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Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen
From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999—arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.
In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don’t Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits—and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste), they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple’s Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix’s unlimited DVD rentals.
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 100 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Rachael Leigh Cook, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It’s the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming…and that we may never see again.
RUNNING TIME ➽ 10hrs. and 55mins.
©2019 Brian Raftery (P)2019 Simon & Schuster
In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don’t Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits—and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste), they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple’s Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix’s unlimited DVD rentals.
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 100 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Rachael Leigh Cook, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It’s the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming…and that we may never see again.
RUNNING TIME ➽ 10hrs. and 55mins.
©2019 Brian Raftery (P)2019 Simon & Schuster
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April 28, 2019
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. : How 1999 Blew up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery is a 2019 Simon & Schuster publication.
I love pop culture books, but they aren’t all created equal. At my age, what stirs up feelings of nostalgia are movies, television, and music which were popular a lot longer ago than twenty years.
Still, it is hard to believe the movies discussed in the book are already approaching the ‘classics’ stage.
While it is certainly debatable, and even dubious, especially for someone of my generation, to suggest 1999 was the best movie year EVER, there were some pretty good movies released in that year.
The author may be looking at all the movies released in the past eighteen or nineteen years and found them wanting, a lackluster reflection on the movie industry as whole, in my opinion, making a few of the movies listed here stand out more than they may have otherwise.
The nostalgic part, for me, about this book isn’t what these movies meant to me, but what they meant to my kids at the time. The Sixth Sense was a favorite for my daughter, while The Matrix was a favorite for my son. None of us liked ‘The Blair Witch’.
The surprise hits, the trends, the comedies, the social and political movies, all reflect the mindset of a generation. Yet, nearly anyone, who is so inclined, these days could compile a list of movies from any given year, add some Wikipedia knowledge to complement the list, such as who starred in the film, who directed it and produced it, and why it was included in the book, then organize it in some clever way, and then package it for a quick cash grab.
However, this book takes things a step beyond listing standout movies from 1999. It truly captures the mood of the country, explaining why a movie made an impact, even it wasn’t expected to, and reminds readers of popular television programs, political issues and world events that shaped the country and the attitudes of the American public.
To connect that mood and atmosphere via the art of the cinema is what really makes the book interesting and thought provoking. It also made me smile because to this day, an occasional quote from one of these movies comes to my mind, and I realize that while these movies may not have had an impact on me in the same way they did those younger than myself, I was affected by them more than I realized, and yes, I would, after some reflection, I have to agree that 1999 was a stellar year in films- still not saying it was the best year EVER- but it certainly is a contender!
I love pop culture books, but they aren’t all created equal. At my age, what stirs up feelings of nostalgia are movies, television, and music which were popular a lot longer ago than twenty years.
Still, it is hard to believe the movies discussed in the book are already approaching the ‘classics’ stage.
While it is certainly debatable, and even dubious, especially for someone of my generation, to suggest 1999 was the best movie year EVER, there were some pretty good movies released in that year.
The author may be looking at all the movies released in the past eighteen or nineteen years and found them wanting, a lackluster reflection on the movie industry as whole, in my opinion, making a few of the movies listed here stand out more than they may have otherwise.
The nostalgic part, for me, about this book isn’t what these movies meant to me, but what they meant to my kids at the time. The Sixth Sense was a favorite for my daughter, while The Matrix was a favorite for my son. None of us liked ‘The Blair Witch’.
The surprise hits, the trends, the comedies, the social and political movies, all reflect the mindset of a generation. Yet, nearly anyone, who is so inclined, these days could compile a list of movies from any given year, add some Wikipedia knowledge to complement the list, such as who starred in the film, who directed it and produced it, and why it was included in the book, then organize it in some clever way, and then package it for a quick cash grab.
However, this book takes things a step beyond listing standout movies from 1999. It truly captures the mood of the country, explaining why a movie made an impact, even it wasn’t expected to, and reminds readers of popular television programs, political issues and world events that shaped the country and the attitudes of the American public.
To connect that mood and atmosphere via the art of the cinema is what really makes the book interesting and thought provoking. It also made me smile because to this day, an occasional quote from one of these movies comes to my mind, and I realize that while these movies may not have had an impact on me in the same way they did those younger than myself, I was affected by them more than I realized, and yes, I would, after some reflection, I have to agree that 1999 was a stellar year in films- still not saying it was the best year EVER- but it certainly is a contender!
August 4, 2019
I would have picked the title “The Last Mediocre Year,” which is why I don’t get more book deals. Nevertheless, that’s what this book is about: after 1999, movies would stop aspiring to be even mediocre, and devolve into CGI cartoons for the foreign market.
I’m not persuaded that 1999 is better than 1998 (Big Lebowski, Last Days of Disco, Happiness, Buffalo 66, etc.) or 1997 (Jackie Brown, Chasing Amy, Lost Highway, Boogie Nights, etc.), or any other year from the ’90s, but this book isn’t either, and the title is a marketing trick. There’s a chapter on the Phantom Menace and a chapter on bad teen movies and for some reason a straight-faced chapter on American Beauty. But everything is just dumb making-of trivia, with self-aggrandizing quotes from celebrities taken on face value. “I wanted to do a film about the energy of my generation, an energy which all too often is kept bottled up inside.” Barf.
I guess if you’ve always wanted your collection of Entertainment Weekly issues from 1999 bound in hardcover, this book is for you.
I’m not persuaded that 1999 is better than 1998 (Big Lebowski, Last Days of Disco, Happiness, Buffalo 66, etc.) or 1997 (Jackie Brown, Chasing Amy, Lost Highway, Boogie Nights, etc.), or any other year from the ’90s, but this book isn’t either, and the title is a marketing trick. There’s a chapter on the Phantom Menace and a chapter on bad teen movies and for some reason a straight-faced chapter on American Beauty. But everything is just dumb making-of trivia, with self-aggrandizing quotes from celebrities taken on face value. “I wanted to do a film about the energy of my generation, an energy which all too often is kept bottled up inside.” Barf.
I guess if you’ve always wanted your collection of Entertainment Weekly issues from 1999 bound in hardcover, this book is for you.
January 14, 2022
I’ve decided 2022 is the year I lean into my “fetishistic fondness” (as writer Kurt Andersen describes it) for the ‘90s. Given the uncertain era we’re living through, it feels like a warm hug to “transport” back in time to a decade when our country was prospering on so many levels, particularly the pop culture front.
