Now I understand why Roger Ebert hates video games so much–if my only exposure to video games was these movies I’d be dissing them too.

In any case, let’s revisit some of the movies of 1999, shall we?

Fight Club

I actually ended seeing Fight Club by myself in a second-run theater soon after I moved out to California. I had heard a lot about it and I wanted to see it on the big screen before it was gone. At the time I didn’t quite know what to make of it–my first reaction was that it was so damn funny in a pitch black kind of way. I didn’t get around to even recommending it though until some time afterwards. Now I think of it as a modern classic, and I’m so glad it got made when it did. Definitely a product of its time too–the heyday of the go-go 90s. Not too sure about that ending, but it’s a damn sight better than the ending from the book(this is one of the few movies I’d say that was better than the book).

Being John Malkovich

And they say there are no more original script ideas! Funny and unpredictable.

Three Kings

This could have been really pedestrian(I went into it thinking it would be “Kelly’s Heroes” revisited), but there’s a lot going on here. Entertaining and thoughtful.

Magnolia

Some kind of crazy masterpiece. The stories being told are somewhat melodramatic, but everyone’s swinging for the fences. No bad scenes and tons of good scenes.

The Matrix

Certainly a modern classic; it started out as kind of a sleeper but turned into the kind of event film that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace wanted to be. I avoided it at first thinking it was some Johnny Mnemonic crap, but as word got out I caught it eventually.

American Beauty

Indie film made good.

Blair Witch Project

Speaking of indie film, this one really put low budget filmmaking and viral marketing back on the map.

Election

Smart and funny(I guess I like funny movies, eh?); may be Alexander Payne’s best.

Eyes Wide Shut

Kubrick’s last movie, criminally underrated.

Office Space

Not a perfect film by any means, but certainly a modern classic–required viewing for every modern office worker!

Sixth Sense

The movie that made M. Night Shyamalan. Some would say it’s also his last good movie(I wouldn’t go quite that far).

I have to mention Pleasantville even though that technically came out in late 98 because it’s so damn awesome. So there.

Apparently I’m not the only one who’s tuned out–the ratings have tanked.  As a result, starting on Labor Day they’re reverting the format and bringing in two of the best guest critics they ever had:  A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips:

In celebration of what I hope is the return of Siskel & Ebert’s classic brand of television film criticism, please to enjoy some of their most entertaining reviews(to me anyway), in semi-random order:

TWO THUMBS DOWN

• Little Indian Big City


• Jaws the Revenge


• Frozen Assets


• Clifford


• She’s Out Of Control


• North


• Date With An Angel


• Highlander II


• Speed Zone


• Tai-Pan


• Leonard Part 6


• Masterminds


• The Squeeze


• Black Sheep


• Return of Blue Lagoon

TWO THUMBS UP

• Kingpin


• House of Games


• Fargo


• Platoon


• Crumb


• Hoop Dreams


• Schindler’s List


• Pulp Fiction


• Grand Canyon

SPLIT DECISION

• Bogus


• Fatal Beauty


• Blue Velvet


• Benji the Hunted


• Baby’s Day Out


• Full Metal Jacket


• Blue Iguana


• Silence of the Lambs


• Cop & A Half


• Home Alone 3


• V.I. Warshowski


• Casino


• Cobb


• Lambada


• Shocker