A while back I did a similar blog for 2000-2009 and had planned on doing every decade. I'm back in the saddle for the time being, so here it is. My version of the decade's top ten films. Some films you wont see are Goodfellas, Braveheart, Heat, Unforgiven (embarrassingly, I haven't seen it) and definitely not Good Will Hunting, which is in my top ten most overrated films list of all time. It is not to say that some of the previous listed films aren't good, but they don't hold up in my opinion. Goodfellas has become so cliche, Braveheart was done better, when they called it Gladiator (although I liked it originally as Galipoli). Heat sucked and you saw the comments for the remaining two.
The 90's was an incredibly strong decade for movies in my opinion. In choosing these films, I scan the top 50 by decade list on IMDB and then cross reference it with my 5-star movies on my Netflix queue. I rate every movie I see have rated at least 2000 films. For the 90's I started with a list of twentysix 5-star movies. To show what a strong decade this was, American Beauty was the first off the list. I quickly narrowed it down to twenty, but then the hard part began. I had four documentaries in my top 25 and none made the top 19. First When We Were Kings about the Ali-Foreman fight was off. Then, One Day In September about the Israeli athletes murdered during the Munich Olympics. Then there was Waco: Rules of Engagement (quite possibly the co-leader for best Documentary ever tied with Paradise Lost: The Robin Hood Hills Murders. Cutting even down to 15 was tough. Movies like Pulp Fiction, Clerks and the underrated One False move dropped out. Pop culture classics like Seven, Usual Suspects and Fight Club fell by the wayside But I'm happy with my top ten. I'm sure there will be those who scoff, especially about one of the movies, but I'm very into endings. Especially if they truly come as a surprise (Not Sixth Sense didn't make it due to the fact I figured it out 1/3 of the way through). So here it is. The top ten movies of the '90's.
10. Leon: The Professional - I say this somewhat in jest, but any movie that can make you feel sexual tension involving a 13-year-old and not make you feel awkward or even slightly uneasy has accomplished an incredible thing. Natalie Portman and Jean Reno share chemistry that is like no other that I can remember. The dialogue, while simple is powerful. The bit parts, especially those played by Danny Aiello and Gary Oldman are incredible. The action scenes and when I think about it the actual plot is so over the top, it's incredible, but somehow all the while, believable. I've seen Portman on Broadway and she's a fine actress, but this is still my favorite role of hers and Reno's.
9. Reservoir Dogs - some may question me saying this is better than Pulp Fiction, but as a movie, without the gimmicks, it is. The acting isn't over the top, it's just about right. It's how low level thugs, who think they are big shots would most likely act. It doesn't have to memorable lines of PF, but the opening scene alone was worth the price of admission. It's the train wreck you can't look away from, but in a good way. Plus, comedian Steven Wright in the background as the DJ? Classic Tarantino.
8. Presumed Innocent - I'm usually indifferent towards Harrison Ford, but he kills it in this as the "victim." I had no idea when I saw this movie that it was derived from a best selling book, so I had no inkling as to how it would end. The movie is a solid 4-star movie throughout, but the final scene is one of the ages. It absolutely floored me. Not that this should matter, but did I mention Greta Scacchi is naked in it? On a serious note, she is, but Raul Julia, Brian Dennehy and Bonnie Bedelia are also in it.
7. State of Grace - This is one of those movies that I can not turn off if it is on. I can't walk away, no matter what the hour or situation. It's one of the best acted gangster films ever made. It's so well done that it almost seems real. Where as in the Godfather you never quite believe Sonny is an Italian mobster or that any of them for that matter other than Clemenza, you believe every one of these guys is bad ass. Ed Harris, Sean Penn, Gary Oldman all absolutely nail their characters down. Some of the scenes are so downright weird that they become funny. This movie takes all the glitz that has become modern day mob movies and strips it away. It's at time pathetic, but at no time doesn't it feel real.
6. The Big Lebowski - This movie, over time, has risen towards my top five comedy list. Maybe even into it. That list includes Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Airplane, Caddyshack and probably Lebowski. I'm probably missing a few, but it's definitely in the top ten. Jeff Bridges doesn't only play a character, but makes his character so memorable that to this day, a week doesn't go by, where you don't here some reference to the movie. Maybe it's the rug bringing the room together or not bowling on the sabbath and of course, the Dude Abides. The secondary cast is so picture perfect. Did anyone ever notice that Philip Seymour Hoffman is the butler? PSH? Wow! Or that Tara Reid offers to blow the dude. I mean this movie is amazing from start to finish with hilarious antics, dialogue and characters you wonder how anyone thought of. And as always, The Dude Abides.
5. Citizen X - this was actually an HBO original movie that barely anyone I know has ever seen. It stars Stephen Rea as a Russian medical examiner that suspects some murders are connected. Donald Sutherland & Max Von Sydow co-star in this serial killer dram based on the infamous Andrei Chikatilo. The acting is superb, but what makes this movie so powerful is Rea's character's determination. Rea carries the film, but the one scene in which Von Sydow is in, is pure brilliance. A must see for anyone who finds them enticed by the serial killer genre.