For proof, a person need look no further than entertainment writer Brian Raftery’s “Best.Movie.Year.Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen.”
This book was SUCH a delight for a pop culture nerd like me. What I especially loved is how Brian contextualizes the moment a true bumper crop of amazing films—from “Being John Malkvoch” to “Election” to “The Sixth Sense”—hit the big screen. Was it the hyperbolic BEST year for films? Maybe not, but it sure comes close and Raftery makes a convincing argument as to why.
Personally, I was a junior/senior in high school in 1999 and I LIVED at the cinema. Every weekend, the theater was a destination for me and my boyfriend (usually) or my cluster of best friends.
To tell you how amazing 1999 was in film, Raftery doesn’t even include the year’s mega-hit sequels to franchises like Toy Story and Austin Powers. Nor does he pay attention to the great grown-up rom-coms of 1999, from “Never Been Kissed” to (my personal fave) “Notting Hill.” While that’s a miss on his end, this book can only be so long, and I appreciate that he chose instead to veer into the rise of teen rom-coms that took off that year with the likes of “She’s All That” and “Ten Things I Hate About You.”
Setting aside this minor quibble, overall I agreed with the smorgasbord of films Raftery included in “Best,” with my favorite chapters focusing on “Office Space,” “The Matrix,” “Blair Witch,” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” I also enjoyed the deep dive he did on a few others, including “Fight Club” and “Magnolia,” as his commentary contextualized those films in a way my young 17-year-old brain was too immature to understand at the time.
Lastly, I appreciate that Raftery ends his book with an epilogue that points to why we (sadly) are past an era when another cinematic 1999 feels possible. (See: ‘we don’t go to movies to be challenged anymore,’ the Marvel-ification of Hollywood, and the rise of the ‘golden era’ of TV).
Overall, this was a great recap of why 1999 was, as Raftery describes, “a near miraculous year of movies, full of original stories from exciting new voices.”
Thanks, Brian, for taking me back for a few hours to relive it.
For proof, a person need look no further than entertainment writer Brian Raftery’s “Best.Movie.Year.Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen.”
This book was SUCH a delight for a pop culture nerd like me. What I especially loved is how Brian contextualizes the moment a true bumper crop of amazing films—from “Being John Malkvoch” to “Election” to “The Sixth Sense”—hit the big screen. Was it the hyperbolic BEST year for films? Maybe not, but it sure comes close and Raftery makes a convincing argument as to why.
Personally, I was a junior/senior in high school in 1999 and I LIVED at the cinema. Every weekend, the theater was a destination for me and my boyfriend (usually) or my cluster of best friends.
To tell you how amazing 1999 was in film, Raftery doesn’t even include the year’s mega-hit sequels to franchises like Toy Story and Austin Powers. Nor does he pay attention to the great grown-up rom-coms of 1999, from “Never Been Kissed” to (my personal fave) “Notting Hill.” While that’s a miss on his end, this book can only be so long, and I appreciate that he chose instead to veer into the rise of teen rom-coms that took off that year with the likes of “She’s All That” and “Ten Things I Hate About You.”
Setting aside this minor quibble, overall I agreed with the smorgasbord of films Raftery included in “Best,” with my favorite chapters focusing on “Office Space,” “The Matrix,” “Blair Witch,” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” I also enjoyed the deep dive he did on a few others, including “Fight Club” and “Magnolia,” as his commentary contextualized those films in a way my young 17-year-old brain was too immature to understand at the time.
Lastly, I appreciate that Raftery ends his book with an epilogue that points to why we (sadly) are past an era when another cinematic 1999 feels possible. (See: ‘we don’t go to movies to be challenged anymore,’ the Marvel-ification of Hollywood, and the rise of the ‘golden era’ of TV).
Overall, this was a great recap of why 1999 was, as Raftery describes, “a near miraculous year of movies, full of original stories from exciting new voices.”
Thanks, Brian, for taking me back for a few hours to relive it.
August 20, 2020
This book suffers from false advertising and a poorly chosen marketing angle. If you're in the market for a summary of 'some' of the years best remembered movies with added 'how we made it' flavour from the people involved this is a fine read. Raftery has a talent for phrasing and writes well.
However, this book is not a critical analysis of why one could claim that 1999 might be the best movie year ever. There is no structured argument. Raftery never states a thesis or explains how he's going to go about proving this claim. In fact, early on he comments that any year could be dubbed 'best movie year ever'. Right.
No thorough overview of 1999 movies is included, nor does the author clarify why he's chosen to focus on the films included in the book and leave others out.
There is no sense of the personal, of why Raftery has come to the conclusion that this more than any other year is The Best.
So, not a bad read, but definitely not a resounding and well-researched and argued case as to why 1999 is such a special movie year. Perhaps I should have a go myself...Raftery has certainly made me think about how I would approach such a task. 2.5 stars if Goodreads would've let me.
However, this book is not a critical analysis of why one could claim that 1999 might be the best movie year ever. There is no structured argument. Raftery never states a thesis or explains how he's going to go about proving this claim. In fact, early on he comments that any year could be dubbed 'best movie year ever'. Right.
No thorough overview of 1999 movies is included, nor does the author clarify why he's chosen to focus on the films included in the book and leave others out.
There is no sense of the personal, of why Raftery has come to the conclusion that this more than any other year is The Best.
So, not a bad read, but definitely not a resounding and well-researched and argued case as to why 1999 is such a special movie year. Perhaps I should have a go myself...Raftery has certainly made me think about how I would approach such a task. 2.5 stars if Goodreads would've let me.
June 21, 2019
This book was a very entertaining and nostalgic trip down memory lane. Raftery certainly provides a robust number of exceptional films that made 1999 a great year for movies, examining their importance through the cultural context of the time as well as their lingering influence on films to come in later years. Among others, this year brought along such classics as "Office Space," "The Sixth Sense," "Fight Club," The Matrix," and many more. It was a year in which some of today's most celebrated directors - such as David Fincher, Alexander Payne, Wes Anderson, and David O. Russell to name a few - started to gain traction (even if their work wasn't fully appreciated at the time).
