Mike Tyson – Between going to prison, biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear, and threatening to eat Lennox Lewis’s children, Mike Tyson was a busy man. Yet, somehow he still found the time to burn through the reported $300 million he earned during his boxing career. Sound impossible? Well it’s true. Tyson’s lavish lifestyle cost him $400,000 a month. His divorce trial cost him $9 million in legal fees by itself. By the time all was said and done, Iron Mike was looking in the face of a $27 million debt. At last check, Tyson was doing a tour around the country sparring with no name hacks for a few bucks a night. How long will it be until we see Tyson on Celebrity Circus trying to dig himself out of this hole?

 
M.C. Hammer – If only Hammer had set some money aside and told himself “Can’t touch this,” he wouldn’t be here on our list of celebrities who’ve lost millions. Rolling with his 40-person entourage took its toll on Hammer’s wallet. With a $500,000 monthly payroll and lavish lifestyle, it didn’t take long for the rap star to burn through well over $30 million. Where’s a financial adviser when you need him?
 
Wacko Jacko – One expert described Michael Jackson as someone with “a billionaire spending habit for only a millionaire’s spending budget.” In other words, Jacko did what most Americans do daily–he spent more money than he had. He just did it on a much grander scale than any of us ever could imagine. I guess that one plastic surgery he had really cost him quite a bit (is the sarcasm coming across?).
 
Ed McMahon – Who said blowing money was a young man’s game? Don’t tell Ed McMahon that. Johnny Carson’s longtime sidekick defaulted on his $4.8 million home loan prior to his 2009 death. Before that, he was past due on nearly $700,000. For someone who made millions during his career, you’d think that debt could’ve been paid off in no time. But that’s what happens when you spend money like a drunken sailor. McMahon didn’t keep track of how much money was going out, and, next thing he knew, he was broke. Then again, I’m sure he would rather be broke and alive.
 
Evander Holyfield – Holyfield is the second boxer to make this list. Maybe when Mike Tyson bit his ear off, Holyfield lost all his knowledge about managing finances. According to the Associated Press, the boxer who made over $200 million during his illustrious career can no longer afford to pay child support for one of his 10 children. As a result, his ridiculously huge house was placed up for auction. Take one look at this thing, and you’ll start to understand Holyfield’s spending habits. The 54,000 square foot home had 107 rooms and 17 bathrooms. This thing is bigger than most Holiday Inn’s. Maybe, if Holyfield is lucky, he can talk the new owner into renting out one of those 107 rooms to him.

Benedict Arnold – Benedict Arnold fought on the American side of the Revolutionary War but didn’t get the attention he felt he deserved, so he switched to the British side. He went bankrupt after the war when a failed financial venture caused him to lose everything.

P.T. Barnum – P.T. Barnum is best known for being half of the “Barnum & Bailey Circus” but he actually didn’t get into that until he was 61-years-old. He first opened a museum in New York City showcasing nature’s oddities like Tom Thumb who was only 2 feet 9 inches tall. He also put a bunch of dough into the development of East Bridgeport, Connecticut and went bankrupt when that didn’t work out. He bounced back in four years and got into the circus business.

Kim Basinger – Kim Basinger had to file for bankruptcy in 1993 when a judge ordered the actress to pay Main Line Pictures $8.1 million because she backed out of a verbal commitment to star in the film Boxing Helena. She had to sell her $20 million investment in the town of Braselton–in her native Georgia–and only received $1 million for it. She later appealed the ruling, reached an out-of-court settlement and went on to her well-known role in L.A. Confidential a few years later.

George Best – George Best had a prolific career playing soccer starting when he was 17-years-old with the 1963 Manchester United team. He played soccer until 1984 and unfortunately fell into a life of alcoholism, which eventually caused liver problems and his eventual death. He declared bankruptcy in 1982 after he tried to get treatment for alcoholism and was discharged from bankruptcy in 1992.

John Wayne Bobbitt – John Wayne Bobbitt is best known for having his penis sliced off by his angry wife in 1993. Luckily, after a 12-hour surgery, his penis was sewn back on, but Bobbitt couldn’t handle the mounting doctors bills and had to declare bankruptcy. He made a comeback by getting into porn, but he can’t seem to stay out of trouble. (He’s been arrested more than seven times for offenses ranging from assault to grand larceny.)

Lorraine Bracco – Lorraine Bracco played the mob-psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the HBO hit The Sopranos. The popularity of the show helped her dig herself out of debt after she filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Bracco found herself in a five-year legal battle with ex Harvey Keitel over custody of their daughter, Stella. The legal fees and taxes were substantial and the cause for her bankruptcy.

Toni Braxton – Toni Braxton sold over 15 million albums in the years leading up to her 1998 filing for bankruptcy, and some believe she filed so she could get out of her recording contract with record label LaFace. When she filed, Braxton was $3.9 million in debt and all of her household possessions, including the two Grammys she was awarded in 1997 were priced to sell so she could pay off her creditors. Despite her conflict with her label, she signed a new contract in 1999 worth $25 million with them.

Lenny Bruce – Lenny Bruce loved to shock audiences as a comedian and was constantly in trouble on obscenity charges. He was blacklisted from nearly every comedy club in the United States near the end of his life, but it was the trial in 1961, in which he was in trouble for saying “cocksucker,” that caused him to go bankrupt. He ended up dying at age 40 from a morphine overdose, and, in 2007, was granted a posthumous pardon for his obscenity conviction by New York Governor George Pataki. Bruce would be blown away by what people can get away with today.

Buffalo Bill – Buffalo Bill organized his “Wild West Show” in the late 1800’s and went on to become quite wealthy. Even though he made millions touring the country, he was also very generous and gave away so much money that he had to file for bankruptcy in 1914. He died bankrupt in 1917 and was buried on Lookout Mountain.

George Clinton – George Clinton has been called one of the most important innovators of funk music and was prevented from profiting from the songs he wrote between 1976 and 1983. This is because when he filed for bankruptcy in 1984, he didn’t disclose them as a source of possible future income. It’s estimated that he’s losing out on royalties in the ballpark of $100 million!

Gary Coleman – Gary Coleman filed for bankruptcy in 1999 and cited long-term medical problems and mismanagement of his funds as the reason. Coleman stayed out of the limelight after his bankruptcy until a secret marriage and subsequent appearance on TV’s Divorce Court. He most recently made news by dying.

Francis Ford Coppola – Responsible for directing the Godfather trilogy and winner of five Academy Awards before he was 40, Francis Ford Coppola was $300,000 in debt before the first Godfather movie came out. He then was able to rebound but began bankruptcy proceedings after his 1982 musical One From the Heart tanked. Luckily, he borrowed the money from his mother to get into the wine business and again turned his financial future around.

David Crosby – David Crosby, a member of the group Crosby, Stills & Nash, filed for bankruptcy in 1985 after his solo career cooled down. He is still recording music and his third solo album was released in 2006.

Tia Carrere -Tia Carrere, best known for her role in Wayne’s World, filed for bankruptcy in 1986 in an attempt to escape her contract with General Hospital so she could join the cast of The A-Team. Apparently the soap was no longer giving Carrere enough work and was forcing her to go into bankruptcy. She lost the suit and the respect of her fellow castmates on the show. Carrere blames her young age for the reason that she was so irresponsible with her money.

Walt Disney – Walt Disney’s name is synonymous with Mickey Mouse and the “happiest place on earth,” Disneyland. However, Disney’s career wasn’t always a moneymaking venture. In 1921, he began a company called the Laugh-O-Gram Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri but was forced to file for bankruptcy two years later because financial backers pulled out. It must have been fate, because Disney then headed to Hollywood.

Jim Dooley – Jim Dooley played for the NFL’s Chicago Bears from 1952 until he retired in 1962 and switched to coaching. Dooley sat out of the 1973 NFL season and landed a job one week after filing for bankruptcy. At that point, he was nearly half a million dollars in debt, but he rebounded by taking a job as a sales manager and ended up back with the Bears in 1981 as an offensive consultant.

William C. Durant – William C. Durant founded General Motors, Chevrolet and Durant Motors. Durant Motors was established in 1921, but it failed in 1933 after the Great Depression. Durant filed for bankruptcy in 1936 being $914,231 in debt and lived out the rest of his life managing a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan.

Mick Fleetwood – Mick Fleetwood, an original member of the band Fleetwood Mac, filed for bankruptcy in 1984 and it was rumored that it was due to an addiction to cocaine. Fleetwood claims the real reason is because he purchased too much real estate and ran out of money.
 
Heidi Fleiss – The “Hollywood Madam”, Heidi Fleiss, filed for bankruptcy in 1999 after being released from jail. She served 21 months for her connection with her prostitution ring, which included charges of pandering and tax evasion. But don’t worry, she’s doing great now. She runs a 24-hour Laundromat called Dirty Laundry in Pahrump, Nevada and is working on opening a legal brothel for women.

Zsa Zsa Gabor – Zsa Zsa Gabor had to file for bankruptcy after a catfight ended in a libel suit against her. Supposedly, it began when actress Elke Sommer said that Gabor had a big butt and Gabor responded by telling the press that Sommer’s career was washed up. The suit came because Gabor’s husband at the time said that Sommer had said, “All German men are pigs.” Who knew that courts listened to ridiculous cases like this, but the joke was on Gabor because she had to file for bankruptcy.

Leif Garrett – Leif Garrett’s career dried up after he hit puberty, and he was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2001. At the time, he said that his only steady source of income was the $1,000 per month allowance from his mother.

Marvin Gaye – Marvin Gaye had to file for bankruptcy in 1976 after a court ruling promised the $600,000 in royalties from his next album to his ex-wife to make up for overdue alimony payments. The album was titled Here, My Dear and detailed the personal details of his rocky marriage. He moved to Europe in 1981 and lived out a tumultuous remaining three years until his father shot him to death in 1984.

Ulysses S. Grant – Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, became a partner in a financial firm that went bankrupt. Dying from throat cancer, Grant wrote a memoir to pay off his debts.

Archie Griffin – Archie Griffin is college football’s only two-time Heisman trophy winner and played for Ohio State University from 1972-1975. Unfortunately, he had to file for bankruptcy in 1981 after an investment in six athletic shoe stores failed and caused him to have debts of $519,568.

