The War of the Roses

Actors : Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Marianne Sägebrecht, Sean Astin

In this blackest of comedies, a perfect 18-year marriage suddenly becomes unglued and the gleefully evil Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose single-mindedly inflict as much misery as possible on each other. Rather than just get divorced, they declare war, fighting to the bitter end over their huge mansion and every possession in it. Not even the calculating guidance of Oliver's lawyer (Danny DeVito) can stop this uncompromisingly nasty two some as their vicious battle sends them on an increasingly dark and dangerous path.

 Get Shorty

Actors : John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Renee Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina

Hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 1995, this finely tuned black comedy sparked a renewed interest in movies based on books by prolific crime novelist Elmore Leonard, whose trademark combination of tight plotting and sharp humor is perfectly captured here. After the success of Pulp Fiction, John Travolta continued his meteoric comeback as Chili Palmer, a Mob "mechanic" whose latest assignment takes him to Los Angeles, where his fascination with the movie business turns into a new career as a would-be movie producer. He pitches ideas with a sleazy producer (Gene Hackman) and a major star (Danny DeVito), and also finds time to deal with a vengeful Mobster (Dennis Farina) and assorted Hollywood types (including Renee Russo and Delroy Lindo) who all want their piece of a tempting show-biz pie. The plot unfolds with enticing precision, but it's really Elmore's snappy dialogue--and the performances that bring it to life--that make this one of the best comedies of the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon

Get Shorty 1995

 

Get Shorty

Actors : John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Renee Russo, Danny DeVito,

John Travolta plays Chili Palmer, a Miami loanshark who's sent to Los Angeles to collect on a gambling debt from film producer Harry Zimm. Chili is an avid movie fan and instead of breaking Harry's legs, he pitches him an idea that could be the next break of Harry's career.