Favoritest Movies of 1990
Using Paired Comparison Analysis, I'm ranking every movie I've ever seen, year by year; the top 80th percentile from each year advance to the decade round, and from there the all time round.
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- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsSean ConneryAlec BaldwinScott GlennIn November 1984, the Soviet Union's best submarine captain violates orders and heads for the U.S. in a new undetectable sub. The American CIA and military must quickly determine: Is he trying to defect or to start a war?
- DirectorGarry MarshallStarsRichard GereJulia RobertsJason AlexanderA man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love.
- DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneLieutenant John Dunbar, assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, finds himself engaging with a neighbouring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydMary SteenburgenStranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.
- DirectorAllan MoyleStarsChristian SlaterSamantha MathisAnthony Luke LuceroMark runs a pirate radio station and causes an uproar when he speaks his mind and enthralls fellow teens.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerSharon StoneMichael IronsideWhen a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?
- DirectorPatrick Read JohnsonStarsDouglas BarrRoyal DanoAriana RichardsDimwitted Martians drop into a little Illinois town on the day that the local radio station happens to rebroadcast Orson Welles 1938 "War Of The Worlds".
- DirectorJack SholderStarsPowers BootheRebecca De MornayJames Earl JonesA non-NATO nuclear missile is fired from Turkey at USSR, where it detonates. Soviet response is automatic as it's seen as a NATO missile. Can continued escalation be avoided? We follow the US president and a bomber crew.
- DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsDanny GloverGary BuseyKevin Peter HallThe Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
- DirectorMichael Caton-JonesStarsMatthew ModineEric StoltzTate DonovanIn 1943, the crew of a B-17 based in the UK prepares for its 25th and final bombing mission over Germany before returning home to the USA.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsJohn HurtRaul JuliaNick BrimbleThe ultimate weapon which was meant to be safe for the mankind produces global side effects including time slides and disappearances.The scientist behind the project and his car are zapped from the year 2031 to 1817's Switzerland.
- CreatorKatsuhiko NishijimaKazumi ShirasakaStarsEmi ShinoharaMiki ItôMichie TomizawaBattle 1&2 were treated as 1 movie; Project A-Ko Final Wars.
- DirectorSteve BarronStarsJudith HoagElias KoteasJosh PaisFour teenage mutant ninja turtles emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from a gang of criminal ninjas.
- DirectorJoe DanteChuck JonesStarsZach GalliganPhoebe CatesHowie MandelThe Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsPeter WellerNancy AllenBelinda BauerRoboCop returns to protect the citizens of old Detroit but faces a deadly challenge when a rogue OCP member secretly creates a new, evil RoboCop 2.This one has really grown on me for being the last great helping of stop motion animation in effects.
- DirectorBob HathcockStarsAlan YoungChristopher LloydTerence McGovernScrooge McDuck takes Huey, Dewey, and Louie to Egypt to find a pyramid and magic lamp.
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsGary GrahamAnne-Marie JohnsonPaul KosloIn the distant future, mankind has forsaken global wars for battles of single combat. The world has been divided into two opposing super powers, with each side represented by trained champions.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsBruce WillisWilliam AthertonBonnie BedeliaJohn McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
- DirectorFraser C. HestonStarsCharlton HestonChristian BaleOliver ReedThe treasure seeking adventures of young Jim Hawkins and pirate Captain Long John Silver.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppWinona RyderDianne WiestThe solitary life of an artificial man - who was incompletely constructed and has scissors for hands - is upended when he is taken in by a suburban family.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodJeff FaheyCharlotte CornwellA thinly fictionalized account of a legendary movie director, whose desire to hunt down an animal turns into a grim situation with his movie crew in Africa.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsAnne ParillaudMarc DuretPatrick FontanaConvicted felon Nikita isn't going to jail; she's given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.
- DirectorWarren BeattyStarsWarren BeattyMadonnaAl PacinoThe comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsPatrick SwayzeDemi MooreWhoopi GoldbergAfter a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.
- DirectorRon UnderwoodStarsKevin BaconFred WardFinn CarterNatives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.
- DirectorHendel ButoyMike GabrielStarsBob NewhartEva GaborJohn CandyR.A.S. agents Miss Bianca and Bernard race to Australia to save a little boy and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher.
- DirectorChristopher MenaulStarsRalph FiennesAlexander SiddigDenis QuilleyLawrence and Feisal go to argue for Arab independence at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.Wikipedia and Netflix have the title as "A Dangerous Man: Lawrence after Arabia" and the year as 1990.
