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what are some of your favourite movies from the years 1994 - 1996 era of releases?


USUAL SUSPECTS, FARGO, and CASINO would all be in my top 10 of all time... 3 masterpieces

SE7EN is also excellent, imo

PULP FICTION is easily one of my top 10 first time watches (pretty much when it came out iirc), blown away... but I can barely re-watch it, despite a few goes... not exactly sure why?

I must also give props to the work of unintentional genius that is THE HOWLING PART 7: NEW MOON RISING  :teddyr:

It was a great era, especially for independent cinema in the US. lots of my favorites are in this short period.

PULP FICTION
THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN
DEAD MAN
SLING BLADE
CONSPIRATORS OF PLEASURE
FARGO
DEAD MAN WALKING
CEMETERY MAN
HEAVENLY CREATURES
12 MONKEYS

Heck, even FORREST GUMP was memorable, if not a favorite, and I remember SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION as being kinda good even though I couldn't tell you much about the plot today.

Pulp Fiction
Hoop Dreams
Fargo
Dumb and Dumber
Clear and Present Danger   
True Lies
Happy Gilmore
Speed
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
The Rock      
Clerks
GoldenEye   
Seven
Braveheart   
Mortal Kombat   
Casino
12 Monkeys   
Primal Fear
King Pin
Last Man Standing
The Usual Suspects
The Shawshank Redemption
Heat
The Game

forgot SPECIES... I know it's kind of popcorn fare, but honestly my fav sci-fi horror ever

Quote from: Rev. Powell on November 22, 2025, 05:39:36 PMHEAVENLY CREATURES

only saw that once but it made an impression

Quote from: bob on November 22, 2025, 06:25:23 PMThe Rock      

planning on watching this again(?) because I think I have it confused with another movie, and it's possible I've never seen it...

SPEED was a fun rewatch, recently. so long since I last saw it

there's a few movies I saw back then which I have really good memories of, but I'm apprehensive to rewatch in case they turn out to be rubbish!... SFW and FREEWAY fall in this category

Quote from: zombie no.one on November 22, 2025, 07:11:05 PMforgot SPECIES... I know it's kind of popcorn fare, but honestly my fav sci-fi horror ever

Quote from: Rev. Powell on November 22, 2025, 05:39:36 PMHEAVENLY CREATURES

only saw that once but it made an impression

Quote from: bob on November 22, 2025, 06:25:23 PMThe Rock      

planning on watching this again(?) because I think I have it confused with another movie, and it's possible I've never seen it...

SPEED was a fun rewatch, recently. so long since I last saw it

at some point

loose plot: Nicholas Cage is a scientist; Sean Connery is a prisoner who is hired by to break into Alcatraz to stop Ed Harris' group of machineries from shooting missiles at the USA from Alcatraz

This was a great era for film and some Great films have been mentioned.

A personal favorite that I would contribute to the mix:
Hal Hartley's AMATEUR
I'd reckon that's my single favorite film from '94-'96. A beautiful object.

Per ZNO's first post...
PULP FICTION aged a bit poorly, imho. It was epochal in that moment, but Tarantino made better films after PULP FICTION (and actually I think RESERVOIR DOGS is also probably better than PULP FICTION).

And other folks made films like PULP FICTIOM that were better than PULP FICTION.
I'd nominate one that hasn't been mentioned yet:
THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD
...Probably the second greatest Christopher Walken performance after DEER HUNTER, and he never moves anything below his collarbone.
Also Oscar-worthy/career-best performances from Andy Garcia, Fairuza Balk, and Christopher Lloyd, with a serious contender from Treat Williams, in service of a screenplay that is more quotable than Tarantino & Avery's for PF.

 :bouncegiggle: But that's just me, what do I know?

Some of these might be off a year or so, but

Clerks
Mallratsb
Pulp Fiction
Billy Madison
Happy Gilmore
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Scream
Fargo
Dumb and Dumber
Ace Ventura Pet DetectiveI
Shawshank Redemption
Mortal Kombat
Usual Suspects
Toy Story
Forrest Gump
Batman Forever
Showgirls
Street Fighter. For Raul Julia.

