The Resident Bitch Prepares for... the Most Recent MoFo Countdown

Point Break
(Katheryn Bigelow, 1991)

Point Break is a near perfect action movie - tons of a adrenaline, thrilling sequences (that foot chase!), breathtaking scenery, and gorgeous people (not Gary Busey) - that also acts as a romance in more ways than one. An undercover FBI agent trying to catch a gang of bank robbers falls in love with a woman, but he also falls in love with the surfing and, perhaps, with the man he's been assigned to stop. It's a movie I first watched when I was a kid and have seen countless times since then and I've never not loved it. It's thrilling, it's funny, it's beautiful, and it's guaranteed a spot somewhere on my ballot.

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Con Air
(Simon West, 1997)

With its dumber than shit plot, over the top action, stupid as hell dialogue, Nicholas Cage being his ridiculous self with a hilariously awful southern accent, John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi being their weirdly awesome selves, and John Cusack looking hot, how could I not love this dumbass movie? It's iconic and guaranteed a slot on my ballot. I'll be pissed if it somehow manages to miss the countdown proper.

Arizona Dream
(Emir Kusturica, 1994)

Well, that was... something. Unfortunately it was not something I particularly enjoyed. It had a few moments that I found mildly amusing, but overall it just had too much weirdness for the sake of weirdness and not enough that I could really invest in. Depp looked great though so it at had that going for it.

This thread has an interesting variety of 90s films.
I've picked up a couple to rewatch, plus one which I think is new to me..

Untamed Heart
(Tony Bill, 1993)

I was OBSESSED with this movie when I was about 13 years old. My family had recorded it off of cable and I watched this every day after school for weeks. At the time, I thought that this tale of a shy loner who wins the love of his crush after saving her from a vicious attack was the most romantic thing ever and that Christian Slater was just dreamy. Granted, Slater does a great job of infusing his portrayal of Adam with a child-like innocence and curiosity that keeps him endearing - and he looks damn good doing it - but my nostalgia for this movie is doing a lot of heavy lifting in keeping me from hating it because holy shit is that man a walking red flag. I read a review of this on Letterboxd that simply said "If Christian Slater were ugly this would've been a horror movie" and that reviewer is not wrong, because the reality is that this movie is about a stalker who gets his victim to fall in love with him by saving her from some even worse men - and only manages to do that because he was stalking her. And the feminist in me wants to hate this movie for that, but that 13 year old girl in me still thinks Christian Slater's Adam is dreamy and romantic and I'd be lying if I said I don't still love it.

I think I may have seen Untamed Heart many years ago. Is that the movie where Christian Slater's character has a baboon's heart?

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

That’s the story he was told as a child in an orphanage, yes. He doesn’t really have a baboon heart.

Thanks.
I vaguely remember liking that movie. I added it to my 90s movie watchlist.

Edward Scissorhands
(Tim Burton, 1990)

With the lackluster movies he's created in the last few years, it can be easy to forget what an immense talent Tim Burton actually is. But one need only watch this movie to jog the memory. It's such of a perfect blend of fantasy, whimsey, and darkness. Central of course to all of this is the wonderful performance from Johnny Depp, who infuses Edward with wonder and innocence and makes him one of the most endearing and memorable characters of the 90s - or any decade really. Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, and Kathy Baker are also great. Combine these wonderful performance with a great script, Burton's eye for color, and Danny Elfman's haunting score and you end up with a perfect little fairy tale that oozes charm.

I had this movie at #6 on my ballot for the original 90s countdown. I don't yet know if it'll maintain such a high rank, but there's no doubt that it'll still make the cut.

Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite movies of both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. I haven't watched it recently, but I'm planning to rewatch it soon and hoping that I still love it enough that it makes my list.

The Sandlot
(David Mickey Evans, 1993)

A movie about a bunch of boys playing baseball in the 1960s should not be something that's up my alley, yet somehow this has always been one of my favorites. I really couldn't care less about baseball or any sport, as someone who was born the in 1980s I have no nostalgia for the 1960s, and I wasn't the kind of kid who got up to the sort of shenanigans the kids in the movie did so it's not even something I can relate to... but it's just so damn silly and ridiculous that I can't help but love it. It's also got it's share of heartfelt moments and I got choked up a time or two watching it again. I voted for it in the previous 90s countdown and it'll likely make my ballot this time as well.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
(Kevin Reynolds, 1991)

I had a whole review typed out and was almost ready to post it but then my needy ass cat walked all over the keyboard and deleted everything. So yeah, the short of it is: I give no shits about Kevin Costner's lack of an English accent, this movie is still fun as hell, Costner looks handsome, Christian Slater looks hot, Alan Rickman is awesome, the theme song still sucks, and my cat is an assh*le.

