Recommended reading - The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories (1988):

The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories

Edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg.

Published by Running Press.

First published 1988,

This revised edition published in 2004.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0786713712

ISBN-13: 978-0786713714

Description:

The very best in hardboiled fiction, from such masters as Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler, Marcia Muller, Michael Collins, Ed McBain, William Campbell Gault and many more.

With its roots in the American private detective fiction of the 1920s but traceable back as far as Sherlock Holmes, the private eye story remains as popular as ever. Here are 24 of the finest short novels and stories from the hardboiled world of the private eye. The characters in this collection range from the tough, cynical, hard-drinking Philip Marlowe type to hard-hitting female private eyes and the one-armed intellectual Dan Fortune – from masters of the genre past and present.

On this day in movie history - Young Guns (1988):

Young Guns

directed by Christopher Cain,

written by John Fusco,

was released in the United States on August 12, 1988.

Music by Anthony Marinelli and Brian Banks.

Cast:

Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, Terry O'Quinn, Sharon Thomas Cain, Geoffrey Blake, Alice Carter, Brian Keith, Thomas Callaway, Patrick Wayne, Lisa Banes, Sam Gauny, Cody Palance, Gadeek, Victor Izay, Allen Keller, Craig Erickson, Jeremy Lepard, Danny Kamin, Richela Renkun, Pat Finn-Lee, Gary Kanin, Forrest Broadley, Alan Tobin, Joey Hamlin, Loyd Lee Brown, Elena Parres, Tom Cruise, Tomas Moore, John Pattison, W. Thomas Snyder, Lee Sollenberger, Randy Travis.

On this day in movie history - The Blob (1988):

The Blob

directed by Chuck Russell,

written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont,

story by Irvine H. Millgate,

based on the original 1958 screenplay by Theodore Simonson and Kay Linaker,

was released in the United States on August 5, 1988.

Music by Michael Hoenig.

Cast:

Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch Jr., Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca, Del Close, Paul McCrane, Sharon Spelman, Beau Billingslea, Art LaFleur, Ricky Paull Goldin, Robert Axelrod, Bill Moseley, Frank Collison, Michael Kenworthy, Jack Rader, Billy Beck, Wade Mayer, Douglas Emerson, Jack Nance, Charlene Fox, Erika Eleniak, Margaret Smith, Teddy Vincent, Don Brunner II, Clayton Landey, Jacquelyn Masche, Julie McCullough, Daryl Sandy Marsh, Jamison Newlander, Judith Flanagan, Richard Anthony Crenna, Pons Maar, M. James Arnett, Peter Crombie, Rick Avery, David Weininger, Moss Porter, Noble Craig, Opelene Bartley, Portia Griffin, Jennifer Lincoln, Charlie Spradling, Kristen Aldrich, Lilli Fields, Robert Hammond, Michael Lindström, Ann Mills, Lloyd Bryan Molander, Verna Lynn Richland, Chuck Russell.

On this day in movie history - Die Hard (1988):

Die Hard

directed by John McTiernan,

written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza,

based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp,

was released in the United States on July 22, 1988.
Music by Michael Kamen.

Cast:

Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, De'voreaux White, William Atherton, Clarence Gilyard, Hart Bochner, James Shigeta, Bruno Doyon, Andreas Wisniewski, Joey Plewa, Lorenzo Caccialanza, Gerard Bonn, Dennis Hayden, Al Leong, Gary Roberts, Hans Buhringer, Wilhelm von Homburg, Robert Davi, Grand L. Bush, Tracy Reiner, Taylor Fry, Noah Land.

On this day in movie history - Midnight Run (1988):

Midnight Run

directed by Martin Brest,

written by George Gallo,

was released in the United States on July 20, 1988.
Music by Danny Elfman.

“There’s a couple of nice-lookin’ people here. Better class of people. Your people. Probably all embezzlers, too.” 

– Robert De Niro, as Jack Walsh.

Cast:

Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Foronjy, Robert Miranda, Jack Kehoe, Wendy Phillips, Danielle DuClos, Philip Baker Hall, Tom McCleister, Fran Brill.

On this day in movie history - Akira (1988):

Akira

directed by Katsuhiro Otomo,

written by Katsuhiro Otomo and Izo Hashimoto,

based on the Akira manga comic book series,

written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo,

was released in Japan on July 16, 1988.

On this day in movie history - The Dead Pool (1988):

The Dead Pool

directed by Buddy Van Horn,

written by Steve Sharon,

based on a story by Steve Sharon, Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw,

was released in the United States on July 13, 1988.

Music by Lalo Schifrin.

Cast:

Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson, Evan C. Kim, David Hunt, Michael Currie, Michael Goodwin, Darwin Gillett, Anthony Charnota, Christopher P. Beale, John Vick, Jeff Richmond, Patrick N. Van Horn, Sigrid Wurschmidt, Jim Carrey, Deborah A. Bryan, Nicholas Love, Maureen McVerry, John X. Heart, Victoria Bastel, Kathleen Turco-Lyon, Michael Faqir, Ronnie Claire Edwards, Wallace Choy, Melodie Soe, Kristopher Logan, Scott Vance, Glenn Wright, Stu Klitsner, Karen Kahn, Shawn Elliott, Ren Reynolds, Ed Hodson, Edward Hocking, Diego Chairs, Patrick Valentino, Calvin Jones, Melissa Martin, Phil Dacey, Louis Giambalvo, Peter Anthony Jacobs, Bill Wattenburg, Hugh McCann, Suzanne Sterling, Lloyd Nelson, Charles Martinet, Taylor Gilbert, George Orrison, Marc Alaimo, Justin Whalin, Kris LeFan, Katie Bruce, Harry Demopoulos, John Frederick Jones, Martin Ganapoler, James W. Gavin, Craig Hosking, Steven Adler, Cynthia Brian, Michael E. Burgess, Richard Conti, Richard Conti, Brian Danker, Jack Duane, Duff McKagan, D.C. Murphy, Axl Rose, Slash, Theodore Carl Soderberg, Izzy Stradlin, John Woehrle.

On this day in movie history - Phantasm II (1988):

Phantasm II

directed and written by Don Coscarelli,

was released in the United States on July 8, 1988.
Music by Fred Myrow and Christopher L. Stone.

Cast:

James Le Gros, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm, A. Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm, Paula Irvine, Samantha Phillips, Kenneth Tigar, Ruth C. Engel, Mark Major, Rubin Kushner, Stacey Travis, J. Patrick McNamara, Amanda Gray, Elizabeth Quezada, Lauren Gray, June Jordan, Megan Gibbons, Craig Murkey, Amanda Gibbons, Troy Fromin, Georgeanna Valdez, Guy Alford, Irene Korman, Ricky Murkey, Katie Carlin, Delia Ortega, Lee Craig, Ramona Ortega, Richard F. Berry, Patrick W. Allen, Phil Fondacaro, Ed Gale.