The Defining 1990s Movie

[willpower]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Aer we looking for films that define 90s cinema or films that define the decade itself? For the decade itself, I submit: "Go".
Good choice. I've watched that one many times. If anyone hasn't seen it yet I'm almost positive it's on Hulu. Fight Club and Swingers were also definitive 90s flicks.

 

[72virgins]

Good Will Hunting

 

[guest]

Originally Posted by Lord-Barrington

Originally Posted by acidboy

honorable mention: empire records

+1 on these

hmm.. mallrats? i dunno i was a kid in the 90's. probably couldn't even see some movies mentioned here.

 

[celery]

I don't know if it counts (1999), but The Matrix kind of blew everyone's mind and redefined action and special effects.

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by celery

I don't know if it counts (1999), but The Matrix kind of blew everyone's mind and redefined action and special effects.

From what I remember on Usenet at the time, The Matrix seriously blew the mind of many a Randroid. Speaking for myself, I was annoyed by the lame philosophical platitudes and gaping plot holes.

 

[CDFS]

Wayne's world

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by tagutcow

From what I remember on Usenet at the time, The Matrix seriously blew the mind of many a Randroid. Speaking for myself, I was annoyed by the lame philosophical platitudes and gaping plot holes.

You are, like, so cool.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by tagutcow

(...)

"The Truman Show" was so accidently of-its-own-time that it sympathetically attracted media attention to Jenny "Jennicam" Ringley, helping her become one of the Internet's first crossover celebrites. Yeah, it's easy in this age of Twitter and Facebook to take for granted the whole idea of broadcasting every mundane detail of your life in realtime, but it wasn't always this way, kids. Come to think of it, the Truman Show may have been more ahead-of-its-time than a true '90s time capsule movie.

Man, I really liked the Truman Show but never could get the Mrs. to watch it. At the time, she equated Jim Carrey with Ace Ventura. Actually I think she still does. But, yes, Truman Show was prophetic.

 

[ma1]

Originally Posted by celery

I don't know if it counts (1999), but The Matrix kind of blew everyone's mind and redefined action and special effects.

even though it was released in '99, much more of a 21st century movie imo..

 

[Piobaire]

If you're going to talk the Jenny Cam you have to talk CUSEEME.

 

[Slopho]

Has anyone said "Point Break"? If not I'm calling "Point Break".

Edit: Damn, someone said it on the first page.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Scream. It influenced (and in many people's eyes, ruined) the horror genre for years to come.

Also, been mentioned before, but CLERKS certainly deserves high marks for this list.

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by Connemara

You are, like, so cool.

Matrix, though it looked cool, was unbelievably bad sci-fi. It made no sense at al.. Machines harvesting people so they could be powered off their electrical brainwaves? That's ridiculously violative of basic thermodynamics.

I'd second Pulp Fiction, Go, Fight Club, and Swingers.

In a roundabout way, I think Fight Club spawned both hipsters and douchebags.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

Matrix, though it looked cool, was unbelievably bad sci-fi. It made no sense at al.. Machines harvesting people so they could be powered off their electrical brainwaves? That's ridiculously violative of basic thermodynamics.

I'd second Pulp Fiction, Go, Fight Club, and Swingers.

In a roundabout way, I think Fight Club spawned both hipsters and douchebags.

A ton Sci-Fi gets the science wrong or takes great liberties with it. It's a fair criticism, but I disagree that means it's necessarily bad "Sci-Fi" in of itself.

 

[munchausen]

Originally Posted by JMRouse

Scream. It influenced (and in many people's eyes, ruined) the horror genre for years to come.

I was thinking of this. It was sort of the beginning of the mainstreaming the "wink at the audience" school of film making that's since become pretty old hat. Scream 2 is even more Zeitgeisty. Timothy Olyphant's character is seemingly based on Quentin Tarantino and there's a whole theme of "crazy news media/everyone wants to be famous" that was very popular at the time.