Mark from Marked Movies has kindly submitted his Desert Island Films. Read on for his choices and reasons, and be sure to check out his site.
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Desert Island Films is about choosing 8 films you would take if you were going to be stranded on a desert island and explaining your choices. They don’t necessarily have to be your favourites, just 8 films, no more or no less! You are also permitted to take one book and one novelty item which must be inanimate and of no use in escaping the island or allowing communication from outside.
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Mark’s Desert Island Films
1: The Big Lebowski
This will not be a surprise to those that visit my site. It’s my favourite film and one that I could, quite easily, watch everyday. It’s endlessly quotable and entertaining and I’d miss all the characters if I couldn’t have my regular fix.
2: Once upon a time in America
This is another favourite of mine and one that I also visit frequently. It’s close to 4 hours long and one that would help to pass a bit of time. Labyrinthine plotting and an exceptional cast make this Sergio Leone classic, an absolute must.
3: 1900
Another DeNiro one and another long one. The full uncut version runs in at 5 1/2 hours and is absolutely epic in it’s scale. Watching this back-to-back with my previous choice would take up a good chunk of the day.
4: Waking Life
While being stranded, this film could help entertain the thought that my isolation may well just be part of my dream-state. It’s highly artistic and thought provoking. Being on your own all day, you’d need something to get the old noodle working.
5: Pulp Fiction
Any form of social interaction would be long gone on this little island so I’d have to take a bit of Tarantino. The man knows exactly how to entertain and his dialogue would be like eavesdropping on a conversation.
6: Drive
Coolness is a requirement and very few film’s achieve the level as Drive does. It has a little bit of everything going on. Not too mention it’s brilliant soundtrack.
7: Lost Highway
This is not my favourite David Lynch film but it’s one I’ve been trying to decipher for years. I’m still none the wiser as to what the hell is going on in this but if I had time on my hands, maybe I could eventually crack it.
8: Rocky
I dithered with my choice on this one. I was tempted to choose one of the sequels, were he actually wins a fight but this is still the classic and should do nicely for an uplifting film that has you punching the air in delight.
Book – There are loads of books I’d like to choose but to get a mixture of both light and challenging reading, I’ll take Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder’s excellent fantasy/philosophical novel “Sophie’s World”. It delivers escapism, as well as some deep pondering from the greatest minds of our time.
Inanimate luxury item – I’d take a ball with me. Not just for recreation but for something to talk to. I hear the “Wilson” variety are ideal in desert island circumstances. 😉
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Thanks again to Mark for taking the time to join the prestigious Head In A Vice ”castaway” list. If you would like to submit your choices and add your name to this list, please drop me an email to – tysoncarter@hotmail.co.uk
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Head In A Vice 
Tysoncarter
/ August 15, 2012Thanks Mark, again some very unique choices. 1900 is one of De Niro’s I’m still yet to see. Must be cheap on dvd somewhere, I need to get that bought 🙂 Appreciate you contributing to my project mate, thanks again!
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Mark Walker
/ August 15, 2012Pleasure to be involved again Tyson. Yeah, 1900 is a real beauty. It’s a big commitment at it’s lengthy running time but one worthy of attention. It’s been a while since I seen it myself but I’d love to revisit it again. It was made around the time where DeNiro was working with one prestigious director after another. I struggle to think of any actor that managed to achieve the level of quality that DeNiro was delivering around this time.
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Tysoncarter
/ August 15, 2012£5 online, bargain, Ill be ordering this! Surely the 5 hours running time is a mis-print? Frig me, still at £1 per hour thats good value!
I love John Cazale’s movie track record, 5 incredible films made, but yeah De Niro was untouchable really. I have his newest film ‘Freelancers’ ready to watch. It stars 50 cent…………Im very worried
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Mark Walker
/ August 15, 2012No the running time is not a mis-print. It’s a big ask of anyone and the subject matter is exactly light either. Still, it’s worth seeing.
Freelancers you say? The last time DeNiro and 50 cent were in a film, was Righteous Kill – probably the most disappointed I’ve ever been with any movie. I have Being Flynn which I’m looking forward to.
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Tysoncarter
/ August 15, 2012Wow, 5 hours, might have to stagger my viewings!
Freelancers aka Crossfire aka probably a piece of shit. 🙂 Yeah, when I heard De Niro & Pacino were going to start together, in all the scenes together, Righteous Kill became my most wanted movie. Then I saw it and died a little inside. I also have Being Flynn, will try get that seen sometime soon too.
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AndyWatchesMovies
/ August 15, 2012Good picks, Mark! Waking Life was a surprise to see on there but a solid one
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Mark Walker
/ August 16, 2012Cheers Andy. Yeah, I love Waking Life man. It delves into some great theories. It a little gem waiting to be discovered by many.
