Welcome back, custmers! I recently took a vacation from the video store to go on a cruise with my wife. I’ve had cruises on the brain ever since, so what better time to recommend some of my favorite films that take place on ships!

OVERBOARD (1987)

Handyman and single-father Dean Proffitt sees an opportunity to get even with a pompous heiress named Joanna after an accident leaves her with amnesia. Dean takes advantage of the woman’s lack of memory and convinces her that she is his wife and the mother of his four children. What starts out as a simple bit of revenge gets complicated as relationships are formed… and broken. Starring real life couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Dean and Annie, with appearances from Edward Herrmann, Roddy McDowall, and Mike Hagerty.

CABIN BOY (1994)

In this utterly bizarre comedy starring Chris Elliott, Nathan Mayweather is a spoiled and tone-deaf “fancy lad” who accidentally boards the wrong ship and finds himself sailing the seas with a grizzled crew of career fishermen. The plot is silly, the jokes are weird, and the comedy is abstract. One moment cabin boy Mayweather is talking to imaginary cupcakes and in the next, he’s being rescued from the depths of the ocean by Choki — half-man, half-shark. Cabin Boy was such a box office failure that director Adan Resnick literally never directed another film. I love this movie and my wife will get in her car and leave the house when I watch it. You’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s for you.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

If you’ve ever wondered what’s the worst that could happen while sailing on a cruise ship, you’ll soon find out. Due to a series of unfortunate events, the unstable ship is knocked over by a 90-foot-tall wave. Passengers must work together to find a way out of the upside-down cruise ship before it sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This multi-Academy Award winner features an all-star cast including Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelly Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Jack Albertson, and more.

CITY HUNTER (1993)

Jackie Chan is known for his wacky action flicks, and this may be the wackiest of them all. In City Hunter, Chan plays Ryu, a private detective hired to find a missing woman. Ryu and his assistant Kaori track the woman to a cruise ship and follow her there, only to discover the ship is being hijacked by terrorists. Ryu is the ultimate ladies man — they love him and he loves them. City Hunter is part comedy and part action. It’s like if they remade Porky’s and added machine gun wielding terrorists who constantly mow down passengers in cold blood. Is this film for everybody? No. But is it for anybody? Also, maybe not. Jackie Chan said City Hunter is the least favorite film he ever worked on, which made me pick up a copy and add it to the video store’s library.

Usually when my wife and I go on cruises the only thing I worry about is them running out of pudding or margaritas. After watching these I’ll be keeping an eye out for terrorists, gigantic waves, and terrorists. If any of those things happen I’ll cross my fingers and hope for amnesia.

Happy viewing and thanks for visiting our video store!

Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com