Movie Night in the ‘90s
By: Hudson Rennie
Tags: Movies, Life, Humor, Nostalgia, Creativity

What is a Top-10 Desert Island Movie List?

Nowadays, your life’s library of music, movies, and books can be stored on a single hard drive, accessible anywhere in the world at any time. But pre-internet boom, boredom was a real foe, constantly being planned for and fought with.

So, to prepare ourselves for the ultimate scene of boredom, we would discuss the idea of being stranded on a desert island with no chance of escape.

If you could only bring 10 movies to watch for the rest of your life, what movies would you bring?

As I’ve gotten older, and the pull of nostalgia has strengthened, I’ve begun to think of what my current Top-10 Desert Island Movie List is. If somehow I became stranded on an island with only enough electricity to power an outdated entertainment system and nothing else, what 10 movies would best entertain me for the rest of my days.

Without thinking too hard (or too pretentiously), here they are… my current Top-10 Desert Island Movie List:

1. John Wick:

I’m a sucker for a good revenge movie. Add in clear character motives (plus a rocking soundtrack), and I could watch ‘Baba Yaga’ (Keanu Reeves) seek revenge for his cute puppy and late wife, forever.

2. Arrival:

Based on a short story by Ted Chiang (humble brag, I’ve read it), this movie bends the idea of time, space, communication, and has a powerful thru-line, outlining the importance of understanding. On a desert island, I can imagine many nights staring up at the stars, and this movie provides endless food for thought.

3. Inception:

Christopher Nolan just cannot miss, and the visuals in this masterpiece are stunning. Plus, there are enough loose ends left at the end of this movie, to spend a lifetime tying up.

4. Once upon a time in Hollywood:

Brad Pitt, Leonardo Dicaprio, Margo Robbie, with Quentin Tarantino at the Helm? Come on. What’s not to love?! And how about that ending!

5. Office Space:

If you follow me, or have even perused my Medium profile in the slightest, you would have noticed that I have a special place in my heart for this movie. Don’t we all wish that we could start living without inhibitions? “That would be great…”

6. The Other Guys:

I wouldn’t want to go the rest of my life without seeing Will Ferrel perform, so luckily I won’t have to. The contrast between Will Ferrel and Mark Whalberg in this film is hilarious, and the story is peppered with a cast of diverse comedic talent, througout.

7. Jurassic Park (The Lost World):

We all need a little Spielberg in our lives and Jurassic Park 2 is packed with too much nostalgia to not include.

8. Catch me if you can:

This is a story worth reliving over and over again. It’s also one of my earliest memories of living vicariously through another human.

9. Ocean’s Twelve:

A lot of my Desert Island picks have to do with casting, so why not squeeze just about every early 2000s movie star into one movie?

10. Disney’s Hercules:

If you’re going to be alone on a desert island for the rest of your life, you’re going to want to spend it with your inner child. What better way to remember your roots, then revisiting them, through some classic Disney!