robert Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman; Oscar–winning doco from the makers of 'Harvey Milk' and the more recent 'Celluloid Closet', weaves together the disparate stories of five AIDS…
Communion (1989): Dir. Phillipe Mora
Feat. Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse; Based on the ‘experiences’ of novelist Whitley Strieber, who claimed multiple abductions by aliens, this has Christopher Walken whisked away for…
Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, The (1989): Dir. Peter Greenaway
Feat. Helen Mirren, Tim Roth, Michael Gambon; Greenaway combines the best elements of his previous work into one illustrious concoction of charcoal humour, explicit violence, awe–inspiring…
Cousins (1989): Dir. Joel Schumacher
Feat. Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, Sean Young…; Superior remake of COUSIN COUSINE with Danson and Rossellini pretending to be lovers to avenge their unfaithful partners.
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989): Dir. Woody Allen
Feat. Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow…; Premium Woody Allen combines the best of his comedic and dramatic worlds. Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow and Woody himself do justice to…
Criminal Law (1989): Dir. Martin Campbell
Feat. Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Tess Harper…; Hot shot lawyer Gary Oldman successfully defends psycho–killer Kevin Bacon, only to find he had made a costly misjudgement.
Cutting Class (1989): Dir. Rospo Pallenberg
Feat. Brad Pitt, Donovan Leitch, Jill Schoelen…; Late–80s, high–school set slasher that (semi–)parodies the genre is best known for featuring a young Brad Pitt. While mediocre as a…
Cyborg (1989): Dir. Albert Pyun
Feat. Jean-Claude Van Damme; Inglorious "sword–and–sci–fi" vehicle for the then–rising star of Jean Claude Van Damme, directed by prolific trash merchant,…
Dad (1989): Dir. Gary David Goldberg
Feat. Ted Danson, Jack Lemmon, Ethan Hawke…; Ted Danson returns home to find his father (Jack Lemmon) has physically and emotionally deteriorated.
Dead Calm (1989): Dir. Phillip Noyce
Feat. Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane; A married couple are terrorised by a charmer with a bad case of sea–stroke in this riveting sea–bound thriller. A unique genre entry with…
Dead Poet's Society (1989): Dir. Peter Weir
Feat. Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke…; Robin Williams is perfect as an a maverick English teacher at a private high–school for boys, where his passion for poetry profoundly…
Delinquents, The (1989): Dir. Chris Thomson
Feat. Kylie Minogue, Charlie Schlatter, Bruno Lawrence…; Minogue graduated from her TV soap–opera days with this attempt at a serious period drama, with her and Schlatter playing lovestruck teen…
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1989): Dir. Frank Oz
Feat. Steve Martin, Michael Caine; Small–time peddler Steve Martin and aristocratic con–man Michael Caine compete to swindle $50,000 from the next woman they meet. Wild and…
Do the Right Thing (1989): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Danny Aiello, Spike Lee, Ossie Davis…; Spike Lee's tour–de–force of racial friction and personal politics, forged his status as the most important black director in history.…
Dream Team, The (1989): Dir. Howard Zieff
Feat. Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle; Four mental patients are taken by their psychiatrist to see a baseball game and end up lost in New York after he is knocked unconscious while…
Driving Miss Daisy (1989): Dir. Bruce Beresford
Feat. Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd; Oscar–winning adaptation of Albert Uhry's stage play charting the 25–year relationship between a crotchety Southern woman and her black…
Drugstore Cowboy (1989): Dir. Gus Van Sant
Feat. Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham…; A stylised yet vivid journey into the lives of a group of sympathetic, drug–addicted youths in the early '70s. A high point in the career…
Eight Men Out (1989): Dir. John Sayles
Feat. John Cusack, Michael Rooker, Christopher Lloyd…; True story of the Chicago White Sox baseball team who conspired with gamblers to lose the World Series in 1919. Finely detailed topical drama with an…
Emerald City (1989): Dir. Michael Jenkins
Feat. John Hargreaves, Robyn Nevin; Screen adaptation of David Williamson's play about an 'arty' film writer who moves to Sydney and coaxed into making commercial schlock. Funny and…
Eversmile, New Jersey (1989): Dir. Carlos Sorin
Feat. Daniel Day-Lewis, Mirjana Jokovic; Oddball dramedy with Daniel Day–Lewis taking on the role of a dentist travelling by motorbike through South America to provide locals with free…
Fabulous Baker Boys, The (1989): Dir. Steve Cloves
Feat. Michelle Pfeiffer, Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges…; The fabulous Bridges brothers play two sibling cocktail musicians who employ sexy vocalist Michelle Pfeiffer to spice up their routine act.
