The 1990s were an era of blockbusters, technology and bankable celebrities. However, they were also an era of a growing independent film movement that looked to gain access into Hollywood by defying its rules. Sound ironic?  That’s probably because it was, but the 90s were a decade seeped in irony and it only makes sense that the film world would reflect this cultural trend.

The 90s kicked off with continued work by the influential Move Brats, the group of influential movie directors that came to prominence in the 70s such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. These three began the decade by adapting well-known books to the big screen. Steven Spielberg cast Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts in a different take on the Peter Pan story with his 1991 film HOOK. Now a childhood favorite of many, it is important to remember that when it was released HOOK was a financial and critical failure. Spielberg quickly rebounded with another book adaptation. However, this time the director chose a more serious topic, a non-fiction book about the Holocaust. Spielberg’s SCHINDLER’S LIST was incredibly well received by audiences and critics, winning the Oscar for Best Picture and earning Spielberg his first Academy Award for Best Director.

Liam Neeson starred as Oskar Schlinder in the film that earned Steven Spielberg his first Oscar.

In that same year, Francis Ford Coppola concluded his crime trilogy with THE GODFATHER: PART III, based upon Mario Puzio’s initial novel on the Correlone family.  Coppolla refers to PART III as the saga’s epilogue and the film features a greater emphasis on historical events than the previous films of the franchise. Following that, Coppola directed a bombastic and epic adaptation of a horror classic. BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA was a visual feast and a drastically different take on the vampire lore seen in any other cinematic interpretation.

It was probably Martin Scorsese who made the biggest initial impression in this new decade with one of his most celebrated films. Based upon former mob member Henry Hill‘s non-fiction book Wiseguy, Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS took the film world by storm with its uncompromising violence and realistic portrayal of the gangster lifestyle. The film was immediately considered a classic, earning several Academy Award nominations and it was even proclaimed by some critics as being the best gangster film of all time.

This scene between Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta in GOODFELLAS is one of the most memorable from any 90s film.

The freedom and diversity of projects of the movie brats does not accurately reflect the trends that were occurring in other mainstream Hollywood films. James Cameron’s sci-fi sequel TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY set the standard for high cost, high grossing summer blockbusters that dominated the film market of the 90s.

There were several other sci-fi films with bloated budgets and stacked casts that enticed filmgoers every summer.  INDEPENDENCE DAY, GODZILLA, MEN IN BLACK, ARMAGEDDON, MARS ATTACKS are just a few of the films that reflect this trend.

Perhaps the most memorable, influential and well-received science fiction film of the 90s came near the end of the decade with THE MATRIX.  Critics hailed the film not only for its groundbreaking special effects, but also for its intelligent plot and captivating storyline; traits they felt was sorely lacking from many of the decade’s sci-fi films.

THE MATRIX featured some of the decade's most dazzyling special effects.

But while Hollywood was chugging along releasing a slew of blockbusters, there were also several new, independent filmmakers breaking their way into the mainstream. Partially due to the success of films like SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE and THE CRYING GAME, there was an increasing interest for young filmmakers hitting the festival circuit with films quite different from those gracing screens at the multiplexes.

Within the span of two years, three directors that dominated the 90s came into the national conscious. Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith became unexpected, almost overnight success stories with RESERVOIR DOGS, EL MARIACHI and CLERKS.  Proclaimed at the “VCR Generation,” these filmmakers were the first of major auteurs to grow up with movies on home video. They even gained access into the Hollywood studio world and showed what they were capable of when they had more than a shoestring budget to work with. Their low-budget approach to filmmaking was a refreshing change of pace from the Hollywood releases and these directors enjoyed continued success throughout the decade. Tarantino even earned an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with his sophomore effort PULP FICTION, arguably the most influential film of the decade.

Samuel L. Jackson's character in PULP FICTION became one of the most quoted.

While many cinephiles may argue that the 90s were one of the worst decades for movies, there was plenty to love and admire about the films of this era. Those coming of age in the 90s had the opportunity to see some of the best work from classic directors, as well as the rise of new important figures in the film world. If nothing else, the world took greater notice of the incredible work created outside of the mainstream.