Top Ten Films I Watched With My Dad
For this weeks top ten I decided to stray from the conventional style lists and also share something a little more personal. Maybe you guys might understand where my love of movies was born, and more specifically my affinity for Sci-Fi and Action if you take a peek at what it was like growing up with my Dad. At any random time it was likely he was home from work and passed out watching Star Wars, which I'm certain he watched the trilogy weekly. He was so into it (and still is) that he owned a back up VHS collection-just in case something happened to his original. Beyond that more often than not my brother and I would find ourselves watching one of the ten listed movies below on the nights my mom would work. She would scowl, but then again she did her own array of movie influence into my life as well. Every once in awhile she would even call school and say I was sick so we could go to the cinema together. But this is Dads list, so the next one will be reserved for mom. Here it is for your enjoyment and Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddy's out there!| 10. Beverly Hills Cop I watched this one with my Mom and Dad. Beverly Hills Cop blew onto the scene in 1984-yes I was only three when it was released- with Hollywood’s most exciting new star, Eddie Murphy. A cool action flick turned into a hysterical action movie with a comedian that could make you laugh, but could also act. Beverly Hills Cop against today’s standards in far better than just about anything you put against it. Frankly, they just don’t make them like this anymore. |  |
| 9. Top Gun The first time I saw this was at the Drive In with my parents. Who doesn’t like Top Gun? I suppose it’s a bit dated now. Looking back it essentially embraces everything cliche about the 80’s but it made it fun and awesomely good. Everything about Top Gun is simply fun. There’s great music, fun action sequences, tons of almost testosterone, hot guys, volleyball, motorcycles, Take My Breath Away, and of course Maverick and Goose. This is a win and while Tony Scott has taken things more seriously since, this is one of his better films. Top Gun is a classic, and an icon of 80’s movies. |  |
| 8. Lethal Weapon (The Quadrilogy) Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Riggs (Mel Gibson), the best buddy cop team ever on the big screen take romance to a safe “buddy” place. The chemistry these two have is without question one of the greatest duo’s ever to grace the screen. Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs start off at odds with one another, but it’s isn’t long before the wild and reckless Riggs becomes part of the family man Murtaugh’s life and family. Each influence one another bringing out the crazy, while also the calmer, more sane sides. The best Murtaugh/Riggs moment is in the film “Maverick” where Glover plays a Bandit robbing a bank Gibson happens to be in. When he pulls down the mask on Glover’s face the music from Lethal Weapon appears and the two have a “moment”. |  |
| 7. Patton One of my favorite War epics with George C. Scott, and one of my dads favorite flicks ever. George S. Patton is played by George C. Scott in one of the best performances of all time. Wars have been shown threw the eyes of soldiers, the enemies, and the people, but seldom an interpretation through the general that had a huge part in the failure or success of that war, and Patton while hated by some and revered by others is one of the most compelling Generals in our history. The story begins with Patton’s career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Germany and the fall of the Third Reich. |  |
| 6. The Hunt For Red October The first time I saw this flick was in the theater with my brother and my mom and my dad, and I was certain it was the most boring film I had ever seen. After watching it over and over and over and over again with my Dad on VHS I finally realized what a great movie it was. So good in fact that I read the book, and discovered that my Dad had been reading Tom Clancy novels forever, and I picked up a few myself. |  |
| 5. Predator 1 & 2 How can you not fear this triumphant villain who inspired not only sequels but a new collaboration of films (though the quality unfortunately dissipates with each sequel) involving the Aliens series. The original Predator is clearly one of the most frightening villains of all time. We learn immediately what tough guys are sent to the jungle. They are the baddest of the bad but also ripe for the picking of this evil foe who sees them as nothing more than a jungle safari. The tension is excruciating and the terrifying alien revealed at the end only adds to the nightmare of this film. The Predator is a true villain, and the second film only offers more greatness from this. |  |
| 4. Total Recall First time I ever saw three boobs on one lady? Yep. Thanks to Arnie, my Dad, and my mom clearly annoyed that my Dad let me and my younger brother watch this movie so young it was pretty much the end of a battle of movies with violence, science fiction, and action that my Dad won. Total Recall is still one of my favorite Sci-Fi flicks, and one of my favorite Arnie ones as well. |  |
