The 1988 martial arts film "Bloodsport," starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, features fighters from a wide range of disciplines.

But it’s the scene that changes the story. In the film American Beauty (1999), the moment Lester Burnham quits his job, walks out of his cubicle with a beer in hand—that’s it. That’s his turning point ...

Being a sci-fi fan means living with a constant disappointment: the genre was built to ask big questions, but Hollywood keeps ...