Movies to Have on a Desert Island | Group Chat
Musicals, Epics, and Crime Films, Oh My!
Note: From time to time, Cinemantic’s four main contributors — Tyler MacQueen, Graham Piro, Caleb Boyer, and Daniel Mitchell — will jump on a call to chat about anything and everything movie-related. This first of those conversations, on the topic of “Four Movies to Keep on a Desert Island,” was recorded on June 21st and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
DANIEL: So, my picks are based on distinct feelings that you get when watching them or the moods they put you in. I mean, if I can only pick four movies to have with me on a deserted island, I want a movie that can cover several moods. So, my first choice is The Fugitive (1993, dir. Davis). It’s an action thriller that, frankly, still slaps thirty years after it was released. It's just incredible. We all love it.
My second pick is Casablanca (1942, dir. Curtiz). You know, we should have a group chat soon about screenplays because this movie has probably one of the greatest screenplays of all time. Incredibly quotable, a real tight hour and forty runtime. You really can’t ask for more.
Almost Famous (2002, dir. Crowe) takes you on a rollercoaster. It's an emotional coming-of-age journey that I’ve always had a soft spot for. Hot take, Kate Hudson was robbed of that Supporting Actress Oscar but movie politics aside, she is just magic in this movie. Such a good cast. The music is great.
And then my last pick is Remember the Titans (2000, dir. Yankin) The soundtrack is amazing, football is great, and Denzel is restrained enough to make this a great family movie but enough of the classic Denzel to ensure you’re always entertained. Great performances across the board. There was nothing too dark in my selections. I didn't want to be stuck on an island and think, "Well, this sucks."
No Requiem for a Dream here, thank you!
TYLER: I guess I'll go. My four picks were just the first four that I thought of, and I think that's probably the best indicator that those are the ones that you'd want to have with you for, possibly, the rest of your life — if you didn't have a volleyball like Wilson to keep you company!
The one overlap I have with Daniel is Casablanca (1942, dir. Curtiz). For my money, it’s the greatest love story that Hollywood ever told, and I think it's the best film of the studio age of Hollywood. There's just nothing better. It’s serendipitous: it came at the right time in history (as America entered World War II), it had the right message, and it had an ending for the ages. It's romantic in the best way — and "As Time Goes By" might be my favorite song from any movie.
The second is Singin’ in the Rain (1952, dir. Donnen and Kelley). I have such a soft spot for this movie. Unquestionably the best original movie musical ever made, I can put it on anytime and be completely absorbed in it. It’s impossible not to smile the entire way through. Witty, warm, and charming.
For the same reason that Daniel picked The Fugitive, I'm picking Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, dir. Spielberg). It's the Rosetta Stone for every single action or adventure movie that's been made in the past forty years. So, when forced to pick, why not return to the original? It's pulp at its best, and that's what makes it art.
My last pick is a sentimental one: The Shawshank Redemption (1993, dir. Darabont). It's a depressing movie, yes, but its tagline is also the whole point: fear can hold you prisoner, and hope can set you free. It's a beautiful sentiment, and I remember watching it for the first time on TBS and being completely enraptured by it. But, more importantly, it was filmed predominately in Ohio, on the country roads where I grew up. The tree where Morgan Freeman finds the box was fifteen minutes away from where I grew up, and “Shawshank Prison” is thirty minutes from my hometown.
Even crazier is that my high school best friend’s barn is in the movie! So, not only is the movie beautiful in and of itself but watching it really transports me back home.
GRAHAM: So my first choice is Casino Royale (2005, dir. Martin) which I just think is one of the most rewatchable movies ever. We’ve talked about this before, but I love the James Bond franchise, and this Daniel Craig vehicle is the perfect Bond movie. Everything about it works really well: the set pieces are great and the performances are great. I think Eva Green gives the best performances not just in a Bond movie but in any action movie. There are layers that you can pick up on rewatches and it's a really brilliant script as well. I've seen it a million times and I could watch it a million more.
For my second choice, I have gone back and forth between which of the Godfather movies I'd pick for this list, and I probably just have to go with The Godfather (1972, dir. Ford Coppola) which I love. It’s one of, if not the best, movie of all time. I mean, every scene is basically iconic. Marlon Brando is at the height of his powers, not to mention Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Cann. On a desert island, you need a long epic to get through, and as great as it is, I think Part II is made by its ending whereas the first one is consistently great throughout.
The next is His Girl Friday (1940, dir. Hawks) because you need a light rom-com in the mix. It has great energy, great spirit, and it's also a great journalism movie. And it would provide a much-needed counterbalance to the inevitable feelings of sadness that would accompany being trapped alone on an island.
And the last one is Tenet (2020, dir. Nolan) because if I had enough time to rewatch it over and over again, I could figure out what the hell is happening. (Laughter)
CALEB: For my first choice, I had to throw The Lord of the Rings (2001-03, dir. Jackson) in there because, I mean, how could I not? It’s almost synonymous at this point with great moviemaking—the music, the grandeur, everything about it works. To me, it is one of the pinnacles of storytelling in film. My family and I have the tradition of always watching the movies during the Holiday season. It’s just perfect to me.
TYLER": I've heard people try and make the argument that The Lord of the Rings is essentially one movie in the same way that Tolkien considered the trilogy to be one book.
CALEB: I think that's right. In his own introduction, Tolkien essentially says the same thing. That it was an attempt to write a long story. So I would consider the trilogy as one whole movie if that's acceptable. But if I had to pick one, it would be Return of the King (2003, dir. Jackson) because it brings everything to its conclusion.
For more of my dumb picks, I don't know why, but I remember watching Road House (1989, dir Harrington) for the first time. I don't know what it was about it, but I fell in love with the movie. It's stupid, it's ridiculous, and occasionally I go back to rewatch it because it's a crazy fun time. Same thing with Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2005, dir. Tarantino). I like both installments, but I find the sequel especially entertaining. I love Tarantino and, of all his movies, this one is probably the most rewatchable for me personally.
And to pick more of a dramatic movie, I really, really like Drive (2011, dir. Refn).
DANIEL: Yes!
CALEB: That to me is, again, one of those movies that I had always heard about but never had the chance to watch. The first time I did, I instantly thought, "This is going to be one of those movies that I come back to over and over again." It's so good.
And if I could pick a fifth, it would definitely be Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2008, dir. Kasdan).
Readers, what four movies would you want to have with you on a desert island? Let us know in the comments below!
There’s a lot of really great recommendations in this post. The two movies that come to mind are Grease & Dirty Dancing. Great post!