MovieChat Forums > Classic TV: The 90s > Which 1990s films/shows/etc best capture...

Which 1990s films/shows/etc best capture the 1990s?


I'm putting this into two categories:
1. Things which capture the lifestyle of the period
2. Things which capture the culture of the period (and thus things like "Rocko's Modern Life", the "Gex" video game, and such come into this. They are fantasy, but they capture some of the culture of the era).

Along with films and TV, this can also include music, video games, books, magazines, anything really.


Poof! There Goes Perspiration!

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Clueless - 90's fashion and slang ("as if", "whatever", "phat").

Empire Records - Set in a record store.

Clerks - Captures the 90's slacker vibe. One of the characters works at a video rental store.

Mallrats - Same slacker attitude as Clerks. Magic Eye and Sega Saturn cameo.

Can't Hardly Wait - Great late 90's soundtrack... Blink 182, Sneaker Pimps, Smash Mouth, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, and 311.

Reality Bites - Highlights the post-college struggles of Generation X.

Billy Madison - Snack Pack and Mortal Kombat/Sega Genesis references. Definitely captures the look and feel of elementary school in the 90's.

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Live action kids/family movies:

First Kid
Richie Rich
Camp Nowhere
Bye Bye Love
Harriet the Spy
Space Jam
Small Soldiers
Jumanji


TV:

Boy Meets World(season 1)
Clarissa Explains It All
The Secret World of Alex Mack
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Celebrity Death Match
Yo! MTV Raps


Music:

Los del Rio - Macarena
Will Smith - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
Seal - Kiss from a Rose
Tupac ft Dr. Dre - California Love
Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
Snoop Dogg - Gin & Juice
Skee-Lo - I Wish
Kris Kross - Jump
Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Haddaway - What is Love
Amber - This is your Night
2 Unlimited - Get Ready for This
Chumbawamba – Tubthumping


Others:

You've Got Mail
Kids for Character(I'm surprised this little movie doesn't hit home much)

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I've never been to summer camp, but Camp Nowhere (1994) and Heavy Weights (1995) always take me back to being a kid in the 90's. Those movies capture the essence of childhood. Salute Your Shorts (1991) is a classic Nick show, but like a lot of early 90's shows, it seemed to have more of an 80's feel. There was a reality show about summer camp called Bug Juice (1998). It aired on the Disney Channel in 1998. I remember seeing re-runs as late as 2004.

As for videogames, I always think of those loony, strange, and all-together offbeat video games like Toejam & Earl, Boogerman, Earthworm Jim, and Parappa the Rapper.

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Good question OP....

I will say

Beverly Hills 90210 in the high school years. When I look back at the high school years I automatically think of the early 90s. Just the way the females was dressing like the flower print dresses, shirts the females wore, shorts over leggings, Levi jeans with a button up flannel or plain color shirt. The men had the mullets, or sideburns was big in the 90s. Can't forget the music that was featured on BH90210 all the dance music of the 90s, the R&B/pop music and some of the hip hop songs that was popular at the time.


Moesha is another good one especially the 90s language, the fashion like braids around the mid 90s was real popular for black girls, the purse backpacks I had me one of those like what Brandy would wear on the show, and baggy pants that men wore then instead of skinny jeans, and even females would wear baggy jeans.

Clueless is a good one that movie explains the 90s to a T.

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TV:

All That (the musical guests, Whatever Girls skit, and clothes)
Martin


Music:
Ace of Base
Whoop...there it is by Tag Team
Spice Girls

Fashion:
Lip Smackers
Lisa Frank
Fanny packs
Curve perfume
WWWJD bracelets


Toys:
Kitty kitty kittens
Gigs Pets, tamagotchis, nano pets
Pretty pretty princess
Polly pockets
Sky dancers
Dear diary organizers
Tiger electronics handheld games
Beanie babies
Furby



Don't play games with a girl who can play better.

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1. Jurassic Park owned 90s film making. Was the Lord of the Rings back then.
2. Metal Gear Solid for Play Station is still the greatest game ever written.
3. The Simpsons Cartoon show over Butt Head and Beeves because it's still going.
4. The X-Files

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I don't know. Television was still stuck in a Leave It to Beaver-type phase. Things seemed a little too perfect and the problems were always resolved. I think My So-Called Life was the only show to accurately depict 90's teenage life. It was just brutally honest and full of angst. It's a shame it didn't last longer.

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Good thread. For movies, I'm thinking Space Jam, Jumanji, Home Alone 1 & 2, the Mask, Toy Story, and Flintstones.

TV: Definitely Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince, Saved By the Bell, Sister Sister, Dinosaurs, and pretty much any cartoon.

I'll add one comic book too, even though there are several that could be mentioned: Superboy and the Ravers. Remember leather jacket Superboy? This series had him joining an "intergalactic rave" which was an actual teen party full of super-powered teenagers of alien races. Yes, it was as nineties as it sounds.  Magical times, weren't they?

----------------
"Trust me, Clark. Our friendship is going to be the stuff of legends." Lex Luthor

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TV

Beverly Hills 90210--the cast from high school years were getting mobbed @ malls.
Blossom--those hats were everywhere
Simpsons--when they were still edgy

Movie
Home Alone--one was coming out constantly

Music
Nirvana--they came out with Nevermind, and EVERYTHING changed in music scene

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