12 DVDs To Take To A Deserted Island

[David Meek]

I started to put my list of the dozen DVDs that I'd take with me if I was stranded on a deserted island (somehow with a good theater room :B). I'm still trying to cut it down to twelve! This is tough. . . .

Do you have your top 12 picked out?

[aud19]

Good golly! Can you pick just 12?!?! I tried to narrow it down to 25 and my brain started hurting, smoke came out of my ears and I went cross-eyed! :rofl:

Jason

[David Meek]

Uh huh, what's your point? :B

[Danbry39]

Okay, I'm going to give it a go. I know these films will be very particular to my tastes and what I'd like to have with me on a desert island, but here goes:

1. It Happened One Night - still my favorite romantic, comedy of all time.
2. The Godfather Collection - Two out of the three are among the best ever made.
3. Monterrey Pop Festival (Criterion three disc set) - I'd want my hippie rock.
4. Andrei Rublev - Because I could watch it many times and still find something new.
5. Sullivan's Travels - My second favorite romantic, comedy.
6. The Charlie Chaplin Collection, v2 - My favorite Chaplin and third favorite romantic comedy (City Lights) and a bunch more. I want to be happy on my island.
7. The Stanley Kubrick Collection - One of my two favorite directors.
8. The Alfred Hitchcock Collection V.1 - The other of my favorite directors.
9. The Alfred Hitchcock Collection V.2 - Ditto
10. Band of Brothers - many hours of one of the greatest war dramas of all time.
11. The John Wayne Gift Set - Have to have the Duke.
12. Lord of the Rings in the box set (hopefully there will be a release of a set with all three extended versions - Because this series is, in my opinion, the best of its kind EVER.

[Burke Strickland]

Lord of the Rings III (extended version) - Because this series is, in my opinion, the best of its kind EVER.

Wow! You've actually seen the extended version of Return of the King?

I'm pretty sure the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is going to make my list of 12 as well, whenever I get around to it. As others have noted, narrowing the list to that few is not easy, which is why I will include at least a couple of trilogies as single entries. (if we were including laser discs, there is one trilogy I would include, which will NOT make my short list of movie titles on DVD.) :>)

Burke

[Danbry39]

I wish. Still, if I have to wile away all those hours on an island by myself, I want the extended version that comes out this November. Then, and only then, will I become a castaway.

[Chris D]

Hmmm... for starters, I think I'd have to go with:

1. How to build a boat out of common island resources
2. How to attract single attractive women to your deserted island
3. Yellow fever and you--tips for avoiding
4. Even you can make soft toilet paper out of coconut husks

[David Meek]

Hmmm, haven't seen those titles Chris. Where are you shopping? : I'm still banging on my list. Hopefully I'll have it out today.

[Brandon B]

My choices are very different depending on whether I am alone on the island or my wife is with me.

BB

[David Meek]

:B Naughty boy. :W

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your outlook) this isn't THAT kind of thread. . . .

[George Bellefontaine]

Okay:

(1) SHANE
(2) THE SEARCHERS
(3) OPEN RANGE
(4) JAWS
(5) ALIEN
(6) PLATOON
(7) CASABLANCA
( 8 ) GLADIATOR
(9) LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
(10) UNFORGIVEN
(11) THE JERK
(12) THE THING

and if I could just squeeze in one more:

(13) The Marilyn Monroe diamond collection :drool:

[Burke Strickland]

( GLADIATOR ... this is supposed to be #8 but I keep getting COOL

George -- You need a space between the "8" and the closing parenthesis. Otherwise the automatic smiley generator kicks in, and you get "COOL". (If only air conditioning were that cheap and easy.) :>)

Space:
(8 )
No space:
(8)

Burke

[Burke Strickland]

(13) anything starring Marilyn Monroe.

Substitute "Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection" for one of your other DVD titles, and you'll get FIVE of her movies, ("Bus Stop", There's No Business Like Show Business", "The Seven Year Itch", "Gentemen Prefer Blondes", "How To Marry A Millionaire"). plus a bonus disc ("Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days'). Highly recommended set even if you DON'T wind up on a desert isle. Delicious! :>)

Burke

[George Bellefontaine]

I have that set Burke, so I will make the switch.

