The MoFos Top 100 of the 90s Countdown - Redux

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3. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
7. True Romance (1993)
8. JFK (1991)
9. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
15. American Beauty (1999)
20. Sonatine (1993)
23. Porco Rosso (1992)
25. Stay Tuned (1992)

54. Cure (1997) - Sawit, always find Kurosawa's films to be a bit on the sleepy end. Wouldn't even consider this for my list.

53. The Thin Red Line (1998) - I admire parts of this film so much I just didn't think it came together as a complete film. I also regret we never got directors cuts of this one because I think theirs something magical with this one.

52. The Player (1992) - One of my favorite Altman films. I don't think Tim Robbins was ever able to break away from this character and everything he's done since has been tied to that part. It's also funny to look back at the film today and see how quaint it appears now.

51. Raise the Red Lantern (1991) - This was one of the first foreign films I ever saw and I've been chasing that feeling since. I never got into the Merchant Ivory films but this was my idea of pastoral excellence. And Gong Li was so subtle and breathtaking in this...great film.

50. Twelve Monkey's (1995) - Bruce Willis doesn't always get credit for his acting, and people forget that Bruce was in a slump in the early 90's and then this Pulp Fiction, Die Hard III, Nobody's Fool came out and cemented him as more than just the Moonlighting/Die Hard guy. I think this might be Gillium's more accessible film and it still holds up to this day, which not a lot of 90's science fiction does.

49. Sense and Sensibility (1995) - I saw this, it wasn't really for me I think I was actively rooting against it during the award season because of Braveheart. Still it's fine for what it was.

48. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Man remember Holiday classics, crazy this came out in 93. This was sort of like a warped Disney film with incredibly memorable character designs Really good pick, surprised it's this low to be honest.

47. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - Lauched a genre of films I'm not a huge fan of. I've never been a Guy Richie guy and this was the start of my distaste for his work.

46. Starship Troopers (1997) - I love this movie, it's a real epic that could have/shout have been a bigger franchise. I think the special effects in this film are incredible, great blending of the practical with CGI, incredible supporting cast as well. Little surprises it's this high to be honest but happy to see it.

45. American Beauty (1999) - I adore this movie, this was the first time a trailer really connected with me and then I went and saw the film and was not dissapointed. I know people have strong feelings about Kevin Spacey but I can still watch and enjoy this film. Maybe one of the best scores from this era as well.

44. Jackie Brown (1997) - Much like A Thin Red Line I like parts of this film more than the finished product. Samuel L Jackson is terrifying in this but for Tarantino this is lesser version for him.

43. Trainspotting (1996) - And this is the flip side of the 90's british films I couldn't stand. I actually like the sequel more because it's less gross and it hits harded when the characters aren't so young.

42. Rushmore (1998) - I think Wes Anderson was still finding his voice, the whole precocious young person trope felt tired even in 1998. Still it's watchable for me but not really rank-able.

41. Ed Wood (1994) - Tim Burton's first serious film, it's pretty good. This might actually be Depps best performance he's ever given. Still not a film that I would have ranked. I prefer my Burton to be more gothic and creepy but that's just me.



Before entering top 40, again:

Popularity Meter

The movies in the countdown ranked by their world-wide popularity.
(the total number of film buffs who made efforts to rate and claim the movies seen)

Home Alone (1990) I▷ 6.36M
Good Will Hunting (1997) I▷ 5.25M
American Beauty (1999) I▷ 4.35M

Toy Story 2 (1999) I▷ 3.97M
Trainspotting (1996) I▷ 3.35M
Beauty and the Beast (1991) I▷ 3.05M
The Fifth Element (1997) I▷ 3.00M

Princess Mononoke (1997) I▷ 2.90M
Twelve Monkey's (1995) I▷ 2.35M
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998) I▷ 2.18M
Dumb and Dumber (1994) I▷ 2.16M
Before Sunrise (1995) I▷ 2.06M

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) I▷ 1.66M
Jackie Brown (1997) I▷ 1.60M
Total Recall (1990) I▷ 1.48M
Gattaca (1997) I▷ 1.46M
Apollo 13 (1995) I▷ 1.43M
The Fugitive (1993) I▷ 1.35M
Point Break (1991) I▷ 1.14M
...


Note:
The Data is based on 17 most popular and highly active film web sites in the Christian part of the world. They cover the great majority of languages on this part of the Earth.
Film Sites Used  


I'd be interested to know what the most popular movies overall are. I can see Home Alone being popular in other countries as well, since physical humor translates the best from culture to culture.



Make That 30 of 60 seen.

I liked Rushmore well enough, but it didn't make the cut.

Hadn't Seen Ed Wood.

LIST:

21. JFK
25. Hurricane Streets


I am very curious what the remaining movies in your list are. Of the 60 films we've seen so far, you only picked one, a conspiracy thriller.


