Actor Robert Loggia (1930)

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed Wide Awake (1998), a comedy-drama film produced by Cathy Konrad and Cary Woods. Following the loss of his beloved grandfather, ten-year-old Joshua A. Beal takes it upon himself to search for answers about life and death during fifth grade. Josh is a student at Waldron Mercy Academy, a private Catholic boys’ school in Philadelphia, where he notices that boys in uniform rarely smile. His mischievous best friend Dave often skips class. Being small for his age leads to being bullied, ...

Independence Day (1996) is a sci-fi action film directed by Roland Emmerich. On July 2, an alien mothership enters Earth’s orbit and deploys saucers over major cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. U.S. Marine Captain Steven Hiller and his unit, known as the Black Knights fighter squadron based in MCAS El Toro, are called back to defend Los Angeles. His girlfriend Jasmine Dubrow decides to flee with her son Dylan. Meanwhile, retired combat pilot Russell Casse sees this as vindication for the alien abduction he claimed ten years ago. In New York City, technician David Levinson discovers ...

The American romantic action comedy film, I Love Trouble (1994), features Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte as the main stars. It was written and produced by the husband-and-wife duo of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, while also being directed by Shyer himself. The movie follows veteran reporter Peter Brackett, who gains newfound fame after publishing his book ‘White Lies’. As he is tasked with covering a train crash for his newspaper, ‘The Chicago Chronicle’, he meets newcomer Sabrina Peterson. However, their ...

The American fantasy comedy-drama film Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, follows the story of twelve-year-old Josh Baskin. Josh attempts to impress a girl at a carnival ride, but is turned away due to his height. Feeling down, he puts a coin in an old fortune-teller machine named Zoltar and wishes to be ‘big’. To his surprise, the machine grants his wish, but he soon realizes it had been unplugged the whole time. The next morning, Josh wakes up as an adult and immediately sets out to find the machine. However, he discovers that the ...

Over the Top (1987) is an American sports drama featuring Sylvester Stallone in the lead role. The film was both produced and directed by Menahem Golan. Lincoln Hawk is a hardworking truck driver who also competes in arm wrestling for some extra income. His ex-wife Christina, who is suffering from a heart condition, asks that he pick up their son Michael from military school and try to establish a relationship with him – after all, Hawk had left them ten years ago. However, Michael’s affluent grandfather, Christina’s father Jason Cutler, doesn’t ...

Scarface (1983) is an American crime drama film, directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino. The movie is a newer version of the 1932 film with the same title, which was based on a novel published in 1930 by Armitage Trail. In 1980, Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee and former convict, arrives in Miami during the Mariel boatlift. He’s sent to a refugee camp alongside his closest friend Manny Ribera, as well as their companions Angel and ...

Psycho II (1983), a psychological slasher film directed by Richard Franklin and written by Tom Holland, follows the story of Norman Bates after he is released from a mental institution 22 years after his infamous killing spree. Despite Lila Crane’s protests, Norman is deemed mentally sound and moves back to his old home near the Bates Motel, where he starts working at a nearby diner. After Mary, a waitress, becomes homeless and Norman offers her a place to stay at his home. Despite warnings from Dr. Bill Raymond, who advises against it, Norman hires Mary. However, ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) is a romantic drama film with a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart. After graduating college, Zachary ‘Zack’ Mayo surprises his father, a U.S. Navy Boatswain’s mate, by enrolling in Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) near Port Townsend, Washington to pursue his dream of becoming a Navy jet pilot. At AOCS, Zack meets fellow recruits and their intimidating drill instructor, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley. Foley stresses that the school only accepts the most capable officer-candidates ...