Film Faves: 1995
Howdy folks and welcome to this month's edition of Film Faves.
For those who may not know, Film Faves is a monthly feature here on The Gibson Review wherein I countdown my twelve favorites of any film-related topic. As I said, it is not an objective list of the twelve best of that topic, but a subjective favorites list - hence the name.
Since its inception, Film Faves has been counting backward through time, knocking out my favorites of each year. This month, we hit the halfway mark of the 1990s with the year 1995.
Let's get started.
This month's subject was an interesting year for talent. For example, it featured a heavy dose of debuts: Liv Tyler turned heads in Empire Records, Cindy Crawford turned people off in Fair Game, Natasha Henstridge turned geeks on in Species, Salma Hayek burned up the screen in Desperado, Jason Lee pissed Ben Affleck off in Mallrats, and Joaquin Phoenix tripped over himself for Nicole Kidman's attentions in To Die For.
Also, many actors had break-out roles in 1995: Alicia Silverstone became a hit in Clueless, Don Cheadle impressed many in Devil in a Blue Dress, Mira Sorvino won awards for Mighty Aphrodite, Babe was James Cromwell's first of many subsequent hits, and Angelina Jolie caught the attention of some high school boys in Hackers.
Several actors did double-duty in 1995: Sharon Stone earned accolades for her performance in Casino and took aim at Gene Hackman in The Quick and the Dead; then-unknown Russell Crowe played good in The Quick and the Dead and evil in Virtuosity; Denzel Washington played a cop of the future in Virtuosity, a P.I. of the past in Devil in a Blue Dress, and an officer with integrity in Crimson Tide (also starring Gene Hackman); Brad Pitt lost his mind in 12 Monkeys and his humanity in Seven; Kevin Spacey played Dustin Hoffman's scientist pal in Outbreak and was interrogated by Chaz Palminteri in The Usual Suspects; Rene Russo played Hoffman's girlfriend in Outbreak and Travolta's girlfriend in Get Shorty; Tom Hanks provided his voice for a toy cowboy in Toy Story and played a real-life astronaut in Apollo 13; Robert De Niro played a tough eluding the law in Heat and a tough trying to go legit in Casino; and Nicole Kidman played Bruce Wayne's shrink in Batman Forever and Matt Dillon's wife in To Die For.
Here are some other noteworthy films of 1995. On the plus side, we had Bad Boys, The Brady Bunch Movie, Dead Man, Dead Man Walking, Dolores Claiborne, il Postino, Leaving Las Vegas, A Little Princess, Othello, Sense and Sensibility, and While You Were Sleeping.
On the bad side, we watched the Batman franchise take a hit with the ridiculously named Batman Forever, a smart novel by Michael Crichton get turned into a stupid movie called Congo, pirates become pretty lame for a long time thanks to Cutthroat Island, David Caruso leave TV for the ill-advised Jade, Stallone camp it up with Rob Schneider in Judge Dredd, Vampire in Brooklyn forshadow the decline of Eddie Murphy's career, Kevin Costner's over-budgeted Waterworld tank, and then there was what may be the worst movie of the decade, Showgirls.
However, these were my favorite films of
1995:
12. Mortal Kombat
I’ve got to get my guilty pleasure out of the way first. Yes, the CGI is primitive and the film is a touch campy and there are moments that don’t make sense. However, this film did a pretty decent job of making something out of nothing more than a bloody button-masher – and it raised the bar for its genre in that it remains one of the few video game movies that are actually watchable (until Tomb Raider, it was the only one).
11. Apollo 13
What I love about the film Apollo 13 is it took an event from history that an entire generation or two knew the outcome of and managed to make it suspenseful. Not only that, but it communicated to the audience in very clear ways each problem they faced without getting bogged down in the science and math of it all. This is a film that turns something like keeping Earth visible through a window into a suspenseful moment. Director Ron Howard gathered an incredible cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, and a slew of recognizable character actors for what may be the best film of his career.
