1990s - The Decade Of The Forumlas, Sequels And Remakes

I make no secret about it. I have a lot of contempt for the movies of the 1990s. If it weren't for remaking movies that had already been done or done to death, they were dragging the old television shows on Nick At Nite. What happened to creativity? Adventure? A plot?

Sure, not all of the movies were that awful, but that decade seemed to have more than its share of losers. In spite of bleak odds, there were a handful of flicks that were memorable.

The ones I will discuss are the ones that fall in one of three categories:

Absolutely Great - They were original, fun to watch or at least kept your attention, made you forget about your life for awhile as you are drawn into the movie.
Must See Only So You Will Get The Reference In Other Things - Many in this category were either okay or mundane, but unless you have seen it, you may not get the joke or reference implied in other movies, tv shows, books or any spoof.These are the movies ingrained into our pop culture whether we want it or not.
Absoluetly Awful - Sometimes they are so bad that they are good.Otherwise they are so awful I have to wonder how they made it to the theater in the first place.
Family Fun - Generally great for the whole family. It may not have many merits towards what one would call a great film, but it will keep the family entertained on those rainy days.

Absolutely Great

Awakenings
A Christmas Carol
Edward Scissorhands
The Fisher King
Forest Gump
The Good Sun
The Green Mile
The Out Of Towners
Pleasantville
Quiz Show
Schindler's List
Shawshank Redemption
Sleepy Hollow
South Central
A Stranger Among Us

Must See Only So You Will Get The Reference In Other Things

Austin Powers (and all sequels)
Backdraft
Benny And Joon
The Bodyguard
Braveheart
Die Hard
Groundhog Day
Jason/Halloween
Freddy/Nightmare On Elm Street
Independence Day
Lethal Weapon
Mrs. Doubtfire
Nutty Professor
Pretty Woman
The Rainmaker
Saving Private Ryan
Silence Of The Lambs
Sister Act
Sleeping With The Enemy
The Talented Mr Ripley
You've Got Mail

Absoluetly Awful

Arachnophobia
Bean
Dangerous Minds
Dead Presidents
George Of The Jungle
Mystery Men
Pulp Fiction
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
Wild Wild West

Family Fun

Aladdin
Toy Story
Bean
Defending Your Life
Drop Dead Fred
It Could Happen To You
Jingle All The Way
King Ralph
Life Stinks
Look Who's Talking
Matilda
Men In Black
Nine Months
Robin Hood: Men In Tights
Serial Mom
Something To Talk About
What About Bob?
While You Were Sleeping

Here is a list of movies you may have seen during the 1990s:

