Thursday, May 3, 2018

Friday Night Double Features Vol. 4

by Adam Riske and Patrick Bromley
Check out these double bills after making sure there aren’t any on your credit card statement.

Double Feature 1:
Adam: #1: The Rookie (1990)
Patrick: #2: Predator 2 (1990)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Tremors, Flatliners, Kindergarten Cop, Arachnophobia, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

Patrick: Theme: Movies Patrick Saw with his Dad in 1990 After His Parents Split Up

Patrick: As I’ve mentioned before, shortly after my parents split, my dad and I started going to movies all the time. It was a way for us to spend two hours together, I got to do something I enjoyed, and, looking back on it now, was probably a way for him to avoid any uncomfortable conversations. Both The Rookie and Predator 2 are particularly memorable for me because we saw both of those as part of my first times ever sleeping over at his new apartment. I was the first of my siblings to do so. Neither movie is great, but are inextricably tied to these memories and would probably make a pretty fun double feature.

Adam: I might be extrapolating the wrong thing from what you just wrote but I’m jealous you got to see 1990 Rs in theaters. My time had not come yet.

Patrick: I was very mature. Also, your parents still love each other.

Double Feature 2:
Patrick: #1: Playing God (1997)
Adam: #2: Lost Highway (1997)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: “Rogue Cop Revelation” segment from Tales from the Hood, Michael Massee scene from Se7en
Adam: Theme: Masseeppeal

Adam: A tribute to one of my favorite childhood character actors, the late Michael Massee. Part of the appeal for me was he was in a lot of movies I loved in my pre-teen years. Another part was he’s one of those journeymen actors I was always afraid of on screen, like Cole Hauser and Kevin Gage (shudders). P.S. I’m 80 percent sure my cause of death will be Kevin Gage. I can see him ripping out tubes on my hospital bed. If not for the tragic incident on the set of The Crow (I left the trailer off this double feature because it didn’t feel right), both Brandon Lee and Michael Massee could have gone on to great(er) careers. RIP to both. Such a damn shame.

Patrick: OMG, a Playing God/Lost Highway double feature sounds amazing. 1997 was one of those years when even the bad movies like Playing God were still pretty good, right? One of the things that’s great about loving movies a lot is that you start getting much more excited about character actors showing up in something than you do about the leading men, meaning a Massee or a John Hawkes sighting in Playing God is way more exciting than knowing you’re seeing the new Duchovny vehicle. Also, I commend your restraint in not calling this “Massee of the House.”

Double Feature 3:
Adam: #1: Ghost Ship (2002)
Patrick: #2: The Hills Run Red (2009)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The House on Haunted Hill, Thir13en Ghosts, The Reaping, Gothika
Patrick: Theme: Which Castle? Dark Castle!

Patrick: Obviously, I’m going full Dark Castle based on a previous text conversation we had. My favorite Dark Castle remake is still their first, House on Haunted Hill, but I think I’d rather program The Hills Run Red because a) it’s lesser known, b) an original screenplay and c) directed by friend of the podcast Dave Parker, who was a guest on our Day of the Dead episode. Plus, I really like the movie, which I’m going to need after Ghost Ship.

Adam: I love the Dark Castle production logo so much that I will watch any of their movies, even ones I’ve seen and know I don’t like.

Double Feature 4:
Patrick: #1: Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
Adam: #2: XXX (2002)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: X-The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Belly, Exit Wounds, XXX: State of the Union, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Romeo Must Die, “X Gon Give It To Ya” music video, DMX scene from Top Five
Adam: Theme: X Gon Give It To Ya

Adam: I’m a DMX apologist. Don’t judge. That dude has presence. P.S. Belly was a popular movie when I worked at Blockbuster. Teens were crazy for the opening credits sequence where DMX and Nas walk through the club. If you brought it up at Arlington Lanes, someone would probably give you a cigarette. This double feature is worth going to just for the ATV chase in Cradle 2 the Grave because it’s awesome and the rest of the movie is very not awesome.

Patrick: I was pretty all in on that early 2000s run of Joel Silver hip-hop/martial arts movies like Exit Wounds and Romeo Must Die. I would still watch any of them at any time. I haven’t seen it in years, but I might like Cradle better than XXX, though I will never understand the significance of the title.

Adam: I’ve seen Cradle twice (seems appropriate) and the second time I saw it was edited for television when I was visiting a friend in the hospital because he had chest pains. Just like the filmmakers intended.

Double Feature 5:
Adam: #1: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
Patrick: #2: Rapid Fire (1992)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Birth of the Dragon (of course), Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave, Showdown in Little Tokyo, “A Fistful of Yen” from Kentucky Fried Movie
Patrick: Theme: Bruce Lee Lives

Patrick: I like that there was some Bruce Lee fever in the early ‘90s thanks to the one-two punch (pun intended) of the biopic and Brandon Lee’s first big starring role in a studio movie right around the same time. Of all the double features we’ve come up with this go-around, I think this is the one I would want to do first. It seems awesome.

Adam: Did someone say Ear-Lee ‘90s? My birthday is in May. I would like to watch this for real to celebrate my being old. This is an incredible double bill. Oddly enough, I might be most excited for “A Fistful of Yen,” which is sublime (mouths “WTF”).

