Best of the 90's: The AV Club's Top 50

[batmagadanleadoff]

Best of the 90's: The AV Club's Top 50

50. Dead Man (1995)
49. American Movie (1999)
48. Ed Wood (1994)
47. Starship Troopers (1997)
46. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
45. The Limey (1999)
44. Metropolitan (1990)
43. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
42. All About My Mother (1999)
41. Raise The Red Lantern (1991)
40. Trainspotting (1996)
39. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
38. Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control (1997)
37. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
36. L.A. Confidential (1997)
35. Naked (1993)
34. Seven (1995)
33. The Matrix (1999)
32. Close-Up (1990)
31. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills (1996)
30. The Thin Red Line (1998)
29. Irma Vep (1996)
28. Election (1999)
27. Short Cuts (1993)
26. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
25. Fight Club (1999)
24. Crumb (1994)
23. Carlito�s Way (1993)
22. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
21. Fargo (1995)
20. Red (1994)
19. Exotica (1994)
18. Schindler�s List (1993)
17. Safe (1995)
16. The Big Lebowski (1998)
15. Groundhog Day (1993)
14. Hoop Dreams (1994)
13. Boogie Nights (1997)
12. Miller�s Crossing (1990)
11. Barton Fink (1991)
10. Being John Malkovich (1999)
9. Rushmore (1998)
8. Unforgiven (1992)
7. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
6. Out Of Sight (1998)
5. Chungking Express (1994)
4. Dazed And Confused (1993)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
1. Goodfellas (1990)



http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-50-best-films-of-the-90s-1-of-3,86304/

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Four Coen brothers movies-- with Barton Fink over Miller's Crossing?-- and two ponderous Atom Egoyan ones and the overrated Ed Wood and the gimmicky Blair Witch and Starship fucking Troopers, and there's no room for another Scorcese (Age of Innocence or Casino)? Three Kings? The Apostle? Do The Sixth Sense and Boyz N' The Hood get docked points for their filmmakers' subsequent slouch into creative crapulence?

Other than that, I have a lot less of a problem with this list than I would have thought. Nice decade for documentaries.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Do The Sixth Sense and Boyz N' The Hood get docked points for their filmmakers' subsequent slouch into creative crapulence?

Same question goes for Malcolm X. No flicks from '90's legendary everyman Tom Hanks either. I'da included Saving Private Ryan, sappy present tense bookend opening and ending scenes notwithstanding.

I recall Casino being omitted from many critics' best of the 90's list ten or so years ago -- deemed noteworthy, but duplicative: a Goodfellas West, if you will.

[Edgy MD]

These guys like movies where white guys get to get into some fucked up shit and fuck some motherfuckers up, don't they?

Fantasizing fan bois. Get over yourselves.

[RealityChuck]

A mix of obvious choices (Pulp Fiction, Fargo, Being John Malkovich, Reservoir Dogs, Glengarry Glenn Ross), some very astute ones (Out of Sight, Short Cuts, Metropolitan) and some overrated critical/popular darlings (Red, The Matrix), and the inexplicable (Starship Troopers). In other words, typical of a list like this.

Edited October 11, 2012 by Guest

[Ceetar]

Matrix and Fight Club probably are near the top of my list of just about any category they qualify for, never mind 90s. Of course, I haven't seen a lot of these.

[Frayed Knot]

I haven't heard of a number of these.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Fight Club sucked, didn't it?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I want you to punch yourself in the face as hard as you can.

[metirish]

Silence of the lambs?

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Toy Story is better than Toy Story 2.

[Edgy MD]

What a disappointing decade.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Toy Story is better than Toy Story 2.

I agree.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: What a disappointing decade.

Of topic but, often as I am driving and land on the 90's station on Sirius I think that very thought, popular music in the 90's was awful, at least what they are playing on that station.

[RealityChuck]

Edgy DC wrote: What a disappointing decade.

