10 Kurt Russell Movies Everyone Should See

It's been quite awhile since my last 10 Movies Everyone Should See entry. For anyone who is unfamiliar, this is an ongoing (although sporadic) series highlighting some of the notable movies of a person's career. The reason the series is called 10 Movies Everyone Should See rather than a "Best of" or "Top 10" is because a lot of those types of lists are usually based on box office numbers or critical acclaim. I wanted to take a more comprehensive approach when looking at a film career; combining the good, the bad, the most financially successful, the breakout films, the iconic roles, and the forgotten gems. Previous entries have taken a look at the careers of Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Alfred Hitchcock, Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Chuck Norris, Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Stewart, and Burt Reynolds. 

This time, as the title of this post indicates, I'll be giving you 10 Kurt Russell movies that I think everyone should see.

#10 Death Proof (2007)

"...Alcohol is just a lubricant for all the individual encounters that a bar offers."

Kurt Russell plays 'Stuntman' Mike in this Tarantino directed peddle-to-the-metal grindhouse film. Whether he's playing a good guy or a bad guy Russell always has a degree of likeability. Stuntman Mike is a murderous psychopath but, he's also charismatic and the best part of the film.

#9 Tombstone (1993)

“You tell 'em I'm coming! And Hell's coming with me”

The golden age of the Hollywood Western has long since past but, we do get a few good ones from time to time. One of the best that the genre had to offer in the 1990's was Tombstone. The film has a really solid cast lead by Russell, and I consider it a must-see for those who enjoy films about the old west.

#8 Escape from New York (1981)

“ I don't give a f*** about your war... or your president."

Kurt Russell has teamed up with Director John Carpenter several times over the course of his career, with Escape from New York being the first. It's a really good movie, just be sure to steer clear of 1996's Escape from L.A.

#7 Dark Blue (2003)

“I may be a goddamn alcoholic but that doesn't mean I can't tell the truth - and I've got all the deep deep dirt right here. Somebody put the cufs on me - let me start talking!”

Set in Los Angeles in 1992, during the days leading up to the verdict in the Rodney King trial, the movie is a thriller about corruption at every level of the L.A.P.D. Kurt Russell is fantastic in the film as Sergeant Eldon Perry, a seasoned officer who is teaching his young partner Bobby (played by Scott Speedman) how to plant evidence, lie on reports, and cover up cold-blooded murders.

#6 Backdraft (1991)

"How do you do it, man? How do you come up with new and amazing ways to f*** up?"

I really like this movie. It's not the best film Russell has starred in and it isn't without its shortcomings. However, when you add in the impressive effects, the solid supporting cast, and the Hans Zimmer score, there was no way I was going to leave it off this list.

#5 The Hateful Eight (2015)

“You only need to hang mean bastards, but mean bastards you need to hang.”

 Featured alongside other Tarantino favorites like Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell plays John "The Hangman' Ruth in this wintery Western set almost entirely in a secluded haberdashery. It's a Tarantino movie and those are always good and, as for Russell...

… C'mon, it's worth watching just based on that image.

#4 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

"You know... everyone's just out for himself. It was like that everywhere I went. Everyone's just... out for himself."

I was born in the 80's, so to me Kurt Russell is Jack Burton, Snake Plissken, a bit later Wyatt Earp etc. However his career goes all the way back to the 1960's and I wanted to include on this list at least one of his early films. The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is cheesy and dated but, it's wholesome, harmless fun too.

#3 Miracle (2004)

“When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates; and the name on the front, is a hell of a lot more important, than the one on the back.”

This film about the 1980 'Miracle on Ice' sees Kurt Russell playing Herb Brooks, the coach of the men's hockey team that, against all odds, won the gold medal. It is the Disney-fied version of the actual events but a pretty good sports movie nonetheless. 

#2 Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

"Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, 'give me your best shot, pal. I can take it'"

Big Trouble in Little China has become something of a cult classic over the years. It's a weird but entertaining film. It isn't my favorite Kurt Russell movie, but Jack Burton might just be the best Kurt Russell character.

#1 Bone Tomahawk (2015)

“Pain is how your body talks to you. You'd do well to listen to it.”

