This has become a monthly thing, tackling film anniversaries. I already tackled 2014 and 2004 — 1984 and 1974 are next. It’s always a fun exercise to hit the time capsule and today I’ll be looking back at the great year that was 1994.
Hard to grasp, but it’s already been 30 years since Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” a shapeshifting event for movie culture, changed the entire film industry. The release of Tarantino’s film ended up unleashing numerous rip-offs, for decades to come. None were better than his iconic gangster film.
Clint Eastwood was jury President at Cannes and “Pulp Fiction” ended up winning the Palme d’Or— some jeered at the decision, expecting Kyrysztof Kieslowski’s “Red” to be awarded the prize. Zhang Yimou’s “To Live” and Nikita Mikhalkov’s “Burnt by the Sun” shared the Grand Jury Prize.
“Pulp Fiction” did not win Best Picture at the Oscars. Instead, Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump” won the big prize, and Best Director. Has the film aged well? Gump has lasted, but so have its haters. Tom Hanks also won the acting Oscar for ‘Gump’. Jessica Lange won Best Actress for “Blue Sky” — does anyone even remember that film? Tarantino won Best Original Screenplay.
This was also the year of “The Shawshank Redemption,” which was a box-office failure at the time. It would end up getting major audience on home video. Decades after its release, its cultural influence still looms large. ‘Shawshank’ is still the top-rated movie of all-time on IMDb (9.3/10) with close to 3 million votes.
Tim Burton delivered the best film of his career, “Ed Wood.” It was Burton's most personal and provocative movie — a love letter to failed artists everywhere.
1994 was also the year that Jim Carrey stormed the industry with three hits: “The Mask,” “Ace Ventura” and “Dumb and Dumber.” Disney’s “The Lion King” topped the box-office, its $295 domestic intake barely edging out “Forrest Gump” ($294 million). Other top box-office draws that year included “Speed,” “True Lies,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Mask,” “The Santa Claus.”
The 10 best films of 1994:
“Pulp Fiction”
“Ed Wood”
“Three Colors: Red”
”The Shawshank Redemption”
“Quiz Show”
“Heavenly Creatures”
“Speed”
“The Last Seduction”
“Bullets Over Broadway”
“Satantango”
Honorable mentions: Once We Were Warriors, Red Rock West, Leon: The Professional, Exotica, Shallow Grave, Clerks, The Crow, Chungking Express, The Hudsucker Proxy, Hoop Dreams, Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Forrest Gump.