Here’s the set-up: It’s Father’s Day. You’re a dad and you want to watch a movie, but you’re sick of Father of the Bride and you’ve seen Taken more times than you can count. What else is there?
This is the deal about good Father’s Day movies: there’s a ton of em. Depending on what you’re feeling today, you can always re-watch classics like Superman and Return of the Jedi. You can have a blast watching True Lies and A History of Violence. Even The Godfather is an excellent choice today.
What we want to do here at CHUD is to provide you with a quick list of great genre films that will brighten your Father’s Day, guaranteed. So, grab a cold one, put your feet up and enjoy:
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) dir. Harold Ramis Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Obsessive Dumbass – Chevy Chase owns this comedy classic about a family’s summer vacation from hell. The road trip aspect of this movie is filled to the brim with hilarity and chaos as the family makes their way towards the Disneyland like Walley World. Even though Clark Griswold nearly gets everyone killed multiple times, he just wants to have the perfect family trip.
Pet Sematary (1989) dir. Mary Lambert Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Terrible Decision Maker – Between being haunted by a dead college kid that he couldn’t save, and an Indian burial ground that spits out evil doppelgangers of the dead, Dr. Louis Creed just can’t catch a break to save his life. Things only get worse and worse in this one, but damn if this isn’t a great film to put on during Father’s Day or any other day of the year for that matter.
Pumpkinhead (1988) dir. Stan Winston Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Vengeful Doomed Bumpkin – This one is very similar to Pet Sematary in that Lance Henriksen’s character is a dad doomed from the start. The main big difference is that this one features a giant golem/demon that relishes in stalking, torturing and destroying anyone that needs a good killing. It’s dirty, gritty and just about as dark as anything you could possibly watch today.
There Will Be Blood (2007) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Dad Without Benefits – Daniel Plainview is a tough, hard man alone in the world working to make his fortune by any means. He shows us that it is in fact true that no good deed goes unpunished. When tragedy strikes, it hits hard and Plainview pushes through it till the end. Along the way people get hurt and killed and we see a dad that only ever truly cared about himself.
The Shining (1980) dir. Stanley Kubrick Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Insane Murderous Asshole – Jack Torrance is easily one of the worst dads ever to be put on film and it has everything to do with Nicholson’s unbelievable performance. Jack is at the top of his acting game here and he is channeling all of his inner demons to show us a troubled bastard of a man struggling to keep it together. It’s a great example what you should never do as a dad.
The Omen (1976) dir. Richard Donner Buy it from CHUD
Dad Type: The Great Man Condemned – A true horror classic in every sense, The Omen is a father’s worst nightmare of biblical proportions. A downward spiral of tragedy, dread and impending doom, this film is a perfect alternative to every other Father’s Day movie on cable today. Let’s all raise a toast to Robert Thorn for fighting the good fight and trying to be the best dad he could be.