Friday, September 14, 2018

Friday Night Double Features Vol. 8

by Adam Riske and Patrick Bromley
We will not rest until Ice-T writes a song called “Friday Night Double Features.”

Double Feature 1:
Adam: #1: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Patrick: #2: Canadian Bacon (1995)

Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: All Good Things (2010), The Dark Wind (1991), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

Patrick: Theme: Doc Break

Patrick: I’m always fascinated when a filmmaker known for making documentaries makes a narrative film. I can’t think of any that have actually been successful, but I fall for it every time. I know Blair Witch 2 has developed a cult of defenders in the years since it was released, so maybe rewatching it will get me to see the light. I don’t think these movies will play together very well, so I may have doomed us to disaster.

Adam: I feel intimidated by this double feature but in a way that still makes me want to enter The Shimmer. I’ve seen Book of Shadows once and I remember liking it more than I was confident to admit out loud in 2000. Coincidentally, I added it to my Amazon watchlist this week. I’ve never seen Canadian Bacon, but I’ll watch any John Candy movie, so this double feature sounds pretty great the more I think of it.

Double Feature 2:
Patrick: #1: Unforgiven (1992)

Adam: #2: Braveheart (1995)

Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Gladiator (2000), The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), The Departed (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), The Hurt Locker (2009), trip to Menards

Adam: Theme: B(ro)est Picture

Adam: Best Pictures for guys who like Best Pictures. Kidding aside, this would be a solid/exhausting double feature. I haven’t watched either movie since Clint berated Obamachair or Mel blamed me for all the wars.

Patrick: This is a really good pairing of movies I absolutely don’t think I would enjoy watching together. The shine has worn off Braveheart for me quite a bit (and not entirely because of what we’ve learned about Mel Gibson), so watching it after Unforgiven may be a slog. I love this theme, though, and you’ve definitely nailed a very specific phenomenon. Also, there’s some stuff I should pick up at Menards.

Double Feature 3:
Adam: #1: Ricochet (1991)

Patrick: #2: Trespass (1992)

Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Colors (1988), New Jack City (1991), The Return of Superfly (1990), Dick Tracy (1990)

Patrick: Theme: Ice-T Sings the Title Song

Patrick: I was so happy in the early ‘90s when Ice-T started showing up as a supporting actor in movies, both because I really liked him as an actor and because it meant we would get a kick ass Ice-T song on the soundtrack. His title track for Ricochet might be my favorite thing about Ricochet, but I haven’t seen it in a long time. That’s the kind of movie I’m not positive I love but would buy in a heartbeat if a Blu-ray was announced. Also, did you know he did a track for Dick Tracy? It’s on one of the THREE soundtrack albums for that movie. WHY ARE THERE THREE DICK TRACY SOUNDTRACKS, ADAM?

Adam: Get the hell outta here! I knew about two Dick Tracy albums, but there’s a third with Ice-T singing the title song???!!!! I honestly thought that was a timely Reserved Seating joke when I saw you put it in the trailer block. I’m amazed Ice-T worked under these circumstances this many times. That must be some kind of record. How does that happen? Speaking strictly movie-wise, this might be my favorite double feature of the column. Ricochet is a movie I’ve almost seen countless times and Trespass is utterly phenomenal. Nicely done, my friend.

Double Feature 4:
Patrick: #1: Snake Eyes (1998)

Adam: #2: Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

Adam Trailers/Shorts: Racing with the Moon (1984), Face/Off (1997), The Weather Man (2005), World Trade Center (2006), Next (2007)

Adam: Theme: Paramount Cage

Adam: It probably makes more sense to pair Snake Eyes with Face/Off, but it seemed too obvious and this will give us the opportunity to watch that fantastic Face/Off trailer. I can rewatch Snake Eyes anytime (I’m always convinced the flashy opening is going to sustain through the entire movie because I’m stupid and it never does because movies don’t change) and Bringing Out the Dead is super underrated.

Patrick: Paramount Cage is pretty good Cage! I haven’t seen World Trade Center (and probably won’t), but I’m down for all the rest of these. Bringing Out the Dead (which, I agree, is super underrated) is a great second feature. These two movies will complement each other really well. When we saw Bringing Out the Dead on opening night in 1999, a friend of ours accused both Erika and me of liking it just because we thought we were supposed to.

Adam: Haha.

Double Feature 5:
Adam: #1: Don’t Say a Word (2001)

Patrick: #2: Runaway Jury (2003)

Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), Homefront (2013), Tales from the Crypt episode “Forever Ambergris,” Kiss the Girls (1997)

Patrick: Theme: FlederReady

Patrick: Gary Fleder is one of those directors who seemed like he was going to be a thing in the ‘90s but never really did, and yet he still has been given a lot of high profile movies to direct. Maybe he’s a really nice guy. I’m not a Don’t Say a Word fan but I unabashedly love Runaway Jury, so I’ll be happy to sit through the first movie if the second is waiting as my reward. Also, we get to watch another Tales from the Crypt! And it’s the one we literally were just talking about! I’m going to close my eyes for part of it.

Adam: I didn’t realize it until this lineup was put in front of me, but I think I’m a good-sized Flederhead. I don’t remember Don’t Say a Word at all so that would be interesting-ish to revisit and I share your Runaway Jury affection. That movie is insanely watchable.

