The Big Picture · Draft

The 1988 Movie Draft

March 26, 2026/ 137 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins · Chris Ryan · Bill Simmons

A four-person snake draft (Chris, Bill Simmons, Sean, Amanda) of the movies of 1988, a year deep in star power, with each host filling a seven-slot roster by category.

28 films across 1 segment.

The teams drafting the movies of 1988

Chris Ryan

Drama

The Last Temptation of Christ 1988

Scorsese's controversial passion play.

Comedy

Bull Durham 1988

Costner and Sarandon in the great baseball rom-com.

Action / Horror / Thriller

Young Guns 1988

the Brat Pack Western.

Oscar Nominee

Married to the Mob 1988

Demme; Dean Stockwell nominated.

Sequel

Caddyshack II 1988

'4%', a gleefully self-sabotaging sequel pick.

Blockbuster

Die Hard 1988

the movie that changed movies forever.

Wild Card

The Naked Gun 1988

Leslie Nielsen at his peak.

Bill Simmons

Drama

Dangerous Liaisons 1988

Frears; Close, Malkovich, Pfeiffer.

Comedy

Midnight Run 1988

De Niro doing comedy, a big deal at the time.

Action / Horror / Thriller

Bloodsport 1988

Van Damme and the Kumite.

Oscar Nominee

Rain Man 1988

the year's Best Picture winner.

Sequel

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 1988

the shape comes back.

Blockbuster

Cocktail 1988

Cruise and Coughlin's Law.

Wild Card

Action Jackson 1988

Carl Weathers, unleashed.

Sean Fennessey

Drama

Eight Men Out 1988

Sayles' Black Sox saga.

Comedy

Beetlejuice 1988

peak Burton / Keaton.

Action / Horror / Thriller

They Live 1988

Carpenter. Put on the glasses.

Oscar Nominee

Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988

Zemeckis, mixing live action and animation.

Sequel

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years 1988

a cheeky doc-sequel pick. 'Sean cheated, but it's his pod.'

Blockbuster

Big 1988

Hanks becomes Hanks.

Wild Card

A Fish Called Wanda 1988

Cleese, Curtis, Kline, Palin in a perfect farce.

Amanda Dobbins

Drama

Running on Empty 1988

Lumet; a nominated River Phoenix.

Comedy

Working Girl 1988

Nichols; Griffith, Weaver, Ford.

Action / Horror / Thriller

Frantic 1988

Polanski; Harrison Ford lost in Paris.

Oscar Nominee

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 1988

Almodóvar's breakout.

Sequel

Appointment with Death 1988

the Poirot mystery.

Blockbuster

Coming to America 1988

peak Murphy, playing four roles.

Wild Card

Crossing Delancey 1988

Amy Irving in a New York rom-com.

On the board, undrafted honorable mentions

License to Drive The Dead Pool Beaches Funny Farm Bird Willow Mississippi Burning The Accidental Tourist Scrooged Twins Rambo III School Daze Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Also mentioned raised along the way

Also mentioned I'm Gonna Git You Sucka She's Gotta Have It Splash Ghostbusters II Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Arthur 2: On the Rocks Arthur The Fabulous Baker Boys Sex, Lies, and Videotape Do the Right Thing Blood Diamond Crime 101

Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads

TV Peaky BlindersMoonlighting

Ads White Claw