Entertainment
8 War Movies From the ’90s That Are Perfect From Start to Finish
The 1990s represented a new peak for war filmmaking. The era saw a myriad of filmmakers masterfully balancing a sweeping sense of scale with some of the grittiest, most realistic portrayals of military combat that the genre had ever seen. Add to that shifting moral complexities, added philosophical depth, and even the occasional dramedy that satirized the concept of war in ways that not many movies ever had before, and you get one of the best-ever decades for war cinema.
It takes something truly special in order for a film to be truly perfect from start to finish, however; and as such, only a precious handful of ’90s war movie masterpieces can genuinely be praised as flawless. Of course “flawlessness” as it relates to movie analysis is a highly subjective thing, but there’s no denying that these eight ’90s gems are about as close as cinema can ever possibly come to perfection.
8
‘Pretty Village, Pretty Flame’ (1996)
The ’90s didn’t just see an increase in the quality of war films from Hollywood, but also in war films from the rest of the world. However, as often happens with smaller international productions, many of those masterpieces have faded into oblivion as the years have passed. That’s a particularly egregious crime when it comes to the Yugoslav masterpiece Pretty Village, Pretty Flame. Directed by Serbian filmmaker Srđan Dragojević, it’s a drama set during the Bosnian War, telling the story of two childhood friends who were forced to become enemies by the tragic circumstances of the conflict.
It was understandably a film festival sensation back in 1996.
It’s one of the most near-perfect 20th-century war movies nobody remembers, and it was understandably a film festival sensation back in 1996. It’s one of the most powerful anti-war movies of the ’90s, incredibly bold in its dark humor and political satire, as well as absolutely harrowing in its emotional core. Its complex exploration of its deeply nuanced characters is paired with an almost hallucinatory sense of surrealism, a perfect way of highlighting the madness and irrationality of war and violence.
7
‘Bullet in the Head’ (1990)
John Woo is best remembered as the father of gun fu and one of the greatest action filmmakers in history, which makes Bullet in the Head stand out all the more in his already stacked filmography. Another one of the most tragically forgotten war masterpieces of the ’90s, this one is a Hong Kong action epic and melodrama about three close friends who escape from Hong Kong to wartime Saigon in order to start living a criminal life. Soon, though, they all go through a harrowing experience which shatters their friendship forever.
It’s one of the best Vietnam War epics ever made, anchored by an exceptional cast and a transcendental understanding of the action genre, blending Woo’s signature explosive gunplay with the devastating psychological horror inherent to Vietnam War movies. Far more than just a tale of brotherhood and camaraderie, it’s a harrowing descent into greed, nihilism, and moral corruption the likes of which the genre hasn’t seen since.
6
‘Ulysses’ Gaze’ (1995)
Theo Angelopoulos was not only the greatest Greek filmmaker in history, but also one of the most important and hugely influential European filmmakers of his generation. He made several masterpieces over the course of his career, one of the most notorious being Ulysses’ Gaze, one of the most essential Harvey Keitel movies. It’s a psychological drama following an exiled filmmaker, who returns to his home country where former mysteries and afflictions come back to haunt him.
It’s one of the film’s with the most astonishing difference between critics’ and audiences’ ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 27% from critics and an 89% from audiences. Couple that with the film’s 7.6/10 rating on IMDb and 4.2/5 on Letterboxd, and you get an undeniable case of critics being wrong on a movie. Poetic, hypnotic, and full of the same kind of patient long takes that Angelopoulos is known for, it’s a deeply moving and thought-provoking reflection on 20th-century Balkan history, the nature of political borders, and the power of cinema as cultural memory.
5
‘To Live’ (1994)
As further proof that the ’90s produced some of the greatest international war movies in history, ones which have mostly become tragically forgotten as the years have passed, there’s also the Chinese masterpiece To Live. Directed by Zhang Yimou, it’s one of those must-watch forgotten romantic movies, tracing the Xu family’s survival through the Chinese Civil War, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution between the ’40s and ’70s.
It’s everything that a historical epic should aim to be: Sweeping in scale, yet wonderfully intimate and profoundly human in scope, celebrating the heroism inherent in survival. Though the film spans four decades with just a little over two hours of runtime, it never feels overly dense or ambitious. Instead, it comes remarkably close to absolute perfection, with some flawless performances and a subtle humanist focus instead of overt political critique.
4
‘Underground’ (1995)
There are plenty of great movies from countries that no longer exist, and Yugoslavia is a former nation with a particularly strong filmography. Directed by Emir Kusturica, perhaps the greatest Yugoslav filmmaker in history, Underground is yet another of the ’90s’ most awfully underappreciated masterpieces, following two underground black marketers selling weapons to the Communist resistance in wartime Belgrade.
Part absurdist dark comedy, part three-hour-long war epic, Underground is the crowning achievement of Kusturica’s illustrious career and the peak of what ’90s European war cinema had to offer. Blending a surreal sense of humor with a devastating political tragedy, the film captures the soul of former Yugoslavia in a way that earned it the Cannes Film Festival’s 1995 Palme d’Or. It’s also a masterful work of magical realism, however, a universally timeless gem full of thought-provoking sociopolitical satire.
