Cinematic Facts About The Best Films Of The 1990s
"You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become".—Mufasa, The Lion King
It’s safe to say that the 1990s was a great decade for moviemaking. Just like with the 50s and 70s, a group of influential indie filmmakers came along and provided films which not only became deeply influential, but which also doubled and tripled their box office return. Meanwhile, established names from the 70s and 80s continued their careers with gusto, and the major film studios released a string of classics which are beloved to this day. All in all, the 90s provided some of the best films that the 20th century ever produced, so how did that happen? What was the process like for these films to get made? Did anything interesting happen along the way? Read on for 43 facts about the best movies of the 1990s.
43. Let the Good Times Roll
As many will remember, the 90s was the time of the Disney Renaissance. While this movement technically started back in the late 80s, the majority of the films released during the Disney Renaissance came out after 1990, ending (arguably) with Tarzan in 1999. It was the decade which brought us classics such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, and Aladdin. The films did so well that Disney is currently giving practically all of them live-action (see: CGI) remakes.
42. We Were Already Running Out of Ideas…
Two separate Oscar-winning films released in the 1990s featured or referenced Jewish gangsters "Bugsy" Siegel and Mickey Cohen. Bugsy is a biopic about Siegel starring Warren Beatty as Siegel and Harvey Keitel as Mickey Cohen, while L.A. Confidential is a fictional story set in the aftermath of Siegel and Cohen’s downfalls.
41. The Age of Blockbuster
One reason why the independent film market grew to be so profitable during the 1990s was the expansion of the home-video market. Movies could double their revenue thanks to rentals or VHS/DVD purchases. Of course, this changed a lot in the 2000s, but while things were going well, indie filmmakers came in and built their careers on tiny budgeted movies which found cult audiences.
40. Praise DVDs
A famous example of the home-video market’s potential is Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints, an indie film about two twin brothers who become vigilantes to deliver justice to criminals in Boston. Despite receiving very poor critical reviews, getting no distribution due to the fact that the Columbine High School liquidation happened that same year, and Troy Duffy’s abrasive attitude nearly destroying his career during the film’s production, the film was a smash hit, making $50 million in the home-video market!
