1990s Best Movies

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

In this action movie, tough biker Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) teams up with his cowboy-hat-wearing buddy known as the Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) to help save the bar of a mutual friend. Enacting a plan to rob an armored bank vehicle, the two are surprised to find that they’ve heisted a massive shipment of a new drug. Soon the corrupt bank head, Chance Wilder (Tom Sizemore), sends trained killers to take out Harley and Marlboro, with the duo fighting for their lives.

Internal Affairs (1990)

In the Los Angeles Police Department, Officer Dennis Peck (Richard Gere) is a divisive figure, loved by those who are loyal to him and looked on with suspicion by others. His disreputable behavior and dubious finances arouse the suspicion of Internal Affairs and Sgt. Raymond Avila (Andy Garcia) and his partner (Laurie Metcalf) are assigned to investigate. When a series of witnesses are murdered, Avila realizes his life is in danger, along with that of his wife’s (Nancy Travis).

Happy Gilmore (1996)

All Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has ever wanted is to be a professional hockey player. But he soon discovers he may actually have a talent for playing an entirely different sport: golf. When his grandmother (Frances Bay) learns she is about to lose her home, Happy joins a golf tournament to try and win enough money to buy it for her. With his powerful driving skills and foul-mouthed attitude, Happy becomes an unlikely golf hero — much to the chagrin of the well-mannered golf professionals.

Dirty Work (1998)

Friends Sam (Artie Lange) and Mitch (Norm Macdonald) need $50,000 to pay for Sam’s dad’s heart surgery. When they’re fired for getting revenge on their abusive theater-owner boss, they have a great money-making idea: a revenge-for-hire business. The friends are soon successful, but not all their clients are good customers. When real estate developer Travis Cole (Christopher McDonald) tricks them into vandalizing a building that isn’t his, Sam and Mitch concoct their best revenge plan yet.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high school in 1976. The graduating class heads for a popular pool hall and joins an impromptu keg party, however star football player Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London) has promised to focus on the championship game and abstain from partying. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen try to avoid being hazed by the seniors, most notably the sadistic bully Fred O’Bannion (Ben Affleck).

Mortal Kombat (1990)

Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert) handpicks three martial artists — federal agent Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), Shaolin monk Lui Kang (Robin Shou), and action movie sensation Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby) — and mentors them. After intense training, Rayden transports the trio to Outworld, the site of an inter-dimensional fighting tournament. There, the three humans must defeat the demonic warriors of the evil Shang Sung (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) — or allow Sung to take over the Earth.

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Based on the popular Tom Clancy novel, this suspenseful movie tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius’ submarine, “Red October,” is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians’ presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) sets out to determine Ramius’ motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S.

The Full Monty (1997)

After losing his job at a steel factory, Gaz (Robert Carlyle) learns that his wife wants to sue him for missed child support payments. Desperate for money, Gaz and his friend Dave (Mark Addy) decide to create their own male strip-tease act. The two friends recruit four more men, including their former foreman (Tom Wilkinson) and a security guard (Steve Huison). The group promises that their show will succeed because they are willing to go “the Full Monty”: completely naked.