10. Before Sunrise
Have you ever met someone that you connected with so well you easily spent hours talking with that person shortly after meeting? Before Sunrise is a film for anybody who has – and really loves experiencing that level of stimulation with someone new. It is a film about nothing more than two people talking, but – like My Dinner with Andre – the dialogue transcends the mundane premise to an engaging experience. Much of the film’s success can be attributed to the chemistry between stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and their collaboration with director Richard Linklater. The film contains an open ending that was answered by a magnificent sequel, Before Sunset, which also left the fate of this couple open to interpretation. If you require your love stories to be cutesy and plot-driven then Before Sunrise is not for you. But if you appreciate a love story with great characters and feels authentic, you’ll love it.
9. Mr. Holland’s Opus
Here’s a film that is, at its heart, about something universal: to know your work made a difference and meant something to somebody. Being a man who has spent most of his life trying to find a passion worth pursuing that would matter, Mr. Holland’s Opus still speaks very strongly to me. At the time of its release, so strong was my emotional response to the climactic assembly scene (to which I still choke up) that I was inspired to become a music teacher. That lasted for about a week. Having watched it in recent months, I couldn’t help be annoyed by the anachronistic music choices during the montages. Regardless, this may be Richard Dreyfuss’ last great role and one of his best films of the nineties.
8. The American President
Every few years, I’ll check out The American President, half-expecting it to be a cutesy, precious rom-com. Every time, I am reminded that The American President is a damn good movie. It should come as no surprise since the script was written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) and whose voice really stands out, directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally), and stars Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, John Mahoney, and a bunch of other talented actors. The dialogue is dizzying when about bills and re-election strategies, but at other times incredibly witty and charming. Not only that, but it’s smart enough to realize the practical effects and cynical responses the public would have to situations such as the one presented in this film. Douglas and Bening are both hilarious and convincing as president and lobbyist, who date and get swept away by their fairy tale romance. The American President may be the smartest crowd-pleaser of 1995.
7. Clueless
I first saw Clueless at the drive-in with my parents. I was laughing my ass off at the clever humor. My parents didn’t get it. Maybe Clueless, a re-imagining of Jane Austin’s Emma for the 90210 generation, wasn’t made with the 40+ crowd in mind. Regardless, it hit on so many aspects of teen culture: the lingo, the need to impress, the social hierarchy, the constant phone calls, the misadventures of dating and relationships – most of which still resonate today – that I can’t help but appreciate the film. Plus, it helps that Alicia Silverstone stars, despite the fact several poor movie choices lead to her fading away by the end of the nineties. Clueless was directed by Amy Heckerling, who also directed Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and once again proved her deft understanding of teenagers.
6. Braveheart
Braveheart is probably one of the bloodiest epics I have ever seen. It’s also incredibly inspiring in its depiction of one man’s sacrifice in the name of (say it with me) FREEEDOOOM! The film’s final moments kill me every time I see it. Braveheart is also interesting because of its depiction of medieval British politics, dramatized to Shakespearian levels by Patrick McGoohan as the hateful, dying king and Angus Macfadyen as his more compassionate son. Braveheart may be long, but it is the best film of 1995 and Gibson’s best directorial effort.
5. Toy Story
Disney released Pocahontas in 1995 while Pixar debuted with Toy Story, a CGI milestone. Pixar became an animation giant afterward with A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters Inc. Disney struggled with Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Dinosaur. Pixar is still trumping the Mouse House’s animation department. At any rate, Toy Story makes this list not so much for its historical significance, but for its creativity, sense of wonder, and emotional depth. This tale of plastic figures is anything but shallow kids stuff; it never patronizes – and that’s a rare thing in American animation.
4. Desperado
Like From Dusk till Dawn, I must have watched Desperado about half a dozen times with my friends back in high school. It had all the crazy action and colorful characters we craved – plus, this new girl named Salma Hayek. There are countless bad-ass moments in Desperado that make it the most enjoyable entry in Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi trilogy. Banderas is awesome, Hayek is smoking hot, and the rest of the cast is a Who’s Who series of walk-ons. Speaking of walk-ons, it’s worth noting that Desperado is also the first of many Rodriguez films wherein Cheech Marin gets killed. It may not be a great film, but Desperado is great fun – and remains among Rodriguez’s best.
