Fletch's Favored Five: 1996 in Film

Now, the eleventh in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1982 * 1984 * 1985 * 1988 * 1990 * 1991 * 1993 * 1997 * 2002 * 2003

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1996. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1996
I have pretty mixed feelings about 1996. It's filled with a bunch of fluff. Lovable fluff, but still fluff - movies like Twister and Independence Day and Mission: Impossible, on the big side, and Beautiful Girls, Fear and From Dusk Till Dawn on the smaller side. I don't know - I guess the more I look at the list of films, the more I see ones that I have great affection for, and many that I greatly enjoyed but just haven't seen enough times (Bottle Rocket). Half the films seem overly dated for just 15 years ago, while others are just as fresh now as they were then. I don't know - you tell me - is 1996 a good or even great year for film?

Notable movies not yet seen:
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
Courage Under Fire - not sure how notable this even is, outside of seeing a young, skinny Matt Damon.
Michael Collins
The English Patient
Secrets & Lies

Honorable mentions:
The Birdcage - Although it tries to get a few messages slipped in, this one's as light as a feather, with delightful writing and characters. Having a bunch of seasoned vets around didn't hurt, either.

Happy Gilmore - Yes, it's plenty retarded, but it's got its moments. Also, it takes some practice, but if you can manage to hit the ball like Happy does, it indeed travels a country mile.

Primal Fear - I wish this one hadn't aged so poorly. Like a few other movies from 1996 (like Multiplicity), this one - at first glance - appears to have been made in 1988. But that doesn't take away from the enjoyment it delivers. A solid crime thriller with a tremendous acting performance that rightly put Ed Norton's name into our consciousness. As a bonus, I love seeing Richard Gere play a jerk, and LOST's Terry O'Quinn (Locke) has a small role (with hair!).

Shine - You know that distinction between best and favorite that people (like myself) are always making? Well, when I make these lists, they generally are biased towards the favorites - it seems as though there are few films (the best?) that can seem to straddle that line between expert film making and rewatchability (which is what that 'favorites' stuff really comes down to). The Last Emperor might be a fantastic film, but I can't say that I will ever have a desire to watch it again. Well, Shine is definitely more towards the "prestige" (best) category, but it's more than worth a rewatch or two for Geoffrey Rush's Oscar-winning turn as David Helfgott. Simply stunning - and there's a load of awesome music in here, too.

Tin Cup - Arguably better than either of Ron Shelton's other great sports flicks - Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump - I would still rank Cup 3rd out of the three of them. Call it a bias towards what came first, or maybe a bias against Don Johnson. Ok, not really. But Cup is one hell of an enjoyable rom-com, and it features a great and terrible ending. Painful to watch, but so refreshing.

The Poll
New addition to this little series: I set up a poll over at the BC Facebook page with a selection of films from this year. Your mission: go vote on YOUR favorite from 1996! http://www.facebook.com/blogcabins

The Five
5. Swingers - These days it's known more for "You're so money!" and being connected to a Vegas resurgence than anything else, but Doug Liman's first film is, if not great, a fun, well-written ride featuring Vince Vaughn's star-making performance and enough cultural touchstones of the time (Sega's NHL '94, the 18th swing music revival, Heather Graham) to keep it relevant today. Multiple viewings are definitely rewarded.


4. When We Were Kings - Prior to seeing this, I was under the impression that Muhammed Ali was the Frank Sinatra of boxing: a wildly talented individual whose ego stood in the way of him being a beloved icon (at least to me, as I thought both were jackasses). Boy, was I wrong. Ali's "I'm the greatest" act was just that - just part of his shtick. Smarter and wittier than just about any athlete ever, When We Were Kings also showed his compassion and the brilliant tactician that he was. It was also eye-popping to see always-smilin', always-grillin' George Foreman in his younger days. My favorite documentary.


3. Kingpin - I still can never decide if this or Dumb and Dumber is my favorite Farrelly Brothers movie. I think it just comes down to whichever one I saw last. Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid are of course fantastic, and Vanessa Angel's breasts deserved an Academy Award nomination for their performance, but we all know that it was Bill Murray (and his hair) that took this puppy over the top. "Hey there...not you."


