Carolco Pictures, Inc., Carolco International N.V., or Anabasis Investments was an independent production company, that within a decade went from producing such blockbuster successes as
Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day, commonly abbreviated as T2, is a 1991 science fiction action film directed, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick...
and the first three movies of the
Rambo series (
First BloodFirst Blood , is a 1982 action/adventure film directed by Ted Kotcheff...
,
Rambo: First Blood Part IIRambo: First Blood Part II , is a 1985 second movie in the Rambo series, starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam veteran John Rambo...
, and
Rambo IIIRambo III is a 1988 American action film released on May 25, 1988. It is the third film in the Rambo series following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
) to being made bankrupt by bombs such as
Cutthroat IslandCutthroat Island is a 1995 pirate-themed action film starring Geena Davis and directed by her then-husband Renny Harlin. The film is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of all time.-Plot:...
and
ShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon. The film centres on a drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl....
.
History
The company was founded by two film investors,
Mario KassarMario Kassar is a film producer and industry executive whose projects are frequently in association with Andrew G. Vajna....
and Andrew Vajna, as Anabasis Investments. Their goal was to make their new studio a major independent production company producing A-movie product. Their earliest films were co-produced with Canadian theater magnate
Garth DrabinskyGarth Howard Drabinsky, OC is a former Canadian film and theatrical producer and entrepreneur. He is now a convicted person awaiting a prison term.-Biography:...
.
Jose Menendez was a member of the Board of Directors of Carolco until August 1989, when he and his wife were murdered by their sons
Lyle and Erik MenendezJoseph Lyle Menendez and brother Erik Galen Menendez were convicted in a highly publicized trial for the shotgun murders in 1989 of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, residents of Beverly Hills, California...
.
One of the first
AnabasisAnabasis is an expedition from a coastline up into the interior of a country. Katabasis, by contrast, is a trip from the interior down to the coast.Two classic texts are titled with "anabasis":...
/Carolco films was
First BloodFirst Blood , is a 1982 action/adventure film directed by Ted Kotcheff...
(
1982-Events:*June 10 = Steven Spielberg's science fiction PG-rating film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, becomes one of the highest-grossing box-office success until Jurassic Park,...
), followed by the sequel
Rambo: First Blood Part IIRambo: First Blood Part II , is a 1985 second movie in the Rambo series, starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam veteran John Rambo...
(
1985-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
) (released the year it was renamed Carolco) with
Sylvester StalloneSylvester Gardenzio Stallone , nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s, Stallone is an icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism...
(who later signed a ten-picture deal with the studio). The release of
Rambo: First Blood Part II was so instrumental to Carolco's financial success that from then on, the music of the company's logo utilizes the first stanza of its famous score, written by
Jerry GoldsmithJerrald King "Jerry" Goldsmith was an American film score composer from Los Angeles, California. Goldsmith was nominated for eighteen Academy Awards , and also won four Emmy Awards...
.
Also in 1985, Carolco started a distribution deal with then-fledging production company
TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
. TriStar released a majority of Carolco's films from that point on (but not all) in the U.S. and some international countries until
1994The year 1994 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :*This was the Highest Grossing film of 1994 Worldwidesource: - Awards :Academy Awards:* Andre...
.
In 1990, Carolco went on to acquire the rights to the
Terminator franchise from
Hemdale Film CorporationHemdale Film Corporation , known as Hemdale Communications after 1993, was an independent film production company and distributor founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and his manager, John Daly...
. The company re-hired
Terminator director
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter. His writing and directing work includes The Terminator and Titanic. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.1 billion domestically, unadjusted for inflation...
(who had also worked as a screenwriter on
Rambo), and
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
to star, in a multi-million-dollar budgeted sequel,
Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day, commonly abbreviated as T2, is a 1991 science fiction action film directed, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick...
(released in
1991The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York*Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for sci-fi action films.-Top grossing films :...
). It was the highest-grossing film of its year, and as it turned out, the most successful film in Carolco's history. Also in 1990, Carolco started a joint venture with
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
to start Seven Arts Pictures. The venture lasted until 1995 when Carolco was defunct.
