It’s showtime! Iconic ’90s movies to be screened at Cork's Triskel

The 1990s was an iconic era for film. While the 1980s brimmed with epic blockbusters, marking the dawn of the modern franchise and introducing the world to a plethora of new actors with both big muscles and big acting chops, the decade after saw a return to smaller stories but with big ambitions.

Auteur and indie directors ed forces with major studios, resulting in some of the most iconic films ever produced in Hollywood.

Throughout June, Triskel Cinema will celebrate the best of the 1990s with its latest film season, From Cult To Classic: ’90s On Film.

Chris O’Neill, Head of Cinema at Triskel, says his reason for programming the season was simple: it is all about having some fun.

“I just thought it would be a fun season to do. I was a teenager when these movies came out, and I vividly them getting released in Ireland - well, except Showgirls, that is, since it was banned here back in the day!”

Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 sex-filled drama, follows Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi, an exotic dancer in Las Vegas who aspires to be the star attraction. With explicit sex scenes, profanity, and lewd dialogue, it proved too much for the film censor here. Showgirls was banned from screening in any Irish cinema.

It wasn’t just the sex and subsequent banning that had everyone talking; the film was poorly acted and written, and won several Razzie Awards, which are the opposite of the Oscars, rewarding the worst in cinema. However, time has been kind to it, as O’Neill points out.

“ Showgirls is now regarded as a camp classic but is actually a cynical look at the American success story and entertainment industry.”

The film is now celebrated and has established a deep connection with the LGBTQ+ community, particularly among those who identify with the characters who are outcasts. Triskel’s screening also marks the film’s 30th anniversary.

The 1990s featured an eclectic mix of brilliant films, which O’Neill says made it challenging to choose which ones to showcase.

“The reason we haven’t hosted a ’90s season before is: there’s so many noteworthy movies from that decade, how can you choose just a few? I tried to mix it up and select films that hopefully will include something for everyone.”

It is easy to understand why O’Neill chose Michael Mann’s 1995 hit Heat, which he says is one of the definitive crime thrillers of any decade, let alone the ’90s.

Heat possessed an undeniable attraction. It marked the first time two cinematic giants, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, appeared together on screen. That alone justified the ticket price.

Heat is a landmark film. Mann delivers a masterclass in atmospheric crime cinema as a cop and a criminal confront each other against the vibrant backdrop of Los Angeles.

Mann’s meticulous attention to detail and his exploration of the psychology behind the two lead characters transform what could have been a simple cops-and-robbers drama into something much more profound. The film’s epic shoot-out stands out as one of the most remarkable technical achievements in action cinema, a standard that is rarely matched even 30 years later.

From crime and sex to something light, O’Neill says Muriel’s Wedding is “such a wonderful quirky comedy that has resonated with so many people and introduced the world to Toni Collette”.

Directed by P.J. Hogan, this bittersweet Australian gem subverts the feelgood tropes of the coming-of-age genre. Collette delivers a breakout performance as Muriel Heslop, a socially awkward outcast who dreams of escape via pop songs and weddings.

Muriel finds a kindred spirit in fellow outcast Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths). Together, they leave their small town and move to the bright lights of Sydney, hoping to start afresh and show the world a new side to who they are.

Unapologetically quirky and deeply human, Muriel’s Wedding became a cult classic, redefining Australian cinema for a new global audience in the ’90s.

The season also includes The Doors, a classic ’90s film, which O’Neill has a poignant reason for choosing: “We wanted to host the music biopic as a tribute to Val Kilmer, who ed away back in April.”

From his breakout as the slick Iceman in Top Gun to his haunting embodiment of Jim Morrison in The Doors and a definitive turn as Doc Holliday in Tombstone, Kilmer consistently defied expectations. He died at 65 due to complications following a long battle with cancer.

Oliver Stone’s The Doors, released in 1991, is a hallucinatory look at the life of Jim Morrison, the iconic frontman of the legendary rock band. Kilmer delivered a career-defining performance, as the film blurred the line between biopic and psychedelic fever dream.

The Doors has gained a cult following, particularly for Kilmer’s immersive portrayal and its vivid, stylistic direction by Oliver Stone.

The final film in the season is La Haine, which O’Neill describes as an “angry social drama from starring the great Vincent Cassel”.

Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine is a searing portrait of urban unrest in 1990s . Shot in stark black and white, it follows three friends -Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, and Saïd Taghmaoui -over 24 volatile hours in Paris.

Gritty, urgent, and uncompromising, it remains a landmark of socio-political cinema.

From Cult To Classic: ‘90s On Film Season runs from June 7, see www.triskelartscentre.ie