Genre Films in the '90s: Blockbuster Feeding Frenzy

By: Steve Biodrowski
Date: Friday, February 11, 2000

Science fiction, fantasy, and horror were once considered cult genres of interest only to a select few, but that changed in 1977 with STAR WARS. The blockbuster mentality engendered by that film continued throughout the '80s and reached even larger proportions in the '90s. While drive-ins diminished, and low-budget films dried up, there was a steady stream of big-budget Hollywood product aimed at achieving mega-success. And sneaking around beneath the tread of these giants, a few smaller films even managed to sneak in and prove their worth.

If there was a single phrase that summed up the dominant trend in science fiction, fantasy, and horror films in the 1990s it was this: computer-generated imagery. Sure, computer effects had been seen in '80s efforts like TRON and THE LAST STARFIGHTER, and James Cameron's THE ABYSS had made memorable use of them in 1989, but they didn't really explode into the public consciousness until the release of TERMINATOR 2. The morphing effects in that films were a quantum leap into the future. For perhaps the first time, special effects truly became almost seamless; event he most jaded, effects-savvy aficionado could no longer detect the subtle transition from live-action to effects photography. Gone were telltale blue fringe lines that resulted from previous process photography; likewise eliminated was the insert close-up style, in which the effect shot was obviously the close up briefly cut into an otherwise effects-less scene.

Hollywood was quick to jump on the bandwagon, and for the next couple of years, you could barely go to a genre film without seeing some kind of morph. Unfortunately, the novelty wore thin almost immediately, and it soon became apparent that the slick look of CGI was well-suited to high-tech science fiction stories but less so to fantasy and horror. But just when audiences were getting bored with the whole thing, along came JURASSIC PARK, the titanic Steven Spielberg blockbuster that used computer effects to bring dinosaurs to life in a more amazingly believable way than ever seen before.

Again, Hollywood took note, and this time computer effects continued to proliferate unabated throughout science fiction, fantasy, and horror films for the rest of the decade. Unlike the short-lived morphing craze, it appears that CGI is here to stay as a method for bringing creatures, spaceships, and fantasy environments to life. The later use reached its zenith in WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, director Vincent Ward's romantic afterlife fantasy (based on Richard Matheson's novel), in which Heaven was realized on screen with all the beauty of a master painter (even down to colors which displayed the texture of brushstrokes).


Okay, so there were lots of computer effects, but what else was going on in the decade? Well, there were good and bad trends for fans. Another huge influence on theatrical movies was the viability of direct-to-video distribution for low-budget filmmakers. Distributors, who once would have been forced to take the financial risks involved in prints, advertising, and delivery for a theatrical release, could now take the far less expensive route of simply putting the film out on tape. As a result, modestly budgeted horror films dwindled away from view in theatres, leaving (for the most part) only big-budget blockbusters, either based on best sellers (INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE) or augmented with big-name talent (BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA).

The latter film in particular started a short-lived trend: trying to refashion classic monster movies as love stories. The attempt burned out almost immediately, when Kenneth Branagh's MARY SHELLY'S FRANKENSTEIN earned less than a third of DRACULA's $80-million. One tangential off-shot of this movement was WOLF. Although not an official remake, the film suggested a witty take on werewolf movies past, in which the world has gone so far to the dogs that being a wolf may actually be an advantage. Unfortunately, the genre elements led some people to think that director Mike Nichols and star Jack Nicholson were slumming in substandard material; the actually films has a lot going for it, although the ending just sort of peters away to nothing much.

Nevertheless, there were some interesting horror films on view. The year 1990 began with several old hands at horror returning to the field: William Friedkin directed THE GUARDIAN; William Peter Blatty wrote and directed THE EXORCIST III; Roger Corman directed his first film in nearly two decades, FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND; and George Romero and Dario Argento teamed up to handle an episode apiece of the two-part anthology, TWO EVIL EYES. All were more or less worthy efforts that pleased any fans who were still interested, but none reached the kind of critical mass appeal that starts trends. Meanwhile, low-budget auteur Sam Raimi put out two entertaining films, that edged more into fantasy territory, while retaining some of the dark edge seen in the EVIL DEAD films: DARKMAN and ARMY OF DARKNESS. Neither was a blockbuster, but DARKMAN did launch some DTV sequels.

