One of John Sayles’ most haunting films, LIMBO is a sublime meditation on the feeling of being stuck in a liminal state, a theme as relevant to the characters as it is to the viewer’s experience. Set in Juneau, Alaska, a town on the edge of civilization surrounded by water and wilderness, the film follows former fisherman-turned-handyman Joe (David Strathairn) and tired lounge singer Donna (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who strike up a casual relationship to distract themselves from their otherwise dreary lives. Their sudden relationship comes much to the chagrin of Donna’s teenage daughter Noelle (Vanessa Martinez) but all three lives gradually begin to improve - until a forgotten part of Joe’s past reemerges and sets off a dramatic chain of events that leaves them stranded on a deserted island.

This rousing take on the classic folk tale stars Kevin Costner as Robin of Locksley, who with his band of Merry Men robs from the rich and gives to the poor in 13th-century England. Alan Rickman turned down the part of the Sheriff of Nottingham twice before being promised free reign, which he used to deliciously villainous effect, winning a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award. Along with an inescapable theme song (Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”), this box office hit features fine performances by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Morgan Freeman.

Director Brian De Palma and screenwriter Oliver Stone reinvented Howard Hawks’ classic gangster saga from the ground up, moving it to early-1980s Miami during the mushrooming cocaine trade in the wake of Cuba’s Mariel boatlift. Al Pacino is stupendously larger-than-life as twisted Tony Montana, a two-bit Little Caesar who almost singlehandedly creates anarchy in the Miami underworld, destroying not only himself but everyone around him. Opulent, stylishly shocking, and boasting a disco-flavored Giorgio Moroder score that will knock your socks off! With Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Robert Loggia.