Theremin. * Documentary on the inventor of the Theremin (a pre synthesizer) and the history of how it was used - first in classical music then scary film music, then in a Beach Boy hit. Welcome reader to our final installment of Musea's guide to the best movies from the beginning to 1/1/2000. This issue 1992-2000.
But listings alone are dullsville so: look for lots of asides, spotlights on great directors (it's a director's art), best of the best films (* after title), super years in cinema (*s after year) and wonderfully biased personal comments. Even if you skip every listed movie you'll still have a fun short, history of film.
Musea encourages you to save these issues by your TV set for your personal movie guide. The complete listing is free on our website or send $6 to Musea and we'll send you all issues ($3 for each separate).
Read, Discuss, Enjoy -
Overture, Curtain, Lights ... Action!
1992 (note all the Indie, Foreign, & anti-Hollywood films this year.)
The Player.* Robert Altman's best, a savage look at crazy Hollywood.
Crying Game. (Brit) A man falls in love with a ... and the IRA interferes.
A Grand Day Out.* Always bewildered Wallace and his watchdog Grommit star in clay animation from Nick Park. This time, a trip to the Moon for cheese.
Visions Of Light. Illustrated history of cinematography.
Bitter Moonv.* Adults only S & M games from director Roman Polanski.
Reservoir Dogs. Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking indie film of a jewel heist gone bad and a stoolie(?). Note the classic gun crossfire at the end.
Like Water For Chocolate. (Mex.) Love and cooking.
Winter's Tale. (Fr.) Another season film from Eric Rohmer - relationships.
Howards End. Merchant & Ivory (noted for their Victorian era movies) do English class struggle in pre WW1 times.
Hard Boiled. (HK) Mobsters and police in Hong Kong action from John Woo.
1993
Blue. * (Pol.) 1 of 3 films each named after a color of the French Flag by director Krzysztof Kieslowski. I'm not going to try to explain them. Just see any or all. As good as filmdom gets!
The Wrong Trousers.* Wallace and Grommit in mechanical drawers - more clay animation fun.
Theremin. * Documentary on the inventor of the Theremin (a pre synthesizer) and the history of how it was used - first in classical music then scary film music, then in a Beach Boy hit.
Kika. (Sp.) Almodovar directs this tale of dead being revived and other complications.
Schindler's List. Spielberg's moving black and white film of life in a concentration camp and how some got out alive.
Remains Of The Day. Repressed butler, Anthony Hopkins, falls in love. Merchant & Ivory production.
Cronos. (Mex.) Vampire returns. This time in Mexico. Classy and creeeeepy.
Searching For Bobby Fischer. Smart children's movie about gifted child chess player.
Nightmare Before Christmas. Tim Burton's masterful animation of creepy Halloween's Pumpkin King, kidnapping Christmas. Predictable music keeps it from being the classic it should have been.
Boxing Helena. Most bizarre premise from David Lynch's daughter is not about fighting, but boxing as in wrapping!
Jurassic Park. (x) I contend that if you take out the special effects and replace them with a man in a purple dino suit, you've got the worst big budget movie ever made.
1994 **** (This begins a golden age in film from 94-97 that may even surpass 36-41 in greatness.)
Pulp Fiction. * Quentin Tarantino classic about 2 hit men. Stylish in it's use of flashbacks and totally unpredictable.
Burnt By The Sun. * (Rus.) Story of one of the army officers killed by Stalin's purges. Extraodinarily powerful storytelling.
Red.* &
White. * (Fr.) The two remaining films in the extraordinary trilogy directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. See 1993 entry.
Il Postino.* (Ital.) Postman delivers letters to world renown poet, Pablo Neruda, and widens his horizons. Actor, Massimo Troisi gave his health and life to finish this film, and died 12 hours after it was done..
Clerks.* Day in the life of a convenience clerk is a wild oddball comedy. Directed by Kevin Smith.
Eat Drink Man Woman. (Chin.) Story of a famous chef and his daughters.
Crumb. * Bio of dysfunctional underground comic book artist, his art, and his family.