3
‘The Thin Red Line’ (1998)
Terrence Malick is one of Hollywood’s most divisive filmmakers, with an arthouse-coded style that favors abstract spiritual experiences over conventionally plot-driven storytelling. Those who don’t enjoy that kind of film aren’t likely to love The Thin Red Line, but arthouse cinema fans should consider it essential viewing. It’s one of the most perfect war movies of the last 40 years, an epic about the contrast between the horrors of human conflict and the transcendental beauty of nature.
It’s one of the most effective and powerful anti-war statements that cinema has ever delivered, an essential ’90s classic of the genre of unparalleled emotional impact. Not everyone will consider it perfect, but patient cinephiles will find its profound philosophical meditation and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous cinematography irresistibly moving. Highly existential and boosted by one of Hans Zimmer‘s richest, most haunting scores, it’s a war film fully worthy of its fame.
2
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
Steven Spielberg is the father and king of blockbusters, and as such, he has repeatedly proven his versatility by making box office hits belonging to every genre under the Sun. Case in point: the war action epic Saving Private Ryan, perhaps the Spielberg film that was most infamously robbed of the Best Picture Oscar. It’s perhaps best-known for having one of the greatest opening sequences in film history, Spielberg’s recreation of the D-Day landings in Normandy, but everything that follows is every bit as great.
It’s one of the most tremendous cinematic masterpieces of the 1990s, regardless of genre. Its action sequences, for one, proved absolutely revolutionary for the genre, adding unprecedented technical realism and brutality to war movie action. Then there’s the exceptional cinematography, the star-studded ensemble cast, the stunning sound design, and the riveting-yet-harrowing third act. What else could the combination of such elements be if not one of the biggest war movie masterpieces ever?
1
‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)
Spielberg hasn’t really been the same throughout most of the 21st century, but he was at the very top of his game during the ’90s. Surprisingly, however, it just so happens that the best film he’s ever made is not a spectacular popcorn blockbuster at all, but rather one of the most serious and emotionally devastating war epics of the era: Schindler’s List, which is also one of the best biopics of all time.
It’s a sprawling, profoundly compelling depiction of the work of Oskar Schindler during World War II, celebrating his heroic acts without ever shying away from his many moral layers and darker bits of nuance. Supported by an exceptional cast led by Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, one of John Williams‘ most emotionally stirring scores, and some of the most striking black-and-white cinematography of the 1990s, Schindler’s List is undoubtedly the most perfect war movie of the decade, and one of the most perfect of all time.
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Gordon Ramsay may rule the kitchen, but at home he answers to eight of his ultimate bosses — and he’s about to answer to one more.
The Hell’s Kitchen host and his wife, Tana Ramsay, have built one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families over nearly three decades of marriage as the celebrity chef has continued to host cooking shows and competitions across the country.
The pair, who wed in December 1996, share six children: Megan, twins Holly and Jack, Matilda “Tilly”, Oscar and Jesse. Plus, by the end of 2026, Gordon will officially level up to “Grandad” when Holly welcomes her first baby.
Here’s everything to know about the ever-expanding Ramsay brigade:
Gordon Ramsay is opening up about the “tough” role of giving a speech on his daughter Holly‘s wedding day. Ramsay, 59, and his daughter Tilly appeared on the Monday, January 5, episode of the U.K.’s This Morning, less than two weeks after Holly, 26, married Olympian Adam Peaty. Reflecting on his role as father of […]
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay’s Love Story
Gordon and Tana met in the early 1990s and tied the knot in December 1996. Tana, a cookbook author, has been a steady presence beside her famous husband, raising their kids largely out of the spotlight while quietly building her own brand.
The couple has also been candid about the heartbreak that shaped their family. In June 2016, Tana suffered a miscarriage.
“Hi guys, Tana and I want to thank you so much for your support over the past couple of weeks,” Gordon wrote on Facebook at the time. “We had a devastating weekend as Tana has sadly miscarried our son at five months. We’re together healing as a family, but we want to thank everyone again for all your amazing support and well wishes.”
Tana later told the U.K.’s Metro in November 2020 that Gordon helped her through the grief, revealing, “Gordon was amazing. He’s always been one to talk about everything, and he was very good at sort of talking it out of me and never making me feel that, ‘Oh, you know, maybe we shouldn’t talk about it.’”
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay Have 6 Kids
Gordon and Tana became parents in 1998, welcoming daughter Megan. The couple soon expanded their family with twins Holly and Jack, as well as younger daughter Matilda. In January 2019, Gordon and Tana announced they were expecting their fifth child. Son Oscar, their rainbow baby after a previous pregnancy loss, arrived later that year.
Nearly four years later, the Ramsays added one more in November 2023, welcoming son Jesse James into the brood.
Holly Ramsay’s Family Grows
Gordon and Tana’s daughter Holly married British Olympic swimming gold medalist Adam Peaty in December 2025. They announced less than six months later that they were expecting a baby.
“Baby Ramsay-Peaty coming December 2026. We can’t wait to meet our baby girl,” Holly wrote via Instagram in June 2026.
The infant will be Holly’s first child and Peaty’s second. He already shares son George, born in 2020, with a previous partner.
