"I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90s…fuckin’ 90s sucked.”
When Mickey Rourke uttered the above quote as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler, he was specifically referring to the music of the decade in question. However, it also seems to be a sentiment shared by many of my fellow genre enthusiasts about the era’s horror output as well. Though I was born in the early 80s, I’d have to say my formative years in horror were the early 90s, back when mom and pop video stores still ruled the day (or at least the weekends). While the decade initially bid farewell to the staples of the previous decade, it filled that vacuum with a rich palette of Stephen King and undead splatter-fests before everything came full-circle with the return of icons and a brief slasher resurgence. The 90s aren’t likely to be remembered for an abundance of classic horror films, but they should be given their due for delivering a lot of very good and entertaining films that elicit their own breed of nostalgia. With all due respect to “The Ram,” I bring you a look at each year’s best horror films as definitive proof that the 90s in fact did not suck.
1990: It
Though Stephen King had been in the horror game for 2 decades by the time the 90s dawned, this made-for-TV fight-fest cemented his legacy for me personally. Just a year earlier, I had been terrified by Pet Sematary, and the promise of a new film from the same diabolical mind was both horrifying and tantalizing. Playing out over two nights, It was an epic experience that introduced one of the more under-appreciated icons in Pennywise. I’ve never had an irrational fear of clowns, but Tim Curry’s sinister portrayal made me at least a bit wary of them as a child. I can still recall visiting a mini-golf course at our yearly vacation destination that featured a giant clown out front and my dad teasing me that it was Pennywise. Probably not the best parenting skills, but this was the same guy who showed me Pet Sematary in the first place. A few years later, he’d also watch The Stand, which I also couldn’t resist, further proving that no one is as bone-chilling as King when he’s at his finest. Twenty years later, It stands as one of the better adaptations of King’s work, as it captures his trademark sense of twisted nostalgia and the destruction of youthful innocence.
1991: The Silence of the Lambs
It didn’t take long for the 90s to dispense with the previous decade’s two biggest icons; however, it also didn’t take long to introduce the world to a new one, either. Though Hannibal Lecter had earlier been portrayed by Brian Cox in Manhunter, Anthony Hopkins’s turn as the psychopathic cannibal was an entirely different beast. Though he only appears for a little more than 15 minutes on-screen, the character has left an indelible mark on the genre. Hopkins’s wry and sinister Lecter is both charming and revolting, and is one of the genre’s more interesting and complex madmen. It also helps that the film around him is very good, as Silence of the Lambs stands as one of the most suspenseful films in horror. With other solid performances from Jodie Foster and Ted Levine (as the equally demented Buffalo Bill), it’s just a well-made film all the way around.
1992: Army of Darkness
When both Freddy and Jason got their 90s send-offs, they weren’t gone for too long, as both icons managed to return multiple times after their respective demises. Army of Darkness isn’t the least bit valedictory, but it does represent the last time we’ve seen Ash on celluloid. If the fanboy-pipedream that is Evil Dead 4 never happens, one couldn’t really ask for a better send-off than Sam Raimi’s fantasy-tinged and comedic undead romp. While it exhibits a stark departure from its horror roots, Army of Darkness features Ash at his finest. Spewing off one-liners and getting all the babes, Ash goes medieval on the Deadites, complete with a boomstick and the car in tow. Bruce Campbell plays up the “man out of time” aspect brilliantly, and the series trademark splat-stick humor is here in full force. Not only is this one the best horror film of 1992, but it might be the best of the decade, period. "Hail to the king, baby!"
1993: Cronos
It’s always fun to look back and see how the horror genre provided a start to so many Hollywood A-Listers. It’s easy to find the young and familiar faces of stars in front of the camera; however, there’s been plenty of talent behind the camera that got started with horror. Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro have been two of the hottest names in Hollywood for the past decade, but before they were attached to huge projects like Lord of the Rings and Hellboy, they were just horror nerds like the rest of us. Though Jackson’s seminal splatterfest, Dead Alive, just missed the cut in ‘92 due to heavy competition, Del Toro’s directorial debut fares much better in a less crowded year. Make no mistake, however: Cronos earns its spot on the list. Every generation has its unique take on the vampire mythos, and this one represents the 90s quite well. It feels like a prelude to Del Toro’s later work, as it contains fantastical imagery, a unique juxtaposition of innocence and horror, and a sense of magical realism. At its heart, Cronos is actually a touching story about love and immortality; it’s not as romantic as it sounds because, as horror often shows us, sometimes dead is better.
1994: Cemetery Man
One of the more unsung offerings of the 90s, Michele Soavi’s tale of a young man enraptured by both love and death also happens to be one of the decade’s best. It’s the rare horror film that manages to be both disgusting, hilarious, and poignant all at once. The film’s lyrical storytelling and bizarre visuals make for one of the most unique experiences of this or any other decade. Rupert Everett’s Francesco is a sympathetic character out of the Ash mode in that anything crazy that can happen, will happen to him; however, the root of his ills all comes back to a pretty universal theme: unrequited love and regret. Ultimately, the film has us questioning the nature of existence itself and leaves us pondering just what it means to be alive. The subject matter also feels appropriate because the film feels like Italy’s swan song; a pioneering force for the preceding 3 decades, Italian horror experienced a dearth of quality films in the 90s. It still hasn’t returned to its former glory, and Cemetery Man stands as the exclamation point on one hell of a run.
5. 1995: Demon Knight
If my love for splattery, popcorn-driven romps wasn’t already apparent enough, this choice should make it abundantly clear. For whatever reason, this Tales from the Crypt feature never gets much praise for being one of the most purely entertaining horror films out there. It features a great cast that’s highlighted by the always awesome Billy Zane, who plays a badass demon hell bent on recovering an ancient artifact that’ll unleash hell on earth. This one takes a more action-oriented approach as it splatters blood and gore all over the screen, and boobies are in abundance as well! This tongue-in-cheek affair also packs in plenty of laughs to create something that’s downright fun, a quality that seems to be undervalued at times. It also helps that the film is bookended by segments featuring the Cryptkeeper because the old Tales from the Crypt television series sure gets the nostalgia blood flowing. "Fasten your drool cups, and ready your vomit bags! We're going to the movies! Frights, camera, action!"
1996: Scream
Without a doubt the most obvious choice for the list, Scream will be forever be the representative of 90s horror. Looking to the genre’s immediate past (the 80s slasher cycle), it also charted the course for the immediate future. The film lead to a pretty brief return to form for slashers, albeit charged with a hint of 90s irreverence and production values. However, forget for a moment Scream’s importance to the genre and remember the fact that it was just a damn good slice of horror pie. Featuring references to everything from The Bad Seed to Terror Train, it might be the genre’s ultimate love letter to fans. With A-list talent all over the production, it’s no surprise that the film is one of the best-crafted films of its type. The Ghostface visage is already iconic, as are the narrative’s wild twists and turns. It not only lampoons slashers a bit, but also stands as one of the best, and not just because it’s always winking and nodding towards its audience. No, it’s simpler than that: it’s funny, suspenseful, and features a cast of great characters. Sometimes, that’s all you need alongside tons of corn syrup (you know, "the same stuff they used for pig’s blood in Carrie").
1997: The Ugly
When horror fans say that he 90s flat out sucked, maybe they just have 1997 stuck in their minds. It was an admittedly weak year with some meager offerings; in fact, I was having trouble finding a compelling film to fit the bill here. Sure, Scream 2 was a nice follow-up and I Know What You Did Last Summer stands as a good example of the type of film Scream spawned in its wake, but both would feel a bit out of place. Thankfully, my Canadian counterpart Brett H. reminded me about The Ugly, an underappreciated gem out of New Zealand. It’s a psychological thriller that delves deep into the mind of Simon Cartwright, a serial killer who is attempting to prove his sanity to a psychiatrist. We get a glimpse into Simon’s brutal, blood-stained past, and it’s an unflinching, violent journey that breaks down the walls between sanity and insanity. This is probably the most obscure film on the list, but don’t let that fool you--it’s a taut, suspenseful thriller that deserves a lot more recognition than it’s received.
1998: Bride of Chucky
In ‘98, most horror hype centered around the return of a big-time horror icon: Michael Myers. Though he’d returned just 3 years earlier, this time he was coming back with Jamie Lee Curtis in tow. Such a combination seems like a sure-fire lock for the best of ‘98, but The Shape was upstaged later in the year by a more diminutive icon: Chucky. Everyone’s favorite Good Guy had left us on somewhat shaky terms 7 years earlier, but his glorious return to form alongside his titular Bride confirmed his iconic status. Trailing only the original film in terms of quality, Bride is the perfect example of pop-icon horror, as Chucky is at his best. With slick visuals and a witty script, this is another 90s film that’s simply too fun to ignore. Freddy and Jason were nowhere to be found at this point, but Chucky stepped into those big shoes rather admirably.
1999: The Blair Witch Project
Probably the most infamous film of the decade, The Blair Witch Project has been subject to a lot of criticism by horror fans. Massively hyped at the time of its release, it’s possible the film might have been a victim of everyone’s expectations. As a 16-year-old at the time of release, even I wasn’t sure what to make of it; however, time has been kind to this piece of guerilla filmmaking that does a whole lot with very little. The woods are naturally creepy, and the documentary approach literally drops you right into the middle of them. It’s arguable that this is the most timeless film of the 90s, as it uses the most basic of approaches as it exploits the most universal of fears: the dark and the unknown. Anyone that’s ever come in contact with a local legend can relate to the tale of the Blair Witch, and the film plays out like a campfire tale captured on celluloid. The 90s provided a cornucopia of diverse horror, and The Blair Witch Project might have been a hard final course to digest at the time, but it goes down like fine wine these days.
