by Adam Riske and Patrick Bromley
Double Feature 1:
Adam: #1: Good Burger (1997)
Patrick: #2: Brain Candy (1996)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Run Ronnie Run, Life of Brian, Wet Hot American Summer, Strange Brew
Patrick: Theme: From Sketch to Screen
Patrick: I wanted to do a sketch movie night but not program any SNL movies and I think the lineup is better for it. I haven’t seen Good Burger since opening weekend in 1997 (when I wrote a college essay on it) so I’m excited to revisit it. I remember it being goofy and charming. I like the idea of pairing it with Brain Candy because a) it’s underrated and b) it’s the one I’ve seen the least outside of the Mr. Show movie Run Ronnie Run, but I refuse to program that because it sucks despite being based on the best sketch comedy show of all time.
Adam: I want to read your college essay on Good Burger. This has a real chance of being my pick of your double features to talk about on the next FNDF podcast in December. I love Good Burger and remember being fascinated/liking/not completely understanding Brain Candy in the '90s because Kids in the Hall were (to “kid me”) a punk rock version of comedy. I think that’s why I also liked All That (where the Good Burger sketch came from) -- it felt edgy like Mad TV for kids.
Double Feature 2:
Patrick: #1: The Deer Hunter (1978)
Adam: #2: Bambi (1942)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Harry and the Hendersons, If Looks Could Kill, Angels in the Outfield (1994), Wild America
Adam: Theme: The Deer & William Dear
Adam: I did this for the pun, but also this might be one of the first doubles I go to this month. I’ve still never seen The Deer Hunter but I’m aware that it’s very sad so I went with Bambi as a follow-up, which I think might be the perfect bridge movie because it starts very sad but then perks up somewhat (at least that’s my memory of it -- I haven’t seen it in decades). The trailer run will probably convince me that William Dear is sneaky underrated even though I’m pretty sure that’s an inaccurate statement.
Patrick: William Dear was totally off my radar as a filmmaker even though I’ve seen three of the four titles in the trailer block. I can’t believe the same guy directed all of those. I think you made a great call programming Bambi second because I did you no favors putting The Deer Hunter first. It’s a tough act to follow, emotionally speaking, but you cracked it. I’m excited that you’re going to see it for the first time on the big screen. I think it will make a huge difference.
Double Feature 3:
Patrick: #2: The Geisha Boy (1958)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The Searchers, White Christmas, King Creole
Patrick: Theme: VistaVision!
Patrick: My favorite thing about The Brutalist is that it brought back VistaVision. Since this is our made-up theater, I say we can show every format including VistaVision and I want to devote a night to the format. I’ve actually never seen To Catch a Thief, so I’m excited to check it out for the first time and couldn’t resist pairing it with a Jerry Lewis movie because I’m such a fan. This isn’t necessarily one of my favorites of his movies (it has not dated well), but it’s sweet and I’m not going to pass on an opportunity to watch a Jerry Lewis joint in the best format possible.
Adam: I honestly don’t know if I’ve seen To Catch a Thief either. I’m probably thinking of Charade. This would be a great night to check off seeing two movies that I wouldn’t ordinarily seek out on my own. Plus, I get to see the White Christmas trailer on VistaVision! That movie has grown on me by repetition.
Double Feature 4:
Patrick: #1: Deep Red (1975)
Adam: #2: Zombie (1979)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Piranha (1978), Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, Friday the 13th Part 2
Adam: Theme: Music Box Massacre 2
Adam: Despite building up my bonafides during my time at F This Movie, I still consider myself a fish out of water when it comes to Italian Horror, so I put my faith in whoever programmed (Rusty?) the second Music Box Massacre and scheduled Zombie to follow up Deep Red. I’ve seen both movies but don’t have a strong memory of either of them. Would they pair well together? I stuck with a mid-'70s to early-'80s horror theme for the trailers.
Patrick: Obviously I love this lineup. I think I was at this Massacre but left before the Italian horror block because I was a fool in those days. I like the pairing because the movies are both Italian from roughly the same period but are totally different in tone and style, representing the gamut of what is possible in Italian horror. Zombie going second is the right call.
