Why 1999 was the best year for movies
The year 1999 ushered in a new era of movies and movie going
experiences.
Several events and releases made 1999 the best year ever for movies.
The Biggest Movie Ever
This year brought with it the biggest film ever. That movie is Star
Wars
Episode I:The Phantom Menace. It may not have grossed as much as
Titanic, but
it is obviously greater. Titanic didn't have people waiting in line for
three
months just to be the first to see it. Titanic didn't have a
multi-billion
dollar marketing campaign that stretched six plus months and included
everything from toys to posters to potato chips. Episode I brought with
it a
digital revolution that changed movies forever. The ability to
digitally
animate main characters into a live action film had never been done
before.
Episode I not only revolutionized technological aspcets of a film, but
also
proved that the internet can be more powerful than television. George
Lucas
did not rely on television commercials to promote his masterpice. On
the
contrary, he released choice bits about the film to build commotion
about the
film.
Finally, Episode I was more than a movie. It was an event. Every
television station had a truck parked outside of local movie theaters
to get
the low down on the movie. Every newspaper was searching for comments
about
the night.
Best Animated and Anime Films
The Iron Giant was the greatest animated film ever. It was the
first time
Warner Bros broke the mold that Disney had set as a rubric for animated films. It relied neither on grand musical numbers or lovable
characters. It
didn't use star power to push how good it was. It used the traditional
theme
of love, but not in the boy/girl kind of way that movies like The
Little
Mermaid or Snow White used. It focused on friendship and it's imporance
over
conformity. It appealed to both genders, unlike the Lion King, which
was
geared to males, or most other Disney movies which are meant to appeal
to
females. The Iron Giant used a good story set in a classic time period
to
create a movie with a timeless theme of friendship and sacrifice.
Also in 1999, Miyazaki's gem of a film Princess Mononoke was
released to
an American audince. It took all the things that The Iron Giant didn't
have
(Big name talent, classic love story) and fashioned a flawless film. It
not
only focused on love, but it showed how man has destroyed his home and
is
paying the price for his wastefulness. This Anime film surpasses Akira
for
one reason, plot. Not that Akira lacked plot. But Mononoke had
characters
that showed more emotion and created a greater range of emotions for
the
viewer.
Best Science Fiction Film(s)
Star Wars. No question about it. But in Episode I's shadow was a
little
film called the Matrix. The Matrix (loosely "based" on the Grant
Morrison
comic The Invisibles), in combination with EP. I fused two eras of
sci-fi
film into one. In the golden days, the plot was there, but no
technology.
Prior to 1999 (with a few exceptions), movies had come to rely too
heavily on
effects. All too often science fiction rely on special effects to tell
the
story. These two movies used the plot to carry the movie with special
effects
to paint a realistic world to assist the plot, not drown it out. The
Matrix
wasn't as well written as the Stanley Kubric classic 2001:A Space
Odyssey,
but definitley has better special effects. It's effect's don't surpass
Episode I, but it's plot is up there.
Best Comedy
South Park:Bigger Longer, and Uncut is the greatest comedy ever. It
takes
the type of humor that made There's Something About Mary and ruined
American
Pie and combined it with computer animation. The plot itself, is
relatively
simple, but ingenious none the less. The comedy in it offends adults,
Christians, and blacks, but the movie thrives on its political
incorrectness.
Hilarious right through to the end.
Best Classic Revival
The Mummy was best done remake I have ever seen. It kept the early
20th
century aspects of the original horror movies, but was stepped up by
late
20th century special effects. It brought back the movie going
experience that
baby boomers experienced as kids, but with a modern edge.
Best Stephen King Adaptation
The Shawshank Redemption was a good film, but The Green Mile was
better.
It kept that supernatural aspects of a Stephen King story, but adds
compassionate characters and a good script that are so often lacking in King's movies.
Best British Film
I personally like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels more than
Trainspotting, although the two exist on two separate planes. LS2SB
combined
comedy with a Laurel and Hardy act that made for a classic, yet under
appreciated film.
Best Social Revolution/Most Misinterpreted Film
Fight Club was doomed to failure based solely on the fact it was
anti-everything. It trashed capitalism, consumerism, middle America,
corporations, and Americans in general. Despite it's valid points and
good
performances by big name stars, Fight Club was too revolutionary of a
mass
audince. Misunderstood and seen as an outlet of violence to poison
youth, it
is a modern day cult classic and hopefully be realized some day for its excellence.
Best Satire
Dogma, although I still contend it is more than just a mockery of
the
Christian religion. It's funny with an underlying message about true
faith.
And you gotta love Jay and Silent Bob Aside from all of these plateaus, 1999 also represented the taking off
of
DVD. The Matrix sold over a million units, making it the highest
selling DVD
to date. In contrast, the first VHS to do that was Top Gun, which
phased out
the beta technology and led to a revolution in home entertainment. DVD,
with
its bonus features, is in the process of doing the same thing.
Digital Projectors were also introduced before the dawn of the new
millenium. While in a small scale, it still represents a big event in
movie
going history. It prevents the scratching and wear on a film and also
removes
"cigarette burns" that plague films.
---
Stephen Pause
2.12.2000
http://www.klink.net/~tatara/DFFQI.html