2. Trainspotting - All in all, I don't think 1996 is all that great of a year, but these top two stand head and shoulders above the rest. It's not even close. Danny Boyle's second feature is just an all-time classic that I wouldn't even know where to start with when reflecting on what makes it so great. The star-making performances, the epic soundtrack(s), and, above all, Boyle's stellar direction seem to be the top reasons. Where would Ewan McGregor be without Rent Boy?


1. Fargo - Farrelly Brothers, meet Coen Brothers. Two diametrically different sets of films, same conundrum. Fargo or The Big Lebowski? That is the question I face. Thankfully, I don't really need to answer it to know that the former is my favorite film of 1996. Name a film for me that's funnnier while being about a subject matter that's 1/2 as dark as this, I dare you. Only the Coens could take such a violently disturbing tragedy such as this and turn it into a film so ripe with wit and absurdity, all the while playing it straight as an arrow (i.e. no Lebowski-like dream sequences or Fink-ish nutto endings). And unlike Primal Fear, this one only gets better with age.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1982 in Film

Now, the tenth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1984 * 1985 * 1988 * 1990 * 1991 * 1993 * 1997 * 2002 * 2003

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1982. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1982
This year might as well not even exist for me. There are certainly some 'classics' in the mix, but many of them are in genres that I don't particularly care about (read: horror) or are films that I've not yet seen (I know, shocking). I guess it's due to bad timing, mostly - I was but five/six years old for this year, so I certainly wasn't catching the adult fare of the day, and I never got around to catching up on so many of them. The era doesn't help - films from this time seem hopelessly dated for the most part, so the thought of going back to watch An Officer and a Gentleman just doesn't appeal to me. Hell, I rarely watch even any of my top five from this year, save for a certain one that's on TV almost constantly. Perhaps in time this will change.

Notable movies not yet seen:
An Officer and a Gentleman
First Blood
Gandhi
Poltergeist
Porky's
The Thing
The Verdict
The Year of Living Dangerously

*Note: I've seen bits and pieces - and maybe even half or more - of at least Poltergeist and Porky's, but it's been so long that I can barely recall them, so they're making this list.

Honorable mentions:
Basket Case - If I read a trivia question that asked what year this came out, I would have guessed 1987. I watched this a number of times in high school and fell in love with it, but ain't seen it since. Fond memories (and a shout-out to Jason Soto, who holds this as one of his favorite movies of all time. It's weird as hell, but check it out.).

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan - I'm not Trekker, but this is just too much fun to pass up.

TRON - Got a copy sitting next to the TV right now, just waiting to be watched. Had hoped to do so before seeing Legacy, but no dice. Still looking forward to a re-watch.

The Five
5. The Wall - Watch it tripped out, watch it sober - it doesn't matter. Either way, it's got great music and is a hell of a ride. Just don't make me watch the nipple shaving scene.


4. Blade Runner - By all accounts, this should be number one on my list (and probably will be eventually). Harrison Ford was only my movie hero of the 80s (I know, so original). Add on to that the sci-fi factor, and add on to that the Phil Dick factor, and this should actually be in my Top 10. Fact is, I just haven't seen it enough, or often enough, to love it that much. I'd watch it more, but frankly, movies that have 12 versions and bickering about what the final cut really, really is kind of bug me.


3. E.T. - My mom always used to tell me that when I saw this in the theater, I cried like a baby and was scared to death when E.T. was near death's door. Anyway, what 80s kid didn't want to ride their bike into the night sky? Or live in the sweet neighborhood that Elliott and family lived in? Or discover an alien in the woods. I also grew up with a crush on Drew Barrymore that lasted until about 1995.


2. The Man From Snowy River - You've probably never even heard of this, much less seen it. Maybe you have, but it seems like this was a classic film only in my family. The funny thing is, this is probably more of a little girls' movie than a boys movie, what with all of the horses and such, but it's got Kirk Douglas playing two roles and a ton of great action scenes. Show it to your kids if you have any; otherwise, leave this one to me and my nostalgia.


1. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - A quintessential 80s flick and a great flick all at once, Amy Heckerling's paean to high school has become iconic for so many reasons, from Mr. Hand to all of Spicoli's lines to the deep reservoir of talent the film lined up - including, of course, Mr. Nic Coppola. It's crazy outdated, but the themes presented are timeless.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 2003 in Film

Now, the ninth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1984 * 1985 * 1988 * 1990 * 1991 * 1993 * 1997 * 2002

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 2003. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

2003
It's weird - some years, it seems there are 30 films vying for my Favored Five, and narrowing down to the honorable mention list can be even harder. Other years, I'm struggling to find movies that I'm passionate about...2003 is one such year. That's not to say necessarily that I don't love the ones that made the Five here - it's just that in a year with hundreds of releases, many of which I've seen, I expect to have to make some tough choices.

Notable movies not yet seen:
Elephant
The Last Samurai
Love Actually
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Oldboy
Seabiscuit

Honorable mentions:
Confidence - Really not all that great, but a fun heist flick filled with a solid cast, and I'm a sucker for heist flicks.

Holes - If I were 11 in 2003, this would likely be my favorite film. If you're a fan of The Princess Bride, see this. They have very little in common aside from their tone, but Holes is a fun ride, and features Jon Voight overacting (as usual) - what more could you want?

LOTR: Return of the King - Would be higher if it didn't feature a giant spider-like thing (yeah, I'm a baby about spiders) and didn't have 14 false endings leading to its 7-hour run time.

The Five
5. Big Fish - Also known as "the last Tim Burton film that I can honestly say I liked." It practically defines whimsy and is pretty corny, but its emotional heft is pretty solid - I have to admit that it got a little dusty at the end the first time seeing this. Funny, well-written, and features Danny DeVito naked. Wait, that last thing's not really a plus, is it?

4. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 - It's pretty unlikely that any Tarantino flick doesn't at least make my top five in any year that there happens to be a Tarantino flick. I'm on record as not being the biggest fan of the never-ending final battle in this one, but the pluses far outweigh any negatives, and it's not really a negative, anyway - it just didn't make me geek out like it might have so many others. The premise of the two Volumes are just so solid.

3. Shattered Glass - I tried, Hayden. I tried to defend you (halfheartedly) for years, based solely on your wonderful performance here. But time has most definitely proven that this was merely a case of perfect casting and/or excellent direction (from Billy Ray, of whom I'm now a fan and am awaiting new material from - Breach is a solid film as well, starring Ryan Phillippe, no less). Nevertheless, Peter Sarsgaard was the larger revelation here - I wouldn't say that I have a man-crush on him or anything, but I've certainly followed his career pretty intensely after this one (though it's largely been a disappointment due to many a bad decision). Shattered Glass is pretty excellent - I can't think of too many other films about journalism that I find as gripping.

2. Code 46 - If you've been following me for any length of time, you'll know that I'm one of the chief flag wavers for this tiny sci-fi indie directed by Michael Winterbottom, starring Samantha Morton and Tim Robbins. I won't gush over it any more here, except to refer you to all my past gushings. It's not a perfect film, but does so many little things so well that endear me to it.

1. Finding Nemo - Much as a dig the previous film, it's hard to top what's indisputably one of Pixar's best flicks (let's give Wall*E and Up a few years before anointing them the crown-bearer). Taking on the challenging underwater setting - a nightmare for animators, for sure - director Andrew Stanton and his team produced a touching, poignant, funny, and of course beautiful film...about fish. Par for the course for Pixar. Hear more about this one in LAMBcasts 29/30.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1985 in Film

Now, the eighth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1984 * 1991 * 1997 * 1988 * 2002 * 1993 * 1990

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1985. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1985
Holy hell! It figures that the year smack dab in the middle would encapsulate the 80s so well. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that 90% of the films that define this decade were released this year - many of which won't even be making my Favored Five. Nevertheless, it appear as though 1985 is the home to many of my favorite movies of all time.

As is the case with just about any year I've covered in which I was but a wee lad for it (I was eight years old for much of 1985), I've seen most of the cheese and few of the prestige films. Though really, the Academy Awards were dominated by four films that year, with The Color Purple and Out of Africa receiving 11 nominations each, and Prizzi's Honor and Witness nabbing eight apiece, and I've seen half of those four, so I'm not doing all bad.

Good luck picking your five from 1985 - it's tough!

