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1997- Titanic, and Titanic Only

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Film: Titanic

This epic recreation of something so massive could only be done by the works of James Cameron.  In order to re-create the feel of the actual ship in its entirety, the studio needed to build a ship, almost replicating the size of the original.  There was so much hype around the movie prior to being released, commercials were non-stop and you could not escape the Titanic pandemonium.  I remember girls in my school seeing this movie three, maybe even four times in the theater, which is insane for a three-hour long film, but when it comes to the dreamy Leonardo DiCaprio, girls all around the world cannot contain themselves.  There are two, stand-out scenes for me that have a hard time leaving my head.  First, nearly 30 minutes of the movie is dedicated to when the ocean-liner is sinking, Cameron makes sure people feel the pain and separation witnessed by that of the crew and passengers.  Second, a far more intimate scene, when Jack and Rose are running from man who is watching over them while they find a place to hide in the engine room.  They find an unlocked car and while one thing leads to another, the car windows become foggy and in an effort to show sheer pleasure, a hand slowly drags down the window, creating passionate hand prints.  The magnitude of popularity this film achieved has never been done before, only to be outdone by Camerons’ later film, Avatar.  At the time, Titanic was the most expensive movie to make, costing over a staggering $200 million.  After years of success, the film grossed an incredible $1.84 billion worldwide and was the first film to reach the $1 billion profit mark.  They recently re-released the movie in 3-D, which commemorated its 10-year anniversary with jaw-dropping and eye-opening effects to fully engulf the audience in what seemed to be the actual Titanic.  This release made an addition $300 million, which shot the movie up to the second film to reach a total of over $2 billion profit, following his aforementioned science-fiction film, Avatar.

1996- We Have Seen into the Future

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Electronics: Nintendo 64

This segment could be left blank and still have the same effect as a 300-word review, as-long-as the title would include N64, nothing else would need to be said.  This changed most of our childhoods when it came to video games.  The first, three-dimensional game platform, allowed users to explore worlds like they never did before.  With games such as Mario 64 and Mario kart, kids everywhere were able to experience hour after hour of games without losing interest.  Instead of the two-dimensional retro video games, one could use the unique controller to play racing games, sports games, and shooting games which have not lost their relevance.  Maybe in terms of graphics, the games today are far-more advanced, but notably, N64 games are considered more challenging.  Due to constant technological advancements, game consoles such as this get forgotten about, but there are still plenty of people looking to dust off the controller and hop right back into 007: Golden Eye.

Shocking: Tupac Shakur

Throughout the 90s, there was a brutal East Coast-West Coast rivalry between hip-hop artists.  Lyrics, fights, and gossip was spread between the two, which showed no signs of stopping.  Tupac, who was one of the most influential rappers in history, was deemed the king of the west, which started many problems throughout the hip-hop community.  Unfortunately, blood was shed over a robbery that occurred months prior.  As he was leaving a boxing-match in Nevada, Tupac got into a car to head to a nearby club.  During that time is when a car pulled up alongside of them, opened the window, and unloaded several bullets into Tupacs’ chest, arm, and lung.  He passed away in the hospital six days later, and the turf battle has seen somewhat of a silence.  The case was never closed on who the actual killer was, though many believe at the time, east coast rappers, Puff Daddy and the Notorious B.I.G had were behind the merciless killing.

 

1995-On a Lighter Note

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Music: Oasis

Oasis is one of those bands that was able to start a genre of music, to those who know calls it Britpop, and to those unaware, plan on buying some mid-90s’ music in the next couple of days.  The Gallagher brothers from England were known for their crazy antics, on and off the stage.  Their influential way of playing started a generation or rockers which took over the grunge scene and added some light to the already dark alternative rock world.  The music was not as depressing as some from earlier years, but bands including Oasis, Blur, and the Stone Roses helped Britpop become recognized and still is claimed as one of the last, great genres based from rock & roll. Oasis though, they were something else, anything they did, turned to gold, and even though they had a short lived run similar to that of the Smiths, their impact was left for future bands to emulate.

Childhood Memories: Cartoon Planet

If you were a kid in the 90s, then this segment on Cartoon Network meant everything to you.  With shows including Johnny Bravo, Dexters’ Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, there was a two-hour block of pure greatness.  On Saturday mornings, you were able to catch this comedy gold and during that time, nothing would stop you.  Johnny Bravo, with his Elvis-like personality always made a fool of himself in front the ladies.  I guess this is why taking to women is so hard for me, I had Johnny Bravo as a mentor.  Dexter and his crazy inventions, which always failed in the end because of his incompetent older-sister, Dee-Dee.  Next, the Powerpuff Girls was a cute, yet ballsy cartoon following around three sisters created in a lab, which later entailed them to fight crime, mostly against their enemy, Mojo-Jojo.  Finally, the three friends by the names of Ed, Edd, and Eddy share adventures and trying to convince neighborhood kids they are older, smarted, and well-versed. Their intelligence was less intellectual and was based far more on hindsight.

