Being in my mid-50s I've now lived through 5 decades. I caught the very end of the 60s at my birth. I spent my formative years growing up in the 70s. Loathed the 80s throughout the entirety of my teenage years. My favorite decade hands down would be the 90s. I loved the fashion, the music (almost all of it, every genre), the nightclubs, and the entertainment. It tends to upset some people when I say this, but I feel as a civilization we peaked in the 90s. Yup, after September 11th, 2001, everything changed. That's a story for another day. September 11th left behind one of the best decades in history and it wasn't just the towers that came crashing down, so did the culture and everything that made us great IMHO. Now here comes some woke asshole that will say, "Oh yeah, was it great living in a racist culture full of hate". Well, I hate to break it to you, but we all seemed to get along just fine in the 90s. Sure, things weren't perfect but we seemed to be heading in the right direction. I just don't know what happened, I had such high hope for the new millennia. What a disappointment!
Like many my age, I take comfort in 90s nostalgia. It always brings a smile to my face. Instantly I recall the raves, the nightclubs, the parties, and all the fun times that decade brought with it. So many good times! When I discovered Netflix rebooted "That 70s Show" and made "That 90s Show" I had to check it out. Then going through my Amazon Prime feed I came across my favorite movie from that time, also rebooted, Clerks III. Yes, the guys from everyone's favorite convenience store in Jersey are back and psychoanalyzing their life choices over the last 20 years or so. So, I'll start with "That 90s Show" and move on to "Clerks III" . I also added one more movie at the end because I felt it kept with our 90s theme and was worthy of a mention.
That 90s Show
Netflix streaming
Image credit: Netflix screenshot
OK, I'm going to start with I was really high and drunk when I was watching That 90s Show. It was right after the Buffalo Bills got kicked out of the playoffs. I needed a good laugh after watching our hometown team have their ass handed to them. That 90s Show was the perfect selection. I'll start off by saying that I was a huge fan of "That 70s Show" which I watched all through the 90s. I'll try to shoot for very few spoilers here.
For those that haven't followed this series, "That 70s Show" is about a bunch of kids who hang out in Eric Forman's basement, smoke pot and do things people did in the 70s. That 90s Show is the next generation.
As you would expect, the cast of "That 70s Show" is all grown up. Eric Forman, Michael Kelso, Fez, and the rest of the gang are now with families and businesses of their own. Red and Kitty Forman (the parents) are now enjoying their retirement years. The basement they all hung out in was left exactly as it was on the day they grew up and stopped getting high in the Formans' basement. Eric and Donna (now married) visit Eric's mom and dad with their daughter, they now live out of town. The daughter meets some friends and decides to spend the summer with her grandparents. They're given the basement for the summer and the next generation of "That 70s Show" now becomes "That 90s Show".
(Spoiler Alert Here about a missing character)
So just about everyone from the old series makes an appearance in the new series. One of my favorite characters was Steven Hyde (played by Danny Masterson). As each character appeared throughout the series, I waited patiently for Hyde's appearance only to be disappointed. No Steven Hyde! What happened? I did a little research, and I'm guessing he was canceled. According to Wikipedia Masterson was arrested in 2020 and charged with 3 counts of forcible rape. The case was declared a mistrial in 2022 and a new trial is scheduled for 2023. I'm guessing they didn't want the stigma and bad publicity of the rape case to taint the series reboot so they just left Masterson's character out. I didn't even recall a mention of his character. Looks like Hyde got canceled. Bummer dude! Again, maybe a post for another day, but I thought we were innocent until proven guilty in this country. Just saying... I'll hop on the Hyde-bashing wagon after he's convicted thanks.
Not surprisingly, the new series leaves off pretty much where the old series did. The new generation hangs out in Forman's basement. They did find their parent's "stash" hidden in an old board game and get baked. They listen to alternative music, talk, joke, and smoke pot while doing all the things young people did back then. That's pretty much the plot.
I enjoyed this series a lot but felt it lacked 90s nostalgia. They nailed the fashion and music, but it just lacked IMHO. Still, I really did enjoy this one, it just wasn't my 90s. Then again, I was in my mid-20s and not a teenager in the 90s, so the teenage perspective is obviously different. So here we pretty much have 90s kids sitting in a basement smoking pot and doing 90s things. It was a fun romp through a nostalgia-filled decade IMHO. I enjoyed it and it kept me laughing through 10 episodes. We'll have to see if Netflix decides to carry another season. Online, reviews varied. Seems people either loved it or hated it. I might give this one another chance sober and see if I find it just as funny. My mental state at the time may have had something to do with my review so be warned.
Clerks III
Amazon Prime Rental
Image Credit: Amazon Prime Screenshot
If there is a movie that encapsulates the essence of the 90s perfectly, I think it would be Clerks. Directed by Kevin Smith in the 90s, his debut film. Shot with a budget of $27,000 in a convenience store and grossed over $4 million in theaters. The film has become a cult classic. The basic plot is just a day following Dante and Randall as they jockey a cash register at a convenience store and make fun of all the customers that come in and out of their lives on a daily basis.
Clerks II was them moving out of the convenience store and working in the fast-food industry at a restaurant called Mooby's. (spoiler alert for Clerks II) at the end of the movie Randall and Dante decide to pool their money together and buy the old convenience store they once worked at.
Image credit: My Funko NFT
Clerks III is back at the convenience store but everyone is now grown up.
I enjoyed Clerks III a lot but I was a HUGE fan of the original Clerks. I must have watched the original 100 times by now, and still laugh every time I watch it. This one wasn't filled with as much pop culture of the 90s as That 90s Show was. It was more of a look at Randall's and Dante's lives as they enter middle age and spent most of their lives at the convenience store.