The Search For Roan Inish.* John Sayles directs story of little girl who believes in an Irish fable, or is it the truth? Very poetic film.
Bullets Over Broadway.* Thug finances play with strings attached. Woody Allen comedy.
Hoop Dreams. * Documentary on what becomes of 2 Chicago high school star basketball players.
The Last Seduction.* Linda Fiorentino gets even!
Ed Wood. Bio of the world's worst film director.
The Ref. Burglar takes family hostage during Christmas, and finds them meaner than he is, comedy.
The Hudsucker Proxy. (x) Coen brothers film about an upstart that brings innovation to a stodgy corporation, starts out perfectly - every scene a gem, never a mistake, then introduces the newspaper scene and the whole film falls apart. What a loss! Fix this boys. It should be the flawless classic it started out being.
1995 ****
Safe.* Director Todd Haynes takes us on the weirdest ride in a movie. Woman is afraid of germs and isolates herself more and more. Certainly a one of a kind movie.
Babe. * Animated pig thinks he's a sheep dog in this adorable modern day classic.
Feast Of July.* English period tragedy with 3 brothers in love with one abandoned woman.
Flower of My Secret.* Almodovar directs this story of a romantic novel writer's, real love life.
A Close Shave. * Wallace & Gromit and sheep rustlers. More clay animation wizardry from Nick Park.
The White Balloon. * Iranian film of little girl who wants some goldfish and all the roadblocks in her way. Exasperating story.
Get Shorty.* John Travolta as the mob collector who wants to make movies, based on a book by Elmore Leonard.
Anne Frank Remembered. * Documentary on her short life from the survivors. Included is a rare bit of film that shows her waving from a window.
Living In Oblivion. * Day to day trials of making an indie film written & directed by Tom DiCillo. Must see for those dreaming of being in the movies. Steve Buscemi stars.
Apollo 13. * "Houston we have a problem." Note it would have been an even better film if they'd mentioned the plutonic payload spray load, aspect.
City Of Lost Children. (Fr.) Creepy Krank kidnaps children's dreams, from Marc Caro and Jean-Paul Jennet.
Richard III. * Shakespeare in Fascist clothes. Stars Ian McKellen.
Pesuasion. Jane Austen's novel nicely done. A very proper romance here.
Heavenly Creatures. True tale of 2 very close girlfriends that plot and commit murder.
Ghost In The Shell. Cyborgs in anime adventure directed by Mamoru Oshii.
Ninja Scroll. Ninja adventure anime by Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Welcome To The Dollhouse. Ugly junior high girl tries to survive her hostile world. Extremely dark comedy by Todd Solondz.
1996 ****
Fargo. * Best Coen brothers film so far, about murder in the Dakotas. Francis McDormand shines as the pregnant sheriff out to solve the crime.
Shanghai Triad. * Opium wars, Chinese mobsters, and heavenly Gong Li trapped!
Horseman On The Roof. * (Fr.) Cholera, horses, passions galore. One of the great romantic films.
Shall We Dance? . (Jap.) The Zen of ballroom dancing. Delightful.
Lone Star. John Sayles directs this story of who shot the sheriff, and a family secret.
The Emperor's Shadow. (Chin.) Epic story of China's first unifier.
The Pillow Book. Peter Greenaway's film about woman seeking revenge for her father. Note the images by Vierny.
When We Were Kings. Documentary on the Ali versus Foreman fight in Zaire - the 'rumble in the jungle'.
Summer Tale. Another of the 4 seasonal tales from the relationship director, Eric Rohmer.
I Shot Andy Warhol. Lili Taylor stars in the Valerie Solanas bio, the writer of the 60's tract against men Scum Manifesto and the would be assassin of Andy Warhol.
Trainspotting. (Brit.) Messed up Edinburgh junkies try to score a big hit in this trendsetting film.
Secrets And Lies. (Brit.) Successful Black woman tries to find her real mum.
Waiting For Guffman. * Small town Blaine theater group hopes big name producer will see their production honoring towns 150th anniversary. Love the theater? You'll love this.
Late Bloomers. Female coach falls for female secretary and the school is outraged. Dallas-based film is charming.
