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I'm keepin' it simple and keepin' it real by posting mostly photo-only entries, but I will continue to do things like hot or not and movie reviews. My goal is to upload only my own content, so look forward to seeing pics of my ever-growing collection of junk :)

While I've been filling the new blog up with old stuff from this one, I just started adding some new scans of catalog ads. Like those Calvin Klein ones from 1995 that caused a huge uproar. You know you want to see them!

Random 90s Movie Review #15: Wayne's World

Some movies based on SNL characters don't always stand the test of time (see: It's Pat, Coneheads, etc.) But Wayne's World still holds up for me. I looove buddy films, probably because the dialogue can just be so perfect sometimes. So my favorite part of this movie would be the quotability. All of these words/phrases have found their way into my permanent vocabulary:

Schwing!

Live in the now!!

Are you mental?

Psycho hosebeast

Shyeah right

It's sucking my will to live!

Why you should watch this movie: Are you mental?

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: All I have to say about that is.. asphinctersayswhat

I Heart the Nineties rating: Two snaps up.. excellent!

Random 90s Movie Review #14: Reality Bites

Watching Clerks for last week's post was pretty awesome, and this one just keeps the momentum going. Reality Bites is seriously the bomb. Or, The Bomb. It's everything I love about Gen Xers in an hour and 38 minutes:

1. So, so many pop culture references from the 70s and 80s. They were a generation that really wanted to remember their formative years as they entered adulthood.
2. A band called Hey That's My Bike, fronted by scuzzy hottie Ethan Hawke.
3. Lisa Loeb's "Stay" on the soundtrack, along with other songs I approve of.
4. Cameos by David Spade and Andy Dick.

I watched some commentary on the 10th anniversary dvd where they described the movie as The Big Chill in the 90s for 20-somethings. That sums up the general plot pretty well. Besides that retrospective, the dvd also has deleted scenes which are decent.

Why you should watch this movie: If you haven't seen it yet, what is your glitch? (side note: if I ever come across Ethan Hawke or Ben Stiller, you better believe that's what I'd ask them)

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: Really there's no reason not to, unless you're just a straight up hater. And in that case, what's your glitch?

I Heart the Nineties Rating: Two snaps waaay up

Random 90s Movie Review #13: Clerks

July's movie theme: teen/young adult hits of the 90s. This is my bread and butter right here, so why not start it off right with one of my all time favorites:

"I'm not even supposed to be here today!" - Pretty much the official quote of Clerks. 

Watching this movie is like a way to center myself again, get back to the core of Jille.. Whenever I'm feeling lost and as if I've strayed too far off the path of my true self, I can always turn to Dante and Randal to bring it all back. I might be a little too young to truly fall under the Generation X label, but that was the group of people I looked up to and one day hoped to be. Now here I am, 30 years old and still watching their movies. Still wanting to tell people, "No time for love, Dr. Jones."

But I digress. The one-sentence synopsis of Clerks: Even though he's not supposed to be here today, Dante's working at the Quick Stop and many captivating events occur. (I know what you're thinking, I should totally write synopses for a living!)

I made my movie-watching experience extra special by eating 90s snacks:

Yes, Snackwell's still exist. Let me tell you this, though: they may be fat free, but sugar is the #1 ingredient and they certainly taste that way. And Bagel Bites.. what can I say. I hadn't eaten these in many years so I don't know if the taste truly improved as the box claims. Still lovin' the Snapple though.

Why you should watch this movie: It rules.

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: If you're an old stick in the mud that's easily offended, you probably don't want to watch this. Or Clerks 2, for that matter.

I Heart the Nineties rating: Two snaps waaaay up

Fashion Friday #7

Wearing your clothes the wrong way was popular throughout the entire 90s decade.

First, there was the Kris Kross thing of wearing an entire backwards outfit.

That was truly stupid. Nuff said. The backwards baseball hat is still a viable option in my opinion, but there's good reason to wear your jeans, buttoned shirts and overalls in the prescribed manner.

Next up we saw overalls with one strap down. If I say one strap up, would that make this post more optimistic? This was also the time to wear your backpack over one shoulder only. If you wore it over both shoulders, you were a lame-wad.

Finally, towards the end of the decade, there was this phenomenon called "looking like a huge moron by wearing a visor upside down and/or backwards". I dislike it so much I won't even include a photo. So terrible!