- DirectorSimon WincerStarsTom SelleckLaura San GiacomoAlan RickmanSharpshooter Matt Quigley is hired from Wyoming by an Australian rancher paying a very high price. But when Quigley arrives Down Under, all is not as it seems.
- DirectorJim AbrahamsStarsWinona RyderJeff DanielsLaila RobinsA small town prepares for the homecoming of superstar Roxy Carmichael, as does a young outsider, who believes Roxy is her mother.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsSteven SeagalJoanna PaculaBasil WallaceA retired DEA agent is out to hunt down and take out a Jamaican drug posse that has targeted he and his family for murder.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsLiam NeesonFrances McDormandColin FrielsA brilliant scientist left for dead returns to exact revenge on the people who burned him alive.
- DirectorEmilio EstevezStarsCharlie SheenEmilio EstevezLeslie HopeTwo garbage men uncover a conspiracy involving illegal toxic waste dumping and decide to bring the whole operation down.
- DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsEmilio EstevezKiefer SutherlandLou Diamond PhillipsBilly the Kid and his band of outlaws are pursued across New Mexico territory by Sheriff Pat Garrett, whom the young gunslingers must face-off with if they are to reach the safety of the border.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsJeremy IronsGlenn CloseRon SilverWealthy Sunny von Bülow lies brain-dead, husband Claus guilty of attempted murder; but he says he's innocent and hires Alan Dershowitz for his appeal.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsCharlie SheenMichael BiehnJoanne WhalleyA battle-hardened SEAL Team set off on a mission to destroy a shipment of US-built Stinger missiles that have fallen into terrorist hands.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaIshirô HondaStarsAkira TeraoMitsuko BaishôToshie NegishiA collection of tales based upon eight of director Akira Kurosawa's recurring dreams.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsGene HackmanAnne ArcherJames SikkingA Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney is sent to protect a woman who accidentally witnessed a Mafia murder.
- DirectorBruce MalmuthStarsSteven SeagalKelly LeBrockWilliam SadlerTargeted by the mob and its political supporters, hired assassins leave LAPD Detective Mason Storm for dead. Seven years later, he recovers from a deep coma, demanding justice and the opportunity to get even.
- DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerPenelope Ann MillerPamela ReedA tough cop must pose as a kindergarten teacher in order to locate a dangerous criminal's ex-wife, who may hold the key to putting him behind bars.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RothPaul RhysAdrian BrineThe familiar tragic story of Vincent van Gogh is broadened by focusing as well on his brother Theodore, who helped support Vincent. The movie also provides a nice view of the locations which Vincent painted.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsMel GibsonGoldie HawnDavid CarradineAn old flame discovers her ex-boyfriend from the past is a relocated FBI informant out to stop the bad guys.
- DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaIwao TakamotoStarsGeorge O'HanlonPenny SingletonMel BlancGeorge Jetson is forced to uproot his family when Mr. Spacely promotes him to take charge of a new factory on a distant planet.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsTom HanksBruce WillisMelanie GriffithAfter his mistress runs over a young teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight and attracts the interest of a down-and-out reporter.
- DirectorFranco ZeffirelliStarsMel GibsonGlenn CloseAlan BatesHamlet, Prince of Denmark, finds out that his uncle Claudius killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans revenge.
- DirectorHoward FranklinBill MurrayStarsBill MurrayGeena DavisRandy QuaidThree thieves successfully rob a New York City bank, but making the escape from the city proves to be almost impossible.
- DirectorCraig R. BaxleyStarsDolph LundgrenBrian BenbenBetsy BrantleyA Renegade Cop is forced to work with an FBI Agent in order to bring down a group of Drug Dealers with sinister plans.Ummm... It's supposed to be "I Come in Peace". You know, Dolph Lundgren vs some alien; "... But you go in pieces!" Oh IMDB.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsMeryl StreepShirley MacLaineDennis QuaidA substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she is forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanRobert DuvallA young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsKevin KlineTracey UllmanWilliam HurtJoey Boca (Kevin Kline) owns a pizza parlor, and is married to Rosalie (Tracey Ullman). He's also a serial womanizer. Rosalie goes to extremes when she finds he has been cheating.
- DirectorJohn Patrick ShanleyStarsTom HanksMeg RyanLloyd BridgesWhen a hypochondriac learns that he is dying, he accepts an offer to throw himself in a volcano at a tropical island, and along the way there, learns to truly live.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodCharlie SheenRaul JuliaA veteran detective is assigned a rookie partner after his previous partner is killed by a car theft gang. He is determined to apprehend those responsible for his friend's death but his new partner isn't really up to the task.
