Just cracked open this still-sealed VHS of The Mask of Zorro.
Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, and a breakout Catherine Zeta-Jones—back when swashbuckling still had studio money behind it. This is a classic baton-passing tale: the aging hero trains his replacement, swordplay and revenge ensue, all wrapped in that smoky, romantic 90s lighting.
There’s a certain grandeur to 90s blockbusters that feels extinct now. Not just scale—but ambition. Like every frame was trying to earn a spot in movie history. Today’s films still shoot for the stars, but with different coordinates. Different vocabulary.
Still a fun ride. And honestly, every trip to the thrift store feels like Blockbuster time travel.
I think that was the first production I ever saw Catherine Zeta Jones acting in. I was surprised later on to learn she wasn’t Spanish but Welch.
In retrospect, this was probably another contributor to my love of brunettes that developed during my childhood but I didn’t recognize until I was in college.
She’s definitely grape.
Drank or juice tho