Tag: 1996

Summer 1996: The Top Ten Hits and More

Well, it’s officially summertime and that means on this blog of mine, I recount the top ten movie hits of the season from 10 years ago and today… 20 years ago. When it comes to the film that ruled summer 1996, there’s a major connection to a sequel coming this very weekend…

As I have in years past, I’ll count down the top ten and then also mention some other notable pics, as well as big old flops. Let’s get to it…

10. The Cable Guy

Domestic Gross: $60 million

It may have managed to place in the top 10, but The Cable Guy (with its darker tones than any of his previous material) was considered to be Jim Carrey’s first flop. This was coming after a quintet of hits that included Ace Ventura and its sequel, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Batman Forever. Critics and audience didn’t know what to make of this Ben Stiller directed effort at first, but it’s since gained a deserved cult following.

9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Domestic Gross: $100 million

It couldn’t match the earnings of previous 90s Disney animated fare like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, or Pocahontas and it isn’t talked about too much anymore, but the studio did manage to get this to the century club… barely.

8. Eraser

Domestic Gross: $101 million

Arnold Schwarzenegger had his first major flop in summer 1993 with Last Action Hero and rebounded the following season in 1994 with True Lies. Action thriller Eraser falls somewhere in the middle. It did pretty well, but critics and audiences were a bit ambivalent.

7. Phenomenon

Domestic Gross: $104 million

John Travolta was still riding high on the momentum of Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, and Broken Arrow and that continued with this fantasy drama that also included the Eric Clapton hit “Change the World”.

6. A Time to Kill

Domestic Gross: $108 million

John Grisham was a serious box office commodity when Kill hit, directed by Joel Schumacher (doing his second adaptation after 1994’s The Client). The all-star cast that included Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kevin Spacey helped and this gave mainstream audiences their first exposure to Mr. Matthew McConaughey.

5. The Nutty Professor

Domestic Gross: $128 million

After a trio of bombs (The Distinguished Gentleman, Beverly Hills Cop III, Vampire in Brooklyn), Eddie Murphy experienced a huge comeback with this remake of the Jerry Lewis comedy. It also kicked off a series of family friendly titles that gave Eddie a second wind in his filmography.

4. The Rock

Domestic Gross: $134 million

Fresh off his Oscar win for Leaving Las Vegas, Nicolas Cage parlayed that buzz into the action genre in this Michael Bay directed Alcatraz shoot-em-up with Sean Connery and Ed Harris. This one’s pretty good. Much of what would follow from Cage? Not so much.

3. Mission: Impossible

Domestic Gross: $180 million

Tom Cruise got his franchise and it started here with Brian De Palma’s rendering of the 1960s TV series. Ethan Hunt and his cohorts are still rolling today.

2. Twister

Domestic Gross: $241 million

Jan De Bont followed up Speed with this high-priced disaster pic starring Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and that infamous flying cow.

  1. Independence Day

Domestic Gross: $306 million

Moviegoers loved their destruction in summer 1996 and they saw the White House and plenty of other landmarks blown to smithereens in this alien invasion extravaganza from Roland Emmerich. This was what really made Will Smith a superstar – so much so that he isn’t bothering with the long gestating sequel, out this Friday.

Something that struck me about those 10 highest grossing pictures? Not one sequel. Try getting away with that these days…

And now for some other notable movies in the hot months of ’96:

Kingpin

Domestic Gross: $25 million

The Farrelly Brothers followed up their smash hit Dumb and Dumber with this bowling comedy starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and a glorious Bill Murray. It flopped upon release but has since gained a devoted following.

Trainspotting

Domestic Gross: $16 million

This British import was an indie fave of the season and gave American audiences their first big exposure to both director Danny Boyle and its star Ewan McGregor. A sequel is coming in 2017.

And now – the flops of the summer and there were many:

Dragonheart

Domestic Gross: $51 million

This fantasy adventure starring Dennis Quaid and the voice of Sean Connery couldn’t make its $57 million budget back domestically and critics were lukewarm.

Striptease

Domestic Gross: $33 million

Critics and audiences alike didn’t shell out their dollar bills for this Demi Moore “comedy” set in the world of strip clubs.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Domestic Gross: $27 million

This massive flop gave us Marlon Brando at his most bizarre in this doomed adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel. Do yourself a favor and read about the making of for this project. It’s considerably more entertaining than the picture itself.

Escape from L.A.

Domestic Gross: $25 million

Sixteen years after the well-received Escape from New York, this sequel reuniting director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell was mostly ignored.

Chain Reaction

Domestic Gross: $21 million

Keanu Reeves had a smash with Speed two summers before. Director Andrew Davis made the Oscar nominated The Fugitive three summer prior. Putting the two together for this stale action thriller was met with yawns.

Kazaam

Domestic Gross: $18 million

A few months before basketball fans turned out in droves for Michael Jordan and Space Jam, they said no thanks to Shaquille O’Neal’s entry onto the silver screen. Charles Barkley still gives him hell for it on “Inside the NBA”.

