muppetsYes, that's right:  it's Talk Like a Pirate Day. I don't know about where you live, but the streets of Manhattan are currently overflowing with eye patch-wearing, peg-legged citizens, and the air is full of joyous Arrr!s and Aye!s. Ok, maybe that's just my apartment.

In celebration of this glorious day, I present to you a list of five perfect films to watch as you eat your pirate grub and drink your pirate grog.

  • Captain Blood (1935) and The Sea Hawk (1940):  There is no such thing as too much Errol Flynn (particularly when he's hanging out with Claude Rains).
  • The Princess Bride (1987):  Not really about pirates, per say, but the Dread Pirate Roberts is clearly crucial to the whole thing.
  • Muppet Treasure Island (1996):  Given the choice between multiple version of a given story, I make it a policy always to choose the one with muppets.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean (2003):  Johnny Depp at his Adam Ant/Keith Richards-channelling best.