On the latest road trip, I was asking Megan what her top 5 desert island movies were and realized mine had changed since the last time I did this. I am in a completely different stage of my life, so I think it’s time to adjust the top 5 accordingly, lest I be stranded on a desert island for the rest of my life with movies from my old list.
So here it is, my updated Top 5 Desert Island movies. These aren’t necessarily my top 5 favorite movies, that changes almost daily, these are the movies I would bring with me if I was going to be stranded on a desert island with nothing else to watch for the rest of my life. Feel free to leave your own top 5 in the comments, but everyone knows, my top 5 is the definitive list.
Top 5 Desert Island Movies:
(http://movieclips.com/watch/dazed_and_confused_1993/l_i_v_i_n/)
5. Dazed and Confused – I used to have Empire Records on the list, but since I made that list, I found myself watching this movie a lot more. Matthew McConaughey is golden in this movie, and Ben Affleck was never better (though he was the bomb in Phantoms). This is the definitive “day in the life” movie and by far Richard Linklater’s best. I could watch it a million times.
4. Good Will Hunting – This used to be at the top of the list, it’s the ultimate guy movie and I connected with it deeply during that stage of my life. It’s so good that I can’t just toss it to the side, and I still find myself watching it over again when I’m in a funk. Matt Damon’s still one of my favorite actors and Robin Williams was well deserving of the Oscar, as was the script. Of course, Ben Affleck is in this one too, he was the bomb in Phantoms.
3. Shaun of the Dead – This is the satire to rule all satires and what better genre to satire than the ridiculous zombie genre. Any true satire emulates the very thing it’s commenting on, and this is not only one of the best satires in movie history, it’s also one of the best zombie movies. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are geniuses fully stretching their cinematic limbs here (watch them find their groove in Spaced, now on Hulu) and this movie alone was reason enough to re-make my list. The jokes never get old, and Queen’s Don’t stop me know was never used more fittingly.
2. Cool Hand Luke – This is another one of those movies that can always get me out of a funk. Plus, it kind of got me a wife. Plus, I took Road to Perdition off the list, which is photographed by the great Conrad Hall, so I had to put another Connie Hall photographed movie on to replace it. This is a beautiful movie starring the great Paul Newman, and it stands the test of time. Plus, you can’t beat the title. Watch it if you haven’t.
1. Star Wars Trilogy – I know what you’re going to say, a trilogy is 3 movies. I beg to differ. Any trilogy done right (I’m looking at you, Matrix) stands together as one cohesive story, and since the prequels don’t exist as far as I’m concerned, the Star Wars Trilogy counts as one. This movie jumped to the top of the list mostly because I’ve been watching it longer than any other movie on the list, and I’ve seen it more than any other movie in existence, and I still get intense jonesings to watch it way too often. But if you’re going to make me choose one, of course it’s going to be Empire.