3. Die Hard: Die Hard with a Vengeance
I know this is the worst-reviewed entry of the series, but I maintain it is the most fun and one of the best. Simon Gruber is a more memorable villain than whoever Die Harder’s villain was and could kick Live Free’s internet geek baddie up and down the New York City streets. Vengeance literally starts off with a bang, preceded by The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Summer in the City’. And there are few things in the series more enjoyable than watching Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson bicker while on a wild goose chase. The original Die Hard may be a better film, but I love Vengeance for its unforgettable popcorn thrills.
2. GoldenEye
The James Bond franchise was dead for roughly five years. Then it came back with a bang! GoldenEye not only returned the franchise to theaters, but reinvigorated it with great casting and by hitting every Bond staple perfectly: the theme song (sung by Tina Turner, written by Bono and The Edge of U2), the credit sequence, the villain (Sean Bean’s 006), the henchman (Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp), the Bond Girl (Isabella Scorupco), etc. Plus, it had some great action sequences. Brosnan’s run in the franchise delivered diminishing returns with each entry, however, GoldenEye remains my favorite in the entire history of the franchise.
1. Seven
A serial killer preaches society’s sins one murder at a time and it’s up to two detectives to find him before his work is complete. Morgan Freeman plays the seasoned detective who has seen the horrors man is capable of and wants to retire while he still has a shred of humanity left in him. Brad Pitt plays the hot-headed new blood who is so concerned with proving himself or being patronized that he refuses to learn from his partner’s wisdom. The climax is diabolically clever and nightmarish, paced so deliberately that the suspense is nearly intolerable. Seven is a great film and my favorite of director David Fincher’s career.
So, that's the year 1995, a pretty good year for action movies and talent. Did I overlook one of your favorite movies from that year? What are your favorites? Leave a comment below, on Facebook, or by email to thegibsonreview@gmail.com Also, don't forget to vote for your favorite films of 1995 in the poll to the right.
Next time on Film Faves: somebody gets medieval on your ass in the circle of life while Johnny Depp makes bad movies - ya know, for kids! - Jim Carrey talks out of his ass, Schwarzenegger leads a double life, and Keanu Reeves gets on a bus. That's all I have to say about that. It's 1994!
For those who may not know, Film Faves is a monthly feature here on The Gibson Review wherein I countdown my twelve favorites of any film-related topic. As I said, it is not an objective list of the twelve best of that topic, but a subjective favorites list - hence the name.
Since its inception, Film Faves has been counting backward through time, knocking out my favorites of each year. This month, we hit the halfway mark of the 1990s with the year 1995.
Let's get started.
This month's subject was an interesting year for talent. For example, it featured a heavy dose of debuts: Liv Tyler turned heads in Empire Records, Cindy Crawford turned people off in Fair Game, Natasha Henstridge turned geeks on in Species, Salma Hayek burned up the screen in Desperado, Jason Lee pissed Ben Affleck off in Mallrats, and Joaquin Phoenix tripped over himself for Nicole Kidman's attentions in To Die For.
Also, many actors had break-out roles in 1995: Alicia Silverstone became a hit in Clueless, Don Cheadle impressed many in Devil in a Blue Dress, Mira Sorvino won awards for Mighty Aphrodite, Babe was James Cromwell's first of many subsequent hits, and Angelina Jolie caught the attention of some high school boys in Hackers.
Several actors did double-duty in 1995: Sharon Stone earned accolades for her performance in Casino and took aim at Gene Hackman in The Quick and the Dead; then-unknown Russell Crowe played good in The Quick and the Dead and evil in Virtuosity; Denzel Washington played a cop of the future in Virtuosity, a P.I. of the past in Devil in a Blue Dress, and an officer with integrity in Crimson Tide (also starring Gene Hackman); Brad Pitt lost his mind in 12 Monkeys and his humanity in Seven; Kevin Spacey played Dustin Hoffman's scientist pal in Outbreak and was interrogated by Chaz Palminteri in The Usual Suspects; Rene Russo played Hoffman's girlfriend in Outbreak and Travolta's girlfriend in Get Shorty; Tom Hanks provided his voice for a toy cowboy in Toy Story and played a real-life astronaut in Apollo 13; Robert De Niro played a tough eluding the law in Heat and a tough trying to go legit in Casino; and Nicole Kidman played Bruce Wayne's shrink in Batman Forever and Matt Dillon's wife in To Die For.
