Jim Henson is best known for his work for children, such as "Sesame Street", but "The Dark Crystal" shows that he is capable of entertaining a wider audience. An aging tribe of
creatures known as the Mystics send a Gelfling on a quest to find the missing shard of a crystal, which must be found before the suns meet to prevent the evil Skeksis from achieving immortality.
A special degree of care went into the production of this movie, with detailed set design, and costumes for the Mystics that were reportedly heavy. While it underperformed at the box office,
that's largely because audiences were expecting another Muppet movie, and instead got a fantasy adventure with a darker tone. Just the design of the Skeksis could scare younger children. Henson would try his hand
at PG-rated fare again, but this is his best in that regard.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, UMD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B+
This fifth entry of the "Dirty Harry" franchise is not included in the DVD box set, and failed at the box office. But it had the impossible task of competing
with "Die Hard", which was released just two days later. All things considered, it's a pretty good action movie. Harry Callahan is on the case again as a serial killer
starts a game, in which celebrities are murdered, and bets are made on who will die next. Callahan is a well-known officer in San Francisco, and happens to be on the list.
The runtime is 91 minutes, and the movie wastes no time. Although Eastwood was 57 at the time of filming, he portrays the role as he always did. The synthesized music and Dolby Stereo sound, however,
make this feel like Dirty Harry for the 80's. While the villain feels like a lesser version of Scorpio from the original, some of the best action in the series is here, along with a "Welcome to the Jungle"
music video starring a young Jim Carrey. "The Dead Pool" is by no means a classic, but certainly a good time.
Available on VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: B
Cannon was known for making second-rate action movies, and this one has Chuck Norris, who is essentially the face of the studio. A terrorist organization hijacks a plane, and
a branch of the military known as the Delta Force is sent to rescue its hostages. There is nothing particularly memorable about this movie, but the action sequences are what you would
expect, and Chuck Norris is effortlessly watchable, no matter how average the movie he's in may be.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C
This adaptation of the Nickelodeon TV series wisely does away with the Spanish lessons, instead following an older Dora on a field trip with other high school students.
They go off-course to find Incan ruins that are supposedly filled with gold, but their Map is stolen by Swiper, aided by mercenaries.
Although this movie is kid-friendly, it's a little bit silly seeing mercenaries with crossbows aimed at Dora the Explorer. But the movie leans into that, and as a result, it's actually not bad
as a self-aware comedy. In a way, it caters to adults nostalgic for the show when it was on in the early 2000's.
Available on DVD and Blu-Ray
Grade: C+
Corey Haim and Corey Feldman were in several movies together. Some, like "The Lost Boys", are classics. This one is not. "Dream a Little Dream" features a story that can
barely be understood. A teenager switches minds with his father, which causes complications for his love life, as he tries to impress a girl at school with a jerk boyfriend.
It took reading the back of the cover to even know what was going on. Corey Feldman acts fine as a teenager, but when he switches places, his acting is indistinguishable. Add in
some truly baffling plot decisions, and you have a mess on your hands. Just about the only thing holding the movie together would be the pop soundtrack, featuring Mickey Thomas and Mike Reno.
"Dream a Little Dream" has its fans, but it's 100% nostalgia.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: D-
David Lynch's "Dune" is a feast for the eyes, with a plot that is borderline impossible to follow. Something had to give in order to fit the book into one movie, and in order to
speed things along, you hear inner monologues of multiple different characters. The basic premise is that a planet is being mined for a drug known as the Spice Melange, which
different tribes are after, all while sandworms dwell underneath.
The set designs are amazing, calling back to Hollywood's Golden Age, where everything is meticulously put together. The effects are otherworldly, although fans of the book have noted
that many liberties were taken. Unfortunately, you get mixed up with which character said what very quickly. There are also a handful of ridiculous moments, such as Sting appearing in a cloud of
smoke in nothing but a Speedo, or a child speaking with a monster's voice. "Dune" is a confusing, alienating adaptation, but it was extremely well directed.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, HD DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: C-
This B-movie from Charles Band attempts to cash in on the popularity of "Tron" and "Dungeons and Dragons" in the 80's. It features a computer programmer who is captured
by an evil sorcerer in another dimension, who forces him to play seven deadly games to get his girlfriend back.
This isn't so much a movie as much as it is a series of shorts loosely tied together. But it holds a campy charm, along with full-frontal nudity that will make you wonder
how it got away with a PG-13 rating.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C