Box Office Flashback: 1990

[claws]

DOMESTIC GROSSES #1–20

01. $285,761,243 - Home Alone
02. $217,631,306 - Ghost
03. $184,208,848 - Dances with Wolves
04. $178,406,268 - Pretty Woman
05. $135,265,915 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October
07. $119,394,840 - Total Recall
08. $117,540,947 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder
09. $103,738,726 - Dick Tracy
10. $091,457,688 - Kindergarten Cop

11. $087,727,583 - Back to the Future Part III
12. $086,303,188 - Presumed Innocent
13. $082,670,733 - Days of Thunder
14. $080,818,974 - Another 48 HRS.
15. $071,609,321 - Three Men and a Little Lady
16. $070,978,012 - Bird on a Wire
17. $066,666,062 - The Godfather Part III
18. $061,489,265 - Flatliners
19. $061,276,872 - Misery
20. $056,362,352 - Edward Scissorhands

Avoided: Dick Tracy, Days of Thunder.
Didn't appeal to me: The Hunt for Red October, Three Men and a Little Lady, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (wasn't part of my childhood), The Godfather Part III.
Only seen bits and pieces: Dances with Wolves.

Pretty much enjoyed the rest.

[Psycho Circus]

06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October

Wow! Seriously? 

[voltron]

Major props for Total Recall which is by far and away my fave Arnie movie. I've watched it umpteen times and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. 
I also really liked Another 48 Hours which has sentimental value to me (won't get into it cause it's just too mushy).

[Flick James]

Wow. That was a bad year for movies.

[ChocolateChipCharlie]

TMNT was my favorite movie for a while when it came out - I was 7 or 8 at the time, so it's understandable.

Hunt for Red October is one of my favorite movies.  It's fantastic.  The cast, the story, everything.  Action, drama, a little comedy, plenty of twists to keep you busy.  Awesome movie.

Godfather III bugs the hell out of me.  Ick.

I never wanted to see Dick Tracy because it was overhyped to death when it came out and didn't look interesting at all, but I saw it recently and it's not half bad.  Not great, but not bad.

[HappyGilmore]

01. $285,761,243 - Home Alone (I liked as a kid, but eh.)
02. $217,631,306 - Ghost (This sh*t grossed this much?)
03. $184,208,848 - Dances with Wolves (People paid to watch this?)
04. $178,406,268 - Pretty Woman (Chick flick garbage)
05. $135,265,915 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Clearly the best movie on this list)
06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October (Clearly the worst movie on this list.)
07. $119,394,840 - Total Recall (My favorite Schwarzennegger flick)
08. $117,540,947 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Not as good as part 1 or 3.)
09. $103,738,726 - Dick Tracy (Garbage.)
10. $091,457,688 - Kindergarten Cop (He had 2 movies that year?)

11. $087,727,583 - Back to the Future Part III (The second best movie on this list.)
12. $086,303,188 - Presumed Innocent (Never heard of it.)
13. $082,670,733 - Days of Thunder (This the NASCAR/Cruise flick?)
14. $080,818,974 - Another 48 HRS. (Was a sequel necessary?)
15. $071,609,321 - Three Men and a Little Lady (Was a sequel necessary?)
16. $070,978,012 - Bird on a Wire (Eh.)
17. $066,666,062 - The Godfather Part III (Meh.)
18. $061,489,265 - Flatliners (Never saw it.)
19. $061,276,872 - Misery (Kathy Bates? Good movie.)
20. $056,362,352 - Edward Scissorhands (Good stuff.)

[Flick James]

Dances with Wolves (People paid to watch this?)

Thank you. I've NEVER liked this film, and everybody kept telling me how much I was supposed to love it. And where the hell did that white woman who was adopted by the tribe get ahold of hairspray in the 1800's?

[HappyGilmore]

Dances with Wolves (People paid to watch this?)

Thank you. I've NEVER liked this film, and everybody kept telling me how much I was supposed to love it. And where the hell did that white woman who was adopted by the tribe get ahold of hairspray in the 1800's?

Not for nothing, but they play this on tv a lot, like A&E and Lifetime and such.  I can barely make it to about the 40 minute mark.  I really don't get how it's the third highest grossing movie of 1990.

[Flick James]

Dances with Wolves (People paid to watch this?)

Thank you. I've NEVER liked this film, and everybody kept telling me how much I was supposed to love it. And where the hell did that white woman who was adopted by the tribe get ahold of hairspray in the 1800's?

Not for nothing, but they play this on tv a lot, like A&E and Lifetime and such.  I can barely make it to about the 40 minute mark.  I really don't get how it's the third highest grossing movie of 1990.

Timing. 1990 was a year when the PC movement was really starting to emerge, and everybody was gaga over anything that portrayed white, Eurocentric people as devils. Not to say that these things didn't happen to the native Americans, because they certainly did, but the timing of the movie was such that many felt they had to see it and to like it or else they weren't PC.

[El Misfit]

on a tangent, I was on the USS Blueback (SS-581), the submarine used in the Hunt for Red October.

[Mr. DS]

Saw Dick Tracy in the theaters and quite liked it.   Looking back maybe I was a bit overly excited but it still isn't all that bad.

