When the swarm of literally tens of thousands of films nesting inside a dedicated movie buff’s head reaches critical mass and the buzz becomes too busy to ignore, there’s but one thing to do – compile a top 100 list.
This ‘hive’ will be organized according to time period – nominating ten loved films from each of the decades from the 1940’s through to the 2010’s. That will total eighty films. Twenty selections will be included each for the 1970’s and 80’s – ‘my‘ decades – rounding out the list to 100 titles.
The 1990’s was the decade that ushered in the all-transforming digital revolution. It comprehensively laid the platform for the life we live today. The birth of the World Wide Web and the roll-out of fiber optic cables brought sweeping changes to societies across the globe. The first web browser went on-line in 1993. Pagers were initially popular but ultimately were superseded by mobile phones by the early-2000s.
The Human Genome project formally launched in 1990. (It was declared complete on April 2003. Level “Complete Genome” was achieved in May 2021). Construction started in 1998 on the International Space Station.
Culturally, the nineties saw a rise in the awareness of multiculturalism compared to the 1980’s, as well as the advance of alternative media. In 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of diseases. In 1997 J.K. Rowling introduced the world to what would go on to become the best-selling book series in the history of literature, HARRY POTTER.
Politically, the dissolution of the Soviet Union occurred in 1991, with multiple Soviet Socialist Republics declaring independence from the USSR. 1991 also saw the outbreak of the Gulf War, after Iraq invaded Kuwait. A coalition force led by the United States drove the Iraqi army from Kuwait in just four days. Also of note, the United Kingdom handed sovereignty of Hong Kong to China on July 1st, 1997.
Academy Award winners for Best Picture during this decade were –
Here it is then… my list of 10 Favorite Movies from the 1990’s. Googles on. Swimsuit fitted. It’s time to dive in.
Every frame of these movies a feast!
Be sure to click on next time when… SCENIC WRITER’S SHACK will report ‘live’ from the upcoming Brisbane KISS concert.
Scenic Writer's Shack 
I absolutely love the scene in Rocky 5 when he goes back to the old gym and it’s got Mickey talking to Rocky about an upcoming fight. He gives him a cuff link and says, ‘This is an angel on your shoulder and if you ever get hurt and are going down this angel is going to say get up you son of a bitch because Mickey loves you!’
All of the Rocky moves have unbelievable scenes that are just life lessons but delivered simply and passionately. Brilliant writing and acting.
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Hi Matt,
Was so hoping you’d tune in to this edition of SCENIC.
Completely love every breath, syllable and nuance of this scene with all my heart as well.
Over the years I know I’ve replayed in my head the dialogue of this scene literally dozens and dozens of times,
Always get a little kick as well out of seeing those ancient puffs of dust expel from the hanging bag when he gives it the ol’ one-two (at the 43 second mark).
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And the best ‘acting performance’ of the 90’s to me was Al Pacino in ‘Scent of a Woman.’
It was just out of this world!!
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Someone left this seven-word-review on Rotten Tomatoes re SOAW –
“Superb! Watch it for the tango alone”.
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I have to officially give up. Sorry, Glen.
But know this: we’re on the same page with your picks, almost like 95%. I can’t go into anymore detail, ’cause apparently your site has given me a strict word limit! Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.
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I’d give practically my right arm to have read that long form response Stacey, ’cause written by you they don’t come any better. We both know that. Sorry these crazy gremlins keep striking. In the short form, if you had to pick just three of those Top Ten movies, which three would they be?
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Mmm. Heat, Cape Fear, and Silence of the Lambs (with Lola as a close third).
And thanks. I had a story related to Rocky and when I was 15…maybe I’ll be able to “sneak” it in another time, lol
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Oh gosh! I HAVE TO hear that ROCKY story sometime. Whether it’s on your own site or added as a comment wherever (copied first onto a Word document so if anything goes wrong you don’t have to start again from scratch).
And yeah, those four picks well… naturally I’m going to nepotisly (think Glen just made up a word there) gush over all of them. Glad someone else remembers “Lola”.