Corey Haim – Corey Haim was one of the “two Coreys” that climbed to heartthrob status after appearing in a number of films in the 1980s. In 1997, years of drug problems took their toll and caused Haim to file for bankruptcy. He listed his only assets as his 10-year-old BMW, $100 in cash and royalties, and residuals valued at $7,500. Just when he appeared to be getting his life in order, he passed away.

Dorothy Hamill – Dorothy Hamill was the 1976 National, World and Olympic champion and moved on after that to the Ice Capades. She purchased the struggling company and tried to get it going again, but she had to sell in 1995 and filed for bankruptcy herself in 1996.

Isaac Hayes – Isaac Hayes was known by many as the voice of “Chef” on South Park and made a stink when he left the show because of how they chose to make fun of Scientology. (Apparently all the other topics and people the show made fun of were OK, but they crossed the line with Scientology.) Hayes also wrote and performed music back in the 60’s and 70’s and had to file for bankruptcy in 1976. His record label went broke and since they owed over $6 million, so did he. He lost his house, most of his personal property, and the rights to future royalties from all his music.

Milton Snavely Hershey – Milton Snavely Hershey founded Hershey’s Foods corporation in 1903 but didn’t find success immediately in life. Hershey dropped out of school after 4th grade, because his family moved around a lot, and got an apprenticeship as a printer. He wasn’t keen on the business and tried his hand at candy. His first four attempts failed and forced him to file for bankruptcy, but his fifth resulted in a major corporation that’s doing pretty darn good to this day.

Perez Hilton – Perez Hilton, not to be confused with heiress Paris Hilton, is an Internet blogger who loves to shake up the world of celeb gossip. Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, ran up a world of debt while in college. He was more than $50,000 in debt when he filed for bankruptcy in 2005. He’s bounced back pretty nicely.

Ronald Isley – The lead singer of the Isley Brothers, Ronald Isley, declared bankruptcy in 1997 after the IRS seized his yacht, cars and other property. He was discharged four years later but didn’t file tax returns for five years. He was then sentenced to 37 months in an Indiana jail for five counts of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return.

LaToya Jackson – La Toya Jackson is supposedly the “crazy” member of the Jackson clan, but I’m sure many would argue otherwise. She tried the whole singing thing in the form of a solo career but didn’t find much success and had to file for bankruptcy in 1995. She was on TV for the reality show Armed and Famous in 2007 and went through an emotional therapeutic attempt to relieve her of her phobia of cats.

Don Johnson – Don Johnson, of Miami Vice fame, filed for bankruptcy in 2004 to save his $20 million Pitkin County ranch in Colorado from being sold at auction. He was able to save his ranch and later paid off his debts including $930,000 to City National Bank and $7,345 to Aspen Valley Hospital.

Margot Kidder – Margot Kidder’s fame is mainly thanks to her role of Lois Lane in the Superman films opposite Christopher Reeve, but, unfortunately, her career went downhill after that. She was badly injured in an accident in the late 80’s and was also diagnosed at manic-depressive. She refused treatment for either predicament until two years after the accident, when she decided to go through with the surgery needed. Kidder’s insurance didn’t cover the surgery and she sold her house and her jewelry and declared bankruptcy in 1992.
 
Larry King – Larry King has interviewed over 30,000 people during his career, but his rise to fame for radio work in the 60’s derailed him financially. He was in debt $352,000, charged with grand larceny and accused of stealing $5,000 from a business partner. The charges were dropped, but he struggled to get back on his feet and ended up claiming bankruptcy in 1978.

Suge Knight – Suge Knight filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and had $11 dollars in his bank account at the time. Lydia Harris was suing him for $107 million because she claimed to have been cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records even though Knight claims they settled the matter for $1 million.

Cyndi Lauper – Before her hit song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” came out, Cyndi Lauper was in a group called Blue Angel with John Turi. The band broke up after a record flopped, and their manager at the time sued them for $80,000. Lauper was forced into bankruptcy in 1980 but recovered quickly and became an 80’s icon.

Jerry Lee Lewis – Jerry Lee Lewis is the only musician to have two songs go to number one on the charts in all fields of music: Pop, Country and R&B. Unfortunately, his career took a nosedive after that, and in 1988 he filed for bankruptcy with $3 million in debt and no assets.

Abraham Lincoln – The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, declared bankruptcy in 1833 and spent 17 years of his life paying off the money that he borrowed from friends to start his business. It took Lincoln 30 years to achieve his goal of becoming President of the United States. Then John Wilkes Booth went and screwed everything up.

Meat Loaf – Meat Loaf’s 1977 album Bat Out of Hell still sells around 200,000 copies a year, and you may also recognize him from roles in Fight Club and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in 1983 he wasn’t doing so well and had to declare bankruptcy. He was $1.6 million in debt at the time.

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes – The late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes was one-third of the 90’s group TLC, who soared to success when their album CrazySexyCool sold over 15 million records worldwide. In 1994, she hit headlines by herself for torching the home of then-boyfriend Andre Rison’s following a fight. In 1995, she declared bankruptcy due to poor royalties and a debt owed for breach of contract.

William McKinley – William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, found himself $130,000 in debt after he co-signed on a loan for a friend and the friend went bankrupt.

Willie Nelson – Willie Nelson declared bankruptcy in 1990 and claimed to owe the IRS $16.7 million. The IRS seized his bank accounts and real estate that he had in six states and, in turn, Nelson released an album titled The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories? to pay them what he owed.

Wayne Newton – The Las Vegas crooner, Wayne Newton, found himself more than $20 million in debt in 1992 and was forced to file for bankruptcy. Luckily, he found his way out of debt in Vegas: performing at the Stardust hotel instead of at the craps table.

Ted Nugent – Guitarist and singer Ted Nugent found himself bankrupt in 1980 because of several failed business ventures and poor management, but he continued to tour and crank out albums well into the 21st century. He’s since served on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association and sells his own beef jerky called Gonzo Meat Biltong.

Thomas Paine – Thomas Paine, known for the pamphlet Common Sense, greatly benefited from his move to America in 1774. He was broke and facing bankruptcy, and, to top it off, his second marriage had just ended. Moving across the ocean was a logical next move.

Tom Petty – Tom Petty filed for bankruptcy in May of 1979 after a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to MCA Records. Petty refused to be transferred to another record label without his consent and ended up signed with Backstreet Records, which was a new MCA subsidiary.

Bud Post – Bud Post is the 66-year-old who won the lottery in 1988 for $16.2 million and was bankrupt eight years later. Apparently, quite a few people came out of the woodwork to ask their old pal Bud to give them money since he was now stinking rich. He spent everything he had buying homes, three cars, a truck, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, two 62-inch Sony TVs, a camper, computers and a boat (among other things). He died in 2006, miserable and broke. I guess money doesn’t always buy happiness.

Tammy Wynette – Country music singer Tammy Wynette was forced into bankruptcy as a result of an investment in two Florida malls going sour.

Susan Powter – Susan Powter wrote three best-selling books in the 1990s that made her the diet and exercise go-to girl.(Stop the Insanity!) The crew-cut, bleach blonde Powter filed for bankruptcy in 1995 because, according to her, legal fees “have wiped me out.”
 
Randy Quaid – Randy Quaid is known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the Vacation film series and is Dennis Quaid’s big brother. His wife directed him in the 1999 movie The Debtors, but unfortunately it was never released and the couple had to file for bankruptcy because they were $1 million in debt.

Rembrandt - Rembrandt went bankrupt in 1656 and his house and collections were auctioned. Unfortunately, the money raised wasn’t enough to cover his debt, so he set up an art-dealing business to keep his creditors at bay.

Tommy Rettig – Tommy Rettig portrayed the character Jeff Miller in the popular Lassie TV series from 1954 to 1957 and went down the same path of many child actors. He got into drugs and went bankrupt as a result of being unable to find work as an adult performer.

Burt Reynolds – Burt Reynolds was $10 million in debt when he filed for bankruptcy after his 1996 divorce. He went on to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Boogie Nights.

Mickey Rooney – Mickey Rooney filed for bankruptcy in 1996 because he owed over $1.75 million to the IRS. He was once the #1 movie star in the United States.

Anna Nicole Smith – Anna Nicole Smith was ordered to pay $850,000 to an employee for a judgment against her for sexual harassment in 1996, and, since she had yet to be given any of her late husband’s billions, she had to file for bankruptcy.

Dee Snider – Dee Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister, went bankrupt in the late 90’s after he was unable to follow the success of his 80’s career.

Lynn Spears – Lynn Spears and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 1998 right before her daughter, Britney, became a superstar.

Sheryl Swoopes – Sheryl Swoopes, a three-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time MVP of the WNBA, filed for bankruptcy in 2004 reportedly owing $711,050. She blamed mismanagement of her money as the cause. Really? Well, that’s a surprise.

Lawrence Taylor – Lawrence Taylor played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993 and then substance abuse took over his life. He was arrested in 1998 for failing to pay child support and had to file for bankruptcy because of the high amount that he owed. He was still voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999 despite his personal problems.

Donald Trump – Donald Trump found himself $900 million in debt in 1990 and lost a lot of his business ventures but somehow restructured his debt to be back on top running a billion-dollar empire.

Mark Twain – Mark Twain went bankrupt in 1894 thanks to bad investments–especially in new inventions–and his publishing house going under. Twain went on an around-the-world lecture tour to pay of his creditors and did so in full in 1898.

Oscar Wilde – Oscar Wilde, in trouble for “gross indecencies,” was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1895 and lost some of his prized possessions including first editions of his own books. After serving his prison term, his friends helped him to bring his estate out of bankruptcy.

Ray Winstone – Ray Winstone started his acting career with a riveting performance in the 1979 movie Scum. Unfortunately, he had trouble after that getting work and was forced into bankruptcy at the end of the 80’s. He was most recently seen in Beowulf and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guest post about celebrities who’ve lost millions. If you have, be sure to show your appreciation by visiting the Pop Crunch website. You can also enjoy other OGM posts by clicking on the following links:

• 10 Good Movie Titles
• 19 Good Movie Songs
• Netflix Top 100

For additional info on celebrities, you may want to head over to Amazon and pick up one of the following products. Yes, we get a commission for sending you there, but we’ve gotta eat, too.

• Unusually Stupid Celebrities: A Compendium of All-Star Stupidity
• Celebrities Between the Sheets
• The Cult of Celebrity: What Our Fascination with the Stars Reveals About Us
• Celebrity Secrets: Official Government Files on the Rich and Famous

Now let’s take a look at our 75 actor height facts. If one of your favorites isn’t included, be sure to let us know and we’ll do our best to track down the information.

• James Cromwell – 6’6 ½ “
• Dolph Lundgren – 6’6″
• Vince Vaughn – 6’5″
• Tim Robbins – 6’5″
• Christopher Lee – 6’5″
• Dwayne Johnson – 6’4 1/2″
• Jeff Goldblum – 6’4 1/2″
• Jon Voight – 6’4″
• Steven Seagal – 6’4″
• Clint Eastwood – 6’4″
• Liam Neeson – 6’4″
• Djimon Hounsou – 6’4″
• Will Ferrell – 6’3 1/2″
• Stellan Skarsgard – 6’3″
• Jean Reno – 6’3″
• Brendan Fraser – 6’3″
• Paul Bettany – 6’3″
• Eric Bana – 6’3″
• Ben Affleck – 6’2 1/2″
• Samuel L. Jackson – 6’2 1/2″
• Hugh Jackman – 6’2″
• Will Smith – 6’2″
• Brendan Gleeson – 6’1 1/2″
• Jeff Bridges – 6’1 1/2″
• Harrison Ford – 6’1″
• Keanu Reeves – 6’1″
• Kevin Costner – 6’1″
• Alan Rickman – 6’1″
• Gerard Butler – 6’1″
• Arnold Schwarzenegger – 6’0″
• Jake Gyllenhaal – 6’0″
• Denzel Washington – 6’0″
• Tom Hanks – 6’0″
• Nicolas Cage – 6’0″
• Robert Pattinson – 6’0″
• John Travolta – 6’0″
• Chris Pine – 6’0″
• Christian Bale – 6’0″
• Bruce Willis – 5’11 1/2″
• Leonardo DiCaprio – 5’11 1/2″
• Brad Pitt – 5’11″
• Jude Law – 5’11″

• Mickey Rourke – 5’11″
• Orlando Bloom – 5’10 1/2″
• Kevin Bacon – 5’10 1/2″
• Ving Rhames – 5’10 1/2″
• George Clooney – 5’10 1/2″
• Daniel Craig – 5’10″
• Billy Bob Thornton – 5’10″
• Adam Sandler – 5’10″
• Matt Damon – 5’10″
• Colin Farrell – 5’10″
• Josh Brolin – 5’10″
• Mel Gibson – 5’9 1/2″
• Casey Affleck – 5’9″
• Jason Statham – 5’9″
• Jean-Claude Van Damme – 5’9″
• Eddie Murphy – 5’9″
• Sam Worthington – 5’9″
• Johnny Depp – 5’9″
• Sylvester Stallone – 5’9″
• Taylor Lautner – 5’8 1/2″
• Robert Downey Jr. – 5’8″
• Sean Penn – 5’8″
• Tom Cruise – 5’7 3/4″
• Tobey Maguire – 5’7 3/4″
• Jon Stewart – 5’7″
• Martin Lawrence – 5’7″
• Robin Williams – 5’7″
• Mike Myers – 5’7″
• Ben Stiller – 5’6 1/2″
• Jack Black – 5’6″
• Jet Li – 5’6″
• Woody Allen – 5’5″
• Danny DeVito – 5’

Since you’re in a celebrity state of mind, you should also take a look at the following articles from Only Good Movies:

• The Celebrity 100 from Forbes Magazine
• Good Movies to Rent
• Good Movie Ideas

Terminator 2: Judgment Day – T2 is still considered a badass piece of sci-fi/action cinema, despite the fact that it was made almost 20 years ago. That’s largely thanks to the vision of director James Cameron, but don’t forget about the contributions of a buff Linda Hamilton, a not-yet-chubby Edward Furlong, and, of course, the future governor of California. This movie’s got plenty of shootouts, a great villain (Robert Patrick in his big-screen debut), and a relentless soundtrack that will split your skull open with the volume turned up. It also manages to just be fun, a trait sorely lacking in the most recent Terminator film from Christian Bale and company.

Double Impact – The only thing better than one Jean-Claude Van Damme is two! In Double Impact, that’s exactly what we get. The Muscles from Brussels plays identical twins (and I mean identical) separated as infants following the assassination of their parents. Years later, they’re brought together for the first time, and it doesn’t take long before they decide to team up and get revenge on those responsible. And get this: one Van Damme is a tough guy, and the other Van Damme is kind of a lightweight. Talk about your high concepts! Oh, yeah, that crazy-looking Bolo Yeung once again volunteers to play the baddie and get kicked in the face in slow motion.

The Last Boy Scout – Bruce Willis is Joe Hallenbeck, a former Secret Service agent turned private detective. After he fails to protect a stripper (Halle Berry in an early role), he and her ex-quarterback boyfriend (Damon Wayans), team up to get to the bottom of her death. What they find is corruption, lots of bullet-riddled bodies, and the rise of the dreaded Satan Claws. With a curse-laden screenplay by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) and memorable performances from Noble Willingham, Danielle Harris, and Taylor Negron, The Last Boy Scout remains an overlooked gem from the early ‘90s.

Out for Justice – Steven Seagal raises hell in Brooklyn as Gino Felino, an unstoppable cop looking for the childhood pal (William Forsythe) who killed his partner. Seagal kicks all kinds of ass, from breaking bones in a butcher’s shop to busting heads (and teeth) with a cue ball in a local dive. He also finds time to adopt a puppy, reconcile with his estranged wife, and tell a heart-wrenching story about his father. And don’t miss the final ass-kicking delivered to Forsythe’s crack-smoking Richie Madano. Terrific casting throughout, including Jerry Orbach, Gina Gershon, Julianna Margulies, and Dominic Chianese. Undoubtedly, one of the best action movies of 1991.

Point Break – Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah, a former college football star turned rookie FBI agent. He and his partner (crazy Gary Busey) are assigned to take down a gang of bank robbers known as the Ex-Presidents due to their fondness for wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, LBJ, and Nixon. This leads to the surfing community, and Utah meets the philosophy-spouting Bodhi (the late Patrick Swayze), a charismatic free spirit who may very well be the leader of the Ex-Presidents. Can Utah bring his new friends to justice, or will he be forced to fall to his knees and fire his gun into the air with a pained look on his face?

The Perfect Weapon – Jeff Speakman shows off his skills in Kenpo by using lighting strikes and a pair of sticks to get revenge on the mob members who killed his mentor. Speakman’s got the on-screen skills and looks, so it’s amazing that his career never got any bigger than it did. Still, The Perfect Weapon is a solid martial arts movie, and Law & Order: SVU fans should keep an eye out for an early appearance by Mariska Hargitay.

Showdown in Little Tokyo – The late Brandon Lee makes his first appearance in an American movie, and he co-stars with Dolph Lundgren as a pair of L.A. cops set on taking down a vicious drug kingpin. Plenty of action follows, as well as some buddy cop chemistry and the smokin’ body of Tia Carrere. It’s not the best action film of 1991, but it’s still solid enough to get a recommendation.

Stone Cold – Former football star Brian “The Boz” Bosworth portrays Joe Huff, an unconventional Alabama cop forced to go undercover to infiltrate a violent biker gang known as The Brotherhood. Besides running drugs with the mafia, it seems The Brotherhood is also planning to use stolen military equipment to storm the Mississippi capitol, kill a number of government officials, and rescue one of their members on trial for murder. The gang is led by Chains, a total white trash psycho played by Lance Henriksen, and his second-in-command, Ice Hensley (the always-wonderful William Forsythe). Mullets abound, as well as fistfights, chopper races, and even a pet Komodo dragon. Stone Cold is refreshing due to the fact that The Brotherhood accomplishes much of their objective before getting wasted. That’s a rarity in action movies, regardless of the decade.

So there you have it, an action movie list dedicated solely to 1991. While the above are really good action movies, you might also take a look at the ones below if you’re in the mood for something craptastic. Just remember, you’ve been warned.

Highlander II: The Quickening – Throughout the entire first Highlander film, we were led to believe that the winner of “The Prize” would gain mortality and die a natural death. Well, that’s not the case. In fact, it turns out that all the “immortals” from the first film were actually rebels from the planet Zeist, exiled to Earth and forced to fight in a centuries-long contest which was nothing more than a sham. Oh, brother. The ruler of Zeist, General Katana (Michael Ironside), decides to come to Earth and cause trouble, and Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) and Ramirez (Sean Connery, somehow resurrected after having his head cut off) spend much of the film trying to take down a shield which has been erected over the Earth to provide an artificial ozone layer. Sound stupid? It is. Highlander fans were not pleased, and this entire storyline was largely ignored in future sequels.

Captain America - What better choice for the fighting symbol of America than the son of reclusive author J.D. Salinger? It also doesn’t help that the film was made on the cheap, reducing every action sequence to an exercise in intense agony. The Red Skull looks cheesy, Cap looks cheesy, and his shield looks especially cheesy. Even the presence of Ronny Cox as the President of the U.S. can’t save this stinker. Let’s hope the 2011 version is a little bit better.

The Hitman – Chuck Norris demonstrates all the acting range of a cigar store Indian in this film about a cop (Norris) who gets betrayed and shot by his corrupt partner. The department declares him dead, and he makes his return in the guise of a hitman named Danny Grogan in order to bring down two groups of mobsters. In between roundhouse kicks and shotgun blasts, he still finds time to make friends with a fatherless boy who lives down the hall. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, but Norris ends up saving the day and killing all the bad guys.