As a whole, the book is very well-researched with some great quotes from various people involved in the making of the films cited. Raftery is clearly very invested in this subject, and his passion for cinema undeniable, which makes this a pretty fun read overall. Though I admit that I'm not a huge fan of all the movies referenced in here - I'm looking at you "Cruel Intentions" - I would say that even the chapters on subjects I was not initially as enthused about turned out to be at least fairly amusing and informative in all sorts of ways.
Most of my gripes with this book are not really gripes at all but just a desire for more. For instance, now I want a whole book on Mike Judge, or maybe a work on classics a la "Fight Club" that initially failed due to misleading marketing. Certainly, a logical next step for Raftery might be to write a book about the worst movie year ever. I'd definitely be interested to read what he might come up with for that.
Something else I wanted when I came to this book's conclusion was some more in-depth conversation on other years in film. While Raftery makes a strong case for 1999 being a very good year for film, he does not really bring up many other strong years as points for comparison - this might be one way he could have made an even stronger case for 1999. He leaves the ultimate decision up to those readers who are willing to investigate the matter further. When I finished this book, I felt that I was up to the task of poring through Wikipedia lists of films by year to see if 1999 was, in fact, the best year in film. My conclusion was that it very well might have been, but, for argument's sake, I just thought I'd offer up a few years to serve as possible counterpoints.
1984:
High Performers - Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Beverly Hills Cop (Eddie Murphy really takes off), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins (also a cult classic), Police Academy, Footloose (Kevin Bacon's breakout film), Romancing the Stone, and Splash (breakout role for Tom Hanks).
Other Noteworthy Films: Amadeus (won Academy Award), The Terminator (James Cameron's first big directorial feature), Repo Man (cult classic), Paris, Texas (one of my personal favorites), This is Spinal Tap (cult classic), Sixteen Candles (coming-of-age classic and first directorial effort by John Hughes), The Natural (classic sports film), Once Upon a Time in America (epic crime drama and Sergio Leone's last film), Top Secret! (cult classic), Bachelor Party (also one of the films that helped introduce Tom Hanks to the world), The NeverEnding Story, Revenge of the Nerds (cult classic), Purple Rain AND Stop Making Sense (two of the greatest music films of all time), A Nightmare on Elm Street (horror/cult classic; Johnny Depp's film debut), and Dune (cult classic), Blood Simple (directorial debut for Coen Brothers; feature film debut of Frances McDormand).
1994:
High Performers: The Lion King (is there a more famous Disney movie?), Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Mask (Jim Carrey breakout role), Speed (Sandra Bullock breakthrough role), Dumb and Dumber (another huge movie that helped introduce Jim Carrey), Four Weddings and a Funeral, Interview with the Vampire (Kirsten Dunst breakthrough role), Clear and Present Danger, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Jim Carrey AGAIN!?!).
Other Noteworthy Films: Pulp Fiction (widely hailed as one of the greatest film's of all time; helped further establish Quentin Tarantino's reputation as a great writer-director), The Shawshank Redemption (possibly the best Stephen King film adaptation?), Quiz Show, Ed Wood (cult classic), Reality Bites (cult classic), D2: The Mighty Ducks (maybe not as important as some of these other films though it holds a special place in my heart; if nothing else, it seemed to proliferate a short-lived street hockey craze), Maverick, Angels in the Outfield (another sentimental favorite perhaps), Natural Born Killers (cult classic; subject of some controversy), The Next Karate Kid (breakthrough role for multiple Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank), Leon: The Professional (cult classic; motion picture debut of Natalie Portman), The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, Hoop Dreams (one of the greatest documentaries of all time), Crumb (another great documentary).
2004:
High Performers: Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (best Harry Potter in my opinion), Spider-Man 2 (best Marvel superhero film in my opinion), The Incredibles (best Pixar film in my opinion; also one of the best superhero films in general), The Passion of the Christ (while I've never actually seen it, I recall this one making quite a splash at the time), The Day After Tomorrow (the film that finally brought us to our senses regarding global warming - Not!), Meet the Fockers, Troy.
Other Noteworthy Films: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of my personal favorites), The Aviator, Ray, Sideways (maybe even a better Alexander Payne film than Election?), Million Dollar Baby, Hotel Rwanda, Collateral (a good year for Jamie Foxx), Closer, The Motorcycle Diaries, Maria Full of Grace, Super Size Me (big documentary), Miracle (classic sports flick), Hellboy (another pretty good pre-MCU comic book film), Kill Bill: Volume 2, Mean Girls (cult classic; endlessly quotable film; peak-Lohan; Amanda Seyfried's film debut; breakout role for Lizzy Caplan; one of Rachel McAdams' two breakout roles of the year; continued momentum for SNL greats Tina Fey and Amy Poehler), Napoleon Dynamite (another cult classic and endlessly quotable movie), Dodgeball, The Notebook (another breakout role for Rachel McAdams as well as Ryan Gosling), Anchorman (another endlessly quotable comedy classic), Garden State (surprisingly successful directorial debut by Zach Braff; awesome soundtrack that introduced a lot of people to The Shins; Natalie Portman plays a character who ends up becoming a classic example of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope), Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (a successful comedy that boosted the profiles of its two leads, John Cho and Kal Penn; helped revitalize the career of Neil Patrick Harris), Layer Cake (a film that starred Daniel Craig that is often cited as the motivating factor that led to him being cast as James Bond), I Heart Huckabees (great, underrated David O. Russell film), Friday Night Lights, Team America: World Police, Saw (James Wan directorial debut that started a new, wildly successful horror franchise), Kung Fu Hustle, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
2007:
High Performers: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Ratatouille, I Am Legend, The Simpsons Movie.