Family Business (1989): Dir. Sidney Lumet
Feat. Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick; Star–studded caper film that follows a family of criminals and their struggles when attachment clashes with business. Adapted by Vincent…
Farewell to the King (1989): Dir. John Milius
Feat. Nick Nolte, Nigel Havers, Frank McRae…; Half–successful attempt to fashion a mythic tale from the Japanese invasion of Borneo in WW2, with a US Army deserter (Nolte) and a British…
Field of Dreams (1989): Dir. Phil Alden Robinson
Feat. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster…; Kevin Costner has his childhood fantasy fulfilled when he is asked by strange voices to build a baseball diamond in his corn–field.…
Firm, The (1989): Dir. Alan Clarke
Feat. Gary Oldman, Phillip Davis; Another of dir. Clarke’s essential forays into the vicious subcultures of Britain, here a ‘firm’ of football hooligans led by real estate agent…
Fletch Lives (1989): Dir. Michael Ritchie
Feat. Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, R. Lee Ermey; Chevy Chase returns as the reckless reporter who resorts to his trademark bag of silly disguises when murder and misadventure follow his inheritance…
Fly 2, The (1989): Dir. Chris Walas
Feat. Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga, John Getz; Unnecessary 'son–of–the–fly' sequel to the revisionist horror classic with dir. Walas clearly no Cronenberg and EricStoltz no…
Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree (1989): Dir. Martyn Sanderson
Feat. Richard Von Sturmer; A Western Samoan youth finds himself caught between traditionalism and the freedoms of Western culture. Albert Wendt's novel is given the…
For All Mankind (1989): Dir. Al Reinert; A rousing, near avant–garde meditation on the story of the first lunar landing and the 24 men who traveled to the moon and back. Edited…
Get Smart Again (1989): Dir. Gary Nelson
Feat. Don Adams, Barbara Feldon; A latterday followup to the great Mel Brooks–produced TV Series, with Don Adams returning as the bumbling spy Maxwell Smart, here trying to…
Ghostbusters 2 (1989): Dir. Ivan Reitman
Feat. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver…; A cash–in for sure, but as much fun as the original, with the paranormal pests here thriving on all the "bad vibes" of grumpy Manhattanites.…
Gleaming the Cube (1989): Dir. Graeme Clifford
Feat. Christian Slater, Steven Bauer; Featuring a lead teenage role for Christian Slater, this suspense–drama follows a skateboarder’s attempts to track down his brother’s…
Glory (1989): Dir. Edward Zwick
Feat. Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes…; Time and place is perfectly re–created in this moving account of the plight of Negro soldiers during the American civil war.
Gods Must Be Crazy II, The (1989): Dir. James Uys
Feat. Jamie Uys; Sequel to the fave comedy where a bush–man encounters an 'evil' coke–bottle. This is more consistantly funny, even if the novelty value…
Great Balls of Fire (1989): Dir. Jim McBride
Feat. Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin…; Brash, but seriously–intentioned biopic of early rock'n'roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, who was equally famous for marrying his 13–year old…
Gunhed (1989): Dir. Masato Harada
Feat. Masahiro Takashima, Brenda Bakke, James Brewster Thompson; Live–action Manga movie is strictly an American B–movie in Japanese dress (though the female lead is even an American cheerleader type).…
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989): Dir. Dominique Othenin-Girard
Feat. Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Beau Starr; Fifth film in the HALLOWEEN horror franchise picks where the previous installment left off with Michael Myers surviving the gunshots, and getting…
Harlem Nights (1989): Dir. Eddie Murphy
Feat. Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx…; An excellent comic cast can't save this mismatched black American riff on THE GODFATHER series, set amid the 1930s jazz–club underworld of…
Heathers (1989): Dir. Michael Lehmann
Feat. Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty; 'Heathers' are an elite group of glamourous, stuck–up brat–girls who gradually meet their maker courtesy of a rebel Heather (Winona…
Henry IV (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Michael Cronin, Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry IV tells of the aftermath of Henry…
Henry V (1989): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed…; A remarkable achievement from Kenneth Branagh both as actor and first–time director, he brings a new vitality to Shakespeare's most energetic…
Henry V (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington, Andrew Jarvis…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry V – England's greatest warrior king…
Henry VI (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington, June Watson…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry VI – the tragic history of a king who…
Her Alibi (1989): Dir. Bruce Beresford
Feat. Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William (actor) Daniels…; Clunky rom–com about a novelist who falls in love with a beautiful murder suspect that lazily rests on the charms of its moustachioed leading…
High Hopes (1989): Dir. Mike Leigh
Feat. Phillip Davis, Ruth Sheen; Mike Leigh's excruciating portrait of a dysfunctional yet typical working–class family surviving in Thatcher's England. The blistering social…
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989): Dir. Joe Johnston