After his partnership with Kassar, Vajna created a sister studio to Carolco,
Cinergi PicturesCinergi Pictures Entertainment Inc. was a small independent production company that was founded by Andrew G. Vajna, after he had sold his interest in his first production company, Carolco International Pictures in 1989, which he had started with his partner Mario F. Kassar in 1975.-Cinergi...
, on November,
1989-Events:* "Batman" is released on June 23, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
. Cinergi started to release films with
The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
through
Hollywood PicturesHollywood Pictures is one of The Walt Disney Company's several alternate movie divisions. Like Disney's Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films brands, it produces films for a more mature adult audience than Walt Disney Pictures. The company logo is the Sphinx; its logo music was composed by Danny...
and
Touchstone PicturesTouchstone Pictures, established in 1984, is one of several alternate film labels of The Walt Disney Company. Its releases typically feature more mature themes than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner....
.
In later years, Carolco acquired television syndicator
Orbis Communications and initiated television production and distribution. They also purchased the former
De Laurentiis Entertainment GroupDe Laurentiis Entertainment Group was a production company/distribution unit founded by producer Dino De Laurentiis. The company is notable for producing Manhunter and Blue Velvet, as well as distributing Transformers: The Movie. The company's main studios were located in Wilmington, North...
production facility in
Wilmington, North CarolinaWilmington is a city in and the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 75,838 at the 2000 Census. A July 1, 2008 United States Census Bureau estimate places the population at 100,192...
(where the television series
Matlock and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the OozeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 action / family film. It is the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, being the sequel to the 1990 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Secret of the Ooze was then followed by a third film in 1993, and a fourth film in 2007....
was partially filmed), and established a home video division (with LIVE Entertainment, later
Artisan EntertainmentArtisan Entertainment was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
and
Lions Gate Home EntertainmentLions Gate Entertainment Corporation is an American entertainment company that originated in Vancouver, British Columbia and later based in Los Angeles, and is now headquartered in Santa Monica, California, USA...
, as output partner).
Carolco struggled for some years to secure the rights to
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The first installment in the Spider-Man series, the film, directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp, stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Willem Dafoe.The film begins with...
, a property that James Cameron was keen to produce as a film. Plans fell through, although it would eventually be made as a
Sam RaimiSamuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series and Drag Me To Hell as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films.-Early life:Raimi, the fourth of five children, was born in Royal Oak,...
film for
Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
As budgets for their feature films grew, the box-office intake fell. Following the disastrous releases of
Cutthroat IslandCutthroat Island is a 1995 pirate-themed action film starring Geena Davis and directed by her then-husband Renny Harlin. The film is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of all time.-Plot:...
and
ShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon. The film centres on a drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl....
by new distribution partner MGM in 1995, Carolco went bankrupt and the company closed soon after.
20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox, is one of the six major American film studios...
acquired the company's assets.
Out of the ashes rose a new partnership between Carolco's owner (Mario Kassar) and Cinergi's owner (Andrew G. Vajna) in 2002:
C2 PicturesC2 Pictures is a film company started in 2002 by Carolco Pictures co-founders Andrew G. Vajna and Mario Kassar. The company's first production was I Spy...
.
Carolco's library today
The assets of Carolco were later sold off to other companies, most already sold during Carolco's existence. Today, the ancillary rights to a majority of Carolco's library are held by French production company
StudioCanalStudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
, since its parent company,
Canal+ GroupCanal Plus Group is a French film and television studio and distributor. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films. Vivendi has sold some parts of Canal Plus to private investors which are still using the name of Canal Plus...
, owned a stake in Carolco.
Trifecta Entertainment & MediaTrifecta Entertainment & Media is an American entertainment company founded in 2006. The company's founders previously held jobs as executives at MGM Television. Trifecta is primarily a distribution company and also handles advertising sales in exchange for syndication deals with local television...
holds the television rights (inherited from
CBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation's three television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television, and King World Productions including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
and predecessor company Worldvision Enterprises, once a Spelling Entertainment company), with certain exceptions, such as
CliffhangerCliffhanger is a 1993 action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains...
, which
Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American television production/distribution company. It is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony....
distributes.
