The MoFo 1990s Countdown pt II - Preliminary Thread

Also has anyone recommended American Movie yet? Surely someone has.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

I might have room for it on my ballot.

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Now for some 1994 ponderings and recommendations!

Hoop Dreams - Easily one of the most important documentaries ever made, and arguably my top one.

Shallow Grave - Not sure if it will make my cut, but I still think it's worth a watch. Thanks to Holden for bringing this one up during a HoF last year.

The Hudsucker Proxy - Usually confined to the bottom of most people's Coen ranking, but I really enjoyed it.

Speed - One of the best 90s action films. I have my issues with the last act, once the bus stops, but I still think it's a lot of fun and one that deserves a spot somewhere in the countdown.

Heavenly Creatures - I'm always amazed that this film doesn't come up more often in conversations about great 90s films, or great films, period. It is an incredibly powerful drama, neatly acted and well directed by a pre-LOTR Peter Jackson.

Reality Bites - One that I haven't seen since the 90s. Should I revisit?

Swimming with Sharks - I remember seeing this in the wake of Spacey's incredible 90s run (probably after watching Seven and The Usual Suspects) and I really enjoyed it. It does unravel a bit in the last act, but Spacey is great.

The River Wild - Remember seeing this one back in the day and enjoying it, but haven't seen it since. Have seen it pop up in conversations during the last year or so, so I wonder if I should revisit it.

The Client - This might apply to most of the John Grisham legal thrillers (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, etc.) Seen it, enjoyed it, haven't seen it since.

Quiz Show - Kinda like Heavenly Creatures, this is one I'm surprised doesn't come up more often. It's really great and I should probably revisit it.

Natural Born Killers - I remember not being a big fan of this when it came out, but I think I might be more attuned to its sensibilities now. What's the take on this one?

Clear and Present Danger - Barely remember this, but I always remember preferring Patriot Games to it. What's the take with this one?

True Lies - One of my favorite 90s action films. So much fun!

Street Fighter - Definitely deserves a spot!


Needless to say, The Shawshank Redemption has a spot guaranteed in my ballot. Other obvious ones are The Lion King, Pulp Fiction, Clerks...?

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You should hear my gripe about Blade Runner mate.

Ah gripes, I know their unavoidable, but gripes make me grumpy and release dates are a pain in a neck (believe me, as a guy with an alt-Oscar blog I know - they shift, they change -after years being in one season, it suddenly goes to another, and then I have to research why. You have things like Das Boot which come in theatrical, director's cut, and miniseries form, all released in different years, so that's a challenge) As for the ones mentioned, I have letterbox pals who put them in at 2000, I do so as well. The Best Actor Blog and Rotten Tomatoes has Peppermint Candy at 2000, and were I hosting a 2000, they'd have been included there.

But what happened with the 2000 poll has no bearing on this list, I didn't host that one, didn't have say, don't know what the software allowed or didn't allow back then. I do know the 90s ballot isn't going to allow you to enter those titles (or Blade Runner, for that matter - to address that gripe), and I don't want to bother Yoda with retooling the programming.

Neither made the previous 90s list, and it's still a fine 100, and with the thousands and thousands of movies to choose from, I'm sure everyone will be able to come up with 25 gems.

We'll keep the rule as is

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Completed Extant Filmographies: Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Fritz Lang, Andrei Tarkovsky, Buster Keaton, Yasujirō Ozu, Carl Th. Dreyer - (for favorite directors who have passed or retired, 10 minimum)

I've massively underestimated Trainspotting btw.
Just wanted to say that.
Also, it's a cracking piece of the 90s.

And it had the arguably prophetic line, "1000 years from now, there'll be no girls and no guys. Just wankers.".*

Also, as a collector of movie screenshots, there are some ****ing brilliant images in it.

*(to be super super cautious, this comment is not calling non-binary people wankers)

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Ah, 1994. One of the great movie years.

More recs:

Chungking Express
Crumb (another doc I've re-watched)
Ed Wood (Martin Landau gives my favorite performance ever)
Exotica
Little Odessa (James Gray's debut)
The Madness of King George
The Secret of Roan Inish

Let's move onto 1995 ponderings and recommendations!

Apollo 13 - I know everybody knows about it, but I still feel it doesn't get enough praise. Probably Ron Howard's best film.

Citizen X - It is a TV movie, but it's a pretty good one. It did went theatrical in some countries so maybe it's eligible.

Casino - Haven't seen it in a while, but I remember preferring it to Goodfellas *runs*

Dolores Claiborne - Recently revisited this and even though it didn't hold up as well as I remembered, I still think it's pretty good.

Dead Presidents - Been thinking about revisiting this. It's been a while.

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead - This one came up in the neo-noir countdown conversation. I don't remember much about it other than Christopher Walken's great performance as a quadriplegic crime boss.

Dead Man Walking and Leaving Las Vegas - I do remember great performances, bu tI don't remember much else.

To Die For - Again, I do remember Nicole Kidman, and most of the cast, being pretty good, and I also remember enjoying the quirky vibe but it's been decades.