Gordon, for his part, couldn’t contain his excitement about becoming a grandfather.
“Congratulations to you both, sending lots of love,” he wrote via Instagram comment at the time. “I’m going to be a very over excited Grandad especially this Christmas.”
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
Meghan Markle is toasting her husband, Prince Harry, on Father’s Day 2026 amid his continued estrangement from his royal family members.
“They’re so lucky to have you. We all are,” Meghan, 44, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, June 21, sharing a photo of Harry, 44, cuddling kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. “Happy Father’s Day to our one and only.”
In the sweet family photo, Harry knelt on the ground as Archie, 7, and Lili, 5, both wrapped their arms around their dad.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex became parents in 2019, welcoming son Archie. Lili followed two years later in 2021 after the family’s move to the United States.
Harry and Meghan publicly stepped down from their official duties as senior working royals in 2020, instead opting for private lives in the former actress’ native California. The family of four eventually settled in Montecito, where they live with multiple rescue dogs.
“We were looking in this area, and this house kept popping up online in searches,” Meghan told The Cut in 2022 of finding her family’s dream home. “We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible. It’s like when I was younger and you’re window shopping. It’s like, ‘I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford. That doesn’t feel good.’”
Despite their initial hesitations, Harry and Meghan went to tour the house.
“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” the As Ever founder recalled to the outlet at the time. “They’re connected at the bottom. He goes, ‘My love, it’s us.’ And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa.’ … You walk in and [feel] joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly planning to bring their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, across the pond for the first time in years. Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, are scheduled to travel to England for the Invictus Games in July, and BBC News reports that Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, will […]
As Meghan and Harry made a home in California, they’ve seldom brought Archie and Lili across the pond over security concerns.
“I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” Harry told the BBC in May 2025 after losing an appeal for security. “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done.”
For the first time in four years, Harry and Meghan are reportedly considering traveling with their kids to England in July for the Invictus Games.
James Van Der Beek’s widow, Kimberly Van Der Beek, poignantly marked her family’s first Father’s Day since his tragic death.
“Missing you so much and thinking of how magnificent you were in every single way today,” Kimberly, 44, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, June 21, sharing a carousel of throwback photos of James with their six children. “And somehow, from the other side? You continue to parent. You’re a marvel.”
James died in February after battling stage III colorectal cancer. He was 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” Kimberly wrote in a statement shared via social media at the time. “There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
James Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared a heartfelt message about grief three months after the actor’s death. “Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames. To say I’m heartbroken is a severe understatement,” Kimberly, 44, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, May 12, alongside a series of photos from her life with […]
In the months since the Dawson’s Creek alum’s death, Kimberly has been candid about navigating her grief.
“Yesterday was three months since we lost @vanderjames. To say I’m heartbroken is a severe understatement. Words just don’t capture what grief is,” she wrote via Instagram last month. “The comforts of shock have worn off. The reality is settling in … and I miss him. We all miss him. Yet, there is a different kind of magic in the air.”
She continued at the time, “I feel him. I know him more deeply. My conscious connection to God has deepened. The veils of the universe have thinned. And I trust that this is the path me and my family have always been intended to walk. The outpouring of support has been tremendous. It’s held our family in the most beautiful of ways.”
As Kimberly and her kids remember James on Father’s Day, several of their loved ones have also paid tribute to the actor’s legacy.
Dawson’s Creek alum Mary-Margaret Humes is remembering her TV son, James Van Der Beek, ahead of Father’s Day 2026, just five months after the actor’s tragic death. “Wishing all of the amazing dads throughout this vast universe a Happy Father’s Day weekend,” Humes, 72, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, June 19, sharing a throwback Dawson’s […]
“The best of the best forever. We love you so much James🙏🏼❤️✨,” Nikki Reed wrote via Instagram comment on Sunday. “Wrapping all of your little people in the warmest hugs today, and always. ❤️❤️❤️.”
Dave Annable, for his part, added, “The best father there ever was.”
James’ Dawson’s Creek TV mom, Mary-Margaret Humes, also celebrated the actor this weekend.
“Wishing all of the amazing dads throughout this vast universe a Happy Father’s Day weekend,” Humes, 72, captioned a throwback set photo. “My advice? Give big meaningful hugs and tell them you love them while you still have the chance … a shout out to simpler times with @vanderjames @johnwesleyshippjr.”
Rakai says he officially graduated from high school, but there was one major catch! The popular content creator claims school officials wouldn’t let him walk across the stage during the graduation ceremony because they feared his presence could cause a disruption. While Rakai says he’s still receiving his diploma, social media quickly weighed in on whether the school made the right call.
Related: Boo’d Up? Social Media Reacts After Rakai Shares Cozy TikTok Showing Him In Matching Pajamas With Yona Royale (VIDEOS)
Rakai Reveals He Wasn’t Allowed To Walk Across The Stage At His High School Graduation
On Saturday, June 20, Rakai took to X to share the news with his supporters. He wrote, “The school isn’t going to let me walk today. They believe it would create a disturbance and interrupt the graduation ceremony, so they’ve decided not to allow it.” Despite missing the milestone moment, Rakai confirmed he still graduated. “I still graduated, and we will open my diploma on stream when I receive it,” he added.