| 3. Terminator 1 & 2 Terminator is the film to which I owe my science fiction allegiance. It may come gift wrapped in an action/science fiction film, but the truth behind it’s flash and bang is a film that really evaluates serious questions about the nature of humanity and it’s coupling with violence and technology. It asks about our destructiveness. We are not punished by God in this film, but by ourselves, as we are the ignorant source of our own demise. There is a very realistic fear portrayed as changes in technology and violence surround us. Are we truly making progress or are we taking steps back in the evolutionary process? It is plain and simply entertaining, even funny at times, but truthfully the darkness of it’s nature is what makes it stand apart from so many other films in existence today. |  |
| 2. Star Trek (All of Them) I always liked Star Trek, but it was The Wrath Of Khan that made me a fan. Ricardo Montalban gave the performance of his career as Khan Noonien Singh, James T. Kirks greatest adversary ever. He was maniacal, methodic, and somehow all the same charming. He becomes the bane of the Enterprises existence as he hunts Kirk down in a twisted desire for vengeance. He grabs the screen each time he’s on it and makes The Wrath Of Khan by far the best Star Trek film of all time. |  |
| 1. Star Wars (Original Trilogy) For twenty-five years A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return Of The Jedi were the cornerstones for what great science fiction was all about in households across the world. Star Wars was life for me as a kid and hasn't varied from it's level of importance much since my younger years. It was exciting and fun as a young and imaginative youth, and as an adult still makes me feel that free spirit and imagination. For a daughter and Dad it was a source of common understanding and mutual excitement and appreciation, and now as he passes his Star Wars guru knowledge onto me slowly but surely I can only hope to pass the same joy and fun the Force brought to me with my own kids. |  |
The Rest Of The Regulars: Out For Justice, Highlander, Romancing The Stone, Die Hard, Navy Seals, Robocop, Sneakers, Stakeout, Dune, Red Dawn, Tango & Cash, Witness, and WarGames
This is the most aweosme list of all time. I think I’m going to make one with my pops.
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I would love to read it!
What a fantastic idea for a post. I first saw two of my all-time favourite movies with my dad (Casablanca and Some like it Hot). I like that The Hunt For Red October made the list, its one of my Dad’s favourites but my Mom hates it, she used to like it but she got sick of watching it about fifteen years ago having seen it so many times.
I think my mom tired of watching it as well. My dads taste wasn’t eclectic and he pretty much burned the movies he did have out.
Awesome list and so true! What kid hasn’t seen at least half of those movies with his/her dad. Love the mention of The Hunt For Red October which I watched with my dad several times
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What can I say? I was an 80′s baby.
well me too!!
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Funnily enough I remember the first time I saw Total Recall was with my Dad. He had it on VHS in his fairly limited video collection.
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Total Recall is one of those special films that just may be as enjoyable still based on it’s nostalgia more than anything.
awww, Total Recall is worth more than that. Phillip K. Dick, Paul VErhoeven, and our man and my governor. Plus, Cohagen!!!!
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You know what you’re missing? Monty Python’s Holy Grail.
The Predators — so good. I also remember movies like The Monster Squad and Howard the Duck.
Props
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lol-I’m not missing that silly. My dad wouldn’t last five minutes through a Monty Python film. Maybe somebody elses dad, but not mine.
Wow…… I thought all men under the age of ten and over the age of forty love Monty Python’s Holy Grail….
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Out for Justice was a big one in our house, much like alot of Segal movies, so I’m glad to see it was the first mentioned in your honorable mentions.
Also there was alot of Chris Farley and Chuck Norris. ALOT of Chuck Norris, in fact. I don’t think a day passed that Walker didn’t roundhouse kick somebody our on television screen.
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There was a lot of Jean Claude Van Damme at my place as well, but that was more influenced by mom than Dad.
I hate my Father but am very happy for YOU! haha
I hope my kids look back on stuff like this with the same attitude!!!
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I’d say Star Wars will likely end up being on my kids list as well.
My dad is a huge Star Wars nerd, so I grew up around the fandom. There’s a ton of action figures in this house, and I even went to Celebration 2 and 3 a few years back. Star Wars and Blade Runner are the movies I will always associate with my father and that is not a bad thing whatsoever. He’s got good taste.
