Topic: 90s MOVIE DRAFT - SELECTION THREAD (NO CHAT)

[Lastrador]

- Snake format draft.

- Every movie released from 1990 to 1999 is eligible. We will use letterboxd.com to corroborate the year of the release.

- 2 hours per pick for the first round. 1 hour per pick after the first round.

- Every drafter will have to pick 8 fleems (hi cap) and state into which one of these categories it falls:

Cat 1. Action/War/Western
Cat 2. Thriller/Crime
Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy
Cat 4. Drama/Romance
Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical
Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi
Cat 7. Animation/Family
Cat 8. Wildcard (pick whatever you like)

- I know it's pretty obvious but, only one pick per category and all eight of them have to be completed.

- The genre chosen for the film, must be present on its letterbox.com page to be valid.

Example: The Godfather: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-godfather/genres/

In this example, you can choose either drama or crime, but you can't put it on thriller as it's not one of the genres covered.

- Besides the different categories, the drafters will also have to fulfil the following quotas and regulations:

* 1 Foreign language film.
* 5 different years must be represented.
* 1 blockbuster. Budget over $50m. Grossed over $150m. in the box office worldwide. Wiki
* 1 small indie film (budget under $5m.) Wiki
* Only 1 movie per director.
* No repeated lead actors.

PICK ORDER:
   
1. Tubby
2. Sudden Death Draft Loser
3. Betty Blue
4. vivabobbygraham
5. red mongoose
6. Sheer Magnetism
7. Hazell
8. Lastrador
9. Samie
10. Chakan
11. El Lobo
12. Max_powers
13. NICHOLLS1986
14. dis_1
15. AndyMuller
16. Musketeer Gripweed

PICKS:

Tubby: Pulp Fiction (1994) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Porco Rosso (1992) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Groundhog Day (1993) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Tremors (1990) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, True Lies (1994) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Swingers (1996 ) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Mars Attacks! (1996) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, The Game (1997) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance

Sudden Death Draft Loser: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Schindler's List (1993) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Human Traffic (1999) - Cat 5. Comedy/Musical, Enemy of the State (1998) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, The Wrong Trousers (1993) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Donnie Brasco (1997) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Himalaya (1999) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Dracula (1992) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi

Betty Blue: The Matrix (1999) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Hard Boiled (1992) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Leon: The Professional (1994) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Fear and Loathing in Last Vegas (1998) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Falling Down (1993) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Run Lola Run (1998) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Man on the Moon (1999) - Cat 5. Comedy/Musical, Drop Dead Fred (1991) - Cat 7. Animation/Family

vivabobbygraham: The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Apollo 13 (1995) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Boogie Nights (1997) -  Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Galaxy Quest (1999) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Tombstone (1993) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Coneheads (1993) - Cat 5. Comedy/Musical, Free Willy (1993) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, All About My Mother (1999) - Cat 8. Wildcard
 
red mongoose: Miller's Crossing (1990) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, JFK (1991) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Ninja Scroll (1993) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, A Life Less Ordinary (1997) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Titanic (1997) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Audition (1999) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, The Last of the Mohicans (1992) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Postman Blues(1997) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical

Sheer Magnetism: Goodfellas (1990) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, The Fifth Element (1997) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Princess Mononoke (1997) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Point Break (1991) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Army of Darkness (1993) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Being John Malkovich (1999) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Wayne's World (1990) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical

Hazell: L.A. Confidential ​(1997) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Rushmore (1998) ​- Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Interview with the Vampire (1994) ​- Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) ​- Cat 7. Animation/Family, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) ​- Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Fucking Amal (1998) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Office Space (1999) - Cat 8. Wildcard, eXistenZ (1999) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western

Lastrador: Fargo (1996) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Before Sunrise (1995) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Total Recall (1990) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Ed Wood (1994) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Fallen Angels (1995) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Night on Earth (1991) - Cat 8. Wildcard

