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FILMxFIVE: Five Movies to See Instead of Watching Titanic for the Billionth Time
by Kerstin Larson, Cinema Programming Director

You might think, who needs more boat movies when Titanic has perfected the art? Well, boat movies shouldn't be limited to epic, historical romances. There's so much more to offer! Ranging from silent, French classics to skeezy thrillers, these five films are all bringing a lot to the table.

 


L'ATALANTE
(Dir. Jean Vigo | France | 1934)
Availble to stream via Criterion Channel and Kanopy


I know a lot of people have been bemoaning the challenges of maintaining a relationship while social distancing, but just imagine how hard it would be while confined to a boat! Boat life is at least a little easier when you live with a bunch of boat kittens. Make sure you check out the 4k restoration from Janus films.

 


LIFEBOAT
(Dir. Alfred Hitchcock | USA | 1944)
Available to rent or buy from various online sources

The drama on this lifeboat makes Jack Dawson's fate seem not so bad. Truffaut doesn't have to twist my arm too much to convince me of Hitchcock's auteur status. The fact that he manages to cram all the thrills and chills of his standard fare into a boat chamber drama is evidence enough. And Talulah Bankhead is in it for crying out loud!

 


PURPLE NOON
(Dir. René Clément | France/Italy | 1960)
Available to stream via Criterion Channel or Kanopy

I've seen a lot of people watching The Talented Mr. Ripley to be whisked away to the sunny shores of Italy during quarantine, but I need to tell you all, Matt Damon has NOTHING on Alain Delon. Purple Noon is steamy and schemey, and the talented Mr. Delon demands to be gazed upon.

 


DEAD CALM
(Dir. Phillip Noyce | Australia | 1989)
Available to rent or buy from various online sources

Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman are a married couple (need I say more?) who go out on the high seas to reset their lives after the death of their young son. They spot a stranded man paddling a lifeboat towards their yacht. Lo and behold, it's a shirtless Billy Zane (need I say more???)! As he joins them on their ship, they get the sneaking suspicion that Billy is not who he seems (NEED I SAY MORE?). This film (FILM) has been added to my most treasured collection of Films That Have Such a Crazy Ending that I Stood Up and Ran Around the Room. The superior Billy-Zane-on-a-boat movie


 

WATERWORLD
(Dir. Kevin Reynolds | USA | 1995)
Available to rent or buy from various online sources

Okay, you're right. Waterworld is not a good movie. But did you know that it was the most expensive movie production in history until Titanic came out two years later? And needless to say, Waterworld was not the massive box office hit that Titanic was destined to be. So maybe toss a couple bucks to the underdog and spend some time in a world that somehow manages to be worse than our own right now.

 


Author
Posted by: Tom Fuchs