Other Noteworthy Films: No Country for Old Men (winner of the Best Picture award in a very stacked year), There Will Be Blood (While I love No Country, I personally think this is the better film; it might be my favorite film of the 21st century actually), Atonement (also nominated for Best Picture; breakout role for Saoirse Ronan), Juno (also nominated for Best Picture; breakout role for Ellen Page), Michael Clayton (also nominated for Best Picture), Away from Her, The Savages, Sweeney Todd, Eastern Promises, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Into the Wild, I'm Not There, American Gangster, Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck directorial debut), Lars and the Real Girl, Once, The Lives of Others, Zodiac, 300, The Lookout (underrated film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels), Grindhouse (interesting double feature movie event even if it ultimately was not the best work of either Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino), Hot Fuzz, Waitress, Knocked Up (breakthrough role for Seth Rogen), Live Free or Die Hard, Hairspray, Hot Rod (cult classic), Superbad (comedy classic; Jonah Hill breakthrough role; Emma Stone breakthrough role), 3:10 to Yuma (pretty great adaptation of Elmore Leonard Western story), Across the Universe, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (final Sidney Lumet feature film), Enchanted (Amy Adams' first major success as lead actress), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
As a whole, the book is very well-researched with some great quotes from various people involved in the making of the films cited. Raftery is clearly very invested in this subject, and his passion for cinema undeniable, which makes this a pretty fun read overall. Though I admit that I'm not a huge fan of all the movies referenced in here - I'm looking at you "Cruel Intentions" - I would say that even the chapters on subjects I was not initially as enthused about turned out to be at least fairly amusing and informative in all sorts of ways.
Most of my gripes with this book are not really gripes at all but just a desire for more. For instance, now I want a whole book on Mike Judge, or maybe a work on classics a la "Fight Club" that initially failed due to misleading marketing. Certainly, a logical next step for Raftery might be to write a book about the worst movie year ever. I'd definitely be interested to read what he might come up with for that.
Something else I wanted when I came to this book's conclusion was some more in-depth conversation on other years in film. While Raftery makes a strong case for 1999 being a very good year for film, he does not really bring up many other strong years as points for comparison - this might be one way he could have made an even stronger case for 1999. He leaves the ultimate decision up to those readers who are willing to investigate the matter further. When I finished this book, I felt that I was up to the task of poring through Wikipedia lists of films by year to see if 1999 was, in fact, the best year in film. My conclusion was that it very well might have been, but, for argument's sake, I just thought I'd offer up a few years to serve as possible counterpoints.
1984:
High Performers - Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Beverly Hills Cop (Eddie Murphy really takes off), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins (also a cult classic), Police Academy, Footloose (Kevin Bacon's breakout film), Romancing the Stone, and Splash (breakout role for Tom Hanks).
Other Noteworthy Films: Amadeus (won Academy Award), The Terminator (James Cameron's first big directorial feature), Repo Man (cult classic), Paris, Texas (one of my personal favorites), This is Spinal Tap (cult classic), Sixteen Candles (coming-of-age classic and first directorial effort by John Hughes), The Natural (classic sports film), Once Upon a Time in America (epic crime drama and Sergio Leone's last film), Top Secret! (cult classic), Bachelor Party (also one of the films that helped introduce Tom Hanks to the world), The NeverEnding Story, Revenge of the Nerds (cult classic), Purple Rain AND Stop Making Sense (two of the greatest music films of all time), A Nightmare on Elm Street (horror/cult classic; Johnny Depp's film debut), and Dune (cult classic), Blood Simple (directorial debut for Coen Brothers; feature film debut of Frances McDormand).
1994:
High Performers: The Lion King (is there a more famous Disney movie?), Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Mask (Jim Carrey breakout role), Speed (Sandra Bullock breakthrough role), Dumb and Dumber (another huge movie that helped introduce Jim Carrey), Four Weddings and a Funeral, Interview with the Vampire (Kirsten Dunst breakthrough role), Clear and Present Danger, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Jim Carrey AGAIN!?!).
Other Noteworthy Films: Pulp Fiction (widely hailed as one of the greatest film's of all time; helped further establish Quentin Tarantino's reputation as a great writer-director), The Shawshank Redemption (possibly the best Stephen King film adaptation?), Quiz Show, Ed Wood (cult classic), Reality Bites (cult classic), D2: The Mighty Ducks (maybe not as important as some of these other films though it holds a special place in my heart; if nothing else, it seemed to proliferate a short-lived street hockey craze), Maverick, Angels in the Outfield (another sentimental favorite perhaps), Natural Born Killers (cult classic; subject of some controversy), The Next Karate Kid (breakthrough role for multiple Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank), Leon: The Professional (cult classic; motion picture debut of Natalie Portman), The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, Hoop Dreams (one of the greatest documentaries of all time), Crumb (another great documentary).
2004:
High Performers: Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (best Harry Potter in my opinion), Spider-Man 2 (best Marvel superhero film in my opinion), The Incredibles (best Pixar film in my opinion; also one of the best superhero films in general), The Passion of the Christ (while I've never actually seen it, I recall this one making quite a splash at the time), The Day After Tomorrow (the film that finally brought us to our senses regarding global warming - Not!), Meet the Fockers, Troy.
Other Noteworthy Films: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of my personal favorites), The Aviator, Ray, Sideways (maybe even a better Alexander Payne film than Election?), Million Dollar Baby, Hotel Rwanda, Collateral (a good year for Jamie Foxx), Closer, The Motorcycle Diaries, Maria Full of Grace, Super Size Me (big documentary), Miracle (classic sports flick), Hellboy (another pretty good pre-MCU comic book film), Kill Bill: Volume 2, Mean Girls (cult classic; endlessly quotable film; peak-Lohan; Amanda Seyfried's film debut; breakout role for Lizzy Caplan; one of Rachel McAdams' two breakout roles of the year; continued momentum for SNL greats Tina Fey and Amy Poehler), Napoleon Dynamite (another cult classic and endlessly quotable movie), Dodgeball, The Notebook (another breakout role for Rachel McAdams as well as Ryan Gosling), Anchorman (another endlessly quotable comedy classic), Garden State (surprisingly successful directorial debut by Zach Braff; awesome soundtrack that introduced a lot of people to The Shins; Natalie Portman plays a character who ends up becoming a classic example of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope), Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (a successful comedy that boosted the profiles of its two leads, John Cho and Kal Penn; helped revitalize the career of Neil Patrick Harris), Layer Cake (a film that starred Daniel Craig that is often cited as the motivating factor that led to him being cast as James Bond), I Heart Huckabees (great, underrated David O. Russell film), Friday Night Lights, Team America: World Police, Saw (James Wan directorial debut that started a new, wildly successful horror franchise), Kung Fu Hustle, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
2007:
High Performers: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Ratatouille, I Am Legend, The Simpsons Movie.