Social Media Reacts
The situation quickly sparked reactions in The Shade Room Teens comment section, with many users weighing in on whether the school made the right decision.
Instagram user @ameretirek wrote, “They would’ve had me f’ed up ngl”
Another Instagram user @meghanjames wrote, “He deserves to walk like everyone else.”
While Instagram user @x0.midget wrote, “Nawl that’s messed up! The joy of walking the stage after completing 12 yes is top!”
Instagram user @shan_nicolee_ wrote, “My mama would’ve raised hell ‼️‼️😂”
Another Instagram user @slightdripbeezy wrote, “Too much motion 😂😂 he can’t get mad fr everybody knows him and it probably would cause a problem not in a bad way but in a good way 💯 ppl running to the stage and etc”
While Instagram user @theejasss wrote, “Meg was at her peak when she graduated AND walked the stage”
Instagram user @smiley_whats_good615 wrote, “Unpopular opinion: I believe they know Rakai isn’t just gonna get his a** up there & walk… he doesn’t know how to turn this character off & on its a time & place for everything I definitely see both sides”
Another Instagram user @ja.ziiyaaa__ wrote, “He hasn’t been to school in 2 years how’s is he graduating??”
While Instagram user @jaudonnn.l wrote, “Y’all he is lien 😂😂😂😂 LMFAOOOO it’s been plenty of ppl with a name able to walk, it’s reasons…”
RayAsianBoy Questions How Rakai Was Able To Graduate
Meanwhile, content creator RayAsianBoy had a few questions after learning that Rakai had graduated. In a clip circulating online, Ray congratulated Rakai on earning his diploma before questioning how he was able to complete high school. Ray claimed Rakai didn’t regularly attend school over the past two years and had never seen him complete any online homework assignments. Ray later turned his comments toward the U.S. education system, questioning how students meet graduation requirements. “That’s the reason everyone so dumb over here,” Ray said before adding that if Rakai could graduate, then “anybody can graduate.”
Related: Twinnem?! RayAsianBoy And Coi Leray React After Viral Tweet Sparks Look-Alike Debate (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
It’s a man’s world, and that’s just the way Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen) likes it. He’s a powerful CEO who doesn’t consider women his equals, and his power and position in life give his bad behavior a pass. But when he suffers a head injury that renders him unconscious, he wakes up to find himself in a world ruled by women. Even worse, his new boss is the employee, Alex (Rosamund Pike), whom he treated terribly in the real world. To survive in this sci-fi matriarchy, Damien will have to change his chauvinistic ways and do something he’s never done before — treat women with respect and sensitivity.
If you like rom-coms with a sci-fi twist, Ladies First is for you. The comedic possibilities of Damien navigating his feminine-powered world are endless, and Baron Cohen has fun showcasing Damien’s horror at being considered “the weaker sex.” Pike’s Alex is the right woman to cut Damien down to size and show him the error of his ways. The battle of the sexes has always been a good source for comedies, and Ladies First is another entertaining entry in a subgenre that includes the 2000 Mel Gibson hit, What Women Want and its quasi-remake, What Men Want, starring Taraji P. Henson.
Ladies First will stream on May 22.
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If you love expensive boutique style, welcome to the club. Instead of actually browsing at high-end boutiques, we found a way to satisfy our pricey taste on a budget — and there’s zero shopper’s guilt involved. Amazon’s bestsellers list is overflowing with dreamy dresses that could easily pass for luxe-looking finds. The only difference? They start at just $10!
Everything about these summer dresses is chic, including the billowy fabrics, delicate prints, unique textures and fluttery details. Below, you’ll find the 17 luxe-looking dresses shoppers can’t stop buying, from casually breezy numbers to elevated options that work for wedding rehearsal dinners, garden parties and beyond.
17 Bestselling Boutique-Like Dresses — From $10
1. Out Favorite: Throw on this stretchy midi with sandals for brunch, then add a denim jacket for evening drinks. It’s a one-and-done piece that earns its space in your closet.
2. Mediterranean Twist: The Mediterranean-style print on this breezy dress reads mega expensive, even though it rings up to only $18. Think Amalfi Coast tile work, not generic floral.
3. Real Deal: A contrast neckline, cap sleeves and pastel colors put this striped midi in boutique territory. Nobody will know the difference!
4. Cottage-Core: This cottagecore dress leans into the romantic, slightly nostalgic look that’s equally trendy and timeless.
5. Apple of Our Eyelet: Slip into this eyelet-lace maxi dress for a rehearsal dinner with nude heels. It reads polished without even trying.
I spent a week in London, and if there’s one fashion tip I learned, it’s that these 13 summer shoe styles are dominating rich moms’ wardrobes. Wealthy ladies need footwear that elevates their aesthetic while supporting their feet, which is exactly why the women of the U.K. are choosing these comfy-chic sneakers, sandals, flats and […]
6. Cute and Crisp: When jeans feel too casual but a dress feels too much, this laid-back shirtdress lands in the sweet spot.
