Friday Night Double Features Vol. 31

 by Adam Riske and Patrick Bromley

New double features for after you get home from the pool.

Double Feature 1:

Adam: #1: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Patrick: #2: Doomsday (2008)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The Hitcher, Under Siege, The Big Hit
Patrick: Theme: Starring the Crew of Deep Space Nine

Patrick: I’m still working my way through all of DS9, but it’s definitely one of my favorites of all the Star Trek shows. That show is what immediately jumped to mind when I saw that you programmed Hell on Earth because Terry Farrell will always be Jadzia Dax to me no matter how many CD Cenobites she defeats. I actually think this turned out to be a pretty cool double. I still can’t come around to fully loving Doomsday but as half of a double bill I think it would play great.

Adam: Fun theme! I’ve only seen Hellraiser III and Doomsday once but would love to try them again as a double feature. I still find it amusing that my sole viewing of Hellraiser III was on a laptop while on vacation in Hawaii. It had an uphill climb.

Double Feature 2:

Patrick: #1: Waterworld (1995)
Adam: #2: Cutthroat Island (1995)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Crimson Tide, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Magic in the Water, “Waterfalls” TLC music video, Wild Water Kingdom Amusement Park 1995 Television Commercial
Adam: Theme: Wet ‘95

Adam: I wanted to make a big splash. People are gonna get wet. I’m also setting up a misting station in the theater lobby and we’ll have an above ground pool outside for people who show proof they were born in 1995.

Patrick: This is a dream double. I would consider flying out to the New Bev if they programmed this exact thing. Summer 1995 really was the best of times, the wettest of times.

Double Feature 3:

Adam: #1: Teen Wolf (1985)
Patrick: #2: My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Teen Witch, Weird Science, My Demon Lover
Patrick: Theme: High School Dark Universe

Patrick: I probably went too obvious here, but there was a wave of “teen” horror comedies in the late ‘80s no doubt inspired by the success of Teen Wolf. Michael J. Fox aside, my favorite movie in this lineup might be My Demon Lover. I shouldn’t be allowed to watch movies.

Adam: This is the correct Dark Universe. I love that you love (like?) My Demon Lover. That movie is very, very '80s. I’m watching this double feature at home during October. Did I ever tell you about my dream that Scott Valentine was my brother?

Double Feature 4:

Patrick: #1: Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Adam: #2: Rock of Ages (2012)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Interview with the Vampire, The Last Samurai, Magnolia, Tom Cruise with long hair costume contest between movies
Adam: Theme: Tom Cruise with Long Hair

Adam: I dunno. At least I’ll finally get an excuse to see Rock of Ages. This was almost Robert Towne screenplays as the theme, but I thought at the last minute this would be more fun. Plus, we’ll sell the theater out by adding a costume contest.

Patrick: I do not like Rock of Ages at all, but Tom Cruise is pretty great in it. Definitely the kind of movie that would probably be fun as part of a double feature with a bunch of Tom Cruise impersonators in the audience. Should I rewatch M:I:II?

Adam: Yes. It’s my least favorite of the series but I’m curious if it plays better now than it did in 2000.

Double Feature 5:

Adam: #1: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Patrick: #2: The Replacement Killers (1998)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Beautiful Girls, Mimic, Psych episode “A Nightmare on State Street,” Summer of Sam
Patrick: Theme: Mira Sorvino Rules

Patrick: I just want to do something nice for her.

Adam: Agreed. She’s a highlight of any movie. I’m glad she’s working again, although I can’t say I’ve seen any of the movies she’s been in lately except for Stuber. Remember Stuber? I’m excited this double feature will give me an excuse to see my first episode of Psych. I don’t know how Quentin Tarantino ever got over this breakup. I would be shut down for life if I let Mira Sorvino get away.