I could've told you that last bit. All cats are.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Noises Off
(Peter Bagdonovich, 1992)

Comedies in general are not really my thing. Sometimes they can work. If there's a good romance involved or some other kind of emotional glue holding it together or even if it's just so out there and bizarre that it can't help but be amusing, then it's got a chance at working for me. But slapstick? No. Just no. It's not for me and neither is this movie.

Se7en
(David Fincher, 1995)

Although I've loved this movie for 30 years now, I don't think it's ever been a huge favorite of mine. It offers great performances, thick tension and atmosphere, and an interesting twist on its subject. It does a great job of everything that it tries to do, but it just doesn't have the kind of emotional punch or true uniqueness that would really elevate it for me. And so after tonight's viewing I'm left torn on whether to include it in my ballot. I think it absolutely deserves a place in the top 100 of the decade, but it definitely doesn't need my help getting there and I'm not yet convinced that it deserves a place in my personal top 25. So for now it remains a firm maybe.

A Perfect World
(Clint Eastwood, 1993)

For whatever reason, movies about men who become father figures to children really resonate with me and this was one of the first such movies that I really fell in love with. That it stars Kevin Costner certainly doesn't hurt and in this he turns in what is perhaps my favorite performance of his career. He does a wonderful job of portraying the different facets of Butch's personality. And while the movie never lets you forget that he's a dangerous man, Costner turns on the charm and it's really easy root for him. Now I won't deny that the movie has some scenes that are a little ridiculous and it doesn't always take the unexpected path in its storytelling, but every time I watch it I'm just so damn emotionally invested that I really couldn't care less about any of that. There's definitely no doubt that I'll be voting for this movie and I think at this point I'm pretty set on which movies will make the cut, but damned if I know how I'm going to go about ranking them.

Philadelphia
(Jonathon Demme, 1993)

I've always had a great deal of respect and love for this movie. It came out at a time when you just didn't really see serious portrayals of gay characters in mainstream film and certainly didn't expect Hollywood and its A List elite to produce something that so effectively touched on homophobia, the AIDS crisis, and the struggles its victims faced. Granted, compared to today's films, Philadelphia is a bit sanitized and chaste, but I think it still holds up well and it owes much of its strength to the amazing performances of both Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. The supporting cast are all at least serviceable in their roles - with Antonio Banderas standing out as being particularly good as Hanks's partner - and I applaud the decision to cast so many extras who actually had AIDS.

The film is a really moving experience and I have little complaint about it. Actually the only thing that has ever bugged me about it is that I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that Andy slept with some fairly average looking rando in the porn theater when he had this at home:

What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Lasse Hallström, 1993)

Parentification. That's the answer to the question posed by this movie's title. It centers around Gilbert Grape, a young man saddled with the responsibility of caring and providing for his younger siblings, including his mentally disabled teenaged brother, and his shut in mother following the suicide of his father. Johnny Depp gives a very strong performance as Gilbert, showing us the quiet desperation that fills his life. Leonardo DiCaprio also gives an incredible - and Oscar nominated - performance as Arnie, Gilbert's disabled younger brother who is constantly getting into trouble. The supporting cast are also quite good, with Juliette Lewis playing a very sweet and sympathetic love interest (and ray of hope) to Depp's Gilbert, Darlene Cates showing the tragic humanity inside Gilbert's mother, Mary Steenburgen offers a glimpse of an equally desperate and trapped resident of Endor, and Crispin Glover and John C. Reilly as Gilbert's oddball friends.

I've always really liked the way this movie presents that feeling of isolation and quiet struggle. You see it in Depp's face. You see it when he lashes out or tries to run, only to return to his stifling obligations. You see it in the way he interacts with the people around him and you even see it reflected in the condition of the house he and his family share - its foundation sinking into the earth, the structure itself buckling under the immense weight of its burdens, barely holding together, ready to crumble at any moment. It's just a really solid and bittersweet drama that is no doubt among the best of its decade. I really make the countdown, but I'm really spoiled for choice so I don't yet know if it'll make my ballot.

The Devil's Advocate
(Taylor Hackford, 1997)

When I was 15 years old, this was my favorite movie and it held that position until a certain Ridley Scott Roman epic came along. I was kind of a weird kid. Yet I couldn't tell you how long it's been since I last watched it and there was a lot about it that I didn't remember.

It is a lot of fun. With its trippy visuals, delicious scene-chewing and over the top performance from Al Pacino - who pokes a bit of fun at God and religion, strong performance from Charlize Theron, and surprisingly solid turn from Keanu Reeves, I was certainly never bored. I liked it a lot. However, I definitely no longer rank this as a personal favorite movie and I don't think it'll make the cut for my ballot.

Free will. It is a bitch.