The best films of the '90s

Over at The AV Club, they're doing a special three-part series on the 50 best movies of the '90s. Like a lot of people, I'm sort of overdosing on all the lists. Best this, worst that, best movies of the xx decade, best date movies, worst TV shows, etc. But they're popular, and they do get you thinking about the pop culture past.

My list of the best movies isn't really a "best," it's more of a "favorites," because that's more accurate, no? I don't really want to sit down and write out my thoughts about a three-hour foreign film about cheese or why such-and-such is an "important film." I go with what I like.

So here are the five movies from the '90s that come to my mind first, the great ones that really stick out (in no particular order). It's a personal list, but I also happen to think that all of these films would also be on a "best of" list.

L.A. Confidential (1997) You wouldn't think that James Ellroy's sprawling novel could be made into an epic yet tight noir about gangsters and police corruption in 1950s Los Angeles, but director and writer pulled it off. It's a tough but gorgeous film, with great performances by people like Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, and Guy Pearce, most of whom were rather unknown at the time . It probably should have beaten out Titanic for the Best Film Oscar...

Titanic (1997) ... but that doesn't mean that Titanic was a bad movie. It gets dumped on a lot — I think a lot of it is because a lot of people don't like Celine Dion — but it's a fantastic film (especially if you're a Titanic history geek). Somehow Cameron made this giant, special effects blockbuster where hundreds of people drown or get crushed but at the end he makes you cry (and all you guys out there, don't lie that you didn't tear up at the end).

Swingers (1996). The film that introduced the world to Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, focusing on the lives of actors trying to get by in Los Angeles. The script is both funny and full of wisdom, and the music hits all the right notes (no pun intended). Get the DVD and watch the terrific extras and listen to the revealing commentary by Favreau and Vaughn. Damn, I gotta watch this movie again.

Out of Sight (1998). The movie where we finally said, "hey, that George Clooney really is a movie star." And I'm always amazed when a director (in this case, Steven Soderbergh) can have a movie have a dozen different characters and flashbacks, set in several different cities and locations, and still make it accessible and watchable. I still think this is the best thing that Jennifer Lopez has ever done.

Ed Wood (1994). This is one of my favorites because it blends together a lot of the things I'm interested in: '50s L.A., biographies about odd people, and cheapo horror flicks. Tim Burton's best film. It's also Johnny Depp's best, though I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with both of those statements.

I could list more (hey, I just thought of Hard Eight and Quiz Show!), but those are the five that come to me right off the bat. What's on your list?

You can find Bob Sassone on Twitter and at his personal site.