The tv station Turner Classic Movies airs, and premieres with the first film Gone with the Wind (introduced by Robert Osborne). The Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) is founded in response to the hearings (name changed to the Entertainment Software Association in 2003); the IDSA founds the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in order to self-regulate content in video games in the mold of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system. Netscape Communications founded as Mosaic Communications. Chuck Jones found guilty of breaking into beauty queen Marla Maples’ home. Plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down by surface-to-air missiles, abruptly ending peace negotiations and sparking the Rwandan Genocide. Smoking banned in Pentagon & all US military bases. Arsenio Hall announces he will end his late-night TV talk show in May 1994. Rodney King awarded $3,800,000 compensation by the Los Angeles County for his police beating. US Supreme Court outlaws excluding people from juries because of gender. Libertarian party nominates Howard Stern for Governor of NY. 14″ of snow in Southern California. 1st day of voting in first ever multi-racial elections in South Africa, Dr Nomaza Paintin in NZ is 1st black South African to vote. Physicists announce first evidence of the top quark subatomic particle. Aldrich Ames, former CIA officer and his wife Rosario plead guilty to spying for the Soviet Union and Russia.
Music
Honorable mentions:
- Rodan: Rusty
- Roxette: Crash! Boom! Bang!
- Hole: Live Through This
- Rollins Band: Weight. Henry Rollins.
- Stina Nordenstam: And She Closed Her Eyes. Nice soothing voice.
- Superchunk: Foolish
- Pulp: His ‘n’ Hers
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Let Love In
Milla Jovovich: The Divine Comedy (5)
I didn’t know this actress was also a singer.
The Offspring: Smash (8)
Globally bringing punk rock mainstream, for better or worse. Either way, this is one of their albums with tracks I actually like. You’ve probably heard Gotta Get Away, and Self Esteem. If you haven’t heard those, you’ve definitely heard Come Out and Play; one of the definitive 90s tracks. Album of the month.
Leon Redbone: Whistling In The Wind (12)
It’s less that this is my kind of music and more that I admire the hell out of anyone who can pull off old-fashioned style music like this.
Terrorvision: How to Make Friends and Influence People (18)
Not bad.
Johnny Cash: American Recordings (26)
The Smithereens: A Date with The Smithereens (26)
Gotti. Though some of the beats are too similar between some tracks.
Sixpence None the Richer: The Fatherless and the Widow (26)
Live: Throwing Copper (26)
You know this band from the hit single I Alone.
Movies
Honorable mentions:
- Clifford. Has nothing to do with the big red dog. I know this has a reputation of being misunderstood, and actually being a good film when you consider certain things. But I still found it too annoying for my tastes.
- The House of the Spirits. Underage nudity and copping a feel on a pre-teen? Well that makes this the 6th movie of the 90s pulling that shtick of sexual moments between minors and adults. 1994 is really picking up the slack from the prior years in this regard. That aside, the movie itself wasn’t all that interesting, and it didn’t come together as well as it should’ve.
- Holy Matrimony. The film is just mediocre forgettable stuff, for the most part. It’s about a young Amish kid (or something) who marries an adult woman, for reasons. And yet that film doesn’t even approach the minor-adult sexual stuff of the prior flick. To the point where I argue it doesn’t really have any. Sure there’s this moment where the kid sees the woman nude (not shown to the camera), but that’s petty stuff by comparison. I’m just amazed that, in spite of the plot’s basis, it’s a fairly harmless movie.
- Brainscan. A little boring, and it has a major copout ending. The whole stupid, “It was all a dream,” twist. That being said, it does have some nice music, and a room that every 90s kid wishes he had.
- Surviving the Game. Just watch Hard Target instead, even if it’s the U.S. theatrical cut. Though in all fairness, the film does start to get interesting after the first half hour, when they have their initial meet and greet at the cabin. But after that…
- Bad Girls. More bullshit feminist propaganda, in the old west, like that Ballad of Little Joe flick (this is more shameless).
- Chasers. Meh road trip movie.
- The Inkwell. It’s ok.
- The Favor. Maybe it’s because it’s a chick flick, but this really didn’t do it for me. In fact, there were moments where I thought it was despicable (fantasizing about her husband dying so she can make out with a hotter guy).