Double Feature 6:
Patrick: #1: Mischief (1985)

Adam: #2: Secret Admirer (1985)

Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Christine (1983), Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), Space Camp (1986), Love at Stake (1987), Spellbinder (1988), Twins (1988), The Experts (1989) dancing scene

Adam: Theme: '80s Kelly Preston

Adam: Nice! I haven’t seen either movie. I like when we have tribute nights for actors that normally wouldn't have one. Plus, Kelly Preston once liked a tweet where I said she was adorable. The ball is now back in her court is what I’m implying. Any night where Catherine Mary Stewart (who is to you what Suzanne Snyder is to me) and Lori Loughlin are the FNDF “other woman” means you’re, as the kids say, hashbrown blessed.

Patrick: If not for another double feature coming up, this would be my favorite of this round and the one I would watch first. Few things are more watchable to me than ‘80s teen comedies, and these are two I’ve seen a few times but not so often I know them backwards and forwards. If there’s a drawback to these two, it’s the not one of the male cast member is worthy of a Lori Loughlin or a CMS or a Kelly Preston.

Double Feature 7:
Adam: #1: Blue Velvet (1986)

Patrick: #2: Midnight Madness (1980)

Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Whip It (2009), Everything Must Go (2010), 1979 PBR commercial starring Patrick Swayze, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2011)

Patrick: Theme: Heineken? Fuck That Shit. Pabst Blue Ribbon!

Patrick: Blue Velvet is a pretty tough high to chase, so I decided not to try and went with a goofy scavenger hunt comedy from Disney. I would say we could be like the hipsters and drink cans of PBR ironically while we watch, but like comedian John Roy once said, we would only wind up with unironic diarrhea.

Adam: PBR causes diarrhea? I adore Blue Velvet and have no idea what Midnight Madness is (looks up Midnight Madness) ....holy shit! This looks like an '80s All Over dream come true. I’m very in on this double bill.

Double Feature 8:
Patrick: #1: Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)

Adam: #2: Return to Oz (1985)

Adam Trailers/Shorts: Rowdy Herrington trailer block: Jack’s Back (1988), Road House (1989), Gladiator (1992), Striking Distance (1993), Tales from the Crypt episode “Korman’s Kalamity”

Adam: Theme: Rowdy Roddy Piper Laurie

Adam: I’m very excited about this double bill. I still need to see Hell Comes to Frogtown. Con-Quest: James Marshall is going to be at Days of the Dead in November. Should I buy a Gladiator (1992) poster for him to sign? I liked that movie back in the day but haven’t seen it in forever. Also, I love that Tales from the Crypt episodes are becoming a staple of Friday Night Double Features (like Black Dog and True Romance). I’m sorry for essentially repeating the Bell, Beav, Dafoe double bill, but when the pun is there, the devil may care (sigh).

Patrick: This is the one we’re watching first. The theme is inspired and this pairing of movies is so nuts I can’t wait to sit through it. I love Hell Comes to Frogtown, but some of that is wrapped up in my love of RRP and some of it is wrapped up in how much it meant to me as a kid when staying up to watch it on USA Up All Night was my reason for living. Also, unless you’re getting something Twin Peaks signed, you don’t need James Marshall’s autograph.

Double Feature 9:
Adam: #1: Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

Patrick: #2: RoboCop 3 (1993)

Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Superman III (1983), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Patrick: Theme: Disappointing Thirds

Patrick: Sorry for being so obvious with this one, but I was really looking forward to Once Upon a Time in Mexico and was so let down with what that movie ended up being. I used to only like the Johnny Depp stuff, but now would have a hard time enjoying even that. Between this and Spy Kids 3D, I really think 2003 is the year Robert Rodriguez fully switched over to the guy we know him to be today.

Adam: Yeah, the Johnny Depp stuff with the pork was funny back in the day. Too bad he’s 90% wine now. I’m not entirely sure I’ve seen all of RoboCop 3. I remember it played on a double bill with Look Who’s Talking Now at the second-run when I was there to see Jurassic Park once back in 1993. Your double bill is better. You’re probably right about 2003 and Robert Rodriguez. I used to defend Sin City but it’s not something that held up well when I revisited it a few years ago.

Double Feature 10:
Patrick: #1: Cop Out (2010)

Adam: #2: Southland Tales (2007)

Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Road Trip (2000), Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000), Evolution (2001), Bulletproof Monk (2003), The Rundown (2003), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Role Models (2008), Goon (2011)

Adam: Theme: Movies Where Stifler Didn’t Play a Character named Stifler

Adam: It might not be cool to still like Seann William Scott, but I really don’t care. This double bill feels like kismet in a few ways: the already mentioned theme, the films were not the best for their respective filmmakers’ careers and both have Kevin Smith involvement. Are you going to watch Lethal Weapon now that Stifler is Jimmy Dix’s partner?

Patrick: I will probably check it out, yes. Had it always been Stifler, I would have watched from the beginning. I just couldn’t handle that other guy, and it turns out I may have been on to something. Both movies are a mess and I only like one of them, but I think this would be a really fun double feature. I will always be pro-Stifler.

4 comments:

  1. Ice T owned the culture in a way someone who wasn't there could never understand.

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  2. still waiting on the podcast on Southland Tales ;)

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  3. Im on the SWS train. He is great in Goon and even the sequel is watchable because of him. Him and The Rock together in The Rundown makes me wish they did more movies together.

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  4. I remember really enjoying Once Upon a Time in Mexico. I guess I need to revisit it; I was dipshit teenager with often very bad opinions at the time.

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