Inside Story: Film History

Enduring a production fraught with weather delays, critical backlash, and a nearly fatal on-set accident, director/star Kevin Costner delivered a sweeping epic that would become the box office surprise of 1990.

In June 1986, a coming-of-age teen comedy with a note-perfect script from writer/director John Hughes and a slyly charming leading man hit theaters - and found an enthusiastic reception from viewers and critics alike.

In 1978, young-gun director John Carpenter, a group of recent film school grads, and a gang of inexperienced actors collaborated on a "babysitter murder movie" that would become the stuff of indie-film legend.

A cautionary tale of a one-night stand gone horribly wrong may have scared straying men straight, but it didn't scare moviegoers from the multiplex in 1987.

An ambitious remake of a 1932 gangster classic nearly imploded under the weight of its egotistical creators and over-the-top style. Instead, it became a cult hit and pop culture phenomenon.

How do you breath fresh life into the most beloved character in Western civilization? Kill him, of course! A story that turned the Santa myth on its head became the surprise hit of the 1994 holiday season.

How did a young director trained in cheesy comedies make one of the most chilling films in decades? And how did a studio in the midst of collapse turn out a film that took the box office and Oscars by storm?