*Last Updated 7/18/2023
1990 Films Seen: 45
Number of Films with A or A+ Grade: 0
Key Films Still to See: n/a
Brief Summary: 1990 and 1991 are about the last years of film that happened before I became more aware of pop culture around 8-9 years old (when my military family moved away from Japan and back to the states. My general view of the year is that it provides some strong (but flawed) genre films, but it is severely lacking in great animated films. This time period saw the peak of Arnold Schwarzenegger's celebrity and the rising star of others - Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson.
Not a "best of" list or a "favorite" list - but a list of the films and sequences (action, drama, comedy, & musical) that I think represent the best the year had to offer. So think of it as a strange mixture of favorite, best, and defining. Once you get to the top ten films, it definitely becomes more defined as a Top Ten list of the year. The number one film is my favorite of the year.
Honorable Mentions: n/a
15. Hamlet (B-)
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (B)
13. The Godfather Part 3 (B)
12. Back to the Future Part 3 (B)
11. Die Hard 2 (B)
THE TOP TEN
10. Presumed Innocent (B): An engaging and intelligent courtroom drama starring Harrison Ford with enough twists and turns to keep it juicy, but with enough insights about the justice system to keep it thoughtful. The performances are very good, especially Raul Julia as the defense attorney and Harrison Ford’s enigmatic lead that allows all sorts of conclusions to be drawn. I may not have liked one or two of the twists, but I can’t deny it has remained a compelling and worthwhile watch.
9. Reversal of Fortune (B)
8. Hunt for Red October, The (B): The first Tom Clancy "Jack Ryan" film adaptation and probably the most iconic and best remembered in the franchise - even if Jack Ryan takes a bit of a back seat in star power and charisma to Sean Connery's enigmatic Russian sub commander Marko Ramius (It would take another six years in the film The Rock for Connery to get another role as memorable as this one). This cold war thriller takes place in 1984 and hinges on two elements that could threaten the tense peace: a new Russian submarine (the titular Red October) with a silent engine that threatens destabilizing first strike capabilities and the Russian commander Marko Ramius who wants to defect and hand the submarine over to the Americans. Will the Red October make it to the Americans before the Russian fleet can stop them? Will the Americans understand and welcome the defecting Captain or will hothead military brass take out the Red October in fear its the tip of the Russian spear? See my review HERE.
7. Awakenings (B)
6. Home Alone (B)
5. Misery (B+)
4. Miller's Crossing (B+)
3. Total Recall (B+)
2. Dances with Wolves (B+): An excellent revisionist Western that works so well for most of its running time. After becoming an accidental hero in the Civil War (beginning the revisionist theme of the film), John Dunbar is able to choose his future military posting. After a memorable stop-off with his insane superior officer, another hint that this film is set to demystify the era, Dunbar heads across the American West with his provisions to his post in South Dakota. The following sequences of an isolated Dunbar embracing his new solitary life at the outpost are the best sequences of the entire film to me. I loved watching him repair Fort Sedgewick, making friends with local wildlife (where the name Dances with Wolves comes from), and starting relationships with the territory Lakota Sioux Indians. The highlight of his relationship with the Sioux is the incredible buffalo hunt sequence. As the relationship grows with the Indians, the biggest revisionist aspirations take shape – the Sioux Indians are primarily peaceful and friendly. There's no problem with this in concept, but for a film that takes the history seriously, portraying the Sioux this one sided is an odd choice. There is some complexity given to them, but it’s clear they are the good guys. By the time the end of the film comes into view, the revisionism becomes too heavy handed for me. For instance, the Pawnee Indians and US Cavalry are painted as unthinking villains (with practically zero shades) while the Sioux and Dunbar are the only enlightened ones to see the peace. For a movie that gets so many details right, this oversimplification is really jarring and tough to take. This film works so well for about two thirds of its runtime, gets so much of the details correct (a sweeping romantic score, beautiful real life locations, taking seriously the Indian roles, etc), that the comically villainous US Cavalry in the final act of the film and the revisionist axe begin to overshadow it. For more on the best Westerns ever made, click HERE.