Blade Runner was one my Dad loved but I never really watched till I was an adult for some reason.
It’s always a plus when my Dad and I enjoy the same films. In Bruges, The Departed and The Prestige just to name a few.
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Your Dad has nice taste!
A Very timely list – a great thought, Heather. Nicely done. Wish my dad was a big film buff. I just remember watching The Godfather films (we are Italian, so it is kinda against the law NOT to watch that). We had more of a sports bond than films. Nice to see Patton here – great film…
Nothing wrong with watching The Godfather over and over again Peter.
My dad never really watched any movies! No fair! My dad was the one who would rent me a lot of movies for my friends and I to watch that we weren’t allowed to rent normally, like Eddie Murphy’s stand up flicks and some horror movies until we finally found a video store clerk that didn’t care how old we were.
I also remember him driving us to Critters 2 but we couldn’t get into that movie either, we just weren’t old enough yet!
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My dad was awesome about it much to my mothers chagrin but she eventually came around as well.
It seems like you and your dad love action/thriller films. My dad gets crazy when like sex is popped up any movie so we try to stay away, but the movies we watch together are weird as crap.
1. Kung Pow
2. Johnny English
3. Land of the Lost
4. All of the Star Wars
5. A Christmas Story
random selection I know, but it whatever, he hates sex comedies sometimes.
That is a pretty interesting list, you are right, however about the strange mix of flicks. I think it’s cool that Land Of The Lost is on here though.
Christmas Story is a definite for sure
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I love Christmas Story. I make everyone in my house watch it every year. I imagine one of my kids will fondly remember seeing it every year. Either that or grow up to say ‘Oh god, not that movie. My dad used to make us watch it every year!’ HAHA!
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Patton is one of your father’s favourites? That’s quite impressive. Great list making.
Yep. One of those movies we watched over and over again when I was a kid.
That sounds just a little weird…just a little.
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I concur
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Why is it weird? Ha!
Wow, this explains so much:) Jeeze, anymore action movies than that upbringing and I’m pretty sure you would have genetically mutated into a boy after your 15th birthday:P
I have similar fond memories of # 9,6,5,4,3 and 1…Kinda missed the Trek series growing up, but the rest take me back to “The Danger Zone”:)
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I actually made my dad a mix tape of classic rock for a driving trip across the country once. In the middle I randomly tossed in Danger Zone as a chuckle. He called me in the middle of his trip laughing.
Very cool list, Heather, and lucky you for even being able to come up with such a list. Despite my dad being in the movie biz where I come from, he’s out of my life by the time I was only 3 so sad to say I’ve never seen any movie with him. I’ve never even seen any of his movies he made in its entirety, not sure if I’ll ever will since I don’t even know how to find them. Most of my movie influence came from my mom, and she was one of those cool moms who’d watch Tango & Cash AND Showdown in Little Tokyo back to back over New Year’s eve!
P.S. Sounds like you have a VERY cool dad indeed!
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That’s pretty impressive to have at least a mom to be able to look back and see the specific influence on your film adoration.
Knowing Heather I was not surprised at number one. The rest make up a cool rotation of life in the 80′s. Good list.
The part of the 80′s where lots of stuff blowith uppith.
You’re lucky — my dad wasn’t much for going to the movies. But we watched plenty at home, and probably the no. 1 and 2 on the list would be “Blazing Saddles” and “The Godfather.” I don’t bring home many guys to meet the folks, but the ones I do my dad tends to quote “Blazing Saddles” around them to see if they laugh. If they don’t, it’s a lost cause.
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Your Dad is great. I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Enjoyed reading this post
Particularly no.2.
Star Trek (Enterprise) would be in my nostalgia top 10 – Everything about it just warms me up!
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I have to say, I’m more than a little jealous. Weird confession: I’ve never watched a movie with my father (I really need to ask him what he likes).
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My dad and I watched a lot of these together as well, The Terminator films, Lethal Weapon, Top Gun, Total Recall and, of course, Star Wars.
Some of them we loved, some of them we made fun of, some of them he had an equal measure of both.
Oddly enough, the film I’ll probably remember watching with my dad was 500 Days of Summer. As guys, we connected with the Tom character and all his foolish mistakes.