Release Decade Archive

1990s

For all you proper film enthusiasts who would like to peruse the films of  TruStory FM’s entertainment podcasts by release decade. Get ready for a firehose of film history in these here stacks.

The Next Reel Film Podcast

Sleepless in Seattle

While romantic comedies may be dead in our current day and age, they were alive and well 20 years ago when Norah Ephron’s “Sleepless in Seattle” came out. And what sort of hurdle did they put between the couple to keep them apart until the end of the film? Why, they had them on opposite sides of the country and never actually had them meet until the very end of the film! It’s genius! Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about this fantastic 1993 film, the latest in our romantic comedy series.

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Fargo

Joel and Ethan Coen may have won big at Cannes with “Barton Fink,” but it wasn’t until 1996’s “Fargo” was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture, and won Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens that Hollywood really started believing that these guys could deliver the goods. (They did fail miserably in Hollywood with their previous effort, “The Hudsucker Proxy,” after all.) Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Drama by the Brothers Coen series with our discussion on this homespun tale of murder, “Fargo.”

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Barton Fink

“Barton Fink” was the crowning glory of the Cannes Film Festival when it premiered there in May 1991. Critics heaped their praises on it. But it never really connected with the audience and hence was a box office failure. Luckily, Joel and Ethan Coen made a film that is worth rewatching and discussing, even if it’s not completely decipherable. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Drama of the Brothers Coen series and delve into the murky, oozing depths of “Barton Fink.”

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Miller’s Crossing

For their third film, the Coen brothers decided to again make something completely different from what they’ve done before. With “Miller’s Crossing,” they made a gangster picture that honors conventions of the genre while also twisting those conventions, just as they did with “Blood Simple.” And it worked for some people while not for others (and lead to a big bomb at the box office). Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week’s episode of The Next Reel as we continue our Drama by the Brothers Coen series with 1990s “Miller’s Crossing.”

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True Romance

Quentin Tarantino’s first script that he wrote turned out to be one he couldn’t get made himself. Lucky for us (or unlucky as some Tarantino fans feel), he managed to get “True Romance” into the hands of Tony Scott. Tony gave it a linear structure and a happy ending and, in our estimation, created a magical fairy tale of a film. We’re continuing our “Couples on the Run” series and are thrilled with this week’s edition of “True Romance” to the list.

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Gattaca

We end our Original Science Fiction series with Andrew Niccol’s visionary 1997 film set not too far in the future, Gattaca. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we delve into not just what makes this film great and unique, but also what ties the four films from this series together.

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Dark City

With all the franchises, spin-offs and films based on other mediums these days, it seems rare to find original sci-fi films. That inspired us to do a series of original sci-fi films, and we’re starting with one of our favorites. In 1998, Alex Proyas created a fantastic and wholly unique science fiction film, Dark City, that unfortunately bombed at the box office but has since proven to be a cult hit in the after markets. This film, a neo-noir sci-fi with a very mysterious twist, follows a man with amnesia as he tries to uncover who he is, why nothing seems to make sense, and why he woke up at the scene of a murder. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — this week on The Next Reel as we begin our Original Sci-Fi series with Proyas’ Dark City.

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The Sandlot

There’s something about memories of childhood and baseball that seem to go hand in hand. Perhaps it’s the tradition of baseball — it feels as tied into good ol’ Americana as much as fireworks on the Fourth of July or hot apple pie, things that can certainly define childhood memories. Perhaps it’s just that it was one of those things you did as a kid that helped shape who you would become. Regardless, David Mickey Evans tapped into this connection for 1993’s The Sandlot, his directorial debut, and ended up creating a cult favorite that will stand the test of time because of it. This week, join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we wrap up our current baseball series with this fantastic movie that tells a simple childhood baseball story yet seduces the audience into reconnecting with their own childhood.

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Strange Days

Based on a dream James Cameron had in 1985, Strange Days came out in 1995 and strangely took place only 4 years in the future — during the 48 hours leading up to the year 2000. Cameron’s ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, helmed the film, bringing her skills at directing action to the forefront to create what at the time was a wild, mind-bending, noirish tale that looked at people in LA dealing with the latest “drug” craze — living other people’s experiences through futuristic recording devices.

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The Fifth Element

There’s something about the wacky sci-fi fantasy eye-gasm The Fifth Element that is very divisive. On one side, it’s a bizarre, nonsensical, mess that hardly has a story worth talking about. On the other, it’s groundbreaking in its visual effects, inventive in its production and costume design, and a romping, mind-numbing good time. While the characters who aren’t weird muppet-y aliens would be better served by actually being cartoons, they’re played by big-name actors who all get into their roles with undeniable fervor and relish. It’s amazing how much of a mess the film is, yet a lot of people really dig it.

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