And that concludes our selection of the best action movies for 1991 and a handful of others that aren’t so spectacular. If you’re looking for additional ways to waste your time, why not check out the following articles from OGM:

• Action Movies List
• Good Biker Movies
• Top 100 Movie Heroes
• Good Gangster Movies

Many good romance movies are also referred to as “chick flicks,” as they draw crowds of middle-aged women looking to relive the days when the men in their lives actually acted like they gave a damn. Young women like these movie, too, as it allows them to fantasize about landing a man who’s rich and looks like Patrick Dempsey. That’s not going to happen, of course, but there’s always the dim hope of getting knocked up by a NBA superstar (or Evander Holyfield). Such is life.

Anyway…

If you’re looking for some good romance movies to pass the time (or to get you and your partner in the mood), here are a few that you’re sure to enjoy. I’ve tried to include a wide variety, including good romance movies from the ‘60s, good romance movies from the ‘70s, and so on. Be sure to let us know what you think about them in the comments section, or head over to our movie forum and start a whole new thread on the subject.

This list also assumes that you’ve already seen the following: Pretty Woman, Casablanca, It Happened One Night, Gone with the Wind, Love Story, When Harry Met Sally, and Titanic. If not, see these first, as they’re considered among the all-time best romantic movies.

Jersey Girl (1992) – No, I’m not talking about the Kevin Smith movie. This one stars Jami Gertz and Dylan McDermott. Gertz plays Toby Mastallone, a New Jersey schoolteacher desperately longing to look “like a city girl.” In other words, she wants to find herself a rich and attractive man and settle down. McDermott plays Sal, a slick yuppie who wants nothing to do with marriage. But when Toby decides to ram her clunker of a car into his BMW, it forces Sal to reevaluate his position on both women and romance. A sweet film with plenty of that Jersey attitude, it’s a little-known chick flick that definitely falls in the good romance movies category.

L.A. Story (1991) – A surprisingly witty romantic comedy starring Steve Martin as Harris K. Telemacher, a weatherman in L.A. looking for true love. Trapped in a loveless relationship with his current girlfriend (Marilu Henner), Harris starts getting advice from the city itself via freeway traffic condition signs. The film skewers life in America’s most shallow city at every turn, and that’s even reflected in the profession of the main character, since he’s a meteorologist in a city known for its predictable temperatures. Sarah Jessice Parker doesn’t look like she’s got an eating disorder (that would come later), and Richard E. Grant is dependable as always. A great film for fans of Steve Martin, although it’s nowhere near as zany as earlier films like The Jerk or The Man with Two Brains.

Children of Paradise (1945) – Described as the French answer to Gone with the Wind, this film was made during the Nazi occupation of France. Set in the Parisian theatre scene of the 1830s, Children of Paradise revolves around a courtesan and the four men who compete for her affections: an aristocrat, an actor, a mime, and a criminal. Yep, you know it’s a French film when a mime is involved in a romantic plot. Each male role is based on an actual person from the time period being depicted, and French critics voted it the greatest French film ever made in a 1995 poll. Martyrs may have bumped it off the list since then, but I’m not sure (just kidding). But get comfortable if you’re going to watch it, as the uncut version runs just over three hours. Believe me, its worth it.

It Started in Naples (1960) – The last film to be released while Clark Gable was alive, It Started in Naples is a romantic comedy starring the mustachioed one and Italian beauty Sophia Loren. Gable plays an attorney just days away from being married who travels to Naples to settle his dead brother’s estate. Once there, he meets Lucia, a smokin’ cabaret singer played by Loren. The two fall in love despite age and cultural differences, and you can probably guess that everything works out in the end. A fitting final film for Gable, although The Misfits would still be released after his death.

Chungking Express (1994) – Considered by many critics as perhaps the best contemporary Asian film, Chungking Express tells two different stories of romance and policemen. In the first, a cop gives his recently-ended relationship exactly one month to start anew. Meanwhile, a woman in a blonde wig struggles with the difficulties of being part of the criminal underworld. The second story involves a policemen known only as Cop 663, and he’s dealing with the end of his relationship to a flight attendant. A girl at a local snack bar falls for him, and yet another romance is explored in the city of Hong Kong. Filmed in a highly energetic style, this is a worthwhile romance which may require more than one viewing to fully appreciate. It’s worth it, and the 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes should prove it.

Open Range (2003) – Sure, it’s a western first and foremost, but Open Range also features a romantic subplot that’s bound to tug the heartstrings of middle-age women everywhere. While cattlemen Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) and “Boss” Spearman (Robert Duvall) butt heads with a local land baron (Michael Gambon), the lonely Charley also takes a shine to Susan Barlow (Annette Bening), the sister of the town doctor. The two express their feelings for one another, but Charley will first have to survive an impending shootout with the villains before he can settle down and start a new life. Ask yourself, would I really put it on the list if he got gunned down? There’s also great on-screen chemistry between Costner and Duvall, and the climatic showdown is one of the best-staged gunfights in years.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998) – Drew Barrymore stars in a retelling of the Cinderella story, this time with more modern sensibilities. Sure, it’s still set in olden times, but some of the music used is anything but ancient. The supporting cast includes Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, Megan Dodds, and Melanie Lynskey. If you’re looking for a Cinderella tale that doesn’t feature talking animals and fairy godmothers, then this is the one for you. Plus, Leonardo da Vinci gets in on the action, which is something we don’t see enough of in today’s good romance movies.

Never Been Kissed (1999) – Drew Barrymore once again makes the list, this time as a 25-year-old copy-editor for the Chicago Sun-Times named Josie Geller. Desperate to become a reporter, she accepts an assignment to return undercover to high school and write about what she sees. Of course, Josie wasn’t very popular her first time through the public school system, so she struggles constantly to rise above the dreaded geek status with the help of her friends. Meanwhile, she begins to develop an attraction to one of her teachers, but he thinks she’s 17 and initially wants to stay away. Amusingly, the drop-dead gorgeous Leelee Sobieski plays one of the school’s geeks. Man, I’d sure love to see the real-life school where the geeky girls look like that. Co-stars include David Arquette, Molly Shannon, Marley Shelton, John C. Reilly, Garry Marshall, James Franco and Jessica Alba.

Harold and Maude (1971) – If you’re looking for an offbeat romantic tale, then look no further than Harold and Maude. Harold (Bud Cort) is a 19-year-old who enjoys tormenting his mother with fake suicide attempts when he’s not visiting the funerals of complete strangers. During one of these outings, he meets Maude, a 79-year-old hellraiser who steals cars, drives like a maniac, and generally lives each day like it could be her last. They become friends and later lovers, much to the horror of Harold’s upper-class mother. A bizarre blend of black humor and drama, it’s nonetheless a thoroughly entertaining and original work of art.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) – Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril star in this complicated Spanish film about sex and how it affects personal relationships. Banderas plays a mentally unstable man who becomes obsessed with Marina, a former porn star and recovering heroin addict. He kidnaps her with the intention of making her love him, and thus begins their strangely romantic yet completely unhealthy affair. Not for the faint of heart, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! features graphic sexual content, and it received a NC-17 rating in the United States. Still, if you’re looking for a film which will both excite and challenge, you could do a whole lot worse.

And while we’re on the subject of good romance movies, here are a few to stay away from:

City of Angels (1998) – Meg Ryan plays a compassionate doctor (those still exist?), and Nicholas Cage is an angel who watches over humanity and helps to guide them to the afterlife. When he finds himself developing feelings for her, he must choose between remaining apart or sacrificing his immortality to be with her. Most of the movie is what you’d expect from a chick flick, but the climax will totally piss off anyone who seeks out good romance movies with happy endings. After he becomes mortal and sleeps with her for one night, Cage’s angel promptly loses her when she runs her bicycle into a logging truck the next morning. Sure, he’s thankful for the one night they spent together, but give me a freakin’ break!

Brainsmasher…A Love Story (1993) – Andrew Dice Clay is the world’s greatest bouncer, and Teri Hatcher plays an international super-model whose botanist sister has discovered a rare Tibetan flower. When crazed ninjas try to steal the red lotus to further their plans of world domination, it’s up to Ed “Brainsmasher” Malloy (Clay) to save the day and get the girl. Yes, that’s actually the film’s plot, and it’s about as goofy as it sounds. Clay doesn’t look the least bit tough with his giant headband, but at least there’s some great character actor work courtesy of Brion James and Tim Thomerson. Skip it unless you’re a fan of the Diceman, in which case you’re already conditioned to below-average movies (aka The Adventures of Ford Fairlane).

If you’re still conscious, here are a few other articles you might want to take a look at:

• Good Date Movies
• 10 Good Pregnancy Movies
• 10 Good Chick Flick Movies
• Steamy Romance Movies
• Good Love Story Movies
• Good Movies to Rent

- Mike Tyson makes his pro debut and scores a knockout in the first round.
- Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union.
- Coca-Cola changes to New Coke. People unanimously agree that it sucks.
- Mel Gibson is chosen as People’s Sexiest Man Alive.
- The Amiga personal computer is launched by Commodore.
- The original Nintendo is released in the United States.
- Keira Knightley, Michael Phelps, Wayne Rooney, Dwight Howard, and Cristiano Ronaldo are born.

Writing summer blockbuster articles for the post-2000 years are easy, as there are plenty of movies topping the $100 million mark. They have to, because Hollywood movies have become increasingly expensive to make. It seems like only yesterday when a movie with a budget of $100 million was extremely rare. Nowadays, they’re falling out of the sky (case in point, Land of the Lost).

But things look a bit different when you hop in the Wayback Machine and set the dial for 1985. First off, there simply weren’t as many people living in the United States back then. Secondly, the film industry had yet to perfect the summer blockbuster formula like they have in the last 15 years or so. So while movies were still a profitable industry, their gross revenue is almost laughable when compared with their modern counterparts.

For example, the #1 movie in 1985 was Back to the Future, which grossed $381.11 million worldwide. In 2008, the #1 movie (The Dark Knight) grossed $1,001,921,825. At the opposite end of the 1985 top 10, Spies Like Us (WTF!?) grossed $60,088,980. Last year’s #10 movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, grossed $419,651,413. Personally, I find the success of Spies Like Us (and that rockin’ Paul McCartney title track) to be even more jaw-dropping than the difference in dollar amounts.