- DirectorAlbert PyunStarsMatt SalingerRonny CoxNed BeattyFrozen in the ice for decades, Captain America is freed to battle against archcriminal The Red Skull.
- DirectorScreaming Mad GeorgeSteve WangStarsGreg Joung PaikJimmie 'JJ' WalkerPeter SpellosYoung man merges with mechanical device, becoming cyborg superhero. Strange creatures emerge, seeking to reclaim device. He uncovers plot to genetically engineer monstrous creatures.
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsSteve MartinRick MoranisJoan CusackAn all too uptight FBI agent must protect a larger than life mobster with a heart of gold, currently under witness protection in the suburbs.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsMel GibsonRobert Downey Jr.Nancy TravisA young pilot finds himself recruited unwittingly into a covert and corrupt CIA airlift operation in Laos during the Vietnam conflict.
- DirectorArthur HillerStarsJim BelushiCharles GrodinAnne DeSalvoAn uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a Filofax organizer that mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsHarrison FordRaul JuliaGreta ScacchiAs a lawyer investigates the murder of a colleague, he finds himself more connected to the crime than anyone else.
- DirectorGregg ChampionStarsDabney ColemanMatt FrewerTeri GarrWhen a police detective thinks he is dying and learns that his life insurance pays out more if he dies in the line of duty, he tries to make that happen.
- DirectorJonathan LynnStarsEric IdleRobbie ColtraneCamille Coduri2 criminals want out but their boss kills those leaving. When the men are ordered to rob the triad, they keep the money and hide from the boss, triad and police at a convent, dressed as nuns.
- DirectorBob LoganStarsLeslie NielsenLinda BlairNed BeattyParody of The Exorcist (1973), with Linda Blair once again possessed by Satan, and Leslie Nielsen as the exorcist.
- DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsRutger HauerTerry O'QuinnBrandon CallA blind Vietnam vet, trained as a swordfighter, comes to America and helps to rescue the son of a fellow soldier.
- DirectorClive BarkerStarsCraig ShefferDavid CronenbergAnne BobbyA troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity. Meanwhile, a sadistic serial killer is looking for a patsy.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoDiane KeatonAndy GarciaFollows Michael Corleone, now in his 60s, as he seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternAn eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorAndrew LauAlan MakStarsAndy LauTony Leung Chiu-waiAnthony Chau-Sang WongA story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.
- DirectorJames OrrStarsJim BelushiLinda HamiltonMichael CaineUnhappy Larry Burrows sees what his life could have been like if he had made that winning home run as a teenager.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsGérard DepardieuAndie MacDowellBebe NeuwirthA man wanting to stay in the US enters into a marriage of convenience, but it turns into more than that.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsJonathan BrandisKenny MorrisonClarissa BurtA young boy with a distant father enters a world of make-believe and magic through a portal within an antique book.
- DirectorBob ClarkStarsGene HackmanDan AykroydDom DeLuiseAn unconventional cop who doesn't take any bull, is paired up with an amazing detective to capture some powerful criminals but the cop soon realizes that his by the book partner has split personality disorder.
- DirectorJohn SchlesingerStarsMelanie GriffithMatthew ModineMichael KeatonA couple work hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately, one of their tenants has plans of his own.
- DirectorFrank MarshallStarsJeff DanielsJulian SandsJohn GoodmanA new species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to a small California town in a coffin and starts to breed, leaving a trail of deaths that puzzle and terrify the young doctor newly arrived in town with his family.
- DirectorDavid GreenStarsNicolas CageTommy Lee JonesSean YoungElite Apache helicopter pilots are tasked with destroying powerful armed drug cartels operating in South America.
- DirectorJohn HarrisonStarsDebbie HarryMatthew LawrenceChristian SlaterTo stall a witch plotting to eat him, a boy reads her horror tales dealing with a collegian's resurrection of a mummy, a murderous cat, and an artist's pact with a gargoyle.
- DirectorJames IvoryStarsPaul NewmanJoanne WoodwardSaundra McClainSet during World War II, an upper-class family begins to fall apart due to the conservative nature of the patriarch and the progressive values of his children.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungReluctantly retired from fighting, Rocky takes charge of Mickey's gym and agrees to train a young protégé who's hungry for success.
