Movies Under 90 Minutes Part 7: Genre Finalists Elimination

 

Part Seven: The Genre Finalists Compete for a Spot in the Quarter-Finals!

As I said in Part One, there were way, way more movies under 90 minutes that were worth talking about than I could have predicted when I first started this project. I found it was a good problem to have, and I ended up watching a lot more new movies that surprised me, but now I have picked all the best examples from each genre, and it’s time to put the top contenders up against one another to compete for a spot in the quarter-finals! Let’s begin with a quick review of the movies that have made it through the first rounds of eliminations.

 

-Frankenstein (1931)

-The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

-Evil Dead 2 (1987)

-What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

-The Naked Gun (1988)

-Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

-Lilo & Stitch (2002)

-The Lion King (1994)

-The Fox and the Hound (1981)

-The Jungle Book (1967)

-Pinocchio (1940)

-Bambi (1942)

-Tarzan (1999)

-Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

-Toy Story (1995)

-The Iron Giant (1999)

-My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

-Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

-Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

-Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

-Run Lola Run (1998)

-Rope (1948)

-Rashomon (1950)

-The War of the Worlds (1953)

-Stand by Me (1986)

-Once (2007)

-The Killing (1956)

-Paths of Glory (1957)

-Fruitvale Station (2013) 

 

Remember, I have selected only the best movies under 90 minutes from each genre, and from this point on I am working to determine which one is the best film of them all. In order to complete this far more difficult process of elimination I have crafted two methods of analyzing each film for these next two rounds. Let me rephrase that: I borrowed one common method from booktubers and slightly modified it to fit this specific criteria, and the other method was shown to me by my girlfriend (gotta give credit where credit’s due), but my point is that both methods will help me more fairly narrow down the finalists, which will be unranked; I aim to only deem one of them the winner.

First up, the CAWSPEEL system!

 

Characters ( /5) – how memorable/interesting/relatable they are, and how good the actors are in the roles

Atmosphere/Setting ( /5) – sets, locations, time/place/mood, and mise-en-scène (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne)

Writing ( /5) – screenplay, dialogue, plot, logic, and originality

Sound/Music ( /5) – sound effects, sound design, musical score, and use of licensed music (if relevant)

Production Values ( /5) – quality of visual effects, costumes, and cinematography

Enjoyment ( /5)

Emotional Impact ( /5)

Legacy ( /5) – sequels, franchises, how memorable the movie is, how much it’s still talked about, or how beloved it is by others

= /40

 

This whole charade hasn’t been entirely based on vibes thus far, but the films that made it through the early eliminations were largely selected on a pass/fail basis in comparison to others within the same or similar genres, without any universal criteria for what makes some stand out more than others. The CAWSPEEL system will be a way to more clearly lay out the strengths and weaknesses of each contender. There are 29 movie going into this round; anything with a score lower than 38/40 will be eliminated. We shall see how many are left.  

Frankenstein (1931)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 37
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)	C: 3 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 36
Evil Dead 2 (1987)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 2 L: 5	Score: 35
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 3 L: 4	Score: 35
The Naked Gun (1988)	C: 5 A: 4 W: 5 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 3 L: 5	Score: 36
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 36
Lilo & Stitch (2002)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 38
The Lion King (1994)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 40
The Fox and the Hound (1981)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 3	Score: 35
The Jungle Book (1967)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 4 E: 5 E: 4 L: 4	Score: 36
Bambi (1942)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 4 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 36
Tarzan (1999)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 4	Score: 38
Pinocchio (1940)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 4	Score: 38
Toy Story (1995)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 39
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 38
The Iron Giant (1999)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 4	Score: 39
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 36
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 5 E: 2 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 36
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 39
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5  S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 4 L: 4	Score: 38
Run Lola Run (1998)	A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 3 L: 4	Score: 35
Rope (1948)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 4 E: 3 L: 5	Score: 34
Rashomon (1950)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 3 P: 4 E: 4 E: 4 L: 5	Score: 35
The War of the Worlds (1953)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 5 S: 5 P: 5 E: 5 E: 3 L: 4	Score: 36
Stand by Me (1986)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 39
Once (2007)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 5 P: 4 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 38
The Killing (1956)	C: 4 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 3 L: 4	Score: 34
Paths of Glory (1957)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 5 S: 4 P: 5 E: 5 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 39
Fruitvale Station (2013)	C: 5 A: 5 W: 4 S: 4 P: 5 E: 2 E: 5 L: 5	Score: 35

 

So, which movies are in, and which are out? Let’s break it down!

Frankenstein came pretty close to entering the quarter-finals, but ultimately, it lost points for its primitive sound design and inconsistent emotional impact. Though it scored high in most categories despite its age (it’s the oldest film in competition), it just isn’t the best movie that’s under 90 minutes when up against contenders from other genres. On a similar note, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is still a scary movie, but maybe not as scary as it once was. I’ve watched it with people who were really into it and people who were really not, and during those times with the latter, I could see some of the flaws. Frankenstein might have seemed like an obvious elimination as well because it, too, hasn’t aged as well as some other films from other genres, but actually, I think it has aged better than many other Frankenstein adaptations. Texas Chain Saw Massacre lost a couple points as well, but primarily in the category of characters, because they are pretty typical teens for a slasher film. I know it helped set the template for the subgenre, but that doesn’t change the fact that the characters are still mainly one-dimensional and far from some of the greatest characters in other films in this competition.