Here are some other noteworthy films of 1995. On the plus side, we had Bad Boys, The Brady Bunch Movie, Dead Man, Dead Man Walking, Dolores Claiborne, il Postino, Leaving Las Vegas, A Little Princess, Othello, Sense and Sensibility, and While You Were Sleeping.
On the bad side, we watched the Batman franchise take a hit with the ridiculously named Batman Forever, a smart novel by Michael Crichton get turned into a stupid movie called Congo, pirates become pretty lame for a long time thanks to Cutthroat Island, David Caruso leave TV for the ill-advised Jade, Stallone camp it up with Rob Schneider in Judge Dredd, Vampire in Brooklyn forshadow the decline of Eddie Murphy's career, Kevin Costner's over-budgeted Waterworld tank, and then there was what may be the worst movie of the decade, Showgirls.
However, these were my favorite films of
1995:
I’ve got to get my guilty pleasure out of the way first. Yes, the CGI is primitive and the film is a touch campy and there are moments that don’t make sense. However, this film did a pretty decent job of making something out of nothing more than a bloody button-masher – and it raised the bar for its genre in that it remains one of the few video game movies that are actually watchable (until Tomb Raider, it was the only one).
What I love about the film Apollo 13 is it took an event from history that an entire generation or two knew the outcome of and managed to make it suspenseful. Not only that, but it communicated to the audience in very clear ways each problem they faced without getting bogged down in the science and math of it all. This is a film that turns something like keeping Earth visible through a window into a suspenseful moment. Director Ron Howard gathered an incredible cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, and a slew of recognizable character actors for what may be the best film of his career.
Have you ever met someone that you connected with so well you easily spent hours talking with that person shortly after meeting? Before Sunrise is a film for anybody who has – and really loves experiencing that level of stimulation with someone new. It is a film about nothing more than two people talking, but – like My Dinner with Andre – the dialogue transcends the mundane premise to an engaging experience. Much of the film’s success can be attributed to the chemistry between stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and their collaboration with director Richard Linklater. The film contains an open ending that was answered by a magnificent sequel, Before Sunset, which also left the fate of this couple open to interpretation. If you require your love stories to be cutesy and plot-driven then Before Sunrise is not for you. But if you appreciate a love story with great characters and feels authentic, you’ll love it.
Here’s a film that is, at its heart, about something universal: to know your work made a difference and meant something to somebody. Being a man who has spent most of his life trying to find a passion worth pursuing that would matter, Mr. Holland’s Opus still speaks very strongly to me. At the time of its release, so strong was my emotional response to the climactic assembly scene (to which I still choke up) that I was inspired to become a music teacher. That lasted for about a week. Having watched it in recent months, I couldn’t help be annoyed by the anachronistic music choices during the montages. Regardless, this may be Richard Dreyfuss’ last great role and one of his best films of the nineties.
Every few years, I’ll check out The American President, half-expecting it to be a cutesy, precious rom-com. Every time, I am reminded that The American President is a damn good movie. It should come as no surprise since the script was written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) and whose voice really stands out, directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally), and stars Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, John Mahoney, and a bunch of other talented actors. The dialogue is dizzying when about bills and re-election strategies, but at other times incredibly witty and charming. Not only that, but it’s smart enough to realize the practical effects and cynical responses the public would have to situations such as the one presented in this film. Douglas and Bening are both hilarious and convincing as president and lobbyist, who date and get swept away by their fairy tale romance. The American President may be the smartest crowd-pleaser of 1995.