2Nominations from 1997: Chasing Amy and Scream 2. If there's a late 90s list, they'd be on mine.

There's others that I'm thinking about, but it's late here and I'm a bit tired

The Game (1997)

1. The Shawshank Redemption 1994
2. Pulp Fiction 1994
3. Forrest Gump 1994
4. Se7en 1995
5. The Usual Suspects 1995
6. The Lion King 1994
7. Casino 1995
8. Fargo 1996
9. 12 Monkeys 1995
10. Ed Wood 1994

Never seen:

Heat 1995
Toy Story 1995
Trainspotting 1996
Sling Blade 1996

Seen, but didn't care much:

Léon: The Professional 1994
Braveheart 1995

Quote from: M.10rda on November 23, 2025, 12:24:27 AMA personal favorite that I would contribute to the mix:
Hal Hartley's AMATEUR
I'd reckon that's my single favorite film from '94-'96. A beautiful object.

cool, never heard of it. just found Barry Norman's (I guess kind of our Roger Ebert circa 80s/90s?) review on youtube. (he liked it).

QuoteI'd nominate one that hasn't been mentioned yet:
THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD
...Probably the second greatest Christopher Walken performance after DEER HUNTER, and he never moves anything below his collarbone.
Also Oscar-worthy/career-best performances from Andy Garcia, Fairuza Balk, and Christopher Lloyd, with a serious contender from Treat Williams, in service of a screenplay that is more quotable than Tarantino & Avery's for PF.

 :bouncegiggle: But that's just me, what do I know?

I know I've seen this, but back then I would watch a lot of films in.... an alternate state of mind. maybe a rewatch in order 

Quote from: HappyGilmore on November 23, 2025, 12:46:07 AMChasing Amy

think this might be the only Kevin Smith film apart from CLERKS that I actually enjoyed... gotta be honest I was really disappointed with MALLRATS

Quote from: lester1/2jr on November 23, 2025, 02:17:59 AMThe Game (1997)

I recently found out The Game the rapper was named after this film. always thought that was a terrible rapper name.

Quote from: claws on November 23, 2025, 02:42:33 AM9. 12 Monkeys 1995

ok enough of you have now mentioned this one for me to do a rewatch. I don't remember much about it tbh

A few I left off that I liked:
Lion King
Reality BitesIt's
Ed Wood
Mars AttacksIt's
12 MonkeysIt's
Se7enb
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
Clueless

There's so many films released in the 90s I saw. I started the decade at 6 and was 15/16 when they ended.

Quote from: zombie no.one on November 23, 2025, 04:55:54 AM

Quote from: HappyGilmore on November 23, 2025, 12:46:07 AMChasing Amy

think this might be the only Kevin Smith film apart from CLERKS that I actually enjoyed... gotta be honest I was really disappointed with MALLRATS

I can see that about Mallrats. Seems like an even split on people who hate it and love it. I feel his three best films are Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma.

Other great ones from the era this thread reminded me of: THE USUAL SUSPECTS, ED WOOD (surprised I forgot that one), SHOWGIRLS (so bad it's good category).

Because the Rev very correctly contributed ED WOOD to the conversation, here's another I think has been overlooked - not because it's a personal favorite but because of its historical significance:

QUIZ SHOW (1994)
Directed by the late Robert Redford; starring Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, and John Turturro.

This was an awards-season darling in late '94/early '95, and for many it was their underdog contender against FORREST GUMP and PULP FICTION - a serious, intellectual period drama about Real Issues - yawn! - instead of, uh, whatever those other two movies are about. I saw it in the theater when it was released and liked it - my Dad, an English and sometimes History teacher - loved it and insisted it was the best of those three films. It was nominated for Best Picture (and many other Oscars). I've only seen it once subsequently, maybe in the mid-00s - but I would now agree with my late father that it is (if not better than FG and PF at least) more timely (or timeless) today than those films. As QUIZ SHOW is about media representation, journalistic ethics, propaganda, corporatism, truth, honor, charlatanry, et al........ actually it's extremely relevant today!