- DirectorAndrew BergmanStarsMarlon BrandoMatthew BroderickBruno KirbyAn N.Y.C. film school student accepts a job with a local mobster who resembles a famous cinema godfather and who takes the young man under his wing, after demanding total loyalty.
- DirectorYimou ZhangFengliang YangStarsGong LiWei LiBaotian LiIn rural China, the young bride of a tyrannical owner of a silk-dyeing business finds temporary solace in the arms of her husband's nephew, but problems arise when she becomes pregnant.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGabriel ByrneAlbert FinneyJohn TurturroTom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsAndrew Dice ClayLauren HollyWayne NewtonA vulgar private detective is hired to find a missing groupie and is drawn into a mystery involving a series of murders tied to the music industry.
- DirectorFred SchepisiStarsSean ConneryMichelle PfeifferRoy ScheiderA British publisher is sent a manuscript detailing Soviet Union nuclear missile capabilities. British Intelligence intercept it and recruit him to investigate the author's editor, a beautiful Russian woman he claims never to have met.
- DirectorPenny MarshallStarsRobert De NiroRobin WilliamsJulie KavnerThe victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.
- DirectorEmile ArdolinoStarsTom SelleckSteve GuttenbergTed DansonThree ex-dads quickly discover how empty life is without their little lady, and go to outrageous lengths in their efforts to win their daughter back in this critically acclaimed and equally charming sequel.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsEddie MurphyNick NolteBrion JamesJack Cates once again enlists the aid of ex-con Reggie Hammond - this time to take down The Iceman, a ruthless drug lord operating in the San Francisco bay area.
- DirectorAmy HeckerlingStarsJohn TravoltaKirstie AlleyOlympia DukakisThis time, a new baby is on the way, and it's a girl. Wrapped together with the standard conflict between mother and father, Mikey engages in a bit of sibling rivalry with his new sister.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsVictoria AbrilAntonio BanderasLoles LeónAn unbalanced but alluring former mental patient takes a porn star prisoner in the hopes of convincing her to marry him.
- DirectorCharles BandStarsPaul GanusMegan WardRalph WaiteUnicom is a powerful organization overseeing most of the world after its economic collapse. They have banned computers and robots in an attempt to insure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic stability". When a Unicom Synth robot infiltrates a southwest TV station and kills the manager, a revolutionary against the gestapo-like corporation, a lowly Unicom delivery man must help the rest of the station survive through the incoming "thermal storm".
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
- DirectorJean-Paul RappeneauStarsGérard DepardieuAnne BrochetVincent PerezFamed swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac is in love with his cousin Roxane. He has never expressed his love for her as he his large nose undermines his self-confidence. Then he finds a way to express his love to her, indirectly.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsKiefer SutherlandKevin BaconJulia RobertsFive medical students experiment with "near death" experiences, until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives.
- DirectorRichard BenjaminStarsCherBob HoskinsWinona RyderAn unconventional single mother relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds.
- DirectorHarry HookStarsBalthazar GettyChris FurrhDanuel PipolyStranded on an island, a group of schoolboys degenerate into savagery.
- DirectorRoger DonaldsonStarsRobin WilliamsTim RobbinsPamela ReedJoey gets 2 days to sell 12 cars to keep his job and keep his girlfriends happy. It gets worse. He's juggling 3 buyers when a guy with a machine gun crashes into the car dealership and takes everybody hostage.
- DirectorJohn LafiaStarsAlex VincentJenny AgutterGerrit GrahamWhile Andy's mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the young boy is placed in foster care, and Chucky, determined to claim Andy's soul, is not far behind.
- DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsFred WardUma ThurmanMaria de MedeirosAnaïs Nin meets American writer Henry Miller in Paris in 1931. She keeps a diary of her sexual awakening, which includes Henry and his wife June.
- DirectorJack NicholsonStarsJack NicholsonHarvey KeitelMeg TillyThe sequel to Chinatown (1974) finds J.J. "Jake" Gittes investigating adultery and murder, and the money that comes from oil.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJamie Lee CurtisRon SilverClancy BrownA rookie in the police force must engage in a cat-and-mouse game with a pistol-wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.
- DirectorPeter MedakStarsGary KempMartin KempBillie WhitelawThis fact-based movie follows the life of the twin crime-lords in London's '60s underworld.
- DirectorAdrian LyneStarsTim RobbinsElizabeth PeñaDanny AielloMourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsJane FondaRobert De NiroSwoosie KurtzA struggling widow falls in love with an illiterate short-order cook whom she teaches to read and write in her kitchen each night.