Notable movies not yet seen:
The Color Purple
Fandango (for Andy)
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Legend
Prizzi's Honor
Rambo: First Blood, Part II
Real Genius
St. Elmo's Fire

Honorable mentions:
Brazil
The Breakfast Club
Commando
Rocky IV
Vision Quest

5. Better Off Dead - Whither Savage Steve Holland? I'll never understand why this man didn't become a star. His first two films are this one and One Crazy Summer, aka two Hall of Fame 80s movies and probably the two biggest reasons that you know John Cusack's name. This one's awfully campy and occasionally becomes that which it parodies (the absolute ending is brutally cringeworthy), but the writing is just so absurd and dark that it demands to be appreciated. You've got to love a comedy in which its protagonist wants to commit suicide, you just have to.

4. Teen Wolf - Films 4, 3, and 2 on this list are pretty far ahead of number 5 and pretty far from number 1, but each lumped pretty tightly in my heart. The separation I've gone with here lies mostly in terms of their general craftsmanship.

Teen Wolf, for example, practically feels like a made-for-TV movie. The effects are far from awe-inspiring and there's not a star to be found in the cast outside of Fox, who even then was still know mostly for Family Ties. (It was actually released while Back to the Future was still in theaters, but I get the feeling that it was filmed prior and released to capitalize on BTTF's success.) It's all very small, even down to it's star stature (heyo!).

But boy is it memorable. Pamela Wells, her 35-year old boyfriend, the immortal Jerry Levine as the even more immortal Styles, "Boof," "Chunk" "Chubby," Coach Flinstock's three rules for life, "Give me a keg of beer" - where does it end? Even a crappy Saturday morning cartoon was spawned (and, admittedly, watched a few times by yours truly) by Wolf, not to mention the Jason Bateman-starring sequel that no one cares about.

An epic of my childhood right up there with The Karate Kid. And no, my name is not Bill Simmons (for the three people that might be thinking that right now).

3. The Goonies - Then there's this one. Just as memorable and lovable, but with it, much higher production values and much, much more. I wanted to be Mikey when I watched this flick: he was just a few years older, lived in a sweet Northwestern town (I always wanted to live near a forest), had a sweet group of dorky friends, and got to hunt for secret pirate treasure, for chrissakes!

It's quite possible that the kids of today won't care for The Goonies like the kids of the 80s did. To them, I say, "Goonies never say die." "Hey!! You!! Guys!!" "The marijuana goes in the top drawer. The cocaine and speed go in the second drawer. And the heroin goes in the bottom drawer. Always separate the drugs."

2. Back to the Future - And now, to the one that's most likely the number 1 choice of 95% of the people that will read this. Aiden recently gave this a fresh look, and no surprise that it walked away with a 9/10. Many would give it a 10, and deservedly so - Bob Zemekis crafted one of the last, best adventure flicks we've had not named Indiana Jones (and there was really only one more of those to come), an amazingly richly detailed film filled with humor, action, kickass music, and Huey Lewis. For all of the times I've seen BTTF and its sequel, I still feel like I haven't seen them nearly enough (strangely, I've never seen the third al the way through).

1. Fletch - As if this was ever in doubt. Amazingly, this post will mark the first time that Fletch (the movie) will be used as a post label, which means that for nearly four years, I've barely spoken a word about one of my all-time favorite films and the inspiration for my online alias. How in the hell did this happen?

As you might have guessed, I actually didn't get into Fletch as an 8-year old, but rather during my later high school years, when my then-best friend and I would watch it religiously. Over that time, I advanced to the point where I might be able to act the film out for you in its entirety. I won't tolerate any opinion that derides this as some cheesy 80s comedy, though; certainly, the music is dated (if lovable) and the outfits (who wears short shorts?) can be questionable when compared to today's climate, but damned if this isn't one hell of a script! So many jokes piled upon jokes, they fly at you like insults from Don Rickles (more timeliness!). I could go on and on about all of the things I love about Fletch (Gummy! Dr. Rosen Rosen! The familiar red Oldsmobuick of Mr. Arnold T. Pants, Esq., "Far as you know."), but I'll spare you.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1990 in Film

Now, the sixth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988 * 2002 * 1993

