Best of the 90s: Film

Welcome to the 90s. Today, Ariane and Emily (and Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne) would like to look back with you at the some of the best 90s movies. The ones that are so 90s; so chock-full of denim and flames and makeovers and dinosaurs and prom and earnestness that it hurts. 

Jurassic Park (1993)

One of my favourite hobbies when I was 10 was to go to the movies to see Jurassic Park (I saw it upwards of four times in the cinema). One of my other favourite hobbies, especially if it was raining, was to dress myself and my brother up like the kids in the film (cargo shorts and paisley shirt for me, stripy t-shirt and neckerchief for my poor brother), go to a nearby construction site and pretend we were in Jurassic Park itself. This enduring 90s blockbuster by Stephen Spielberg brought to life the ultimate fantasy: a world where dinosaurs are alive and Jeff Golblum is your friendly neighbourhood mathematician. There is a fourth in the works, set for release in 2013. (ER)

Clueless (1995)

Undoubtedly one of the most smartest teen films ever made (and not just because it was based on a Jane Austen novel), virtually every scene in Clueless is memorable, quotable and full of completely amazing 90s fashion. Plus, it had perpetual hearthrob Paul Rudd wearing a perfect flannel shirt and literally (figuratively) millions of music-montage sequences. PLUS - computerised mechanical wardrobe. (ER)

Can't Hardly Wait (1998) / She's All That (1999)

In Can't Hardly Wait, Ethan Embry is an adorable but uncool high schooler in love with the popular and beautiful Jennifer Love Hewitt. In She's All That, Rachel Leigh Cook is a grumpy nerd girl who - after a convoluted series of bets and misunderstandings - ends up falling for popular jock Freddie Prinze Jnr and then takes off her glasses and is suddenly beautiful [AH: It is the lamest makeover ever]. The former had way more heart, but the latter had a spontaneous choreographed dance routine at prom. (ER)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

This is in here because Emily thought Buffy was "too ubiquitous" for yesterday's post about 90s TV shows. However, the Buffy film is inferior (no Sarah Michelle Gellar) and I hope none of you vote for it. (AH)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Just quickly, I am well aware that the film version of Buffy is completely inferior to the TV show. Ariane Halls, do not take me for a fool. Moving on, Tim Burton's melancholy romance about an outcast who sticks out like a bloody thumb against a pastel suburbia is an unforgettable piece of 90s cinema. We are very excited for Burton's Dark Shadows, set for release later this year. (ER)

Speed (1994) / Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

The sexual tension between Annie (Sandra Bullock) and Jack (Keanu Reeves) in Speed is almost too much to handle, as is the brilliant Dennis Hopper as the aptly-named Howard Payne. And then there's Die Hard: With a Vengeance, the third instalment of the Bruce Willis hero series, with Jeremy Irons playing the villain. Jeremy Irons! They simply don't make movies like this anymore. (ER)

Dumb & Dumber (1994)

There are so many great Jim Carrey movies from the 90s - The Mask, The Truman Show, The Cable Guy, Batman Forever (!), but please, just look at this jpeg below and tell me you don't agree that Dumb & Dumber is one of the best comedies of the 90s. (ER)

Con Air (1997) / The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

These must be the two films I've watched more than any others. There was a period when The Long Kiss Goodnight seemed to be on TV every night of the week, and with the advent of digital TV Con Air is still on at least once a fortnight. Geena Davis was awesome in Goodnight, and any film whose plot revolves around temporary amnesia is a winner in my books (Bourne Identity, Memento, RoboCop, The Addams Family Values, etc). As for Con Air, I don't think I've ever met a person who doesn't enjoy watching it. How could you not? It has Steve Buscemi, John Malkovich, Nicholas Cage and John Cusack (as the adorable hero). All it needs is Kevin Spacey and they would have had the best action film of All Time. (AH)

Mallrats (1995) / Dazed and Confused (1993)

A few years ago I broke my leg and got my wisdom teeth out at the same time. Aside from being incredibly ill-advised, the time off allowed me to fulfil a lifelong dream: to watch every 80s and 90s teen movie that I could think of. Out of all of them - Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Clueless etc - Dazed and Confused held up the best. It's a really good film, with an amazing cast - Milla Jovovich, Jason London (sigh), Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, the guy with the long hair. And Mallrats! Mallrats is like Dazed, only with Jay and Silent Bob, Jason Lee, Claire Forlani, and the voice that is Joey Lauren Adams. The only thing letting it down is the inclusion of the inferior London twin, Jeremy. (AH)

Blade (1998)

Wesley Snipes. Stephen Dorff. Traci Lords. One of the best opening scenes ever: the vampire rave. (AH)

Empire Records (1995) / Reality Bites (1994)

Reality Bites had Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofalo dancing to 'My Sharona' in a convenience store. It also had the loveable Steve Zahm dealing with some very serious realities. This 90s film is the poster-child for people with feelings and issues. Empire Records had a bunch of record store kids sticking it to the man (and Liv Tyler in a fluffy sweater). Both are bonafied 90s classics. (ER)

Stay tuned for Best of the 90s: Babes (tomorrow) and Hunks (Thursday).

By Ariane Halls and Emily Royal

Emily Royal