My point is that a summer blockbusters 1985 list is going to look pretty lackluster when compared to more modern lists, especially when you consider that only two summer movies in 1985 passed the $100 million mark in gross revenue. But just so you don’t feel cheated, I’ve stretched this list out to include any summer film which grossed more than $40 million. The numbers listed below are revenue from the U.S. box office.

So here goes nuthin’…

Back to the Future (grossed $210,609,762) – Michael J. Fox made the transition for TV actor to movie star in this film about a likable kid named Marty McFly who goes hopping through time in a DeLorean. Going back 30 years, he has to fend off the romantic advances of his future mother, help his future father develop more confidence, and still find time to invent Chuck Barry’s famous duck walk during an eye-opening performance at the school dance. You’ve probably already seen it more than once, but this Robert Zemeckis film is certainly worth a look if you haven’t. Fox gives off a major “nice guy” vibe, and it’s one that can be enjoyed by the entire family. It was the top-grossing film of 1985, and it no doubt deserved the recognition. Two sequels would follow, although each was a little less entertaining than the one before. Note: Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty, but he and the filmmakers eventually decided that he was wrong for the part.

Rambo: First Blood Part II (grossed $150,415,432) – First Blood was a psychological study about war’s lingering effects on its participants. First Blood Part II places a greater emphasis on the action, but it still deals with the aftereffects of war in the form of the POW/MIA issue. For some zany reason, Rambo is released from prison in exchange for going to Vietnam and investigating whether or not American POWs are really present (didn’t they have any non-convict commandoes who could do it?). His superiors don’t expect him to find anything, but Rambo discovers a whole mess of trouble, including prisoners-of-war and a close relationship between the Vietnamese and those dirty Soviets (remember, this was while the Cold War was still going on). From there, it’s time for Rambo to do what he does best, including blowing people apart with his special only-in-a-movie explosive arrows. The film had a huge cultural impact, and people all around the world still view America and this character as synonymous. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not that’s a good thing.

Cocoon (grossed $76,113,124) – Ron Howard directs this warm-hearted tale about elderly people running across aliens and gaining immortality. It’s got a who’s who of senior actors, including Don Ameche, Wilford “King Badass” Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, and Maureen Stapleton. And it also features the man who transcends all age groups, Steve Guttenberg. Not exactly a movie for kids who think they’ll live forever, but it’s a great fantasy for anyone starting to consider their own mortality.

The Goonies (grossed $61,389,680) – Directed by Richard Donner (with some help from Steven Spielberg), The Goonies tells the story of a group of kids trying to save their neighborhood from demolition. In order to accomplish this, they set off to find the legendary treasure of a pirate known as One-Eyed Willy. Of course, they’ll have to contend with an Italian crime family along the way, but that also leads to the introduction of the deformed-yet-helpful Sloth. The Goonies can be enjoyed both by kids seeing it for the first time and adults looking for a nostalgia trip. There’s plenty of adventure, the ending is predictably uplifting, and it features a youthful cast including Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, and Martha Plimpton. When it comes to summer blockbuster 1985, this one is a must-see.

Fletch (grossed $50,612,888) – Chevy Chase stars in this film based on the novels by Gregory Mcdonald. The comedic actor plays Irwin M. Fletcher, an undercover reporter who uses a variety of disguises to get his latest story. This time around, he’s looking into drug trafficking on Los Angeles beaches, but what he stumbles across winds up being much bigger than he could’ve imagined. Chase is in full-blown smartass mode in this one, and his use of disguises should delight anyone who’s a fan of the comic actor. If you’re not a fan of Chase, however, I’d advise you to avoid Fletch, as it’s certainly a one-man show. It’s been years since I’ve seen the film, but the moment which stands out in my mind is this: Fletch is thrown into a jail cell with Randall “Tex” Cobb (perhaps best-known as the bounty hunter in Raising Arizona). Cobb leers at him menacingly and tells Fletch, “Bend over.” Undaunted, Fletch extends his hand and replies, “Bend, nice to meet you. Victor Hugo.”

A View to a Kill (grossed $50,327,960) – Roger Moore makes his seventh and final appearance as James Bond. This time around, Bond is pitted against industrialist Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), a psychopath who’s actually the product of Nazi medical experimentation (natch). Tanya Roberts and Grace Jones are the rather mismatched Bond Girls, and much of the action takes place in scenic San Francisco. While it earned $300 million worldwide, A View to a Kill has always been considered something of a disappointment, with the exception of the killer theme song from Duran Duran. Now that I think of it, the movie might’ve been better if Walken played himself. Just imagine James Bond against a tap-dancing actor with the world’s most unusual comic delivery.

National Lampoon’s European Vacation (grossed $49,364,621) – Chevy Chase makes the list again, but this time it’s for a sequel. Following up the adventures of the slapstick Griswold family, the dysfunctional group heads off for a whirlwind vacation throughout Europe. Clark Griswold (Chase) plays the “ugly American,” driving on the wrong side of the road, accidentally insulting locals with his poor French, and even knocking over the Stonehenge pillars without knowing it. Eric Idle pops up repeatedly as a bicyclist who keeps getting run over by Clark, and The Power Station appears to perform their hit single “Some Like It Hot.” Christmas Vacation would hit theaters four years later.

Pale Rider (grossed $41,410,568) – Clint Eastwood made a number of memorable westerns, and he was still seven years away from the masterpiece known as Unforgiven. While I never considered Pale Rider to be among his finest efforts, an average Eastwood flick is still pretty damned entertaining. Playing a mysterious preacher who’s determined to help a group of miners against a ruthless local businessman, Eastwood kicks the usual amount of ass we’ve all come to expect from his characters. In a later interview, our man Clint (who also directed) revealed that his character was an “out and out ghost.” My favorite parts of the film revolved around Preacher and miner Hull Barret’s (Michael Moriarty) efforts to break apart a particularly large rock in the nearby stream, plus the inevitable showdown with the vicious Stockburn (John Rusell) and his hired guns is also a nice little slice of greatness.

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (grossed $40,940,662) – I saw this movie at my local small-town movie theatre, a one-screen affair that has long since been demolished. Completely unaware of who Paul Reubens or director Tim Burton were, I was totally unprepared for the madcap adventure to follow. When his beloved bike gets stolen, Pee-wee Herman sets off on a bizarre quest to get it back. From searching for the basement of the Alamo to riding with a ghostly trucker named Large Marge, Pee-wee gets into one misadventure after another. The climax of the film takes place at Warner Bros. Studios, where he leads authorities on a zany chase through numerous movie sets and even a Twisted Sister video. The late comic Phil Hartman was one of the film’s writers, and I’d highly recommend this one if you’re looking for something a little different. If nothing else, it’ll give you a chance to see a Tim Burton movie that isn’t all dark, gloomy, or features Helena Bonham Carter looking like death warmed over.

Brewster’s Millions (grossed $40,833,132) – I remember seeing this as a kid, but I had no idea it was such a box office success. I guess you should never underestimate the power of a coked-out Richard Pryor. Based on a novel, six versions had already been made (including one in 1914) before the one starring Pryor and John Candy hit the theaters. In it, a minor league baseball pitcher (Pryor) learns that his long-lost great-uncle has recently died and left a will challenging him to spend $30 million in 30 days. If he can, then Brewster will inherit his great-uncle’s full $300 million. If he fails, he’ll walk away with nothing. He’s also prevented from telling any of his pals what he’s up to. As you can imagine, hilarity ensues in true Pryor fashion (just without all the f-bombs). It’s a real testament to Pryor’s appeal that he could be so wonderfully foul-mouthed in his stand-up performances, but still find success in PG comedies and kid’s shows (anyone remember Pryor’s Place?).

And there you have the 10 most profitable summer blockbusters 1985. If you’ve enjoyed reading this list, why not take a look at some of the other articles we have to offer? Here are a few suggestions for those of you too lazy to generate your own ideas.

• Good Movies Coming in 2012
• Summer Blockbusters 2000
• Good Comedy Movies
• Good Movie Soundtracks

Breaker Morant (1980) – A dramatic film about the court martial of Australian Army officer Lt. Harry “Breaker” Morant (Edward Woodward) for actions taken during South Africa’s Second Boer War. Two of Morant’s fellow officers (Bryan Brown and Lewis Fitz-Gerald) are also on trial, and it’s obvious from the beginning that their superiors want to see a guilty verdict. As Breaker Morant progresses, we learn what really happened through flashbacks, and the film provides an excellent catalyst for a post-movie discussion about what actions (if any) are excusable during wartime. The performances of Woodward and Brown particularly stand out, and it’s a real shame that most American audiences only know Woodward from his days on The Equalizer. Then again, I guess that’s better than not being known at all.

Dead Calm (1989) – After losing their son in a car accident, a couple (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman) take their yacht out to sea in an attempt to recover from the tragedy. They soon rescue a frightened man (Billy Zane) who claims his entire crew died from food poisoning. Of course, we learn that his story isn’t entirely true, and this begins a cat-and-mouse game between the wife and the stranger. For fans of nudity, this film is notable for featuring Nicole Kidman topless. Filmed around Australia’s Great Coral Reef.

Bad Boy Bubby (1993) – 35-year-old Bubby (Nicholas Hope) has never left his mother’s home, as he’s been told since childhood about the poisonous gas filling the outside air. But when his long-absent father suddenly returns home, he’s forced out into the world for the first time. A dark comedy with an edge, Bad Boy Bubby features incest, blasphemy, cruelty to a cat, and plenty of traditional violence. One critic compared it to Being There if it was directed by David Lynch, so there you go.

Romper Stomper (1992) – Prior to becoming a star in America, Russell Crowe made a number of good Australian movies. Romper Stomper is one of them. He plays Hando, the leader of a group of skinheads in Melbourne. When he’s not engaging in sex with a troubled rich woman, he’s staying one step ahead of the cops and plotting revenge against a group of Vietnamese. As you can imagine, things don’t end well for Hando, but Romper Stomper is still an entertaining and chilling look at a dangerous worldwide sub-culture.

Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997) – Starring Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, and Matt Day, this film tells the story with an Aussie with a passion for country music and his attempted journey from a sheep farm to Nashville. Things get complicated when he comes across a drug thief and his girlfriend, and our country troubadour finds himself doing some hard time. If you want to know more about popular Australian films, this is as good a place to start as any.

