Great movies that are now 30
It was 1991, the year that the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You topped the music charts and New Zealand’s muchmaligned Resource Management Act passed into law. It was also a year when some classic movies were released. Stuff to Watch has come up with a list of eight of our favourites.
Beauty and the Beast
(Disney+)
While this 18th-century fairytale-inspired story lacks a standout pop hit, it does boast a clutch of fantastic songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Incredibly the work of
12 writers, the story mixes visual and verbal humour (‘‘If It Ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it’’) with some genuine scares that hark back to Disney’s golden era of Pinocchio and Snow White.
Cape Fear (iTunes, Google Play, YouTube)
Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of John D MacDonald’s 1957 novel The Executioners is a masterclass in building tension and cinematic storytelling. Nick Nolte has rarely been better than his turn as the defence lawyer whose life is turned upside down by one of his former clients who he failed to keep out of jail, and Robert DeNiro’s performance as the aggrieved Max Cady will give you the chills.
City Slickers (iTunes, Google Play, You Tube) Whatever the actual reasons
for the initial allure of western comedy to you, it delivers laughs at every turn. Essentially a male mid-life crisis movie, it draws plenty of humour out of the fish-out-of-water premise, as urban blokes take part in a two-week cattle drive.
The Commitments
(Alice, Aro)
Alan Parker’s adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s novel about a soul band made up of young Irish working-class folks spawned mega-hit soundtrack albums and live tours to our shores. It showcased the British director’s ability to corral young, often untrained actors into the performances of their lives.
The Silence of the Lambs
(iTunes, Google Play, YouTube)
Anthony Hopkins’ theatrics stole the show, but Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling was the heart, soul and audience’s guide in Jonathan Demme’s deliciously taut take on Thomas Harris’ pulp novel.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (iTunes, Google Play, YouTube)
T2 cemented director James
Cameron’s reputation of being able to marry a cracking story to high-octane action and the ability to make a sequel bigger and better. While Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick duked it out, a buffedup Linda Hamilton was the real star of the show.
Thelma and Louise
(iTunes, Google Play, YouTube)
Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon teamed up for this crowd-pleasing road movie about two women whose weekend vacation takes a series of unexpected turns. The pair light up the screen with their banter and free-spirited approach. Director Ridley Scott corrals the story and establishes a terrific sense of space and place, while a young Brad Pitt makes an early impression.
Truly, Madly, Deeply
(Alice, Aro)
Alan Rickman plays a cellist who returns to assist his former lover (Juliet Stevenson) deal with her grief, only to drive her nuts by adjusting the heating and inviting all his new, dead mates around. Sensitive, subtle and simply superb.