4. Hard Eight (Alternate title: Sydney) - Philip Baker Hall isn't a household name, but you'll recognize him immediately in this one. Co starring John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow, Hard Eight is a story about three lost souls looking for redemption, acceptance and a way out. This is a rather talky movie that lacks too much action, but the dialogue is so on point, the movie flows effortlessly. It honestly feels like the movie is over in about 45 minutes. The best scene is a meeting between Hall and Samuel L. Jackson. When I first saw it I was blown away. When I watched the special features, they explained that Hall and Jackson had never met and their first meeting was the shot seen in the film. That knowledge gave me a whole new respect for Jackson as an actor and a feeling of sorrow that Hall isn't a household name.
3. Magnolia - Ironically Philip Baker Hall is in this also. This mega star mash up is one of the most coherent "everything is connected" movies ever. This actually made me realize that Pulp Fiction, a similar style wasn't even in the same league. The acting is perfect. You care for, hate, love, empathize with every character and you feel a little piece of them in you throughout. With an exceptional score by Aimee Mann to tie the movie together (literally in one scene), Magnolia has nearly no flaws. Raining frogs? Somehow in this movie it works.
2. Miller's Crossing (I must admit I actually agonized over this and the #1 movie and the tie breaker was re-watchability). Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi. Do I even need a mini-synopsis after listing that cast? Quite possibly the best gangster film ever made. I've said this before, but in Italian heavy Eastchester, it falls on deaf ears. The Godfather and it's sequel are two of the greatest films of all time. Miller's Crossing just might be better. Where overacting and noise fill many scenes of the Godfather, the mobsters in Miller's Crossing are much less vivacious, but in many ways more intimidating. Finney and Byrne delivers the performances of their careers and it shows. A masterpiece and one that is vastly underrated.
1. Silence of the Lambs - there is no film in recent memory that has been copied, parodied or had it's lines repeated more than this film. I would be shocked if sales in Chianti didn't rise after the release of this film. When you pair masters like Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in a movie as dark as this, you know you aren't going to fail. The razor sharp dialogue uttered by Hopkins, coupled with the strong, yet innocent Foster is a recipe for success. This has become one of those movies that you can't stop watching, even when you know for sure what happens. Lechter was voted the all-time screen villain and the funny thing is most people loved the character.
In the end, the 90's were a strong era. When a movie like Goodfellas doesn't crack my top 30, you know it's a rough ring to enter.
The 90's was an incredibly strong decade for movies in my opinion. In choosing these films, I scan the top 50 by decade list on IMDB and then cross reference it with my 5-star movies on my Netflix queue. I rate every movie I see have rated at least 2000 films. For the 90's I started with a list of twentysix 5-star movies. To show what a strong decade this was, American Beauty was the first off the list. I quickly narrowed it down to twenty, but then the hard part began. I had four documentaries in my top 25 and none made the top 19. First When We Were Kings about the Ali-Foreman fight was off. Then, One Day In September about the Israeli athletes murdered during the Munich Olympics. Then there was Waco: Rules of Engagement (quite possibly the co-leader for best Documentary ever tied with Paradise Lost: The Robin Hood Hills Murders. Cutting even down to 15 was tough. Movies like Pulp Fiction, Clerks and the underrated One False move dropped out. Pop culture classics like Seven, Usual Suspects and Fight Club fell by the wayside But I'm happy with my top ten. I'm sure there will be those who scoff, especially about one of the movies, but I'm very into endings. Especially if they truly come as a surprise (Not Sixth Sense didn't make it due to the fact I figured it out 1/3 of the way through). So here it is. The top ten movies of the '90's.
10. Leon: The Professional - I say this somewhat in jest, but any movie that can make you feel sexual tension involving a 13-year-old and not make you feel awkward or even slightly uneasy has accomplished an incredible thing. Natalie Portman and Jean Reno share chemistry that is like no other that I can remember. The dialogue, while simple is powerful. The bit parts, especially those played by Danny Aiello and Gary Oldman are incredible. The action scenes and when I think about it the actual plot is so over the top, it's incredible, but somehow all the while, believable. I've seen Portman on Broadway and she's a fine actress, but this is still my favorite role of hers and Reno's.
9. Reservoir Dogs - some may question me saying this is better than Pulp Fiction, but as a movie, without the gimmicks, it is. The acting isn't over the top, it's just about right. It's how low level thugs, who think they are big shots would most likely act. It doesn't have to memorable lines of PF, but the opening scene alone was worth the price of admission. It's the train wreck you can't look away from, but in a good way. Plus, comedian Steven Wright in the background as the DJ? Classic Tarantino.
