Movies to Watch During a Storm: 7 Classic Movies to Get You Through Hurricane Sandy

Over the past few days, many east coasters who escaped Hurricane Sandy have resorted to Netflix and Hulu to occupy their time. With college being closed both today and yesterday, my roommate and I picked out the seven greatest movies to watch over a big bowl of popcorn during these Sandy days ... watching them will also let you avoid doing missed homework assignments.

1. Treasure Island

This 2012 remake is perfect for the hurricane, as you can avoid your treacherous surroundings with the tale of mystical lands and mysterious pirate ships sailing on the high seas. In this movie, Jim Hawkins is the only one who can successfully get to the legendary Treasure Island, which is known for buried gold and riches. On this ship, however, is a skeptical John Silver, whose true motivation challenges Hawkins' trust in his entire crew.

2. Saving Private Ryan

War and action movies are the best retreat from Sandy. The gloomy weather outside really sets the scene for this movie, which opens with an attack on the water. Famed actors really set this movie apart; Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller during the Normandy Landings as he and his troop of surviving U.S. soldiers retreat behind enemy lines to retrieve the paratrooper, Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon.

Go back to the 1920s in this movie. It's a time of vivid dancing, art, and a starstruck fans meeting the man of their dreams. Silent romances are the perfect way to weather this storm — with upbeat music and liveliness to keep you up all night. In this movie, enthusiastic fan Peppy Miller bumps into her favorite silent movie star, George Valentin. After captured together on film, reporters continually ask who Peppy is, and she is inspired to audition for a dancing bit-part at the studio. As Peppy rises through the industry, however, Valentin's world turns upside-down. A favorite Oscar-winning movie, this film is interesting, and the acting of Jean Dujardin is so overly charismatic you cannot help but dance. 

Marie Antoinette is a movie with enough heartache to rid you of your cabin fever. This movie is not actually a historical movie about Marie Antoinette or the revolution, but instead is actually a movie about its viewers. Marie Antoinette is simply the mirror that reflects our own vacuous modern culture and really allows the viewer to contemplate its meaning through its beautifully dressed characters and time period.

Science fiction is one of the funniest ways to weather out Sandy. In this classic movie, we are taken back to our childhood when these movies were first released. Teenager Marty, played by Michael J. Fox, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past through a time-traveling machine created by Dr. Emmett Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. Marty must make sure his future is not changed and his existence is saved by allowing his then high-school-aged parents to unite.

Grease is perfect for any night in, whether it be snow-days or hurricane-days. It's classic nature and sing-song attitude is something everyone loves. Go back to high school with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the Pink Ladies and the greasers. This '50s themed Romeo and Juliet will keep you singing no matter how wet it is outside!

7. The Perfect Storm

There is no better movie to watch during this hurricane than The Perfect Storm. You can watch and be assured that Sandy is not as bad as this storm. In this movie, an unusually intense storm catches some fishermen out to sea. This movie stars great actors like George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane. After this movie just remember to postpone your fishing trip until next week!