Chopper (2000) – Eric Bana transformed himself from a comic actor into dramatic heavyweight with this tale of notorious Australian criminal/author/celebrity Mark “Chopper” Read. From kidnapping a judge to cutting off large portions of his ears, you’ll quickly see why Read has become such a cult figure in Australia. Bana’s performance is electrifying, and he imbues the on-screen Chopper with a charisma which is both dangerous and mesmerizing. The movie itself hovers around average, but Bana makes it well worth seeing.

Roadgames (1981) – An offbeat thriller featuring Stacey Keach as Patrick Quid, a trucker hauling meat across Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. He keeps coming across a green van during his travels, and his suspicions begin to intensify when he hears that a serial killer is in the area. Things get even more intense when Quid picks up a pretty hitchhiker named Pamela Rushworth (Jamie Lee Curtis), and the duo begin an amateur effort to find the killer. I especially liked the relationship between Quid and his pet dingo.

Strictly Ballroom (1992) – An international hit, Strictly Ballroom tells the story of a talented young ballroom dancer named Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) and his relationship with the initially plain Fran (Tara Morice). As the two rehearse dance steps and slowly fall in love, Fran gains confidence and her inner beauty begins to come to the surface. Of course, there are the obligatory disapproving parents and dance rivals, but everyone is either won over or thwarted by the end of this uplifting romantic comedy. Oh, and there’s plenty of great dancing, too.

Gallipoli (1981) – Mel Gibson stars in director Peter Weir’s tale of young Australian soldiers fighting during World War I. The climax of the film comes as the young soldiers are called to leave the safety of their trench and charge Turkish machine guns across open terrain. All about the loss of innocence, both for the young men involved and the entire nation of Australia.

The Sum of Us (1994) – Another good Australian movie from Russell Crowe, The Sum of Us was adapted from a play by David Stevens. The film follows Harry (Jack Thompson) and his son, Jeff (Crowe). Harry is a likable widower looking for love, and he’s more than supportive of his gay son’s quest for the same. Thompson and Crowe do an admirable job of playing a loving father and son, and their relationship helps elevate the film above other “gay” movies.

So there you have it: a look at some of the good Australian movies available for your viewing pleasure. Any of these can be found on sites like Blockbuster Online or iReel, so what are you waiting for? While you’re at it, you might as well go ahead and check out the following articles:

• Best Movies of 2008
• Good Date Movies
• Good English Movies List
• 11 Good Car Movies

Best Dramatic Movie Quotes of 2007

Whether these lines were present in an actual drama or simply delivered in a dramatic manner, they all qualify as the best dramatic movie quotes of 2007. A few of these, in fact, would also qualify as some of the best movie quotes of all time, especially if you’re talking bloodthirsty Spartans or twisted oilmen.

“THIS… IS… SPARTA!” (King Leonidas from 300)

“I… drink… your… milkshake! I drink it up!” (Plainview from There Will Be Blood)

“I’m not the guy you kill. I’m the guy you buy off!” (Michael Clayton from Michael Clayton)

“By the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts! Gentlemen, hoist the colors!” (Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)

“What if I’m becoming bad?” (Harry Potter from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

“I always believed it was the things you don’t choose that makes you who you are.” (Patrick Kenzie from Gone Baby Gone)

“Quitting while you’re ahead is not the same as quitting.” (Chinese General from American Gangster)

“I’ve always liked you Byron, but you never know when to shut up. Even bad men love their mommas.” (Ben Wade from 3:10 to Yuma)

“You listen very carefully to what I’m about to tell you… I remember… I remember everything” (Jason Bourne from The Bourne Ultimatum)

“It is a sad fate for a man to die well known to everybody else and still unknown to himself.” (Richard the Butler from Amazing Grace)

“What business is it of yours where I’m from, friendo?” (Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men)

“An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern.” (Tony Benn from Sicko)

“You know what you get for being a hero? Nothing. You get shot at. A little pat on the back, blah blah blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can’t remember your last name. Kids don’t wanna talk to you. Get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me kid, nobody wants to be that guy.” (John McClane from Live Free or Die Hard)

“Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.” (Christopher McCandless from Into the Wild)

“Did you just tell me how to run my family? How about if I came to your house in the middle of the night and slit your throat. What would you think of that?” (Plainview from There Will Be Blood)

“Autobots, roll out.” (Optimus Prime from Transformers)

“Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty… For tonight, we dine in hell!” (King Leonidas from 300)

“I can’t become king if someone else already sits on the throne.” (Nikolai Luzhin from Eastern Promises)

“Call it, friendo.” (Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men)

Best Romantic Movie Quotes of 2007

Romance is always in the air, and that’s never more true than when discussing the best romantic movie quotes of 2007. The selection isn’t as impressive as some other years, but there are still a few amourous diamonds to be found amidst all the coal.

“You can lose lots of money chasing women, but you will never lose women by chasing money.” (Mr. Landis from I Think I Love My Wife)

“Sometimes you have to stand back to see a work of art.” (Marge Simpson from The Simpsons Movie)

“I did not pander. I just told her exactly what she wanted to hear.” (Alex Fletcher from Music and Lyrics)

“Dear Baby, I hope someday somebody wants to hold you for 20 minutes straight and that’s all they do. They don’t pull away. They don’t look at your face. They don’t try to kiss you. All they do is wrap you up in their arms and hold on tight, without an ounce of selfishness in it.” (Jenna from Waitress)

“Do you mind if I get my fortune cookie first? I like to think about it during the meal.” (Billie Offer from Lucky You)

“My girlfriends and I used to have a rule that we wouldn’t sleep with a guy until we knew his mother’s maiden name.” (Gray from Catch and Release)

“What do stars do? They shine.” (Yvaine from Stardust)

“High school’s never over.” (Prudie Drummond from The Jane Austen Book Club)

“Shoot me. There is no greater glory than to die for love.” (Florentino Arizo from Love in the Time of Cholera)

Best Funny Movie Quotes of 2007

With guys like Will Farrell and Seth Rogen constantly making films, you can bet that the candidates for best funny movie quotes of 2007 will be plentiful. A man named McLovin also entered into pop culture history, and Diablo Cody snagged an Oscar for her ability to write clever, if somewhat unrealistic, dialogue.

“And remember it doesn’t say Cox, unless I say it tastes like Cox” (Dewey Cox from Walk Hard)

“I am McLovin.” (Fogell from Superbad)

“Well, I wouldn’t argue that it wasn’t a no-holds-barred, adrenaline-fueled thrill-ride. But, there is no way you can perpetrate that amount of carnage and mayhem and not incur a considerable amount of paperwork.” (Nicholas Angel from Hot Fuzz)

“Spider Pig, Spider Pig… Does whatever a Spider Pig does…” (Homer Simpson from The Simpsons Movie)

“I’m a sex addict. It’s my cross to bear. It’s a real disease with doctors and medicine and everything!” (Chazz from Blades of Glory)

“It’s like having two cocks. If one of your cocks could kill someone.” (Officer Michaels from Superbad, when asked what it was like having a gun.)

“If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” (Remy from Ratatouille)

“You should’ve gone to China, you know, ’cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.” (Juno MacGuff from Juno)

“He’s playing fetch… with my kids… he’s treating my kids like they’re dogs.” (Debbie from Knocked Up)

“What kind of a man has to make an appointment to sleep with his wife?” (Terry from Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?)

“Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, we should tell them to plan to be surprised.” (Dan Burns from Dan in Real Life)

“You know what happens to mutha fuckers who carry knives? They get shot!” (Kim from Grindhouse)

“They just fucked with the wrong Mexican.” (Announcer from the Machete faux trailer in Grindhouse)

“Guns don’t kill people! But they sure help.” (Mr. Hertz from Shoot ‘Em Up)

“They laughed at Louis Armstrong when he said he was going to go to the moon. Now he’s up there, laughing at them.” (Chazz from Blades of Glory)

Best Bad Movie Quotes of 2007

Whether the dialogue is just bad or the entire movie sucks, the following are considered the best bad movie quotes of 2007. I defy you to mount an argument as to the merits of Delta Farce (or any other Larry the Cable Guy movie, for that matter).

“I want my dog back!” (Erica from The Brave One)

“Hell to the no!” (Rasputia from Norbit)

“I jerk off to her mammograms.” (Stu from Good Luck Chuck)

“Collar your dog!” (Lazarus from Black Snake Moan)

“You don’t have to win… but everbody plays.” (Ian Breckel from The Condemned)

“I’m too fat for this shit.” (Larry from Delta Farce)

“A couple days ago, I had more problems than a cub scout at the Neverland Ranch.” (Larry from Delta Farce)

“Do I look like I’m in a fucking coma?” (Dakota Moss from I Know Who Killed Me)

“I’ve come to collect a head.” (Hannibal Lecter from Hannibal Rising)

Best Scary Movie Quotes of 2007

While horror movies are primarily concerned with finding new ways to kill teens, they also get in some decent dialogue on the rare occassion. Here are the best scary movie quotes of 2007.

“You think it’s over just because I am dead. It’s not over. The games have just begun.” (Jigsaw from Saw IV)

“This car is a hundred percent death proof. Only to get the benefit of it, honey, you REALLY need to be sitting in my seat.” (Stuntman Mike from Grindhouse)

“You can feel it. That cold ain’t the weather. That’s death approaching.” (The Stranger from 30 Days of Night)

“It appears we may have a problem of some magnitude.” (Bud Brown from The Mist)

“Give him the guns. Give him all the guns.” (Sheriff Hague from Grindhouse)

“Wait. Why? Why? Why can’t we be friends? Huh? We can’t we just spend Christmas together? Do you hear me, you stupid fucking cunt?” (Thomas from P2)

“Who’s the dummy now?” (Ella Ashen from Dead Silence)

“White meat, dark meat. All will be carved.” (Announcer from the Thanksgiving faux trailer in Grindhouse)

“There’s a hand in the shitter!” (Napoleon from The Hills Have Eyes 2)

“I want to play a game.” (Jigsaw from Saw IV)

“I am strong. I am fucking Hercules!” (Stuart from Hostel II)

“Eight dollars for Beer Nuts? This room *is* evil!” (Mike Enslin from 1408)

Now that you’ve waded through the best movie quotes of 2007, why not take a look at our other articles devoted to badass lines from cinema:

• 25 Good Movie Quotes
• Best Movie Quotes of 2008
• Predator Quotes
• Good Movies in 2007
• The 100 Best Movie Quotes

Jennifer’s Body hit theaters this weekend, and it’s shaping up to be a classic bad girl movie. Megan Fox plays the title character, a popular girl who gets possessed by a demon and goes bat-shit crazy on her school’s male population. I don’t know ‘bout you, but that qualifies as “bad girl” behavior in my book.

