The 100 Project: The Top 10 Movies of 1996

Looking back at the list of films I saw that were released in 1996, I have to say it was not a great cinematic year. Don't get me wrong, there are some really good movies that I return to again and again. Of course, those sit at the top of my list. Even with that, there is a wide gap between my number one and the rest of the list. For me, at least. No, I don't really care what you think. Hey, it's my list. Let's get to it.

My Top 10 Movies of 1996

• According to my Letterboxd account, I've watched 86 movies that were released in 1996. This is a new personal best, breaking my previous high of 80 from 1995.
• I went to see 13 movies in theaters. 4 of them make my top 10.
• I've only seen 2 of the 5 movies nominated for Best Picture. One makes my top ten with the other an honorable menion.
• 4 of my top 10 have a female protagonist.
• A documentary has made my list for the second time.

10. Don't be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

This is one of the last films where the Wayans brothers even tried for quality. It's a hood classic that spoofs the hood movies that were popular throughout the 90s. It borrows heavily from all the films referenced in its ridiculously long title, but does enough of its own thing to make it worthwhile. Put short, it's a comedy that steadily keeps me laughing.

9. Sling Blade

Billy Bob Thornton blows me away. I could stop there because he's that good. I know his name is all over the credits but he disappears so completely within the role it took me years to realize that this guy and Bad Santa are the same person. The film itself is engaging and comes to an uncomfortably satisfying conclusion.

8. Fargo

For the most part, I love films by the Coen brothers. This is definitely one of the ones I love. The colorful characters speaking great dialogue all perfectly fit ths world. Honestly, this would probably rank higher if I'd given it a rewatch. That said, the fact that I haven't watched it in over a decade and still put it here speaks volumes.

7. The Nutty Professor

Eddie Murphy does that thing where he plays everyone and is mesmerizing to watch. Admittedly, there are some narrative shortcomings, but Murphy is so entertaining I can't help but love it. The dinner scene, no matter how crass you might think it is, is one one of my all-time favorite movie moments. Him playing 4 different people in a scene with distinct mannerisms and speaking cadences and doing it in a way that puts a smile on my face is astounding.

6. Kingpin

This is the most underrated gem of 1996. It's Woody Harrelson being the main scumbag in a sea of scumbags with Randy Quaid, of all people, playing the one innocent in the group. Every frame of it works for me. Every person in the cast is hilarious, especially Harrelson, Bill Murray, and horror icon Lin Shaye. Whenever I put this on I laugh from the first minute to the last. And I secretly live in fear of being Munsoned.

5. A Time to Kill

I went to see this in theaters with my soon-to-be wife on one side and my sister on the other. Within the first 5 minutes they're both crying and I'm staring at the screen while trembling with anger. All the way through it was a gut-wrenching experience. At the end of the day, it's a White Savior movie, but it's such a good one I give it a pass. Besides, the phrase "Imagine she's White," is one of the most powerful pieces of dialogue ever said on film.

4. When We Were Kings

Muhammad Ali has been one of my heroes for as long as I can remember. This is a doc about one of his greatest victories, his knockout of George Foreman AKA The Rumble in the Jungle. It details how the fight came to be and the weeks the two fighters, and promoter Don King, spent in Zaire. Of course, there are politics and history involved. We get a look at how the locals viewed these men and how it affected them. It's an amazing story told in an amazing fashion. 

3. Set it Off

This movie provided me with another memorable theater experience, though for a very different reason than A Time to Kill. This time everyone in attendance was just having fun. I could sense people really into it right from the beginning. Throughout the movie, there were oohs, ahhs, gasps, and people talking directly to the characters on the screen. Sobbing was audible during the climactic scenes. In addition to all that, I genuinely thought it was a really good movie. For all of these reasons I keep returning to it. That moment comes rushing make to me as soon as I press play. 

2. The Long Kiss Goodnight

If I put on my critic's hat, I could pick this movie apart and be completely justified in doing so. What I can't deny, however, is no matter how many problems it has, I am flat out, head over heels, in love with this movie. I mean, if Mrs. Dell told me I had to choose between her and this movie, well, I'd choose my wife, but there'd be some serious contemplation before giving up Charly Baltimore and Mitch Henessey. And I can't even promise that I'd keep my promise. It's that much fun.

1. Scream

I love horror, especially slasher flicks. Perhaps that's a product of being raised by Jason, Freddy, and Michael. I also love well done spoofs. That might stem from all the teenage hours I spent watching and rewatching Young Frankenstein, The Naked Gun series, Hot Shots, and Airplane! Here's a movie that takes two genres I love and blends them together perfectly. It makes fun of slasher flicks for justifiable reasons, yet totally works as a slasher flick. It subverts the genre's tropes even while perpetuating them. This movie gets nothing less than my undying devotion. Sorry, Mrs. Dell. This is the one you should never give me an ultimatum on.

Honorable Mentions (alphabetically): 101 Dalmations, Basquiat, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Bound, The Craft, From Dusk Till Dawn, Get on the Bus, Jerry Maguire, The People vs. Larry Flynt, The Rock, Romeo + Juliet, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Trainspotting, Waiting for Guffman