[JaseSF]

DOMESTIC GROSSES #1–20

01. $285,761,243 - Home Alone (Terrific! I watch it practically every Christmas)
02. $217,631,306 - Ghost (Haven't seen)
03. $184,208,848 - Dances with Wolves (Haven't seen)
04. $178,406,268 - Pretty Woman (Overrated and unbelievable fantasy comedy fluff)
05. $135,265,915 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Surprisingly fun)
06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October (I loved it! Submarine movies rule!)
07. $119,394,840 - Total Recall (Really enjoyed this one too)
08. $117,540,947 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder (Pretty good)
09. $103,738,726 - Dick Tracy (Surprisingly forgettable)
10. $091,457,688 - Kindergarten Cop (Surprisingly funny and half decent)

11. $087,727,583 - Back to the Future Part III (I really liked it)
12. $086,303,188 - Presumed Innocent (Haven't seen)
13. $082,670,733 - Days of Thunder (Boring!)
14. $080,818,974 - Another 48 HRS. (Not half bad)
15. $071,609,321 - Three Men and a Little Lady (More fluff, not so bad of its type I suppose)
16. $070,978,012 - Bird on a Wire (Haven't seen)
17. $066,666,062 - The Godfather Part III (Haven't seen)
18. $061,489,265 - Flatliners (Overrated but has some moments)
19. $061,276,872 - Misery (Pretty intense)
20. $056,362,352 - Edward Scissorhands (Wonderful escapist fantasy)

[akiratubo]

01. $285,761,243 - Home Alone
Funny the first time.

02. $217,631,306 - Ghost
Overhyped and inexplicably successful movie that is justly hardly ever spoken of anymore.

03. $184,208,848 - Dances with Wolves
A bit too sentimental but it hit all the right beats.

04. $178,406,268 - Pretty Woman
Puts too much of a strain on my poor suspension of disbelief.  Julia Roberts is also not sexy.

05. $135,265,915 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
A bit too childish, especially since they were adapting the comics instead of the cartoon, but it's just so fun!

06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October
The sub battle at the end is good.

07. $119,394,840 - Total Recall
One of Arnold's best.

08. $117,540,947 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Fully the equal of the first movie.

09. $103,738,726 - Dick Tracy
This movie is freakin' GREAT.  They could have not given a crap and tossed off a standard "comic book movie" but, no!  They pulled it together and cranked out a damn fine film, by any standard.

10. $091,457,688 - Kindergarten Cop
I actually like this movie, though I haven't seen it in years.

11. $087,727,583 - Back to the Future Part III
Didn't like it that much.

12. $086,303,188 - Presumed Innocent
???

13. $082,670,733 - Days of Thunder
Remember when Nascar wasn't a joke?

14. $080,818,974 - Another 48 HRS.
The first one was bad enough.

15. $071,609,321 - Three Men and a Little Lady
Never saw.

16. $070,978,012 - Bird on a Wire
Meh.

17. $066,666,062 - The Godfather Part III
Never saw.

18. $061,489,265 - Flatliners
Meh.  Nice try, though.

19. $061,276,872 - Misery
Ouch, that poor guy.

20. $056,362,352 - Edward Scissorhands
Meh.

[The Burgomaster]

Godfather III bugs the hell out of me.  Ick.

It probably made most of that money during its first week, before word got out about how disappointing it was.  I went to see it Christmas night with a bunch of my friends.  The theater was PACKED.  On my way out, I just looked at a few people who were waiting in the lobby for the next screening, frowned, and shook my head.  Hopefully, some of them took the hint and got a refund on their tickets before the movie started.

[Hammock Rider]

01. $285,761,243 - Home Alone--- Missed it when it first came out. Saw it later on VHS and liked it.
02. $217,631,306 - Ghost-----Big Nope
03. $184,208,848 - Dances with Wolves-----Fell asleep
04. $178,406,268 - Pretty Woman----No one offered me enough money to see this, so I didn't.
05. $135,265,915 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-----Enjoyable
06. $122,012,643 - The Hunt for Red October------I liked it.
07. $119,394,840 - Total Recall-----One of Arnie's best. Surprisingly, a movie that improved on the short story.

08. $117,540,947 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder-----Ok but kind of a letdown from the first.
09. $103,738,726 - Dick Tracy-----Stupid fun
10. $091,457,688 - Kindergarten Cop-----It's not a Tumah!!
11. $087,727,583 - Back to the Future Part III---Good
12. $086,303,188 - Presumed Innocent----Meh
13. $082,670,733 - Days of Thunder-----Missed it
14. $080,818,974 - Another 48 HRS.-----Not bad
15. $071,609,321 - Three Men and a Little Lady----Missed it
16. $070,978,012 - Bird on a Wire-----Nope
17. $066,666,062 - The Godfather Part III-----Not as horrible as it's been made out to be, it still doesn't measure up to it's big brothers

18. $061,489,265 - Flatliners----A decent little sci-fi flick. Not great but watchable
19. $061,276,872 - Misery---- I really liked it. I think I saw it twice at the theater.
20. $056,362,352 - Edward Scissorhands----Pretty cool. Burton before he started reading all his press clippings.

   What I can't believe is that Goodfellas wasn't on this list. IMHO it's a better movie than everything on this list.