1994- Royale with Cheese

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Film: Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is widely considered as one of the greatest movies ever created.  This horribly violent, intellectual, and wordy screenplay written by Tarantino, intertwines three stories into one, and takes you on a time-twisting journey which you must pay attention to.  Between the hit-men discussing how to say quarter-pounder with cheese in Paris, to the dance scene between John Travolta and Uma Thurman prove to make this a timeless classic.  This captivating adaptation of Los Angeles’ crime underworld shows the crazy imagination of Tarantino and is the perfect example of a collection of all of his work, in one movie.   If I were to rate this movie, it would get a 10 out of 10, and if the rating-system went to 11 like Spinal Taps’ guitar amp, trust me, it would get an 11.  This movie should be experienced by anyone who appreciates film, it shows great dynamics in writing, acting, and directing.  I highly recommend this movie, as well as re-watching the movie to find all the content you missed.  I have seen this film well over ten times and can honestly say I take something new away from this every time.

Groovy: Woodstock

To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Woodstock was back, but in a completely different generation.  What was the largest concert of its time, the original Woodstock was designed around peace, love and happiness.  The second installment occurred during a two-day festival and housed dozens of bands and over 350,000 people.  Some of the top acts were Blues Traveler, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bob Dylan, who could not make it to the first event in 1969.  The Police and staff were unable to control the large number of attendees and with only wire fencing surrounding the festival, all hell broke loose throughout.  Even though Woodstock 94 was not the largest success, the organizers decided to hold another in 1999.  Woodstock 99 later represented the Altamont festival of 69, which both were coined for abruptly ending the decade

1993: Take Me to Your Leader

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Chart Topping: In Utero – Nirvana

The unofficial king of grunge, Kurt Cobain, finished up his legacy with this final album.  After two years of major success, Nirvana wanted a more mature and natural sound, which they lost over time since their earlier recordings.  After instant fame, most bands will fall off pretty quickly due to drugs, alcohol, and inexperience.  This heavily effected Kurts’ life, but still, he was able to pump out what is critically acclaimed to be far better then Nevermind.  It is hard to compare the work of previous albums, depending on the state of mind the artist is in, each song describes a part of the person, so who is to say which is better than another?  This album was very influential of later bands, with its stripped down recording in Seattle, producer, Steve Albini, was able to direct the band in a way no one could.  The result was 15 million records being sold to date, which I am sure Courtney Love, Kurt’s ex-wife, is some how receiving money for.

Politics: Bill Clinton Wins Presidential Election

He was a cool, saxophone playing Governor, who seemed to be very well accepted among the youth.  Bill Clinton won the 1993 Presidential Election against former President George H. W. Bush.  This ended the 12-year reign republicans had over the nation and focused on domestic issues in the beginning.  There were changes needed to take place, including taxes on the middle class, which he lowered as part of his economic plan.  Clinton was for the people and showed his cunning personality through speeches and interviews.  His charm may have helped him get into some trouble down the road, but nonetheless, he will still be remembered as a great president.  Even if he is overshadowed by the Lewinsky trial, many look past this in what some say was the last great economic decade for this county.  While being president, he managed to have a country surplus, since then, Bush and Obama have been dealt with a deficit reaching highs in 2009 with $1.4 trillion.

1992- Riots, Rugrats, and Resevior Dogs

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Shocking News: Riots of Los Angeles

After an African-American by the name of Rodney King was pulled over, the police then pulled him out of his car and began to brutally assault him.  Without knowing, the police were being recorded by an amateur photographer and caught the whole event on film.  What followed that was what really upset people.  The officers involved with the beating, were all acquitted for their actions, meaning none of them were handed jail-time, or even resignation.  This exploded in California, which created riots on the streets of Los Angeles and brought $1 billion in damage, dozens of arrests, and hundreds who were injured over the course of one week.  As police knew of the riots, their lack of seriousness and effort to help exposed the in-humane treatment of the lower class African-American community.

Cartoons: The Rugrats

To most kids, Nickelodeon house all of their favorite shows, Rugrats was the poster-child for this channel and can be remembered by anyone who grew up in the 90s.  The show spanned over an entire decade which made it one of the longest running cartoons of all time.  Cartoons were still created the original way, hand-drawing each sequence of movement, taking up to nine months to complete one episode.  This sounds silly, with the technology of today, but there was more authenticity added this way.  The show reminded kids to be adventurous and brave, while staying smart and funny all at the same time.  This show surely impacted the childhoods of millions including mine, so people need to pay respect to one of the last hand-drawn cartoons created.

Film: Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarentinos’ first movie follows five strangers in the events leading up to, and following a bank heist. He relied mainly on dialogue and violence to captivate his audience and was later turned into a cult-classic due to its simplistic script and unforgettable characters.  This film paved the way for Tarantinos’ later works, but still remains a bare-boned classic, which is essential to anyone who appreciates great cinematography and bizarre story lines. Each character has strong personality traits, including Mr. Whites’ rough exterior while slicing off a mans ear, to Mr. Pinks’ cheap and weaselly ways while he explains his thoughts on tipping a waitress.  Some movies are far too complex which overshadows the quality, whereas Reservoir Dogs does that of the opposite, simplicity.

 

1991: Slowly Starting a Revolution

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Music Trends: Grunge

The music which started a generation can be described as vile, distorted, and amplified was created by individuals affected by adverse weather. Seattle, the claimed birthplace for this genre was ravished with people who said no to hairspray and yes to flannel. The music from bands such as, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana inspired teens around the country to follow in their footsteps. As a result, music was finally being created by people who cared more about playing and less about aesthetics and in turn led this genre to represent the youthful, rebellious, and outspoken generation of the early 90s.

Film: Hook

In light of the recent passing of Robin Williams, it is almost necessary to include one of his most notable films, Hook, which I greatly recommend. The film depicts the human dream which later became the premise for many other films; the need for eternal youth.  Due to its subject matter, many children, adolescents and adults alike found this film particularly entertaining. As Peter Pans’ children are stolen away from him by Captain Hook, Peter must reclaim his adolescence in order to succeed in Never-Never Land. The original children story is put into a different perception, while also adding a twist to the ending. If you are familiar with the novel “Alice in Wonderland”, then you can see the similarities Hook brought to Peter Pan as “Through the Looking Glass” did for Alice.

Technology: The First Web Site

Tim Berners-Lee invented the most important development in technology within the last 20 years. With his main idea composing of a simple description of what the World Wide Web was, he completely revolutionized the way humans live their lives. It has personally effected each and every one of us with the way we work, communicate, learn, get our news, and shop. The simple thought of connecting people and ideas through the Internet was not simple at all, rather complex, yet after being a father to many other inventions, his ideas still brought new and innovative ideas to the world. Just think of what your life consists of, everything from your Facebook, banking, and research, and now eliminate the Internet. This is somewhat scary to think about, only because we are so dependent on technology in todays life. Life has become easier with this invention, but at what cost? Websites knowing my shopping habits and exact location is intimidating due to the fact of constantly being watched. The novel “1984” discusses somewhat of an all-knowing higher power which watches our every move. This dystopian community is not so far off from todays world, just slightly less gray.

1990: The Beginning

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Film: Home Alone

This movie can be viewed year after year for the holidays, but still never seems to lose its charm.  Typically, forgetting a child home alone while the entire family travels to Europe can be very irresponsible, but in terms of Hollywood, a timeless classic is created, which everyone can enjoy.  As the abandoned child begins to enjoy his freedom he is soon disrupted by two henchmen who look like they need to drastically re-evaluate their lives.  The boy traps these non-violent criminals in a sadistic world of torture which has no escape.  While watching, you can enjoy all the ‘90s amenities including land-line phones, Johnny Carson, answering machines, pre-9/11 air travel, and of course, Macaulay Culkin.

 

World News: Unification of East and West Germany

As a result of the crimes committed during WWII, the five year division of Germany significantly changed global dynamics between east and west. Following such what some may call the “iron curtain”, the fall of the Berlin Wall signified both an ideological and a physical manifestation of the unification of what is now Germany. Pandemonium occurred when people witnessed what they thought was impossible, Germany becoming one country again. Germans were one of the last European countries to end a communistic government, as it marked the end of the Cold War and started a period of unity and peace.  As a result, this sparked a period that simulated ‘60s-esque protests and trends, advocating for peace and global disengagement.

 

Television: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

This show was based on an unconventional premise, which introduced the uprising hip-hop genre previously unknown by the masses and starred a 21-year-old with no acting experience.  Even though it was not a major success at the time, such as the Cosby Show, it still remained in peoples’ memories for quite some time.  The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the story of a black family who lost their ties to race and culture because of wealth contrary to the Cosby Show, the fresh prince mocked its own premise. Furthermore, this series also reflects racial issues, family problems, and differences between the upper and middle class that were prevalent throughout this time period in America. On another note, it is hard to believe the show premiered 24 years ago, sorry for savagely aging you.