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1993. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1990
If you were a historian looking for the year in which (lackluster) sequels took over, I'd hazard a guess that 1990 is the year you'd settle on. Have a gander at this motley crew:

Another 48 Hrs.
Back to the Future Part III
Child's Play 2
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
The Exorcist III
The Godfather Part III
Gremlims 2: The New Batch
Look Who's Talking Too
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter
Predator 2
Robocop 2
Rocky V
Three Men and a Little Lady
The Two Jakes
Young Guns II

Now, I've not seen half of these, so don't mistake inclusion on this list as a proclamation that all of them are terrible films - I'm sure each has their fans. That said, I don't think there's a single one of them that was/is hailed as being a great film in its own right. Even of the ones I've seen that I think are decent (Back to the Future III, for example), I'd have no problem if none of these films existed.

Basically, that line of thinking extends to the entirety of films from 1990. I've seen a lot of the flicks from this year, and I had a hard time coming up with even my top five, much less any honorable mentions, and from the ones I've chosen, though there are some that I really enjoy, I don't know if there's a one that I looooove. A shame - I was 13 for much of 1990 - I should love many of them. Beyond that, so many of the films that I've seen and can remember liking...I don't recall all that well, from Pump Up the Volume to Internal Affairs to Revenge to Miller's Crossing and so on, so it seems wrong to rank them here. What's left is comfort food, mostly.

Notable movies not yet seen:
Dances with Wolves
Pretty Woman
La Femme Nikita
The Hunt for Red October
Postcards from the Edge
Wild at Heart (currently sitting in my Netflix queue)

Honorable mentions:
Lionheart
Mr. Destiny (I'm a sucker for this flick)

5. Kindergarten Cop - Really not a great movie, but it was just about the best example of a "fish out of water" that we could have hoped for in the 80s/early 90s. As a bonus, it produced line after line after classic line delivered by Schwarzenegger - enough to be the cause for more prank phone calls than you can possibly fathom.

4. GoodFellas - Stop it. I can hear you all right now, blasting me to shreds for either not having this at number one and/or for having Home Effing Alone above it. Well, tough. As documented ad nauseum, I'll take Casino over this one any day of the week. Sorry, I guess I don't like Ray Liotta nearly as much as I thought I did 20 years ago. That said, I am due for watching this one more; I've seen the likes of Casino and The Departed tens of times each; GoodFellas, not so much. Perhaps it will grow on me as they did (each of them gets better with every viewing, so why not this one?).

3. Edward Scissorhands - Ahhh, the gold old days, back when Burton's schtick was fresh and seeing John Depp play a misfit seemed odd. I long for that simpler time.


2. Home Alone - There's a reason it was a big box-office hit - it strikes all the right chords. Equal parts melancholy, funny, and Christmas-y, I seem to enjoy this one more and more each year as well. How can anyone watch this and not want to be Kevin (at that age)? The bumbling criminals bit has never wowed me, but the ingenuity of the kid and his pranks make it akin to The Goonies in that way, while the rest of it has that John Hughes/Chicago suburbs charms.

1. Total Recall - If this wasn't made for a 13-year old future movie geek, I don't know what was. What's not to love? Arnold kicking ass, a three-breasted prostitute, Benny, bulge-out eyes, Phillip K. Dick, Michael Ironside, "two weeks," topless Sharon Stone? It's got it all, and then some.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1993 in Film

Now, the sixth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988 * 2002

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1993. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1993
This is a weird, weird year I think, not only for me personally, but in general. In line with the grunge/Generation X movements (for lack of a better term) that were occurring right about the time, it seems to be a real line in the sand where the last holdouts of 80s sensibilities made their way through and gave way to cynicism and more modern storytelling. The list of films that not only make up my favored five here, but also the lengthy honorable mentions really portray this. There's a strange mix of movies that might've been 80s leftovers (Demolition Man; Son-in-Law) mixed in with edgier fare (Last Action Hero, which might've been a failure but was still an winking take on the action genre; Jurassic Park, perhaps the forebearer to the modern action adventure).

