Universal Pictures (USA): 245

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood (1996) is an American horror comedy film directed by Gilbert Adler. After an argument with his sister Katherine, Caleb Verdoux seeks refuge at a nearby dive bar. It’s there that he encounters an eccentric man named Jenkins, who reveals the existence of a secret brothel hidden within a funeral home. Intrigued, Caleb and his friend Reggie decide to investigate, only to be held at gunpoint by mortician McCutcheon. They are then forced to enter a coffin which leads them to the brothel – unbeknownst to them, it is run by vampires under the command of Lilith. As ...

In Rob Cohen’s American disaster film, Daylight (1996), residents of upstate New York face a hazardous situation as they attempt to illegally dispose of toxic waste in New Jersey. Among the many individuals caught in this high-stakes scenario are struggling playwright Maddy Thompson, a bus full of juvenile offenders, a vacationing family, an elderly couple and their dog, and sports retailer Roy Nord. Meanwhile, a gang of grungy criminals fleeing from the NYPD after mugging a gem buyer take off in his car and enter the tunnel beneath the Hudson River. In their chaotic escape, they crash into one of the trucks ...

Twister (1996), a disaster thriller directed by Jan de Bont, tells the story of young Jo and her family as they seek shelter from a powerful F5 tornado on their Oklahoma farm. The tornado destroys their home and tragically takes Jo’s father. Years later, Jo has become a meteorologist with an intense passion for tornadoes, leading a team of unconventional storm chasers. Her ex-husband, Bill Harding, now works as a TV weatherman and arrives in Oklahoma with his therapist fiancée to finalize their divorce. Jo shows Bill her invention, ‘Dorothy’, which has the potential to revolutionize tornado research ...

The supernatural comedy horror film, The Frighteners (1996), was directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. In 1990, Debra Bannister dies in a car accident, causing her husband Frank to abandon his architecture career and leave their unfinished dream house. Struck with the ability to see ghosts after the accident, Frank befriends three: Cyrus, a street gangster from the 1970s; Stuart, a nerd from the 1950s; and The Judge, an Old West gunslinger. These ghosts help Frank in his business of exorcising haunted houses for a fee. Unfortunately, many locals view ...

Apollo 13 (1995), a docudrama directed by Ron Howard, follows the journey of astronaut Jim Lovell as he prepares for his next space mission after having orbited the Moon on Apollo 8. Excitement builds as Lovell and his guests gather to watch Neil Armstrong’s historical steps on the Moon from Apollo 11. Lovell shares with his wife Marilyn his desire to one day walk on the lunar surface. However, a twist of events occurs when Lovell’s crew is informed that they will be flying Apollo 13 instead of their initially assigned mission, due to a swap with Alan Shepard’s crew. Alongside Ken Mattingly and Fred ...

Waterworld (1995) is an American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. In the year 2500, rising sea levels have submerged every continent on Earth, leaving only rugged, floating communities known as atolls for human civilization to survive on. Many believe in the existence of a mythical ‘Dryland’ somewhere in the vast ocean, but others dismiss it as mere legend. The Mariner, a lone wanderer, arrives at an atoll on his trimaran with a valuable ...

Directed by Terry Gilliam, 12 Monkeys (1995) is an American science fiction thriller film that depicts a world devastated by a deadly virus. The survivors are forced to live underground while rumors circulate about the Army of the Twelve Monkeys being responsible for the outbreak. In 2035, James Cole is chosen from among the prisoners living in an underground compound beneath Philadelphia to travel back in time and locate the original virus. He agrees to do so in exchange for a reduced sentence. However, he is troubled by recurring dreams involving a foot chase and shooting at an airport. When he finally arrives in ...

The American black horror comedy film, Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995), directed by Ernest Dickerson, follows the story of drifter Frank Brayker on a desert road in New Mexico. He is being pursued by The Collector, a powerful demon in human form. After their vehicles collide, Brayker manages to escape. A local drunk named Uncle Willy happens upon him and takes him to a converted church that now serves as a boarding house. Here, Brayker rents a room and meets the other residents: owner Irene, prostitute Cordelia, postal clerk Wally, and ex-convict Jeryline who is on work release. Shortly after his ...

Casino (1995) is an epic crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. In the movie, sports handicapper and Mafia associate Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein is enlisted by the Chicago Outfit to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas alongside frontman Philip Green. With Sam at the helm, the casino sees a significant increase in profit, thanks in part to some unaccounted-for cash skimmed from the count room and delivered to the Midwest Mafia bosses. To ensure protection for Sam, the ...

The American comedy-drama film, The Paper (1994), directed by Ron Howard, follows Henry Hackett, a dedicated metro editor at The New York Sun. While he loves his job, Henry is tired of the long hours and low pay. He fears becoming like his work-obsessed boss, Bernie White, who neglects his family. When Bernie reveals his prostate cancer diagnosis, he tries to reconcile with his estranged daughter before it’s too late. Facing financial struggles, the paper’s owner enacts unpopular cutbacks under the supervision of Henry’s rival, managing editor Alicia Clark. At home, Henry clashes with his pregnant wife ...