1993 Spring/Summer Sears Catalog - Children's Section

Back in March, I featured the women's section of this particular Sears catalog. I seriously love looking through these to see how all the common people lived back in the day (myself included). So here's a  peek into what was available for children in 1993:

Little boys could be Batman badasses, chillin on a fence

 I'm really digging the hat

 I'm thinking this cake ended up an unwilling participant in a prank

 This was definitely my brother's style back then

 And finally, this guy. There's a kid in my neighborhood that looks exactly like this.. we refer to him as 'Skip', or 'The Skipper'. And now I know he shops out of old Sears catalogs.

Summer Blockbusters: 90s Style

First of all, Happy Canada Day to all my northern friends! Or southern, in the case that you're in Windsor :)

How's your summer going? Hopefully it's pretty fly. If you're looking for something to spice it up, try watching some of these throw-back summer blockbusters when you need to take a break from running through a sprinkler or after you've mixed up a fresh batch of Sharkleberry Fin:

Jurassic Park

The Lion King

Forrest Gump

Men in Black

Independence Day

Twister

Batman Returns

Apollo 13

Mission: Impossible

The Fifth Element

Speed

Honestly I wanted to include a lot more, but this list is totally long already. And unbelievably, there are some I haven't seen yet! What kind of a 90s fan am I?

Random 90s Movie Review #12: How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Wrapping up June's chick flick movies with this:

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

A few months ago I read this book along with with Waiting to Exhale and Getting to Happy. Naturally, I spent the entire two hours of this movie comparing it to the book and wondering, "Why?? Why did they do that?" During the times when I was able to put those thoughts aside and just enjoy the movie for what it is, I found it to be decent enough. Although watching it today is kinda sad, when you think about how this was based on real events in Terry McMillan's life that didn't turn out so great (you know, like marrying a younger man you met in Jamaica that later came out of the closet and caused you to go through a terrible divorce..). But if you want to spend a nostalgic evening with your gal pals eating cheesecake and watching movies, I'd say put this on the list.

Why you should watch this movie: You like Taye Diggs shower scenes

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: You're devoted to the book and can't handle a different adaption of the story

I Heart the Nineties rating: One snap up

Random 90s Movie Review #11: While You Were Sleeping

Chick Flick Month trudges on with our third review:

While You Were Sleeping, from 1995. And boy, I tell you it sure is 90s. Think of any romantic comedy from the early 90s and this one will definitely share some characteristics with it. First, it's set in a big city. There's a big emphasis on family. The coma guy is well into adulthood, yet has a sister still living at home (for some reason it was always important to have that younger sibling). And naturally, there are many misunderstandings that could have easily been cleared up within a matter of seconds. Throw in a botched wedding at a hospital, and you've got yourself a hit!

Why you should watch this movie: I found it to be pretty watchable. It's got just the right amount of sappiness without going overboard. Casting was good; the grandma was the mom from Mary Poppins! Peter Gallagher is also a hunk, but maybe that's just my opinion.

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: There are a few cringe-worthy moments where you'll want to scream, "Just tell them the truth already!"

I Heart the Nineties Rating: One snap up

Fashion Friday #6

Let's take a moment and recognize Barbie for all her contributions to the fashion world. In the 90s she was truly an inspiration, convincing me to wear every neon color in one outfit, use Dep gel on my hair, and wear t-shirts with giant screen printed stuff.

I still think these particular outfits look pretty fly...

source

It's a Party in a Can!

Commercials could be pretty good in the 90s :)

The Day the Juice Got Loose

Can you believe it's been twenty years to the day since O.J. Simpson's low-speed chase in the Bronco? Actually, it does feel like that was forever ago, to me at least. So much can change in two decades. In 1994, we were all glued to our tvs to watch news reporters give us the "juicy" details (get it? juicy? the "Juice"?). Of course the internet existed, but for the vast majority of us I don't think we spent much time looking up details of the homicides, trial, etc. online. I'll go out on a limb and say that hadn't occurred to most of us. We just stuck with the tv coverage.

I just watched the 30 for 30 film about June 17, 1994, which covered O.J. as well as other sports events like the NY Rangers celebrating their Stanley Cup win. The director mentioned that it was a turning point at that time, where suddenly everyone became celebrity-obsessed and reality shows took off. The general public would rather watch O.J. in the Bronco over anything else. Which probably explains the weird memorabilia that popped up at the time.

In finale, I'll leave you with this tidbit about myself. While the murder trial was going on, my cousin and I came up with nicknames for ourselves and for my brother. The nicknames were a combination of a TLC member, a person associated with the trial, and an NBA player. I was Chili Kato Jordan :)

Remember These??

While doing research for something completely amazing and blog-related (and secret for now), I happened upon some foods I used to love. Yes, we've all seen lists of 90s foods that have since been discontinued, so I realize I'm not breaking new ground here. These are just a few of my personal favorites that I mourn for.