It also holds special for me due to sheer volume. Good, bad or ugly, I've likely seen more films from this year than just about any other film, at least in terms of mainstream Hollywood films. I was 16-17 in 1993, and yes, it shows quite a bit in my favorites. However, I think this is right about the time, thanks to movies like my number one, where I went from being just a movie fan to an all-out movie geek. I sought ought indies like my number two (and Romeo is Bleeding and Boxing Helena and Flesh and Bone) pretty from early on, and watched and appreciated some of the more middle-of-the-road fare perhaps more than I should have.

It's weird - short of my top selections, I wouldn't argue too hardly for any of these films (that I've seen) to be considered seminal works, but damned if I wouldn't be physically pained if all of the movies from 1993 up and disappeared. Lot of good nostalgia here, and movies that I can and will watch time and again (Rising Sun, anyone?).

Notable movies not yet seen:
In the Name of the Father
The Piano
Point of No Return
The Program
Schindler's List

Honorable mentions:
Cliffhanger
Falling Down
The Firm
The Fugitive
Jurassic Park
Last Action Hero
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rising Sun
The Sandlot

5. Demolition Man
There's really no excuse for this to be here, but I've got such a soft spot for it. In fact, since I never did get all much into either the Rocky or Rambo series, I could make the argument that Stallone's two 1993 entries rank as my favorite films of his, with the first being a (relatively) no bullshit actioner, and this being an ambitious one that touches on class warfare and the future of sexual politics, all the while featuring some of the most laughable dialogue you'll see this side of, well, Rocky IV.

4. Tombstone
Probably the clubhouse leader in the "Films Fletch loves but somehow does not yet own." I've heard smatterings from some folks recently that say that the film - outside of Val Kilmer's performance - doesn't hold up all that well. Not sure if I agree; it certainly has its slow moments, and heavy-handed ones, and just plain theatrical ones (any scene with Priestley and/or Zane and/or Delaney is a tad painful), but on the whole? Sounds like a purchase/re-watch is definitely in order.

3. Groundhog Day
The current incarnation of Bill Murray is still pretty great and all, but don't you long for a straight-up comedy from the guy? I think the last one he did was Osmosis Jones, and not only was that in 2001, but it sucked and no one saw it (okay, it's not that bad, but you get the jist). Somehow I doubt Ghostbusters III will quench my thirst. Bing!

2. Dazed and Confused
Timeless. But then again, any well-executed period piece ought to be, and that's the beauty of them. Hard for a movie to seem "too 90s" when it's set in 1976. Still my favorite from Linklater.

1. True Romance
Need I explain myself here?

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1993 in Film

Now, the sixth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988 * 2002

I'm going to use Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1993. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1993
This is a weird, weird year I think, not only for me personally, but in general. In line with the grunge/Generation X movements (for lack of a better term) that were occurring right about the time, it seems to be a real line in the sand where the last holdouts of 80s sensibilities made their way through and gave way to cynicism and more modern storytelling. The list of films that not only make up my favored five here, but also the lengthy honorable mentions really portray this. There's a strange mix of movies that might've been 80s leftovers (Demolition Man; Son-in-Law) mixed in with edgier fare (Last Action Hero, which might've been a failure but was still an winking take on the action genre; Jurassic Park, perhaps the forebearer to the modern action adventure).

It also holds special for me due to sheer volume. Good, bad or ugly, I've likely seen more films from this year than just about any other film, at least in terms of mainstream Hollywood films. I was 16-17 in 1993, and yes, it shows quite a bit in my favorites. However, I think this is right about the time, thanks to movies like my number one, where I went from being just a movie fan to an all-out movie geek. I sought ought indies like my number two (and Romeo is Bleeding and Boxing Helena and Flesh and Bone) pretty from early on, and watched and appreciated some of the more middle-of-the-road fare perhaps more than I should have.

It's weird - short of my top selections, I wouldn't argue too hardly for any of these films (that I've seen) to be considered seminal works, but damned if I wouldn't be physically pained if all of the movies from 1993 up and disappeared. Lot of good nostalgia here, and movies that I can and will watch time and again (Rising Sun, anyone?).

Notable movies not yet seen:
In the Name of the Father
The Piano
Point of No Return
The Program
Schindler's List

Honorable mentions:
Cliffhanger
Falling Down
The Firm
The Fugitive
Jurassic Park
Last Action Hero
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rising Sun
The Sandlot

5. Demolition Man
There's really no excuse for this to be here, but I've got such a soft spot for it. In fact, since I never did get all much into either the Rocky or Rambo series, I could make the argument that Stallone's two 1993 entries rank as my favorite films of his, with the first being a (relatively) no bullshit actioner, and this being an ambitious one that touches on class warfare and the future of sexual politics, all the while featuring some of the most laughable dialogue you'll see this side of, well, Rocky IV.

4. Tombstone
Probably the clubhouse leader in the "Films Fletch loves but somehow does not yet own." I've heard smatterings from some folks recently that say that the film - outside of Val Kilmer's performance - doesn't hold up all that well. Not sure if I agree; it certainly has its slow moments, and heavy-handed ones, and just plain theatrical ones (any scene with Priestley and/or Zane and/or Delaney is a tad painful), but on the whole? Sounds like a purchase/re-watch is definitely in order.

3. Groundhog Day
The current incarnation of Bill Murray is still pretty great and all, but don't you long for a straight-up comedy from the guy? I think the last one he did was Osmosis Jones, and not only was that in 2001, but it sucked and no one saw it (okay, it's not that bad, but you get the jist). Somehow I doubt Ghostbusters III will quench my thirst. Bing!

2. Dazed and Confused
Timeless. But then again, any well-executed period piece ought to be, and that's the beauty of them. Hard for a movie to seem "too 90s" when it's set in 1976. Still my favorite from Linklater.

1. True Romance
Need I explain myself here?

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 2002 in Film

Now, the fifth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984 * 1988

I'm going to use my friend Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 2002. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

2002
I've seen much of what was released in 2002, and...it was not good. None of the movies on either my Favored Five or the honorable mentions list will ever sniff my Top 10 (or 20), and though I may be missing some less notable movies that I haven't seen that could be good (that's a lot of qualifiers) like 24 Hour Party People or something, I could find only a handful of higher profile flicks that I missed, and none of them were wide releases or anything like that, if they even made their way into my town. Yes, I desperately need to see City of God, but short of that, I don't feel as though I'm missing much.

Also, Chicago won Best Picture in 2002. Not a banner year for filmmaking.

Notable movies not yet seen:
About a Boy
City of God
Infernal Affairs
The Pianist

Honorable mentions:
Adaptation
The Hours
One Hour Photo
Signs
Spider-Man

5. Catch Me If You Can
The first of two films in my top five directed by Steven Spielberg. Quite a year for a man with an already impressive resume. Catch is a meaningless lark, but a brilliantly made one nonetheless, with an all-time great opening credits sequence, a globe-trotting protagonist, Chris Walken, and a deep cast that includes a who's who list of current female leads (Amy Adams, Liz Banks, Garner and Pompeo). What's not to love?

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The eight-hour battle set piece at Helm's Deep doesn't really do all that much for me (particularly the slaptsticky elements), but that's nitpicking at the what's still one of the best action/adventure pics of the decade. Carried by the usual strong performance of Viggo Mortensen, as well as his groovy relationship with Orlando Bloom's Legolas and the should-have-been-starmaking role for Karl Urban, doing his best Brad Pitt circa Legends of the Fall impression (kinda). Points to Brad Dourif's Wormtongue as well, though I dig Gandalf the Grey a lot more than the amnesiac White version.

3. 28 Days Later
I haven't seen all that many, but this is the most well-made zombie film (yea Nick, I said it) not named Shaun of the Dead. The first 40 minutes is phenomenal, and though the film does the Danny Boyle-trademarked Going Off the Rails in the Final Act, it's not nearly enough to take away from the overall quality.

2. Minority Report
Speaking of awful endings, I can't think of an ending that killed an otherwise great movie for Mrs. Fletch more. The similarly trademarked Spielbergian Happy Ending bothered me, but not to the extent it did so many others; what bothers me more is that Cruise's wife is played by the Chick From Cold Case that Can't Stop Squinting. God, she's annoying. Anyway, tremendous action flick here, fueled by yet another kickass Phillip K. Dick story. Everyone, even Colin Farrell killing another American accent shines, particularly the spellbinding Samantha Morton. I can't believe I don't own this on DVD.