I disagree. There were plenty of great movies on that list and it was still a time when adults drove Hollywood (thought that was fading). Things are far worse now, as Hollywood has decided only to pander to teenage boys.

The music, OTOH. . .

[Edgy MD]

No, I don't think it's off topic. Music in the 90s was also adversely affected by the elevation of white guys getting into some fucked-up shit and fucking some motherfuckers up.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Silence of the lambs?

I actually like this one more than I did when I first saw it (at the time, I thought it just fine, if a bit a little overrated).

But, yeah, it's almost like a glitch.

Until this "Outliers" list, I almost forgot about Lone Star myself; I generally like John Sayles' stuff, but this might be the most fully-realized of his entire catalog.

Also:

The Remains Of The Day
Babe
Jurassic Park
Heat
Before Sunrise
Clueless
Miami Blues
Quiz Show
Kicking and Screaming (I'm thinking only one of this and Metropolitan gets in the door)
The Insider (!)
Audition
Searching For Bobby Fischer
Waiting For Guffman
Good Will Hunting
Defending Your Life
Topsy-Turvy
La Promesse
Gattaca
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Grosse Pointe Blank
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
There's Something About Mary

NOTE: I went to high-school/college during the '90s.

Edited October 11, 2012 by Guest

[Guest Swan Swan H]

I'm an Egoyan fan. I like ponderous, I suppose, especially The Sweet Hereafter. I thought it did a really good job of keeping the sensibility of the book (the story told by four narrators, not wholly overlapping) without physically using four separate points of view. Plus, I have a little thing for Sarah Polley.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Swan Swan H wrote: I'm an Egoyan fan. I like ponderous, I suppose, especially The Sweet Hereafter. I thought it did a really good job of keeping the sensibility of the book (the story told by four narrators, not wholly overlapping) without physically using four separate points of view. Plus, I have a little thing for Sarah Polley.

I don't dislike Egoyan, really. I just don't love him like some of my filmlubber friends seem to... and if I'm striking one on the list, it's probably Exotica (interesting but not fully-realized... which, considering how long it takes, is criminal).

[Edgy MD]

RealityChuck wrote: Edgy DC wrote: What a disappointing decade. I disagree. There were plenty of great movies on that list and it was still a time when adults drove Hollywood (thought that was fading). Things are far worse now, as Hollywood has decided only to pander to teenage boys. The music, OTOH. . .

I'm sticking with the notion that the list makes the decade look like one long Altamont.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

If you leave out the war movie or two, there are maybe-- MAYBE-- 15 movies in the list that prominently feature guns/violence and younger-than-middle-aged white dudes enthusiastically partaking.

Compare to, say, the Golden-Age-of-Hollywood '70s.

[Edgy MD]

Films Featuring White Dudes (and Chicks) Getting Involved in Some Dangerous and Fucked-Up Shit (54%)
50. Dead Man (1995)
46. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
45. The Limey (1999)
40. Trainspotting (1996)
39. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
36. L.A. Confidential (1997)
35. Naked (1993)
34. Seven (1995)
31. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills (1996)
27. Short Cuts (1993)
26. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
25. Fight Club (1999)
24. Crumb (1994)
23. Carlito�s Way (1993)
21. Fargo (1995)
19. Exotica (1994)
16. The Big Lebowski (1998)
13. Boogie Nights (1997)
12. Miller�s Crossing (1990)
11. Barton Fink (1991)
10. Being John Malkovich (1999)
8. Unforgiven (1992)
7. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
6. Out Of Sight (1998)
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
1. Goodfellas (1990)

Films Featuring White Dudes(and Chicks) Getting Involved in Some Relatively Harmless but Still Kinda Fucked-Up Shit (8%)
49. American Movie (1999)
48. Ed Wood (1994)
42. All About My Mother (1999)
28. Election (1999)

Films Featuring White Dudes (and Chicks) at War (10%)
47. Starship Troopers (1997)
43. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
33. The Matrix (1999)
30. The Thin Red Line (1998)
18. Schindler�s List (1993)

