PBS repackages their existing children’s programs as a new block called PTV. The deadliest day in Texas traffic history (July 3), according to the Texas Department of Public Safety; forty-six people killed in crashes. Amazon.com founded in Bellevue, Washington by Jeff Bezos. The United States announces it will no longer accept unrestricted immigration from Haiti. UN votes 12-0 (2 abstentions) to authorize use of force against Haiti. Tonya Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly sentenced to 2 years in prison for attack on American Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Hundreds of thousands of Hutus flee to Zaire in the Congo near the end of the Rwandan Genocide. Crayola announces introduction of scented crayons. Jordan and Israeli end 46 year state of war (Washington, D.C.). Baseball players decide to strike on Aug 12, 1994. Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers throws the only perfect game in franchise history, against the California Angels. 200,000 Muslims demand the death of feminist writer Taslima Nasrin in Bangladesh. American minister and anti-abortionist Paul Jennings Hill murders Dr. John Britton and Britton’s bodyguard, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Barrett, outside of an abortion clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Jesse Timmedequas rapes and murders Megan Kanka, 7 (results in Megan’s Law).
Music
Honorable mentions:
- the Prodigy: Music for the Jilted Generation
- Mountain Goats: Zopilote Machine. Pleasant for lo-fi.
- Deee-Lite: Dewdrops in the Garden
- Downset: downset.
- L7: Hungry for Stink
- Amorphis: Tales from the Thousand Lakes. Not too bad, for death metal.
- Powderfinger: Parables for Wooden Ears
- Jamie Foxx: Peep This. Just letting you know this exists. Yes, that Jamie Foxx.
Wolfstone: Year of the Dog (1)
Some Celtic Rock.
Hootie & the Blowfish: Cracked Rear View (5)
Debut of this famous band. I mainly know them from the track Only Wanna be with You.
Magnapop: Hot Boxing (5)
Lay it Down.
The Reverend Horton Heat: Liquor in the Front (5)
A decent number of tracks make for good background music.
Helloween: Master of the Rings (8)
The Perfect Gentlemen is a fun one. The whole album is great.
Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge (11)
Grassroots: 311 (12)
This is the sort of thing that can convince me rap can be entertaining to listen to. You just have to give it a metal injection.
Alice Cooper: The Last Temptation (12)
The Watchmen: In the Trees (13?)
Overkill: W.F.O. (15)
One of the very few thrash metal bands I currently enjoy.
Marilyn Manson: Portrait of an American Family (19)
Yep. This is where Marilyn Manson’s debut album released.
Newsboys: Going Public (26)
Well ok, just because of Shine.
Fates Warning: Inside Out (26)
A pleasant progressive metal. For those who want a metal fix that’s more on the soft side.
Bruce Dickinson: Balls to Picasso (26)
Cyclops. Tears of the Dragon. As tempted as I am to give album of the month to Manson, this has the best singles of all the albums this month, at least as far as I’m personally concerned. Such good stuff, and an improvement over his last album. I’m kinda glad he separated from Iron Maiden for a while if this is the kind of stuff he put out.
Movies
Other mentions:
- The Client. Probably being too harsh not giving this a highlight, but this film didn’t do anything interesting for me. It could be that I read the novel before seeing the movie, and realized how inferior the film adaptation is by comparison, but even the novel I thought was mediocre (especially with how the 3rd act played out).
- Baby’s Day Out. I can’t do it; this movie is too stupid.
- That’s Entertainment! III. It’s fine for those interested in a documentary about this sort of thing (old-school musicals).
- North. For a while, it seemed like this movie was working. Sure it was ridiculous and unrealistic, but it seemed to work with the type of satire and message it was going for. Then the ending twist comes and fucks it all up. The film is also very kosher (ie a lot of jewish people in this), with a surprise cameo by exercise guru Gilad himself. Also has some perverted (as a joke) elements that are a bit disturbing if you think outside the box (just that Hawaii moment alone, let alone the “loosen his pants” bit in the first act).
- Lassie. I want to like this movie, I really do. But it’s a bit painful to get into with the first act (the kid’s an asshole, and some stupid shit happens). The typical cornball but warmhearted stuff in the middle act is fine and all. But then comes the finale, with the whole forced “the dog’s dead, but not really” bit that annoys the fuck out of me. I mean, how hard did they even look for her? Did they even try? There’s too many little irritations in this film preventing me from giving it a highlight. But, honestly, for a kid flick you want to distract the youngsters with, you could do worse.