Patrick: I will definitely put this together for you if you want to come over and celebrate your birthday.

Adam: Sounds good if I have time after I take my annual walk of sadness. It’s a walk around my local lake where I consider everything I did the past year and how I will disappoint myself over the next 12 months. True story: I once walked off the path to a bench right by the water and as I sat there watching the peaceful stream, a fish surfaced to die right near where I was sitting. #Walkout

Patrick: You have the same birthday I’ve been having since I was 6! Bruce Lee night sounds better.

Double Feature 6:
Patrick: #1: Turbo Kid (2015)
Adam: #2: The Apple (1980)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: “1984” Super Bowl ad, Steve Jobs, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Meet the Applegates, Pineapple Express, Fiona Apple music played 30 minutes prior to start time and between features
Adam: Theme: Apples to Apples

Adam: I knew right away what this theme had to be after remembering The Apple was a Golem-Globus movie starring Catherine Mary Stewart and Turbo Kid had the Cannon logo homage in its intro. From there it was easy. Plus, I get to hear my favorite singer’s music all night long.

Patrick: I’m glad you threw the Fiona Apple in there for you, because otherwise it seems like you’ve given me the most thoughtful gift. Think about how many words you included that are my favorite words. This is such an inspired choice that I feel like I’m constantly letting you down.

Double Feature 7:
Adam: #1: Billy Madison (1995)
Patrick: #2: Plain Clothes (1987)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Never Been Kissed, Hiding Out, Back to School, 21 Jump Street
Patrick: Theme: Adults in School!

Patrick: What a weird subgenre with a surprisingly large number of entries. I’m putting Plain Clothes second because I’ve seen it fewer times than the others. It’s also a movie I remember watching on cable as a kid (it aired a lot) and wondering to myself how Arliss Howard was a) chosen to play the lead of a movie, as he barely seems awake and b) how anyone thought he could pass as a high schooler.

Adam: Plain Clothes wasn’t ringing a bell so I watched the trailer and I honestly don’t know if I’ve never seen it or saw it dozens of times and blocked it out. Arliss Howard is the guy who tells a joke and no one laughs so he repeats the joke because he’s not sure they heard it. Thank you for including the Hiding Out trailer. That was my constant cable watch of this subgenre. GISH!

Patrick: Prime Gish.

Adam: “Annabeth Gish! The Gish! Is on my list! She’s the Gish I can’t resist!”

Double Feature 8:
Patrick: #1: Coming to America (1988)
Adam: #2: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Coyote Ugly, The Original Kings of Comedy, The Color Purple
Adam: Theme: African-American Talk Show Hosts

Adam: I’ve never seen I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and have always meant to, so this would be a perfect double feature for me. Plus, thank you Patrick, for programming my choice for funniest movie ever as the headliner. I’ve been primed to rewatch it since hearing that great John Landis interview on Shock Waves.

Patrick: I love that Shock Waves interview and I love John Landis. I love Coming to America. And I’m so excited that you haven’t seen I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, because it’s so much fun. You’re probably better off seeing it now after being better versed in blaxploitation than as a kid. I watched it on cable growing up and knew it was riffing on...something...but I didn’t have much of a reference point. I love writing this column with you because it makes me want to watch all of these double features.

Double Feature 9:
Adam: #1: Mystery Team (2009)
Patrick: #2: Blast from the Past (1999)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The Brady Bunch Movie, Late for Dinner, SNL “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer” sketch
Patrick: Theme: Stuck Out of Time

Patrick: I know that the characters in Mystery Team are just anachronistic and not actually from another time period, but something about pairing it with Blast from the Past feels right. Maybe it’s in the unironic sincerity of the main characters. Maybe it’s the way they’re countered by Aubrey Plaza cynicism in the first movie and Alicia Silverstone’s in the second. Also, isn’t Blast from the Past the best? New Line! 1999! 1999 was the best.

Adam: They’re both the best. I’m really looking forward to this double feature. You need to start watching Atlanta.

Double Feature 10:
Patrick: #1: To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
Adam: #2: Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Frozen, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, clip from J.A.G., Billy Elliot, In a World...
Adam: Theme: Bell, Beav, Dafoe

Adam: It’s a pretty bad pairing but maybe perfect because To Live and Die in L.A. is heavy and Beavis and Butthead Do America is not at all. Plus, both movies have high energy due in part to their soundtracks. If I were you I’d take precaution.

Patrick: I think I’m pretty decent at programming lineups, but you have a gift for themes that is unparalleled. I have no idea how these movies would play together and I don’t care.

Adam: If you want expertise in a skill you can make zero money from, I’m your guy.

9 comments:

  1. I think this is my favorite column on this site. Well done, gentlemen!

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  2. Very good!
    Is that Tobe Hooper on double feature 8!?!?

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    1. Holy crap it is! IMDb lists Hooper as "Party Guest" in Coming to America! Good eye.

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    2. :-D well I never!! Cheers Mikko

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. It wasn't a coincidence I chose that picture.

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    5. Riske!!
      Keep up the good work,so funny,always a pleasure when you're on 👍

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    6. Thanks so much! Have a great day.

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