Samie: Heat (1995) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Home Alone (1990) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, 12 Monkeys (1995) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, My Own Private Idaho (1991) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, The Lion King (1994) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Three Colours: Red (1994) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Last Action Hero (1993) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Showgirls (1995) - Cat 8. Wildcard

Chakan: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Clerks (1994) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical,  Aladdin (1992) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, The Rock (1996) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western,  Ghost in the Shell (1995) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Natural Born Killer (1994) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, The Crow (1994) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Lost Highway (1997) - Cat 8. Wildcard

El Lobo: Fight Club (1999) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Jurassic Park (1993) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Con Air (1997) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Chungking Express (1994) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Back to the Future Part III (1990) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, There's Something About Mary (1998) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical
)
Max_powers: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, La Haine (1995) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Dazed and Confused (1993) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Perfect Blue (1997) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, Jackie Brown (1997) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Cure (1997) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Barton Fink (1991) - Cat 8. Wildcard

NICHOLLS1986: Good Will Hunting (1997) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, True Romance (1993) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, The Truman Show (1998) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, American History X (1998) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Dances with Wolves (1990) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, The Usual Suspects (1995) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Scream (1996) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, The End of Evangelion (1997) - Cat 7. Animation/Family

dis_1: The Big Lebowski (1998) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Starship Troopers (1997) - Cat. 3 Adventure/Fantasy, Man Bites Dog (1992) - Cat. 4 Drama/Romance, Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, Gattaca (1997) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, The Witches (1990) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) - Cat 8. Wildcard

AndyMuller: Boyz n the Hood (1991) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Toy Story (1995) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, Face/Off (1997) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, Pusher (1996) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, The Mask (1994) - Cat 5. Comedy/ Musical, Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai (1999) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Jumanji (1995) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy, GoldenEye (1995) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western

Musketeer Gripweed: Trainspotting (1996) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance, Se7en (1995) - Cat 2. Thriller/Crime, Braveheart (1995) - Cat 1. Action/War/Western, A Few Good Men (1992) - Cat 8. Wildcard, Ringu (1998) - Cat 6. Horror/Sci-Fi, The Iron Giant (1999) - Cat 7. Animation/Family, My Cousin Vinny (1992 ) - Cat 5. Comedy/Musical, Armageddon (1998) - Cat 3. Adventure/Fantasy

QUOTAS:

- Foreign language film: Max_powers, Betty Blue, tubby, red mongoose, Sheer Magnetism, AndyMuller, dis_1, El Lobo, Chakan, Musketeer Gripweed, Samie, Sudden Death Draft Loser, Lastrador, NICHOLLS1986, Hazell, vivabobbygraham   
- 5 different years: Betty Blue, vivabobbygraham, Hazell, Lastrador, Chakan, El Lobo, Max_powers, AndyMuller, Musketeer Gripweed, NICHOLLS1986, Sheer Magnetism, red mongoose, Samie, dis_1, Tubby, Sudden Death Draft Loser
- Blockbuster: Betty Blue, Samie, Max_powers,  El Lobo, Sheer Magnetism, vivabobbygraham, Hazell, NICHOLLS1986, Musketeer Gripweed, AndyMuller, Chakan, Lastrador, Sudden Death Draft Loser, tubby, red mongoose, dis_1     
- Small indie film: Sudden Death Draft Loser, Musketeer Gripweed, dis_1, Chakan, Max_powers, Lastrador, Betty Blue, Samie, El Lobo, red mongoose, Sheer Magnetism, Hazell, tubby, AndyMuller, NICHOLLS1986, vivabobbygraham 

https://letterboxd.com/felgue89/list/90s-draft/

[tubby]

Crime - Pulp Fiction - 1994

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

1998

Crime

[Betty Blue]

The Matrix - Sci-fi (1999)




As a sci-fi nut, it's not easy to take out my favourite genre with my first pick. But if we're talking about the 90s then The Matrix is hands down the greatest scifi film of this decade and one of the greatest ever IMO. I was a teenager when it came out and went to see it in the cinema at a time when you didn't really watch trailers outside of cinema previews. I went in there completely blind and I walked out like my whole world had changed. It was an experience I doubt I'll ever match again.