Roger Donaldson’s film, The Getaway (1994), is an American action thriller based on Jim Thompson’s novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Walter Hill and Amy Holden Jones. As Doc McCoy and his wife Carol practice shooting, Rudy approaches them with a proposal to break a Mexican drug lord’s nephew out of jail for a payment of $300,000. The job is successful, but it turns out that the drug lord wanted his nephew freed in order to kill him. ...

The River Wild (1994), an American thriller directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Denis O’Neill, tells the story of a Boston couple, Gail and Tom Hartman. Due to Tom’s demanding job as an architect, their marriage is strained. To escape the tension, Gail takes their son Roarke on a rafting trip down Idaho’s Salmon River. Accompanied by their dog Maggie, they leave behind their daughter Willa with Gail’s parents in Idaho. Unexpectedly, Tom joins them at the last minute after staying in Boston. During their journey, they encounter three friendly ...

Heart and Souls (1993) is an American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Ron Underwood. Set in San Francisco in 1959, four individuals board the same night trolleybus. Penny, a single mother, regrets leaving her three children at home to work the night shift. Harrison, a wannabe singer, has backed out of an important audition due to stage fright. Meanwhile, Julia leaves her job as a waitress to visit her boyfriend John, who had proposed to her but was rejected. Milo, a small-time thief, also joins them after failing to retrieve valuable stamps that he had swindled off a young boy. The trolleybus driver is Hal, who ...

Carlito’s Way (1993) is an American crime drama film helmed by Brian De Palma and written by David Koepp. The screenplay is based on the novels Carlito’s Way (1975) and After Hours (1979) written by Judge Edwin Torres. Set in 1975 New York, the story follows Carlito Brigante’s release from prison after serving five years of a thirty-year sentence. His close friend and lawyer, Dave Kleinfeld, uses a legal loophole to get him out. Despite his initial plans to leave behind his criminal ways, ...

Schindler’s List (1993) is an epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. The movie is adapted from the 1982 novel Schindler’s Ark by Australian writer Thomas Keneally. Set during World War II in Kraków, Poland, the film depicts the Nazis’ forced relocation of local Polish Jews to the cramped Kraków Ghetto. Oskar Schindler, a Czechoslovakian member of the German Nazi Party, arrives in the city with dreams of riches. He uses bribery to obtain ...

The American science fiction action film, Jurassic Park (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen, tells the story of industrialist John Hammond creating a theme park on a tropical island called Isla Nublar. The park is filled with cloned dinosaurs and attracts the attention of lawyer Donald Gennaro, who represents the investors. In response to a Velociraptor attack on one of the handlers, the investors demand a safety certification. Chaotician Ian Malcolm is invited by ...

Far and Away (1992) is an American epic Western romantic adventure drama film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Bob Dolman. In Ireland in 1892, tenant farmers worked land they could never own and paid unfairly high rents to their wealthy landlords. Joseph Donnelly dreamed of owning his own land, but after his father’s death, their family home is burned down by their landlord Daniel Christie’s men for unpaid rent. Seeking revenge, Joseph travels to Daniel’s home to kill him but only ends up injured. Nursed back to health by Daniel’s wife Nora ...

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) is an American buddy cop action comedy directed by Roger Spottiswoode. Tough Sergeant Detective Joseph Andrew ‘Joe’ Bomowski has a love affair with his Lieutenant Gwen Harper, but has yet to make a serious commitment. When his overprotective mother Tutti Bomowski visits from Newark, New Jersey, their dynamic takes a sudden turn. After accidentally ruining Joe’s pistol while cleaning it with bleach, Tutti purchases him a replacement and unknowingly stumbles upon a shady weapons deal. A shootout ensues and Tutti becomes an unexpected witness, forcing her to stay with Joe ...

Mo’ Better Blues (1990) is an American musical comedy-drama film featuring a talented cast including Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee. In the film, set in Brooklyn in 1969, four young boys invite Bleek Gilliam to play baseball with them outside his home, but Bleek’s mother interrupts with a reminder of his trumpet lesson. This leads to a heated family argument as Bleek’s father expresses concerns over his son’s interests. Despite this, Bleek continues to pursue his passion for music ...

Cry-Baby (1990), a film by John Waters, takes place in Baltimore in the year 1954. The protagonist, Wade ‘Cry-Baby’ Walker, is known for his ability to produce a solitary tear. He leads a group of rebellious individuals known as the ‘drapes’, which includes his sister Pepper, tough girl Mona ‘Hatchet-Face’ Malnorowski and her devoted boyfriend Milton Hackett, and sexually mature Wanda Woodward. Allison Vernon-Williams, a wealthy girl tired of conforming to societal norms, falls for Cry-Baby after they meet at a talent show at her grandmother’s Charm School. Despite her initial ...