1. Goodfellas (A-)
FAVORITE ACTION SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
*A pretty barren year for strong action sequences
The Very Good:
- "Hologram Deception/Starting the Reactor" -Total Recall
- "Taking On His Wife...Or Is He?" -Total Recall
The Great:
- "Casper Attempts to Assassinate Leo to Danny Boy" -Miller's Crossing
The Best: "Finale: 2v2 Hangar Fight" -No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers
Commentary: Thanks to the Hong Kong fight choreographer and two male leads who are genuine fighters, the fight sequences here are the closest you could find to a Hong Kong fight sequence in an American film until the late 1990’s. The final fight sequence is one of the best American fight scenes (pre-2000’s) ever put to film. Keith Vitali and Loren Avedon play two brothers, one a CIA agent the other a karate instructor, looking to avenge the death of their CIA father and stop a presidential assassination attempt by a communist underground group (the two are connected in a convoluted way). The finale puts the two brothers against two strong martial arts bad guys in an airport hangar. The fight beats are straight out of Hong Kong; longer takes with multiple athletic and hard-hitting beats capped off by punctuated stunt falls. The fight goes on for some time (compared to the primitive kick-punch fights of its 1990’s brethren) and features some memorable 2 v 1 sequences here. The ending is a bit of a let down in my opinion, but this is a real gem of a find in 1990 American action cinema. There’s nothing like it I’ve ever found.
FAVORITE DRAMATIC SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
The Very Good:
- "Leonard awakens, sees his mom, and greets everyone" -Awakenings
- "Leaving the Past: Getting the Train Up to Speed" -Back to the Future Part III
- "Dances with Wolves leaves the Village & Win in His Hair Says Goodbye" –Dances with Wolves
- Finale: Michael Corleone dies old and alone with nothing but memories" -The Godfather Part III
- "Hamlet Meets with and is Charged by a Ghostly Figure" -Hamlet
- "Hamlet vs. Laertes Ends with a Poisoning & Murder" -Hamlet
- "Home Finale: The Wet Bandits vs. Kevin McAllister" -Home Alone
- "Montage: Kimble Gets His Class in Order" -Kindergarten Cop
- "Tom can’t take out Bernie at Miller’s Crossing" –Miller’s Crossing
- "Racing to get back into his wheelchair before Annie returns" -Misery
- "Local Sheriff checks the house finishing at the basement" -Misery
- "You're still at Rekall, this is all a dream, take the pill" –Total Recall
The Great:
- "Funny How?" -Goodfellas
- "Entering the Copacabana through the Back Entrance" -Goodfellas
- "Annie Commits the Hobbling" -Misery
- "Cross-Examination of the Coroner Brings a Surprise" -Presumed Innocent
The Best: "Lows of a Buffalo Massacre & Highs of a Buffalo Hunt" -Dances with Wolves
Commentary: n/a
FAVORITE COMEDIC SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
Not a category I kept good track of - One of the toughest TBH
The Very Good:
- "Who Is Your Daddy and What Does He Do?" -Kindergarten Cop
The Great:
- n/a
The Best: n/a
FAVORITE MUSICAL SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
The Very Good:
- “Mother and Daughter Sing Back to Back Songs” -Postcards from the Edge
The Great:
- n/a
The Best: “A Sicilian Song Brings Back Nostalgic Memories” -The Godfather Part III
Commentary: n/a
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
- Joel Coen Miller's Crossing
- Kevin Costner Dances with Wolves
- Rob Reiner Misery
- Martin Scorsese Goodfellas
- Paul Verhoeven Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
FAVORITE FILM ENSEMBLE
Nominees:
- Awakenings
- Goodfellas
- The Grifters
- Miller's Crossing
- Misery
Commentary: n/a
BEST MALE PERFORMANCES
Nominees:
- James Caan Misery
- Kevin Costner Dances with Wolves
- Robert DeNiro Awakenings
- Jeremy Irons Reversal of Fortune
- Raul Julia Presumed Innocent
- Ray Liotta Goodfellas
- Joe Pesci Goodfellas
- Dennis Quaid Postcards from the Edge
- Ron Silver Reversal of Fortune
- John Turturro Miller's Crossing
- Robin Williams Awakenings
Commentary: n/a
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCES
Nominees:
- Kathy Bates Misery
- Annette Bening The Grifters
- Lorraine Bracco Goodfellas
- Glen Close Reversal of Fortune
- Whoopi Goldberg Ghost
- Angelica Huston The Grifters
- Shirley MacLaine Postcards from the Edge
- Mary McDonnell Dances with Wolves
- Julia Roberts Pretty Woman
- Meryl Streep Postcards from the Edge
Commentary: n/a
FAVORITE SCREENPLAY
(original or adapted)
Nominees:
- Awakenings
- Dances with Wolves
- Ghost
- Goodfellas
- Home Alone
- Miller's Crossing
- Misery
- Presumed Innocent
- Pretty Woman
- Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
*No eligible documentaries viewed
Nominees: n/a
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Nominees:
- The Rescuers Down Under
BEST FILM EDITING
Nominees:
- Ghost
- Goodfellas
- Miller's Crossing
- Misery
- Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees:
- Dances with Wolves
- The Godfather Part III
- Goodfellas
- Miller's Crossing
- Misery
Commentary: n/a
BEST ART DIRECTION
Nominees:
- Dances with Wolves
- Edward Scissorhands
- Goodfellas
- Hamlet
- The Hunt for Red October
- Miller's Crossing
- Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Nominees:
- Back to the Future Part 3
- Die Hard 2
- Ghost
- The Hunt for Red October
- Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nominees:
- Dances with Wolves
- Edward Scissorhands
- Ghost
- Home Alone
- The Hunt for Red October
- Presumed Innocent
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Nominees:
- Back to the Future Part 3
- Dances with Wolves
- Goodfellas
- The Hunt for Red October
- Miller's Crossing
- Total Recall
Commentary: n/a
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Nominees:
- Dances with Wolves
- Dick Tracy
- Goodfellas
- Hamlet
- Miller's Crossing
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
BEST MAKE-UP & HAIR DESIGN
Nominees:
- Edward Scissorhands
- Dances with Wolves
- Dick Tracy
- Goodfellas
- Hamlet
- Total Recall
Commentary: A really stacked category this year! In most years I could see Edward Scissorhands and Dances with Wolves getting the nod for its high quality work or Total Recall for a few moments that are instantly memorable (think of pulling the bug out of Arnold's nose and that crazy fake head to get through customs). The nod here goes to the best part of Dick Tracy, the outlandish and iconic make-up work on rogues gallery of villains here.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE
Nominees:
- Marked for Death
- No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers
- Tremors
Commentary: What if Hong Kong style fights somehow found their way into the middle of an 80's macho actioner? 1990's No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (what a title!) is the answer to that question. It is the kind of action film that doesn’t try to hide it is cheesy, low budget, and poorly acted. This film knows that despite a script that feels written by two freshmen college men trying to outdo each other for testosterone, it delivers on the one thing its audience came to watch: the fight sequences. Thanks to a seasoned Hong Kong fight choreographer and two male leads who are genuine fighters, the fight sequences here are the closest you could find to a Hong Kong fight sequence in an American film until the late 1990’s. The final fight sequence is one of the best American fight scenes (pre-2000’s) ever put to film. Keith Vitali and Loren Avedon play two brothers, one a CIA agent the other a karate instructor, looking to avenge the death of their CIA father and stop a presidential assassination attempt by a communist underground group (the two are connected in a convoluted way). It’s pure guilty pleasure storyline with the story taking itself so seriously yet playing as a parody of 80’s macho action films. This is a fun film to laugh at with some friends while also getting some genuine pops of martial arts goodness.
MOST UNDERRATED FILM
Nominees:
- Die Hard 2
- Marked for Death
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Commentary: n/a
MOST OVERRATED FILM
Nominees:
- Dick Tracy
- Flatliners
- Jacob's Ladder
Commentary: Dick Tracy must have been an exciting proposal when it first came out: a major Hollywood production of the famous crime fighter Dick Tracy brought to the big screen with a slew of big stars in the wake of the industry changing Batman the year earlier. Unfortunately, rather than being the next big thing to follow Batman the picture feels stuck in Hollywood’s past. The bright side, the costuming, matte paintings, set design, cinematography, and make-up work are the best and most memorable parts of the film. Additionally, Al Pacino chews up pretty much every scene he’s in as the main villain. Its bad because Pacino’s big performance only highlights just how bland and uncharismatic Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy is. It might not be Beatty’s fault though, as written in this movie, Tracy isn’t all that smart, witty, charming, or great with a gun – he’s just a pretty average cop who happens to wear a yellow overcoat and have a wrist radio. Madonna’s femme fatale is interesting, but the chemistry between her and Beatty is just in the writer’s head because it makes no sense in the movie. In the end, Beatty has given us a pretty bland crime film that’s all style and little frills. Somehow, this film was well received at the time and Beatty got a bit of a pass. Not from me though!
WORST FILM
Nominees:
- Child's Play 2
- Flatliners
- Rocky IV
Commentary: n/a
BEST COMPILATION OF WORK
Performances/Accomplishments (that I saw anyways):
- Arnold Schwarzenegger: Kindergarten Cop, Total Recall
Commentary: Arnold had a strong one-two punch in 1990 with a science fiction classic blockbuster (Total Recall) followed by a risky comedy/action film that sees him act against a classroom of kids and even a ferret. It's hard to imagine Total Recall without Arnold in it and he really gets a chance to play a couple of funny sequences opposite children in Kindergarten Cop. This banner year was followed up with his iconic role in Terminator 2 in 1991 and I think that represents Arnold at his absolute peak of his celebrity. Sure, he'd have hits after 1991 (if you want to identify 1994's True Lies as the peak there's an argument to be made there), but I don't think he'd ever have this kind of range, run, and "I can do no wrong" smell ever again (Last Action Hero was a genuine hit to his reputation).
"Henry Hill: [narrating] For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster. To me that was better than being president of the United States. To be a gangster was to own the world." -Goodfellas
THE END!
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