Well, I'm continuing with my series of favorite movies from each decade going back to whenever I didn't see 10 movies from a decade. While trying to put together a list, I discovered that the 90s is quite possibly my favorite decade for movies because there are just so many of them I love. Plus, I was born in the 90s, so...

Before I start, I would like to give a short explanation of something. Last December, I posted on my movie blog what my top 20 favorite movies of all time are. There are quite a few 90s movies on this list. But, you will find that this list conflicts with that list in a few areas. Why? Well, the shortest explanation I can think of is that everyone becomes a new person every day, either in a minor or major way. Since film is such a big part of my life, it makes sense my perspective on it would evolve for better or worse. Different things contribute to it: Changing moods, multiple viewings, more learning of the art, etc. This doesn't mean my preferences come and go with the wind. For example, The Green Mile was on that list and it won't be on this one, unfortunately. But that doesn't mean it's not still a favorite of mine. I just wouldn't rank it quite as high as I did half a year ago. Mainly, movies I love I still love, just maybe not quite as much. I'm ever learning the craft, and so my perspective is forever altering. But, for the most part, I do remain constant in what I think makes a film good. It's only my personal preferences that are subject to change from time to time.

OK, now that I've justified my inconsistency, here are the numerous honorable mentions. I should mention that even those are ranked by preference here because there are a few near the top that I felt bad about them not making the top 10!

"Good Will Hunting," "The Green Mile," "The Big Lebowski," "Toy Story 2," "Mr. Holland’s Opus," "Office Space," "South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut," "The Truman Show," "Forrest Gump," "Braveheart," "Seven," "L.A. Confidential," "Groundhog Day," "Terminator 2," "Jurassic Park," "Ed Wood," "Unforgiven," "A Few Good Men," "Casino," "Usual Suspects," "The Lion King," "Muppet Christmas Carol," "Barton Fink," "True Romance," "American History X," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," "Edward Scissorhands," "This Boy’s Life," "Miller’s Crossing," "Silence of the Lambs," "The Matrix," "Rounders," "The Mask," "12 Monkeys," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "American Beauty," "Natural Born Killers," "Philadelphia," "Jerry Maguire," "The Sandlot," "Hook," "Prince of Egypt," "Home Alone," "Scream," "Iron Giant," and more...

So, here's the countdown list...

10. "Toy Story"

The original classic that started the string of creative works from Pixar. I really can't figure out where those guys keep coming up with all these ideas that would probably be a total flop if anyone else was doing them, but somehow, they do and thank God for it. This was also the very first film to be animated entirely by computer, and the attention to detail is absolutely remarkable. But, aside from the art, it is also a touching story of a favorite toy who suddenly finds himself replaced by the new, latest greatest toy. This leads to a bitter rivalry, until they both find themselves fighting for their lives and become best friends. It sounds kind of cheesy on paper, but is feels surprisingly natural the way they pull it off in this film. I watched it for the first time as a kid, so nostalgia might understandably taint my views on it, but having studied film a bit now, it actually looks even better to me now. So, if by some chance you haven't seen it, do so, it's a good time!

9. "Fargo"

I mentioned before I'm a big fan of the Coen brothers' films, and in my opinion, this just might be their finest work. We see the story of a man who hired two thugs to kidnap his wife, so they can split the ransom money given by his jerky, rich father-in-law. But, as usually happens in Coen brothers crime films, things go wrong for the baddies and bodies start piling up. This causes the very pregnant police chief, Marge Gunderson, to take on the case. And you betcha she won't stop, until the bad guys are brought to justice. The movie is quite jarring to say the least. In one scene, we could be laughing at some of the folksy corniness of the characters. In the next, we're being shocked by a brutal murder. But that just adds to the eeriness of the movie in that it reminds us that no town is safe from this sort of thing, no matter how innocent it may seem. The screenplay is impeccably written by the brothers. (Every stammer from the husband is actually in the script!). We're given some hope at the end of the movie, though, as Marge gets her man and even shows him compassion. She can't understand why he would do such things just for money. She then goes home to her husband, and they continue their happy, normal living, despite the evil we all live with.

8. "Fight Club"

This was one of many films from 1999 that were made to define the unhappiness and insecurity of Gen X, white-collar men at the time. But, this movie goes to several extremes that make it so angry men from any time period could easily identify with it. An office worker who's fed up with his life meets a devil-may-care hipster who suggests everything we hold dear is worthless. The two men start up a club where men can let out their aggression by beating each other to a pulp. Soon, though, this club soon escalates into full-blown terrorism. So, I believe this movie is advocating for some sort of middle ground. If you feel something is wrong with your life, do something to change it, but destroying it isn't the answer! That's what the people starting up real life fight clubs don't understand.

7. "Schindler's List"

A break from Steven Spielberg's usual family fare, this has been described as many people by the best movie about the Holocaust ever made. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I haven't watched too many movies on it. It's not the most pleasant subject. But this movie is a good look at the attitudes of the regular German citizens during this time period. We meet Oskar Schindler, who is a member of the Nazi party and a war profiteer. He uses Jews for slave labor and does his best to blind himself to what's really going on, just as many Germans did at the time. But when he is finally faced with the horrors of the Holocaust, he can't stay uninvolved anymore. He uses shrewd business maneuvering to save lives rather than exploit them now! The film is a work of art by any definition, a masterpiece, even if not quite as memorable or influential as the legendary Spielberg's earlier work, or even that same year's groundbreaking "Jurassic Park!" But, it is one for the ages, and its history should never be forgotten.

