Bringing Back the 90’s, Movies Turning 30 this year.
Over on the website Nerdist.com they’re highlighting the Summer of 1982. In their words, “its become such an ubiquitous part of pop culture that people are still saying there will never be another lineup like it. That’s exactly why we…are doing an entire theme week about Summer of 1982.” In that article they bring up some real iconic heavy hitters. That Summer saw the release of Poltergeist, Blade Runner, E.T. and Fast Times and Ridgemont High. While I’m not gonna’ argue against that stellar lineup, I do want to push back against the idea that “there will never be another lineup like it.”
So I thought maybe we’d go forward in time just a little bit to see what movies came out just a decade later in 1992. Just to set the scene, grunge music was slowly taking shape, Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was topping the charts alongside Baby Got Back by Sir Mix A-Lot. People were wearing a lot of bold primary colors with a faded denim jacket over top. In 1992 CD’s finally outsold cassettes for the first time. And the internet was still just a baby having only about 25 websites to its name. So grab yourself a nice Hawaiian Punch and Hot Pocket and let’s go.
Army of Darkness. With Sam Rami’s recent return to making movies with Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it felt appropriate to start here. The third in the Evil Dead series starring Bruce Campell in his unforgettable role as Ash. Here he’s transported to 1300 a.d. where he must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle an army of undead in order to return home.
Wayne’s World. As I’ve written about on the blog once before, Wayne’s World turns thirty this year. Who can forget the mis-adventures of Wayne and Garth as they succumb to the evils of network television and are forced to bow down to corporate sponsorship. Not to worry, in the Scooby Doo ending, the villain is unmasked and he would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for these meddling kids.
A Muppet Christmas Carol. Who would 2022 me be without 1992’s Muppet Christmas Carol? I shudder at the thought. Probably one of the better and definitely more fun adaptations of the Charles Dickens’ classic as well as one of the better muppet films. Michael Cain delivers as the crochety old Scrooge in this Christmas classic.
A Few Good Men. Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama about a murder on a marine base. With a packed house of movie stardom Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon and Kevin Pollak are what make this movie great. Watching the actors go against each other in court and out is a masterclass in film study. Not to mention the iconic climax when an angry Nicholson shouts, “You can’t handle the truth!” Movie gold.
Batman Returns. Last but certainly not least we’ve got Tim Burton returning to the director’s chair for his second and last run on Batman. Who can forget Michelle Pfeiffer’s stitched up vinyl catsuit? As well Danny DeVito’s pretty gross take on the Penguin. Following up on the success of the first Batman, this film is a direct followup and still a fan favorite.
As always I have a few runner ups that I like to give honorable mention to:
- Reservoir Dogs-the feature length directorial debut of a certain Quentin Tarantino.
- Far and Away-another Tom Cruise film, but earns a mention on this list because it’s always been a personal favorite of mine.
- A League of Their Own-the film about the first professional women’s baseball league, with another great ensemble cast.
- Sister Act-Whoopie Goldberg is a prostitute who’s seen too much, so she goes into hiding posing as a nun in convent. What could go wrong?
So what do you think? You think 1992 can even compete with 1982? There are some pretty great films up there and a ton I didn’t get to mention. I definitely think that each year has it’s greats and to say we’ll never see great films as whatever year seems a bit of stretch. I mean, I love how wacky the 80s can be sometimes, I do-but sometimes I think it’s bigger in our memories than in real life. Long live the 90s!