8. Presumed Innocent - I'm usually indifferent towards Harrison Ford, but he kills it in this as the "victim." I had no idea when I saw this movie that it was derived from a best selling book, so I had no inkling as to how it would end. The movie is a solid 4-star movie throughout, but the final scene is one of the ages. It absolutely floored me. Not that this should matter, but did I mention Greta Scacchi is naked in it? On a serious note, she is, but Raul Julia, Brian Dennehy and Bonnie Bedelia are also in it.
7. State of Grace - This is one of those movies that I can not turn off if it is on. I can't walk away, no matter what the hour or situation. It's one of the best acted gangster films ever made. It's so well done that it almost seems real. Where as in the Godfather you never quite believe Sonny is an Italian mobster or that any of them for that matter other than Clemenza, you believe every one of these guys is bad ass. Ed Harris, Sean Penn, Gary Oldman all absolutely nail their characters down. Some of the scenes are so downright weird that they become funny. This movie takes all the glitz that has become modern day mob movies and strips it away. It's at time pathetic, but at no time doesn't it feel real.
6. The Big Lebowski - This movie, over time, has risen towards my top five comedy list. Maybe even into it. That list includes Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Airplane, Caddyshack and probably Lebowski. I'm probably missing a few, but it's definitely in the top ten. Jeff Bridges doesn't only play a character, but makes his character so memorable that to this day, a week doesn't go by, where you don't here some reference to the movie. Maybe it's the rug bringing the room together or not bowling on the sabbath and of course, the Dude Abides. The secondary cast is so picture perfect. Did anyone ever notice that Philip Seymour Hoffman is the butler? PSH? Wow! Or that Tara Reid offers to blow the dude. I mean this movie is amazing from start to finish with hilarious antics, dialogue and characters you wonder how anyone thought of. And as always, The Dude Abides.
5. Citizen X - this was actually an HBO original movie that barely anyone I know has ever seen. It stars Stephen Rea as a Russian medical examiner that suspects some murders are connected. Donald Sutherland & Max Von Sydow co-star in this serial killer dram based on the infamous Andrei Chikatilo. The acting is superb, but what makes this movie so powerful is Rea's character's determination. Rea carries the film, but the one scene in which Von Sydow is in, is pure brilliance. A must see for anyone who finds them enticed by the serial killer genre.
4. Hard Eight (Alternate title: Sydney) - Philip Baker Hall isn't a household name, but you'll recognize him immediately in this one. Co starring John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow, Hard Eight is a story about three lost souls looking for redemption, acceptance and a way out. This is a rather talky movie that lacks too much action, but the dialogue is so on point, the movie flows effortlessly. It honestly feels like the movie is over in about 45 minutes. The best scene is a meeting between Hall and Samuel L. Jackson. When I first saw it I was blown away. When I watched the special features, they explained that Hall and Jackson had never met and their first meeting was the shot seen in the film. That knowledge gave me a whole new respect for Jackson as an actor and a feeling of sorrow that Hall isn't a household name.
3. Magnolia - Ironically Philip Baker Hall is in this also. This mega star mash up is one of the most coherent "everything is connected" movies ever. This actually made me realize that Pulp Fiction, a similar style wasn't even in the same league. The acting is perfect. You care for, hate, love, empathize with every character and you feel a little piece of them in you throughout. With an exceptional score by Aimee Mann to tie the movie together (literally in one scene), Magnolia has nearly no flaws. Raining frogs? Somehow in this movie it works.
2. Miller's Crossing (I must admit I actually agonized over this and the #1 movie and the tie breaker was re-watchability). Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi. Do I even need a mini-synopsis after listing that cast? Quite possibly the best gangster film ever made. I've said this before, but in Italian heavy Eastchester, it falls on deaf ears. The Godfather and it's sequel are two of the greatest films of all time. Miller's Crossing just might be better. Where overacting and noise fill many scenes of the Godfather, the mobsters in Miller's Crossing are much less vivacious, but in many ways more intimidating. Finney and Byrne delivers the performances of their careers and it shows. A masterpiece and one that is vastly underrated.
1. Silence of the Lambs - there is no film in recent memory that has been copied, parodied or had it's lines repeated more than this film. I would be shocked if sales in Chianti didn't rise after the release of this film. When you pair masters like Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in a movie as dark as this, you know you aren't going to fail. The razor sharp dialogue uttered by Hopkins, coupled with the strong, yet innocent Foster is a recipe for success. This has become one of those movies that you can't stop watching, even when you know for sure what happens. Lechter was voted the all-time screen villain and the funny thing is most people loved the character.
In the end, the 90's were a strong era. When a movie like Goodfellas doesn't crack my top 30, you know it's a rough ring to enter.
Here is an alternate top 10. Great decade. Shawshank,
ReplyDeleteUsual Suspects
Fargo
Groundhog Day - everytime its on I watch it.
Seven - Would be in my Top 10 ever
Goodfellas
Hoop Dreams
Being John Malkovich
Remains of the Day (My favorite performance by an actor ever - Anthony Hopkins)
The Thin Red Line - Malick is a genius