7. Zimmermann Vibes: If you’ve eyed designer, but walked away because of the price tag, keep reading. This colorful maxi dress has a chic, elevated look that scratches that itch without the credit card guilt.
8. Simple Stunner: The texture on this this solid-color mini is anything but basic. It’s a design trick that elevates a simple silhouette into something boutique-worthy.
9. Preppy Pick: If preppy style feels too predictable, this printed dress shakes things up while keeping the polished collar moment intact.
10. Boho Babe: Yes, the bohemian look can totally be office-friendly! This chiffon midi channels the style without the fringe and bells.
11. Wardrobe MVP: Meet the dress equivalent of a great pair of jeans. This wardrobe staple handles school pickups, lunches and last-minute dinner dates.
12. Mega Flattering: A babydoll cut makes this maxi dress the most flattering pick on the list. The defined top and floaty skirt combo is *chef’s kiss.*
13. Charleston Chic: This Southern-inspired dress has that genteel Charleston-porch energy. The silhouette feels rooted in classic style, not a trend cycle.
14. Picnic Party: The gingham print, ruffle detailing and flouncy shape make this picnic dress feel like ‘summer’ in fabric form. The volume in the skirt is pretty but not overwhelming.
15. Beach Day: For $10, this beach cover-up is the easiest addition to your suitcase. Toss it over a swimsuit and walk straight from the sand to the beach bar.
16. Coast Somewhere: Plain blue dresses are easy to find, but this spaghetti-strap maxi features rickrack trim for an expensive feel.
17. Seriously Polished: If sleeveless dresses feel exposing and long sleeves feel hot, this elbow-sleeve number splits the difference. The front buttons add to the sophisticated appeal.
Lounge pants have a way of making you feel comfortable and at ease, but they don’t always look super pulled together. We understand! Instead of ditching comfy pants entirely, we’re grabbing these chic floral blouses that elevate even the most basic bottoms. Our summer favorites give outfits a rich mom flair, and get this: They […]
It’s one thing for an actor’s career to be derailed by random circumstances of life, but it’s a whole other deal altogether for them to derail their own career. Over the course of the years—particularly ever since the invention of the Internet and its complete revolution of star culture—, there have been many actors from all over the world who have made poor choices and caused their own careers to careen off a cliff.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily imply that they haven’t done any work ever since their career was ruined, nor does it even imply that they haven’t been able to deliver some phenomenal performances since then. It does, however, imply that their own bad decisions caused them to fade into the background when they had everything it took to become even bigger stars. This does not include actors whose careers were ruined by sexual misconduct or predatory behavior, since that’s a whole other can of worms.
8
Karla Sofía Gascón
Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón made a name for herself in North America, working in Mexican cult classics like The Noble Family and the narcoseries El Señor de los Cielos. It wouldn’t be until she starred as the titular character in Jacques Audiard‘s Emilia Pérez, however, that she would become an internationally-known star. She won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress (alongside Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña) and became the first-ever openly transgender actress to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
There were issues, however, not least of which was the fact that Emilia Pérez is now widely recognized as one of the worst movie musicals of all time. Aside from Gascón handling the controversies surrounding how Emilia Pérez portrays Mexico rather poorly, the crux of the matter came when a series of inflammatory, xenophobic, and Islamophobic comments from her X account resurfaced just weeks before the Oscars. As a result, Gascón’s post-Oscars career has been borderline nonexistent.
7
Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke made his film debut all the way back in 1979, but it would be 1981’s Body Heat that would serve as his breakthrough role. From there, it seemed like there was nowhere to go but up. From Rumble Fish to Barfly, Rourke made a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s most stellar leading men. But as immensely talented as he was, he was also notoriously difficult to work with, which began to isolate him. In 1991, after some critical and commercial failures, he left the big screen to pursue a professional boxing career instead.
This was the self-inflicted spark that blew up Rourke’s career, distancing him from Hollywood for years and altering his physical appearance in a way that made him harder to cast once he returned to the movies. Adding substance abuse and regularly volatile behavior to the mix, Rourke’s attempted comeback with films like The Wrestler (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Iron Man 2, where he played one of the MCU’s worst villains, led pretty much nowhere.
6
Lindsay Lohan
In the early 2000s, Lindsay Lohan was the young star of the moment. After her breakthrough role in Disney’s The Parent Trap in 1998, her role in films like Freaky Friday and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen proved her box office appeal and strong dramatic and comedic chops. However, a cycle of legal issues, substance abuse struggles that made her uninsurable, and chronic lateness on-set essentially ostracized her from Hollywood.
Lohan made some attempts at a comeback with films like I Know Who Killed Me, but they never really seemed to work. Recently, however, big releases like Freakier Friday and a series of Netflix rom-coms have allowed Lohan to make an actual, proper comeback, however subtle and small. Though it’s doubtful that she will ever be back on the A-list trajectory that she used to be on, she’s at least an example of a former child star who fell behind but actually managed to get back on track.
5
Wesley Snipes
Actor, martial artist, author, and film producer, Wesley Snipes is the sort of hyper-charismatic multi-hyphenate that Hollywood only comes across every so often. Though he has appeared in movies belonging to several different genres over the course of his career, Snipes is best-known for action films like Demolition Man and the Blade trilogy (the original being one of the most genre-defining superhero movies ever).