1997 **** (If '39 was the highpoint of Hollywood films, this year is the highpoint of foreign and independent films.) Note the first 5. They are all very special classics.
Life Is Beautiful. * (Ital) Robert Benigni stars and directs this fable of a father trying to keep his family alive in a concentration camp.
Mondo.* (Fr.) Marseilles street urchin tries to survive in the city. This magical gem ,directed and written by Tony Gatlif, was overlooked by most critics.
Princess Mononoke. * (Jap.) Epic anime and Miyazaki's masterpiece (and biggest cartoon of all time ?) tells of the struggle of a mining camp versus the forest.
Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control. * Errol Morris directs this one of a kind, documentary on a lion tamer, a topiary gardener, a robot maker, and a mole rat specialist. Morris is the king of documentary films. See them all.
Prisoner of the Mountains. * (Rus.) A father holds 2 Russian soldiers hostage in hopes of exchanging them for his son.
And:
Live Flesh. Sp.) Almodovar directs this story of the revenge of a wheelchair bound cop.
Character. (Dut.) Cold hard father and son who's trying to measure up.
In The Company Of Men. 2 business associates plan to destroy a deaf secretary and how the 'best laid plans'...
Sunday. Homeless man or famous director. Elder actress wants to know.
Fireworks. (Jap.) A bitter detective seeks revenge on the underworld, while his wife is dying of cancer..
Tango LessonWriter/director/actress Sally Potter explores the tango and love with Pablo her teacher.
The Big One. On his book tour, Michael Moore uncovers more big business greed and goofiness in this documentary of and for working people.
LA Confidential. 90'S version of 50's film noir with 3 cops investigating a murder. Kim Basinger stars as the moll.
Titanic. Love story and epic special effects on a sinking ship. Biggest budget ever. Directed and written by James Cameron
1998
Happiness. * Todd Solondz directs this family story with extreme ickyness and no one is happy . Not easily forgotten!
Babe, Pig In The City. * Part 2 of the plucky pig saga is darker and even more visually stunning. Babe must go to the city to save the farm.
Pi. Religion through math, thriller 3.14159265358 ...
Central Station. (Braz/Fr) A boy looking for his father teams up with a woman who writes letters for the illiterate in the train station.
Next Stop Wonderland. Fun romance. Girl's mother places an ad in the personals for her, and guy works at the aquarium. Are they destined to meet?
Dogme / Festen. (Dan.) Celebration for 60 year old grandfather uncovers family secrets galore. Shot using the new 'dogme' back-to-basics cine techniques.
Pleasantville. 2 teens drop into a 50's sitcom!
The Thin Red Line. Terence Malick's version of a troop of soldiers in Guadacanal - beautiful film of meaningless war.
Shakespeare In Love. Shakespeare has writers block. Then romance enters stage left.
1999
Run Lola Run. * 3 versions of the red haired runner's sprint to save her boyfriend. Frenetic film has that Pulp Fiction-ny feel. Breathtaking action.
The Winslow Boy.* David Mamet directs this story of boy in early 1900 England being accused of stealing at school and his father's determination to clear him and the family name at all costs.
American Beauty. * Normal family on the outside is dysfunctional to the max. Written and directed by Sam Mendes.
Autumn Tale.* (Fr.) A rare love story about middle aged people. Eric Rohmer directs another season of relationships.
All About My Mother. (Sp.) Almodovar directs this story about a mother and 3 generations of Estevans.
Being John Malkovich. A door in the office leads into the mind of ... Quirky film for sure.
Fight Club. Brad Pitt is just itching for violence so he starts a fight club.
Iron Giant. Animated story of a kid and his friend an alien giant robot.
The Insider. An indictment of big tobacco companies and big media companies.
The Matrix. Life as a computer game.
2000 ???
Sources: These books were used as reference in helping me write this movie guide:
Birth of the Motion Picture. By Emmanuelle Toulet.
Leonard Maltin's TV Movies & Video Guide (89). Leonard Maltin - editor.
IMDb. International Movie Database @ www.imdb.com