The MoFos Top 100 of the 90s Countdown - Redux

Oh, I forgot about Frost/Nixon. That was alright. Still would have preferred someone better than him directing it though.

I'd second that. It definitely feels like something CR would like.

That's impressive. It's also a comfort to know the world is still functional in 8 years time.

Drugstore Cowboy has no chance as it's an 80's film.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I've heard about this three colors thing for years, I just haven't taken the time to watch any of them. Would it be best to view in order of release?


As far as Apollo 13 goes, we watched it in Freshman year history class back in HS, and it was OK, but I've never had the need to see it again and probably never will. Just not my thing.

Tom Hanks may be the actor who appears most on this list and we haven't even gotten to his more popular films of the decade.

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"A candy colored clown!"
Member since Fall 2002
Top 100 Films, clicky below

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Yes. Representing the three colors of the French flag, going from left to right.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Seen: 19/34

I thought Apollo 13 was solid...but not on my list.

Haven't seen Three Colors: Blue. Or any of the trilogy.

His best film is A Short Film About Killing.
Followed by The Double Life of Veronique.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

In my universe, yeah, the Three Colors trilogy would be considerably higher, top 20, heck, top 10 - and maybe there's a world out there where that ranking exists, somewhere, somehow -Quint breaks into song- ♫ "There's a place for me, somewhere a place for me..."♫ -MoFo's remind Cap this isn't the musicals thread and to stop with the caterwauling-

I participated in a poll elsewhere and among the 90s, Blue came in at 23, Red was #31, and that's more to my tastes - but their top 20 was pretty much our top 20, so it would seem movie fans gravitate around the same titles when it comes to the upper echelon.

From my list, the majority of contributions are found in the 100 to 51 range, I only have 4 in the top 50 (though there were plenty others I liked) - but what the hey, I'm happy to have helped get 2 of the Three Colors, Before Sunrises and Moments of Innocence on the countdown. They're here, that's what matters most.

Six directors account for 15 films on my ballot.

Apollo 13 - I was roughly 15 when this came out and thought it was pretty great then. I've never revisited and watching a few other Ron Howard movies as I got older, combined with my vague recollection of the movie makes me think I wouldn't think much of it if I watched it now.


Three Colors: Blue - I think I already said some of what I thought about this before. Visually stunning, almost enough to make me like it. But I just never got onboard for the dramatic story/journey in a way that actually ventured into dislike. Granted, I saw this, probably 20 years ago (I honestly can't remember if this was a collage watch or mid-20s post-college watch). Though I did say I warmed up to White greatly on re-watch (though my original opinion of that was indifference). Maybe my opinion would shift on it if I ever did re-watch it.

I started this last night, but it was late and I was beat, so I decided to get back to it when I can give it my full attention.

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I just realized I missed a handful that I know I've seen, but as far as ranking goes, it wouldn't matter much cause it's been too long and I don't remember most of these...

Willow - haven't seen it since its release
Splash - haven't seen it probably since the late 80s or early 90s
Backdraft - haven't seen it since its release
Far and Away - have it logged as seen, but I don't even remember it at all
edTV - saw it shortly after it came out, thought it was fun, but barely remember it.

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Yes but someone should watch the entire Dekalog in order and insert the feature length versions of Killing and Love where they would be in the series. At least that's my opinion.

I didn't care for the extended "Killing", why? In the Old Testament, it’s apparent to me that there’s a clear distinction between killing and murder. God kills, sanctions death, and takes sides in wars - but flat-out murder. We’re told, “Thou Shall Not Kill? I think an examination of the Biblical notion of killing and murder would have made for fascinating, gray area cinema. But that’s not where Kieślowski went. He had a point of view he wanted to sell, period. And while that point of view touched other viewers, I was unmoved. For example, attempts to humanize the murderer by having him speak of his sister was –for me- manipulative and heavy-handed. Hell Krzysztof, you might as well have pulled out the violins in that scene.

My concern was that the Dekalog was going to be 10 episodes of the director wagging his finger in my face. Happily, I discovered that the other chapters were not as reductive or contrived - though they are not, by any means, subtle. Kieślowski foreshadows and telegraphs (I) can be heavily expository (IV). But it works, because what was being said interested me. The people and their struggles interested me.

Anyway, I don’t think extended films are the way to go with these pieces, I think they work better in concert, even that 5th (shorter) chapter is better when it’s huddled between the other tales.

While I have my favorites (Dekalog III, VII & X), and those I felt were the lesser, as a thematic whole it packs a punch.

People dont' say M 1931's crap because it sympathises with child killers. And that's even though much of the 2nd half is crap.

A Story of Killing isn't. Whether you agree with the moral position or not, it's still a highly innovative and striking film.

I didn't say that - I spoke about the delivery of the message, which was heavy handed on its own. I felt it was better joined with the others, where it becomes part of a larger thematic tapestry.

Towards the other end of the spectrum, four directors each
appear twice in my list, and every other director only appears once.

Okay, at last! I love Apollo 13. As my Aunt and Cousin worked for NASA, I knew about this story without ever seeing any news reports concerning it. Also, years later, I watched a documentary (I think it was either on The History Channel or Discovery) about the ill-fated trip of Apollo 13. And the doc was way before the movie was even made, I believe. So when the movie came out I knew what was going to happen and most times that's a hugh bummer, but not this time. It felt (because of my NASA kin) somewhat personal. All the performances were great and the spectacle of it all was fine. I can watch this any time and be entertained. This was #25 on my list. I can only go up from here. Literally.

My list:
#25 Apollo 13 list proper #68

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

Reading your comment again, I can see that I have slightly misinterpreted/misrepresented it.

It still seems though, even if you were being more nuanced than I'd credited, that you seem to be saying you would rather he made a film delivering a different message to the one that he did. It seems to me that you are still effectively criticising the director for not presenting the debate which you would like to have been presented.

Isn't it a case of waiting for that particular film to come along, and in the mean time assess A Short Film About Killing for what it is? rather than for what it isn't or what else it might have been?

I have 23 directors (well 25 actually, but only because there are 2 double acts).