What to Binge Watch Before Pirates Week 2018
by Yello Nov 5, 2018
Avast ye Mateys!
From 8 to 12 November, Cayman’s swashbuckling annual festival returns to our shores. Here are 10 TV shows and movies to binge-watch before Pirates Week begins.
Captain Blood (1935)
Image via IMDB
Captain Blood stars Errol Flynn as English doctor Peter Blood, who is wrongfully convicted of political rebellion and is ensalved in Port Royal, where he takes up a life of piracy.
The Goonies (1985)
Image via Amazon
In this 1980s cult classic, a group of children from the Oregon Goon Docks discover a 17th century pirate map that leads to the lost treasure of One-Eyed Willy, but they’ll have to dodge dangers and out-run a family of criminals to get there.
Stardust (2007)
Image via Den of Geek
Hoping to impress the girl he loves, Tristan (Charlie Cox) embarks on a journey to catch a fallen star (Claire Danes). Along the way, he runs up against three witches and a family of princes who want the star for their own evil purposes. Tristan and his star are aided by the captain and crew of a fantastical pirate ship that sails the skies hunting lightning bolts.
Magic Island (1995)
Image via IMDB
A 13 year old would-be runaway is sucked into a magic book that takes him on a pirate adventure where he encounters Blackbeard, a beautiful mermaid, sand sharks, and a temple of treasure.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Image via Hello Giggles
Westley (Cary Elwes) leaves to seek fortune so he can marry his true love, Buttercup (Robin Wright), but his ship is besieged by the Dread Pirate Roberts and he is presumed dead. Five years later, Westley must rush to be reunited with Buttercup before her impending wedding to Prince Humperdinck.
Hook (1991)
Image via Moviefone
Middle-aged Peter Banning must resume his old persona as Peter Pan when his children are abducted by his old nemesis, Captain Hook.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Image via BBC
A Muppet re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, Treasure Island. After Billy Bones gives him a map to Captain Flint’s lost treasure, young orphan, Jim Hawkins takes to the seas in search of the bounty with his friends, Gonzo and Rizzo.
Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (2003-2017)
Image via Legendary Trips
No list of pirate movies would be complete without the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, starring Johnny Depp as the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow. In the series’ first film, The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow and young blacksmith Will Turner pursue the crew of the Black Pearl, a cursed pirate ship carrying captured Governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swan.
Captain Phillips (2013)
Image via CNN
This 2013 film, starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi was based on the 2009 hijacking of the American container ship, Maersk Alabama, by a crew of Somalian pirates. The film earned a slew of award nominations, including acting nods for both Hanks and Abdi.
Black Sails (2014-2017)
Image via LA Times
Conceived as a prequel to Treasure Island, Black Sails follows the adventures of Captain Flint, a brilliant and feared Golden Age pirate. In an effort to ensure the survival of his people, Flint sets out for the ultimate prize but is challenged along the way by rival captains, New Providence Island merchants, and one of his own crew members, the enterprising John Silver.
Once you’ve watched all the movies and shows, throw on your hat, belt and boots and head to the waterfront for a week of festivities that will have you singing : “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me”!
The full schedule of Pirates Week activities is available on the festival website https://www.piratesweekfestival.com/.
Sources: Pirates Week Festival, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and Ranker.