This movie is great. I actually reviewed this one earlier this year and, if you want, you can check out that post out HERE. In short, Kurt Russell turns in a solid performance and I highly recommend the film, I think it's one of his best.




Honorable Mentions: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), The Thing (1982), Tango & Cash (1989), The Barefoot Executive (1971), Overboard (1987)

Bone Tomahawk

Although advertised as a "Horror-Western", 2015's Bone Tomahawk doesn't hit with wall-to-wall scares or even much gore, relative to it's 132 minute runtime. While some seeking out a straight horror film may find this a bit disappointing I think it's a very engaging film. 

Shortly after a drifter comes to the small frontier town of Bright Hope he is shot in the leg by the town Sheriff (played by Kurt Russell) and taken to jail under suspicion of murder. The town's doctor Samantha O'Dwyer called upon to treat the prisoner's wound. However, in the middle of the night the drifter, the doctor, and the deputy who was at the jail, all go missing. Upon finding an arrow in the building and consulting with a local Native American, who identifies the arrow as belonging to a savage troglodyte clan, the Sheriff quickly gathers together a small group of men to assist him in searching for the missing persons. This group consists of the doctor's husband Arthur O'Dwyer (played by Patrick Wilson) who despite having a broken leg insists on going, the 'backup deputy' Chicory (played by Richard Jenkins) and John Brooder (played by Matthew Fox) who has some experience with this type of matter. 

This movie is only a couple of years old and it had a very limited theatrical release, so I won't give anymore of the plot away because I do recommend seeing it. The film is a slow-burn, yet very suspenseful because you never know what may be waiting for this ragtag group just over the next ridge. This movie doesn't have a ton of action and relies heavily on good performances from the main cast to carry the heavy lifting. Luckily, I think all of the acting is solid throughout.

If you're a fan of Westerns and you haven't seen Bone Tomahawk, then I definitely recommend checking his one out.

 4.5 out of 5

Today's Movie: Dark Blue

Directed by Ron Shelton, (who has directed an number of films I really like, most notably 1988's Bull Durham and 1989's Blaze) and starring the always likable Kurt Russell, 2002's Dark Blue is a movie right up my alley. 

Set in Los Angeles in 1992, during the days leading up to the verdict in the Rodney King trial, the movie is a thriller about corruption at every level of the L.A.P.D. Kurt Russell is fantastic in the film as Sergeant Eldon Perry, a seasoned officer who is teaching his young partner Bobby (played by Scott Speedman) how to plant evidence, lie on reports, and cover up cold-blooded murders. Of course a film about a bad bunch of cops usually has to have a good cop who wants to weed out the corruption and in this movie that role is played by Ving Rhames. I really like Rhames in most of his movies but one of the shortcomings of this film is that he just isn't given much to do. It's a nearly 2hr film with only about 80-90 minutes worth of story and I personally think it would've benefited from removing the subplot about Perry's failing marriage, because that never really goes anywhere, and instead ramp up tensions between the good cops and bad.

 Overall, I enjoyed this one. It does have it's flaws but I'll definitely end up watching it again and I recommend checking it out. 

3.5 out of 5 

80's Month Day 2: Escape from New York

The 80's gave us a good number of action movies set in a dystopian near-future, and one of my favorite films in that sort of sub-genre of action movies is the 1981 John Carpenter movie Escape from New York. 

As you can probably guess, the entirety of this film takes place in New York City, except in this version of New York the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a maximum-security prison due to a 400% increase in crime in the United States. Then, one evening, some terrorists hijack Air Force One and they proceed to crash the jet into this prison city. Luckily, for the President he was able to survive the crash in an escape pod. Unluckily however, he is immediately captured by a ruthless gang within the prison. So, Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (played by Lee Van Cleef) offers a deal to former Special Forces soldier turned criminal "Snake" Plissken (played by Kurt Russell). Snake has to get in, rescue the President, and get out within 22 hours. If he can do it he'll receive a pardon for his crime. If he fails, then a bomb that was implanted in his neck will explode.

I won't give any more of the plot away for anyone who hasen't seen it because I do highly recommend the movie. Snake is a cool character and I like Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, and lot of the other actors in the film.

Overall this is a fun action flick and I give it a 4 out of 5.


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