Boyz N the Hood is awesome and my pick for 1991. I'm also a big fan of My Own Private Idaho and Raise the Red Lantern. Even if you're not really into foreign films, Raise the Red Lantern is a transcendent film. 

I should check out Slacker. I really like Richard Linklater's style of filmmaking but haven't seen that one. 

Firmly in the "never did anything for me" category is Barton Fink.

I completely agree. The first film was so dark...both visually and in terms of plot. An avatar for the intended tween audience and a wise-cracking robot sidekick? I could definitely do without. It's a shame as there is so much I respect about this film, including the filling out of the backstory and the progression of Linda Hamilton's character, but I still respect the original far more.



Yes, while I could do without the story, my respect for this film grows with each passing year as it becomes more and more obvious in retrospect that this was the ideal iteration of this franchise. I watch the original series and find myself measuring those actors and the interplay between them against those from the 1991 film when it absolutely should be the reverse.



I saw this in theaters and was bored. I was the target demographic and was already excited by the trading cards and graphic novel adaptation for sale in the lobby, but all the hype had me expecting a superhero, and an 11 year old couldn't be expected to see how this guy fit into that genre. "All he's got is a rocket pack?" pretty much sums up my thoughts throughout the film. I kept expecting him to stumble upon some other powers somehow or take on a costumed villain. Thus, regardless of the innate qualities of the film, it was set up to fail by promising kids a superhero film.

I like Barton Fink a lot. I saw it in one of the movie palaces in Hollywood just a few months before it was cut up into several theaters. I saw it in the afternoon during the week, and I was the only one in the theater. And despite all that space, it’s one of the most claustrophobic movies I’ve ever seen. I stood in the lobby for a few minutes a couple of times because I got to the point where I couldn’t breathe. That hotel room was stifling.

Raise the Red Lantern is phenomenal. I saw it just a few years ago and it really is quite amazing.

Either of these movies could go up against Naked Lunch as my favorite. But I tend to give Naked Lunch the edge just because I’ve seen it so many times.

I saw The Cherry Orchard (1990) a few months ago, and I was really blown away. This makes me wonder if I should watch it again and reconsider my favorite movies for 1990.

Well it's been two weeks (really busy weeks) but we're here at 1992.  I actually started this yesterday, but somehow my browser closed and I lost it and I couldn't face starting over again yesterday.  

Reservoir Dogs - Quentin Tarantino's first film and still my favorite...and I'm a pretty big fan of Tarantino.  The dialogue is just so tight.  The music is amazing.  Great work by Harvey Keitel (his best since Mean Streets), Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi (the film that made me recognize both of them).  I'll never hear "Stuck in the Middle With You" the same way again.  



Unforgiven - The film that truly changed Clint Eastwood from an actor who directs to a director who acts.  Possibly the last revisionist western that we truly need and the capstone to Eastwood's work in the genre.  Excellent turns from Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman.  I really loved this one when it came out, it's just been quite a while since I've seen it.  



Glengerry Glen Ross - It's sad what David Mamet has become because he is, or at least was, a brilliant writer.  Nonetheless this is an amazing adaptation of his play.  Excellent performances by Al Pacino (his best since his mid-70s heyday), Jack Lemmon and Alec Baldwin.  



Army of Darkness - Shop smart.  Shop S-Mart.  Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell just give us a super fun movie.  It's not as good as Evil Dead II, but it's trying to do some different things, so that's okay.  When all is said and done, I just smile and laugh and enjoy it...and that's enough.  



Wayne's World - I think people sleep on this movie because of its origins.  It has a lot of dumb lowbrow comedy...but there's a very intelligent undercurrent.  It's been long enough since I've seen it that I can't speak as well of it as I should.  But I know that I was surprised the last time that I did see it that it's very very good for an SNL skit inspired film.  



Last of the Mohicans - I'd mention this one just for its soundtrack.  Anyone who can take Cooper's abominable unreadable book and turn it in to something decent is alright in my book.  You don't watch this for the history...because it's fairly awful.  What it is is an absolutely gorgeous film with an astounding soundtrack and a fairly decent story tacked on.  And that's okay.  And it's pretty great to watch with a date.  



My Cousin Vinny - I've said before that I avoid movies about lawyers because I can't shut my brain off and most of them are crap.  That's why you won't see A Few Good Men here.  But this movie is one of the exceptions.  Because it's funny as hell.  And honestly, the legal stuff is fairly well done within the constraints of a Hollywood movie.  No...really...the law stuff is very well done.  Well...and Marisa Tomei was just luminous as Mona Lisa Vito.  And it's a joy to see Fred Gwynne sparring with Joe Pesci.  "Were they magical grits?"



A League of Their Own - I probably like this movie more than I should.  I find it likeable and charming.  And I do think the script is pretty smart.  Jimmy Dugan is one of Tom Hanks' more underrated roles.  It's a fun cute film.  "There's no crying in baseball" has become a bit of a mantra in our house.  





As usual there are many films I've either not seen or not seen in far too long. Including; Aladdin (I've not seen it in a long time, but I only kind of liked it); Hard Boiled (honestly I need to re-watch most of John Woo's films); Batman Returns (I don't know how I feel about this one at this point); The Player; Malcolm X (I REALLY need to re-watch this one); The Crying Game (been eons); The Bad Lieutenant (ditto); 


So what's my favorite film of 1992?  It's Reservoir Dogs.  Again, I'm a big Tarantino fan and this is my favorite of his movies.  I don't think it's his best movie.  But it's the one that resonates the most with me.  In 1992 it would have been Unforgiven, but, while I do like that film a lot it just doesn't sing to me the way Reservoir Dogs does.  Honestly the closest contender for me at this point (recognizing there are movies I really need to re-watch) is My Cousin Vinny.  


And 1992 in film for those as need a look.

My favorite film of 1992 is Reservoir Dogs. I saw it close to 10 times at the theater. I just kept going over and over again.

It’s not my favorite Tarantino film. Kill Bill is my favorite. And then ... there’s a three- or four-way tie for second.