Initially, Evil Dead 2 seemed like a dark horse in this round, but surprisingly, it scored lower than Frankenstein or Texas Chain Saw Massacre, mainly because of a lack of emotional impact and character development—no criticism to the film, of course, that’s just how it worked out. What We Do in the Shadows, for all its comedic prowess, scored the same overall, as did The Naked Gun, which surprised me less. Within the comedy genre, yes, all three are strong examples of under-90 movies, but up against so many others, the minor weaknesses become more prominent; 35 points apiece wasn’t quite enough to eke out a spot in the quarter-finals.

I did not expect The Lion King to be the only movie to score a perfect 40 out of 40, but as I systematically evaluated it, that’s truly what it deserves. It certainly isn’t my favourite film among these 29 competitors (a hint toward the next round: this is why I’m only using CAWSPEEL for these eliminations) but in terms of being a well-rounded animated family film, it checks all the boxes, and is one I actually appreciate more now as an adult than I did as a kid. There was no way I would watch The Lion King over The Fox and the Hound or The Jungle Book back in the day, but looking at all three now, the other two have just a couple areas of comparatively lesser strength. The Fox and the Hound’s music cannot rival The Lion King’s, and I gave the former a lower score for legacy because not only is it less talked about all these years later, but it also only received one direct-to-video sequel compared to several Lion King stories to follow, including sequels, midquels, a remake, and a prequel to the remake. Many Disney movies got direct-to-video sequels in the 90s/2000s, whether they were revered classics or not, and reviews for Fox and the Hound when it came out were not glowing, nor is it frequently brought up as one of the greatest in Disney retrospectives.

In terms of genres, animated/family films have proven to be the real juggernaut, with the most films continuing on to the quarter-finals. Lilo & Stitch won out over some of its competitors thanks to its points earned for characters, writing, music, and legacy. Tarzan, surprisingly, swings off with the same score as Lilo & Stitch—I find it surprising because it’s one of the only animated films in this competition I didn’t see for the first time until I was an adult, so nostalgia isn’t a factor for that one. Bambi didn’t quite make it, which didn’t surprise me, and neither did the original animated feature film, Snow White (a little more surprised), but Pinocchio, the second-oldest Disney classic, scored surprisingly high. Another one that managed to score enough points was Homeward Bound; I gave it a five for legacy because it’s one of those remakes that’s remembered more fondly than the original, plus it received a sequel, which is more significant given it was a live-action Disney production from an earlier era and the sequel was released theatrically.

Toy Story, The Iron Giant, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were Rabbit all came within one point of Lion King’s perfect score, ensuring their places in the quarter-finals. While it lost a couple points for emotional impact and legacy, Fantastic Mr. Fox also earned enough points to advance to the next round.  Even though Totoro scored pretty well overall, it just didn’t add up to quite enough points. While Grave of the Fireflies accumulated the same overall score as Totoro, it fared better in most categories, minus entertainment value. It’s a disservice to the impact of the film’s purpose to even refer to it as “entertainment” because what it really is, more than anything, is an insanely devastating emotional toll on the viewer’s soul: incredibly significant, but must be watched with caution. Grave of the Fireflies, despite not continuing into the next round, is a noteworthy under-90 film, and perhaps one of the most affecting war films ever made.  

For the miscellaneous genres, only a few scored high enough CAWSPEEL ratings to survive this elimination, despite some strong competition. Run Lola Run, Rope, and War of the Worlds were lacking in the categories of emotional impact, but scored pretty well otherwise. Ultimately, all three of them are more remarkable for technical filmmaking prowess than deeply resonant characters and plotting. While Rashomon outclassed them for characters and writing, it still didn’t quite score high enough overall. One of the only live-action films to score low for entertainment value was Fruitvale Station. Like Grave of the Fireflies, it sure is a deeply emotional, impactful film, but damn, I can’t say I’d want to watch it again and again. Rewatchability alone doesn’t define a film’s excellence, to me, but for how incredible the performances are and how tragic the true story is, Fruitvale Station is a tough sell as the best film under 90 minutes over all others.

While both Stanley Kubrick films are examples of great early work from the legendary director, The Killing is a lot more surface level entertainment not only by the nature of its noir framework but with its tone and lower production value. Don’t get me wrong, Kubrick absolutely made the most of the budget and the film itself is slick, but Paths of Glory just carries more impact. Our final two winners in this round are Once and Stand by Me, with Stand by Me scoring one point higher, making it one of only five films to get within one point of Lion King's perfect score.

This takes us onto the quarter-finals! Next time, I’ll be using a new method to analyze the remaining films and determine which ones will get one step closer to the title of best movie under 90 minutes.