A few days after my last column, which was wildly popular, (I got THREE e-mails about it), I was asked by several people why I left out this book or that book on my list of books I would want with me if I were stranded on a deserted isle. The truth is, I left them out because they just didn't make the cut.
Yes, I do like books such as ''Tom Sawyer'' and ''Huckleberry Finn.'' I also love ''Of Mice and Men,'' ''The Grapes of Wrath'' and ''Catcher in the Rye,'' but they just did not make it into my top five for one reason or another.
For one, I can't imagine trying to read ''Catcher in the Rye'' over and over again on a deserted island for fear that I may become too depressed to move.
However, I was thinking about the flip side of that discussion and began to wonder about if I were to select five movies with all the same criteria as books, what would I pick?
The first thing I would have to decide is who I would have to leave out, Keanu or Tom Cruise, and then it hit me, I can leave out both because neither has made a movie I've enjoyed since 1989.
OK, so if I were to select five movies that I could choose to be the movies I watch on a deserted island what would they be?
First off, how in the world did I get stuck on an island that has available electricity, television and DVD capability? Maybe I'm just on a vacation by myself and decide not to leave. Who knows?
But, in the spirit of fun I again ask that everyone who reads this think about the movies that they would choose. It's a great talking point that can lead you to learning something new about a movie (or book) that you've never seen before.
Also, there are no right or wrong answers. If you want to take ''Rocky I'' through V, that's up to you because you are alone on the island and can watch whatever you want as many times as you want.
Here are my five picks:
l ''The Big Lebowski.'' This movie was so bad the first time I sat through it that I've watched it a million times since.
This may be the funniest and most bizarre movie I've ever watched. Each character throughout the movie is hilarious in his or her own way, but what really sets this movie apart from all others is that it has so many layers and stories going on at once that you can't look away. ''The Dude,'' Walter and Donnie made In and Out Burger and Ralph's Grocery Store institutions without ever meaning to.
l ''Seven.'' I don't care how many times I watch this movie, I can't get enough.
The premise is pretty simple: Two detectives, one young the other about to retire, get involved in a case of a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his ''muse.'' It is a fantastic suspense movie that will make you jump at times even when you know what's coming.
It is also a great chance for me to say, ''What's in the box?'' every time someone has a box in their hand.
l ''Dead Poets Society.'' This is a movie that hits me every time.
I'm a literature nerd and a sucker for poetry, which makes this story about an unorthodox English teacher a perfect fit for me. It was made when I was pretty young but I will still sit and watch it any time it is on and each time I hope for parts of the story to have different outcomes.
It is funny and heartbreaking and showed the world that Robin Williams is a really good actor.
l ''Dark Knight.'' I don't care what anyone says about this choice. It was so good that I watched it about 100 times before I got the least bit sick of it.
The minute after I saw it in theaters by myself because my wife refused to go with me, it jumped into my top five. The action and pace of the movie are great, plus Batman is my favorite superhero.
But more than that, the job that Heath Ledger does with The Joker is outstanding, making him a villain that will be talked about in film forever.
l ''Duck Soup.'' What? Most people my age are unfamiliar with the work of The Marx Brothers, but thanks to my dad, I was introduced pretty young.
This movie was made in the 1930s, but the humor and delivery of the four brothers would be hilarious if made today.
The storyline is set in a fictitious country and the circumstances for what happens is pretty silly, but it will forever be one of my favorites. It's still funny and shows why The Marx Brothers are considered such icons. It is also the first one my dad and I watched together, and the first time I really saw him laugh that hard.
There you go. I doubt my list is the same as anyone else, but that's what makes it so much fun to talk about. Think about your lists and maybe pop in an old VHS and remember why you loved a movie so much in the first place.
E-mail your thoughts or ideas to Joshua at jflesher@tribtoday.com