Films Featuring Juveniles Experimenting in Some Potentially Fucked Up Shit (4%)
9. Rushmore (1998)
4. Dazed And Confused (1993)

Films Featuring White People Being Assholes to One Another (4%)
44. Metropolitan (1990)
37. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Films Featuring Other (Non-Fucked Up, Non-Violent, or Non-White) Themes (22%)
41. Raise The Red Lantern (1991)
38. Fast, Cheap & Out Of Control (1997)
32. Close-Up (1990)
29. Irma Vep (1996)
22. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
20. Red (1994)
17. Safe (1995)
15. Groundhog Day (1993)
14. Hoop Dreams (1994)
5. Chungking Express (1994)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)

(Many of these might still qualify on one level or another, but more typically feature the miserable and bizarre.)

Many of these are excellent films, but the preponderance of the themes in the assemblage of the list makes clear what kind of lives the compilers see as worth exploring.

[Vic Sage]

[u:333vcbat]My Top 50[/u:333vcbat] would include only 20 from their list (though not necessarily in this order):

Ed Wood (1994)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Seven (1995)
The Matrix (1999)
Fight Club (1999)
Crumb (1994)
Schindler�s List (1993)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Boogie Nights (1997)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Rushmore (1998)
Out Of Sight (1998)
Unforgiven (1992)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Dazed And Confused (1993)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Goodfellas (1990)

[u:333vcbat]plus these 30 (in no particular order):[/u:333vcbat]

Avalon (1990)
American Beauty (1999)
Defending your life (1991)
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Lion King (1994)
Usual Suspects (1995)
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Braveheart (1995)
Sixth Sense (1999)
Beauty & the Beast (1991)
Toy Story (1995)
Gattaca (1997)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
The Crow (1994)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Iron Giant (1999)
3 Kings (1999)
Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Fisher King (1993)
A Perfect World (1993)
The Player (1992)
Shine (1996)
Almost Famous (1996)
Big Night (1996)
Fearless
South Park
Searching For Bobby Fischer
The Grifters
The Rocketeer
White Men Can't Jump

[u:333vcbat]honorable mentions[/u:333vcbat] to big and/or sentimental films which therefore got little critical respect:

Total Recall (1990)
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Titanic (1997)
Forrest Gump (1994)
good will hunting (1997)
Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
The Fugitive (1993)
Misery (1990)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
In The Line of Fire (1993)
City Slickers (1991)
4 Weddings & a Funeral
Air Force One
Jurassic Park
Men In Black
Phenomenon
Pretty Woman
Saving Private Ryan
Shakespeare In Love
American President
The Birdcage
Bridges of Madison County
The Freshman

[u:333vcbat]and some personal faves[/u:333vcbat] (for which i make neither arguments nor apologies):

A League of their own
galaxy quest
Office Space
Alien 3, 4
Beautiful Girls
A Simple Plan
Bicentennial Man
Blade
Bob Roberts
Bullets Over Broadway
Chasing Amy
Clerks
Con Air
Dark CIty
Dave
Diggstown
Don Juan DeMarco
Dragon
Face / Off
From Dusk til Dawn
Get Shorty
Happy Gilmore
Heart and Souls
Independence Day
Jumanji
Kalifornia
Little Big League
The Professional
Mighty Aphrodite
Monster in a Box
Mother
Mystery Men
One False Move
ONly the Lonely
Pleasantville
Reality Bites
Red Rock West
Rounders
Singles
Smoke
Truman Show
True Romance
TMNT
13th Warrior
The Green Mile
The Indian In the Cupboard
The Last seduction
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Muse
The Ref
The truth about Cats & Dogs
Tin Cup
12 Monkees
Wag the Dog
Waiting for Guffman
Waterworld
Wayne's World
Wedding Singer

Edited October 17, 2012 by Guest

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I need to see more movies. I've only seen 13 on this list.

