What do I watch to unwind? It’s well known that I gravitate towards the heavier, idiosyncratic, or artsy, but I can also appreciate entertainment when it’s done well. So to clarify, this isn’t a list of the greatest of each genre, by any means, just a selection of personal favourites that are some of the most enjoyable. Below are examples of what I put on when I’ve had a heavy day, need cheering up, or simply to remind myself of why I fell in love with film in the first place.
Martial Arts
Recommended: ‘Drunken Master 2‘
Balletic kung fu mastery! You don’t watch a film like this for the acting, you watch it for the audacity of the stunt-work, marvelling at what the human body can do (especially in an era that was all about practical effects). Martial arts movies are my comfort food. If I’ve had a bad day I’ll sling one on and within five minutes I feel better, every single time.
Also worth watching: 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Touch of Zen, Fist of Fury, 5 Deadly Venoms.
Comedy
Recommended: ‘Up in Smoke’
Freewheeling stoner comedies are the best. I’m all for comedy, the only problem these days is that most rely on setting the camera up in the blandest of ways and letting the actors improvise. Cheech and Chong (almost a genre to themselves) specialised in a kind of comedy which often feel like a ‘week in the life’, but include several large miscommunications leading to amazing setups and pratfalls. Consistently rewarding, the films are carried by one of the most enduring and charming double acts in film history.
Also worth watching: Midnight Run, Playtime, Groundhog Day, Office Space.
Western
Recommended: ‘For a Few Dollars More’
I grew up watching westerns. Mostly John Wayne. And while Sergio Leone’s ‘For a Few Dollars More’ is far from his best film (or the best western of all time for that matter) it is arguably one of the most fun, and it ends with a showdown accompanied by one of the most memorable pieces of music ever used in film.
Also worth watching: Red River, Death Rides a Horse, Open Range, Ride the High Country.
Musical
Recommended: ‘An American in Paris’
That’s right, I’m also partial to a musical (when it’s done right). Similar to Martial Arts, this is all about performance, seeing what can be done with the human body. Added to that it’s one of the most visually spectacular genres, with immaculately-choreographed set-pieces, amazing costume and set design; it’s also one of the hardest to direct, so hats off to all involved whenever one gets made. It’s impossible to consider musicals without the incomparable Gene Kelly getting a mention, which is why he features twice here.
Also worth watching: Singin’ in the Rain, All That Jazz, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Cabaret.
Horror
Recommended: ‘The Lost Boys’
This one’s a bit of a cop-out, but I’m not sorry. For a genre rich in nastiness, psychological disturbances, an abundance of over-the-top gore and silliness, it’s still ‘The Lost Boys’ that I go back to most often when I want a fun horror film experience. The soundtrack is phenomenal, it’s endlessly quotable; it’s fun, it’s dark, it’s cult brilliance. If you’ve never watched it, what are you waiting for?
Also worth watching: Evil Dead 2, Maniac Cop, Re-animator, Braindead.