Nostalgia for 80’s pop culture hit like a hurricane, it’s fair to say. Virtually everything from the decade was revisited by basic cable alone — on VH1, CNN, NatGeo, and others — including cherished movies from the decade. And there is no better place to start than at the movies. Whatever was burning up the box office — or flopping upon release with the biggest thud — always serves as a window into the zeitgeist of a time period.
The 90’s, however, feel like an untapped well of obscure finds. Just due is given to the likes of Titanic but they never fell off the radar. Relics (hint, hint) seemingly lost to the sands of time are what foster the real curiosity.
Rediscovery on VHS, DVD, or streaming services lately, and further reflection a generation later usually dictate something bygone and forgotten becoming lauded by a newfound following. With that, here are five interesting and inventive films deserving of cult status that movie buffs ought to be inspired to seek out.
Sidekicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8y3s2aJZr0
Barry (Jonathan Brandis) wants to learn martial arts so he can overcome his asthma and stand up for himself. He also fantasizes about going on secret missions with Chuck Norris to kick the bad guys’ butts. Norris later shows up to fight alongside Barry at a tournament.
Sidekicks operates on the Karate Kid premise with some action bromides thrown in but it’s interesting nonetheless. The ending is pretty meta, suggesting everything was part of the fantasies playing out in Barry’s head. That germ of an idea alone deserves further exploration, perhaps in a Reddit thread devoted to this kind of unsung oddity.
Indian in the Cupboard
Based on a book series by English children’s novelist Lynne Reid Banks, Indian in the Cupboard is the story of a boy named Omri, a plastic Indian figurine, and a magic cabinet with a key. Omri seals the Indian in there and he comes to life as the miniature Little Bear. As Omri lets more people in on his secret, more stuff is placed in the cupboard with the same results, naturally getting out of hand.
Why even today Indian in the Cupboard slips below the radar in a world dominated by Harry Potter, Tolkien, and Marvel characters is anyone’s guess. Restrained as it is and quaint as it might be, what happens when an awe-struck child discovers magic power and learns to use it through trial and error remains a quirky idea that can sell. The book is marred by controversy and this film version flopped, but there is still a lot offered up that would certainly pique interest among kids and some adults.
The Pagemaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-gJr7iU6kI
Macaulay Culkin stars as the fearful, nerdy kid who has no confidence until slipping and falling unconscious in a baroque library transports him to an animated world of literature and adventure guarded by the title character (Christopher Lloyd). He is joined on his journey through famous tomes by three novel companions of different genres — a pirate, a fairy, and a hunchback, all shaped like books.
In the end, Pagemaster is a Culkin vehicle but, similar to the previous entry, there is little reason this film can’t find new life in the age of JK Rowling. It’s a forerunner in many ways. Couple that with the ensemble cast (including also Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Stewart, and Leonard Nimoy), plus the directorial skill of First Avenger’s Joe Johnston, and you have a selection tailormade for cult fandom.
The Relic
A monster created by ancient Brazilian rituals is set free in a Chicago museum where it wreaks bloody havoc — decapitating and devouring the brain matter of its victims. Fortunately, Tom Sizemore is in the right frame of mind to be on the case.
Promos for this were plastered all over in ‘96 and ‘97; on the backs of comic covers and popcorn bags at some theaters. Beyond that, it’s not widely known despite its merits. The Relic boasts decent performances, suspenseful yet gloomy cinematography, a smart script, and visionary creature design by the legend Stan Winston.
Over 20 years hence, Relic’s ersatz Alien scenario in a museum manages to hold up.
Dark City
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a noirish world he doesn’t understand. He could have committed a murder but he can’t remember, and he is sought by strange Cenobite-like beings at the center of the madness. They reshape the world around him and gaslight everyone in it with the help of a beleaguered scientist (Kiefer Sutherland).
Dark City is another helping of brilliant postmodern sci-fi that tragically went unappreciated while it was out. The Matrix, which tackled many of the same themes and existential quandaries and also used some of the leftover sets, eclipsed it a year later.
Fortunately, the film received the Blu-Ray special-edition treatment a few years back, balancing the scales in its favor slightly. Two versions are on the disc — a dumbed-down theatrical version and the director’s cut — along with in-depth special features. The genius of Alex Proyas is on full dazzling display here and foreshadows the later work of the Wachowskis and Ridley Scott.
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