Best Movies of the 1990′s

1991 Edition

As PopFilter “writer” Jason Noble continues through the collective garbage that is 90’s music, the 90’s, and music in general, struggling to find more than three songs that were good in any given year, I get to find out that 1991 is YET ANOTHER year full of movies that have stood the test of time. Eventually, Jason will come to understand that the best way he can possibly become relevant – which is no sure bet – is to do yearly lists of songs in movies. Until then, here’s the top ten movies of 1991.

 

11. THE FISHER KING

If you’re wondering how The Fisher King could end up so low on this list, or your wondering how a Top Ten list could defy every single rule of both logic and physics, let me end your curiosity with the following sentence: I’ve never seen it and I’m sorry. It’s just never happened. I will soon. I should have seen it before making this list. I promise there will be a new 1991 list very soon, with a write-up about The Fisher King, and me telling number ten movie Dead Again to go fucking fuck itself. Anyway, on to the list, hopefully with less guilt.

10. DEAD AGAIN

Once (and future?) Hollywood power couple Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson take a break from their endless slog of delightful Shakespeare adaptation with this B-movie. It’s a film that probably tricked a lot of morons into seeing a good movie, after choosing this at the video store, thinking it was typical Cinemax crap. For awhile, it seems like it’s nothing more than just that, until some crazy spoilers lead to other, crazier spoilers, which explode into a fruit basket sent from Spoil City. It’s over the top, which probably leads to a dated feeling by today’s standards, but bypassing that, just the guessing game alone makes it worth while.

9. THELMA AND LOUISE

It’s crazy how so many movies of this era (any past era, I guess) are remembered more for what was taken from them and parodied as opposed to the actual movie itself. Cliffdiving aside, the plot is basic, and is really just an excuse to watch these actors together. I don’t even know if Thelma and Louise would pass the Bechdel test, but who cares? This is about two chicks, driving away from the dudes their under, to see if there are dudes they can control, or be themselves around. Harvey Keitel and Brad Pitt play two likeable guys they meet on the way, but don’t hand the ladies opportunities or take them away. Once the first act is over, their on their own, and these moments are the ones that should be the most memorable.

8. BOYZ N THE HOOD

It’s weird, but ten years after its release, Boyz N The Hood’s place in movie history did not look great. It felt too weighed down by the styles, both in filmmaking and clothing of its time. Ten years after that, however, it’s easier to look past that, and remember the revelation this movie was when it first came out, both in filmmaking and clothing. It’s not like this movie introduced audiences to South Central – back then there was something called the local news…nevermind – but it put names and personalities to the people who actually lived there. There were people who were just like us folk, who were trying to get out, and there were bad people who were still people, stuck in their neighborhood because of the system, lack of options, or ignorance. Regardless of the reason, they weren’t Xeroxed monsters who might come to take over your town someday. It still has its melodramatic moments, and a third act you can see coming a mile away, and Menace II Society, which would come out a year or so later, might be the better movie. But you can’t debate it has drama that does work, or its place in the zeitgeist.

7. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

The best thing that could have happened to this movie is to no longer be known as the movie that swept the Oscars, or the movie that actually only features Anthony Hopkins for eight minutes or so. Having shed a lot of that surface-level reputation, and having its parodies mercifully slow down, we’re left with a fucking slick thriller that all audiences, as long as they have the stomach, can get behind. It’s an art movie that does its fartsy so well, and so smoothly, that it adds to the total package without rubbing anything in your face. I might not think it was the best movie of this year, but if everyone on the planet made one of these here lists, it would be the best bet to make it on to all of them.

6. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY

I’m sure we’ll be discussing Jurassic Park in a week or so, but before that, let’s look at the original “Those effects were awesome when they came out, but now that I’m no longer surprised by them, I’ve noticed that this is actually a great movie, and OH DAMN – these effects still totally hold up 20 years later. I mean, I can tell that they’re not modern, but shit, this movie is over 20 years old. And they work seamlessly with the story, so even if the effects were a little more dated than they are, who gives a shit. I love it” movie. It’s a good one, though not as good as its predecessor.

5. JFK

I don’t know how much I knew this the first time I watched this, but I definitely know now: Do not watch this movie to get information for a school report about JFK. I have no idea how much of this Oliver Stone believes, but its historical accuracy roughly rivals Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It’s about people who actually existed, doing things they never did. Kevin Costner plays Jim Garrison: Vampire Hunter, a New Orleans DA who tries to figure out what the fuck actually happened on that fateful day in Dallas when conspiracies were created. Remember when you were a kid and you mixed all your action figures together, so you had GI Joes fighting Ninja Turtles, and you laughed at what would actually happen. Well, Oliver Stone had different action figures when he was a kid. They’re all from the same universe, but he doesn’t give a shit about what they did or would actually do. It’s pretty fascinating, and a hell of a fictional movie.

4. BARTON FINK

I’ve never looked for anachronisms in any of the Coen brother’s period pieces. Maybe it’s because I trust their professionalism, and think it would be a waste of time. I think it’s more than that though. I know any anachronism would be on purpose, to help make whatever point they were trying to make, because they are artists, not historians. But I also think that whatever anachronism they would include would then become how the past should have been, and the past can go fuck itself for not being like that. I’m not referencing any specific thing in Barton Fink, but I know that when I think of the 1930’s, particularly Hollywood, the indelible images of this movie are what I always return to. A complete Rorschach test for anyone who watches it, aspiring actor or not, Barton Fink is the most underrated movie in the Coen oeuvre, and far superior to the overshadowing The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

3. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

If The Little Mermaid heralded Disney’s return to making quality animated movies, Beauty and the Beast heralded Disney’s return to making quality movies period. I could just point you back to the T2 write up, which is a list this movie totally belongs on, but instead I’ll just point out how closely this movie sticks to the recipe Disney already knew worked. It’s not about revolutionizing the genre, particularly with kid’s movies. It’s about making sure every ingredient is perfect before you start mixing up the same old batch of goodness. Sorry Aladdin and Lion King fans, but Beauty and the Beast is the only Disney movie of the last 30 years to hold a talking candle to the early classics.

2. THE COMMITMENTS

I know that there’s no way Jason has read this far down, especially considering he barely knows how to read, so I feel free in saying this: if you ever need to remember why you love music, particularly Pop/Rock music, this is the movie that immediately needs to go to the top of the queue. Just like Beauty and the Beast, this movie goes through all of the beats of its genre, but in ways so original and fresh – so rock and roll – that it’s like you’ve never seen them before. Maybe it’s all of their adorable accents. Maybe it’s because their cover song selection is pretty impeccable. It’s not deep, dark human drama that will change how you look at life, but it’s a great example of what can happen when something magically – almost accidentally – hits every note perfectly (sorry). 

1. THE LAST BOY SCOUT

The Last Boy Scout has earned the hallowed, jibberish-riddled title of Reverse Shawshank. The Shawshank Redemption is a movie I have spent decades trying to convince people is actually overwrought garbage – so much so that I can’t actually remember what I actually think about it. The Last Boy Scout, however, has long been a often recommended favorite of mine – and is left with the same bias and misjudgment. I’ve argued for it both on the podcast and the website before, so find that if you’re so inclined, but I’m willing to accept it if you want to think of The Commitments as the movie I thought was the best of 1991. Meaning my top ten list of eleven movies actually has nine. Perfect.

-Ryan Haley