Other Noteworthy Films: No Country for Old Men (winner of the Best Picture award in a very stacked year), There Will Be Blood (While I love No Country, I personally think this is the better film; it might be my favorite film of the 21st century actually), Atonement (also nominated for Best Picture; breakout role for Saoirse Ronan), Juno (also nominated for Best Picture; breakout role for Ellen Page), Michael Clayton (also nominated for Best Picture), Away from Her, The Savages, Sweeney Todd, Eastern Promises, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Into the Wild, I'm Not There, American Gangster, Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck directorial debut), Lars and the Real Girl, Once, The Lives of Others, Zodiac, 300, The Lookout (underrated film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels), Grindhouse (interesting double feature movie event even if it ultimately was not the best work of either Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino), Hot Fuzz, Waitress, Knocked Up (breakthrough role for Seth Rogen), Live Free or Die Hard, Hairspray, Hot Rod (cult classic), Superbad (comedy classic; Jonah Hill breakthrough role; Emma Stone breakthrough role), 3:10 to Yuma (pretty great adaptation of Elmore Leonard Western story), Across the Universe, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (final Sidney Lumet feature film), Enchanted (Amy Adams' first major success as lead actress), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
May 30, 2021
Грустная, но воодушевляющая книга о воодушевляющей, но грустной эпохе
Upd сначала поставила 5, а потом на последней странице автор назвал Зеленую милю "вяловатой"
Upd сначала поставила 5, а потом на последней странице автор назвал Зеленую милю "вяловатой"
July 4, 2021
Остро недостаёт фокуса, идейного ядра исследования ("1999 год был крутым, больше такого не будет!" не работает).
Без него — будто залпом прочитал десяток материалов с поп-культурного интернет-ресурса: вроде и весело, а вроде и новым, дополнительным отвращением и к себе и к окружающему миру напитался.
Без него — будто залпом прочитал десяток материалов с поп-культурного интернет-ресурса: вроде и весело, а вроде и новым, дополнительным отвращением и к себе и к окружающему миру напитался.
February 24, 2019
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. from Brian Raftery makes a very compelling argument for 1999 being (one of) the best movie year ever.
The book is broken into chapters that cover one or a few films, usually grouped by some common element, each. Raftery walks a fine line between being too much film business or too much just gossip. There is enough behind the scenes narrative to satisfy our curiosity, plenty of explanation of how and why each film was made (and often almost not made), and plenty of contextualization so we can place these films within the larger context of what was happening in the world.
While the films mentioned are now almost universally known if not appreciated, many were not particularly successful when released. Their inclusion here helps to make this something more than just a "greatest hits" type book. It isn't simply about the box office or the profit, though that must be considered. This book really does make a case for 1999 being a great year in film. The best? That can be debated endlessly and never come to a satisfactory answer. But really, who cares? In retrospect, it really was a great year, even if it took a few years for us to fully realize it.
I highly recommend this to readers who love the cinema and for those, like myself, who like remembering the past through artifacts from the time, in this case film. There is a definite nostalgia trip for those of us who remember 1999 clearly, but without degenerating into just being nostalgia. Understanding why some movies succeeded that year while others, equally good, took time to gain an audience also makes the reader think about how our own views about things have changed with time. Maybe even our feelings about some of these films.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
The book is broken into chapters that cover one or a few films, usually grouped by some common element, each. Raftery walks a fine line between being too much film business or too much just gossip. There is enough behind the scenes narrative to satisfy our curiosity, plenty of explanation of how and why each film was made (and often almost not made), and plenty of contextualization so we can place these films within the larger context of what was happening in the world.
While the films mentioned are now almost universally known if not appreciated, many were not particularly successful when released. Their inclusion here helps to make this something more than just a "greatest hits" type book. It isn't simply about the box office or the profit, though that must be considered. This book really does make a case for 1999 being a great year in film. The best? That can be debated endlessly and never come to a satisfactory answer. But really, who cares? In retrospect, it really was a great year, even if it took a few years for us to fully realize it.
I highly recommend this to readers who love the cinema and for those, like myself, who like remembering the past through artifacts from the time, in this case film. There is a definite nostalgia trip for those of us who remember 1999 clearly, but without degenerating into just being nostalgia. Understanding why some movies succeeded that year while others, equally good, took time to gain an audience also makes the reader think about how our own views about things have changed with time. Maybe even our feelings about some of these films.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 9, 2019
Your level of enjoyment will depend on how old you were in 1999 and how much of a pop culture junkie you are now.
While I enjoyed the nostalgia associated with reliving 1999 through the films that were released in that year, I wished the author had delved deeper into the sociopolitical changes of 1999, the shifting priorities of the film industry, the rise of digital technology, the changes in film viewing and consumption etc. - the epilogue was actually the most interesting part for me, as the author makes comparisons between the films of 2019 and 1999.
I agree with other goodreads reviewers that Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris is a far better example of how to draw inferences of societal and cultural changes through analyzing the films that were made during that time period.
While I enjoyed the nostalgia associated with reliving 1999 through the films that were released in that year, I wished the author had delved deeper into the sociopolitical changes of 1999, the shifting priorities of the film industry, the rise of digital technology, the changes in film viewing and consumption etc. - the epilogue was actually the most interesting part for me, as the author makes comparisons between the films of 2019 and 1999.
I agree with other goodreads reviewers that Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris is a far better example of how to draw inferences of societal and cultural changes through analyzing the films that were made during that time period.
April 17, 2021
I'm not a big movie watcher, books are more my thing. But I do enjoy a good movie now and then. I was intruiged to see what movies I actually have seen of those movies shown in this book. Embarrassing little to be honest but I did enjoy reading about those I had seen. Starter out reading about everything but quickly got bored doing that so I jumped around to those I knew more about. But I still think the book was well researched and well written.
November 1, 2022
This book both is and isn't about what I thought it would be. Yes, it talks about the movie scene of 1999 but it really only focuses on the making of the movies, not so much the cause and effect of them. And for a year like 1999, there are films left out of the book that cause me to scratch my head over their absence.
If all you want from this book are old interviews that you can find on Wikipedia, than maybe it will do it for you. I was just hoping for something a little more substantial.
If all you want from this book are old interviews that you can find on Wikipedia, than maybe it will do it for you. I was just hoping for something a little more substantial.