Double Feature 5:
Patrick: #2: The Getaway (1994)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Free Willy, Trouble Bound, Species, Kill Me Again
Patrick: Theme: Michael Madsen Tribute
Patrick: Originally, I had a different second feature programmed and was doing a tribute to festival walkouts but then the news broke that Michael Madsen had passed away and I wanted to honor his memory with two of his best roles. What a fucking rock star he was. So sad that he’s gone.
Adam: Yeah, it’s a real bummer. I’ve been setting aside a few movies of his that I haven’t seen that I want to check out (like Straight Talk, Money for Nothing, Kill Me Again, Trouble Bound, etc.). I like that you paired two movies where he’s at his scariest/most intimidating. He was really good at going to that place when the movie called for it.
Double Feature 6:
Patrick: #1: Get Shorty (1995)
Adam: #2: Showgirls (1995)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Cutthroat Island, GoldenEye, Species, Tank Girl
Adam: Theme: MGM/United Artists 1995
Adam: I really like programming studio double features so I can look again at what they put together as a slate for a given year. I think these two will pair well together because they both feature outsiders trying to make their way into showbiz. Plus, they’re both funny -- intentionally and not as intentionally. MGM made a lot of movies I liked in 1995. This was a good year for them.
Patrick: I like a lot of these movies! Good job, MGM. I’m not the biggest Showgirls guy but even I can recognize that it’s super watchable and would play like gangbusters with a crowd, especially one that’s already been warmed up by Get Shorty. Is that a Top 5 Travolta performance or what?
Double Feature 7:
Patrick: #2: The Prowler (1981)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Chopping Mall, The Fury, Maniac, Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Patrick: Theme: Exploding Heads
Patrick: Sometimes you just have to bunt.
Adam: Haha, sorry? This would be really fun with an audience.
Double Feature 8:
Patrick: #1: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Adam: #2: A Perfect World (1993)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Alamo, The Blind Side
Adam: Theme: Screenplays by John Lee Hancock
Adam: You set me up for K-Stew but I for some reason went with a night highlighting John Lee Hancock. I can’t remember if you’re a Snow White and the Huntsman defender or not, but I thought programming A Perfect World (a movie I know we both like and surely the high-water mark for Hancock as a writer) would round out the evening nicely. Plus, our audience can hear me give out the loudest groan of all time when The Blind Side trailer plays.
Patrick: Haha! Worth it. John Lee Hancock is kind of a garbage screenwriter and yet I really like both of these movies. I can’t really defend my affection for SW&tH but A Perfect World requires no defense. It’s bulletproof.
Double Feature 9:
Patrick: #2: To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Beverly Hills Cop III, The Order (2024), Black Rain
Patrick: Theme: Fake Money
Patrick: I tried to do a whole night devoted to movies not just about counterfeit money but where the filmmakers spent the fake money after the production wrapped. Sadly, it was just these two features. At least William Friedkin was smart enough to wait a number of years when everyone had already forgotten about the fake money. It was either this or a Roslyn Sanchez night and I couldn’t inflict any of that Boat Trip damage on the Cinemarink audience.
Adam: This is such a fun, creative theme. I feel like I knew about Friedkin but had no idea Ratner did the same thing. It seems on brand (sketchy, but dumber). This would be a high energy and cool night at the movies.
Double Feature 10:
Patrick: #1: The Night Before (1988)
Adam: #2: Never Too Young to Die (1986)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: The New Kids, Secret Admirer, Born to Ride, Tales from the Crypt Episode “Till Death Do We Part,” Full House Episode “The Wedding: Part 2”
Adam: Theme: “Have Mercy!” - a Tribute to Stamos and Loughlin
Adam: This is like a pet project. I loved Full House as a kid so a night highlighting the power couple of Jesse and Rebecca makes me feel #blessed or something. I’ve never seen either of these movies so that’s exciting too. Plus, The Night Before has Keanu, which is another bonus. The Crypt episode I programmed features Stamos. Not one of the best ones, but ok enough.
Patrick: This is my favorite double of the month and the one I’m inviting Charlie to because he loves Lori Loughlin so much. He also still claims The New Kids is the scariest movie he’s ever seen. Terrified of Spader in that one, he is. I think you might like The Night Before! Keanu is so funny and charming in it. Plus we get to watch some Crypt AND some House! Well done!
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