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Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #29 Heat

Box Office: $67.4 Million

Oscar Nominations: None

Oscar Wins: None

MovieRankings.Net: 93/100

Available To Stream: Tubi, Amazon Prime ($4)

It's tough to explain the hype and excitement that surrounded Heat when it came out. The concept of getting a crime movie with both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino actually acting together was almost too good to believe. I think that much hype and excitement hurt the movie when it came out. People had expectations that were nearly impossible to meet. I know I did.

This came out when I was 15 and I practically ran to the theater. I walked out not nearly appreciating it as much as I should have. This is a movie with some issues but it's still a very good movie with some great performances.

Giphy Images.

In hindsight, Robert De Niro should have gotten much more credit for his work in 1995. Casino came out in November followed by Heat in December. I think this might have hurt both movies. Both were largely ignored when award season rolled around. Maybe they cancelled each other out in a way? De Niro is incredible in both movies and really makes this movie so much better in a way Pacino didn't.

Giphy Images.

Have my friends and I been using this quote with each other for nearly 30 years? Yes. Does this bizarre performance belong in the movie? Absolutely not. In the diner scene, both Pacino and De Niro are incredible. But this weird acting job by Pacino is kind of a shame. I understand he believed his character was supposed to be coked out of his mind but all of that was supposedly cut. Whatever the reason for the choice, it drops the movie down a notch for me. It's so odd and needlessly distracting.

It's pretty wild how great and bizarre this cast is. Having Val Kilmer at the peak of his career to be the 3rd billed guy (and really the heart of the movie) was huge. You also have very good actors like Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Natalie Portman mixed with people you'd never expect like Tone Loc, Danny Trejo, Jeremy Piven and Hank Azaria. You could also argue that Ashley Judd and Amy Brenneman are rarely (if ever) better.

Is this Michael Mann's best movie? I think it's my favorite. You could argue The Insider (#45) is a better movie. Collateral and Heist are also both awesome. I don't really like The Last Of The Mohicans or Public Enemies so this is probably the top of the list for me. The heist shootout scene is one of the best action sequences in movie history.

Is Heat too long and bizarre at times? Absolutely. But it's also an all-time crime movie with specific scenes that are among the best in movie history. I wish people in 1995 (including myself) appreciated it more when it was originally released. 

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29. Heat 

30. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

31. Rounders

32. Unforgiven

33. Trainspotting

34. The Game

35. Out Of Sight

36. Carlito's Way

37. Seven

38. L.A. Confidential

39. Speed

40. Gattaca

41. Misery

42. Tombstone

43. Ransom

44. Wayne's World

45. The Insider

46. Back To The Future Part III

47. A Bronx Tale

48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt

49. Eyes Wide Shut

50. The Sandlot

51. Happy Gilmore

52. Contact

53. The Green Mile

54. Man On The Moon

55. Boyz N The Hood

56. Grosse Pointe Blank

57. Independence Day

58. The Rainmaker

59. Go

60. The Firm

61. Magnolia

62. The Talented Mr. Ripley

63. Tommy Boy

64. The Usual Suspects

65. In The Line Of Fire

66. My Cousin Vinny

67. Awakenings

68. JFK

69. Toy Story

70. Home Alone

71. Jerry Maguire

72. Titanic

73. Billy Madison

74. Apollo 13

75. Braveheart

76. Edward Scissorhands

77. Cape Fear

78. The River Wild

79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

80. 12 Monkeys

81. Stir Of Echoes

82. Mission: Impossible

83. Total Recall

84. Quiz Show

85. For Love Of The Game

86. Being John Malkovich

87. Men In Black

88. Scream

89. Alive

90. Three Kings

91. Glengarry Glen Ross

92. Die Hard With A Vengeance

93. The Blair Witch Project

94. Twister

95. Dirty Work

96. Election

97. Tremors

98. Any Given Sunday

99. The Wedding Singer

100. Clerks