The Matrix is a one off IMO. A film that hit the high notes in so many different ways. The cinematography, the music, the costumes, the choreography, the philosophy, the casting. It hit every one of them out of the park. It was and is a hugely influential film that changed the game when it was released and continues to influence filmmaking today. And that's without even mentioning its cultural impact.

Also, Agent Smith is one of the greatest villains of all time. Hugo Weaving is so ridiculously good in this role.... "Mr Anderson"

I could easily pick about 10 favourite clips for this film, but I'm going to go with the one that led me to mimic Neo's 'hand wave' with friends, family, and in the mirror for all eternity -

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/8fT-l0YYLHI&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/8fT-l0YYLHI&amp;</a>

[vivabobbygraham]

The Shawshank Redemption  - Crime - 1994 - Director: Frank Darabont

Voted the greatest movie of all time, it is hard to find fault with it. I have always been a fan of both Freeman and Robbins, (I've had to forego Jacobs Ladder for this, no easy choice) and their chemistry together lifts the story to another plain. The voice over is perfect, the sub plots of corruption, brutality and despair dead on the money yet the core principle of hope, beautifully and subtly played by Robbins, keeps you engaged throughout, not a moment wasted by Darabont. Many, many tributes to the movie far more succinct than mine but the best is at the top of this poster...'Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.'

[red mongoose]

Miller's Crossing

Released: 1990
Director(s): Coen Bros
Lead Actor: Gabriel Byrne
Category: Thriller/Crime

“He’s honest and he’s got a heart.”
“Then it’s true what they say. Opposites attract.“

When your favorite film of all time is sitting there, you don't dick around - you just take it.



I was already sick of the narrative that the Coens' work was "cold" or "unfeeling," but to hear critics make the same lame argument after this film and about this film was utterly baffling. This was the point at which all of the brothers' brimming, massive promise found full fruition. They matched their gonzo inventiveness and imagination to an airtight plot and a screenplay that is bursting with incomparable repartee which would make their patron saint, Preston Sturges, green with envy.

“Rug Daniels is dead.”
“Gee, that’s tough.”
“Don’t get hysterical.”

Add in brilliant performances from every single member of the cast, and you have an all-time gem, a masterpiece which still somehow manages to fly under the radar.

[Sheer Magnetism]

Goodfellas (1990) - Crime

It's chiefly known as a stylistic masterpiece but Goodfellas is also a look at how violence, greed and ultimately the lack of a moral centre can dehumanise people. I tend to agree with those who place this as Scorsese's best: It has a scale of ambition not seen in Taxi Driver or King of Comedy but also more discipline than the likes of Raging Bull or The Color of Money, which had some spectacular camera tricks but which also felt very self conscious.

The great shots in Goodfellas are almost invisible, because they're so tied up in the story. The lengthy tracking shot married to And Then He Kissed Me, as Henry and Karen enter the club puts you in her shoes and illustrates that sense of wonder at seeing this world for the first time. Compare that to the 'funny guy' scene, where the camera stays stock still, putting the viewer at the table as a witness.

It also uses found music better than pretty much any film in history, and pretty much reinvented the montage, with a voiceover telling a story above songs that come in and out, switching mood along with the viewer. Here are two of the most famous examples, starting with the aftermath of the Lufthansa heist, signalling a change of direction in the film as brotherhood and glamour turns into betrayal and endless violence, an ending of the good times soundtracked by the outro to Layla:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/sGr2jv4GieM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/sGr2jv4GieM</a>


Look at the tonal shift between that and the run up to Henry being caught, with different tunes - Jump Into the Fire, Memo From Turner, the live version of Magic Bus - jumping in and the camera jerking to illustrate his coked up, paranoid state of mind. Just an absolute tour de force of cinema by someone who knows every dynamic trick and exactly when to use them:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ITbnvTAbUg0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ITbnvTAbUg0</a>

[Hazell]

L.A. Confidential ​(1997) - Crime

Director: Curtis Hanson

It's kind of difficult to explain why I adore L.A. Confidential, I said in the main thread that the 70's & 90's were the best decades for crime films - Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects, Se7en are all among my favourite films and I could have picked any of them. But my favourite films are those where I connect somehow with the characters and L.A. Confidential's characterisation probably makes it a little bit special than those others for me.

Exley, White and Vincennes all start out as specific types of characters you'd usually find in this genre but as the film develops, their motivations and relationships change. Now that usually happens in films but that hardly ever feels as natural as it does here. Not only that, having three separate character arcs, all of which are as strong as each other is some going, I can't think of many other films that have done that as well as L.A. Confidential. Add to that, all the supporting cast are all memorable in their own right. I know Kim Basinger won an Oscar but any one of the others could have done so as well.

Of course, the plot is great as well - the way all of the different strands of each of the characters' investigations seamlessly come together is brilliant. and it looks absolutely gorgeous. I know that's kind of the point, it being about the seedy underbelly of L.A. but the whole film is beautifully shot.

Anyway, it's an awesome film, one of the best of he 90's. Definitely watch it if you haven't already done so.

[Lastrador]

Fargo (1996) - Crime

Director: Coen brothers
 

My appreciation for Fargo didn't start right off the bat. It took me three viewings to realize how utterly perfect and powerful this movie is. Don't get me wrong, I always thought it was great and had a lot of admiration for it, but I didn't love it like I love other work from the Coens. But my god, when I watched it again a few months ago, it absolutely floored me. It became, undoubtedly, my favourite film from the 90s.

Like with any Coen brothers movie, the direction and pacing are absolutely spot on. The writing is superb. The humour is hilarious (yah? yah). The violence is sickening. This is the Coens at their most confident and at the height of their powers.

               

The performances from everyone involved are seriously great, especially Frances McDormand and William H. Macy, who just steal the show.

Not enough praise can be given to Roger Deakins's minimalistic but fantastic cinematography. He truly is a visual artist of the highest order, who elevates any film that he works on. This shot is probably one of my favourite shots in the history of cinema.

It's not only a visually striking, perfectly composed shot, but it's so full of meaning and subtext, that the moment it comes to the screen, it just hits you like a sledgehammer.

But what makes this film so powerful for me, it's how it juggles and contrasts the evil and immorality, represented by the Buschemi, Stormare and Macy characters, with the genuine love and decency of Marge and his husband.

"There's More To Life Than A Little Money, Ya Know. Don't Ya Know That? And Here You Are, and It's A Beautiful Day."

The message I got from this movie, is that the world is such a cynical, cold place, where anyone would kill or sell anyone for just a little bit of money, but if you can go back to a place of genuine love and warmth, you will be alright.

"Heck, Norm, You Know We're Doing Pretty Good."

[Samie]

Crime/Thriller- HEAT

[Chakan]

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Drama

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Hannibal Lecter: Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?

Clarice Starling: He said, "I can smell your c*nt."

Hannibal Lecter: I see. I myself cannot. You use Evyan skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today.

Some of the best imagery ever contained on the screen. Psychologically superb.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/CC9VDQOgD5U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/CC9VDQOgD5U</a>

[El Lobo]

Fight Club

Drama



Dont think I saw this until probs 2003/4. Definitely the coolest film that's going to be picked, Brad Pitt at his best and a great twist. Absolutely perfect Uni movie, so many great scenes and quotable moments. I am Robert Paulson.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/dC1yHLp9bWA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/dC1yHLp9bWA</a>

[Max_powers]

Terminator 2: Judgement Day Action (1991) (Blockbuster)

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/CRRlbK5w8AE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/CRRlbK5w8AE</a>

Budget   $94–102 million
Box office   $519–520.9 million

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2:_Judgment_Day

[NICHOLLS]

Good Will Hunting
(1997)
Dir. Gus Van Sant
Starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams
Category: (4) Drama

Unquestionably in my all-time top 10 favourite films, GWH holds a very special place in my heart.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ZQht2yOX9Js" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ZQht2yOX9Js</a>

 

[dis_1]

The Big Lebowski (1998)
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-big-lebowski/

Dir: Joel Coen
Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski
John Goodman as Walter Sobchak
Category 5 Comedy


One of my favourite movies of all time, if i stumble across a youtube clip, or when channel hopping it sucks me in - and i can lose myself in the world again. first saw it during a good chapter of my life, so it always carries that association with it for me. Could write more but i'll leave it at this for now - mainly cos i want to see if i've inserted an image correctly.....