Lionsgate continues to hold the U.S./Canadian home video rights (via a new output deal with StudioCanal), while the international home video rights are held by a different company for each country. For example, the UK rights are with Momentum Pictures (a subsidiary of
Alliance AtlantisAlliance Atlantis Communications Inc. is a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
) (although StudioCanal's acquisition of
OptimumOptimum Releasing is a film distributor company working in the UK. The company releases many films, especially foreign language films, but is perhaps best known for its anime releases, including the contract to release all Studio Ghibli films in the UK....
has seen some of Momentum's versions re-issued under Optimum) and the Australian rights rest with
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
. Also, Lionsgate spun off its Canadian distribution arm as
Maple PicturesMaple Pictures Corp. is a Canadian film and home video distribution company. It was formed on April 25, 2005 when Lionsgate spun off its Canadian distribution arm to two former executives of Lionsgate who created Maple Pictures Corp...
in 2005, hence the Canadian video rights rest with Maple.
The only Carolco films not included in the deal are
Cliffhanger,
Aces: Iron Eagle IIIAces: Iron Eagle III is a 1992 war film directed by John Glen.The film starred Louis Gossett Jr. as Chappy Sinclair, reprising his role from the prior films in the series, Iron Eagle and Iron Eagle II. Iron Eagle III was noteworthy as one of the first films to cast a woman as a physically strong...
,
Last of the DogmenLast of the Dogmen is a 1995 film about the search for and discovery of an unknown band of Native Americans. The film stars Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey with supporting roles by Parley Baer, Kurtwood Smith, Steve Reevis, Andrew Miller, Eugene Blackbear and Gregory Scott Cummins...
,
ShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon. The film centres on a drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl....
, and the television rights to
Cutthroat IslandCutthroat Island is a 1995 pirate-themed action film starring Geena Davis and directed by her then-husband Renny Harlin. The film is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of all time.-Plot:...
and
StargateStargate is a military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a worldwide hit grossing nearly $200...
.; the rights to these have been retained by their original theatrical distributors (
TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
,
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
,
Savoy PicturesSavoy Pictures Inc. was an independent motion picture company in operation from 1992 to 1997.-History:Victor A. Kaufman became chairman and chief executive officer of Savoy Pictures in 1992 along with vice chairman executive, Lewis J. Korman...
/HBO, and MGM/
United ArtistsUnited Artists Entertainment LLC is an American film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company...
, respectively). However, Lionsgate does own some ancillary rights to the original
StargateStargate is an American military science fiction film released through Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer and Carolco in 1994. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film stars Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye...
, and full rights to
Wagons EastWagons East! is a 1994 Western comedy film directed by Peter Markle and starring John Candy and Richard Lewis.-Plot:After the 1860s Wild West, a group of misfit settlers including an ex-doctor Phil Taylor , a prostitute Belle , and homosexual bookseller Julian Wagons East! is a 1994 Western comedy...
.
1982
- Superstition
Superstition is a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason, knowledge, or experience. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to folk beliefs deemed irrational. This leads to some superstitions being called "old wives' tales"...
(with Panaria and Almi Pictures)
- First Blood
First Blood , is a 1982 action/adventure film directed by Ted Kotcheff...
(with Orion PicturesOrion Pictures Corporation was an American company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists called Orion Pictures Company. Never a large motion picture producer, Orion achieved a...
)
1987
- Angel Heart
Angel Heart is a 1987 mystery-thriller film written and directed by Alan Parker, and starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro and Lisa Bonet...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Extreme Prejudice
Extreme Prejudice is an American action film originally released in 1987.The movie was directed by Walter Hill; it was written by John Milius, Fred Rexer and Deric Washburn...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Nightflyers
Nightflyers is the title of a novella by George R. R. Martin, an anthology by the same author that includes the novella, and a 1987 science fiction-horror film based on that novella.-Collection:The collection contains the following stories:...
(with The Vista Organization)
- John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York,...
's Prince of DarknessPrince of Darkness is a 1987 American horror film directed, written and scored by John Carpenter...
