Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s blog post, I will be discussing some of the nostalgic ’90s films and television shows I have been watching for comfort recently! I have organized these films and television series based on the years they were released to make it easy, as I did not want to rank them. I also narrowed this list down to thirteen of my favorite ‘90s nostalgia viewing experiences, but I do have some honorable mentions at the bottom. You will notice that I have chosen mostly fantasy, horror, and romance (or a combination of the three), which is likely unsurprising, as they are my favorite genres. Without further ado, let’s look at some ‘90s nostalgia!
SAILOR MOON (1992)
~So, I have recently been re-visiting this iconic Anime. I am not much of an anime fan, truth be told, but I did watch this as a child in the mid and late ‘90s. I then re-watched the anime when I was in junior high, as I went through a short manga and anime phase at the time. That phase was just a love of Magical Girl manga and anime, primarily this one (but also Tokyo Mew Mew), where I read the full Sailor Moon (and Sailor V) manga and watched the anime in its original Japanese with subtitles, as the original dub was lacking. Now, I am watching the new dub from the 2010s, which is much better than the ‘90s dub, as it dubbed the full series and did not change things that were changed in the original dub. As a sidenote, the only time that I actually like dubbed material is in animation, as I cannot stand it when it is in live action (that is just a personal preference). Now that I have gone over my relationship with this series, I will say that I adore the magical and fantasy aspects, the romance, and the insanely deep lore!
HOCUS POCUS (1993)
~Oh, how I adore this amazing film, I watch it every single year, usually multiple times. It is such a fun piece of nostalgia and witchy media that is beyond enjoyable! After all, who does not love the Sanderson Sisters?
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)
~Another yearly watch, which I watch at least twice a year, for both holidays represented in the film. I have talked about my adoration of this film many times, so I do not think I need to go into further details. I just love Jack Skellington and Sally so much!
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)
~So, this has been one of my favorite Vampire films since I was in junior high and first saw it. It is a great film, a wonderful adaptation of the iconic novel, and I think Kirsten Dunst’s performance is one of the best child performances in any film!
BEFORE SUNRISE (1995)
~This is one of my favorite on-screen love stories, and it does not even contain any fantasy elements. This is the first film in a trilogy that shows a couple’s evolution over the course of 18 years in total, with nine years passing between each film! I just love seeing Celine and Jesse meeting in this ‘90s classic.
MALLRATS (1995)
~Ah, my all-time favorite Kevin Smith film is a ‘90s comedy classic. I know that it is often seen as just a raunchy and low-brow comedy film. While it does have those elements, it is much more than that, with characters who are much more intelligent than they are often given credit for, and an incredible script!
THE CRAFT (1996)
~I could not make this list without adding this iconic film about a group of teenage witches. It is an incredible film that explores witchcraft and coming of age in a visceral way.
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH (1996)
~Obviously, I had to include the original live-action ‘90s comedy series adaptation of the Archie Comics character. Sabrina and Salem were such a beloved part of my childhood!
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997)
~This series is so well-known for its amazing characters and its impact on pop culture. I grew up watching the show, and Buffy and Angel were one of my first ships in any fandom!
PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998)
~Anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my all-time favorite films, the film I often call my very favorite. It is a great adaptation of the book, with changes that make it stand on its own as an incredible piece of art. It has it all: fantasy, spooky edge, and romance!
CHARMED (1998)
~My all-time favorite television series! I grew up watching this, never missing an episode when it aired, as I was just that invested in the plot and characters. The Halliwell Sisters are some of the most important witchy characters ever!
JAWBREAKER (1999)
~A high school dark comedy classic, this is the story of a group of friends who accidentally kill one of their own with a birthday prank gone wrong. The film goes off the rails in the best way, as the leader of the group tries to plan a way to cover up the accidental death!
THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999)
~Finally, I would be remiss not to add Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut. This is one instance where the film surpassed the novel, with Coppola showing just how well she can tell a female coming-of-age narrative, or in this case, a lack of coming-of-age. I adore this dreamy and sorrowful film, which I think truly had an impact on a whole generation of young women!
Special Mentions: Obviously, this is not a complete list by any means. I chose to go with more comforting watches, but I could not finish this post without at least mentioning these other horror classis: Candyman, Scream, Bride of Chucky, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, and even The Rage: Carrie 2 (Which is actually quite fun, even if it does not really belong in the franchise). I truly adore all of these films, especially Candyman, whichis one of my favorites, but I had to cut off this list somewhere, hence the honorable mentions.
~I hope you have enjoyed this list. What are your favorite ‘90s nostalgic watches? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a ‘90s nostalgia image. I found the picture on https://www.amazon.sg/Notebook-notebook-journal-nostalgia-Paperback/dp/B09TV2CN9G.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries