The 100 Greatest movies of the 1990s # 17. The Truman Show (104 Viewers)

[Zow]

Never had the desire to watch Truman Show after seeing it in the theater. Wasn't bad, just not a banger.

Yep. Both this and Larry Flynt were good, worthwhile movies to watch but I don't think are better than the previous dozen or so listed.

 

[Zow]

I’m also still hoping for Hackers but I’m losing hope

Hackers showing up in the top 20 would be the worst ranking in this entire thread, by far.

not

80. Se7en

or

69. Jurassic Park

?

Yes. Hackers in the top 20 would be easily worse than either of those.

Would it ve a worse offense than me not ranking Raiders?

Wait, you didn't rank Raiders????!!!!!

 

[KarmaPolice]

Got it. I will start listing movies I don't like to impress the FFA for the next one.

I guess the issue is that you have bad taste when it comes to that movie, not that you need to make things up to impress the audience.

Touche

I could see the grumbling more if I said I hated it or it was terrible. It's just 100-200 range for me. I but I get it, I when people say they don't like Back to the Future or Karate Kid.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Got it. I will start listing movies I don't like to impress the FFA for the next one.

I guess the issue is that you have bad taste when it comes to that movie, not that you need to make things up to impress the audience.

Touche

I could see the grumbling more if I said I hated it or it was terrible. It's just 100-200 range for me. I but I get it, I when people say they don't like Back to the Future or Karate Kid.

I’m just giving you a hard time - it obviously doesn’t afffect my life.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Got it. I will start listing movies I don't like to impress the FFA for the next one.

I guess the issue is that you have bad taste when it comes to that movie, not that you need to make things up to impress the audience.

Touche

I could see the grumbling more if I said I hated it or it was terrible. It's just 100-200 range for me. I but I get it, I when people say they don't like Back to the Future or Karate Kid.

I’m just giving you a hard time - it obviously doesn’t afffect my life.

I realize that. I just find which movies get those strongest reactions interesting.

 

[General Malaise]

Never had the desire to watch Truman Show after seeing it in the theater. Wasn't bad, just not a banger.

Yep. Both this and Larry Flynt were good, worthwhile movies to watch but I don't think are better than the previous dozen or so listed.

I really liked Larry Flynt. I thought Norton was incredible. Plus, I like smut.

 

[General Malaise]

Wrong decade but watched Stand By Me with my 9 year old twins. That movie is just amazing. Showed it to my older boys a decade ago and they loved it too. Just a terrific adventure film for young lads and I never get tired of watch it.

Any other recs in that genre? Film guys of FBG?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Got it. I will start listing movies I don't like to impress the FFA for the next one.

I guess the issue is that you have bad taste when it comes to that movie, not that you need to make things up to impress the audience.

Touche

I could see the grumbling more if I said I hated it or it was terrible. It's just 100-200 range for me. I but I get it, I when people say they don't like Back to the Future or Karate Kid.

I’ve never seen Karate Kid. Don’t care for inspirational sports movies.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Wrong decade but watched Stand By Me with my 9 year old twins. That movie is just amazing. Showed it to my older boys a decade ago and they loved it too. Just a terrific adventure film for young lads and I never get tired of watch it.

Any other recs in that genre? Film guys of FBG?

Super 8
October Sky
The Iron Giant (careful though, it's animated)

 

[zamboni]

Wrong decade but watched Stand By Me with my 9 year old twins. That movie is just amazing. Showed it to my older boys a decade ago and they loved it too. Just a terrific adventure film for young lads and I never get tired of watch it.

Any other recs in that genre? Film guys of FBG?

Highly recommend The Cure.

Very poignant latter day Huck Finn type movie. No Robert Smith cameo though.

 

[General Malaise]

Wrong decade but watched Stand By Me with my 9 year old twins. That movie is just amazing. Showed it to my older boys a decade ago and they loved it too. Just a terrific adventure film for young lads and I never get tired of watch it.

Any other recs in that genre? Film guys of FBG?

Super 8
October Sky
The Iron Giant (careful though, it's animated)

Thanks!

Animated is fine. I just didn't watch many of them in the 90s when i wasn't a kid and didn't have kids.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Wrong decade but watched Stand By Me with my 9 year old twins. That movie is just amazing. Showed it to my older boys a decade ago and they loved it too. Just a terrific adventure film for young lads and I never get tired of watch it.

