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Trash Talk discussions have led me conclude you Philistines need someone to provide the touchpoints necessary for a decent understanding in motion picture entertainments. I'm handpicking 10 films per time period--I might not limit myself to decades or anything, but contiguous time periods. These are films I like. Expect it to be short on musicals, which I loathe.
The 1990s produced some amazing films, but perhaps by luck? There started to be a creeping element of commercialism pervading everything, and the 1990s laid the groundwork for what would become film franchises when the 00s arrived. While all this was happening, you had the best director of the 80s making his best film, the blossoming of the Coen Bros., the return of Malick, and the arrival of Andersons, P.T. and Wes.
Goodfellas -- If saw just this and nothing else, you'd be fine really. Best Gangster Movie ever blah blah, whatever--this is one of the best films ever. Scorsese gets everything right. De Niro is quiet and more menacing for it. Pesci explodes. The writing is as frenetic as the cocaine-tinged reality Henry Hill navigates for the last hour of the picture. Amazing. This was the year I gave up on the Oscars--I think this lost to Dances With Wolves. I haven't seen it in years, but I can recall even small details and parts: Spider, Henry's disabled brother making the gravy, slicing garlic thin in prison, Paul Sorvino as the boss turning meat and expressing disappointment, Moe's wigs, ugh, everything.
Toy Story 2 -- Pixar basically saves Disney from itself. They had sequel rights to Toy Story because of the marketing deal, and had started cooking up some direct-to-video turd that was making Pixar nervous. Pixar was able to take control, shift it to a film format, and rewrite everything, which lead to all kinds of recriminations, but ultimately resulted in this gem. Best kids film of the 90s by far.
Millers Crossing -- I loved Raising Arizona, and later Blood Simple. So, the Coen Bros were pretty good in my head and then this movie happened. I rented, watched, and watched again immediately. When you realize at the end everything that went into it, it's amazing. Also keeps up the amazing POV shots the Coen Bros started playing with in Raising Arizona. Amazing.
Being John Malkovich -- This... this movie just doesn't seem possible. How... what, its... I got nothing. There's no way this could ever get made, and there it is. You can go get it from Netflix or whatever like The Mummy or some shit. Completely berserk. Marvel at Cameron Diaz as a schlumper! Wonder at Tristan et Isolde in marionette form! Stare dumbfounded at the journey of Malkovich through Malkovich.
Pulp Fiction -- This is 1990's filmmaking distilled into snortable form and sucked up Mia's nose. If you haven't seen this... I guess I hope you are either 9 years old or have never seen a movie in your life because of some kind of Amish antagonism towards joy. All the cool kids will tell you it's overrated. Please.
The Thin Red Line -- Terrence Malick returns from a couple of decades or retirement to make this lyrical WWII movie in the Pacific theatre. It was worth the wait. Some folks are going to hate the shit out of this movie, especially if they wanted more of a shoot-em-up-Saving Private Ryan-feel. Ultimately it's about finding beauty even in our most base state.
Rushmore -- This is a Wes Anderson movie. He makes more of them to collect checks and stuff but he could have finished here. Also resurrected Bill Murray from his post-Groundhog Day malaise. (I was tempted to put Groundhog Day on this list). Great soundtrack, quirky characters, but sold so well by the ensemble that the twee wraps right back around to sincerity. Funny as fuck all too.
The Matrix -- An anime brought to life and put on the screen. Glossy everything. Tight leather everything. All of the guns, all of the kung fu, all of the bullet time. Set a new standard for modern Hollywood action movies, even if those all now have to be PG-13 because marketing. Avoid the sequels like anthrax.
Unforgiven -- The post-modern Western. Closes the door on the genre. The Coens brought the classic form back with True Grit, but as a vehicle for morality tale, this film shows the horrors of the age with an honesty very intentionally missing from most Hollywood depictions of the setting. Frontier "justice," painful long deaths, and the easy steps from a civilized world to the anarchy of law by the lawless.
Hoop Dreams -- Follows a couple of Chicago kids on their struggles to get out of Cabrini Green and into the NBA, basically--but from eighth grade. More importantly, it shows the pressure on these kids (they are children) to play their way and their family's way out of poverty. Simultaneously a validation and an indictment of America and "the dream" it represents to the world.
See the 1960s list here.
See the 1970s list here.
See the 1980s list here.