- With Honors. Wasn’t interesting. Could’ve worked if the homeless character was better written (and played by someone other than Joe Pesci).
Leprechaun 2 (8)
Improvement over the first film. Nice fun tongue-in-cheek horror film.
Red Rock West (8)
Actually pretty good noir thriller starring Nicolas Cage. Film of the month.
Threesome (8)
This film is better than it has a right to be. Surprisingly well-done comedy-drama. Plus Josh Charles and Stephen Baldwin reunite in another movie (the previous one being Crossing the Bridge from 1992).
Serial Mom (13)
The satire in this film is great. I went into this expecting a film that bashes on the 50s culture and lifestyle. Well, it doesn’t do that exactly, at least not to the anticipated extent. Sure it pokes fun at some 50s stuff, but I’d say it’s less about deconstructing the innocent 1950s and more about showcasing its downfall. The serial mom murders anyone who doesn’t adhere to strict 1950s conduct, but the present day climate also actively cheers this on; celebrating the violence done to the aspects of that time period. The film showcases the dangers of radical excess on both sides: a fanatical baby boomer mother; and the later 80s/90s generation that’s all about anarchy, protesting “the system,” worship of the crude attitudes and clothing styles, and some radical feminism thrown in for good measure. By the end, both sides have corrupted and ruined the society they live in, where no meaningful order and justice can be had.
That, and this is a role Kathleen Turner is actually suited for.
Backbeat (15)
Film about the Beatles’ early days, when they were just getting started. Like most autobiographies, the historical stuff is on the sketchy side. Plus there’s the whole issue of them sounding about as much like the Beatles as Gary Busey sounds like Buddy Holly. But on its own, the movie really isn’t all that bad. I did find it amusing how much more energetic they got when they started getting on drugs (instead of food) when they were starving, and how that affected their musical performance. Also nice to see at least one Beatles film that didn’t entirely buy into that alleged gay relationship.
No Escape (29)
An overlooked action film that is actually pretty damn entertaining. Seriously, it should stand with the best of the 90s action flicks. The only reason it doesn’t is because the finale is just so-so, and it doesn’t have enough to it to make it better than a B action flick. But it’s a damn entertaining B action flick. If you just want surface level entertainment, they don’t get much better than this.
PCU (29)
I don’t know how it is I couldn’t have heard about, let alone seen, this movie before. This film blatantly highlights politically correct culture infesting a college campus, how far the schools have fallen, and how there’s a group for protesting anything. And it makes a point that having all these different things to protest about is what ultimately divides the students so that they can easily be handled by the administration (divide and conquer). Sure it dresses this up as a typical 90s comedy, which is probably why it wasn’t a hit back then for the same reason Bonfire of the Vanities, Ladybugs, and Demolition Man weren’t hits. It was ahead of it’s time, and unfortunately prophetic; which makes this film more relevant (and dare I say necessary) today. A surprising highlight of the month, and of the year, so it gets an honorary mention while I can’t give it movie of the month (if for no other reason then, as is typical, the old-school frat boys are portrayed as dumbasses and assholes, and not in a way that puts them on the same level as everyone else).
When a Man Loves a Woman (29)
Don’t let the (misleading) title fool you. This is a hard-hitting film with some hard-hitting dialogue about alcoholism. Much better than I was expecting, even if it’s still carrying on that typical BS trope with the helpful black doc/nurse routine ala Regarding Henry. Plus that well-meaning Asian minority nanny. Plus I’m not a fan of the husband having to leave the house once they try to reconcile (even though he didn’t really do anything wrong). I also have a feeling the sequence with the couple talking to a psychiatrist was ripped off in that movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Games
Honorable mentions:
- NBA Action ’94 (Genesis)
- Pete Sampras Tennis (Genesis)
- Heimdall (Sega-CD, PC [1991])
- Ballz 3D (SNES, Genesis, 3DO). A fighting game, with ballz.
- Legend (SNES). Not as good as the other beat-em-ups this month.
- Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day (SNES)
- Fatal Fury 2 (SNES, Genesis [1994], Arcade [December 1992]). Wait for the Special.
Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters (April; Arcade, Sega-CD [November], Genesis [May])
Grind Stormer (April, Genesis, Arcade [1993])
Not that bad of a shmup, but the arcade version is better.