I'll start with the ones I always remembered.. the ones never forgotten:

Taco-flavored ranch dressing from Hidden Valley. Was this stuff even good? I have a feeling it was one of those marketing gimmicks that sucked me in and made me love it regardless of the product's taste. It must not have been around very long either, because I would reminisce about it with my marching band carpool buddies in high school.

Cookies n Creme Twix. You could also buy these in a box of singles. But who wants to eat just one single bar? That's just crazy.

And now for a food I completely forgot about for the last 20 years: Pop Qwiz popcorn! 

I'm just gonna come right out and say it.. this stuff was stupid. It was colored popcorn, and the color in the bag would be a mystery until it was popped. And there was no special flavoring involved, just straight up microwave butter popcorn. This commercial might get you so excited that you'd want to run out and buy some though! Haha. If you have any long-lost foods that you still dream of, let me know in the comments!

Random 90s Movie Review #10: The Pallbearer

Chick flick month continues with..

..1996's The Pallbearer, starring our main man David Schwimmer. I had never seen this one before, and was very much convinced that it was a comedy. Like, a laugh out loud kind of comedy. I was also assuming the worst, because it has a lot of bad reviews floating around on the net. Neither of those turned out to be particularly true, though. While there are certainly smile-inducing parts (David Schwimmer/Tom is requested to bring wine to a wedding shower.. he brings wine in a box with a bow on top), it's more serious and reminded me of something more along the lines of Reality Bites. It's about 20-somethings dealing with life. And Michael Rapaport's there!

Why you should watch this movie: You need to find an appropriate way to end the fling you started with your deceased classmate's mother (hint: don't do it by mailing back her charm bracelet with a bad poem).

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: If sitcom-esque misunderstandings snowballing out of control make you want to hide under a blanket, steer clear of this one.

I Heart the Nineties rating: One snap up

Beverly Hills, 90210 Trading Cards #18: The Pet Set

This card is totally cute. 'Nuff said.

Random 90s Movie Review #9: I Love You, I Love You Not

June's movie reviews will have a theme: chick flicks. With that being said, this is going to be a tough month for me to get through. If you feel the same, my apologies, but we can suffer through it for the sake of remembering the 90s!

So to kick things off, our first review of the month is I Love You, I Love You Not from 1996.

Its tagline is "An Unforgettable Journey of Discovery", but the odds are not in its favor that I'll remember even watching this one a year from now. The only reason I had it queued up to watch was because it stars Claire Danes, Jude Law and James Van Der Beek.

Basically what happens is that Claire Danes plays Daisy, a current-day prep school student, as well as Daisy's grandmother in flashback scenes of Nazi Germany. Daisy is Jewish, which causes her to be victimized by pranks at school; she's also super into reading, wants to live with her grandmother and falls in love with Jude Law's character, who turns out to be a huge jerk and dumps her out of peer pressure.

The film was based on a play and it ended up still being staged like one, with awkward dialogue and scenes that just don't work. If you want to watch better movies about this subject/time period, try The Book Thief.

Why you should watch this movie: Just for the last two or three minutes before the credits start. Seriously the worst movie ending I've ever seen!

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: You'd rather not experience the uncomfortableness of watching Claire Danes make out with a mirror.

I Heart the Nineties rating: Zero snaps.. this should have been way better than it was. Maybe the play was good?

An Ode to the Raps of Left Eye

Who else could wear a condom on their face so fashionably?

Who else ends up having caused an accidental house mansion fire from retaliation?

Who else can rap so awesomely about drug problems?

Lisa is all that and then some. If you're not familiar with "Waterfalls", it is a must-listen. And then you must memorize her rap. She may have passed on too soon, but at least she left this behind. You go, girl!

Alloy - Spring 1998

So, I'm just finally getting used to the fact that winter is over. After experiencing literally the worst winter of my life here, the warm temps seemed too good to be true. But as the weeks go by, I can finally believe that the warm weather is real! And continuing! I can finally switch out my wardrobe for summer clothes! If you're in the same position and are also looking for some outfit inspiration, here's what was available from Alloy in 1998, when skater fashion was in its mainstream heyday.

I remember being waaaay into this look. Let me tell you though, being a shorty and wearing men's wide leg jeans isn't the best combination.

I most definitely had a swimsuit like this. Board shorts and halter tops all the way.

These were the iconic skater looks to me. And they were unisex!

