Cool as Ice (1991) Review

Here's another case of "Holy crap, what did I just watch?". It's a relic of the 90s best forgotten, a film so odd in its existence and yet so incredibly watchable in its awfulness. Welcome to Cool as Ice.

My 15 favorite movies made in the 90s

Oh, the 90s, what a great time for movies. It was also the time I grew up in (although I am technically an 80s kid) which means that the films I saw back then definitely had an impact on my taste in movies and probably also on my character in general. To pick my favorites from this precious time is definitely not an easy task and to put these films in any kind of order is even more preposterous, considering that my taste will probably keep changing over the course of my life. With that being said, consider this a work in progress.

Do you remember... Before Sunrise?

OK, for a moment let's forget about all the romantic comedy rubbish starring Kristen Bell or Katherine Heigl that Hollywood likes to crap out for a quick cash grab and let's look at something much more sincere and honest than that. Let's look no further than 1995's Before Sunrise.

Citizen Ruth (1996) Review

Pop Quiz: Name a movie that focuses on the abortion issue. Go! .... Can't come up with anything? If you can, good for you, you're a movie nerd. If not, then you're also fine. There are countless taboo topics that have been tackled by American cinema, whether it's racism, child abuse, death penalty, euthanasia, etc. But interestingly, there hasn't really been a movie about the abortion issue. Well, that was until "Citizen Ruth" came along, Alexander Payne's feature film debut as a director from 1996.

Rumble In The Bronx (1995) Review

Fact 1: I love Jackie Chan. Fact 2: You love Jackie Chan. Do I really have to say more? This guy knows how to kick some serious ass and it's sweet to watch him go nuts with whatever he can find to fight some bad guys. I didn't really watch his older movies from the 80s until my late teens but I grew up on the stuff he released when he became famous in the US during the 90s. One of those movies was "Rumble In The Bronx" and I frikkin love that flick.

Happiness (1998) Review

And here we go again, after watching some fairly convenient and "nice" movies I encountered another one that is anything but. Happiness by Todd Solondz is a poisonous little film that, like so many others before, looks into the dark soul of suburban USA. But what makes this film stand out from many others is that it is not afraid to touch dark topics without being exploitative. While other films such as Harmony Korine's Ken Park are more interested in just blatantly showing the perversions that happen behind white picket fences without any sort of context, Solondz's film is anchored by characters that are actually drawn out. We might not sympathize with their actions but at least we are able to understand them.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998) Review

Do I really have to say anything about this movie? "Can't Hardly Wait" is about the party after a high school graduation. Which is generic. And it was made in the late 90s. Which is totally radical!

It's a fun watch but oh, so predictable and forgettable. We have all kinds of stereotypes: The douchebag star quarterback who is dating the hottest girl in school. The nerdy smart kid who is about to have the time of his life. The pretentious alternative girl who thinks she's cooler than everyone else. The whitest kid in town who thinks he's black.

There's no focus on a single character, instead we get a whole ensemble. One can see the influence of other (better) teen movies such as "American Graffiti" and "Dazed and Confused" and while it is far from being as memorable as the latter ones it still succeeds in what it sets out to be, pure innocent late 90s popcorn entertainment.

There's really not much else to say. Personally the most fun part was to spot all the actors who were big back then and are gone now or reversed. Jennifer Love Hewitt? First teenie and slasher movies and now a regular on TV. Seth Green? Hit it big with the Austin Powers movies and is still around on the big and small screen. Charlie Korsmo? Big shot roles in "Hook" and "Dick Tracy" before he ended his acting career with "Can't Hardly Wait". Jason Segel? Watermelon Guy here and now major star thanks to "How I Met Your Mother", "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "The Muppets".

This film is a time capsule, captivating the lost innocence of teenie films in the spirit of the late John Hughes and also the style and music of the late 90s. It might sound pathetic but here it comes: They just don't make 'em like that anymore.