Feat. Rick Moranis; An inventor inadvertently reduces his and the neighbour's kids to a grasshopper's knee–height. With the help of FX wizardry, they fend for…
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989): Dir. Bruce Robinson
Feat. Richard E. Grant, Rachel Ward; Richard E. Grant encores for the director of WITHNAIL AND I to play a manic genius ad–man whose conscience rears its ugly head while he…
I Want To Go Home (1989): Dir. Alain Resnais
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Linda Lavin, Laura Benson; Satirical French comedy focused on a washed–up American comic artist who reluctantly visits France for an exhibition, only to run into his…
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1989): Dir. Keenan Ivory Wayans
Feat. Keenen Wayans, Bernie Casey; From the "In Living Color" team, this is a riotous send–up of those '70s blaxploitation films. A sort of NAKED GUN meets SHAFT, it's hip and…
Iceman Cometh, The (Time Warriors) (1989): Dir. Fok Yiu Leung
Feat. Biao Yuen, Maggie Cheung; A pair of Ming Dynasty adversaries find themselves defrosted 300 years later in contemporary Hong Kong. Film festival fave combines outrageous farce…
Ilé Aiyé (The House of Life) (1989): Dir. David Byrne; David Byrne documents the Candomblé, the African–influenced spirit cult of the Bahia region of Brazil, exploring the ways in which they have…
Immediate Family (1989): Dir. Jonathan Kaplan
Feat. Glenn Close, James Woods, Mary Stuart Masterson…; Earnest drama with strong cast brings together a couple who desperately want a child and a teenage mother and her boyfriend who discover unexpected…
In Country (1989): Dir. Norman Jewison
Feat. Bruce Willis, Emily Lloyd, Joan Allen; Drama about a High School graduate from Kentucky who throws herself into a rigorous investigation of the life of her father, who died in the Vietnam…
In The Line of Duty (In The Line of Duty 4: The Witness) (1989): Dir. Yuen Woo Ping
Feat. Donnie Yen, Cynthia Khan , Michael Wong…; Although the fourth in a film series about a flashy martial–arts cop, this is generally considered the best, with Yen taking his police job in…
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): Dir. Steven Spielberg
Feat. Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott…; When Sean Connery turns up as Indy's feisty dad, the pair embark on an adventure–laden search for a mystical Holy Grail. You'll have fun…
Intruder (1989): Dir. Scott Spiegel
Feat. Elizabeth Cox, Renee Estevez, Dan Hicks…; Under–seen late entry from the 80's slasher cycle from EVIL DEAD co–writer Scott Spiegel. A claustrophobic thriller set entirely in a…
Jesus of Montreal (1989): Dir. Denys Arcand
Feat. Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening; Brilliant parable of an actor (Lothaire Bluteau) whose life is profoundly changed after he plays the role of Jesus. Funny, disturbing and richly…
Jeweller's Shop, The (1989): Dir. Michael Anderson
Feat. Burt Lancaster, Olivia Hussey, Ben Cross; Charming, low–key adaptation of a play by Pope John Paul the Second. Burt Lancaster in his last film role plays a jeweller in 1930's Poland…
John's Not Mad (1989): Affecting document of one John Davidson's battle with Tourette's Syndrome, his remarkable character, and the failure of society to accommodate his…
K-9 (1989): Dir. Rod Daniel
Feat. James Belushi, Mel Harris, Ed O'Neill; Buddy cop action–comedy starring James Belushi as a bad–tempered San Diego police detective who becomes targeted by an international drug…
Kickboxer (1989): Dir. Mark DiSalle
Feat. Jean-Claude Van Damme; Van Damme vengeance vehicle for fans of the muscled one only.
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Matthew Lawrence…; A magical animation from the masterful Japanese dir. Miyazaki, which delivers a contemporary fairytale with strong characters, rich visuals and a…
Kill Me Again (1989): Dir. John Dahl
Feat. Joanne Whalley, Michael Madsen, Val Kilmer; Joanne Whalley–Kilmer asks naive P.I. Val Kilmer to fake her death to throw short–fused Michael Madsen off her trail. Plot nicely twists…
Killer, The (1989): Dir. John Woo
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat; Action at break–neck speed with a body–count to match the running time, this smorgasbord of super–violence with lashings of good…
King Richard II (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Colin Farrell, Michael Pennington, Michael Cronin…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of King Richard II – who became England's…
King Richard III (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Michael Pennington, Roger Booth, June Watson…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of King Richard III. The final installment of the…
Kinjite - Forbidden Subjects (1989): Dir. J. Lee Thompson
Feat. Charles Bronson, Juan Fernandez, Perry Lopez…; Warped thriller with Bronson as a vice cop out to bust a teen prostitution ring. Bronson and Thompson's ninth and final collaboration is a sordid…
Kitchen Sink (1989): Dir. Alison Maclean
Feat. Theresa Healy, Peter Tait, Anagretta Christian; Three shorts from director Alison Maclean. Her 1989 award–winning Gothic horror is here paired with two earlier works, TALKBACK (1987), and the…
Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989): Dir. Uli Edel
Feat. Jennifer Jason Leigh; A harrowingly realistic adaptation of a contentious novel about civil unrest during the New York dock workers strike in the 1950s. Jennifer Jason…
Lean On Me (1989): Dir. John G. Avildsen
Feat. Morgan Freeman, Robert Guillaume; Principal Morgan Freeman whips the pupils of a troubled high–school into shape in this formulaic but likeable example of the genre.