I've uploaded the entire catalog for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Unreal Moments in Capeside, #5

In episode #5, "Hurricane", there's a hurricane. One that symbolizes the turmoil in the characters' lives. How fitting! Basically what goes down is that Gail's affair is out in the open, Pacey makes a lot of adamant gay accusations of his brother (why was this so acceptable back then??), Dawson realizes Jen isn't such a slut after all, and he also mends things with Joey. Pretty standard fare, I'd say. So what was unreal about it? Dawson's choice dialogue:

Never heard that one before.. kind of hoping it's a one-time thing.

Random 90s Movie Review #8: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Before the show, Buffy was a movie. An extremely 90s movie. Released in 1992 and set in California, it's a primer in valley girl speak. You'll hear such gems as:

*What's the sitch?

*What's your damage?

*Excuse much, rude or anything?

and my favorite:

*Get out of my facial!

Luke Perry delivers a pretty ineffectual performance, complete with terrible hair and a soul patch. Donald Sutherland does not compare to Anthony Stewart Head. Paul Reubens is a major creeper. But I enjoyed Kristy Swanson as the slayer. It's a decently fun movie overall, with a good soundtrack, too.

Why you should watch this movie: "Does the word 'duh' mean anything to you?"

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: You're Joss Whedon and still can't get over what they did to your story.

I Heart the Nineties Rating: One snap up

The Hook Brings You Back...

Let me share with you my love for Blues Traveler and their album Four. It's one of those where you're gonna find a tape or cd of it any place that sells used music, much like Hootie & the Blowfish's Cracked Rear View and Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill. But I still love it. It was the first cd I bought.

This is the cover:

And then when you pull out the insert, this is on the back:

I was so excited when I bought it that I opened it right away in the parking lot. Instant regret set in once my mom saw that the cat was smoking a joint and wanted to know what kind of garbage I was listening to. If I ever have a child, I wonder what things they'll be into that I won't understand?

So anyways, after I bought that cd I listened to the song "Hook" over and over again so I could memorize it. Please tell me someone else out there would do this too.. you'd pull out the liner notes to read the lyrics and be so proud when you could recite it by memory alone. Especially the part that begins with "Suck it in suck it in if you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn..."

I still have it memorized after all this time. Those math equations I learned in pre-algebra that year? Can't recall a single one.

Gotta love the Paul Shaffer cameo.

Bonus: the episode of Roseanne when they're the band Dan used to be in!

TGIF!!

Full House, as you probably never imagined it..

Fashion Friday #5

Okay, so I forgot to post this on a Friday.. my bad! This outfit is straight up 1995. I think I'm gonna rock something like this for flea market days this summer...

Oh yeah, I finally got that last Delia's catalog on flickr. Check it out, yo

1995 by missjille featuring print t shirts

Hot or Not #3

Name: Jimmy the Cab Driver

Occupation: Cab driver; music video interpreter

I Heart the Nineties Rating: Gonna have to go with Barney on this one, due to his constant dirty and assumingly smelly appearance

Before "Grounded for Life", I only knew Donal Logue as this character. This was back when MTV was a big part of my life. Between Beavis & Butthead, Daria, Real World, Road Rules and MTV Beach House, the channel was on all the time. And now, I can't even remember the last time I watched it. C'est la vie. I'm getting old, stuck in my ways, and saying things like "c'est la vie" to explain why I don't like modern stuff. Oh lordy...

But anyways, Jimmy the Cab Driver; if you're not familiar, check him out on the youtubes.

Fashion Friday #4

Without further ado... some American Apparel outfits that the ladies of Beverly Hills, 90210 may have favored:

I call this one the "Donna Martin choice"

This would be "season one Brenda"

The "Valerie Malone, minus un-slimming white skirt"

And finally, the "Clare Arnold"

I should mention that this post is 100% not sponsored by American Apparel. If there was some sort of corporate kickback, you can bet I'd be hooked up with some sweet crop tops and American flag tights.

Beverly Hills, 90210 Trading Cards #17: Main Dudes

I wonder what the "main dudes" were discussing in this shot.. how much they truly appreciate their fans and all the attention they receive?

Random 90s Movie Review #7: Double Feature

Today's review features two 70s throwback movies:

The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)

and

A Very Brady Sequel (1996)

Oh, how I love these movies. A lot of it has to do with how often I watched reruns of the show when I was growing up. And the other part is that despite cheesiness to the extreme, these are decent movies that accomplished what they set out for. Certainly they weren't expecting to win any Oscars, but rather pay homage to a popular sitcom and answer the question, "What would the Bradys do in the 90s?"

