1994 In Film

Not that I'm going reverse-chronology or anything, here is the third in my series of ''best-of'' lists for film, but you can find the first two here: 1995, and 1996. 

Today, 1994, a great year in high-end films, with special nods to Quentin Tarantino and independent film-making:

Top 20 Films:

20. HATED: GG ALLIN AND THE MURDER JUNKIES, Todd Phillips (USA)
19. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont (USA)
18. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott (Australia)
17. THE LAST SEDUCTION, John Dahl (UK/USA)
16. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary (France/USA)
15. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Peter Jackson (New Zealand)
14. FARINELLI (IL CASTRATO), Gérard Corbiau (Italy/Belgium/France)
13. FORREST GUMP, Robert Zemeckis (USA)
12. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
11. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan (Canada)
10. TRUE LIES, James Cameron (USA)
9. HOOP DREAMS, Steve James (USA)
8. ED WOOD, Tim Burton (USA)
7. THE CROW, Alex Proyas (USA)
6. CRUMB, Terry Zwigoff (USA)
5. CLERKS, Kevin Smith (USA)
4. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson (France)
3. THE LION KING, Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff (USA)
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone (USA)
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino (USA)

Top 20 Directors:

20. IAIN SOFTLEY, Backbeat
19. TODD PHILLIPS, Hated: GG Allin And The Murder Junkies
18. BOAZ YAKIN, Fresh
17. KEVIN SMITH, Clerks
16. ROGER AVARY, Killing Zoe
15. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Forrest Gump
14. GÉRARD CORBIAU, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
13. JAMES CAMERON, True Lies
12. TERRY ZIGOFF, Crumb
11. ALEX PROYAS, The Crow
10. ROMAN POLANSKI, Death And The Maiden
9. GIUSEPPE TORNATORE, A Pure Formality
8. CLAUDE CHABROL, L'Enfer
7. WONG KAR-WAI, Ashes Of Time
6. TIM BURTON, Ed Wood
5. ATOM EGOYAN, Exotica
4. ANG LEE, Eat Drink Man Woman
3. LUC BESSON, Léon: The Professional
2. OLIVER STONE, Natural Born Killers
1. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Pulp Fiction

Top 20 Lead Actors:


20. BRIAN O'HALLORAN, Clerks
19. JIM CARREY, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
18. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
17. JOHN TRAVOLTA, Pulp Fiction
16. STEPHEN DORFF, Backbeat
15. BRENDAN LEE, The Crow
14. TOM HANKS, Forrest Gump
13. JOHNNY DEPP, Ed Wood
12. JEAN RENO, Léon: The Professional
11. ALBERT FINNEY, The Browning Version
10. WOODY HARRELSON, Natural Born Killers
9. DANIEL AUTEUIL, La Séparation
8. STEFANO DIONISI, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
7. ALLEN PAYNE, Jason's Lyric
6. PAUL NEWMAN, Nobody's Fool
5. MORGAN FREEMAN, The Shawshank Redemption
4. HUGO WEAVING, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
3. GARY OLDMAN, Immortal Beloved
2. JOHN TURTURRO, Quiz Show
1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Pulp Fiction

Top 20 Lead Actresses:

20. DANA DELANY, Exit To Eden
19. TARA FITZGERALD, Sirens
18. MIA KIRSCHNER, Exotica
17. MADELEINE STOWE, Blink
16. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Threesome
15. JANE MARCH, Color Of Night
14. GRETA SCACCHI, The Browning Version
13. KATHLEEN TURNER, Serial Mom
12. JODIE FOSTER, Nell
11. JAMIE LEE CURTIS, True Lies
10. SIGOURNEY WEAVER, Death And The Maiden
9. ISABELLE HUPPERT, Amateur
8. SUSAN SARANDON, The Client
7. ISABELLE HUPPERT, La Séparation
6. EMMANUELLE BÉART, L'Enfer
5. JADA PINKETT, Jason's Lyric
4. JESSICA LANGE, Blue Sky
3. LINDA FIORENTINO, The Last Seduction
2. DEMI MOORE, Disclosure
1. ISABELLE ADJANI, La Reine Margot

Top 15 Supporting Actors:

15. GARY SINISE, Forrest Gump
14. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Fresh
13. ERNIE HUDSON, The Crow
12. BOKEEM WOODBINE, Jason's Lyric
11. DON McKELLAR, Exotica
10. CHAZZ PALMINTERI, Bullets Over Broadway
9. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
8. TOM SIZEMORE, Natural Born Killers
7. TERENCE STAMP, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
6. JEFF ANDERSON, Clerks
5. MARTIN LANDAU, Ed Wood
4. PAT MORITA, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
3. KEVIN SPACEY, The Ref
2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Natural Born Killers
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional

Top 15 Supporting Actresses:

15. NATALIE PORTMAN, Léon: The Professional
14. AMANDA DONOHOE, The Madness Of King George
13. SARAH POLLEY, Exotica
12. JOHANN CARLO, Quiz Show
11. JENNIFER TILLY, Bullets Over Broadway
10. ROBIN WRIGHT, Forrest Gump
9. MAGGIE CHEUNG, Ashes Of Time
8. JULIE DELPY, Killing Zoe
7. SHERYL LEE, Backbeat
6. DIANNE WIEST, Bullets Over Broadway
5. CAMERON DIAZ, The Mask
4. SALLY FIELD, Forrest Gump
3. HELEN MIRREN, The Madness Of King George
2. KATE WINSLET, Heavenly Creatures
1. JUDY DAVIS, The Ref

Top 20 Screenplays:

20. DISCLOSURE, Paul Attansio
19. DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, Ariel Dorfman & Rafael Yglesias
18. JASON'S LYRIC, Bobby Smith Jr.
17. ED WOOD, Scott Alexander & Larry Karazewski
16. THE BROWNING VERSION, Ronald Harwood
15. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson
14. SERIAL MOM, John Waters
13. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont
12. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary
11. AMATEUR, Hal Hartley
10. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Frank Walsh & Peter Jackson
9. FRESH, Boaz Yan
8. QUIZ SHOW, Paul Attansio
7. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott
6. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai
5. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan
4. EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, Ang Lee & James Chamus & Hui-Ling Wang
3. CLERKS, Kevin Smith
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone & Dave Veloz & Richard Rutkowski & Quentin Tarantino
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino

Top 10 Cinematographers:

10. TONINO DELLI COLLI, Death And The Maiden
9. PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT, La Reine Margot
8. BERNARD LUTIC, Le Colonel Chabert
7. THIERRY ARBOGAST, Léon: The Professional
6. ANDRZEJ SEKULA, Pulp Fiction
5. DON BURGESS, Forrest Gump
4. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Ashes Of Time
3. DARIUS WOLSKI, The Crow
2. BRIAN J. BREHENY, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
1. ROBERT RICHARDSON, Natural Born Killers

Top 10 Villains:

10. PETER GREENE, The Mask
9. KEVIN BACON, The River Wild
8. SCAR (JEREMY IRONS), The Lion King
7. SEAN YOUNG, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
6. JEROEN KRABBÉ, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
5. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
4. RODNEY DANGERFIELD, Natural Born Killers
3. MICHAEL WINCOTT, The Crow
2. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional