Saturday, March 18, 2006

Top 100 Overlooked Films of the '90s

O.F.C.S.: The Online Film Critics Society: "July 27, 2004: It was the decade of Tarantino and Titanic. From Schindler's List to The Blair Witch Project, movies and the hype that went with them seemed bigger than ever.

However, too many great films somehow got lost in the shuffle. While some were recalled by Oscar voters and many managed to squeak out a modest box office return, these films nonetheless failed to click in the memory banks of both the critics and with audiences.

The writers of the Online Film Critics Society recalls the half- and completely-forgotten treasures of the past decade cinematic canon with its list of the Top 100 Overlooked Films of the 1990s. Join us for a trip back into the not-so-distant past and see if you recall the titles celebrated here by the OFCS writers."

Yes, it's another of those lists. I've seen a frightening number of the movies ( or films) on it. Probably not as many as some of you, however.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe Versus the Volcano? JOE VERSUS THE FRIGGIN' VOLCANO?

Is this "worst movies of the 90s" list? That was the most unwatchable piece of dreck ever.

And Miller's Crossing, which it took me three times to get through, is one of the most overrated movies of the 90s.

Anonymous said...

And I HATED Hudsucker Proxy beyond all words.

Unknown said...

But Jeff, The Hudsucker Proxy starred Anna Nicole Smith. And Paul Newman. In the same movie.

I beg to differ with you on Joe and the Volcano. At least one other reader of this blog and I kinda like that one.

Dave Zeltserman said...

Bill, I agree with you on Joe Vs. The Volcano - the office scenes alone had a nice nightmarish 1984 quality to them and made the movie worth seeing.

I also liked Hudsucker Proxy quite a bit - but you have to view it in the context it was meant, which was a clever sendup of Frank Capra movies. Jennifer Jason Leigh did a nice channelling of a 40s version of Katharine Hepburn. Miller's Crossing, on the otherhand, is my least favorite Coen brothers movie. The only thing it had goingfor it was John Turturro (great scene where he's begging for his life).

I have to admit I've seen most of these, and my 3 favorites are probably Exotica, Darkman and Lone Star.

Unknown said...

I like those, too, but there are a lot of other good ones on there. Waiting for Guffman springs to mind.

Graham Powell said...

I see they picked ZERO EFFECT, which I thought was a great movie. Bill Pullman was great as an obnoxious Sherlock Holmes-type, and Ben Stiller has never been better as his Watson.

It switches from serious to slapstick several times, but it worked for me.

Unknown said...

Worked for me, too. I don't always like Stiller, but he was very good in that one. And, of course, in Dodgeball.

Vince said...

I'm a proud Joe Versus The Volcano fan. Always have been, always will be. Miller's Crossing, Hudsucker and Zero Effect are personal favorites, too.

In fact, I'll take every movie on this list -- even the ones I don't care for, like Mystery Men -- over the Oscar winners and box-office hits of the same decade.

Dave Zeltserman said...

I don't think Ben Stiller has ever been better than he was in Zoolander (or Will Ferrell for that matter)

I counted it out. I've seen 89 of those 100 films - over half them of liked a lot, much more than the typical hollywood studio release.

My top 10:

1) Exotica
2) Darkman
3) Lone Star
4) Defending Your Life
5) In the Company of Men
6) Jacob's Ladder
7) Welcome to the Dollhouse (if you like this, see Happiness!)
8) Smoke
9) the Sweet Hereafter
10) The Ice Storm

And there are so many more good ones...

Writeprocrastinator said...

I've seen ninety-five out of the hundred and I'll bet that literally all of them except for "Joe V. Volcano," were on either Roger Ebert's overlooked list or his small film festival celebrating overlooked gems.

The two that I was amazed didn't make the list were "Orphans"

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0119842/

and "Fresh."

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0109842/

BTW, "Joe V." was put on there as the intentional bait just to generate controversy for the list. Famous or infamous, yes. Overlooked? No, everyone has seen it or chosen not to finish it on cable.

Cap'n Bob said...

What, no Battlefield: Earth?

Juri said...

I loathed JOE VS. THE VOLCANO, but really much liked MILLER'S CROSSING. Nice to see Egoyan's THE SWEET HEREAFTER in the list, it's much better than the artificial (to me) EXOTICA. Some of these films aren't forgotten in Europe, though. For example, everyone's still raving about WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE and Solondz's other films.

Anonymous said...

1. I understand what Hudsucker was trying to do. It just failed, completely, for me.

2. If Ebert praised Joe vs. the Volcano that is just one more mark against him. His stuff is entertaining to read but I would NEVER take his word for what to see. He likes too much crap.

3. Cap'n, Battlefield: Earth came out in 2000. Maybe next list.

4. I did like a lot of things on the list:

Lone Star
Heavenly Creatures
Waiting for Guffman
Bound
Devil in a Blue Dress
Welcome to the Dollhouse
The Apostle
October Sky
My Neighbor Totoro
A Perfect World
One False Move
The Ref
Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Matinee
The Secret of Roan Inish
Big Night
Topsy-Turvy

Anonymous said...

In fact, I'll take every movie on this list -- even the ones I don't care for, like Mystery Men -- over the Oscar winners and box-office hits of the same decade.

Dances With Wolves
Silence of the Lambs
Unforgiven
Schindler's List
Forrest Gump
Braveheart
The English Patient
Titanic
Shakespeare in Love
American Beauty

So, basically, Vince, you'd take Joe V. Volcano and the two Coen Brothers movies and the rest of the list over ANY of these?

Vince said...

Yes.

Anonymous said...

I was glad to see Sneakers on the list, which has always been favorite of mine. I don't know why it isn't more liked generally>

One movie I would add would be Hear My Song which I think is one of the most overlooked movies of any decade.