Rounding up the Turn of the Millennium: Flicks of '99

With 2020 right around the corner, I've been reminiscing on the turn of the millennium two decades ago; 1999 was an interesting year, be it people panicking that Y2K would cause ATMs to die of heart attacks and jumbo jets to suffer existential failure, or hoping that with the lessons of the 20th century learned, the 21st century would also get better (I know, right). I've looked at some of the big event films of the year over the last 12 months like the Matrix, Phantom Menace, and Blair Witch Project, but here I'll take some cursory glances at ones I didn't manage to cover fully, in whatever categories I so fancy splitting them into. I'll touch on what they were at the time, and what they might mean now. There's others I know I haven't mentioned, but I might get to them later, so here's the ones that come to mind. So, without further ado:

The Interesting

Fight Club: In many ways, this one wears the time of its making on its sleeve, be it the funky CG intro that marked every other big film of the time, or Brad Pitt's fashion. In other ways, it's a little bit uncomfortably prescient, what with the bizarre extremist movement within going on about snowflakes and emasculation. Some say the film itself may have been an influence of what was to come, and it's fair to say that art sometimes informs the imagery of politics--but on the other hand, it's still from that time when the 21st century looked to be the true end of history. It is also undeniable that it influence people too block-headed not to see Pitt's Tyler Durden as the bad guy and attempt their own fight clubs (usually ending with someone being rendered instantly unconscious by a 10-foot convict psycho). Either way--Fight Club is still worth a watch to this day, speaking of the nineties in some ways, but relevant to our own day in others...

Eyes Wide Shut: Stanley Kubrick's last film, and while not considered his finest, it definitely still carries his auteur feel. While some of the marriage shenanigans between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman might prove tiresome at first, the real great bits come in the middle, as the latter infiltrates a secret masked sex society of the rich and powerful. These drip with atmosphere and tension, and an awesome pseudo-gothic feel. And to think, some at the time found that whole idea to be just a bit unrealistic...

ExistenZ: David Croenenberg is well known among horror fans for his eighties body horror work, particularly the fly, but this one is...well, think of the Matrix with far more ambiguity, and far more squishy fleshy thingies plugged into your skull. Imagine the Oculus Rift combined with the man that gave us The Fly with Goldblum, and you've got an uneven but most certainly interesting scifi piece...

The Thrilling 

Three Kings: At the time, this was a somewhat dark drama-comedy set in the sands of the Gulf War, about a titular trio of soldiers wandering off to plunder Saddam's gold. A few years later, once brand new conflicts in the Middle East started, this setup would've been unthinkable--making David Russel's production here feel all the more special. Between Clooney, Ice Cube, and Wahlberg, you can't go wrong here. 

Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai: Somewhat left by the wayside, but it's got Forest Whitaker as a modern-day samurai quoting ancient Japanese philosophy, as he first works for and then turns on the mafia--here, amusingly portrayed as a bunch of has-been schmucks. The titular character may be a man out of time, but you sympathize with his determination and his earnestness--and with all the other memorable side characters on the way. This is a cult flick that I do suggest you check out. 

The Funny

Galaxy Quest: Considered by some to be an honorary Trek film--and why not? It as much celebrates Star Trek as parodies it, and the fandom, and the actors involved. Even if you're not into that franchise, there's still plenty of laugh at between Alan Rickman being so gloriously grumpy and Tim Allen so full of himself. It's one that ultimately gives you an uplifting feeling despite it all--one to check out if you haven't already. 

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut: It's South Park. Do I need to say more? Between a war on Canada and songs that make for the absolute best crowd participation in the right screenings, this comes from when the series was still bursting out into the zeitgeist. Funny to think this was at a point considered the finale to a show that was only two years old then--South Park has kept on going in the two decades since, but this is still considered one of its high points. Blame Canada, or do what Brian Boitano would do, but either way, this is definitely one I love.

Office Space: Between Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill, Mike Judge certainly left a solid mark on the nineties--and one he left off has to this day impacted the internet with memes and random visuals. And, in its tale ripping into the drudgery of the IT-overlaid offices, much of it still rings true today. In twenty years...printers still tend to be aggravating abominations deserving of destruction, let's be frank...

The Animated

The Iron Giant: Criminally underlooked on released, Brad Bird's story of a boy and the robot behemoth from another planet he befriends is a simple one, but earnestly told in the backdrop of the fifties cold war. With some surprising violence at the end involving a battle between alien machine and the US military straight out of George Pal's War of the Worlds, there's plenty to entertain kids and grown-ups--who both might find something in their eye at the ending...

Toy Story 2: Back when Pixar could do no wrong, they defied the usual standards of Disney sequel cash-ins to give a followup to their revolutionary CG outing that topped it in animation quality, emotional punch, and writing. The first film told a straightforward but effectively told story in a brand new medium--but this one wisely used the exponentially improving technology to convey a story that draws you in all the more. Twenty years on, it's still one of their best.

My Neighbors the Yamadas: I'll talk Studio Ghibli in full at a later date, but this is one of their less known productions, that I actually found just a little endearing. It's an adaptation of a Japanese newspaper comic that's just a humble slice of life look at an average family at the time, going through the tribulations of holidays, losing someone at the mall, and, er, encountering a biker gang. The animation replicates the simple pencil look of the comic for a cute little unique aesthetic, making it stand out among anime repertoire. If you've worked through the big leagues of the Miyazaki output, give this one a glance.  

The Dumb

Deep Blue Sea: Now don't get me wrong--this one is dumb in all the best ways. Hyperintelligent super-sharks being created...to help cure Alzheimers? Sure, why not! LL Cool J wise-assing his way while waist-deep in water? Sure! Sam Jackson being killed off in the most hilariously unceremoniously way? Awesome! Before shark movies were monopolized by the crud churners at SyFy (who went on to make a remake lately nobody cared about), this one proved that you don't have to throw tornadoes and unending self-aware stupidity at the screen to have fun. 

Wild Wild West: The one Will Smith passed up the Matrix for, and the one made, as Kevin Smith so finely retold, by a Hollywood producer with a giant spider fetish. It is indeed dumb, it's filled with awful puns, but it still gets just a little enjoyment value of Will Smith carrying his Fresh Prince act all the way into the old west--and Kenneth Branagh hamming it all the way while piloting steampunk doomsday weapons. And despite everything? That giant mechanical spider, though some weirdo might have got off on it, still looks damn cool. And the tie-in song that played absolutely everywhere at the time? Still, I guiltily confess, damn catchy. 

End of Days: Schwarzenegger vs Satan, in the last days of the old millennium. Sounds cool, right? Well, if I'm being honest, a lot of it feels strangely limited and dumb for such a concept, which is played far too straight. Arnie tried to do a straighter role and in fairness he did a decent stab at it for his standards, but the rest of it is held together by an all too shaky plot and some really weird interpretations of religion that make History Channel productions appear credible (well, not really, but you get the idea). And even the action is definitely no Commando. 

**

So, that's it for 2019 from me--with a new decade upon us, there'll be plenty more films, plenty more nattering. Maybe we'll look back on the year wishing we got the future of Akira or Blade Runner, but with the 21st century now really kicking into gear, it's time to look forward--though I'll probably take one last look at 2019 beforehand. All the best, and I'll see you in 2020...