Double Feature 6:

Patrick: #1: Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Adam: #2: Chicago (2002)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Life, The Longest Yard (2005), Muppets Most Wanted
Adam: Theme: Just Because We’re in Prison Doesn’t Mean We Can’t Have Fun

Adam: I like movies that make jail look like summer camp. I mean, sure, someone will get shot by a prison guard every couple of decades to remind us it's a prison but in between…not so bad. I’m afraid of prison (probably not a bold statement). The last time I was summoned for jury duty I was terrified I’d walk down the wrong hallway and wind up in prison. Or like I’d bump into a person holding a bunch of file folders and they’d fly through the air and oops my identity is now swapped with a prisoner and I’m headed to jail. That probably happens every week.

Patrick: A real Class Act prison sentence. Movies make it seem like there’s a lot more singing and dancing in prison than I’m guessing there really is. Chicago is good, right? I can’t make sense of that because Rob Marshall seems like such a bad filmmaker in every other instance.

Adam: Chicago is good! I accidentally bought three copies of it over the years. Only Child’s Play can claim the same status among my collection.

Double Feature 7:

Adam: #1: D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
Patrick: #2: Little Nicky (2000)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Ready to Rumble, Walk of Shame, Heavyweights
Patrick: Theme: Written by Steve Brill

Patrick: I’m not much of a Steve Brill guy. He’s part of the Happy Madison machine and has mostly played jerks in movies so I always associate him with that. I do like Little Nicky, though, and wanted an excuse to see it on the big screen again. Also, I’ve never seen Heavyweights, but I know it has a lot of fans. Should I?

Adam: I don’t think you’d like Heavyweights especially knowing how you don’t like the Ben Stiller performance in Dodgeball. His Heavyweights performance is basically a dry run. I know I saw Heavyweights once but can’t remember if I liked it or not. I like this double feature because now I made the connection of who Steve Brill is. I had no idea he was ‘that’ guy. I like the pairing of this double feature. I would buy a ticket.

Double Feature 8:

Patrick: #1: Renfield (2023)
Adam: #2: Death Becomes Her (1992)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Neon Demon, Sleeping with the Enemy
Adam: Theme: Wikipedia Presents: Films About Narcissism

Adam: Wikipedia has a categories section at the bottom of the page for any movie and sometimes you can strike gold when you’re looking for a theme. This is one of those cases. I haven’t seen Renfield yet but I’m sure I will before the end of the year (same with The Old Way). I figured pairing it with Death Becomes Her makes sense since they are both horror comedies. I might be looking forward to the trailer block the most.

Patrick: This is a sneaky great double of two movies that would play really well together. I’ve heard Renfield called the Worst Movie of the Year and I just don’t get that at all, but I know I’m more inclined to like it than most.

Double Feature 9:

Adam: #1: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Patrick: #2: Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The Gate, Army of Darkness, Willow, Mulholland Dr.
Patrick: Theme: Tiny People

Patrick: Probably a cheat to use that one scene in Bride of Frankenstein to program a whole night around tiny people and creatures, but it’s our theater and we can do what we want. I saw an opportunity to program the best Subspecies movie on the big screen and I took it, dammit.

Adam: I think I’m gonna start watching the Subspecies movies during Scary Movie Month. I’m always drawn in by the makeup when I see the cover art but have never sat down to watch any of them. Kudos to you for resisting a Mark Jones joke with the theme. I wouldn’t have had that discipline.

Double Feature 10:

Patrick: #1: Prince of the City (1981)
Adam: #2: Smooth Talk (1985)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: All of his scenes from The Devil’s Own so I can hear Brad Pitt say, “You’re a stupid man, Mr. Burke”, Hair, Dead Heat, The Phantom, Deep Rising, Tales from the Crypt episode - “None But the Lonely Heart”
Adam: Theme: Treat Williams Tribute

Adam: Man, what a bummer about Treat Williams. He seemed (by every account I’ve read) to have been a really nice guy. I’m glad you suggested Prince of the City so we can do a proper tribute. I’ve never seen that movie or Smooth Talk (which is embarrassing because Dern) so I’m especially looking forward to this double feature. P.S. I couldn’t resist throwing in some Crypt and The Devil’s Own in there.

Patrick: This is my Spotlight Showcase Pick of the Month because there’s no better night at the movies than what you’ve come up with here. These two movies are two of Treat Williams’ best and a great tribute to what an actor he was. I’m so sad about his passing.