Basketball Diaries - IMO, DiCaprio's finest hour as an actor.

Sense and Sensibility - It's been too long, but this film is masterful. Love it.

Clueless - I remember seeing this in theaters and not enjoying most of it, and I haven't seen it since. However, most people bring it up a lot among great 90s comedies, so I've been meaning to give it a second shot.

Outbreak - One of those I remember really loving. Saw it in theaters back then and saw it often on TV/video, but it's been a while.

Crimson Tide - Someone brought it up when I mentioned Hunt for Red October. I'm on the same boat with this one. Remember enjoying it, but it's been decades.

12 Monkeys - Maybe, maybe a lock for my ballot? I don't know, but it will probably be on the short list.


Other sure shots for me, Seven, The Usual Suspects... maybe Braveheart, Toy Story.

I Second all these titles! Most of them are quite probable for my ballot.

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"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
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What the heck, more 1995 recs:

Babe ("That'll do, pig")
Before Sunrise
Devil in a Blue Dress (a classic neo-noir that was pretty high on my ballot)
Fallen Angels
Heat (I'm the nerd who went to the same restaurant De Niro and Pacino had coffee and asked the host where they sat)
La Haine
The American President

I remember this being a weak year, especially when compared to 1994. I went to the theater pretty regularly as a teen, but there were long stretches when I didn't go that year.

What did I like in 1995?

Maborosi, from director: Hirokazu Kore-eda, was my selection for Best Picture. It's a very quiet, slow-moving piece, and I've always wondered if Kore-eda was inspired by/drawing from Mizoguchi, as he didn't employee close-ups (or very few of them), even with emotional scenes - it consists of mostly medium to long shots, and that could cause a disconnect with audiences. But for me the story retains its power, much like Mizo's The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (one that did the same - medium to long shots, edits are mostly relaxed, no quick cuts apart from one sequence at a play)

My nominees were The Usual Suspects, Dead Man, Sense and Sensibility, The Flower of My Secret, Toy Story, Before Sunrise, Se7en, Safe, Leaving Las Vegas, and The Bridges of Madison County

Just while I think of it, wanted to clarify that I'm only pulling CQ's leg over Blade Runner.

I did genuinely wanted it and it did have theatrical release but I understand where CQ is coming from and I respect that a decision has been taken.

(sorry, previously put this comment on the wrong thread)

Copy/paste bit me here and I wrongly labeled this last batch as 1994, when it was 1995. Fixed it already.

It's time for some 1996 ponderings and recommendations!

Hard Eight - PTA's debut is one of his best, as far as I'm concerned. Small scope, but really well executed and acted.

The Rock - Another one of those great 90s action films and, easily, Michael Bay's best. Not sure if it'll be enough to get on my list, but still one to consider.

Mars Attacks! - I remember reading lots of bad things about this, then I saw it a couple of years ago and I had lots of fun with it.

The Watermelon Woman - Far from perfect, but still a pretty good indie work that explores relationships and stereotypes.

Ransom - I'm a big fan of this, even if I haven't seen it in a good while. Mel Gibson is great and it offers a lot of thrills.

Sleepers - There's a big difference from first half to second half, but the goods of the first half are really, really good.

Executive Decision - Steven Seagal's best film Again, another great 90s action film for those so inclined.

A Time to Kill - John Grisham must have made boatloads of money in the 90s, but he backed it up with some really good stories. This is a star-studded yet powerful legal thriller. Some rough edges, but overall, a pretty good one.

Bound - Love this, even though I haven't seen it in a long, long time.

Set It Off - Remember enjoying this back in the day. Not sure if I should rewatch.

Swingers - Same as above.

Primal Fear - It's been a while, but this one still stands above a lot as one of the best twists ever. Edward Norton is superb.

Mission: Impossible - As far as I'm concerned, it still stands as one of the best films of the franchise.

Tésis - This is one I should probably rewatch. Barely remember it at all.

The English Patient - Another one I barely remember, but it won Best Picture, right? right? Should I give it a shot?


Expected ones like Scream, Fargo, Trainspotting.

I loved the English Patient when it came out, I found it moving - a second go through about a decade back wasn't as impressive, I still liked it, but I'd probably drop the grade down a bit. My Oscar faves among the "Best Pic" nominees were Fargo and Secrets & Lies that season - Shine I have little memory of, other than I recall liking the performances, but the story... something, something, a piano, something.... I dunno. I was just happy that idiotic pile, Jerry Maguire didn't win. (with apologies to people who'll vote for the idiotic pile and who I've incensed by calling it an idiotic pile... for the third time)

Agree with you on Hard Eight, one of PTA finest, better than it's often given credit for.

And Tésis, oh yeah, I watched that in 2023 and liked it - though the 4-stars I gave it aren't enough to get it on my shortlist. But a goodie - Ana Torrent, all grown up - directed by Alejandro Amenábar (The Others, The Sea Inside... Open Your Eyes is another of his from the 90s)

Open Your Eyes might be a lock for my list. Who knows, but I love that film.

What did you think of the American remake, Vanilla Sky?