Science fiction was big, big, big throughout most of the decade, but there was often precious little science. The genre seemed to thrive more on effects-heavy action of the sort that appealed to a mass audience. Thus we got blockbuster success like INDEPENDENCE DAY and ARMAGEDDON, along with more borderline genre efforts like TWISTER and MISSION:IMPOSSIBLEall of them entertaining in a summer, popcorn kind of way, but all with appeal based on their visceral kick rather than intellectual grasp. In marked contrast to this director Terry Gilliam managed to turn 12 MONKEYS into a certifiable hit; the ambitious time travel story would seem to have been a difficult sell, but with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt on board (in actor, rather than movie star mode) the film made well over $100-million worldwide. Another ambitious success, this one of blockbuster proportions, was THE TRUMAN SHOW, with Jim Carrey toning down his manic act in an expertly written, satirical look at a character whose life (unbeknownst to him) is a television show.

Fantasy also produced impressive resultsnone more impressive than the sleeper success of BABE, the excellent film about the little pig who went a long way. With an eye that captures a perfect fantasy world (real enough to believe, unreal enough to encompass the fantasy elements), this little masterpiece became easily one of the greatest films of the decade. Other interesting efforts included THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH, from John Sayles (the art house filmmaker who started his career writing horror scripts like THE HOWLING and ALLIGATOR); this engaging film almost hid its genre elements from the advertising, but they were well on view in the film itself, a charming tale of a human family whose ancestry is tied up with mysterious denizens of the deep.

Animation was another big trend. With BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Disney passed the magic blockbuster mark of $100-million for the first time. The film represented something of an artistic zenith for the company, which has since turned out several more financially successful pics without ever quite recapturing the magic. At any rate, other studios jumped on the trend, after Disney's two subsequent efforts, ALLADIN and THE LION KING, surpassed $200-million. We got likeable efforts like Fox's ANASTASIA, which stuck to the Disney formula. And we got rude and boisterous films that broke the mold, like BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA and SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, & UNCUT. Combing the trends of blockbuster animation and computer-generated imagery, John Lasseter's Pixar company, in tandem with Disney, served up TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2, not to mention A BUG'S LIFE. This also began a possible trend, with DreamWorks offering up their own entertaining CGI animated flick, ANTZ.

American wasn't the only country serving up animation. Several Japanese anime gems were imported to U.S. shores for limited releases. '80s efforts like UROTSUKI DOJI and WICKED CITY finally found their way to U.S. screens in the '90s. The former is a shock-a-thon like nothing you've ever seen in animation; although it's artistic value may be questioned by some, the X-rated sex and violence certainly attains its own kind of morbid poetry. Even better is WICKED CITY, which combines the sex-and-horror aesthetic (to a lesser degree) with a sharp edged film noir style and a science fiction storyline, creating a genuine masterpiece. Also impressive was THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, a nifty cyberpunk-style tale of artificial intelligence wanting to become flesh. Better than all of these, however, was Hayao Miyazaki's PRINCESS MONONOKE, sort of the high-class, art house alternative to POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE.

Another Eastern import was Fant-Asia: that is, fantasy swordplay films from Hong Kong. Beautiful movies like THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, THE SWORDSMAN, and GREEN SNAKE reached our shores and found audiences on the art house levelat least until 1997, when the colony reverted to Mainland China. Since then, some of the most talented practitioners of Hong Kong filmmaking have moved to the U.S., with varying degrees of success. Most impressive was John Woo, with FACE/OFF, a wonderful science fiction action-adventure film. And just when you thought Hong Kong itself had dried up as a source of entertaining imports, along came STORM RIDERS, a classic example of the Fant-Asia form, mixing romance and swordplay and sorcery with some impressive, U.S.-style CGI. And lest we forget the influence, remember that one of the elements that made THE MATRIX such a wonder to behold was its martial arts combat, which was choreographed by one of Hong Kong's master practitioners of the form.