[AndyMuller]

Boyz n the Hood - Drama



The GOAT hood drama coming of age movie.

[Musketeer Gripweed]

Drama - Trainspotting


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVp9rKF3hag&ab_channel=ShavkunoffIgor



Crime - Se7en

[AndyMuller]

Toy Story - Animation/Family



The GOAT animated/family movie which changed the game forever.

[dis_1]

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
https://letterboxd.com/film/reservoir-dogs/

Harvey Keitel as Mr. White/Larry Dimmick
Tim Roth as Mr. Orange/Freddy Newandyke
Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde

Category 2 Thriller/Crime
Category + Indie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservoir_Dogs
Quentin Tarantino had been working at Video Archives, a video store in Manhattan Beach, California, and originally planned to shoot the film with his friends on a budget of $30,000 in a 16 mm black-and-white format, with producer Lawrence Bender playing a police officer chasing Mr. Pink.[10] Bender gave the script to his acting teacher, whose wife gave the script to Harvey Keitel.[11] Keitel liked it enough to sign as a co-producer so Tarantino and Bender would have an easier job finding funding; with his assistance, they raised $1.5 million.

my second movie, and my second one to feature Steve Buscemi, although neither really a leading role. at the time i watched this in my mid-teens it felt fresh and was one of the first movies that broke conventions and expected narrative that i had seen. it broadened my horizons beyond typical 'hero' movies and i enjoyed the unpredictability it offered, and is something which i still value in movies to this day

[NICHOLLS]

True Romance
(1993)
Dir. Tony Scott
Starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette

I can remember getting this on VHS from my local blockbusters and instantly fell in love with it. The perfect Friday night movie.

[Max_powers]

La Haine (1995)- Drama

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/FKwcXt3JIaU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/FKwcXt3JIaU</a>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Haine
Budget   $2.6 million[1]
Box office   $15.3 million[2]

[El Lobo]

I’ll meat this up a bit later

…Adventure

[Betty Blue]

Please pick Clerks for me. Comedy plus my Indie pick

[Hazell]

Rushmore ​(1998) - Comedy

Director: Wes Anderson

I was already sick of the narrative that the Coens' work was "cold" or "unfeeling," but to hear critics make the same lame argument after this film and about this film was utterly baffling.

Along with The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore is easily my favourite Wes Anderson film. And the same criticisms you've mentioned about the Coens' also applies to Wes Anderson. I never got that, both Rushmore and in particular, The Royal Tenenbaums are emotional dramas as well as comedies. Of course, both also have Anderson's dryly delivered dialogue and trademark picture book-esque visuals which can keep some people at arm's length. But personally, I adore it. And of course, the soundtrack is great too!

[Sheer Magnetism]

The Fifth Element (1997) - Fantasy/adventure and Blockbuster

The Fifth Element might be the weirdest blockbuster ever but it's possibly also the most original, a sci-fi story that takes in different worlds and species, mixing the ancient and the futuristic while somehow always feeling coherent. It's a splash of colour - both visual and thematic - has a great cast of characters and manages to be incredibly fun while also feeling genuinely meaningful. It's what a blockbuster should be and it's also really 90's in the best way.