Legend of the Demon Womb (1989)
Legend of the Overfiend (Urotsukidoji) (1989): A genuine Manga 'video nasty', this has all the trademark elements of sex, violence and the supernatural to enough of an extreme to ensure an…
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses, Total Balalaika Show) (1989): Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Jim Jarmusch; Laconic, often funny road movie follows an awful Soviet rock group with outlandish hairstyles across backwater USA. Director is Europe's answer to…
Let's Get Lost (1989): Dir. Bruce Weber; Stylish biography of jazz trumpeter/singer Chet Baker; rare concert footage and personal interviews combine to detail the life and music of this…
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989): Dir. Richard Donner
Feat. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci…; Riggs and Murtaugh are back in a slicker, crasser, bigger–budget sequel, the hallmarks of Bond–style franchise fare. With Mel Gibson,…
Little Mermaid, The (1989): Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker; A modern Disney animated musical blessed with a wonderful score and a touching story. Based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, a…
Lock Up (1989): Dir. John Flynn
Feat. Sylvester Stallone, Donald Sutherland; Prison inmate Stallone is persecuted by sadistic warden Sutherland. A bit nasty.
Look Back in Anger (1989): Dir. Judi Dench
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Siobhan Redmond; TV production of John Osborne's influential play from the 50's, directed by Judi Dench. Kenneth Branagh plays the educated but disaffected "angry…
Look Who's Talking (1989): Dir. Amy Heckerling
Feat. John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Bruce Willis…; Amiable comedy featuring 'Mickey', the infant that thinks aloud, courtesy of Bruce Willis. He's more than handful for Mom Kirstie Alley and boyfriend…
Lost Worlds - Vanished Lives (1989): Famed nature–boffin David Attenborough here delves into the subject of prehistoric fossils, speculating in typically comprehensive fashion as…
Magical World of Margaret Mahy, The (1989): Dir. Euan Frizzell; Five stories from New Zealand’s premier children’s writer gets nicely animated – “Keeping House”, “The Three–Legged Cat”, “The…
Major League (1989): Dir. David S. Ward
Feat. Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen…; Likeable sports comedy in which a former showgirl inherits a baseball team and tries to sabotage her contract by putting together an incompetent team…
Metropolitan (1989): Dir. Whit Stillman
Feat. Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman; Sundance–winning arthouse hit focuses on the disappearing Manhattan debutante scene. An unknown ensemble play upper–class adolescents who…
Michael Palin Around the World in 80 Days (TV Series) (1989): Feat. Michael Palin; The first of Michael Palin's successful globe–trotting escapades follows the scheme of Jules Verne's novel – a circumnavigation of the…
Mighty Quinn, The (1989): Dir. Carl Schenkel
Feat. Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, Mimi Rogers…; Entertaining Caribbean caper stars Denzel as the chief of police on a tropical island who is suddenly thrust into action when his crooked best friend…
Millennium (1989): Dir. Michael Anderson
Feat. Kris Kristofferson, Cheryl Ladd; Perplexing but fascinating sci–fi think piece about an air disaster investigator (Kristofferson) who discovers evidence of time travel while…
Milou En Mai (May Fools) (1989): Dir. Louis Malle
Feat. Michel Piccoli, Miou-Miou; In May of '68, a rural family gather for the reading of their matriarch's will, an event that will strangely affect their idyllic existence. Stephane…
Miracle Mile (1989): Dir. Steve DeJarnatt
Feat. Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar…; Anthony Edwards has 60 minutes in which to contemplate a phone call that claims to be the instigation of an imminent nuclear assault. A good crack at…
Music Box (1989): Dir. Costa-Gavras
Feat. Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Frederic Forrest…; Jessica Lange plays the attorney daughter of a Hungarian immigrant (Mueller–Stahl), now accused of WW2 war crimes. Her quest for the truth…
My Left Foot (1989): Dir. Jim Sheridan
Feat. Daniel Day-Lewis; Daniel Day Lewis won the Oscar for his incredible portrayal of Irishman Christy Brown who, in spite of his severe physical handicap became a…
My Name is Bill W. (1989): Dir. Daniel Petrie
Feat. James Woods, JoBeth Williams, James Garner; James Woods plays Bill Wilson, the famed co–founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, in this tele–movie charting his descent from 1920's business…
Mystery Train (1989): Dir. Jim Jarmusch
Feat. Joe Strummer, Screamin' Jay Hawkins; Three consecutive stories that take place at the same time and place; one night in a seedy Memphis hotel. Quirky and thought–provoking with…
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Christmas Vacation) (1989): Dir. Jeremiah Chechik
Feat. Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid; A John Hughes–penned comedy featuring Chevy Chase as the bedraggled father of the family Griswold, whose plans for a big family Christmas…
New Order - A Collection (1989): Dir. Jonathan Demme, Kathryn Bigelow; Definitive compilation of New Order videos, from 'Confusion' to 'Waiting for the siren's call', including clips directed by Jonathan Demme and…
New York Stories (1989): Dir. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen
Feat. Woody Allen, Marvin Chatinover, Mae Questel…; Three unrelated tales from the collective genius of the Big Apple's most respected modern film–makers.
Next of Kin (1989): Dir. John Irvin
Feat. Patrick Swayze, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt…; Patrick Swayze is at his two–fisted best as a tough Chicago cop who teams with his hillbilly kinfolk when a young brother is brutally murdered…
Nightbreed (1989): Dir. Clive Barker
Feat. Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg; Novelist Clive Barker's follow–up film to HELLRAISER is again saturated with fantastic monsters and bone–crunching visuals. A dark adult…
Nightmare On Elm Street 5: Dream Child, A (1989): Dir. Stephen Hopkins
Feat. Robert Englund; Fourth sequel milks the wise–cracking dream–demon premise to the point of exhaustion. Still, the franchise continues to provide a handy…
Nocturne Indien (1989): Dir. Alain Corneau
Feat. Jean-Hugues Anglade, Clémentine Célarié, Otto Tausig; Moody drama from dir. Corneau (TOUS LES MATINS DU MONDE) sees a young Frenchman travel to India to search for a missing friend, and get lost in…
Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989): Dir. Wim Wenders; Furthering his Japanese sojourn, Wim Wenders profiles fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, extracting some fascinating ruminations on the creative…
Old Gringo (1989): Dir. Luis Puenzo
Feat. Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Smits; Western following an American school teacher (Jane Fonda) who is captured by soldiers of Pancho Villa's army while working in Mexico in 1913, and…
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1989): Dir. Beeban Kidron
Feat. Geraldine McEwan, Kenneth Cranham, Charlotte Coleman; Landmark adaptation of Jeanette Winterson's novel about a young girl raised in the cult–like surrounds of a strict evangelist household in the…
Package, The (1989): Dir. Andrew Davis
Feat. Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones, Joanna Cassidy…; Sharp geo–political thriller with an anti–nuclear bent. Gene Hackman plays a veteran Army Sgt. assigned to escort a military prisoner…
Parenthood (1989): Dir. Ron Howard
Feat. Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest…; An effervescent and poignant comedy about the trials and tribulations of family life. An impressive ensemble cast headed by Steve Martin provide…
Parents (1989): Dir. Bob Balaban
Feat. Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt, Sandy Dennis; Frightening piece of horror kitsch about a boy who suspects his parents are cannibals. Splendid, stylised direction and set design make this a…
Patlabor (1989): Dir. Mamoru Oshii
Feat. Shigeru Chiba, William Dufries; A more action–orientated film based on the Japanese anime TV Series. Set in a futuristic Tokyo where armoured Mobile Police enforce the laws,…
Pet Sematary (1989): Dir. Mary Lambert
Feat. Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby; A competent scarefest scripted by Stephen King from his own novel about a country doctor's experiences with things that won't stay dead.
Peter Gunn (1989): Dir. Blake Edwards
Feat. Peter Strauss, Barbara Williams; A telemovie reprise of the iconic 'Private Investigator' series of the late 50s and 60s, with original director Edwards and that famous Mancini tune…
Piglet Files, The (TV Series) (1989): Feat. Nicholas Lyndhurst, Serena Evans; Quirky, much–loved British sitcom, with Nicholas Lyndhurst as an electronics whiz who inadvertently ends up working for the British…
Pink Cadillac (1989): Dir. Buddy Van Horn
Feat. Clint Eastwood, Bernadette Peters, Timothy Carhart; Minor Clint Eastwood comic vehicle about a bail–bond bounty hunter who helps out the spouse of a target by rescuing her kidnapped baby from the…
Prancer (1989): Dir. John Hancock
Feat. Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda…; Warm–hearted festive tale of a young girl who after stumbling across a wounded reindeer and after nursing him back to health sets out to return…
Punisher, The (1989): Dir. Mark Goldblatt
Feat. Dolph Lundgren, Louis Jr. Gossett; Based on the Marvel comic hero, a NY cop emerges as a merciless vigilante after his family is murdered in a car bomb.
