Top Fifty Guy Movies of the 1990s
What makes a classic guy movie? I don’t think there’s any one definition. It’s a nebulous concept, although certain factors weigh more heavily than others. One might say start with blood, car chases, guts, gun play, explosions, the F-word, and cleavage. But that argument is too simplistic. It’s not all about the action or the women. It can include male bonding or simply creating an aura of cool. And let’s not forget the comedies or science fiction films. But it should be the kind of movie you can watch over and over again with your friends, while remembering the lines or the scenes as you go. And it’s likely that the women in your life don’t share the same passion for that movie. That’ll at least point you in the right direction.
So while we may not be able to define it, like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when identifying obscenity, we know it when we see it. Here are the Top 50 guy movies from the 1990s:
50. Wild Things, 1998
Premise: Two very different high school girls accuse a popular teacher of rape, leading to a trial and much more.
Director: John McNaughton
Stars: Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Neve Campbell
What you’ll Remember: The hotel scene
Reasons it is on the List: Okay, so the plot is far-fetched and you have Kevin Bacon’s bacon, that’s the bad. The good? You can see Neve Campbell and Denise Richards make out, Richards pour champagne on her breasts, and you get Bill Murray tossed in for comedy’s sake. Overall that’s a winner.
49. Army of Darkness, 1993
Premise: A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve a book so he can return home.
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert
What you’ll Remember: Alright you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This… is my boomstick!
Reasons it is on the List: This quasi-horror adventure tale relies more on slapstick and appropriately tongue-in-cheek special effects than blood and gore like the previous Evil Dead entries. You might say its an ode to The Three Stooges that’s littered with one-liners. Hail to the King, Baby!
48. Wayne’s World, 1992
Premise: Hosts of a local late night cable-access program sell-out their program to the man.
Director: Penelope Spheeris
Stars: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere
What you’ll Remember: Bohemian Rhapsody in the car.
Reasons it is on the List: There’s a parade of one-liners in this comedy such as: “Excellent!”, “Party On!”, “Schwing!”, “If you’re gonna spew, spew into this”, “Hurl”, and “We’re Not Worthy”. There’s also a trio of endings, rock stars, and the magically babelicious Tia Carrere.
47. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998
Premise: A journalist and his attorney travel to Vegas to cover a motorcycle race and consume copious amounts of illegal drugs, commit acts of fraud, and generally wreak havoc.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Christina Ricci
What you’ll Remember: We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
Reasons it is on the List: Based on a novel written by Hunter S. Thompson, the entire movie involves someone taking massive amounts of some drug and the consequences. It works thanks to Depp and Gilliam’s blatant uniqueness. Yes the movie is strange, sometimes to the point of insanity. It is a Gilliam movie after all, could you expect otherwise? But the package works, as it comes off as a sophisticated stoner flick.
46. Glengarry Glen Ross, 1992
Premise: Two days in the lives of four real estate agents as they become desperate to avoid getting fired.
Director: James Foley
Stars: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey
What you’ll Remember: A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.
Reasons it is on the List: The biting screenplay by David Mamet is littered with quotable lines, some less than PG. And the star studded cast includes four Oscar winners and two others who have been nominated, perhaps the greatest acting ensemble ever put before a camera. The movie has no sex, no violence, no car chases, no action, just powerful acting. Go see it!
45. Die Hard With A Vengeance, 1995
Premise: A man blows up a downtown department store and forces a detective and local shopkeeper to play a game or else risk more deaths.
Director: John McTiernan
Stars: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
What you’ll Remember: Bruce Willis with a billboard in Harlem.
Reasons it is on the List: Die Hard’s a classic, and while this may not quite live up to the original, it’s packed full of explosions and adds in Samuel L. Jackson. The combination of Jackson and Willis leads to remarkable chemistry, enabling both deep tension and hilarious comic moments.
44. True Lies, 1994
Premise: A secret agent who has an ordinary home life with his family unaware that he is a spy until they get caught up in a mission.
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold
What you’ll Remember: Stuff Blowing Up.
Reasons it is on the List: It’s hard not to enjoy a James Cameron movie, but toss in action star Arnold Schwazenegger and a budget larger than the GNP of many small countries and you get big action, big explosions, and a great re-watchable film.
43. Friday, 1995
Premise: In south central Los Angeles, two friends hangout and get high after one gets fired on his day off.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Stars: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long
What you’ll Remember: You got knocked the #@!& out!
Reasons it is on the List: This is vintage Chris Tucker, a stoner comedy with many memorable lines, and it’s the kind of movie you can pop in at any time. Even if you know the lines, it’s still funny. There just doesn’t seem to be enough R-Rated comedies around these days.
42. Natural Born Killers, 1994
Premise: A young couple embarks on a crime spree, Bonnie and Clyde style.
Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore
What you’ll Remember: Someone’s head on a stick.
Reasons it is on the List: As Roger Ebert wrote, “Seeing this movie once is not enough. The first time is for the visceral experience, the second time is for the meaning.” It is amongst the most violent American films made, but is meant to be a satire of violence in American media and how criminals can become quasi-celebrities.
41. Billy Madison, 1995
Premise: A goof-off and slacker who must go back to school and complete all twelve grades in order to take over his father’s company.
Director: Tamra Davis
Stars: Adam Sandler, Bridgette Wilson, Bradley Whitford
What you’ll Remember: It’s too damn hot for a penguin to be just walkin’ around.
Reasons it is on the List: Adam Sandler’s crowning achievement in a long line of major Hollywood comedies. His first starring role remains his most memorable and also stars a pre-Pete Sampras Bridgette Wilson. This crude, tasteless comedy is no great piece of art, it just brings the laughs.