The Fan

Domestic Gross: $18 million

Between two major hits with 1995’s Crimson Tide and 1998’s Enemy of the State, Tony Scott had this bomb starring Robert De Niro as a baseball nut stalking favorite player Wesley Snipes.

The Phantom

Domestic Gross: $17 million

Comic books adaptations hadn’t quite hit their stride yet during the mid 1990s, as evidenced here with Billy Zane as the title character that couldn’t even earn half its $45 million budget.

The Frighteners

Domestic Gross: $16 million

This horror action comedy is the last major starring role for Michael J. Fox before he turned his attention back to TV and “Spin City”. This failed with moviegoers, but the director would go on to bigger things. His name? Peter Jackson.

Barb Wire

Domestic Gross: $3 million

Here’s another comic adaptation you don’t think of much – this ill-fated Pamela Anderson vehicle that proved audiences liked her better on the beach… or in other videos you didn’t have to pay for.

And that does it, folks! Your recap of summer 1996. I’ll be back next week talking about 2006…

 

Top Ten Summer Music Hits of 1996: A Look Back

As I do in the summer on this sweet blog o’ mine, we take you back 30 years and 20 years and 10 years recounting the top ten summer hits of those years. Last week, we kicked it off with the jams of 1986… they’re here if you didn’t catch it…

https://toddmthatcher.com/2016/05/26/top-ten-summer-music-hits-of-1986-a-look-back/

This week – it’s 1996 and the songs that were playing on your fancy car CD player (or if you were like me, portable CD player into your tape deck) during those hot months some two decades ago. As with the previous entry, you’ll get track my rating to 0 (total summer bummer) to 10 (hot summer fire) and whether or not said track populates my iTunes.

Let’s get to it!

10. “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis

This Welsh singer and one-hit wonder had this poppy concoction that got stuck in all our heads. Catchy? Yes. Eventually annoying? Kind of. Sorta forgettable? Little bit.

My Rating: 6 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? No

9. “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion

Produced by David Foster and penned by Diane Warren, this is one of Ms. Dion’s most well-known power ballads and for good reason. Her vocals are soaring, as ever. This was actually a giant hit in the spring of 1996 from the soundtrack to the Robert Redford/Michelle Pfeiffer weepie Up Close and Personal and its staying power bled over to the summer months.

My Rating: 8

Is It On My iTunes? No

8. “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

Now we’re talking! Mariah’s had tons of pop gems, but this Jermaine Dupri produced track from her Daydream album has always rivaled “Fantasy” as my very favorite. It’s just a fantastically constructed song that represents the best of 90s R&B.

My Rating: 10

Is It On My iTunes: Yes (doo-doo-doo…)

7. “Twisted” by Keith Sweat

Mr. Sweat experienced a major career resurgence in the mid-90s and “Twisted” is the memorable and silky slow jam that kicked it off.

My Rating: 8 and a half

Is It On My iTunes: Yes

6. “C’Mon Ride It (The Train)” by Quad City DJ’s

One of the highlights of the jock jam craze of the decade, Florida group Quad City DJ’s capitalized in a huge way with this track. Built for sporting events, weddings, and looking stupid dancing in your car, it’s undeniably stays with you.

My Rating: 8

Is It On My iTunes? No

5. “How Do U Want It” by 2Pac featuring K-Ci & JoJo

With an assist on the chorus from Jodeci’s K-Ci & JoJo, “How Do U Want It” was 2Pac’s mainstream R&B tinged rap smash that hit it big the summer before his untimely passing. It’s not one of my very top songs from his magnificent All Eyez on Me album, but it’s still pretty great.

My Rating: 9

Is It On My iTunes? Yes

4. “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman

Eight years after her hit “Fast Car”, Tracy Chapman released the biggest song of her career with this – a perfectly pleasant bluesy ditty.

My Rating: 7 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? No

3. “Tha Crossroads” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

The Cleveland rappers rose up to new heights with their rapid fire yet touching tribute to their founder, Eazy-E. Total classic.

My Rating: 10

Is It On My iTunes? Yes

2. “You’re Makin’ Me High” by Toni Braxton

The lead single off her second album, this mid-tempo track from producer extraordinaire Babyface represents Braxton at her best.

My Rating: 9

Is It On My iTunes: Yes

  1. “Macarena” by Los Del Rio

If you’re old enough to remember the summer of ’96, this was undeniably the track you heard the most. It set off a dance craze that had Presidential candidates, soccer moms, your Grandma, and everyone else doing it. I’ll give credit to this Spanish duo for catching lightning in a bottle… even if, like the rest of the world’s population, I thought it got really tiresome eventually.

My Rating: 6

Is It On My iTunes: No

And that will do it for now. Next week… 2006 where we will be ridin’ dirty and seeing if our hips lie…