[Burke Strickland]

What? No “Castaway”, no “Robinson Crusoe”, no “Blue Lagoon”? Actually, if I were castaway on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe, I’d prefer to forget the, ahem, childish acting in Blue Lagoon. :>) Here are a dozen DVD movie titles I’d want to have along instead:

1) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended editions) Each movie in the trilogy is a treasure; together they are a towering masterpiece. I find myself watching for an hour or more when I’ve intended to just put on a “demo” scene – the well-paced narrative and solid ensemble acting really pull you in. (Let’s hope the ship doesn’t wreck before they release the extended edition of Return of the King.) :>)

2) The Godfather Trilogy The first two resonate with universal themes and brilliant performances. The third one kind of finishes out the story, but doesn’t measure up to the others’ power of their portrayals. (I wouldn’t be too upset if number 3 got lost in transit, but since it is part of the trilogy, and I’d want both of its predecessors, I’ll leave it in. to make a complete single entry)

3) Lawrence of Arabia Arguably the greatest movie of all time and one I have no trouble watching again and again.

4) Shakespeare in Love What did you expect? Shakespeare? Well here he is, and the times he lived in, portrayed in a richly detailed and ribaldly funny film that gives the “back story” to how one of his most beloved plays evolved from “Romeo and the Pirates Daughter”. (“Good title”.) :>) Some people dismiss it as a “romantic comedy”, but it’s a lot more than that. There are even a couple of sword fights that are a lot more convincing than the light saber ballet in (pardon the expression) “Episode One”.

5) Shrek Trilogy OK, Shrek 2 won’t be on DVD until November and they haven’t even made Shrek 3 yet, but I KNOW I’ll want to bring the box set with all of them, having watched and enjoyed the original countless times at home and having also really enjoyed the second one in a commercial theater (before someone let a big snake loose in there). :>) They can FedEx Nos. 2 and 3 to me on the desert island when they’re on finally available on DVD. :>)

6) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels I’ve probably watched this DVD more than any other – it’s a gift of laughter that keeps on giving. Gives being “bad” a good name. :>)

7) The Kubrick Collection Including that set gets me eight great films in one box (“Dr. Strangelove”, “Clockwork Orange”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Barry Lyndon”, “The Shining”, “Lolita”, “Full Metal Jacket”, Eyes Wide Shut”) plus a bonus disc.

8 ) Amadeus The original theatrical edition is a cinematic treasure I enjoy watching again and again. The “Director’s Cut” is bloated by the addition of extra scenes which drag down the pace of the narrative and add nothing of value to our understanding of the characters. In fact, they play more like Saturday Night Live parodies of the drama rather than integral parts of it. (Guess which version of the film I’d take along?) ;>)

9) Back To School While “Caddyshack” may be Rodney Dangerfield’s most popular movie, I find his Thornton Melon character in “Back To School” a lot more sympathetic, while still being very funny. The story may have some unbelievable elements but the strongly comedic characterizations make it sort-of believable. (RIP, Rodney. After all was said and done, we really did respect you,.)

10) Casablanca Stands the test of time as not only a quintessential drama of war time intrigue, but as a compelling love story as well (although who really loves whom is open to interpretation).

11) Chicago The musical numbers never wear thin, even after you have the lyrics and bridging dialog memorized from repeated viewings. Sharp, witty, deliciously wicked. This is a musical where the numbers integrate seamlessly into the story (in fact, in a way, they “make” the story) instead of serving as a diversion from it. I have to laugh (to keep from wincing) when I re-watch old Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals and see, in comparison, how clumsily they grafted the musical numbers into the story.

12) Family Movies If I were stranded alone on a desert island with just this list of DVDs (along with some means of playing them back that didn’t depend on batteries, unless I had a warehouse full of charged up ones), :>) I’d want a self-produced compendium of family movies transferred from Hi8 to DVD as part of the package.

If I were able to bring along only commercially produced DVD titles, I’d accept Lost In Translation as a substitute for 12). It is kind of a “stranded on a desert island” allegory that rings true and has some very funny scenes amidst the ennui and loneliness. Bill Murray deserved the Oscar for this one.