Streets of Rage 3 (April; Genesis)
The final Streets of Rage game of the 16-bit era. Not as good as the 2nd one, arguably too difficult, but it’s still got charm, interesting characters, and fun moments. That being said, it’s best if you find a way to play the Japanese version of the game, Bare Knuckle 3, as it’s far better than the American version.
Vay (15; Sega-CD)
Too much grind. But other than that…
Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics (April; SNES)
The King of Dragons (April; SNES, Arcade [September 10, 1991])
First of the beat-em-ups that came out on the SNES this month, which has a superior arcade counterpart.
Knights of the Round (April; SNES, Arcade [November 27, 1991])
2nd beat-em-up.
Liberty or Death (April; SNES, Genesis, PC [1993])
Consider this a thinly veiled learning tool.
SOS (April/June; SNES)
Interesting, a bit on the ambitious side. Basically The Poseidon Adventure, the game.
Time Trax (April; SNES)
Huh, I wasn’t expecting this to be decent.
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (April; SNES, PC [1988])
Super Metroid (18; SNES)
Legendary. Iconic. Not just one of the greatest SNES games ever made, it’s one of the best videogames ever made. It put the “Metroid” in “Metroidvania.” If there’s any issue I have with this game, it’s that I wish the wall jumps were easier to pull off. Game of the month.
The Horde (April; 3DO, PC, Sega Saturn [1995])
The wackiness, how unique it is for a tower defense game, plus Kirk Cameron. Almost didn’t highlight this because it needed work on the interface to make it less needlessly frustrating. But, I mean…
Iron Angel of the Apocalypse (9; 3DO)
Man. The games the 3DO is putting out this month. What they lack in good/smooth gameplay they make up for in strange/surreal.
Raptor: Call of the Shadows (April; PC)
Traffic Department 2192 (30; PC)
Interesting, with a story.
Sid Meier’s Colonization (1994; PC)
As much as I’d like to give this game of the month, I’m not sure which month in 1994 this actually came out. But make no mistake, this will make the list for highlights of 1994.
Battle Isle 2200 (1994; PC)
aka Battle Isle 2.
Panzer General (1994; PC, 3DO [1995], PSX [1996])
The game that breathed new life into the historical wargame genre.
Shows
Sister, Sister (1; ABC -> WB)
Believe it or not, I used to watch, and enjoy, this show back in the day.
…
Correction, I still find it enjoyable.
Christy (3; CBS)
South Central (5; Fox)
More serious than you would expect. Only lasted 10 episodes.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast (15; Cartoon Network)
Fuck Conan O’Brien, fuck David Letterman, fuck Johnny Carson, and fuck Larry Sanders. This is the definitive Talk Show series in the history of television.
In all seriousness, this is the show the set the standard for what would be the norm on Adult Swim (when that became a thing on Cartoon Network), let alone being the first original program on the channel. It requires a bit of patience to get into; clearly a show that doesn’t take itself seriously. The host with the most just acts like a dick the entire time, and isn’t very good at his job. But the more I watched it, the more I got into it. Eventually, some episodes come around that are just laugh out loud hilarious (as opposed to just offering some smirks). For instance, the episode with Mike Judge, probably the most hilarious episode out there.
And if you stick with the show long enough, you may find the last couple seasons quite interesting. The series decides to stop caring about pleasing the audience (or at least making a strong effort in doing so, however strong you think the effort was up to that point) and just starts to flat-out troll the viewers. Basically doing an episode to laugh at themselves at the expense of the viewer. But if you stuck with it long enough, you’ll be expecting that, and be completely in on the joke. And the series is so sincere and uncompromising in its vision, that it just works. Hopefully it will work for you (if not, then you’ll probably get enough laughs out of the Mike Judge episode).
Show of the month.
All That (16; Nickelodeon)
The definitive kids sketch comedy show of the 90s. I was in love with this show back in the day. Today, well, despite still being a kid at heart, I’ve outgrown this stuff. But for the kids of today, hopefully that’s another story.
Dennis Miller Live (22)
Speaking of talk shows…
Edit (4-6-2024): Removed Final Fantasy III from Games (that didn’t get released on the SNES in the USA until October 1994).
The Anomalous Host 