48. Ed Wood (1994) - dull, extremely self-indulgent work by Tim Burton (which is saying something because Burton lives on self-indulgence)
40. Trainspotting (1996) - stylish with a great soundtrack and an absolutely convincing to never use heroin
33. The Matrix (1999) - loud, violent and full of internal inconsistencies that drive me mad but I guess it was pretty innovative for it's time (now it's been imitated to death)
28. Election (1999) - funny adaptation of Perrota's novel with great performances by Broderick and Witherspoon
21. Fargo (1995) - funny and gruesome crime caper gone wrong. McDormand is excellent.
16. The Big Lebowski (1998) - oddball shaggy dog story that becomes funnier when you talk about it with your friends than when actually watching it.
15. Groundhog Day (1993) - I like Bill Murray and this movie has a clever concept, but I'd call it good not great.
14. Hoop Dreams (1994) - compelling documentary about high school basketball
11. Barton Fink (1991) - another eerie comedy from the Coens
10. Being John Malkovich (1999) - I like really weird movies so I liked this one
9. Rushmore (1998) - on the other hand, quirky can become precious and you end up with a movie about an unlikable asshole we're supposed to be inspired by... because?
4. Dazed And Confused (1993) - kids do drugs and drive around all night and no one dies of an overdose or gets in a car crash so that everyone learns a lesson, thus I liked it.
3. Toy Story 2 (1999) - a good sequel, but in the effort to up the stakes with Hollywood action/adventure (and parodies of Hollywood action/adventure) they lose the heart of the original film.

Anyhow, I need to see more movies. I'll start with Vic's list.

[RealityChuck]

OK. Here are my comments on the ones I've seen:

48. Ed Wood (1994) -- nice film for anyone who loves movies, along with fine performances by Depp and Landau
47. Starship Troopers (1997) -- Stupid, stupid, stupid film. And, no, it's not satire.
44. Metropolitan (1990) -- Likable entertainment. Quirky without going overboard with it.
40. Trainspotting (1996) -- Harrowing drama.
37. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) -- nice adaptation. The Alec Baldwin part was added for the movie, and gets the most notice, but Jack Lemmon is terrific.
36. L.A. Confidential (1997) -- Nice noirish mystery, much like Chinatown.
33. The Matrix (1999) -- Second-rate remake of Dark City (shot on the same sets and using the same idea to lesser effect). The effects are great, but can't hide the fact that the movie is puerile and about as deep as a wading pool
28. Election (1999) -- OK film, but not a great one.
27. Short Cuts (1993) -- One of Atman's best. Few do interweaving stories better.
24. Crumb (1994) -- First-class bio.
21. Fargo (1995) -- would be second on my list. Good story, memorable characters.
20. Red (1994) -- most overrated film of the decade. The weakest of the trilogy -- and the other two were no great shakes, either.
16. The Big Lebowski (1998) -- decent, but not one of the Coens' best. Rambles too much
15. Groundhog Day (1993) -- Possibly the best romantic comedy of the decade.
13. Boogie Nights (1997) -- Good, but there were many better.
10. Being John Malkovich (1999) -- a great film. This would be my number three.
9. Rushmore (1998) -- Meh. At least it started giving Bill Murray some good roles.
7. Reservoir Dogs (1992) -- Excellent filmmaking.
6. Out Of Sight (1998) -- Most underrated film of the decade. A terrific story, great performances.
4. Dazed And Confused (1993) -- mildly interesting.
3. Toy Story 2 (1999) -- One of the best animated films, though The Iron Giant is #1 for the decade
2. Pulp Fiction (1994) -- Best film of the decade.

[metsmarathon]

of these, i've seen...