Another possibility for the 9) slot, (or "accidentally" slipped into the Godfather set instead of Godfather 3) :>) would be As Good As It Gets. I’ve watched this so often, if it were on a tape it would be worn out. The lead characters say outrageous things yet in context, they are very funny. Makes me laugh every time, even though by now, I know exactly what’s coming. One standout scene: After saying that his books mean “so much” to her because they communicate what’s inside her head and heart (to which the author exclaims “Oh god, this is like a nightmare”), the publisher’s receptionist asks the author: “How do you write women so well?” The author, Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), answers: “I think of a man… and I take away reason and accountability.” (He might have to come up with a different answer once he faces off in battles of wits with Helen Hunt’s character a few more times.)

And I’d love to sneak a copy of The Producers onto the island. (Maybe in the same case with “As Good As It Gets”?) :>) While “Young Frankenstein” may have more individually memorable scenes and quotable lines, “The Producers” is the Mel Brooks film I find more consistently watchable all the way through, with more interesting characters and more laughs per minute – and it isn’t lacking for memorable scenes and quotable lines, either. “I’m not a madam. I’m a concierge.” “Today, Broadway, tomorrow… (as he makes globe gesture) … you know.”

Also I’d really hate to do without Mississippi Burning. Substitute this for the bonus disc in “The Kubrick Collection”. (I’d actually watch this one.). :>) I absolutely fell for Francis McDormand’s character (as did Gene Hackman’s character in the movie). :>) With its subtly effective surround sound and cinematography, the movie gives a very successful “you are there” sense of place even if evokes a time when you really wouldn’t want to have been there.

Heck, even with collections and trilogies, it’s pretty darned tough to limit it to 12 – and I don’t have any movies by Ingmar Bergman on the list, no anime, no Westerns…

Burke

[David Meek]

Okay, here's my stab at a list of 12. For what it's worth, my first try only got me down to 41 DVDs. My next cutting got me down to 30, then the next to 20. There I sat for about a day. Finally I pared it down to the following:

Black Hawk Down: Deluxe Edition
Contact: SE
Gladiator: SE
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: Extended Cut Edition - (this counts as one choice) :
Open Range
Platoon
Ronin
Silverado: CE
The Mummy: CE - (the 1999 version)
The Replacement Killers: SE
The Thing From Another World
While You Were Sleeping

[purplepeople]

Since we're allowing huge collections to count at one...

Casablanca
Contact
The Exorcist
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
James Bond Collection
Kubrick Collection
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Ronin
Shakespeare in Love
Star Wars Collection
This is Spinal Tap
When Harry Met Sally

And yes... I'm bringing a Baker's Dozen and reserve the right to make changes just before getting stranded.

ensen.

[Burke Strickland]

Since we're allowing huge collections to count at one...

If they were sold as a single package, and we were grabbing stuff off the shelf to throw onto the lifeboat, we sure wouldn't take the time to slip out one disc from the set. Just take it all. (So any substitutions in a set would be left over from previous sloppy filing.) ;>)

Burke

[Danbry39]

That's even better. I'll amend my list a tad...or more.

[Brandon B]

:B Naughty boy. :W

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your outlook) this isn't THAT kind of thread. . . .

Actually, wasn't really being naughty. My wife makes me quite happy in that regard. I more meant if I had to do wihout her, I'd need something for a substitute.

Anyway, leaving that important issue aside, unconsidered first pass:

1 Star Wars Trilogy (I took mine out of the cardboard box. Still count as 1?)
2 Raising Arizona
3 Bladerunner (hopefully they remaster this before I am marooned)
4 LOTR EE set
5 Larry of the Desert or whatever it's called
6 2001
7 Dr. Strangelove
8 Princess Bride
9 Nightmare Before Christmas
10 5th Element
11 Moulin Rouge
12 backup copy of Star Wars. Sand and stuff you know.

Do we get surround sound? Or are we using coconuts?

BB

[purplepeople]

As yooooouuuuuu wish.....Princess Bride. Since we haven't set sail yet... so I'll swap Linda Blair for Mrs. Penn. Besides, we can always raid the QM2 movie library before we hit the berg, right?

ensen.

[George Bellefontaine]

Boy you guys have great taste in movies.

[Danbry39]

Agreed, George.

[aarsoe]

I cant think of all the 12 I would bring. But I know that the first 4 would be West Wing - season 1 +2 +3 +4
To me, still one of the best series out there..

Would also remind me why I should be happy about staing on that island.. :W