Absolute Power (1997)
The Addams Family (1991)
Addams Family Values (1993)
Aladdin (1992)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
Amistad (1997)
Anaconda (1997)
Analyze This (1999)
Angels In the Outfield (1994)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Apt Pupil (1998)
Arachnophobia (1990)
Armageddon (1998)
As Good As It Gets (1997)
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
The Avengers (1998)
Awakenings (1990)
Babe (1995)
Babe: Pig In the City (1998)
The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)
Backdraft (1991)
Barton Fink (1991)
Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Returns (1992)
Bean (1997)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beethoven (1992)
Beethoven's 2nd (1993)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Benny & Joon (1993)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
Bicentennial Man (1999)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Blank Check (1994)
The Bodyguard (1992)
Boris and Natasha (1992)
Born Yesterday (1993)
The Borrowers (1997)
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Braveheart (1995)
A Bug's Life (1998)
The Cable Guy (1996)
A Christmas Carol (1999)
City Slickers (1991)
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994)
A Civil Action (1998)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The Client (1994)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Clockwatchers (1997)
Clueless (1995)
Congo (1995)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
Cool Runnings (1993)
Corrina, Corrina (1994)
Courage Under Fire (1996)
Crimson Tide (1995)
Dangerous Minds (1995)
Dave (1993)
Days of Thunder (1990)
Dead Presidents (1995)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Delirious (1991)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)
Doc Hollywood (1991)
Dolores Claiborne (1994)
Dr. Dolittle (1998)
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
DragonHeart (1996)
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
Dudley Do-Right (1999)
Ed TV (1999)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Election (1999)
Elizabeth (1998)
The English Patient (1996)
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Came Down a Mountain (1995)
Eraser (1996)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Fallen (1998)
Fargo (1996)
Father of the Bride (1991)
Father of the Bride, Part II (1995)
La Femme Nikita (1990)
A Few Good Men (1992)
The Fisher King (1991)
Fly Away Home (1996)
Forrest Gump (1994)
French Kiss (1995)
The Full Monty (1997)
George of the Jungle (1997)
Get Shorty (1995)
Ghost (1990)
Godzilla (1998)
Goldeneye (1995)
The Good Son (1993)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Green Card (1990)
The Green Mile (1999)
The Grimm Brothers' Snow White (1997)
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Grumpier Old Men (1995)
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998)
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
The Haunting (1999)
Hideous Kinky (1998)
Higher Learning
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994)
Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994)
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Homeward Bound II: Lost In San Francisco (1996)
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)
Hook (1991)
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Hot Shots! (1991)
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Independence Day (1996)
The Indian In the Cupboard (1995)
I.Q. (1994)
The Iron Giant (1999)
It Could Happen To You (1994)
Jack (1996)
Jack London's The Call of the Wild (1997)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996)
Jackie Chan's Who Am I? (1998)
Jakob the Liar (1999)
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
John Grisham's The Rainmaker (1997)
Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Jumanji (1995)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
King Ralph (1991)
L.A. Story (1991)
Last Action Hero (1993)
The Last Boy Scout (1991)
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Liar Liar (1997)
Life Stinks (1991)
Life With Mikey (1993)
The Lion King (1994)
Look Who's Talking Now (1993)
Look Who's Talking Too (1990)
Lord of the Flies (1990)
Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Love Potion #9 (1991)
Mafia! (1998)
Major Payne (1994)
The Man In the Iron Mask (1998)
The Man Without a Face (1993)
Matilda (1996)
The Matrix (1999)
Men In Black (1997)
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
The Mighty Ducks 2 (1994)
Milk Money (1994)
Moll Flanders (1996)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Mr. Magoo (1997)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mulholland Falls (1996)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Mystery Men (1999)
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 6 (1991)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 7 (1994)
Nine Months (1995)
The Nutty Professor (1996)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Only the Lonely (1991)
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
Opportunity Knocks (1990)
The Out of Towners (1999)
Out To Sea (1997)
Patch Adams (1998)
Patriot Games (1992)
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Pleasantville (1998)
Pocahontas (1995)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Primary Colors (1998)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quick Change (1990)
Quigley Down Under (1991)
Quiz Show (1994)
The Rainmaker (1997)
Raising Cain (1992)
Regarding Henry (1991)
Renaissance Man (1994)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Return of Jafar (1993)
Richie Rich (1994)
A River Runs Through It (1992)
Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
Rounders (1998)
Rush Hour (1998)
The Santa Clause (1994)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The Scarlet Letter (1995)
Schindler's List (1993)
Scream (1996)
Scream 2 (1997)
Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)
The Secret Garden (1993)
Selena (1997)
Serial Mom (1994)
Seven (1995)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Shine (1996)
Showgirls (1995)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Simon Birch (1998)
Single White Female (1992)
Sister Act (1992)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Sleeping With the Enemy (1991)
Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Something To Talk About (1995)
South Central
The Specialist (1994)
Species (1995)
Species II (1998)
Speed (1994)
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Stepmom (1998)
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
The Story of Us (1999)
The Straight Story (1999)
A Stranger Among Us (1992)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
There's Something About Mary (1998)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
Three Kings (1999)
Tin Cup (1996)
Titanic (1997)
Tombstone (1993)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Total Recall (1990)
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
True Lies (1994)
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
Twister (1996)
Unforgiven (1992)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Vanishing (1993)
Wagons East (1994)
Waiting To Exhale (1995)
The Wedding Singer (1998)
What About Bob? (1991)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
White Fang (1991)
White Fang II: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)
Wild Wild West (1999)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
The X-Files (1998)
You've Got Mail (1998)

Books

Pop Dreams: Music, Movies and the Media in the 1960s - by Archie K Loss
Screen Sirens Scream! : Interviews with 20 Actresses from Science Fiction, Horror, Film Noir and Mystery Movies, 1930s to 1960s - by Paul Parla
Cinematherapy: The Girl's Guide to Movies for Every Mood - by Nancy Peske
History Goes To The Movies - by Joseph H Roquemore

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