I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're not into Disney.




40
9lists131points
Director

Mel Gibson, 1995

Starring

Mel Gibson, Catherine McCormack, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan





39
10lists131points
Director

Wong Kar-wai, 1994

Starring

Takeshi Kaneshiro, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung, Faye Wong




2-way tie, broken up by total ballots (10 to 9)

Wong Kar-wai returns to the countdown with one of Tarantino's favorite pictures, an anthology of two stories (a planned third was cut and became Fallen Angels). "Chungking" in the title refers to Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, a place with a reputation as Hong Kong's dark underbelly, rife with crime, sex, and drugs. "Express" refers to the food stand Midnight Express in Lan Kwai Fong, an area in Central, Hong Kong.

Wong said he was inspired by the works of Haruki Murakami

Braveheart - while set in Scotland, most of the picture was filmed in Trim, County Meath in the Republic of Ireland (also the setting of Ireland's first, and maybe only, kung-fu movie, Fatal Deviation).

Combat dummies and mechanical horses were used in the more dangerous scenes.

Randall Wallace based his screenplay on the longform narrative poem called The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace - a romanticized retelling written around 1477 by Blind Harry



Braveheart was previously ranked #32, Chungking was #31 - so they are still linked 12 years later



I don't know Chungking Express. It looks interesting. I'll add it to my watch list.


I've never really been a fan of Braveheart. I'm just not into Mel Gibson. It does have great action scenes though.


Seen: 27/62
List: 6/25



Well I finally broke out of the "only two films so far" slump, with Braveheart being my #5. Love this movie. I don't care if it twists the facts around William Wallace's real life because the movie is as entertaining as can be. And going into this movie, I had no idea who William Wallace was anyway. This one is just a triumph all around for me.

Chungking Express is one I've heard about but haven't seen.


My list:
#5 Braveheart list proper #40
#18 The Fifth Element list proper #56
#25 Apollo 13 list proper #68
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Chungking Express is a solid film. However, Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love is so extremely refined, beautiful and stylish. That for me, it paled his previous works a little bit, no vote.

Braveheart is epic and makes my top hundred of the decade. It was briefly considered for my ballot. Sophie Marceau is wonderful. Great to see it make the list even higher than expected.

Seen 55/62
Ballot 5/25
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I forgot the opening line.
40. Braveheart (1995) - Although I'm not much of a fan, this still got a super-solid 4/5 rating from me on letterboxd, and the one time I saw it I wrote : "I remember when these epic historical dramas were once again in fashion, but I've always been reluctant to see them - I watched this because I wanted to tick it off my 'seen it' list finally, and was surprised at how exciting the whole film was. People complain about historical inaccuracy without realising that historically accurate films destroy narrative and strangle movies - this is pure fantasy, but it's beautifully filmed and almost a homage to the epics of old, with an emotional core that gets people to identify with it's hero - who questions the need for being petty and greedy when sacrifice would be for the good of all. A rather good film." As positive as I was about the movie itself after watching it, I'm still going to be reluctant to go back and watch it again because I don't like Gibson all that much. Mind you, I have similar feelings regarding Gladiator, which makes me think it's more an aversion to 3-hour long historical epics than specific actors.

39. Chunking Express (1994) - Saw this for the first time late last year (time flies), rated it 4.5/5 on letterboxd and wrote : "This obviously had a huge impact on me, and works even better when seen in conjunction with Fallen Angels, which continues the kind of 'short story' unrequited love make-up of this 1994 classic. Faye Wong and the second story kind of outweighs or dominates the opening, but everything is so good at the same time. Wong Kar-wai can express the mood love puts you in and he builds all kinds of slow-burn narratives around it that explore novel topics in original ways. Relationships with inanimate objects, relationships based on the sharing of a space instead of life, relationships expressed through the consumption of consumer goods - these themes don't sound like they'd add up to much, but when you see the way this has been filmed and follow the bittersweet narration it really makes one dizzy and had me in a very introspective and emotional mood. He uses music in such fantastic ways. His partnership with cinematographer Christopher Doyle should be legendary. Can't wait to see this again." I'll certainly watch it again one day soon, and it's a strong possibility it'll then appear on my ballot when we do the "The MoFos Top 100 of the 90s Countdown - Part III"

Seen : 61/62
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Chungking Express was #31 on the first MoFo '90s list plus #75 on the MoFo Top 100 Foreign Films. Braveheart was #32 on the '90s list but popped up even more: #21 on the original MoFo Top 100, dropped to #93 on the Top 100 Refresh, and was back way up at #26 on the MoFo Top 100 War Films.
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Contemplated seeing Chunking Express for this Countdown, but didn't because it's described as a drama and those are nearly always a miss for me.


Seen Braveheart multiple times before, but didn't vote for it. I don't appreciate it's heavy use of animals and while there are some memorable moments and dialog... they are the only memorable moments and dialog for me. Best thing I can say is it introduced me to Angus McFayden, who I've wanted to see much more of, but just haven't yet.

Apparently he reprised his role as Robert the Bruce in a 2019 movie of the same name.
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Braveheart is okay, I guess. I haven't seen it in forever, but it didn't leave a big impression at the time.

Chungking Express is pretty good, but it didn't hit me where I live.

No votes from me this time around.



I am very curious what the remaining movies in your list are. Of the 60 films we've seen so far, you only picked one, a conspiracy thriller.


I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're not into Disney.
I mean I have one Disney film on the list...honestly I never got into Disney animation until The Little Mermaid came along.

I think you've heard of the majority of the films on my list...I'm just not sure where they'll show up if they show up.



Trying Real Hard To Be The Shepherd
Two movies are undoubtedly going to show on this list that I hear so much negative about that I need to rewatch every couple years to remind myself they are as good as I remember. Braveheart is one of those. Fantastically crafted flick with a little but of all the stuff that appeals to us in cinema. Funny, romantic, disturbingly bloody, and a hero’s journey. I loved it first theater watch, I have loved it the half a dozen times I watched it since. Had it at 24.

Chungking Express is a fairly nee favorite, relatively speaking. I discovered Wong Kar after coming to mofo, and responded to his style immediately. Chungking was my first of his, and I feel his very best. Apologies to In The Moof For Love which is also fantastic. It’s aesthetic is dirty, but strangely inviting. There’s a pretty cool sense of humor to his characters. I really have grown to love a movie where I can grasp the plot but it’s enigmatic enough in its characterizations to leave you with a little feeling of mystery. Chunking is a great example of that. Not an easy feeling to pull off, but when it happens for me, they end up being the movies I love the most. I had Chungking at 7. Time to grab a can of pineapple and watch this one again, been a couple years.
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A system of cells interlinked
As promised, I watched Rushmore again last night. What a film. Still, I wonder if I would rank The Royal Tenenbaums above it...I think it had more of an emotional impact on me. Regardless, both are
films for me. Those two are easily my favorite Anderson flicks.

And now... MoFos who participated in the Top 100 refresh will recall I defended Braveheart as one of the Top 100 films ever made. In fact, I gave it a bunch of extra points just to make sure it got the boost I think it deserved. Let's just say I am glad I shredded what little credibility I had left on MoFo during that countdown, because I forgot to include it on my ballot for this one. Top tier film one of the best of the 90s. Should be higher.

I would type more, but I am assume everyone will just stop reading there and move on. I know I would.

*Walks into the sea*

I own In the Mood for Love, but haven't seen Chungking Express.
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And we're 30 for 62. I haven't seen either Braveheart or Chungking Express.

And we'll do some projections. Why not at this point?

LIST:
1. I'm pretty sure it shows up.
2. I'm getting less confident the higher we go.
3. Should be showing up soon.
4. It has to make it, right? Just has to.
5. Another one I think is inevitable.
6. I think its time has passed.
7. Much like #2, if it's gonna show, it's gotta be soon.
8. It'll show up.
9. It definitely will show.
10. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.
11. It might show, we'll see.
12. Maybe, just maybe?
13. I'm thinking it's not gonna make it.
14. Not holding my breath.
15. Almost a certainty?
16. Maybe it shows up?
17. Not likely at this point.
18. Strongly feels like this shows up.
19. Maybe there's a slight chance?
20. I'm thinking it doesn't.
21. JFK
22. Perhaps it appears here?
23. Strongly leaning towards a yes.
24. Maybe I'm the only fan of this one?
25. Hurricane Streets



Trying Real Hard To Be The Shepherd
As promised, I watched Rushmore again last night. What a film. Still, I wonder if I would rank The Royal Tenenbaums above it...I think it had more of an emotional impact on me. Regardless, both are
films for me. Those two are easily my favorite Anderson flicks.
That’s because this is the proper opinion. I love Wes as much as anything else I love in movies, but I think these two are a head above all his other stuff.

I knew I liked you



53. The Thin Red Line (1998) - I admire parts of this film so much I just didn't think it came together as a complete film. I also regret we never got director's cuts of this one because I think [there's] something magical with this one.
Not sure what other cuts you believe exist? Not surprisingly, Terrence Malick had final cut. No studio head or producer gave him a long list of notes and said delete twenty minutes or trim this performance or anything else of the kind. The Thin Red Line, as it was released, is Terrence Malick's cut. Whatever decisions he made in the editing room, be they big or small, were his own and for his personal and artistic reasons, not marketing or running time.

"Director's Cut" became a selling tool in the DVD era, when much more often than not all it meant was "extended cut".


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