6. "Dazed and Confused"

I was told by a respected cousin of mine that I should check this movie out. I was expecting it to be just another R comedy that I laugh at but probably won't find that memorable. But as it turns out, this movie was more than just all right, all right, all right! It's actually one of the most fun times I have watching a film! Like "O Brother Where Art Thou," this is a movie that I could watch time and again and not get tired of it, it's just such a good time. It doesn't really have a specific plot. It's just a film that tries to capture a picture of 70s high school nostalgia that feels nostalgic no matter what time period you grew up in. And it pulls it off remarkably! If I had to describe the movie, it's pretty much about a group of small town high schoolers' hunt for a good time on the last day of school. And I never get tired of watching the zany and touching adventures that ensue! It also has one of the best film soundtracks ever!

5. "Reservoir Dogs"

Quentin Tarantino's debut feature-length film is still a classic. It is living proof that you don't need a big budget to make an intriguing film. We see six men gathered to pull off a heist. The boss takes all precautions when selecting them, including giving them codenames, so the men can't have relationships. But, it turns out one of them is a rat, which causes the burglary to be bungled and people to die. Since Tarantino's films usually tend to be over the top in several scenes, it's obvious his budget increased later on. So, this movie had to make up for it with intriguing dialogue and lots of twists and turns. And the movie succeeds remarkably. Along with Christopher Nolan's "Memento," it serves as inspiration about how much you can do with so little!

4. "Saving Private Ryan"

One of the biggest Oscar disgraces in history was this movie getting beaten by Shakespeare in Love for Best Picture! It is objectively one of the greatest war dramas ever put to celluloid. You actually feel as though you're in the heat of battle with these men, which can be proven by the fact that they test-screened this movie to a room full of veterans, many of whom had to leave just because it was so close to the real thing. After the movie's now legendary D-Day sequence, a group of men are told to find and bring back Pvt. James Ryan, whose brothers have all been killed in battle. Whether they succeed or not, we know from the very beginning the toll this journey will take.

If this movie doesn't make you grateful to our veterans, I don't know what will.

3. "Pulp Fiction"

Another killer soundtrack for ya.

I've been told that Tarantino scripted this in a dark "I don't care" phase. And somehow this was when Tarantino made his defining masterpiece! He broke many rules of filmmaking with this movie. (Non-linear narrative, no score, just pop/rock music for the soundtrack, whole scenes of people discussing pop culture that has nothing to do with the plot, etc.) It's basically four intersecting storylines, which you won't completely piece together until the very end. This was the movie where Tarantino made a name for himself and also won his first Academy Award. The neo-noir style that he improved on since "Reservoir Dogs" is still one people often gravitate to today. This is also definitely his most quotable movie, mostly because a lot of the conversations don't concern the movie, but are just regular, everyday conversations. The way he's able to write such natural feeling dialogue is a big part of what makes this movie work. It also is arguably the most influential film of the decade regarding how it made people think about filmmaking. I believe in the future, this movie will be looked at much like how people look at "Citizen Kane" now. It will be studied more for the techniques than the story! But whatever it's used for, it will never die!

2. "Goodfellas"

Arguably Martin Scorsese's best film to date, "Goodfellas" is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, gangster film ever made. Like "The Wolf of Wall Street," which I've cited before, this movie effectively draws you into a criminal world, and all of a sudden, a lifestyle that is honestly despicable seems positively glorious, and it's easy to see why people like young Henry Hill would gravitate toward that sort of a life. But, also like "The Wolf," the movie makes it clear that this kind of lifestyle almost always ends in devastating consequence. It's interesting how this movie makes you like guys who are bad guys and even though you might have a good time watching them do terrible things, nobody will leave the movie thinking, "Oh, yeah, I wanna be a wiseguy, too!" As usual, the writing and cinematography are top notch. The performances here are legendary, especially the Oscar-winning Joe Pesci performance, which utterly overwhelmed the almost equally good ones from Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro. I may seem like a sick person based on this description, but I dare you to watch it without getting sucked in!

1. "The Shawshank Redemption"

Not only my favorite film of the 90s, but also my favorite film of all time! I know some say it gets too much attention, especially since its the number one ranked movie on IMDb and TNT airs the movie like every other day. Some might say it's just too much praise for what is basically a simple prison drama about keeping hope, but that's the point. This movie's glory is in its simplicity. Although, if you do delve into it more, one could argue that Andy Dufresne is more of a complex person than we first suspect. And the message of hope is what makes this movie a winner in my book. Even though Andy is wrongly convicted and put through some of the worst horrors imaginable, he refuses to let it break his spirit and keeps hope until the film's now famous climax. And his example even manages to inspire hope in his cynical friend, Red, the film's narrator played of course by the soothing Morgan Freeman. I guarantee if you're ever feeling knocked down, this movie will be the one to give you the courage to keep fighting! And that is why this is my favorite movie ever made.