Notoriously difficult behavior on set, however, made Snipes difficult and expensive to work with. But what really derailed his career was being convicted on willful failure to file tax returns, which led him to serve 28 months in federal prison. Removing him from the industry at a time when he needed momentum and tainting his reputation beyond repair, this string of incidents has made it so that Snipes has never been able to regain the leading-man dominance that he used to hold.
4
Katherine Heigl
Actress and model Katherine Heigl starred in the legendary ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, bringing her tremendous recognition and countless accolades. By then, however, she had already been an actress for over a decade, starring in several films and the cult classic series Roswell after her career as a child model. Furthermore, her role in successful rom-coms of the caliber of Knocked Up and 27 Dresses set her up as a potential future queen of the genre. Alas, ’twas not to be.
Heigl started publicly criticizing projects she was a part of and being labeled “difficult” by the industry, causing offers to gradually slow down to a halt. This endless burning of bridges irreparably derailed Heigl’s career right when she was about to reach its peak. Though she has taken relatively smaller roles in shows like Suits since then, it has never really been the same.
3
Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase became the breakout star member of Saturday Night Live back during the show’s first season in 1975, quickly establishing himself as a comedically brilliant leading man who starred in some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s. From Caddyshack to the three National Lampoon’s Vacation films, Chase seemed to be on top of the comedy world.
Chase earned a reputation as a notoriously difficult person to work with, fighting with cast and crew members.
However, from the very eary days of his career, Chase earned a reputation as a notoriously difficult person to work with, fighting with cast and crew members and constantly displaying an arrogant, hostile attitude. Enter a string of flops during the ’90s, and Chase’s career seemed to be over. Though Community, one of the best sitcoms of all time, was meant to be a major career comeback for the comedian, he squandered it by clashing with creator Dan Harmon, exiting the series after its fourth season. It’s been nothing but downhill from there.
2
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen followed in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Martin Sheen, in becoming an actor. From Platoon to Wall Street, he soon became just as much of a movie star as his dad. By the time he became the star of Two and a Half Men, he was already one of the highest-paid stars on television—and for good reason.
However, in 2011, following public substance-abuse problems, notorious marital difficulties, erratic interviews, and public feuds with creator Chuck Lorre, he was fired from the show. This signaled to the industry that this was no longer a star to be trusted, and as a result, Sheen never regained his stature. Though he remains a highly recognizable figure, his brand was damaged beyond any semblance of repair.
1
Steven Seagal
There is no case of an actor causing their own career to crash and burn more notorious or infamous than Steven Seagal. Beginning as a martial arts instructor in Japan, Seagal became the first non-Japanese and American to operate an aikido dojo. After that, he moved to LA to continue teaching aikido and—of course—become a major movie star. Through films like Above the Law and especially Under Siege, Seagal became a bona fide action star.
However, Seagal ruined his own career through on-set unprofessionalism, controversial personal behavior, controversial politics, and—perhaps most importantly—making some of the worst films imaginable. With his transition to making low-effort direct-to-video slop, Seagal effectively sealed his own fate. His public persona became widely controversial and the industry turned to other stars, leaving him as a bit of a laughingstock in the modern day.
Under Siege
- Release Date
-
October 9, 1992
- Runtime
-
103 Minutes
- Director
-
Andrew Davis
- Writers
-
J. F. Lawton
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani returned from paternity leave in time to score an impressive home run during the Saturday, June 20, baseball game.
Ohtani, 31, played in the Dodgers’ Saturday game against the Baltimore Orioles, in which he rounded the bases in the ninth inning. The home run was Ohtani’s 16th homer of the 2026 MLB season, which the Dodgers social media team attributed to his “dad strength.”
“SHOHEI SAYS NO SHUTOUT TONIGHT! 💥⚾ Shohei Ohtani launched his 16th home run of the season in the 9th inning to get the Dodgers on the board!” the Dodgers Nations X account wrote at the time. “That’s that extra dad strength on full display 💪👶.”
The post continued, “The Dodgers may be down late, but Shohei made sure they weren’t leaving the park empty-handed. LFG!!!”
Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Shohei Ohtani is officially a dad times two! “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together,” Ohtani, 31, and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, wrote in a joint Instagram statement shared Saturday, June 20. “Thank you for being born safely.” They continued, “We would also like […]
While the Dodgers ultimately lost the game 2-3, Ohtani went home to wife Mamiko Taneka and their two kids. The married couple confirmed hours before the game that they recently welcomed baby No. 2.
“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together,” Ohtani and Taneka, 29, wrote in a joint Instagram statement. “Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout the journey.”
Ohtani and Taneka, who did not reveal the sex or name of the newborn, previously welcomed a daughter last year.
“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote via Instagram in April 2025. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents. I would also like to thank the Dodgers organization, my teammates, and the fans for their constant support and kind words of encouragement.”
He concluded at the time, “I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals and everyone who dedicated their support to us, up until this wonderful day.”
Ohtani, who never publicly revealed his little girl’s moniker, has long kept his home life private.