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mistylayne
/ August 15, 2012Love your reasoning for #7, lol. And am I the only person who didn’t like “Drive”? I so don’t get what the big fuss is about it. Also adding that book to my reading list (this is actually my favorite part of these lists getting ideas for new books to read). 🙂
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Tysoncarter
/ August 15, 2012You don’t like Drive??!! I honestly don’t know how to react to this tragic news……..I thought you were cool……..how can you…….I mean it’s perfect……….must resist banning you from site………should of just edited your comment 🙂
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mistylayne
/ August 16, 2012Please don’t ban me, Tyson!!! And I am cool. Super mega awesome cool. So there. ;-p
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Tysoncarter
/ August 17, 2012I want to believe you, but I’m sure there are people here that back me up and agree that if you don’t like Drive you can’t be cool 🙂
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Mark Walker
/ August 17, 2012Anyone that doesn’t like Drive is definitely scrimping on the coolness 😉
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mistylayne
/ August 17, 2012I am a sad, sad panda. ;(
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Mark Walker
/ August 16, 2012I wouldn’t go around dismissing Drive Misty, you gather some enemies 😉
Yeah, check out Jostein Gaarders books though. He a great writer that makes challenging philosophical teachings accessible to everyone. Another book of that a great little adventure is The Solitaire Mystery.
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atothewr
/ August 16, 2012Nice list. 5 hours plus is a long time for a movie by the way, would love to take that challenge on one time though.
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Tysoncarter
/ August 16, 2012A 5 hour group twitter watch-a-long is in order. 🙂
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atothewr
/ August 16, 2012I wish there was a way for a lot of us cinema loving bloggers to podcast together. It would be a blast.
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Tysoncarter
/ August 16, 2012Sounds great. If you ever make it happen I’m there 🙂
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atothewr
/ August 16, 2012I’m podcasting with a couple of buddies on various subjects right now and we’ve figured out how to record it through google chat. I’m trying to figure out a way to use that for some movie podcasts. If I get it figured out I will let you know. Works pretty well for the most part. Are you England? Isn’t it like 4 in the morning over there?
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Tysoncarter
/ August 16, 2012Cool!
Yeah 4am, but I work nights and when Im not working I dont sleep anyway, bit of an insomniac. Got a funeral in about 5 hours though so should really try sleep!
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atothewr
/ August 16, 2012Sorry to hear about the funeral. Go get some sleep. And keep up the good work on your site. Thanks for giving me a shout out.
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Tysoncarter
/ August 16, 2012Sadly these things happen in life, but we have to do the best we can in the short time we have.
And I will go sleep, this is what happens, this site sucks me in and I spend all my time tweaking and replying and trying to get my name out there! Thanks for the kind words, and your more than welcome, love your work too.
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Mark Walker
/ August 16, 2012There is a cut that lasts 4hrs but the original 5 hrs 20mins is the one to get. It’s not easy viewing by any manner but worth checking out at least once in your lifetime. I haven’t seen it since it was on VHS so that shows how long ago that was.
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fernandorafael
/ August 16, 2012Excellent choices by Mark, of course!
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Mark Walker
/ August 17, 2012Thanks as always Fernando.
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George Bell (@CallMeSirPhobos)
/ August 17, 2012Ah, crap. I should have picked some Lynch for mine. If I just brought 8 of his films, I would have the rest of my life to never figure any of them out.
Your book choice intrigues me, though. I’m going to look it up.
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Mark Walker
/ August 17, 2012Gotta have a bit of Lynch in there man. Gotta have me some Lynchian madness.
Hope you like the book George. It’s a great little read. On the one hand it’s like a child’s fantasy and on the other it’s got some great philosophical teachings and goes into the thoughts of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates etc. Bug does it in a way thats accessible to everyone. I loved it.
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George Bell (@CallMeSirPhobos)
/ August 17, 2012Just looked up the book, and promptly added it to my Amazon wish list. Sounds awesome.
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Franz Patrick
/ August 17, 2012I believe Gene Siskel (how he is missed!) placed “Once Upon a Time in America” as his best film of 1984. Can’t wait to see it.
Nice pick for “Waking Life.” I remember being… perplexed by it for the first time. I bought it recently for $3 with hopes of understanding it a little more. I remember, though, the animation is inspired.
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Mark Walker
/ August 17, 2012Thanks Franz. I absolutely love Once Upon a time… Like Siskel it was my favourite at one point for years before The Big Lebowski took that mantle. It’s a masterpeice from Leone and the definitive gangster film in my opinion. It’s just a shame it didn’t go down so well in america due to the ripped apart cut they released. It needs to be seen in it’s entirety. As for Waking Life, that’s a highly underrated little treat. I love that film so much.
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