Our journey through the half-remembered, underrated movies of the 1990s continues.
Plus the true best movie of the year,L.A.
Confidential, was robbed at the Oscars for Best Picture.
The Postman
Heres a movie weveexplored beforeatDen of Geek.
Kevin Costners second directorial effort afterDances With Wolvesis no less ambitious, adapting David Brins novel for the screen.
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There are problems throughoutThe Postman, mainly its overlong running time.
But its still a far better movie than its given credit for.
Gibsons role is an interesting one as a paranoid, eccentric taxi driver who sees conspiracies all around him.
Its one of the edgiest roles of his later career, and Roberts takes the straighter role alongside him.
An oddity, certainly, but a welcome one.
Eduardo Noriega plays Cesar, a young man horribly disfigured after a particularly nasty car accident.
Atmospherically lit and acted, this meditative mix of drama and thriller is engrossing from beginning to end.
Cameron CrowesVanilla Skyhas much to recommend it, butOpen Your Eyesjust about edges it in terms of drama.
The movie didnt do hugely well in theaters, but did spawn two direct-to-video sequels.
Reviews were mixed at the time, butMimics much better than its more critical assessments would have you believe.
A recent Directors Cut pushes the movie closer towards del Toros original intentions, and its well worth seeing.
Watch Mimic on Amazon
19.
In fact, as a double bill with The Grey andThe Edgemay be just about perfect.
The center of the movie is a plane crash that leaves three people stranded in the wilderness.
Watch The Edge on Amazon
18.
Watch Insomnia on Amazon
17.
But Wag The Dog is really good, and incredibly scary.
It all felt relevant and prescient at the time.
Scarily, if anything, it feels a lot more normal watching it now.
Watch Wag The Dog on Amazon
16.
Subtle and moving,The Apostles well worth tracking down.
Watch The Apostle on Amazon
15.
The Boxer was Day-Lewis last movie role of the 1990s, and its arguably one of his most powerful.
Watch The Boxer on Amazon
14.
It gained prominence at the time for Sylvester Stallones decision to appear in such a low-key, non-action role.
The broader ensemble then attracted Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Liotta, amongst others.
That Stallone held his own is just one of the interesting facets of the movie.
The other is just how well writer/director James Mangoldmost recently known for Loganknits it all together.
Even without the star names, this would be a strong piece of work.
Fortunately, the roster of talent just enhances it further, rather than becoming a distraction.
Watch Cop Land on Amazon
13.
If youre after the antidote to Dead Poets Society though, this is pretty much it.
And Ang Lees telling of the story doesnt flinch.
An excellent movie and one of the best rarely appreciated dramas of the decade.
Watch The Ice Storm on Amazon
11.
Grosse Pointe Blank
Lots to like here.
ButGrosse Pointe Blankis a smarter, funnier, and more enduring beast.
It follows John Cusacks Martin Blank, a bored hitman who attends his 10-year high school reunion.
As it stands, this one continues to impress.
Watch Grosse Pointe Blank
10.
Cube
Low-budget yet high-concept, Vincenzo Natalis sci-fi horror is a great little exercise in suspense.
A group of strangers wake up inside an unfamiliar room with little more than a hatch in the corner.
Watch Cube on Amazon
9.
Crash
David Cronenbergs adaptation of J.G.
Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke put in superb performances too, Burke in particular.
Oldman, to date, hasnt directed another movie.
Its depiction of a genetically divided class structure is chillingly convincing.
This, along with a cracking thriller plot, makesGattacaone of the essential sci-fi films of 1997.
Watch Gattaca on Amazon
6.
Waiting for Guffman
Weve already talked about Christopher Guests gut-bustingly funnyWaiting for Guffman,but it deserves further exposure.
Its the story of a small town, whose people are putting on a show to celebrate its anniversary.
Watch Waiting for Guffman on Amazon
5.
The premise is a simple one, with a side hint ofThe Vanishingto it.
Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play a couple whose car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
Quinlans character gets a lift with a seemingly friendly passerby to go and get fuel and help.
But then she never returns.
With a terrific supporting performance from the late, great J.T.
Walsh,Breakdownis incredibly tense, tightly edited and extremely lean at just 93 minutes.
But its all the better for it.
An excellent piece of work.
Watch Breakdown on Amazon Prime
4.
Lots of other mysterious things happen, most of them inexplicable, all of them mesmerizing.
Watch Lost Highway on Amazon
3.
It certainly deserves to stand alongsideHouse of Gamesin that respect.
We wont say more, as you really dont want the movie spoiled for you.
Just know that its excellent and a real 90s gem.
Watch Hana-Bi on Amazon
1.
Not all critics got the joke though and took its fascist imagery at face value.
Audiences seemed bemused by this frenzied mix of action and dark comedy too.
So while it wasnt a flop, it wasnt exactly the hit its studio had hoped for either.
With deliberately trashy dialogue,Starship Troopersis an extremely smart movie disguised as a fusion ofBeverly Hills 90210andZulu.