April 11, 2021
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is a fascinating cultural history of the movies of 1999. I love pop culture history and this book didn't disappoint. In the wake of the impeachment of then president Bill Clinton, the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr, and the Columbine High School massacre, 1999 already had an ominous tone. The '90s saw the rise of the independent film as Miramax dominated with films like Good Will Hunting (1997) and Emma. With a couple of decades distance on 1999, Rafferty's book is a bold look on what made 1999 stand out and what has changed in the movie world since.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace wasn't what audiences expected, but it was the first new Star Wars movie in 16 years. Rafferty puts many films in cultural context like my beloved Office Space, The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense. Many of these movies were highly cerebral, dealing with philosophical responses to consumerism and workplace and life malaise. The Sixth Sense triumphed with its twist ending. The Blair Witch Project redefined horror movies with it's shaky camera work and convincing documentary structure. The Matrix, with its groundbreaking visual effects, also asked deeper philosophical questions. The thing is that most of the big movies of 1999 were not commercial or critical successes. A lot of the movies discussed in this book got new life in the DVD and rental markets after disappointing box office runs. I haven't seen all the movies here, but in 1999, I was still hosting Oscar parties. I still love good storytelling and I still love good movies. Movies have changed a lot since then due to the rise of overseas markets, streaming platforms, and the rise of epics like Lord of the Rings and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Best. Movie. Year. Ever. highlights that as we were preparing for the Y2K panic and the slide into the new millennium, we were watching somewhat dark movies, but they were surprising us as movie-goers. I still quote Office Space to this day!
Fun fact: American Beauty won the Academy Award for best picture in 1999.
(Nominees included The Green Mile, The Insider, The Sixth Sense, and The Cider House Rules).
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace wasn't what audiences expected, but it was the first new Star Wars movie in 16 years. Rafferty puts many films in cultural context like my beloved Office Space, The Matrix, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense. Many of these movies were highly cerebral, dealing with philosophical responses to consumerism and workplace and life malaise. The Sixth Sense triumphed with its twist ending. The Blair Witch Project redefined horror movies with it's shaky camera work and convincing documentary structure. The Matrix, with its groundbreaking visual effects, also asked deeper philosophical questions. The thing is that most of the big movies of 1999 were not commercial or critical successes. A lot of the movies discussed in this book got new life in the DVD and rental markets after disappointing box office runs. I haven't seen all the movies here, but in 1999, I was still hosting Oscar parties. I still love good storytelling and I still love good movies. Movies have changed a lot since then due to the rise of overseas markets, streaming platforms, and the rise of epics like Lord of the Rings and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Best. Movie. Year. Ever. highlights that as we were preparing for the Y2K panic and the slide into the new millennium, we were watching somewhat dark movies, but they were surprising us as movie-goers. I still quote Office Space to this day!
Fun fact: American Beauty won the Academy Award for best picture in 1999.
(Nominees included The Green Mile, The Insider, The Sixth Sense, and The Cider House Rules).
July 16, 2020
I don't think I realized what a great movie year 1999 was while I lived through it. I'm a guy who loves classic movies, and was familiar with the claim that 1939 was the best movie year ever. But judging them side by side, I think I have to go with 1999 over 39. In fact, I don't think it's even close. While I respect Gone With the Wind, the Wizard of Oz, and Stagecoach, I have to admit that I don't actually enjoy watching them very much. And while I love Ninotchka and Gunga Din, are they better than Magnolia, Being John Malkovich, Rushmore, Three Kings, The Sixth Sense, The Insider, The Matrix, Office Space, Galaxy Quest, or The Iron Giant? Nope. They are not. Raftery makes a strong case for 1999 (although, wasn't Rushmore released in 98?).
This book is a fun trip down movie memory lane as the author walks us through the story behind some of the great movies of 1999. We get to see how smart marketing turned the low budget Blair Witch Project into a monster hit, how Mike Judge tapped into the zeitgeist to create the perfect office comedy, and how George Lucas, unfettered by studio execs, made a tremendously expensive and technically innovative turd of a movie called The Phantom Menace (an lucrative turd).
This book isn't a deep critical analysis of the movies of 1999, and it isn't a serious discussion of the business of movie making. It's simply an entertaining look at a bunch of interesting movies: how they were made, how they were marketed, how they affected those involved. I wasn't bored for a second.
This book is a fun trip down movie memory lane as the author walks us through the story behind some of the great movies of 1999. We get to see how smart marketing turned the low budget Blair Witch Project into a monster hit, how Mike Judge tapped into the zeitgeist to create the perfect office comedy, and how George Lucas, unfettered by studio execs, made a tremendously expensive and technically innovative turd of a movie called The Phantom Menace (an lucrative turd).
This book isn't a deep critical analysis of the movies of 1999, and it isn't a serious discussion of the business of movie making. It's simply an entertaining look at a bunch of interesting movies: how they were made, how they were marketed, how they affected those involved. I wasn't bored for a second.
April 26, 2020
Briskly paced and entertaining. I've seen nearly every movie the author mentions (I've had plenty of time to catch up), but if you haven't, be aware that he gives away important plot points of several films.
April 27, 2022
Would have liked it to be more in-depth but it was a nice revue of the year in film.
Read
June 30, 2019Loved this.
April 15, 2019
A readable and very well researched look at some of the most memorable films from 1999 - including The Matrix, Fight Club, American Beauty (and Pie), Election, Office Space, The Phantom Menace, to name only a few - and how the culture and media of the late 90s and the end of the 20th century spoke to these film and filmmakers. Raftery also contrasts 1999 with 1969 (the Raging Bulls, Easy Rider film year) and 2019. A fun read for film fans.
January 9, 2024
Интересная книжка об ожиданиях и зачастую о разочарованиях создателей культовых фильмов, лишний раз доказывающая, что время - самый непогрешимый критик - расставляет всё по своим местам
May 1, 2019
There's no doubt the year 1999 marked a high point for American movies, each month brought out one challenging film after another. Brian Raftery's book revisits these movies and the people who made them.
Raftery takes the reader through a year marked by erratic mood shifts. The economy was booming and the international situation appeared stable. At the same time fears of Y2K and global terrorism had folks on edge. As the year unfolded the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal would end with an anti-climatic impeachment, while the Columbine Massacre would be a dark harbinger of the future (gun violence would appear in several films). Meanwhile the omnipresence of technology and the internet would a foment a more existential sense of unease, an unease the movies would channel.