This is the scene I think nails what's great about it. Spectacular editing, movement and a cool vision of the future while also moving the plot along. It's everything the post-trilogy Star Wars films aren't and it's brilliant.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/UENRVfdnGxs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/UENRVfdnGxs</a>

[red mongoose]

JFK
1991
Drama
Kevin Costner


There were two movies in the early 90s that I saw in the theater and thought afterwards "I have just seen a masterpiece." One of them was "Pulp Fiction." The other was "JFK." I actually think the latter has held up better, only because there has been so much imitation of "Pulp Fiction," and it was so of its time, that there has been some slight degradation.

The thing about "JFK" is that, if you have the wherewithal, you can view it without worrying about the veracity of all the tinfoil shit, or Oliver Stone's politics in real life (biographical criticism is a joke in the best of cases, but especially so here). As a work of art, "JFK" is flawless. Costner can be corny as fuck, we all know that, but it's pretty hard to quibble with his performance here. And the rest of the cast, with special mention to Donald Sutherland and Joe Pesci, is just as good, if not better.

Personally. I couldn't care less whether any of the conspiracy theories in the film hold any weight. They hold together in the narrative, they keep the plot sturdy and steady. That's all I care about. With "JFK," Stone made a flawless fleem that belongs far higher up the pantheon than it has ever landed.

[vivabobbygraham]

Apollo 13 - Adventure - Blockbuster - 1995 - Director: Ron Howard

….’Houston, we have a problem…’

Some of us remember the actual event. It gripped the world. This movie puts the nuts and bolts on it. Brilliantly handled by Howard. Of course there’s cheese in there, it wouldn’t be a blockbuster otherwise. However, with a story you wouldn’t believe if it were fiction, they bring that baby home with ingenuity, lots of luck and above all, hope…I’m a sucker for it! Gripping, ups and downs, with original footage beautifully edited in, it’s got the lot.  Hanks up top and Ed Harris down below, we’re in safe hands. The re-entry scene gets me every time.

*Spoiler*

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/s_7PfocHTmc&amp;list=PLZbXA4lyCtqoXIQDJX6ARM1eoTNAJEWCf&amp;index=11" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/s_7PfocHTmc&amp;list=PLZbXA4lyCtqoXIQDJX6ARM1eoTNAJEWCf&amp;index=11</a>

[Betty Blue]

Hard Boiled - Action (1992)



When I was a kid there were some films I was allowed to watch and others I was not. My Dad wasn't pretty carefree about it, but my mum was not. Had to waits years to be allowed to watch T2 for example. However, I had an older brother and he had his own VHS collection in his room. One day around age 12/13 I sneaked into his room when he was away and found a slew of awesome looking violent action films on his shelf. One of them was Hard Boiled. The cover image had me sold. I slammed it on while my parents were out shopping and sat there wide-eyed at all the carnage that ensued. I can't say whether I followed the dialogue carefully, but the action totally blew my mind.

To this day I'll never forget the pure adrenaline I felt watching the hospital shoot-out scene -

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/4OPyoJgV_YY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/4OPyoJgV_YY</a>

Now, as an adult I can see so much that I missed as a teen. The long takes, the way the camera moves and follows with the action in a way that makes you feel part of it, the practical fx, the insane stuntmen. You can also see how influential this film was on so many others in the genre. Certainly, films like the Matrix, John Wick and the Raid owe a lot to it.

One of the greatest actions movies ever made IMO.

* 1 Foreign language film. (Cantonese)
* 1 small indie film (budget under $5m.) Wiki (US $4.5 million)

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Schindler's List

1993

Cat 1. War

[Samie]

Comedy- HOME ALONE

[tubby]

Porco Rosso - Family/Animation - 1992 (Foreign language pick)



Groundhog Day - Comedy/Musical - 1993

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Human Traffic

1999

Cat 5. Comedy

[Lastrador]

Before Sunrise (1995) - Cat 4. Drama/Romance

If you had asked me a year ago what was my favourite movie of the 90s, the answer undoubtedly would have been Before Sunrise. It has been ingrained in my life ever since I first saw it, as a young teenager in the 00s who was just beginning to go around with girls and having my first loving feelings. As a young adult, I have revisited it many times over the years, and it never fails to leave its mark. I probably based my idea of what love is and can be, on this movie. It was that powerful of an experience for me.

