Fletch Lives (1989)

Fletch finds himself the sole inheritor of an 80-acre estate in the Deep South, where he promptly quits his job as a journalist in order to retire. From there, he quickly becomes embroiled in a murder plot, the Ku Klux Klan, a televangelist megachurch, and other toxic waste. This 1989 sequel is looked down on for a number of reasons, but it's the strength of Chase's performance that really elevates the whole thing for me. It's diminishing returns, but as long as you go into this knowing it's not as good as its predecessor, you'll have a decent time.

2½ plantation dreams out of 5

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

Frank Drebin is retiring from Police Squad and planning to start a family with Jane. Directed by first-time director Peter Segal, it lacks the same finesse and tightening of jokes that David Zucker brought to it, despite penning the script. There is a delicate balance to this art of smart/dumb comedy which can be ruined if it leans too heavily to one side or acknowledges its own absurdity. Some of these chords are hit a little too hard and lacks more of the "subtlety" found in the previous entries. This is one of those films I always like better in retrospect, even though it never quite lives up to my memory of it.

2¾ specimen cups out of 5

Note: "Fun" bit of trivia: O.J. Simpson was arrested on murder charges three months after the release of this film. This certainly exists as a time capsule.

Toy Soldiers (1991)

In what sounds like a preposterous premise when written down, Dir. Daniel Petrie Jr's film has Colombian drug dealers taking control of a boys prep school in a bid to force the US government to meet their demands.
Five friends, troublemakers who're a regular pain in the ass to the firm but (more than) fair Dean, choose to fight back. It's a story in which a group of underachievers show their worth when their backs are against the wall, proving to all and sundry that they can kick it when it counts. Beyond that it's a better than expected 90s late-teens movie with the violence and strong language dial turned to the right a little more than usual. The cast are well-suited to their role, but none more so than Louis Gossett Jr. as the Dean.

3 resolute rejects out of 5

SE7EN [1995]

Director David Fincher's moody psycho-thriller, Se7en, is still one of the only worthy rivals to The Silence of the Lambs as one of the most disturbingly traumatizing of it's kind.
In a rainy unnamed city, two detectives, one on the brink of retirement and one brand new to the decaying city, investigate a series of grisly murders, all inspired by the seven deadly sins.
With it's simple premise, it easily could have been yet another gritty crime film but it rises above that with Fincher's ability to build the tension & atmosphere with dreary neo-noir photography and two fantastic performances from it's two leads.  It hypnotizes the viewer with a thick air of unsettling horror that starts with the Nine Inch Nails-scored main titles sequences and doesn't let up until the jaw-dropping finale that will haunt you for long after it's done.

4 soothing, relaxing, vibrating homes out of 5

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The first third of FMJ illustrates the hell that new recruits are put through in order to become USMC killing machines. The tyrant drill instructor breaks them and then rebuilds them his way. It’s a barrage of verbal, physical and mental abuse that’ll have you howling with inappropriate, guilty laughter.
Once the recruits are deemed worthy they’re categorically shipped to Vietnam to put their killing skills to the test. You’d expect the pace to increase in the field, but it actually slows, giving the soldiers time to reflect on why they’re even there, and offering a viewer a glimpse into the different kinds of pressure each one feels. Mostly it follows Pvt. 'Joker' Davis (Matthew Modine), but, as usual, the stylised eye of Kubrick dominates everything.

5 boom booms, long time out of 5

THE FRIGHTENERS [1996]

Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson's first dip into mainstream film-making is an odd one that makes me wonder how he ever got the job of directing the Middle Earth films.
1996's The Frighteners is a horror-comedy that is disturbing as it is funny. It's entertaining and well-paced in it's theatrical cut but the director's cut slows the pace down and throws in some face-palming gags that dumbs it down.
If you're looking for a fun big budget Jackson film but still in the same vein as his earlier independent works than this would be it.

3½ heavenly creatures out of 5

Willard (2003)

Crispin Glover is perfectly cast as the titular character in this remake that reminded me a little bit of Anthony Perkins in Psycho. This time around, the chief rat Ben is big and menacing and actually looks evil. It’s funny, I didn’t think much of this movie the first time I saw it, but now that I’ve seen the originals, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for it. The score by Shirley Walker evokes an Elfman-like quality. Yes, it actually holds up better than the original.

3 mouse-and-cat chases out of 5