Puppet Master, The (1989): Dir. David Schmoeller
Feat. Paul Le Mat, William Hickey, Irene Miracle; Puppetsploitation movie from Charles Band's Full Moon production house about a group of psychics who find themselves plotted against by a former…
Rainbow, The (1989): Dir. Ken Russell
Feat. Sammi Davis, Amanda Donohoe; The director steers away from his usual excesses for D.H. Lawrence's portrait of a young woman's sexual and feminist liberation, set in Edwardian…
Red Dwarf (TV Series) - Series 3 (1989): Feat. Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules…; More classic episodes with Rimmer, Lister, Cat, Kryten and Holly in the brilliant British sci–fi comedy. Available on 2 VHS tapes or a…
Red Riding Hood (1989): Dir. Adam Brooks
Feat. Isabella Rossellini, Amelia Shankley, Craig T. Nelson; Musical interpretation of the classic fairy tale with real, flesh–and–blood actors (including Isabella Rossellini), some Disney–ish…
Return of the Swamp Thing, The (1989): Feat. Louis Jourdan, Heather Locklear, Dick Durock; Everyone's favourite muck–encrusted plant–man is back in a sequel so bad, it's better than the original! The campy…
Rikyu (1989): Dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara
Feat. Rentaro Mikuni, Tsutomu Yamazaki; A unique dramatic meditation on the symbolic qualities of the Japanese tea ceremony, set around a Buddhist priest and the ruling Shogun of Japan in…
Roadhouse (1989): Dir. Rowdy Herrington
Feat. Patrick Swayze; Swayze is hired as a bouncer at a local watering–hole where his fists do a lot of overtime, but his philosophy degree goes to waste. Music by…
Robot Jox (1989): Dir. Stuart Gordon
Feat. Gary Graham, Anne-Marie Johnson, Paul Koslo; Crash and burn in a bleak future where one–to–one combat is conducted using robot killing–machines the size of buildings. The idea…
Romero (1989): Dir. John Duigan
Feat. Raul Julia, Richard Jordan; Provocative political drama details the story of Salvadorian Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in 1980 by representatives of an…
Romuald et Juliette (1989): Dir. Coline Serreau
Feat. Daniel Auteuil, Firmine Richard, Pierre Vernier; French comedy at its very best contrasts the lives of a yoghurt company director and a black mother–of–five cleaning lady who through…
Round the Twist (TV Series) (1989): Feat. Ebonnie Masini, Andrew S. Gilbert, Rian Mclean…; Australian television classic from the mind of author Paul Jennings following the off–the–wall adventures of the Twist Family, who leave…
Salute of the Jugger (1989): Dir. David Peoples
Feat. Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen; Rutger Hauer leads a band of brutal apocalyptic gladiators in their challenge for The League.
Santa Sangre (1989): Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
Feat. Guy Stockwell; The title means 'holy blood', a fair indication of the twin themes of this strikingly grotesque tale of a disturbed circus–performer. With its…
Saved By The Bell (TV Series) (1989): After–school teen sit–com that helped "launch" the careers of Dustin "Screech" Diamond and 90210 vixen Tiffani–Amber Thiessen.…
Say Anything (1989): Dir. Cameron Crowe
Feat. John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney; Fresh light is cast on the East–end boy meets West–end girl scenario. Satisfying teen fare.
Scandal (1989): Dir. Michael Caton-Jones
Feat. John Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda…; Polished dramatisation of events that led to the downfall of politician John Profumo, who engaged in an liaison with a controversial call–girl.
Sea of Love (1989): Dir. Harold Becker
Feat. Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, John Goodman; Murder suspect Ellen Barkin and detective Al Pacino have a very dangerous liaison in this sexy, hi–tension whodunnit. A first class entry with…
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989): Dir. Arthur Hiller
Feat. Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder; Average teaming of Wilder and Pryor as a deaf man and a blind man on the lam. The high obscene–language level doesn't yield much comic results.
Send a Gorilla (1989): Dir. Melanie Read
Feat. Carmel McGlone, Katherine McRae, Perry Piercy; Valentine's Day spells chaos for three women who run a singing telegram company. A whimsical comedy set and filmed on location here in Wellington.
