Mike’s Top Tens of the Decade (1990-1999)
Three months ago, I posted my Top Tens of the Decade. It was meant to be a list of the films I liked best over the past decade (that decade being 2000-2009. I also included 2010 because it was recent and because, I want to see how much it changes by the time it goes on the list it’s supposed to be on, Top Tens of Decade, 2010-2019). You can read my motivation for such a list in the link up there.
After I posted it, I thought (as I often do), “Wouldn’t it be interesting if I was able to make a list like that for every decade, going back to the creation of film?” And, being the narcissist I am, I also thought, “I should make one for other decades too, so people can see which films I like best, and then watch them.” Now, I don’t know how far back I’ll be able to go (might have some trouble in the 1920s, 10s and 00s), but I do know, being born in 1988, I certainly can do one for the 90s easily enough. That was my decade. So that’s what I’m gonna do right now.
This will be exactly like the Top Tens of 2000-2010. The only change, or rather, the only difference between this list and that list is, there won’t be a “Terrible Ten” list of films I hated. Because I just wasn’t that kind of viewer back then. I didn’t hate films the way I do now. That decade I was between 2 & 12. I was watching shit like Blank Check. But that’s what’s interesting about it. Not what I hated — what I loved.
Since these were my formative years, what I’m doing is, instead of a “Terrible Ten”, after the standard 11-15 (to make things easier next time I revisit the list), is putting what I’m calling a “Films of My Childhood” list at the bottom. That is, at the bottom of ever year, I’ll have a list of 5 landmark Films of My Childhood. These are the films that I loved (and still do, but largely out of nostalgia) and saw as a child. Ones that, if you’re my age, you’ll go, “Oh shit, I love Rookie of the Year!” Keep in mind, this is my list of films from my childhood. There might be a handful of films you think are missing. But, those are the films to put on your Top Tens of the Decade lists. Because I love when people make lists. I’d happily read yours. I’d be positively giddy to do so. Either way, this should be a nice nostalgia trip for you. Let’s get to the Top Tens:
My Top Ten of 1999:
American Beauty
Any Given Sunday
Being John Malkovich
Bringing Out the Dead
Dogma
Fight Club
The Insider
The Matrix
Payback
Three Kings
11-20 (great year): Analyze This, Blue Streak, Deep Blue Sea, Election, Fantasia 2000, Magnolia, Man on the Moon, The Mummy, Office Space, Tarzan
(2012 update: Tier 2 added, which are 15 in addition to the 5 Films of My Childhood)
Tier 2: American Pie, Audition, Beyond the Mat, Eyes Wide Shut, The Green Mile, The Hurricane, The Iron Giant, The Sixth Sense, South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Summer of Sam, Sweet and Lowdown, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Toy Story 2, The World Is Not Enough
Films of My Childhood: The Big Kahuna, Entrapment, Mystery Men, Pokémon: The First Movie, The Thirteenth Floor
My Top Ten of 1998:
The Big Lebowski
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Meet Joe Black
Mulan
Out of Sight
Pleasantville
Saving Private Ryan
Shakespeare in Love
Snake Eyes
What Dreams May Come
11-20: Armageddon, BASEketball, Bulworth, Gods and Monsters, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Negotiator, Rounders, Rushmore, The Thin Red Line, The Truman Show
Films of My Childhood: Major League: Back to the Minors, A Night at the Roxbury, The Parent Trap, Rush Hour, Psycho, Wrongfully Accused
My Top Ten of 1997:
As Good as It Gets
Boogie Nights
Face/Off
The Fifth Element
The Game
Good Will Hunting
Jackie Brown
L.A. Confidential
Titanic
Wag the Dog
11-20: Air Force One, Breakdown, Chasing Amy, Donnie Brasco, The Full Monty, Hercules, In & Out, Mad City, Men in Black, The Rainmaker
Films of My Childhood: AirBud/Spawn (these go together because they’re the first double feature I’ve ever seen in theates. That is, my friends and I went to the movies to see Spawn, then after it was over, we snuck into Air Bud. Best double feature ever.), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Batman and Robin, Good Burger, Grosse Pointe Blank, Liar Liar, RocketMan, Spice World, Vegas Vacation
My Top Ten of 1996:
Breaking the Waves
Fargo
From Dusk Till Dawn
Independence Day
Jerry Maguire
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Mission: Impossible
One Fine Day
The Rock
Space Jam
11-15: The Cable Guy, Everyone Says I Love You, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kingpin, Mars Attacks!, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Sling Blade, Romeo + Juliet, Swingers, A Time to Kill
Films of My Childhood: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Bio-Dome, Happy Gilmore, Harriet the Spy, Jingle All the Way, Kazaam, Matilda, Multiplicity, Scream, Spy Hard
(Sadly, Dunston Checks In did not make the list. I don’t think that’s a film of anybody’s childhood.)
My Top Ten of 1995:
Apollo 13
Casino
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Heat
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Nick of Time
Pocahontas
Se7en
Toy Story
The Usual Suspects
11-25 (it was a good year): The American President, Babe, Braveheart, Desperado, Friday, Get Shorty, GoldenEye, Jumanji, Leaving Las Vegas, Mallrats, Mighty Aphrodite, Murder in the First, Nixon, Outbreak, Twelve Monkeys
+ Honorable (?) Mention to: Showgirls
Films of My Childhood: First, a standalone entry: Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie, THE staple film of my childhood. And now the rest of them (it was a really strong year):
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Balto, The Big Green, Casper, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, A Goofy Movie, The Indian in the Cupboard, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, Operation Dumbo Drop (Oh yeah, I went there.)
My Top Ten of 1994:
Clerks
Ed Wood
Forrest Gump
Léon (The Professional)
The Lion King
Natural Born Killers
Pulp Fiction
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Speed
11-15: Chungking Express, The Client, Major League II, Maverick, Nell
Films of My Childhood: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Airheads, Angels in the Outfield, Blank Check, Dumb and Dumber, Little Giants, The Mask, The Pagemaster, Renaissance Man, Richie Rich
My Top Ten of 1993:
A Bronx Tale
Falling Down
The Fugitive
In the Name of the Father
Jurassic Park
Mrs. Doubtfire
The Sandlot
Schindler’s List
Tombstone
True Romance
11-20: The Age of Innocence, The Firm, Groundhog Day, Last Action Hero, My Life, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Philadelphia, The Remains of the Day, Searching for Bobby Fischer, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
+ Honorable Mention to: Deadfall (The single greatest Nicolas Cage performance ever put to film. Trust me.)
Films of My Childhood: Airborne (great fucking rollerblading movie!), Coneheads, Dennis the Menace, Free Willy, Hocus Pocus, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Rookie of the Year, Super Mario Bros., We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story
My Top Ten of 1992:
Aladdin
Chaplin
A Few Good Men
Glengarry Glen Ross
A League of Their Own
My Cousin Vinny
Reservoir Dogs
Scent of a Woman
Unforgiven
Wayne’s World
11-15: Batman Returns, Hero, The Last of the Mohicans, Malcolm X, Sneakers
Films of my Childhood: Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Mighty Ducks, White Men Can’t Jump … uhh, there is no fifth one. But, while it’s not of my childhood…
+ Honorable Mention to: Shakes the Clown (the Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown films)
My Top Ten of 1991:
Barton Fink
Beauty and the Beast
Boyz N the Hood
Bugsy
Cape Fear
Hook
JFK
Necessary Roughness
The Silence of the Lambs
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
11-15: City Slickers, The Doors, The Fisher King, Shadows and Fog, Thelma and Louise
Films of My Childhood: An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Life Stinks, My Girl, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
My Top Ten of 1990:
Dick Tracy
Die Hard 2
Edward Scissorhands
The Godfather Part III
Goodfellas
Home Alone
The Hunt for Red October
Miller’s Crossing
Quick Change
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
11-15: Alice, Awakenings, The Field, The Grifters, Misery, The Rescuers Down Under, Reversal of Fortune, State of Grace, Total Recall, Wild at Heart
Films of My Childhood: Ghost, Kindergarten Cop, Look Who’s Talking Too, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tremors