Basically what they do is a lot of stuff like this:

There are tons of references to scenes from the original show, plus lots of cameos (RuPaul as the school guidance counselor is pretty stellar.. in both movies, too) and naturally lots of sound advice from Mike Brady. By poking fun at their food, clothes, and songs about clowns never laughing before, these movies were relevant enough and relatable to teens & pre-teens at the time. Although these were targeted at a mainstream audience in the mid 90s, so there are some awkward gay jokes that don't quite sit right today. Different times, my friends.

Anyways, for those of you who have seen the sequel, answer me this: Is Roy really supposed to be a hunk? He looks like nothing special to me. Or maybe he's just blown away by the handsomeness of Gary Cole as Mike....

Why you should watch these movies: If you want to relive the 90s reliving the 70s, these are for you!

Why you shouldn't watch these movies: If you're some sort of yuppie or hipster... go watch The Brady Bunch in the White House instead

I Heart the Nineties rating: Two snaps up

Fashion Friday #3: Delia's Spring '97 Catalog

My favorite part of these old catalogs is how you could email your order by sending it to their AOL address. And there wasn't a Delia's site to speak of yet.

I've scanned the whole catalog but flickr is being a jerk and won't upload the pics. So here are a few for now, and I promise to link to the album once it's done. In the meantime, I'm totally inspired to recreate all these outfits. Too soon for a 1997 revival look?

**Update: All catalog pages now available for your viewing pleasure on flickr!

Fashion Friday #2

These shirts are back. 'Nuff said.

Random 90s Movie Review #6: Empire Records

Could there be a more perfect 90s movie than Empire Records? I mean just look at that photo.. it says it all. 1995 to the max.

Rex Manning Day was last week, so it seemed pertinent to review this particular movie. I give it an A+ in the following areas:

• Music. The soundtrack is totally on point, as well as every single song played throughout the film. It goes way beyond that sweet Gin Blossoms song.
• Wardrobe. Totally nailed it. I still want Corey's cropped sweater, plaid mini and boots.
• Dialogue. "What's with today, today?"

My one and only complaint is that sometimes the characters break the fourth wall. Just not a huge fan of that. I would also say "not enough scenes with Berko" is another complaint, but he remains best as more of an enigma. At least there's plenty of Lucas, my fave.

Why you should watch this movie: It rules

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: Might cause intense feelings of nostalgia

I Heart the Nineties Rating: Two snaps way up

Fashion Friday #1

This is by no means a sponsored post, but today I stepped into an American Eagle store and laid eyes on this scrumptious dress. Yes, scrumptious. It inspired me to new levels of outfit planning. Can't you totally see all of these items on a page of Seventeen magazine from 1994?

So obviously I'm really loving all the 90s revival stuff coming out and hope to feature some each Friday. Please share if you come across anything spectacular!

Random 90s Movie Review #5: Austin Powers

Throw me a frickin bone here.. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is most definitely a classic. It was released in 1997 and barely caught the tail end of the 60s mod revival that happened in the mid 90s, but regardless it was awesome of its own accord. Yeah, baby!! So quotable; so good.

Why you should watch this movie: The scene where Dr Evil and his son Scott attend a therapy session is a must see ("Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy.."). Plus, you might watch this and remember how you kinda had a thing for Seth Green back then. Anyone??

Why you shouldn't watch this movie: Perhaps you don't like toilet humor or Burt Bacharach.

I Heart the Nineties rating: Two snaps up!

I will also leave you with this. It's an official music video made to promote the movie. I remember seeing it on MTV or VH1 just once and it got stuck in my head for a very long time that spring.

Beverly Hills, 90210 Trading Cards #16: Music Lover

I recently read Shannen Doherty's book titled Badass. She gave some good advice and it may help clear up (to some people) the bad rep she's had, but I couldn't believe how many times the word badass was used in the book. It was nearly every sentence. So this card should really have read this way:

BADASS MUSIC LOVER

A lot of Shannen's badass pals are musicians and writers. After work, her badass gang likes to "play some badass music, sit back and relax and just talk, which I really like," the badass actress says.

Shannen, I love you girl, but you really took the meaning out of that word by overusing it.

Fun & Games with the Teletubbies

Rediscovered a Teletubbies coloring book stashed away in a closet and naturally had to share a couple pages. According to the back, the format is to have every other page already colored so that children can add their own special touches. And then randomly they pre-colored a few items on the otherwise blank pages. Interesting concept.

At this point I find it's better not to think too deeply about why the Teletubbies are the way they are. It's much better to take them at face value than to ponder why Tinky Winky is described as "a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag."