Nineties Movies

28 July 2008

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While the blockbuster really dominated during the eighties it would develop further in this new decade with CGI but it was the independent movie that really led the way in the nineties, led by new maverick director Quentin Tarantino.

Having had no film school education didn't stop him as his debut film Reservoir Dogs did well commercially but it was Pulp Fiction that really made him as a director and paved the way for all the independent movies that followed.

The 1994 picture won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed $213 million at the global box office, the first indie film to surpass the $100 million barrier.

Cinema were treated with respect as with the release of quality scripts such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Usual Suspects and Schindler's List all making an impact upon release. this decade was considered a golden age of script writing as 'twist' movies dominated screen with hits such as Fight Club and The Sixth Sense, which brought director M.Night Shyamalan to the attention of the film industry.

And these quality pictures were not just coming from Hollywood as British cinema had a very successful period in the early to mid nineties with the release of Four Weddings and a Funeral, the film propelled Hugh Grant to fame as well as being the second biggest grossing British film of all time, Trainspotting, which still remains the best anti-drugs movie and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which showed off the directing talents of Londoner Guy Ritchie.

Away from the independent movie and CGI made it into cinemas bringing more advanced images to the big screen and movies would never be the same again.

Terminator 2, and The Matrix had stunning special effects and action sequences, Jurassic Park brought audiences dinosaurs, and Independence Day aliens.

But it would be animation that would advance beyond expectations with the release of the CGI animated movie Toy Story.

Toy Story was the first feature length movie produced by studio Pixar and animation would develop along these lines over the next decade bringing to the screen some of the most technically advanced animation movies of all time.

While Disney worked with Pixar they also enjoyed some solo success as The Lion King the highest grossing animated film of all time until the release of Finding Nemo (a Disney/Pixar computer-animated film). The Lion King still holds the record as the highest grossing hand-drawn animated film in history.

And earlier in the decade Beauty and the Beast became the first, and only, animated picture to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

But there would be one film that dominated the decade as two of the most promising acting talents, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, came together for James Cameron's Titanic.

The film went on to be the biggest grossing movie, the first to break the $1 billion barrier as it went on to gross over $1,8 billion at the global box office as well as collecting eleven Oscars, equalling Ben Hur's record.

Top Five Movies of the 90s

1. Pulp Fiction

Bringing Tarantio to prominence in 1994 Pulp Fiction took cinema by storm as it became the first indie picture to break the $100 million barrier.

As well as winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival the film received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, with Tarantino winning for Best Original Screenplay.

With it's non-linear structure the film remains a classic in it's genre as well as creating interest in Tarantino's first picture Reservoir Dogs as well as revitalising the failing career of John Travolta.

2.The Shawshank Redemption

Despite the such high esteem in which this film is held the Stephen King adaptation flopped at the box office but has, over the years, become a film phenomenon through word of mouth.

Darabont's film about one man's fight for freedom has become one of the greatest films in cinema history as it went on to receive seven Oscar awards, including Best Picture.

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