Then the '80s?

For instance in 1980 there was a film called "American Gigolo". That movie is pure 100% '80s. No one would ever confuse AG with a '70s movie. It looks early '80s, but very '80s nonethless.

Is there a comparable film from 1990 that looks 100% '90s? I can't think of one. Most films from 1990 and even 1991 still look a bit late '80ish. Still a lot of big high tops and bleached jeans and just an overall late '80s kinda look. Why do you think this was?

I was discussing this with a friend of mine and we kinda think that the '90s were much, much, much slower in forming then the '80s were. The '80s started out with a BANG. Right out of the gate, as soon as it was 1980, it was the '80s. Sure there was some '70ish fashions, trends and ideas laying around, but you could easily tell it was the '80s. You could even argue the '80s were starting before 1980 even arrived because the "punk" sound was already around in the late '70s as well as the "punk look". Not so in 1990.

The '90s don't seem to be "complete" until about 1993 or maybey even 1994. Compare that with 1982 or 1983, they are very '80ish times. It just seems like the '90s were super slow in "forming". And this current '00 decade now in 2001 is slow in forming as well. Everything still looks, for the most part, very '90ish when you look around.

: Then the '80s?

: For instance in 1980 there was a film called
: "American Gigolo". That movie is
: pure 100% '80s. No one would ever confuse AG
: with a '70s movie. It looks early '80s, but
: very '80s nonethless.

: Is there a comparable film from 1990 that looks
: 100% '90s? I can't think of one. Most films
: from 1990 and even 1991 still look a bit
: late '80ish. Still a lot of big high tops
: and bleached jeans and just an overall late
: '80s kinda look. Why do you think this was?

: I was discussing this with a friend of mine and
: we kinda think that the '90s were much,
: much, much slower in forming then the '80s
: were. The '80s started out with a BANG.
: Right out of the gate, as soon as it was
: 1980, it was the '80s. Sure there was some
: '70ish fashions, trends and ideas laying
: around, but you could easily tell it was the
: '80s. You could even argue the '80s were
: starting before 1980 even arrived because
: the "punk" sound was already
: around in the late '70s as well as the
: "punk look". Not so in 1990.

: The '90s don't seem to be "complete"
: until about 1993 or maybey even 1994.
: Compare that with 1982 or 1983, they are
: very '80ish times. It just seems like the
: '90s were super slow in "forming".
: And this current '00 decade now in 2001 is
: slow in forming as well. Everything still
: looks, for the most part, very '90ish when
: you look around.

You point out the movie American Gigolo and I do not question that fact. The film looks very 80s. As for 90s, how about Richard Linklater's Slacker? That film came out in 1991. The whole film has that 90s feel to it and cannot be confused with anything 80s: it's a film that pretty much helped boost the idea of Independent films for a mass audience (nowadays one cannot get away from the Indie genre - every month, it seems, there's an Indie film being played at the local Art Cinema...). I don't know, that's just what I think.

Tarzan Boy

: Then the '80s?

: For instance in 1980 there was a film called
: "American Gigolo". That movie is
: pure 100% '80s. No one would ever confuse AG
: with a '70s movie. It looks early '80s, but
: very '80s nonethless.

: Is there a comparable film from 1990 that looks
: 100% '90s? I can't think of one. Most films
: from 1990 and even 1991 still look a bit
: late '80ish. Still a lot of big high tops
: and bleached jeans and just an overall late
: '80s kinda look. Why do you think this was?

: I was discussing this with a friend of mine and
: we kinda think that the '90s were much,
: much, much slower in forming then the '80s
: were. The '80s started out with a BANG.
: Right out of the gate, as soon as it was
: 1980, it was the '80s. Sure there was some
: '70ish fashions, trends and ideas laying
: around, but you could easily tell it was the
: '80s. You could even argue the '80s were
: starting before 1980 even arrived because
: the "punk" sound was already
: around in the late '70s as well as the
: "punk look". Not so in 1990.

: The '90s don't seem to be "complete"
: until about 1993 or maybey even 1994.
: Compare that with 1982 or 1983, they are
: very '80ish times. It just seems like the
: '90s were super slow in "forming".
: And this current '00 decade now in 2001 is
: slow in forming as well. Everything still
: looks, for the most part, very '90ish when
: you look around.

I, too, have always thought that the '90s took a while to establish their own identity, although to say that they were "much, much, much slower" in doing so is stretching it a bit, IMO. Both 1990 and '91 always seemed to be spillover years from the late '80s to me. But the '90s had definitely established an identity by '92, when the whole grunge look/sound/attitude emerged, IMO. "Gangsta rap" had hit by then, too (greatly influencing looks and attitudes among that community). So to say the transition wasn't "complete" until 1993-94 is definitely a bit late...

I also agree that the 2000s have yet to an establish an identity, and that we're still essentially stuck in the late '90s. Something big is definitely waiting to happen - who or what will be the catalyst???

i dont think that when the clock stroke midnight in 1989, everyone immediately changed their lives and tastes because it was a new decade. things change within time, if u have something that is REALLY big in the late 90's, then why should it be any different in the early 00's?? time doesnt really influence things like that too much. if something's REALLY big, its sticks around for a few years, then another REALLY big thing comes along.

: i dont think that when the clock stroke
: midnight in 1989, everyone immediately
: changed their lives and tastes because it
: was a new decade. things change within time,
: if u have something that is REALLY big in
: the late 90's, then why should it be any
: different in the early 00's?? time doesnt
: really influence things like that too much.
: if something's REALLY big, its sticks around
: for a few years, then another REALLY big
: thing comes along.

Ok, 1993 was stretching it. Yeah the '90s probably did form by '92, but thats still a lot slower than the '80s. 1980 had "American Gigolo". That is just unbelievably '80s in fashion and *attitude*. Its just soooo '80s. Yeah its early '80s, but NO ONE would confuse that film with a '70s movie. Its 100% '80s. Now look at 1990. Look at any film or TV show from 1990. That might as well be 1988 or 1989 all over again. Films and TV shows from 1990 are often confused with the late '80s. I was watching the 1991 NBA Finals the other day, and it had a Dr. Pepper commerical in it, and it looked like something from the '80s!! "Yeah you love it! Dr. Pepper!". It didn't look like a '90s commerical.

1990 had no "American Gigolo" as it were, something that screamed '90s. This new zero decade as it is called, the '00s, is pretty damn slow in forming an identity as well. I realize that Nirvana and Pearl Jam were around in '91, but lots of movies from 1990, 1991 and SOMETIMES 1992 look like the late '80s much more then '80, '81 or '82 looking like the late '70s.

The '80s were out and running right out of the gate, maybey even before the '70s were up.