The 1990s also saw the return of James Bond, now in the form of Pierce Brosnan. Audiences hungry for their fix flocked to see GOLDENEYE, even though it wasn't one of the better 007 pics, and continued enthusiastically to support TOMORROW NEVER DIES and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. The STAR TREK films said farewell to the original cast with THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, a moving swansong that really did make you wish for more. The NEXT GENERATION rather feebly tried to pick up the torch with GENERATIONS, but things got better with FIRST CONTACT and INSURRECTION.

Other quality efforts proved that there was still creativity to be mined in the genre, even if it didn't reach a big audience. STARSHIP TROOPERS and THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE were financial disappoints, considering the lavish budgets and high-priced talent, but they weren't bad movies. Even THE FIFTH ELEMENT had some zest to it, while the story problems were duly noted by both those who liked and disliked the movie. On a smaller level, David Cronenberg continued with interesting efforts like CRASH and EXISTENZ, but he was unable to break out of his artsy niche to reach the horror fans who had once blocked to see THE FLY and SCANNERS in the '80s. David Lynch likewise turned in one of his best efforts, LOST HIGHWAY, but the bizarre nature of the film turned off too many viewers, who didn't want to take another trip into the director's twisted world.

Other excellent films that deserved more success than they got included PI, CUBE, CRONOS. All were art house hits that delighted their small audiences, and hopefully they will lead to more work from their makers. To date, Guillermo Del Toro (CRONOS) has filmed MIMIC, a good but slightly anticlimactic effort, and PI's Darren Aronofsky may be next in line to helm a BATMAN feature; so far, now word on new projects from CUBE's Vincenzo Natale. Also impressive was the excellent DARK CITY, the follow-up from director Alex Proyas, whose film THE CROW had successfully merged elements of horror and comic book superheroes into a film that made Batman, the Dark Knight, seem positively cheerful by comparison.

Meanwhile, the Dark Knight's director, Tim Burton, made a dark, scary sequel to his 1989 hit, BATMAN. Unfortunately, BATMAN RETURNS turned off many viewers with its extreme stylization, in which individual scenes playing out the characters neurosis outweighed the overall plot structure. Burton fared better critically with EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, his charming fairy tale, and with his stop-motion production of A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, one of the most amazing achievements ever in fantasy cinema. His subsequent efforts (ED WOOD, MARS ATTACKS) proved less successful, leading to a curtailing of self-generated projects in favor of hiring himself out to direct SLEEPY HOLLOW, a poorly plotted horror story that survives on the strength of Burton's visual flair.

And of course horror came back to life with SCREAM, which led to sequels and rip-offs, all based on the idea of replaying old clichés for easy laughs. Fortunately, the joviality was counterbalanced by the most disturbing horror film of the decade, SEVEN, directed by David Fincher from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker. This was a film that again showed how effectively a good horror film can crawl under your skin and into your brain, generating genuine fear rather than simple screams. It wasn't the kind of film that was going to start any trends, however, despite its surprising success (conventional wisdom would have said the film was too dark to reach a big audience).

Fortunately, genuine horror did come back to life in the last year of the '90s, in wildly different forms. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT showed that low-budget, no-name indie films need not be destined for direct-to-video oblivion; they could reach blockbuster proportions if effectively marketed. And THE SIXTH SENSE proved that horror can reach more than just a cult audience, if the writing (courtesy of M. Night Shyamalan) creates drama and characters that involve viewers and draw them into the reality of the story. Then, when the horror finally hits, it hits big, thrilling like no mere simple shock ever could. It's a lesson that should be learned by the name practitioners of the genre, if they want to get off the video shelves and back into theatres.