The Oscars, as we know, are a Godawful night. A weirdly chaste and uptight affair, hellishly boring to sit through and vomit-inducing with their fake sincerity and Tinseltown earnestness. From the parade of vacuous clotheshorses being verbally wanked off by thirsty, thirsty celebrity journalists, to the incredibly naff after-parties. A

The 1993 action-thriller Cliffhanger is another entry in that 1990s high-concept action genre. That era and genre will possibly never be beaten for the sheer volume of quality thrills it delivered over many movies throughout that decade. It is getting a sequel shortly, however Harlin is not involved. Mark Bianculli