Mega-blockbusters of costumed heroes had yet to conquer the big screen. Adult themed dramas still had a place at the multi-plex. Robert Downey Jr. was still known as an eccentric character actor; Netflix was a start up company that offered DVD rentals through the mail.
Unbeknownst to many, television was about to give movies a serious run for their money. The Sopranos debuted in 1999, heralding the birth of long form story telling in the TV form. Prestige TV from Breaking Bad to Game of Thrones would hold a privileged place in the culture, a place movies held for decades.
What makes 1999 memorable were the sheer variety of movies that transfixed audiences. The Blair Witch Project, an ultra low budget horror movie, would terrify movie goers more than any other film. The "found footage" approach presaged reality TV, but also resorted to old school gimmicks in the tradition of William Caste. Alternately, The Sixth Sense from newcomer M. Night Shyamalan perfected the Hitchcock approach, proving a PG-13 movie could terrify.
The teen movie underwent a brief renaissance from post John Hughes movies like 10 Things I Hate About You to the raunchy humor of American Pie to the dead on satire of Election.
Meanwhile adults took in American Beauty (the Oscar Winner for Best Picture), The Limey, and The Insider. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic drama Magnolia proved the appropriate last major film of the American century - a soul bearing examination of mortality and broken lives in modern L.A.
Older directors also returned to the screen. George Lucas's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace divided fans. The posthumous Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut perplexed many, leaving more questions than answers from the mysterious director. Terrence Malick, at one time known as the J.D. Salinger of American cinema, released the subdued and philosophical WWII film The Thin Red Line.
New voices also produced some gems. The Matrix from the Wachowski siblings blew everyone out of the water, stealing some of the thunder from The Phantom Menace. Fight Club from David Fincher perhaps best captured the mood of the year with its satire of repressed masculinity. Office Space from Mike Judge sent up workplace malaise and Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze wreaked havoc with notions of identity.
Best Movie Year Ever proves through nostalgia and incisive analysis of why 1999 was a landmark year for movies. As Raftery point out, many of these films under performed at the Box Office and it was only as years went by when they were recognized, a sign many were ahead of their time.
Raftery takes the reader through a year marked by erratic mood shifts. The economy was booming and the international situation appeared stable. At the same time fears of Y2K and global terrorism had folks on edge. As the year unfolded the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal would end with an anti-climatic impeachment, while the Columbine Massacre would be a dark harbinger of the future (gun violence would appear in several films). Meanwhile the omnipresence of technology and the internet would a foment a more existential sense of unease, an unease the movies would channel.
Mega-blockbusters of costumed heroes had yet to conquer the big screen. Adult themed dramas still had a place at the multi-plex. Robert Downey Jr. was still known as an eccentric character actor; Netflix was a start up company that offered DVD rentals through the mail.
Unbeknownst to many, television was about to give movies a serious run for their money. The Sopranos debuted in 1999, heralding the birth of long form story telling in the TV form. Prestige TV from Breaking Bad to Game of Thrones would hold a privileged place in the culture, a place movies held for decades.
What makes 1999 memorable were the sheer variety of movies that transfixed audiences. The Blair Witch Project, an ultra low budget horror movie, would terrify movie goers more than any other film. The "found footage" approach presaged reality TV, but also resorted to old school gimmicks in the tradition of William Caste. Alternately, The Sixth Sense from newcomer M. Night Shyamalan perfected the Hitchcock approach, proving a PG-13 movie could terrify.
The teen movie underwent a brief renaissance from post John Hughes movies like 10 Things I Hate About You to the raunchy humor of American Pie to the dead on satire of Election.
Meanwhile adults took in American Beauty (the Oscar Winner for Best Picture), The Limey, and The Insider. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic drama Magnolia proved the appropriate last major film of the American century - a soul bearing examination of mortality and broken lives in modern L.A.
Older directors also returned to the screen. George Lucas's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace divided fans. The posthumous Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut perplexed many, leaving more questions than answers from the mysterious director. Terrence Malick, at one time known as the J.D. Salinger of American cinema, released the subdued and philosophical WWII film The Thin Red Line.
New voices also produced some gems. The Matrix from the Wachowski siblings blew everyone out of the water, stealing some of the thunder from The Phantom Menace. Fight Club from David Fincher perhaps best captured the mood of the year with its satire of repressed masculinity. Office Space from Mike Judge sent up workplace malaise and Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze wreaked havoc with notions of identity.
Best Movie Year Ever proves through nostalgia and incisive analysis of why 1999 was a landmark year for movies. As Raftery point out, many of these films under performed at the Box Office and it was only as years went by when they were recognized, a sign many were ahead of their time.
December 31, 2020
В общем-то, чтобы книга понравилась, не обязательно соглашаться с её довольно безапелляционным названием :)
1999-ый здесь описан достаточно интересно и подробно, но в контексте, конечно, упоминаются и другие года (как и другие события, не только связанные с кинематографом, но так или иначе на него повлиявшие). Книга даёт хорошее представление о том, с чем кинематограф (в основном, правда, американский) пришёл в 1999-ый и с чем ушёл из него. Акцент сделан не на разборах фильма с точки зрения сюжета, а скорее на том, как и благодаря чему/кому эти фильмы появились, каков был их путь, и как они были восприняты зрителями.
1999-ый здесь описан достаточно интересно и подробно, но в контексте, конечно, упоминаются и другие года (как и другие события, не только связанные с кинематографом, но так или иначе на него повлиявшие). Книга даёт хорошее представление о том, с чем кинематограф (в основном, правда, американский) пришёл в 1999-ый и с чем ушёл из него. Акцент сделан не на разборах фильма с точки зрения сюжета, а скорее на том, как и благодаря чему/кому эти фильмы появились, каков был их путь, и как они были восприняты зрителями.
May 16, 2019
поверхностно, но хорошо
May 11, 2019
I love movie-year exegeses. Mark Harris' Pictures at a Revolution is the gold standard, tackling the five 1967 Oscar nominees for best picture - the hows and whys. Raftery's book does the same thing with 1999, a year I remember thinking was kind of a big deal at the time. The author doesn't generally focus on the Oscar nominees for Best Picture (and in fact calls one - The Cider House Rules, basic fake-highbrow Oscar bait. What's interesting about that is that I just read an entire book on the making of The Cider House Rules, and it was pretty damn controversial itself, with its pro-abortion stance). What he does focus on are the stories behind the big-budget blockbusters and small-budget indies that changed movies.