I think it's one of the most genuine depictions of what falling in love feels like. There's no cheesy sentimentality or hollow pretense. Just two greatly interesting characters, discussing ideas, memories and emotions while travelling through a beautiful city for a whole day. The plot is incredibly simple, but the writing and the performances from Hawke and Delpy are just outstanding. They communicate every little emotion, from wonder to doubt, with such nuance that you believe they are falling in love right in front of your eyes.

   

Celine: “I believe if there's any kind of God it wouldn't be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there's any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something.”

Jesse: "Everybody's parents fucked them up. Rich kids parents gave them too much. Poor kids, not enough. You know, too much attention, not enough attention. They either left them or they stuck around and taught them the wrong things. "

The ending will make your heart ache as if it's you in their shoes, because by then you're as in love with them as they are with each other.

Another 90s masterpiece.

[Betty Blue]

Leon: The Professional - Crime (1994)



With my other favourite Luc Besson film gone, I have to grab this one while the going's good. Just a fantastic film which is somehow simultaneously heartwarming and extremely dark and violent. One of the great child actor performances from Natalie Portman, Jean Reno at his best, Gary Oldman as the terrifyingly psychotic villain is *chefs kiss*. Just love this film all over. Plus, for what was a mainstream film, it doesn't have a typically happy Hollywood ending.

Favourite scene -

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Y6GhwdVzlhE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Y6GhwdVzlhE</a>

[vivabobbygraham]

Boogie Nights - Drama - 1997 - Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

John C Reilly, Burt Reynolds, Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Julianna Moore, Heather Graham and Wahlberg are some cast. Gets dark and dinghy but captures the porn industry or rather a version of the industry that rings true. Sex and drugs and cock 'n roll. Great character actors, with great characters that Anderson brings to life on screen. And what a name...Dirk Diggler!

[red mongoose]

Ninja Scroll
1993
Animation + Foreign Film

Japanese animation has leveled up exponentially in the past 30 years, but for its time, this artwork was dazzling. The story is brilliant as well.

"Jubei, a highly skilled ninja, is coerced into slaying his own clan of warriors. After begrudgingly killing his fellow swordsmen, he becomes a roving hired assassin. During his travels, he must face off against an organization of demonic ninjas known as the Devils of Kimon, who are plotting to (overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate). The Devils will stop at nothing, and have the power to annihilate entire villages. Now, only Jubei and a shogun spy named Dakuan can stop them."

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fwc7wNCvDs4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fwc7wNCvDs4</a>

[Sheer Magnetism]

Princess Mononoke (1997) - Animated and Foreign Language

There are good animated films, great animated films and great films that happen to be animated. Princess Mononoke is in the last group and if you have a spare couple of hours and haven't seen it, I'd really recommend giving it a watch on Netflix.

The film is an action fantasy about a young prince whose arm gets infected by a demon while he's saving his village from a possessed boar. While looking for a cure he gets tangled up in the battle between newly industrial city of Iron Town and the spirits and animals of the nearby forest, led by a feral girl who's been brought up by wolves. He somehow has to broker some kind of piece between two sides desperate to eliminate the other.

This was really a huge step forward for Hiyao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, really upping the scale and variety of its animation while bringing a darkness and complexity that wasn't in his films before (or after really). A lesser filmmaker would have simply portrayed the animals as being virtuous and the humans as murderous, but Miyazaki ensures you also see the violence and brutality of the animal spirits and the fact the village is also giving employment and life to so many people, women especially. Some of the scenes in this are completely heartbreaking - if you've seen it you'll know which ones right away - but it's ultimately optimistic. Here's a montage set to some of the gorgeous orchestral music in the film:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/fCPaVs61Rig" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/fCPaVs61Rig</a>

[Hazell]

interview with the Vampire ​(1994) - Horror

Director: Neil Jordan

Budget: $60m
Box office: $223.7m

[Lastrador]

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Cat 7. Animation/Family

[Samie]

SciFi- 12 Monkeys