Sole survival, solitude, confinement, freedom, deception, hidden lust, treasure (of all forms), and epic sing-alongs are all themes found amongst tonight’s contenders. As Monday Movie Nights officially ushers in their new Victoria chapter we find ourselves with a list of island-themed contenders ready to battle it out. Only one will be crowned king, thus representing our small Victorian faction during the ISLAND INVASION. That’s right, mainlanders, this week you choose from a pristine list of isle-themed movies curated by non-other than the co-presidents of Monday Night Movies – Victoria Chapter, Remington “Randy” Hall and Bear Johal.
Below you will find the top three selections from both Bear and myself, as well as two submissions from our favourite Rolling Stone, Vancouver Island correspondent, Ricky Moransky. Please excuse the perverse and paedophilian nature of Moransky’s selections — we’ve tried therapy, it did not help.
This week’s contenders are:
As nominated by Bear:
Cast Away (2000) – 143 min
A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island.
The Island (2005) – 136 min
Lincoln Six Echo is just like everyone else – he’s waiting to go to the island – the only place left in the world to actually live a life. Thousands of people stay at a facility waiting to go to the island. It all sounds like paradise but Lincoln Six Echo soon discovers that there’s actually a sinister purpose going on at that facility and must escape.
Papillon (1973) – 151 min
A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.
As nominated by Randy
The Rock (1996) – 136 min
A mild-mannered chemist and an ex-con must lead the counterstrike when a rogue group of military men, led by a renegade general, threaten a nerve gas attack from Alcatraz against San Francisco.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979) – 112 min
A dramatization of the one possibly successful escape from the infamous prison island in 1962.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) – 99 min
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of a young orphan who becomes involved with pirate Long John Silver is given the Muppet treatment in this vibrant children’s musical. Suitable for ages 1-101
As greasily selected by Moransky – God have mercy on his perverted soul:
The Blue Lagoon (1980) – 104 min
Basically, child porn. Or as Rotten Tomatoes puts it, “As small children, a boy and girl are shipwrecked on a tropical island together in this critically lambasted drama. The two grow up together without the restrictions of society and, when they hit puberty, fall madly in love, leading to the film’s somewhat notorious exploration of sensuality.”
Mysterious Island Of Beautiful Women (1979) – 100 min
If this movie is half as good as the title than it’s sure to be a blockbuster, with exception to the fact that it was a straight to TV movie. IMDB sums it up pretty good, “Some men in a plane land on an uncharted island. They discover that it’s inhabited by women. Women who don’t trust men. They try to get them to help them.” Distrustful women, sounds like a Moransky biopic.
See y’all on voting day.