“To all my friends and fans throughout, I have an announcement to make. Not only have I begun a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me,” the baseball star wrote via Instagram in February 2024, confirming his marriage to Taneka after signing with the Dodgers. “I wanted everyone to know I am now married. I am excited for what is to come and thank you for your support.”
Ohtani added at the time, “We are still young and [there are] many things we don’t know yet, but we hope you will warmly watch over us. We hope that the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward alongside with our fans.”
Jason Bateman may be one of Hollywood’s most successful actors today, but the road to stardom came with a level of pressure most children never experience. During a recent appearance at the Tribeca Festival, the “Ozark” star opened up about growing up as the family’s breadwinner, revealing that keeping his acting jobs wasn’t just about pursuing a dream, it helped keep money coming into the household.
Looking back on those years, Bateman described money as “an interesting subject” and admitted he had a “complicated relationship with it growing up.”
Unlike many children, Bateman said the money he earned from acting carried significant weight at home. The actor explained that both of his parents served as his managers, making his television work a crucial source of income for the family.
“Both my parents were my manager and so…what I made was very helpful to our bottom line each month, and so there was a great deal of pressure to kind of, you know, like don’t get fired,” Bateman recalled, per PEOPLE.
The actor first rose to prominence as a child star on “Little House on the Prairie” before later becoming a household name through projects including “Arrested Development,” “Horrible Bosses,” and “Ozark.”
School And Work Created Constant Pressure
Bateman also recalled the stress of balancing a successful acting career with the academic requirements necessary to keep working.
At the time, maintaining his work permit depended on keeping his grades up, creating a cycle of pressure that followed him throughout much of his childhood. “If you don’t…keep a C average in school, you don’t get your work permit, and you’re fired,” he said.
Bateman explained that the process repeated every six months while television seasons often stretched across most of the year, leaving little room for mistakes.
How Childhood Success Shaped Bateman’s View Of Money
Despite the challenges, Bateman believes the experience gave him a unique perspective on financial security. While he acknowledged the situation could be “rough” and “anxiety-inducing,” he said learning how to earn money at a young age gave him confidence that he could always rebuild if necessary.
“I have got some friends that are incredibly wealthy because their parents were incredibly wealthy and they inherited a bunch of money, and they’re the tightest people I know because they never… they didn’t make that money, and so they feel every dollar out they’re not going to be able to get back,” Bateman explained.
Because he learned to generate his own income early in life, Bateman said he developed what he considers a healthier relationship with money.
Jason Bateman No Longer Chooses Projects For The Paycheck
After decades in the entertainment industry, Bateman says he’s now in a position where financial concerns no longer drive his career decisions. Instead, the Emmy-winning actor is focused on pursuing projects that genuinely excite him creatively.
“I feel enormously fortunate that things have worked out for me,” Bateman said. “I don’t have to take jobs that aren’t creatively exciting for me.”
Jason Bateman Says Marriage Played A Key Role In His Sobriety Journey
While Bateman now enjoys the freedom to pursue projects purely for creative reasons, there was a time when his personal life required a major course correction. Earlier this year, the actor reflected on the lifestyle he led during the height of his fame, admitting that years of partying had begun creating friction at home with wife Amanda Anka.
As their relationship grew more serious, Bateman realized he could no longer continue living with one foot in sobriety and the other in old habits. “Amanda and I definitely had a few negotiations about the point at which the [partying] spigot was going to completely turn off,” he recalled.
Although he repeatedly convinced himself he would quit eventually, Bateman acknowledged that “eventually” kept getting pushed further down the road. That changed when he recognized the uncertainty was becoming unfair to both himself and his family. Rather than continuing to make promises about the future, he chose to make a permanent change in the present.
The decision ultimately ended years of alcohol and cocaine use and helped lay the foundation for the stable family life and successful career he enjoys today.
If The Shape of Water counted, it would be quite comfortably the best of the movies featuring the Gill-man, AKA the titular creature from Creature from the Black Lagoon. But that Guillermo del Toro-directed Best Picture winner instead featured a similar creature, and was certainly influenced by the official Creature from the Black Lagoon movies, but wasn’t related to the series specifically. It’s actually a bit of an odd horror series to talk about, owing to the relatively few official films. They were all made in the 1950s, though the Gill-man endures as a pop-cultural icon, and any movies that feature amphibious half-man/half-fish creatures will probably be indebted to the original film in one way or another. But it’s not like The Mummy, Frankenstein, Dracula, or even The Invisible Man, where those series have continued to exist – and be rebooted – long after the decade during which their first respective movies came out.
All those characters are part of the overall Universal Monsters franchise, and so is the Gill-man, but he’s just not had the same kind of longevity in an official capacity, compared to most of the other Universal Monsters. Still, three movies is something, and technically just enough to rank, so that’s what the following ranking is going to focus on: those three official Creature from the Black Lagoon films. These were technically the last movies of the Universal Monsters classic era (well, among the final four, since you probably also have to count Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy), and maybe some of the more overlooked ones, too. At least one of these is a semi-classic, and you can honestly probably do without the other two, unless you’re a particularly big fan of old-school sci-fi/horror movies. There’s also a very obvious way to rank all of these, so excuse the kind of boring order here, but that’s just the way things sometimes are.