I first saw Clueless at the drive-in with my parents. I was laughing my ass off at the clever humor. My parents didn’t get it. Maybe Clueless, a re-imagining of Jane Austin’s Emma for the 90210 generation, wasn’t made with the 40+ crowd in mind. Regardless, it hit on so many aspects of teen culture: the lingo, the need to impress, the social hierarchy, the constant phone calls, the misadventures of dating and relationships – most of which still resonate today – that I can’t help but appreciate the film. Plus, it helps that Alicia Silverstone stars, despite the fact several poor movie choices lead to her fading away by the end of the nineties. Clueless was directed by Amy Heckerling, who also directed Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and once again proved her deft understanding of teenagers.
Braveheart is probably one of the bloodiest epics I have ever seen. It’s also incredibly inspiring in its depiction of one man’s sacrifice in the name of (say it with me) FREEEDOOOM! The film’s final moments kill me every time I see it. Braveheart is also interesting because of its depiction of medieval British politics, dramatized to Shakespearian levels by Patrick McGoohan as the hateful, dying king and Angus Macfadyen as his more compassionate son. Braveheart may be long, but it is the best film of 1995 and Gibson’s best directorial effort.
Disney released Pocahontas in 1995 while Pixar debuted with Toy Story, a CGI milestone. Pixar became an animation giant afterward with A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters Inc. Disney struggled with Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Dinosaur. Pixar is still trumping the Mouse House’s animation department. At any rate, Toy Story makes this list not so much for its historical significance, but for its creativity, sense of wonder, and emotional depth. This tale of plastic figures is anything but shallow kids stuff; it never patronizes – and that’s a rare thing in American animation.
Like From Dusk till Dawn, I must have watched Desperado about half a dozen times with my friends back in high school. It had all the crazy action and colorful characters we craved – plus, this new girl named Salma Hayek. There are countless bad-ass moments in Desperado that make it the most enjoyable entry in Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi trilogy. Banderas is awesome, Hayek is smoking hot, and the rest of the cast is a Who’s Who series of walk-ons. Speaking of walk-ons, it’s worth noting that Desperado is also the first of many Rodriguez films wherein Cheech Marin gets killed. It may not be a great film, but Desperado is great fun – and remains among Rodriguez’s best.
I know this is the worst-reviewed entry of the series, but I maintain it is the most fun and one of the best. Simon Gruber is a more memorable villain than whoever Die Harder’s villain was and could kick Live Free’s internet geek baddie up and down the New York City streets. Vengeance literally starts off with a bang, preceded by The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Summer in the City’. And there are few things in the series more enjoyable than watching Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson bicker while on a wild goose chase. The original Die Hard may be a better film, but I love Vengeance for its unforgettable popcorn thrills.
The James Bond franchise was dead for roughly five years. Then it came back with a bang! GoldenEye not only returned the franchise to theaters, but reinvigorated it with great casting and by hitting every Bond staple perfectly: the theme song (sung by Tina Turner, written by Bono and The Edge of U2), the credit sequence, the villain (Sean Bean’s 006), the henchman (Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp), the Bond Girl (Isabella Scorupco), etc. Plus, it had some great action sequences. Brosnan’s run in the franchise delivered diminishing returns with each entry, however, GoldenEye remains my favorite in the entire history of the franchise.
A serial killer preaches society’s sins one murder at a time and it’s up to two detectives to find him before his work is complete. Morgan Freeman plays the seasoned detective who has seen the horrors man is capable of and wants to retire while he still has a shred of humanity left in him. Brad Pitt plays the hot-headed new blood who is so concerned with proving himself or being patronized that he refuses to learn from his partner’s wisdom. The climax is diabolically clever and nightmarish, paced so deliberately that the suspense is nearly intolerable. Seven is a great film and my favorite of director David Fincher’s career.
So, that's the year 1995, a pretty good year for action movies and talent. Did I overlook one of your favorite movies from that year? What are your favorites? Leave a comment below, on Facebook, or by email to thegibsonreview@gmail.com Also, don't forget to vote for your favorite films of 1995 in the poll to the right.
Next time on Film Faves: somebody gets medieval on your ass in the circle of life while Johnny Depp makes bad movies - ya know, for kids! - Jim Carrey talks out of his ass, Schwarzenegger leads a double life, and Keanu Reeves gets on a bus. That's all I have to say about that. It's 1994!