47. Starship Troopers (1997)
43. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - i'm a big big fan of this movie.
36. L.A. Confidential (1997)
34. Seven (1995) - i saw it, but don't remember much of it
33. The Matrix (1999) - thanks, the matrix, for ruining most action movies for the next dozen years
30. The Thin Red Line (1998) - i was underimpressed, but then, i don't really know great cinema. in truth, i remember so very little of this movie. apparently, i watch movies without watching them.
28. Election (1999) - was it this one or rushmore that i couldn't get through? another movie i scarcely recall
21. Fargo (1995)
15. Groundhog Day (1993) - one of my favorites
10. Being John Malkovich (1999) - i also like weird movies like this, and also like john cusack.
9. Rushmore (1998) - was it this one or election that i couldn't get through? i forget
8. Unforgiven (1992) - i'm a little surprised this didn't bring back more westerns.
7. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999) - seriously... not the first? wow.
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
1. Goodfellas (1990)

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I've never seen Glengarry Glen Ross but when I took an acting class in college we performed scenes from the play. The guy who played Levene was an excitable Brazilian, and after his performance I don't want to see it played any other way.

[Vic Sage]

48. Ed Wood (1994) - funny, bizarre, and strangely touching, its probably Burton's best movie *
47. Starship Troopers (1997) - piece o crap
46. Heavenly Creatures (1994) - tedious, pretentious Ozzie (sorry, New Zealand) twaddle
44. Metropolitan (1990) - tedious, pretentious prep school twaddle
43. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - not as good as the 1st, but damn good on its own terms
40. Trainspotting (1996) - too intense for me, but great filmmaking
39. The Blair Witch Project (1999) - overhyped bullshit
37. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - great adaptation; Baldwin's 7-minute monologue worth the price of admission
36. L.A. Confidential (1997) - solid noir, great perfs
34. Seven (1995) - motherlode of chilling despair; beautiful in its horrible way
33. The Matrix (1999) - exciting, fascinating, ground-breaking, mindbending, influential
30. The Thin Red Line (1998) - tedious, pretentious auteurist twaddle
28. Election (1999) - good, not great
26. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - tedious, pretentious auteurist twaddle, part 2
25. Fight Club (1999) - action film with something on its mind; great perfs, cool movie
24. Crumb (1994) - sad bio doc about art as a survival mechanism
23. Carlito�s Way (1993) - overheated crime drama with cartoonish perfs, and not in a good way.
21. Fargo (1995) - Ditto. Typical Coen Bros BS, more concerned with shotmaking than storytelling
18. Schindler�s List (1993) - moving epic
16. The Big Lebowski (1998) - rambling and overrated, but strangely funny and compelling
15. Groundhog Day (1993) - funny, romantic, profound in its way; Bill Murray at his best.
14. Hoop Dreams (1994) - overlong doc; i just didn't care.
13. Boogie Nights (1997) - sexy, sad, funny; unsparing yet compassionate in its depiction of a group of people in a particular time and place
12. Miller�s Crossing (1990) - A good Coen Bros gangster film; more about hats than people, but there you go.
11. Barton Fink (1991) - Ugh. Why do i do this to myself?
10. Being John Malkovich (1999) - funny, brilliant satire.
9. Rushmore (1998) - Quirky, and then some. But i liked it.
8. Unforgiven (1992) - Best western in ages... which is as good a thing as one could say about anything.
7. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Tarantino unplugged. Awesome.
6. Out Of Sight (1998) - solid crime drama, with great romantic chemistry between Clooney and whatshername with the great ass.
4. Dazed And Confused (1993) - coming of age in slackerville; a seminal film.
3. Toy Story 2 (1999) - Its OK, but why over TS 1?
2. Pulp Fiction (1994) - yup. I'd put it first.
1. Goodfellas (1990) - I wouldn't put it first, but its in the top 5.

* Tim Burton filmography: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=19045

Edited October 17, 2012 by Guest

[nymr83]

Vic's List is much closer to mine than this published one is. Leaving out SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION? Did this guy even watch movies in the 90's?

[Vic Sage]

these kinds of critics lists always have a bias for the arty, esoteric, and ironic over the big, entertaining and sentimental. Also for the independent and international over Hollywood films.