(Universal PicturesUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
handled AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
distribution, Carolco distributed the film in all other territories)
1988
- Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw
Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw is an animated feature film released on March 18, 1988 by TriStar Pictures. The film was based on the Tonka/Mattel toy line and Hanna-Barbera television series of the same name. It was directed by Pierre DeCelles, and starred the voices of Brennan Howard, B. J...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and The Maltese Companies)
- Rambo III
Rambo III is a 1988 American action film released on May 25, 1988. It is the third film in the Rambo series following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Red Heat
Red Heat is a 1988 buddy cop film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko; James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridžić...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Iron Eagle II
Iron Eagle II is a 1988 action film about a joint United States/Soviet task force formed to counter the threat of an unnamed Middle Eastern country. The task force is led by US Air Force Colonel Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair . The Middle Eastern country is threatening both superpowers with nuclear...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- John Carpenter's They Live
They Live is a 1988 film directed by John Carpenter, who also wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Frank Armitage." The movie is based on Ray Nelson's 1963 short story "Eight O’Clock in the Morning."...
(Universal PicturesUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
handled AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
distribution, Carolco distributed the film in all other territories)
- Watchers (with Universal Pictures
This is a partial listing of films produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures, the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal.-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc...
)
1989
- DeepStar Six
DeepStar Six is a 1989 science fiction horror film about the struggles of the crew of an underwater military outpost to defend their base against the attacks of a monster.Starring actors included Greg Evigan and Nia Peeples...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Pathfinder (subtitled version) (made in Norway)
- Food of the Gods II
Food of the Gods II is a 1989 film that is a very loose sequel to the 1976 Bert I. Gordon film based on H.G. Wells' novel, The Food of the Gods. It is a sequel in name only, as its plot bears no relation to the 1976 film.-Plot:Dr...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- Lock Up
Lock Up is a 1989 film detailing the last six months of the prison term of inmate Frank Leone . The movie largely involves the conflict between him and Warden Drumgoole .-Synopsis:...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and White Eagle)
- Johnny Handsome
Johnny Handsome is an 1989 American crime-drama film directed by Walter Hill and starring Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin and Morgan Freeman. The film was written by Ken Friedman, from the novel by John Godey.-Plot synopsis:...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Shocker
Shocker is a 1989 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. The relatively low-budget film has since become a cult classic. It starred Mitch Pileggi as the antagonist Horace Pinker...
(with Universal PicturesThis is a partial listing of films produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures, the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal.-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc...
)
- Music Box
Music Box is a 1989 film that tells the story of a Hungarian-American immigrant who is accused of having been a war criminal. The plot revolves around his daughter, an attorney, who defends him, and her struggle to uncover the truth....
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
1990
- Mountains of the Moon
Mountains of the Moon is a 1990 theatrical film depicting the 1857-58 journey of Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke in their expedition to central Africa — the project that culminated in Speke's discovery of the source of the Nile River. The expedition led to a bitter rivalry between the...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Dangerous Passion (made for TV)
- Shattered Dreams (made for TV)
- Total Recall
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film features Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone, based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". The film was directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Jon Povill, and Gary...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Air America
Air America is a 1990 film starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots, during the Vietnam War, flying missions in Laos. The protagonists discover their planes are used by other government agents to smuggle heroin; and then, they must avoid being made patsies in a frame-up...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 psychological thriller / horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin. It stars Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, and Jason Alexander. Actor Macaulay Culkin appears briefly in an uncredited performance.-Plot:Jacob Singer is a U.S....
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Narrow Margin
Narrow Margin is a 1990 film directed by Peter Hyams and released by TriStar Pictures, loosely based on the 1952 film noir, The Narrow Margin.-Plot:...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Repossessed
Repossessed is a 1990 comedy film that spoofs the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.The film features the original star of The Exorcist, Linda Blair, as well as Leslie Nielsen and Anthony Starke...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- Babies (made for TV)
- Hamlet
Hamlet is a 1990 film based on the Shakespearean play of the same name. Mel Gibson has the title role as the young Prince Hamlet, Glenn Close plays his mother, Queen Gertrude, Alan Bates plays his uncle, the now King Claudius, Paul Scofield appears as the ghost of Hamlet's Father, Ian Holm plays...
(with Warner Bros. Pictures, Icon ProductionsIcon Productions LLC is an American independent production company founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey....
, and Nelson EntertainmentEmbassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as The Graduate, The Lion in Winter and Escape from New York....
