The Resident Bitch Prepares for... the Most Recent MoFo Countdown

I've heard of it, but haven't seen it. I may check it out.

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I watched this a few days ago and just realized I never posted it here:



Now and Then
(Lesli Linka Glatter, 1995)

It’s been quite a few years since I last watched this one. I remember liking it, and I remembered a lot of the lighter moments like the girls watching the boys skinny dip at the lake and then stealing their clothes, or the vanilla pudding balloon boobs one of the girls stuffed her bra with. However, I’d kind of forgotten about the darker parts and about how well the young actresses performed in this. The scenes with the characters as grownups were unnecessary and and I think the film would be better off without them, but I still really enjoyed this. It probably won’t make my balance as there are too many movies from the 90s that I like and too many with more nostalgic values than this one, but I’m glad I gave it another watch.

Citizen X
(Chris Gerolmo, 1995)

I know I watched and enjoyed this movie at some point back in the 90s and it may well have been among the many movies my family recorded onto VHS (probably during one of HBO's "free preview" weekends). However, in the 30 or so years since then I had completely forgotten about it and so tonight's rewatch might as well have been a first viewing... and an impressive one at that.

I expect movies about serial killers to be creepy or at least really sad - and it was sad and maybe a little creepy, but the emotion I felt more than anything was frustration and in no way is that statement a criticism of the movie. This is because Citizen X is not really a movie about a serial killer. It's a procedural film about a detective who doggedly tried for many years to battle against the infuriating bureaucracy of the USSR and the incompetence of those in charge so that he could identify and stop a monster. This man is played by Stephen Rea, who gives a stellar performance that really kept me gripped to the screen - and who made me realize that I really ought to seek out more of his work. (I remember him in Interview With the Vampire and I know I need to rewatch The Crying Game since I barely remember anything about it, but I'm open to other suggestions). He really carries the movie. But Donald Sutherland as Rea's commanding officer (and one of the few competent men in the film) and Max Von Sydow as the psychiatrist who aides in the investigation are also excellent. Really though I don't think there were any weak performances and the story the movie tells is really quite compelling, so I'm really glad to have been reminded of this movie. Sadly its chances of making my ballot are slim, but only because there is a lot of competition and only 25 slots to fill. This decade just leaves me too spoiled for choice.

Paradise
(Mary Agnes Donoghue, 1991)

For a movie that is about what this movie is about, I was really expecting a much bigger emotional impact than what it had to offer. Don't get me wrong, I thought the performances were all fine and the basic story was good, but I really struggled to connect with its characters. In particular, I found Ben a difficult man to root for (which I was not expecting, given the casting). So I wasn't exactly pulling for him and Lily to work things out, which made it difficult to be invested in their story. The scene where a drunken Ben nearly rapes Lily didn't exactly help matters either.

Willard's story and his friendship with Billie was a little better, but I still felt mostly detached from what was going on. Which is a shame really, because the movie does have a good cast and a decent premise. Perhaps if I ever give it a rewatch it might grow on me, but as it stands there's no way this gets my vote.

Lawn Dogs
(John Duigan, 1997)

I really don't have a lot to say about this one. I really strongly disliked Mischa Barton's character and was pretty apathetic to everyone else. I think movies about classism can be really engaging and well made, but I didn't feel much of anything watching this one and nothing about it stood out to me as anything special.

The Big Lebowski
(Joel Coen, 1998)

At one point, this was a top ten movie for me. It's one of a rare few movies that I loved on first watch and it has continued to hold a special place in my heart since then. That said, after tonight's viewing I definitely don't feel the same way about this movie that I once did. I still love it - it still had me laughing at a bunch of the scenes (especially the "Gutterballs" sequence and anytime Jesus appeared) - but comedies often have diminishing returns for me and though this movie held up way better than many others have, it ultimately is not immune to the problem.

Still it's pretty much guaranteed a slot somewhere on my ballot.

Just a heads up because someone could recommend it to you

Do not watch Bad Boy Bubby

Due to a scene with an animal, you would lose your mind

I'd never heard of that and just read up about it. JFC that's horrific. I will definitely avoid it.

Truly Madly Deeply
(Anthony Minghella, 1991)

If there's one thing that can reliably take me out of just about any live-action movie or television show it's ghosts or the resurrection of any dead character. So when I watched the trailer for this and saw that Alan Rickman plays a ghost, I had reservations. A lot of reservations. Having now seen the movie I can say those reservations were well founded. It's nowhere near as egregious as something like 2017's A Ghost Story (Sheet Affleck ) or that part of the show Grey's Anatomy where Izzy was having sex with her boyfriend's ghost, but I was never able to get past my aversion to the spirit BS and actually engage with the movie and its characters. Weirdly though I don't mind Ghost from 1990 (probably because Patrick Swayze was hot. Alan Rickman is no Patrick Swayze).

Which is not to say there's really anything wrong with it. The performances were fine. If this sort of story was my kind of thing, I would probably like it, but it isn't my thing and I didn't like it so here we are.

Mystery, Alaska
(Jay Roach, 1999)

I give precisely zero shits about hockey - or sports in general - so despite my love of Russell Crowe, this isn't a movie I watch often. Actually it had been so long since my last viewing that I had completely forgotten almost everything about it. But for whatever reason I had an urge to watch it and it is a 90s movie so here we are.

And I had a good time with it. It gets a bit silly and really cheesy at times but I like the characters and it's got a strong cast. Also I'll never object to watching Russell Crowe in his prime (and damn does his hair look great in this) so, yeah I was happy. This doesn't have a hope in hell of making my 90s ballot - though if we ever do a sports movie countdown it'll get my vote - but I'm happy.