So I sez to myself, “Self, why not get off your duff and put together a list of some of your favorite big-screen bitches?” So that’s what I’ve done. Below, you’ll find a list of my 27 Top Movie Bad Girls. I’m especially proud of this list, as I was able to complete it entirely without stopping to masturbate. When you see the dark and deadly ladies who made the cut, you’ll understand why that was such an accomplishment.

Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) from Basic Instinct – A bisexual crime novelist with a thing for icepicks, Catherine Tramell uncrossed her legs right into the annals of movie history. When she wasn’t lezzing out with female lover, Roxy, she was getting all hot and heavy with Michael Douglas, king of the women-are-fucking-crazy movies. During the interrogation scene, you’ll need a cigarette yourself as Stone sucks on a cancer stick and exposes her stuff to the world. Heck, even Wayne Knight (Newman!) was leaning in to get a better look.

Gwen Dulaine (Mamie Van Doren) from High School Confidential! – When a man who married his real-life 13-year-old cousin (Jerry Lee Lewis) plays the title song from the back of a flatbed truck, you can guess that the rest of the film is gonna be filled with plenty of aberrant behavior. Gwen Dulaine epitomizes this attitude, doing everything in her power to seduce her undercover cop nephew. Whether she’s rolling around seductively on her bed, giving him a not-as-innocent-as-it-should-be kiss, or sporting one of those crazy bullet bras from the ‘50s, Van Doren is pure lust in a very tightly-wrapped package.

Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) from Goldeneye – Crazy Russians are always popular movie villains, and the perfectly-named Xenia Onatopp broke the mold as a gun-wielding psycho who likes to kill men by getting them between her lethal thighs (did I just write “lethal thighs”?). Played with absolute relish by Famke Janssen, this ultimate bad girl gives our favorite British spy fits. She ultimately goes the way of all James Bond villains, but she make one helluva impression before she struts off to that big villain’s lair in the sky.

Nikita (Anne Parillaud) from La Femme Nikita – A former junkie and cop killer, Nikita has her death faked by the French government and gets put to work as a reluctant assassin. She becomes a bit more sympathetic when she’s off the junk, but her employers make it clear that they now own her body and soul. While she looks for a way out, she continues her assignments, proving that the French can make even cold-blooded murder seem sexy.

Ivy (Drew Barrymore) from Poison Ivy – Jailbait is like kryptonite for middle-aged men, and this has never been more true than in the case of Ivy. After moving it with the Cooper family, she promptly seduces the husband and then murders his wife. That only leaves the plain-Jane daughter to get to the bottom of things, and the resulting catfight is one for the books. Watch for a young Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of “Guy.”

Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) from Body Heat – Nobody ever steamed up the screen like Matty Walker. With a killer bod and a sexy-yet-husky voice, she had no problem twisting a shady lawyer (John Hurt) around her little finger. She gets him to murder her husband, inherits the entire shebang, and then leaks information which leaves her horndog helper behind bars. Walker embodies the spirit of the femme fatales of old, just with lots more nudity.

Jessica Rabbit (voice of Kathleen Turner) from Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Kathleen Turner lands on the list again, this time as the voice of the impossibly proportioned cartoon character known as Jessica Rabbit. Married to a comical cartoon rabbit named Roger, she’s one of the prime suspects when people start showing up dead. As she famously purrs to the private dick played by Bob Hoskins, “I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.”

Varla (Tura Satana) from Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! – While she and her go-go dancing pals are out drag racing, Varla comes across a young couple. With her bad girl reputation in question, Varla kills the boyfriend with her bare hands, then proceeds to beat and drug the girlfriend and toss her into the trunk. And that’s just for starters, as the evil wench later decides to rob a wheelchair-bound old man and his simpleminded son. When exploitation master Russ Meyer dreams up a bad girl, he certainly doesn’t pull any punches.

Gail (Rosario Dawson) from Sin City – A six-foot dominatrix who wears an outfit made of metal, leather and fishnet stockings, Gail is one of the top bad girls in Old Town, the part of Sin City controlled by the prostitutes. She gets a kick out of violence, and this is adequately demonstrated when we see her fire off an Uzi with a look of pure satisfaction. Ex-lover Dwight (Clive Owen) refers to her as “my valkyrie,” and that’s about as appropriate a comparison as any.

SIL (Natasha Henstridge) from Species – There’s always a catch when it comes to beautiful women. In the case of SIL, the catch comes when she morphs from a sexy blonde into a horrific alien and kills your ass. Sure, it’s just instinct on her part, but that sort of lethally-horny behavior more than qualifies her for a spot at our bad girl table.

Coffy (Pam Grier) from Coffy – When her sister gets all messed up on smack, the nurse known as Coffy decides to punish those responsible. In true bad girl fashion, she does the work herself, not needing to crawl to some sweaty man for assistance. Using a combination of guns and her feminine “assets,” she dispatches pimps, crooked cops, and mobsters with lethal efficiency. Sporting a bitchin’ 70’s afro and a head-turning rack, this Coffy will definitely keep you up all night.

Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) from Natural Born Killers – Abused by her father in more ways than one, little Mallory hooks up with Mickey Knox and goes on a multi-state killing spree. While her love for Mickey is absolute, anyone else who gets in her way is screwed. Mallory is a bad girl through and through, but in the paranoid hands of director Oliver Stone, she becomes a monstrous version of the American dream gone horribly wrong.

Janine Lustoffen (Janine Lindemulder) from Bad Girls: Lockdown – Her name is Janine Lustofften. Get it? Lust Often? Anyways, porn star Janine Lindemulder stretches her acting range and her vagina in this tale of a woman sent away to prison. Sure, it’s a porno, but it’s also entitled Bad Girls, so I pretty much have to include it on the list. Janine was in her I-don’t-do-guys phase back then, so that leaves even more time for her to get know fellow inmates Debi Diamond and Asia Carrera. Porn imitates life, as Janine was sentenced to six months in real-life prison in 2008 for tax evasion. Somehow, I’m guessing her cellmates looked nothing like Asia Carrera.

Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) from Double Indemnity – Oh, what a treacherous dame! Phyllis starts out as the nurse to a wealthy man, but she later gets a promotion to the bedroom after murdering his wife. She then takes out the famous double indemnity policy and has her shiny new hubby disposed of, while at the same time getting nasty with the young boyfriend of her step-daughter. And to top it all off, she’s manipulating an insurance agent into helping her get away with the whole thing. It almost works, too, but she finally gets the film noir justice that’s been coming to her.

Camero (America Olivo) from Bitch Slap – First of all, Camero’s muscles make her a whole different breed of bad girl. Add some super-sized guns, a bad attitude towards men, and her fondness for “gash bashing,” and you’ve got one of the baddest ladies to ever be caught on film. And when she’s not throwing people into trunks to find the location of hidden diamonds, she also likes to run some drugs on the side. She’d be a complete lowlife if America Olivo didn’t make her so damn hot.

Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) from Batman Returns – If Christopher Walken threw you off a building, you’d be pissed. Of course, you’d probably also be dead. But not Selina Kyle. No, after being revived by a group of cats, she promptly returns home, makes herself a patchwork leather bondage outfit (complete with whip), and gets to work on ridding Gotham of Batman. Sure, she’s a little misguided, but what whip-wielding former secretary isn’t? At least she wasn’t teaching inner-city kids to read fruity poetry.

Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) from The Last Seduction – Of all the women on this list, perhaps none are as comfortable with using their sexuality to get what they want as Bridget Gregory. This leads to a tangled web filled with murder, intrigue, and plenty of rough sex. She escapes the clutches of a detective by repeatedly questioning the size of his penis, murders her drug-dealing husband, and uses a small-town boy’s brief marriage to a transsexual as grist for her mill. It’s a seedy world she lives in, but the sultry Bridget seems right at home.

Brigid O’Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) from The Maltese Falcon – Bad girls love aliases, and this murderous tramp has more than her share. She also has a fondness for money, as demonstrated by her willingness to do anything to help out the ruthless treasure hunter known as The Fat Man (Sydney Greenstreet). While she initially manipulates Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) into aiding her cause, the worldly detective eventually makes her pay with the line, “Yes, angel, I’m gonna send you over.” Another film noir girl gone bad.

Sylvia (Monica Bellucci) from Brotherhood of the Wolf – When our hero first wanders into a French brothel, he’s immediately taken aback by the seductive curves of the Italian mystery woman known only as Sylvia. But there’s more to the busty beauty than meets the eye: she’s a spy sent by the Vatican to eliminate an insane priest. And after helping the protagonist fake his own death, she demonstrates her lethal abilities by slitting a fellow bad girl’s throat with some kind of crazy bladed fan. And don’t miss one of the greatest transition shots in movie history, as Sylvia’s milky-white breasts suddenly transform into a pair of snow-covered mountains.

Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone) from Casino – Ms. Stone makes the list again, this time as a Vegas hustler with good looks and bad morals. We first see Ginger cozying up to gamblers and relieving them of their money, some of which she sends to her old pimp boyfriend, Lester Diamond (the delightfully sleazy James Woods). But her scumbag meter really kicks into the red after marrying the smitten Ace Rothstein (Bobby De Niro). When she’s not fleecing him for everything he’s got, she’s happy to jump into bed with every man in town, including Ace’s old friend–and total psycho–Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci). She later ties her own daughter to a bed, tries to have Ace murdered, and then rolls around on a bank floor in a shameless display of naked greed. Without a doubt, one of the most unredeemable bad girls in movie history.

Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) from The Devil’s Rejects/House of 1000 Corpses – Baby likes to sport one of those folded-up cowboy hats and jeans which hang low enough to expose her crack. While that’s hardly good girl behavior, her slutty fashion sense is only the tip of the iceberg. You see, Baby also has a thing for murdering total strangers, and she’s real handy with knives. Whether she’s throwing them into the chest cavity of a Three’s Company alum or stabbing her victim to death in a lonesome field, this white trash horror icon is one bad mamma-jamma.

Mrs. Eleanor Iselin (Angela Lansbury) from The Manchurian Candidate – I always hated Murder, She Wrote, and that’s the first thing I think of when I see Angela Lansbury. Then I recall her role in The Manchurian Candidate, and I almost entirely forget about the former. With a brainwashed son and a deck full of playing cards, Mrs. Iselin is way worse than a bad girl…she’s a dirty commie.

Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) from Pulp Fiction – Nice girls don’t snort their nose full of cocaine and bang the hired help, but Mia Wallace does. And when she doesn’t have a giant needle sticking out of her chest, she also does some pretty mean dancing. And the true test of her cinematic badness? She can make geometric objects appear out of the blue. Now that’s bad.

Pearl (Lucy Liu) from Payback – Back when she was billed as Lucy Alexis Liu, the actress from Charlie’s Angels played a kinky dominatrix in bed with the Chinese Triad. Girls into bondage and submission are always bad, and Ms. Liu more than proved it by trying to crush Mel Gibson’s nuts under her spiked heel. We also get to see more flesh than we’re accustomed to from the slightly cross-eyed actress, as Pearl prefers fishnet stockings and form-fitting leather. She won’t love you long time (couldn’t resist), but she will beat your ass silly and leave you begging for more.

Violet Kimura (Honoka) from The Machine Girl – When it comes to Asian goodness, I couldn’t include Lucy Liu and not Honoka’s portrayal of Violet Kimura. The wife of a Yakuza boss, Violet enjoys beating cute little Japanese maids to death for the slightest infraction, as well as watching while her clumsy chef is forced to eat his own fingers like sushi. But the kicker comes when she unveils the ultimate movie bad girl weapon: a drill bra which tears apart the flesh of anyone who falls into her grasp. Damn, I love Asian women!

Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) from Kill Bill: Vol. 1 – In order to complete the Asian bad girl trifecta, I present the psychotic stylings of Gogo Yubari. Dressed up in the sexy Japanese schoolgirl look that us American guys love so much, Gogo serves as the personal bodyguard for a powerful crime boss (Lucy Liu, coincidentally). And when she’s not disemboweling guys at bars for hitting on her, she’s wielding a crazy weapon known as a meteor hammer. Her role isn’t a big one, but I guarantee you’ll remember her.

Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth) from The Lady from Shanghai – After duping a sailor into signing a fake murder confession, Elsa really does kill someone, making the poor sap’s conviction an open-and-shut case. Hayworth is stunning as always, her short, blonde hair in complete contrast to the voluminous style from Gilda. Whether she’s scheming against her naïve new beau or duping her crippled husband, Elsa is a woman who, in her own words, has surrendered to “badness.” It’s almost a pity she has to die in that famous Hall of Mirrors shootout.

So there you have it: the 27 top movie bad girls. If you enjoyed reading this ode to dangerous women, here are a few more items you might want to check out:

• 10 Movie Roles Megan Fox Should’ve Played
• Movies with Tough Chicks
• 12 Good Movies Featuring the Cast of Lost
• Good Racing Movies
• Film Noir Movies List

1. The Grand (2008) – Largely done through improvisation, this comedy about a Texas Hold’em tournament features Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross, Richard Kind, Chris Parnell, Ray Romano, Werner Herzog, Gabe Kaplan and Dennis Farina. A number of pros also make appearances, including Doyle Brunson, Phil Laak and Daniel Negreanu. One of my favorite new comedy movies.

2. Galaxy Quest (1999) – The former stars of a cancelled sci-fi series are abducted by aliens who need their help. You see, these aliens saw episodes of their old show and believed them to be real. A lighthearted comedy that’s better than expected. Stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long and many more.
3. High Anxiety (1977) – A doctor (Mel Brooks) at a clinic for the very, very nervous notices some odd goings-on and decides to investigate. This leads to a hilarious dose of murder and deception, as well as plenty of opportunities to spoof Hitchcock films. Also starring Madeline Kahn, and Harvey Korman. One of the many great comedy movies of the 70s from Mel Brooks.
4. The Apartment (1960) – An office worker (Jack Lemmon) allows his various bosses to use his apartment for extramarital affairs. Meanwhile, he tries to romance a lovely elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine. The Apartment was nominated for 10 Oscars and won five, including the Best Picture award.
5. The Hammer (2008) – In this recent comedy movie, Adam Carolla plays a former amateur boxer who once again laces up the gloves for a shot at Olympic glory. Along the way, he makes new friends, falls in love, and learns a little something about himself. Carolla actually did some boxing when he was younger, and it’s surprisingly evident in the fight and training scenes.
6. Being John Malkovich (1999) – Perhaps the most original of the comedy movies of the 90s, Being John Malkovich deals with a secret passage which actually leads into the mind of the aforementioned actor. When a struggling puppeteer (John Cusack) finds it, he starts selling people admission to take Malkovich for a spin. One of the more unique choices on any comedy movies list.
7. Land of the Lost (2009) – Many of the new comedy movies have been a little disappointing, but this Will Ferrell remake of the popular TV show still manages to generate plenty of laughs. Danny McBride is especially good in his usual redneck role, but I’m still scratching my head over the reported $100 million budget.
8. Airplane! (1980) – In this perfect example of comedy movies of the 80s, Airplane! spoofs such films as Airport and Airport 1975. When much of the plane succumbs to food poisoning, a nervous ex-pilot must help bring everyone down safely. Lloyd Bridges is especially great as the air traffic controller who picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.
9. Freddy Got Fingered (2001) – You won’t see this one on many comedy movies list, as the general consensus agrees that Freddy Got Fingered stinks. Still, you should never accept the herd mentality, so why not give this Tom Green film a try? Rip Torn is solid as the disapproving father, and fans of Tom Green (there must be a few) will certainly find some bright spots.
10. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) – A black comedy starring Dennis Price as a vengeful man looking to become the head of the English noble house which ostracized his mother. But to rule the house, he’ll need to get rid of the eight nobles with better claims (all hilariously played by Sir Alec Guinness). Considered a classic comedy film.

If you’d like to know more about both old and new comedy movies, try reading the following articles from OnlyGoodMovies:

• Good Comedy Movies
• Good Comedy Movies 2008
• Best Black Comedy Movies

And if you use Netflix or Blockbuster Online, you can have any of these delivered right to your mailbox (with pre-paid postage). Once you’re done, slip it right back where it came from, and another one will arrive just like magic. While you’re at it, why not head to our movie forums and discuss such conspiracies as the JFK assassination and the Moon landing?

1. JFK (1991) – When you’re talking conspiracy movies of the 90s, nobody can beat Oliver Stone’s paranoid masterpiece about the killing of President Kennedy. Heaping double-cross upon double-cross, the film boasts a stellar cast including Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Jack Lemmon, Ed Asner, Kevin Bacon, John Candy, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci, Michael Rooker, Brian Doyle Murray and many more.

2. The Insider (1999) – It’s not one of the new conspiracy films, but it is more recent than the other movies on this list. Russell Crowe plays real-life whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, a tobacco executive who participated in a story by 60 Minutes about Big Tobacco and their knowledge of the addictive nature of cigarettes. Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer also star.
3. Wag the Dog (1997) – When a sex scandal threatens to destroy a candidate days before the presidential election, a group of specialists are brought in to invent a fake war which will distract the public. Theme songs are written (including one by Willie Nelson), fake footage of the war is shot, and ready-made heroes are even created. Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman star in this black comedy/conspiracy film.
4. Capricorn One (1978) – A group of astronauts (James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O.J. Simpson) are supposed to undertake a mission to Mars, but a faulty life support system makes this impossible. Instead, the mission is faked, and the stunned astronauts slowly begin to realize that they aren’t meant to make it out alive. Meanwhile, a journalist (Elliott Gould) begins to investigate strange reports surrounding the launch. This conspiracy film of the 70s also stars Telly Savalas, Hal Holbrook and Karen Black.
5. The Omen (1976) – Gregory Peck and Lee Remick star as an American couple living in England. When their baby is stilborn, the child is switched with the father’s permission. Little does he know that their new “son” is actually the child of Satan. Two sequels and a remake would follow for this conspiracy film of the 70s.
6. Marathon Man (1974) – The most popular of the conspiracy films of the 70s, Marathon Man stars Dustin Hoffman as a young man caught up in the middle of a plot involving elderly Nazis (Laurence Olivier) and the CIA. The most famous scene comes when Hoffman’s character is interrogated and tortured by Olivier, an ex-dentist who drills into his tooth and keeps asking, “Is it safe?”
7. They Live (1988) – Former wrestler Roddy Piper stars in this action-tinged thriller about an alien conspiracy to control and misdirect the human race. Able to see though their disguises with a special pair of glasses, Piper wages a personal war to regain control of his planet. Keith David co-stars, and the duo engage is a hard-hitting back-alley brawl which seemingly goes on forever. John Carpenter directed this picture, one of the great conspiracy movies of the 80s.
8. The Conversation (1974) – A paranoid surveillance expert (Gene Hackman) frets over the likely results of his latest job. If he hands the recorded conversations over to his employer, he worries that a young couple may be killed. Of course, nothing is as it initially seems in this Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece.
9. Soylent Green (1973) – Charleton Heston plays a cop investigating a murder. While it seems simple enough at first, he begins to realize that he’s caught up in something much larger and more deadly. The film’s ending brings a shocking conclusion, and Heston utters one of the most famous lines in movie history.
10. All the President’s Men (1976) – Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford star as Bernstein and Woodward, the Washington Post journalists who exposed the Watergate break-in (which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon). Nominated for eight Academy Awards.

Now that you’ve gained a healthy distrust for the government, why not stick it to the man a little more by reading the following articles:
12 Best Conspiracy Movies
Good Camcorder Movies – Found Footage Movies
The 100 Greatest Movie Villains
Good Movie Ideas