RESERVOIR DOGS and LEON THE PROFESSIONAL. 😊🐢.

South African made ones

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS
OPERATION DELTA FORCE
WHO AM I
CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Quote from: M.10rda on November 23, 2025, 10:43:55 AMBecause the Rev very correctly contributed ED WOOD to the conversation, here's another I think has been overlooked - not because it's a personal favorite but because of its historical significance:

QUIZ SHOW (1994)
Directed by the late Robert Redford; starring Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, and John Turturro.

This was an awards-season darling in late '94/early '95, and for many it was their underdog contender against FORREST GUMP and PULP FICTION - a serious, intellectual period drama about Real Issues - yawn! - instead of, uh, whatever those other two movies are about. I saw it in the theater when it was released and liked it - my Dad, an English and sometimes History teacher - loved it and insisted it was the best of those three films. It was nominated for Best Picture (and many other Oscars). I've only seen it once subsequently, maybe in the mid-00s - but I would now agree with my late father that it is (if not better than FG and PF at least) more timely (or timeless) today than those films. As QUIZ SHOW is about media representation, journalistic ethics, propaganda, corporatism, truth, honor, charlatanry, et al........ actually it's extremely relevant today!

I haven't seen that since I was a kid

I remember really liking it

Quote from: M.10rda on November 23, 2025, 10:43:55 AMQUIZ SHOW (1994)
Directed by the late Robert Redford; starring Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, and John Turturro.

has been on my radar for a long time...

Quote from: Trevor on November 23, 2025, 03:10:53 PMLEON THE PROFESSIONAL.

one of my old work colleagues changed his first name to Leon, after this film. true story

Quote from: M.10rda on November 23, 2025, 10:43:55 AMBecause the Rev very correctly contributed ED WOOD to the conversation, here's another I think has been overlooked - not because it's a personal favorite but because of its historical significance:

QUIZ SHOW (1994)
Directed by the late Robert Redford; starring Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, and John Turturro.

This was an awards-season darling in late '94/early '95, and for many it was their underdog contender against FORREST GUMP and PULP FICTION - a serious, intellectual period drama about Real Issues - yawn! - instead of, uh, whatever those other two movies are about. I saw it in the theater when it was released and liked it - my Dad, an English and sometimes History teacher - loved it and insisted it was the best of those three films. It was nominated for Best Picture (and many other Oscars). I've only seen it once subsequently, maybe in the mid-00s - but I would now agree with my late father that it is (if not better than FG and PF at least) more timely (or timeless) today than those films. As QUIZ SHOW is about media representation, journalistic ethics, propaganda, corporatism, truth, honor, charlatanry, et al........ actually it's extremely relevant today!

I saw it once, but was a kid. I should watch it again as an adult. I didn't dislike it, but it's been like thirty years. I'll appreciate it more now.

It's true - QUIZ SHOW was made for old folks.  :bouncegiggle: It's probably quite a testament to the film that kids could recognize it was good, in spite of it having no CGI, no exploding heads, and few or no funny gags. It did resonate even more the second time I watched it (in my 20s).

Quote from: bob on November 22, 2025, 07:55:22 PMloose plot: Nicholas Cage is a scientist; Sean Connery is a prisoner who is hired by to break into Alcatraz to stop Ed Harris' group of machineries from shooting missiles at the USA from Alcatraz

watching it now, and remembering bits... forgot it was a Michael Bay film.... clearly the best thing he's done.

Quote from: zombie no.one on November 25, 2025, 02:38:23 PM

Quote from: bob on November 22, 2025, 07:55:22 PMloose plot: Nicholas Cage is a scientist; Sean Connery is a prisoner who is hired by to break into Alcatraz to stop Ed Harris' group of machineries from shooting missiles at the USA from Alcatraz

watching it now, and remembering bits... forgot it was a Michael Bay film.... clearly the best thing he's done.

easily