3
‘The Creature Walks Among Us’ (1956)
There isn’t anything here. This is a big old nothing of a movie, and a pretty sad note for that whole classic era of Universal Monsters to end on. The Creature Walks Among Us is a step-down in quality from the second Creature from the Black Lagoon movie, which itself was a step-down in quality from the first Creature from the Black Lagoon movie. Diminishing returns all the way through, and a case of the series just not working anymore, so they stopped making them. It’s not a cohesive or meaningful trilogy, and instead was just a trio of movies because they were seen as worth making, one after another, for three years/installments. Maybe that’s the way it works most of the time, but it just feels extra disappointing here, since there’s a clear downturn in quality at each step along the way. Further, the absolute shrug that The Creature Walks Among Us was seemed to spell the end for all these Universal Monster movies, and not just the ones with the Gill-man, so that’s an extra shame, really.
You can feel a sense of fatigue here, behind the camera and behind the scenes. The tiredness of the film itself rubs off on you, and watching it becomes tiring.
As for the movie itself, if you need a little more by way of commentary than just “it’s not good,” and if you need a synopsis or something, you’ll begrudgingly get both right about now. Funk soul brother, check it out now, this movie is about scientists trying to make the Gill-man have the ability to breathe the air and walk on land. So, that takes away his amphibious quality, which is kind of the thing that makes this particular monster interesting, and the movie never really takes off because that whole premise is just a bit broken. The Gill-man sort of fights and tries to return to the water, and he does walk among the people on land for a bit, but not as much as you might expect. There is a little schlock, and at least the film clocks in at under 80 minutes, just as the other two Creature from the Black Lagoon movies do, but it’s not enough. You can feel a sense of fatigue here, behind the camera and behind the scenes. The tiredness of the film itself rubs off on you, and watching it becomes tiring. If you get through the first two movies in this trilogy of sorts, do not feel obligated to finish it, since there isn’t much fun (nor anything very thrilling) here, in The Creature Walks Among Us.
2
‘Revenge of the Creature’ (1955)
Revenge has fueled a great many movies before, of various genres, but what about a monster movie? Eh, if so, then not really with Revenge of the Creature. He came back to life in The Creature Walks Among Us, and he also seemed to die at the end of the first movie, but this is just how it goes, with horror movies that become franchises. No one’s ever really gone. The Gill-man is not really gone. He didn’t entirely die in the first movie, but he doesn’t really get to enact revenge on anyone in particular from that same original movie. It’s more of a broad “revenge” against humanity generally speaking, if anything the Gill-man does even counts as revenge. More accurately, the movie just has him come up against another group of human beings, and they capture him and take him to an oceanarium, which he later manages to escape from.
There’s also a young woman the Gill-man gets infatuated with, a little like in the first movie, and then things end up where you’d expect them to… only really one way a movie like this can end, and then that ending is pretty much ignored if there’s the chance of making a sequel. Beyond saying, “Well, it’s not as bad as the third movie,” and mentioning that some of the rampaging by the Gill-man in the film’s back half is a little fun (and more enjoyable than when he “walked among us” in 1956), the only other thing of note here is that Revenge of the Creature features Clint Eastwood’s earliest acting role, which is kind of funny to see. He’s barely in the movie, so don’t just watch it for him or anything, but he shows up for about a minute and has a couple of lines as a lab technician. It was an uncredited appearance, but it’s definitely Eastwood, pre-Rawhide, pre-Man with No Name, and pre-anything he directed, of course.
1
‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ (1954)
The original and the best, even if it’s not quite a perfect movie, Creature from the Black Lagoon is comfortably the most essential of the official films featuring the Gill-man. It’s been weird to go through these backwards, but that’s necessary when going from worst to best through a trilogy that gradually got worse with each entry. Oh well. Anyway, with Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), it’s about an expedition through the Amazon River undertaken by some scientists, with one of the scientists also bringing along his fiancée, who’s the inevitable young woman for the creature to fall for, King Kong-style. Or The Mummy-style. This happens quite a bit, in monster movies. The scientists there want to capture the Gill-man for their own purposes, but they’re not fully prepared for what he can do, nor what he wants (that fiancée for himself, basically).
This was released in a pretty big year for monster movies, just because the original Godzilla also came out in 1954. Godzilla didn’t bring about an end to the Universal Monster series or anything, but if you want to look at things broadly, maybe it represented a necessary evolution for monster movies, or suggested a shift in interest regarding what people wanted out of movies featuring monsters. It was a different kind of monster movie, and a very different kind of monster, too, and that original film understandably overshadows the original Creature from the Black Lagoon, and not necessarily because Godzilla could probably step on Gill-man without even flinching. As far as B-movies (or movies with a B-grade feel) go, Creature from the Black Lagoon is pretty solid stuff, overall. It might not stick with you the way some of the truly great Universal Monster movies from previous decades had (see Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, and the first The Invisible Man in particular), but this is still a worthy film within that whole era of Universal Monster movies. It’s a shame this is as good as Gill-man-related movies have gotten, but never say never… the creature may walk among us – or our cinemas – once more, in time…
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