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Okay, I’m doing this in Word and let’s see what happens when I copy/paste.
We just saw Unforgiven last weekend! It was an Old West weekend, because we then watched the remake of True Grit, and for me, Hackman in Unforgiven and Bridges in True Grit, their performances were fantastic!
Also wanted to say one of my favs ever is your honorable mention of Groundhog Day. I know SO many people who can’t stand that movie, but I thought it did a good job of repetition without becoming bogged down. On top of which, the sort of hidden meaning behind it is such a great lesson, inho. The guy can’t get out of purgatory until he develops empathy and compassion for others. And they did it without lecturing us—and with comedy. Genius !!!
So lastly, Rocky. I actually was a big fan not necessarily of Rocky (at least, not back then) but of the soundtrack. I was heavy into musicals back then anyway. So I was eating lunch in a McDonald’s one Saturday when I was 15 and a man started talking to me from the next table. Long story short, he found out about my love of musicals and wanted to send me some records. “Noooo!” the audience is shouting, right? I mean, I shouldn’t have been talking to him in the first place, right? Long story short (again) I told him where I went to school but gave him a fake name. One morning an announcement went over the PA for “Stacey Fitzpatrick” to pick up a package in the office. My friend Christina and I screamed. I listened to those records for years and years, and I’m lucky to be alive, probably. He could have stalked me at the school and I could have disappeared one day forever. He also may have not been a rapist or a serial killer, just an ordinary guy. But not TOO ordinary to be talking to a child. And I wasn’t one of those girls that looked years older than my age. I looked like I was 13 when I was 15. So…years of enjoyment came out of potential but thankfully unrealized tragedy due only to the idiotic things that kids do.
I hope that wasn’t too boring! Thanks for listening! Let’s see if this works!
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That is an amazing ‘Maccas’ story Stacey.
Thankyou so much for persisting to get it on here.
Funny how we can look back and imagine how things could have gone a completely different way in certain circumstances.
And now I know what ‘INHO’ stands for (though I did have to look it up!).
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Oh, that’s funny! ‘Cause you wrote it the way that I first wrote it where I thought it was a typo–INHO–but at least one site DID say “In my humble opinion” anyway. I thought it had to be IMHO with an “M.” But not necessarily…………..
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PS: I’m also loving those features on the side here that strip away the words and just leave the punctuation. That. Is. Crazy looking !!!
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Thankyou so much for saying that. You’re the first person ever to comment on those side panel pics and do-dahs (which are not visible to the folk who view this site on their phones). I’ve sometimes thought that taken together those side bits are more interesting than some of the actual posts! Well… I can think that, but I’d never go and SAY that.
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But maybe you should say it, ’cause it takes effort and creativity. You definitely put things interesting over on the side that could fill up half my blog for a year!!!
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Omg! Success !!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 lol
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Last thing I’ll say, and then I’ll cease flooding your site with my blabbering, Glen, I promise. I meant imho above, not inho–just in case you haven’t heard of that and tried to look it up. I know you’re curious about such things, and that was a typo where you wouldn’t have received any enlightenment had you looked it up. I actually learned it, myself, from the Wolfman, Mikey.
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Glen–I lied! I came across one of the blogs I follow, and this guy reported everything I’m talking about with “liking” issues and even commenting. Here it is if/when you ever get a sec to read: https://lifeinmyyears.com/2022/08/24/the-anonymous-bug/
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Aha! You’re not losing your mind afterall Stacey! lol
There is proof it’s happening to other people.
I clicked through and read Paul’s (The Life in my Years) troubles with likes and ‘Anonymous’ log-ins etc. Good on him for bringing it to WordPress’s attention.
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Ah yes… Mikey ‘The Wolfman’.
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Just today I heard about Heat 2: A Novel. Written by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner. It is a prequel and sequel of the movie. Now I want to watch the movie and then read the book to see how they pulled off both a prequel and sequel in the same book.
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Thanks for this info Linda.
I had no idea.
https://www.rogerebert.com/features/heat-2-offers-thrilling-sequel-to-classic-michael-mann-film
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