1. The Bourne Identity
Like the somewhat similar Ronin, this is a no bullsh*t action film that never insults your intelligence. Sure, the amnesiac angle is a bit of a stretch, but aside from that setup (inherited from the Robert Ludlum novels), it's played straight-up, and director Doug Liman (doing his best work outside of Go) gets the perfect straight man in Matt Damon, who established himself as a brainy-yet-still-tough guy spy. The action is somewhat sparse, but in an era where we've overburdened with shootouts and explosions, the tension in between makes the few explosive scenes all the better.

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five: 1988 in Film

Now, the fourth in a continuing series in which I count down my favorites from a particular year in film. Previous entries:

1997 * 1991 * 1984

I'm going to use my friend Wikipedia to kickstart my brain, year by year, and I'll throw out a Favored Five here and there. If you want to refresh your memory in a similar fashion, just go to Wiki and type "[four-character year] in film." Here's the one for 1988. I won't pretend that Wiki is the end-all, be-all of filmic knowledge or that these yearly lists are 100% accurate, but they're an excellent place to start and a great resource.

1988
Not a lot of surprises here - the films selected as my Favored Five are likely what you'd expect from someone who was 11/12 years of age in 1988. Ditto the movies I've not yet seen. The only thing that might surprise you is the inclusion of Frantic amongst my honorable mentions, over such higher acclaimed fare as Rain Man and A Fish Called Wanda, or even Scrooged. It's not to say that I don't enjoy those films, but I thought to myself how odd it would be to place such films high amongst my rankings, considered I've seen none more than a handful of times, whereas the ones that made the lists are films I can practically recite (in some cases).

Notable movies not yet seen:
The Accused
Akira
Dangerous Liasons
Eight Men Out
The Last Temptation of Christ
Midnight Run
Mississippi Burning

Honorable Mentions
Beetlejuice
Frantic
The Naked Gun
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Willow

5. Big - You know I love the next four a lot when a great film such as this comes in fifth. There's not much wrong with Big; I gave it a re-watching recently, and aside from some unavoidable aging (cars, toys used, general technology) and the dodgy "So, was Liz Perkins a pedophile?" question, it's just as meaningful and funny now as it was then.

4. Bull Durham - Unquestionably one of the greatest sports films of all time and I won't hear anything otherwise. Ron Shelton (White Men Can't Jump, Blue Chips, Tin Cup) remains the only writer I'm aware of that can write sports movies that feel authentic and fresh at the same time, and the fact that he spares us the "inspirational" endings of so many others only endears me to him more (even if he hasn't made a relevant film since 1996).

3. Bloodsport - If you've been coming here for any time at all, or are a friend of mine of Facebook, or in real life - basically, if you know me at all, then you know I ♥ this movie with all my ♥. So why is it numero très and not numero uno? Well, love of trash does have its limits, and as hilarious and (I'm sad to say) important to me as this guilty pleasure is, it's still a guilty pleasure, and the next two movies are far, far superior in quality while still holding a special place in my ♥.

2. Coming to America - Take your 48 Hrs. and your Beverly Hills Cop(s) and maybe even Trading Places - I'll take Coming to America as my choice for Eddie Murphy's best, if not funniest, movie. Not-really-cameos from Sam Jackson, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Louis Anderson and Vondie Curtis-Hall, Eriq LaSalle's jheri curls, Arsenio Hall getting most of the great lines, Sexual Chocolate, Darth Vader himself as a King, Murphy and Hall playing no less than five characters each, the Royal Penis - what more do you want?

1. Die Hard - There really can be no other option here. A no bullsh*t action movie that keeps the tension and comedy high and the stupidity low (Karl coming back to life is the only thing that really stands out). Movies with Heroes (shorthand for action flicks, fantasies, adventures, etc.) are only as good as their villains, and Alan Rickman gave us one of the most memorable in Bill Clay aka Hans Gruber. The inevitable sequels have inevitably taken off some of the luster from the franchise (go ahead, re-watch the second - it's pretty awful, to say nothing of the abominable fourth), but it served as the template for action movies for at least 15 years beyond its arrival. Kudos to Jim Rome for maintaining some of its cultural relevance.

And then...