Any other recs in that genre? Film guys of FBG?

Super 8
October Sky
The Iron Giant (careful though, it's animated)

Thanks!

Animated is fine. I just didn't watch many of them in the 90s when i wasn't a kid and didn't have kids.

I know. Just teasing.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

I’d say Back to the Future had as much if not more special effects than Raiders.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

I’d say Back to the Future had as much if not more special effects than Raiders.

I'd agree, the time travel f/x are clunky as are the lightning, Marty's disappearing hands, and other stuff. I would argue that there isn't as many sustained shots of the special effects in BttF, but we could be nitpicking here. The end of Raiders looks like The Ten Commandments to me.

I also have a day 1 obsessive love affair with Back to the Future and have seen it 100s of times. That movie is the spark for my love of movies. Raiders I watched for the first time in adulthood. Time travel vs archeology in general was always a much stronger pull as well.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

I'm of two minds about this.

On one hand I agree. This past week I rewatched both Jurassic Park and The Phantom Menace. Jurassic Park is still great, TPM is still pretty bad. But more importantly they both just felt...old; especially TPM. The mix of practical and CGI effects in JP were actually more immersive than the purely CGI of TPM.

On the other hand, these movies have for me moved from a sense of amazement to endearment. Knowing what they had to do to get those special effects, given the technology of the time enables them to still hold my heart. I remember the first computer I bought in 1995 was a FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR Gateway and had about as much power as my dress shirts. So I'm still appreciative if the artistry and creativity needed to pull off those shows.

On Disney+ there's a documentary on ILM called, appropriately, Light & Magic. It's not as interesting when they focus on the people (just because they spend TOO much time) but when they show how they build the models, created the computer technology, etc. it's quite remarkable. And yes, there's a segment on Raiders that shows how groundbreaking it was at the time.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

Solid theory

But…..The Burbs? Really?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

Solid theory

But…..The Burbs? Really?

Yes, love The Burbs. It's not one I will defend as being great, but it was always one of those we had around the house and I watched a lot with my friends for whatever reason.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Here's my final theory about Raiders that just ties into my movie tastes overall - I have much less tolerance for f/x than most people. I like Raiders and have watched it a few times in the last 5 years or so, but I don't think it's controversial to say that it's a bit campy at times and the f/x are rough at the end. Very few of any of my lists have special f/x in them, and when they do there is a lot of practical work as well. I don't watch Ghostbusters as much as I used to. When my daughter and I just watched Jurassic Park this year I could feel myself getting a bit itchy in some spots and not enjoying it quite as much. Those are 2 movies I adore and have a long history with. If I am rewatching movies it more likely it's corny comedy or a drama from the 80s. The movies I rewatch more when I reach for 80s movies are Karate Kid, Great Outdoors, The Burbs, and action will be Die Hard or Beverly Hills Cop type of movies. I notice myself watching Ghostbusters, Last Starfighter, and Robocops of the world less and less.

I'm of two minds about this.

On one hand I agree. This past week I rewatched both Jurassic Park and The Phantom Menace. Jurassic Park is still great, TPM is still pretty bad. But more importantly they both just felt...old; especially TPM. The mix of practical and CGI effects in JP were actually more immersive than the purely CGI of TPM.

On the other hand, these movies have for me moved from a sense of amazement to endearment. Knowing what they had to do to get those special effects, given the technology of the time enables them to still hold my heart. I remember the first computer I bought in 1995 was a FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR Gateway and had about as much power as my dress shirts. So I'm still appreciative if the artistry and creativity needed to pull off those shows.

On Disney+ there's a documentary on ILM called, appropriately, Light & Magic. It's not as interesting when they focus on the people (just because they spend TOO much time) but when they show how they build the models, created the computer technology, etc. it's quite remarkable. And yes, there's a segment on Raiders that shows how groundbreaking it was at the time.

See, I agree on all that, which is why Raiders is rising in my rankings over the years and the reason I have rewatched it a few times recently. It's a blast to watch. I have also watched that documentary and loved that as well. I thought about watching that with my kid as well.

The Phantom Menace is terrible. It almost makes me wish I didn't suggest watching these movies with my daughter. She has a blast with them, which helps a lot. I realize those movies weren't made for me now.