Blown Away (1)
This is by all accounts a typical action thriller. But Tommy Lee Jones just hams up his role to the point where it elevates everything.
The Shadow (1)
You know, it’s kind of surprising the amount of superhero-like films the 90s came up with that are solid on their own merits. Darkman, The Crow, and now this.
Forrest Gump (6)
Fuck this movie. It may seem like a solid enough classic drama/comedy with sincerity and heart and innocence to it. But that’s a facade. This fucking movie is a lot more deviant and malicious than you think. If you analyze it seriously, with the stuff it has, with the theme/message it contains. It’s that the film presents itself as good-natured when that’s only it’s disguise. It’s a film that discourages doing things of your own accord (even Pee Wee’s Big Adventure encouraged that message), and just go with the flow of everything that happens in life. Far from the worst message it promotes, it would require an in-depth review/analysis to do the legit criticisms aimed against the film justice, but that’s just one example. Like Pleasantville (another malicious piece of shit that will come out a few years later). Like Schindler’s List, I unfortunately have to give this film of the month due to the cultural impact this had, plus the famous, “Run Forrest run!” line. That and, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”
I sincerely believe this is the most overrated movie in existence.
Angels in the Outfield (15)
I don’t care what people say, I find this superior to the original film. The original is a bit on the dull side for me. This gives it more energy. It may be more Disney-fied and diversified, but it’s still one of the more entertaining live action Disney kid flicks the 90s had to offer.
True Lies (15)
Some consider this to be James Cameron’s last good movie, if you don’t count Titanic or Avatar (both of which have their haters for completely different reasons).
Dragonworld (21)
Not to be confused with Dragonheart. Honestly, for what this is (on a lower budget), it’s really not that bad. It’s by-the-numbers with the plot, but it’s a decent enough modern dragon movie where some rich corpo wants to exploit the dragon to entertain the masses. It’s basically Free Willy, but with a dragon instead of an orca.
Doomsday Gun (23; HBO)
Another solid HBO production based on true events. Wish made for tv films were still this good consistently. It did sort of distance itself from blaming the Israelis as prime suspects at the end for the assassination, but I don’t think it matters all that much in the end. It’s pretty cool to see international powers having an interest in this, how they generally act. The film doesn’t really attempt to answer much of the questions that are brought up, and that’s a good thing.
Barcelona (29)
Somehow this drama managed to not seem all that condescending to me, even with the type of dialogue it contains.
Black Beauty (29)
Not bad.
It Could Happen To You (29)
A “feel good” movie that actually promotes decency without coming off as pretentious (at least for the most part, which is enough). Basically the kind of thing The Butcher’s Wife tried to be but failed at. This film surprised me.
The Mask (29)
Didn’t realize Jim Carry made the jump to this so quickly. This is a fun energetic comedy where Carry once again brings his a-game. Honestly, this might be his best role (though not his best movie), because he was made for this. I can’t picture anyone else doing this role better than him.
Roswell (29; Showtime)
A nice little movie dramatizing what happened at Roswell when that alien craft crash-landed. Consider this a primer for the whole rabbit whole of extraterrestrial stuff.
Games
Other mentions:
- Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (SNES)
- Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (SNES). There were a few different console (and arcade) versions that got released.
- Ultraverse Prime (1994; Sega-CD)
- Universe (1994; PC)
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors (July; Arcade, Playstation [1996])
The start of this hidden gem of a fighting franchise. Not the best rendition of it, but it’s a good start.
The Jungle Book (July; Genesis, SNES)
The commercial for this game is fucking great. The game itself isn’t bad either, aside from the Kaa level where you’re wandering the maze in the trees. Oh, and the Sega version is better.
Super Godzilla (July; SNES)
Interesting. Wouldn’t say it’s great, but it is interesting.
F1 ROC II: Race of Champions (July; SNES)
It’s an F-Zero knockoff. But knockoffs of that game can be fun.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter (July; PC)
Game of the month. Probably the best Star Wars videogame released at that point in time.
Mystic Towers (15; PC)
Lords of the Realm (1994; PC)
It’s good, but the sequel is better.
Pizza Tycoon (1994; PC)
The Clue! (1994; PC, Amiga)
Amiga version is more tolerable in regards to the music.
Shows
Thunderbirds (2 or 9; Fox Kids)
You have to understand, this series wasn’t created and originally released at this time. It was originally a 1960s show made and shown in the UK. It wasn’t until now that it aired in the U.S., for children, with new music and voice-overs. It’s a classic puppetry series, and it’s show of the month. Not that it had any competition this month anyway.
The Anomalous Host 