Again, several characters from the old film make appearances. (small SPOILER ALERT) The video store Randall worked at is now closed and Jay and Silent Bob have turned it into a weed dispensary.
The cast of characters reminisces about old times and analyzes their lives as they enter middle age. I like the way this one looks at their attitudes now, all grown up. Now in their 50s, both Dante and Randall look back at their lives and the choices they've made.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but it ends on a sad note. Again, being in my 50s, I can relate. Life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. As sad as the movie ends it was filled with plenty of warm moments and as you'd expect lots of gut-busting laughter. I rented this one, but I should have bought it. I didn't think it was great, but being a huge fan of the original film, I enjoyed seeing their perspective from an adult's view. It also gave the characters closure. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Kids - Another Reboot Coming Soon?
Image credit: Google image search used under fair use.
Seeing we're talking about films that encapsulate the essence of the 90s, I have to mention Kids. One of the actors in this movie is a very young Rosario Dawson. I believe this was her big break. That's right before she played Dante Hick's girlfriend in Clerks II she got her big break from another independent film called Kids. The film basically followed a bunch of NYC party kids around for a couple of weeks and filmed it. Most of the adults who saw the film were horrified because they couldn't believe kids were living this way. The story follows a bunch of kids around New York City as they skate, rave, club, have sex, and do drugs. Seriously, at the height of the rave/party scene in NYC in the 90s, this movie wasn't that far off. Pretty much nailed it!
I mention this because it was Rosario Dawson's big break. She also makes an appearance in Clerks III. I only bring this up because rumor has it, they're trying to do a reboot of Kids also. I'd actually be interested to see where some of these folks are. Because the film originally used real kids, and some of these kids were real badasses. A close friend who lived in NYC grew up with a couple of them. He often hung out in the park where "the kids" skated. I guess he was pretty close with a couple of them. I heard one of the problems with the reboot is that a couple of the key characters are now either dead, in jail, or suffering substance abuse issues. DYOR on that one though.
Image credit: iMDB
Just looking at this image brings a huge smile to my face. New York City in the 90s.
Final Thoughts
I love the 90s! If I could go back in time, I'd love to wake up in that crappy one-bedroom apartment living above the hardware store in North Buffalo. God, I hated that place back then. Such a simpler time though. If you would tell the 1990s me what to expect in the 2020s, I'd laugh in your face and not believe it. Yet, here we are.
The 90s were a much simpler time. These three films encapsulate the 90s perfectly or at least being young in the 90s. I had such high hopes for the new millennium, what a disappointment. I think that's why I resonated so well with Clerks III, it's kind of a look back at how things sometimes don't turn out how we expect them to. It was also a fun look back at a previous era, a simpler time, the dawning of the technological era before everyone had a mobile phone in their hands 24 hours a day.
That 90s Show was a fun romp through the pop culture of 90s fashion and music. I also enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters (except Hyde) all grown up. I enjoyed both of these a lot. Honestly, though, I think it's the nostalgia of an era past that I really enjoyed more than anything. I think that can be said for both shows.
As far as Kids are concerned. I'd love to see a reboot. We know where Rosario Dawson ended up, I'd love to know what happened to the rest of them.
If you're a fan of the 90s, I'd highly recommend both of these films Clerks III and That 90s Show. Honestly, though, I don't think any of the re-boots really come close to the originals. With that said, Clerks and Kids were two really great movies that perfectly capture the essence of being young and dumb in the 1990s! I hate to say it, but my 90s were more like that of the Kids. The era was a blur of nightclubs, concerts, music festivals, raves, and designer drugs. As far as That 90s Show, I think it shows a more innocent time of that decade, Kids captured the gritty harsh reality.
Never watched Kids, but it does sound like a must-see so thanks for mentioning it.
For some reason I always thought of Columbine High School shooting/massacre (for which Marilyn Manson, an artist not associated with rave culture imo, got scapegoated too) as the first evident sign things with hate were bad, and weren't really going in the right direction...
That about sums it up. They try to put the blame everywhere but the fact that EVERYTHING is just screwed up. We're having a serious mental health crisis in this country. That's the only place to point the finger!
Ha ha ha!
I can't believe it! 😆😅😆
I was born in 1958 and...
Grew up in Clerks Land, that's right -
Middletown NJ, even worse...
I rented a house with my step brother right up the street from where Clerks was shot,.in
"Leonardo NJ" - a part of Middletown!
It's always wild when that area gets brought up, back in the day!
Actually I may be moving back there...🤔🙄🤷🏼♀️
Have a Amazing Mid-Week, and Thanks for the memories!
That's awesome. That film has to bring back a lot of memories for you then.
I grew up in a neighborhood just like that. I think that's why so many people resonated with that film, it was relatable and fun on so many levels.
!BEER
Thank You, and Yes for sure!
I watch Jay and Silent Bob 🤭 movies and there is so much I recognize!
Like in Dogma... A lot of Red Bank NJ there! I tell people that is where I grew up and they don't believe it!
Thanks Again @bit-coin-dood and have a Amazing Thursday!
🙋🏻♀️✨🌄✨🙋🏻♀️
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Nice list
!1UP
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
I haven't watch yet "That 90's Show", so I can`t say much about it. But, if it has (just) the half of the quality (script mostly) I'm sure it would be astonishing. However, "Kids" is shocking and just brilliant. My God, @the-bitcoin-dood, thank for unblocking that memory. Very good post, friend.
I love when I come across a post that jogs my memory of something long forgotten. Happy to be of service.
but NO Hyde?! :( i don't know.. maybe i'll give it a try if i see it somewhere..
No Hyde. I was bummed too, he was one of my favorite characters.
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