Whether you’re going through your 22nd day or 2nd day of the quarantine, you have to be prepared in your range of media to consume. We’ve covered older TV shows to watch; now let’s check out old movies for you to watch.
Groundhog Day
After a couple of weeks in quarantine, every day starts to feel exactly the same, and that is exactly how Bill Murray felt in this classic tale of a news anchor who has to relive the same day again and again until he learns to become a better person. While this lockdown may not be the same kind of purgatory that Groundhog Day presents, it’s comforting to know that it can be a lot worse.
This 20th-century fairytale does get pretty heartwarming by the end of it, with the main character and the viewer learning a valuable lesson on what we take for granted in this world. You also get to see Bill Murray drive a getaway car with a groundhog on the wheel.
Dark Crystal/ Labyrinth/ Neverending Story
Speaking of fairytales, here are three fantasy movies with varying levels of dark themes and lighthearted 80s children movie themes. They also feature a lot of practical effects and puppetry, which is refreshing to reexperience in the age of CGI. Labyrinth features more funny moments and a ton of David Bowie fan-service, and while Neverending Story has a traumatising start, it is sunshine and rainbows all the way with its iconic theme song.
The Dark Crystal, befitting its name, is definitely the darkest of the three movies. Featuring an all-puppet cast with no human characters, the story reveals an evil plot by scary looking bird people who are bent on ruling the world. It’s definitely worth watching if you’re interested in the Netflix prequel series and the tactical video game that was also recently released.
Coming to America
Who knows when any of us gets to visit the United States of America ever again, but at the very least, we get to see Eddie Murphy playing a fictional prince experiencing the wonders of American life in one of his most memorable cinematic roles. This is also the start of the comedian’s penchant for playing multiple characters in a movie, way before Nutty Professor and Norbit.
Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, the heir to the throne of Zamunda, a fictional African kingdom before Wakanda made its cinematic debut. Watch this movie once, and you’ll be quoting it for days. The film also has Samuel L. Jackson in a minor role, as well as Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones playing the King of Zamunda, a character very similar to Mufasa in The Lion King.
James and The Giant Peach
When you think of live-action and animated hybrids, most people’s minds will go to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Space Jam, but what about live-action and stop-motion animation? That’s where James and The Giant Peach comes in. It is the 90s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book about a boy escaping his dreary home life on a giant peach with a ragtag group of anthropomorphic insects.
This is the second collaboration between Tim Burton and Henry Selick, right off the heels of Nightmare Before Christmas. If you love the dark and moody aesthetics of Corpse and Coraline, then James and The Giant Peach is right up your alley.
The Blade Trilogy
Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off, the Blade trilogy began and ended triumphantly. Starring Wesley Snipes as the vampire hunter Blade, who maintains the balance between the worlds of humans and vampires. Snipes was also famously known for wanting to adapt Black Panther to the big screen before the MCU made their version.
The trilogy was also directed by three amazing directors, including Stephen Norrington, the director of the criminally underrated League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (which you should also watch as it’s basically the Avengers before the MCU). Guillermo Del Toro directed the second one, before directing hits such as Hellboy and The Shape of Water. The final film was directed by David S. Goyer, more notable for his role as a screenwriter for Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and for writing the plots for Call of Duty Black Ops I and II.
