1994: The Best Year Ever for Movies
James King looks at the Class of 94's Pulp Fiction, Speed, The Lion King, Four Weddings, The Shawshank Redemption and Dumb and Dumber with new and archive interviews with the stars
The Class of 94 in movies included John Travolta returning to super stardom, dancing with Uma Thurman and discussing hamburgers with Samuel L Jackson in Tarantino鈥檚 extraordinary Pulp Fiction and Disney making a true widescreen epic in The Lion King and changing the face of film music by employing Sir Elton John and Sir Tim Rice.
Who would have predicted a simple soul could run across America, marry his childhood sweetheart and be present at the great moments in history by proclaiming simply that life was like a box of chocolates. A bomb was planted on a bus that had to keep to the speed of 50mph in Los Angeles with Sandra Bullock in the driver鈥檚 seat. Even the canniest studio head would not have predicted a film opening with posh Hugh Grant swearing as he was late for a wedding or the story of a prison escape by Stephen King involving Rita Hayworth would both become truly iconic for decades to come.
So many debuts in 1994 too 鈥� Jim Carrey was smokin鈥� in one of his three hit films that year - Dumb & Dumber.
Radio 2鈥檚 film critic James King looks at all these amazing classic films and discovers why it was such an exciting time, all illustrated with new and archive interviews from the stars, creatives and fellow critics of the time.
You鈥檒l hear James talking to Dumb and Dumber director and co-writer Peter Farrelly, Quentin Tarantino and his music supervisor on Pulp Fiction Kathy Nelson, Sir Tim Rice on the Lion King, Richard Curtis, Emma Freud and Simon Callow, one of the stars from Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Archive clips come from Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Sally Field, The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont and the late great Barry Norman.
Last on
Music Played
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Carmen Twillie & Lebo M
Circle Of Life
- Classic Disney Volume 1.
- Walt Disney Records.
- 2.
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Hans Zimmer & Lebo M
This Land
- The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Japan Release Version).
- Walt Disney Records.
- 6.
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Elton John
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
- Diamonds.
- Virgin EMI Records.
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Martin Gellner, Hans Zimmer, Pedro Eustache, Luis Ribeiro & Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Lion King Orchestra Suite (Live)
- The World of Hans Zimmer - A Symphonic Celebration (Live).
- Sony Classical/Sony Music.
- 6.
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Dick Dale
Miserlou
- Guitar Legend: The Very Best of Dick Dale.
- Shout! Factory.
- 1.
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Chuck Berry
You Never Can Tell (C'est La Vie)
- The Best Of Chuck Berry.
- MCA.
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Al Green
Let's Stay Together (Instrumental)
- Beechwood.
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Buffalo Springfield
For What It's Worth
- Buffalo Springfield.
- Atlantic.
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Thomas Newman
End Title (The Shawshank Redemption)
- The Shawshank Redemption.
- Epic Soundtrax.
- 21.
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Orchestra of the German Opera, Berlin, Karl B枚hm, Edith Mathis & Gundula Janowitz
The Marriage of Figaro / "Duettino" Sull 'Aria
- The Shawshank Redemption.
- Epic Soundtrax.
- 16.
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Beck
Loser
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Apache Indian
Boom Shack-A-Lak
- Now That's What I Call Music! 26 (Various Artists).
- Now.
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XTC
The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (Instrumental)
- Nonsuch.
- Virgin.
- 1.
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Mark Mancina
Speed (Main Title)
- Speed Original Film Score.
- Milan.
- 1.
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Neil Richardson, John Hannah, Andie MacDowell & Hugh Grant
Four Weddings and a Funeral/Funeral Blues
- Four Weddings & A Funeral.
- Vertigo.
- 12.
Broadcast
- Sat 17 Aug 2024 01:00大象传媒 Radio 2