The Blair Witch Project. The Best Man. Fight Club. The Iron Giant. Being John Malkovich. Election. Rushmore. American Beauty. American Pie. Boys Don't Cry. Magnolia. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The Insider. The Matrix. Eyes Wide Shut. The Sixth Sense. All movies that signaled all these mini-revolutions in Hollywood in beyond. The found-footage genre began. Major directors who changed everything in the previous generation were met with confusion and derision (Kubrick and Lucas). Black movies that weren't about violence and drugs began making inroads (The Best Man, The Wood). Completely new types of filmmaking entered the conversation - The Matrix - and with them, new voices and directions making their mark.
I loved almost all of what Raftery had to say here; some of these films in 1999 are my favorite movies ever (Magnolia and Blair Witch and maybe Fight Club). Everything is reported with enthusiasm, but not fanboy churlishness. I also liked the way Raftery uses the Wachowski sisters' (and Brandon Teena's) correct names and pronouns, even when discussing the past. And I loved hearing all these background stories of all these great movies (and not-so-great movies) I want to watch again.
The Blair Witch Project. The Best Man. Fight Club. The Iron Giant. Being John Malkovich. Election. Rushmore. American Beauty. American Pie. Boys Don't Cry. Magnolia. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The Insider. The Matrix. Eyes Wide Shut. The Sixth Sense. All movies that signaled all these mini-revolutions in Hollywood in beyond. The found-footage genre began. Major directors who changed everything in the previous generation were met with confusion and derision (Kubrick and Lucas). Black movies that weren't about violence and drugs began making inroads (The Best Man, The Wood). Completely new types of filmmaking entered the conversation - The Matrix - and with them, new voices and directions making their mark.
I loved almost all of what Raftery had to say here; some of these films in 1999 are my favorite movies ever (Magnolia and Blair Witch and maybe Fight Club). Everything is reported with enthusiasm, but not fanboy churlishness. I also liked the way Raftery uses the Wachowski sisters' (and Brandon Teena's) correct names and pronouns, even when discussing the past. And I loved hearing all these background stories of all these great movies (and not-so-great movies) I want to watch again.
April 18, 2021
This one is all about managing expectations. These are universally competent capsule reminiscences of movies from 1999, usually with some interesting tidbits or quotes from filmmakers. All of that's fine. What you won't find is any sense of what unites these films, what draws them together, beyond "wow, lots of cool movies came out that year!" And that's fine, just fine. If you're not looking for meaning but just a good time chatting about movies, that's what you'll find. The whole package is a little misleading but if you know what you're getting then it all goes down smooth.
October 14, 2021
Набор лонгридов в стиле Vulture, Vanity Fair и прочих Entertainment Weekly про истории создания и наследие топовых фильмов конца миллениума. Мой максимальный комфорт ридинг, могу поглощать такое вечно. Да что там, у меня прямо сейчас в хроме открыто несколько похожих статей.
Вообще у этой книги есть концепция: 99-ый был совершенно ломающим годом в плане кино. Штука в том, что как-то осмыслить этот тезис автор пытается лишь в эпилоге, но выходит у него с переменным успехом. Любой год крутой, просто нужно глубже нырять.
Вообще у этой книги есть концепция: 99-ый был совершенно ломающим годом в плане кино. Штука в том, что как-то осмыслить этот тезис автор пытается лишь в эпилоге, но выходит у него с переменным успехом. Любой год крутой, просто нужно глубже нырять.
June 9, 2024
did it live up the hype?
—
“You don’t really go to movies for ideas anymore or to get challenged in the way that you used to,” says American Pie’s John Cho. “They’re more like bedtime stories: you know what you’re going to get, and you use it to get a particular feeling.”
—
4.5 stars. I’ve known about this book for years, but had only waited for it to come to me whenever my one of several libraries picked up the ebook version. That waiting game speaks to my media consuming tendencies: I don’t seek things out, I need them to be recommended to me and then served to me in the easiest-to-access platter.
This walkthrough of 1999‘s films and their path to production tells me I’m part of the problem. The vast and varied perspectives available from young and established filmmakers were only made possible because consumers did their part (although not all immediately in 1999). If I’m done with the studio-driven, infinity saga IPs, it’s time for me to show up more.
—
“You don’t really go to movies for ideas anymore or to get challenged in the way that you used to,” says American Pie’s John Cho. “They’re more like bedtime stories: you know what you’re going to get, and you use it to get a particular feeling.”
—
4.5 stars. I’ve known about this book for years, but had only waited for it to come to me whenever my one of several libraries picked up the ebook version. That waiting game speaks to my media consuming tendencies: I don’t seek things out, I need them to be recommended to me and then served to me in the easiest-to-access platter.
This walkthrough of 1999‘s films and their path to production tells me I’m part of the problem. The vast and varied perspectives available from young and established filmmakers were only made possible because consumers did their part (although not all immediately in 1999). If I’m done with the studio-driven, infinity saga IPs, it’s time for me to show up more.
September 21, 2019
This was so much better and more interesting than I was expecting. I figured it was going to be a book of individual essays, and planned on skipping the ones about movies I hadn't seen or didn't care about. Instead, the author ties the whole of 1999 together, giving context not just for what happened in getting these films made, but what else was happening around them. I loved it.
March 7, 2024
I was 12 years old in 1999, and it was the year that my love of movies really took off. This book does a fantastic job of taking you back to that time period, by chronicling all the noteworthy films from that year, as well as providing some valuable historical context.
If you like movies, I would highly recommend this book.
If you like movies, I would highly recommend this book.
June 15, 2019
In the late 1990s and very early 2000s, I remember it seemed that there were an usually large number of very unique films coming out, but I didn't realize until this book just how many groundbreaking movies were released in one year: 1999.
This book tells many interesting background stories that lay behind the making (and reception) of many 1999 films that were influential, box office hits, or both. But the author goes further to show some of the common threads and conditions that lead to the creation of such interesting and unique films.
This book tells many interesting background stories that lay behind the making (and reception) of many 1999 films that were influential, box office hits, or both. But the author goes further to show some of the common threads and conditions that lead to the creation of such interesting and unique films.
September 13, 2019
One of those books that's entertaining to read, even though you don't agree with the central premise behind it.
May 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! A fun exploration of a lot of different genre defining movies
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