Seventh Continent, The (1989): Dir. Michael Haneke
Feat. Dieter Berner, Leni Tanzer, Birgit Doll; The disintegration of a seemingly content, middle–class family is at the center of this chilling domestic autopsy; a clinical and cynical…
Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989): Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Feat. James Spader, Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell…; Palm d'or winning exploration of modern sexuality concerns an enigmatic drifter who affects the dysfunctional lives of an old college pal, his wife…
Shadow Makers (Fat Man and Little Boy) (1989): Dir. Roland Joffe
Feat. Paul Newman, Dwight Schultz, Bonnie Bedelia…; An informative (if only really adequate) dramatisation of the Manhattan Project, which produced the A–Bomb in the New Mexico desert during WW2.…
Shakers, The (1989): Dir. Ken Burns; Documentary about the religion often characterised by their ecstatic dancing, pacifism and belief in non–conventional medicine. Ken Burns…
She-Devil (1989): Dir. Susan Seidelman
Feat. Meryl Streep, Roseanne, Ed Jr. Begley…; A stylised comic treatment of Fay Weldon's dark novel with Rosanne Barr exacting ultimate retribution on husband–stealing rich–bitch…
Shirley Valentine (1989): Dir. Lewis Gilbert
Feat. Pauline Collins, Tom Conti; Pauline Collins adapts her stage role for the screen and the result is an unqualified success. You'll take delight in witnessing her rediscover her…
Siesta (1989): Dir. Mary Lambert
Feat. Ellen Barkin, Jodie Foster, Gabriel Byrne…; An enigmatic, arty thriller with a terrific cast, gorgeous lensing and Miles Davis soundtrack. Possibly meaningless, but a pleasure to watch the cast…
Simpsons, The (TV Series) (1989): Dir. Various; Fun at home with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson – the definitve animated American family, in the iconic TV series of the 1990s has…
Speaking Parts (1989): Dir. Atom Egoyan
Feat. Michael McManus, Arsinee Khanjian, Gabrielle Rose; Bizarre and striking work about a video–obssesed laundry worker's fixation on an aspiring actor who in turn has obsessions of his own. A slick…
Spirits of the Air (1989): Dir. Alex Proyas
Feat. Norman Boyd, Rhys Davis, Michael Lake; Visually intoxicating, very off–beat tale about three desert eccentrics who build a flying machine. The director went on to make THE CROW in…
Spontaneous Combustion (1989): Dir. Tobe Hooper
Feat. Brad Dourif, Cynthia Bain, Jon Cypher; Tobe Hooper's so–bad–its–not–bad cheapie about a man suffering from troubling side–effects after the nuclear explosion…
Star Trek V - The Final Frontier (1989): Dir. William Shatner
Feat. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley…; This time Shatner tries his hand at directing, in what turns out to be one of the less memorable missions of the series. The crew travel through…
Starlight Hotel (1989): Dir. Sam Pillsbury
Feat. Greer Robson, Bruce Phillips, Alison Fraser; A young runaway in search of her father and a reluctant fugitive become unlikely partners who manage to keep one step ahead of the police. Shot on…
Steel Magnolias (1989): Dir. Herbert Ross
Feat. Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah…; Light comedy–come–tearjerker in which six Southern belles congregate at a beauty salon over several years.
Summer's Lease (TV Mini-series) (1989): Feat. Susan Fleetwood, John Gielgud, Michael Pennington; BBC "masterpiece theatre" drama–mystery series set in Tuscany, based on the novel by John Mortimer (RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY) and adapted by the…
Surgical Spirit (TV Series) (1989): Feat. Nichola McAuliffe, Duncan Preston; ITV medical sitcom of the past, centred on a sabre–toothed surgeon (McAuliffe) who juggles workplace politics, home truths, and romantic…
Sweetie (1989): Dir. Jane Campion
Feat. Genevieve Lemon, Karen Colston, Tom Lycos; An unsettling account of a young woman's uncomfortable relationship with her boyfriend and disturbed sister who makes an unexpected visit. Askewed…
Tale of Two Cities, A (Mini-series) (1989): Dir. Philippe Monnier
Feat. James Wilby, John Mills, Jean-Pierre Aumont…; BBC TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' great, historical novel of the French Revolution, in the shadow of which two, very different men fall for the…
Tall Guy, The (1989): Dir. Mel Smith
Feat. Jeff Goldblum, Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson; Jeff Goldblum plays an American actor in England who faces successive crises with obnoxious employer Rowan Atkinson and love interest Emma Thompson.
Tango and Cash (1989): Dir. Andrei Konchalovsky
Feat. Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell; Enjoyable buddy–cop caper with Stallone and Russell as rugged, competitive partners with a sense of humour.
Terror at the Opera (Opera) (1989): Dir. Dario Argento
Feat. Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson, Urbano Barberini…; A sort of DIVA of the horror genre, Argento happily abandons plot mechanics to provide a bravura display of his technical skill. Contains at least…
Testimony (1989): Dir. Tony Palmer
Feat. Ben Kingsley; The life, artistry and anguish of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich receives a vivid, stylistic treatment here, with Ben Kingsley in the central…
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989): Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto
Feat. Tomorowo Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara; Mind–blowing cyberpunk tour–de–force that sandwiches enough visuals to fill three movies into its sweat–breaking 67 minutes.…
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (Atame!) (1989): Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Feat. Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril; A mental patient kidnaps his sexy B–movie idol in the hope that she will fall in love with him. Teasingly politically unsound, Almodovar…
Toxic Avenger Part 2, The (1989): Dir. Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz
Feat. Ron Fazio, John Altamura; Diminished return of the ugliest superhero to ever gross the screen, in the same splatter–spoof mode of the original.
Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, The (1989): Dir. Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Feat. Ron Fazio, John Altamura, Lisa Gaye…; Third movie in the superhero splatter–spoof franchise from Troma Studios. The Toxic Avenger discovers his most evil adversary when he decides…
Traffik (1989): Dir. Alistair Reid
Feat. Bill Paterson; Complex mini–series set throughout the hierarchies of the international heroin trade. Filmed in locations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and…
Triumph of the Spirit (1989): Dir. Robert M. Young
Feat. Willem Dafoe; Harrowing tale of a Greek–Jewish boxer (Willem Dafoe) who is deported to Auschwitz during WW2.
Trop Belle Pour Toi (Too Beautiful For You) (1989): Dir. Bertrand Blier
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Josiane Balasko, Carole Bouquet; Car salesman Gerard Depardieu has a beautiful wife, but becomes infatuated with his plain yet passionate receptionist. Insightful, melancholy comedy.
Turner and Hooch (1989): Dir. Roger Spottiswoode
Feat. Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson; Tom Hanks injects lots of fun into this story of a neatness–obsessed detective who takes on a slobbering junkyard dog.
Unbelievable Truth, The (1989): Dir. Hal Hartley
Feat. Adrienne Shelly, Robert Burke, Chris Cooke…; The folk of a backward American town get a mite nervous when a mechanic returns after spending 15 years in prison for murdering his father and…
Uncle Buck (1989): Dir. John Hughes
Feat. John Candy, Amy Madigan; John Candy plays a loathsome uncle with a heart of gold left in charge of his brother's kids for the weekend.
Unexplained Laughter (1989): Feat. Diana Rigg, Elaine Paige, Jon Finch; Diana Rigg plays a broken–hearted journalist who retreats to the country only to be haunted by ghostly laughter. Adapted from the Anna Haycraft…
Valmont (1989): Dir. Milos Forman
Feat. Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Meg Tilly…; Baroque Milos Forman variation on the classic tale of ‘Dangerous Liaisons’, with Annette Bening and Colin Firth tangling tonsils, and more, as…
Vidiot from UHF, The (1989): Dir. Jay Levey
Feat. Al Yankovic, Michael Richards, Kevin McCarthy…; 'Weird' Al Yankovic showcases his brand of crazy satire as the manager of a loony TV station. Pretty stoopid, but kids will love it.
Violent Cop (1989): Dir. Takeshi Kitano
Feat. Takeshi Kitano; Popular entertainer 'Beat' Takeshi's directing debut is a stylish, witty yet cynical and disturbing elegy to violence executed with alarming…
War of the Roses (1989): Dir. Danny De Vito
Feat. Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Sean Astin…; Hollywood black humour is taken to the limit here as marital bliss turns to domestic warfare for Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. Bold and…
We're No Angels (1989): Dir. Neil Jordan
Feat. Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore…; Robert De Niro and Sean Penn team up as a couple of escaped convicts who cross the border in clergical attire.
Weekend at Bernies (1989): Dir. Ted Kotcheff
Feat. Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart; A tacky but highly inventive comedy about two young execs who must ensure their deceased boss at least appears that way in order to enjoy his luxury…
Welcome Home (1989): Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner
Feat. Kris Kristofferson, JoBeth Williams, Sam Waterston…; Fairly tepid post–Vietnam War drama has Kris Kristofferson play a pilot shot down over Cambodia and was rescued by a Khmer Rouge woman, whom he…
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1989): Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Feat. Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy…; A staggering blend of live–action and brillaint animation conjures up a believable world where people and cartoons…
Who's Harry Crumb? (1989): Dir. Paul Flaherty
Feat. John Candy, Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones…; Comedy–mystery vehicle for John Candy, who plays an often incompetent, sometimes genius, private investigator in search of a kidnapping victim.
Why has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989): Dir. Bae Yong-kyun; A mystical journey into the riddles and symbols of Zen Buddhism through various characters ensconced in a remote monastery. Loosely threaded by a…
Wilt (1989): Dir. Michael Tuchner
Feat. Griff Rhys-Jones, Mel Smith; Tom Sharpe's outrageous farce with Griff Rhys Jones as the dowdy schoolteacher suspected of murdering his social–climbing wife. Bent in all the…
Young Einstein (1989): Dir. Yahoo Serious
Feat. Yahoo Serious, Odile Le Clezio, John Howard; Ozzie one–man film–making machine Yahoo Serious stars in his own zany slapstick epic about an intrepid young maverick who happens to be a…
Zatoichi 26 (Darkness Is His Ally) (1989): Dir. Shintaro Katsu
Feat. Shintaro Katsu; An enjoyable, autumnal revival of the 1960s–70s samurai movie franchise, with a much older Katsu reprising his role of the blind swordsman and…

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