Good Movies to Watch When You’re Bored

When you’re bored out of your skull, there’s nothing better than a good movie to get those synapses firing and the ‘ol blood pumping just a bit faster. I’m not claiming the following movies are the all-time best, but they are guaranteed to shake you from your lethargic state and make life seem fun again. So without further adieu, I present ten good movies to watch when you’re bored.

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The Fifth Element (1997) – Bruce Willis is Corbin Dallas, a badass former soldier who now works as a cabbie in the distant future. When the mysterious Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) literally falls into his cab, Dallas gets caught up in a galactic plot involving shape-shifting aliens, blue-skinned opera singers, and the ultimate force of evil in the universe. Gary Oldman plays yet another villain as industrialist Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg, and Chris Tucker will cause your eardrums to melt as the annoying galactic radio host Ruby Rhod.

EuroTrip (2004) – Imagine that you just found out your girlfriend is a huge slut who’s been doing the lead singer of a local band. At the same time, you also realize that your long-time pen pal from Germany who’s been flirting with you recently is actually of the female persuasion. The logical step would be to head off to Europe and track her down, and that’s just what Scotty Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz) does. Along with three of his pals, he gets a crash course in Europe, complete with soccer hooligans, horny Italians, vengeful mimes, and a trucker wanted for raping a horse. I’m normally not a big fan of these sorts of films, but something about EuroTrip really tickled the ‘ol funny bone. Maybe it was all the cameos, including Matt Damon, Lucy Lawless, Fred Armisen, Diedrich Bader, Vinnie Jones, and Rade Serbedzija.

Duck Soup (1933) – Considered the masterpiece of the Marx Brothers, Duck Soup sees Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) appointed as the head of the bankrupt nation of Freedonia. His attempts at political maneuverings are horrible to say the least, and the film’s climax takes place during a madcap battle scene. Duck Soup features musical numbers, sight gags, one-liners, and much more (including the now-famous mirror scene). If you’re never experienced the comedic genius of the Marx Brothers, this is the place to start.

Battle Royale (2001) – This controversial film deals with a class of Japanese students who are taken by the government and forced to participate in a program called Battle Royale. Basically, in an effort to prove to the youth that they’re still in charge, the rulers of Japan place these teens on an island and force them to engage in lethal combat until only one is left. Their bitter ex-teacher, Kitano (Takeshi Kitano), has volunteered to help run the game, and it’s not long before sweet Japanese schoolchildren are dropping like flies. The contest also includes a few deadly “exchange” students brought in just for the game, including a previous winner and a teen with hair that’s almost as crazy as he is.

Aliens (1986) – If you’re looking for good movies to watch when you’re bored, why not try one of the biggest sci-fi/action films of the ‘80s? James Cameron directs, and Sigourney Weaver reprises her role as Ripley, the lone survivor of a deadly xenomorph attack. When a mining colony loses contact, Ripley accompanies a group of space marines to investigate. What they find makes the terror of the first film look tame by comparison, and the survivors of the initial encounter must band together to make an escape. Keep an eye out for the film’s most famous scene, a futuristic catfight between the alien queen and a seriously pissed-off Ripley.

The Quick and the Dead (1995) – The concept is simple: each year, a quick-draw tournament is held in the Wild West town of Redemption. This contest brings cutthroats of all sorts, each of them gunning for a huge cash prize. But the mysterious “Lady” (Sharon Stone) enters the tournament for very different reasons, as does the outlaw-turned-preacher named Cort (Russell Crowe). Gene Hackman plays John Herod, the ruthless killer who runs Redemption with an iron fist, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio co-stars as his cocky son. Directed by Sam Raimi, The Quick and the Dead has a quick pace and visually compelling style which is sure to make your day seem a little less boring.

Enter the Dragon (1973) – Nothing will get your attention quite like a flying kick from Bruce Lee, and there’s lots of that to go around in Enter the Dragon. Lee plays a martial arts master who goes to investigate a fighting tournament on the mysterious island owned by a former Shaolin monk named Han. That all leads to plenty of intrigue and kung-fu action, including appearances by John Saxon, Jim Kelly, and Bolo Yeung. Look for Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in uncredited roles.

Crank (2006) – Playing out like a video game on drugs, the appropriately titled Crank features Jason Statham as a hitman named Chev Chelios who wakes up to find he’s been injected with a lethal Chinese poison. With just a short time to live, he’s told by his doctor (Dwight Yoakam) that the only way to fight off the effects are by keeping his adrenaline flowing. Chev does that with a vengeance, brawling and speeding his away across a seedy L.A. landscape. He even manages to have sex with his girlfriend (Amy Smart) in front of Chinatown tourists and a busload of Asian schoolgirls. Great fun as long as you don’t take it seriously.

Quarantine (2008) – A reporter and her cameraman follow an EMT crew on the graveyard shift in this remake of a Spanish horror flick. After responding to a call at an apartment building, they soon find that they’ve been quarantined inside by local law enforcement. And that’s when the zombies (or zombie-like creatures) begin popping up. Lots of rapid (and bloody) action for the easily bored.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Filled with plenty of comedy, singing, and dancing, Singin’ in the Rain is one of the few musicals I can actually watch more than once. Gene Kelly shows off his tremendous on-screen charisma and dancing abilities, and Donald O’Connor can still wow modern audiences with his acrobatic talents during “Make ‘Em Laugh.” A classic film that also deals with the transition from silent movies to the “talkies.”

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Now that you’ve waded through these good movies to watch when you’re bored, why not stick around and check out these posts from Only Good Movies, as well:

• Good Romance Movies
• Good Spanish Movies
• Dancing with the Stars
• Good Alec Baldwin Movies – Good Steve Martin Movies
• Summer Blockbusters 1999
• Good James Cameron Movies
• Good Sleepover Movies

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