3 Classic Movies from the 1990s

A while ago I posted something about 3 Classic Movies from the 1980s and it went down quite well with the readers on the Junk Mail blog. Today I’m tackling 3 Classic Movies from the 1990s.

It’s hard to believe that the decade that was the 1990s started over 20 years ago. I don’t want to freak anyone out or anything, but did you know that the 1993 film Jurassic Park is already 19 years old this year? In fact, the film is older than pop sensation Justin Bieber. It seems that time flies faster than we think.

If you are looking to buy or rent a DVD or Bluray this weekend you can could buy or rent one of the 3 Classic Movies from the 1990s on this list. Chances are you won’t be disappointed.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994):  This film which is based on a Stephen King story and which featured appearances by Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, Mark Rolston, James Whitmore and others is one the true classic movies of the 1990s.

In The Shawshank Redemption two imprisoned men bond over a number of years and find solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

In case you did not know, the exteriors were filmed at the defunct Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio in the United States. The prison was in such poor condition the makers of The Shawshank Redemption had to renovate it somewhat prior to filming.

Although the film was a very modest hit in movie theaters (only grossing $58 million) it was one of the highest grossing video rentals of all time. The film was written and directed by Frank Darabont (who also brought us The Green Mile in 1999).

If you haven’t seen this film, make a plan. You will not be disappointed. The Shawshank Redemption is definitely on my list of top 10 movies of all time.

Braveheart (1995): This film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards (Oscars) and won 5 (including Best Picture). Braveheart tells the story of William Wallace, a Scottish commoner (played by Mel Gibson) who united the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow the English rule of Edward I. Mel Gibson also directed the film. Randall Wallace wrote the screenplay for it.

The film also featured appearances by Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen, Brendan Gleeson and Catherine McCormack. There are a lot of battle scenes in this film and several of them had to be re-shot. The film’s extras were seen wearing sunglasses and wristwatches during them. If I recall correctly South African rugby player Kobus Wiese was one of the extras in Braveheart.

Contrary to what some of you who have seen this film might have though, no horses were harmed during the filming of Braveheart. The makers actually designed mechanical horses for battle sequences. They were fueled by nitrogen cylinders (which propelled them on 20 foot tracks at about 48 km/h).

Braveheart was made on a budget of $53 million and grossed over $211 million at the box office. If you haven’t seen this film yet, it’s definitely worth checking out. Just note that some of the battle scenes are quite violent and might disturb sensitive viewers.

Hercules (1997): This Disney animated feature is still one of my favorite animated films of all time. Hercules is loosely based on Greek mythology and tells the story of the son of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera who is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.

The film was written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and featured the voice talents of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Rip Torn and others. Hercules was made on a budget of $85 million and grossed over $252 million at the box office.

In case you did not know, the animators spent between 6 and 14 hours to render a frame of the Hydra in film, Ricky Martin voiced Hercules in the Spanish version of the film and Jack Nicholson, Willem Dafoe, David Bowie and John Lithgow were all considered at one stage for the voice of Hades (who was eventually voiced by James Woods).

Hercules was a fun film to watch and I’d recommend it to anyone who is a fan of animated films. I give this film a “Classic” label because it was made before the age of CGI.

There you have it, a list of 3 Classic Movies from the 1990s. If you agree or disagree with me, please comment on this post and let the readers of the Junk Mail Blog know, I’d love to hear from you. If you’ve enjoyed this post, please feel free share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is Caring.

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