, although Carolco was solely responsible for international distribution)
1991
- Queens Logic (with New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- L.A. Story
L.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film directed by Mick Jackson and written by Steve Martin, who also stars in the film. Set in Los Angeles, California, it tells the story of Harris K. Telemacher , an L.A. weatherman who falls in and out of love with the aid of a talking freeway sign...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- The Doors
The Doors is a 1991 biopic about the 1960s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison. It was directed by Oliver Stone, and stars Val Kilmer as Morrison, Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson , Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger, Kevin...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
, Bill Graham FilmsBill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
, and Imagine EntertainmentImagine Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1986 by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer. Their productions include the television series 24 and Arrested Development and the films A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, and The Da Vinci Code.Karen Kehela Sherwood is...
)
- The Dark Wind
The Dark Wind is the second Tony Hillerman novel to feature Officer Jim Chee. Recent college graduate Jim Chee has just taken a job with the Navajo Tribal Police in Arizona, where he helps keep the peace with his superior Captain Largo on land earmarked for joint use by the Navajo and the Hopi...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
, Le Studio Canal+StudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
, and Seven Arts Pictures, Columbia Pictures re-released the film in 1993)
- Rambling Rose
Rambling Rose is a 1991 film set in Georgia during The Great Depression starring Laura Dern, Diane Ladd and Robert Duvall. Ladd and Dern in real life are mother and daughter, and both earned Academy Award nominations for their performances in this film. Edgar J. Scherick served as executive producer...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- Get Back
Get Back is a 1990 concert film starring Paul McCartney that documents The Paul McCartney World Tour of 1989–1990. The film was directed by Richard Lester, in a return to his Beatles-related work, and was released by Carolco Pictures and New Line Cinema, through the Seven Arts joint...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, commonly abbreviated as T2, is a 1991 science fiction action film directed, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and Lightstorm EntertainmentJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter. His writing and directing work includes The Terminator and Titanic. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.1 billion domestically, unadjusted for inflation...
)
- Chernobyl: The Final Warning (made for TV) (with Turner Pictures)
1992
- Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Leilani Sarelle and George Dzundza....
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and Le Studio Canal+StudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
)
- Aces: Iron Eagle III
Aces: Iron Eagle III is a 1992 war film directed by John Glen.The film starred Louis Gossett Jr. as Chappy Sinclair, reprising his role from the prior films in the series, Iron Eagle and Iron Eagle II. Iron Eagle III was noteworthy as one of the first films to cast a woman as a physically strong...
(with New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
and Seven Arts Pictures)
- Mario and the Mob (made for TV) (with Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production and distribution arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as...
and American Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
)
- Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier is a 1992 science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead soldiers.- Production :The film...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Chaplin
Chaplin is a 1992 British biographical film about the life of English comedian Charlie Chaplin. It was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Robert Downey, Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Kevin Kline, and Anthony Hopkins...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
1993
- Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger is a 1993 action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains...
(with TriStar PicturesTriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and Le Studio Canal+StudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
)
1994
- Mona Must Die
- Wagons East! (with TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is a film subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
)
- Stargate
Stargate is an American military science fiction film released through Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer and Carolco in 1994. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film stars Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye...
(with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., or MGM, is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B...
and Le Studio Canal+StudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
)
1995
- Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon. The film centres on a drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl....
(with United ArtistsUnited Artists Entertainment LLC is an American film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company...
and Le Studio Canal+StudioCanal Image S.A. , is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
)
- Last of the Dogmen
Last of the Dogmen is a 1995 film about the search for and discovery of an unknown band of Native Americans. The film stars Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey with supporting roles by Parley Baer, Kurtwood Smith, Steve Reevis, Andrew Miller, Eugene Blackbear and Gregory Scott Cummins...
(with Savoy PicturesSavoy Pictures Inc. was an independent motion picture company in operation from 1992 to 1997.-History:Victor A. Kaufman became chairman and chief executive officer of Savoy Pictures in 1992 along with vice chairman executive, Lewis J. Korman...
)
- Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island is a 1995 pirate-themed action film starring Geena Davis and directed by her then-husband Renny Harlin. The film is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest box office flop of all time.-Plot:...
(with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., or MGM, is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B...
)