by Adam Riske and Patrick Bromley
Double Feature 1:
Adam: #1: Cooley High (1975)
Patrick: #2: The Wood (1999)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Baby Boy, Crooklyn, The Inkwell
Patrick: Theme: Black Coming of Age Movies
Patrick: I really like Cooley High and the first movie that came to mind pairing it with was The Wood, of which I know you’re a fan, probably because it’s practically the same movie but 20 years later. If I could think of another Black Coming of Age movie from 2020 or so I would have included that too. Do I need to see The Inkwell? I still haven’t seen Straight Outta Brooklyn. I’m Matty Rich deficient.
Adam: I am too! I haven’t seen Straight Outta Brooklyn or The Inkwell, which I should correct. I love pairing Cooley High (which I need to watch for the first time before the end of the year since it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary) with The Wood, one of my favorite “Am I the only one who knows about this?” movies of the ‘90s. I recommended that movie to so many people when I worked at Blockbuster because it’s so pleasant and the people who ask for recommendations at a video store aren’t the type of movie fans who like to be challenged.
Double Feature 2:
Patrick: #1: Romancing the Stone (1984)
Adam: #2: Splash (1984)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Police Academy, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Against All Odds
Adam: Theme: March 1984 Top Five Grossers
Adam: I kinda took the easy way out on this theme because I couldn’t think of one I liked enough but I think these two movies would play really well together. This is a great evening for a date night or even if you want to take your Mom or something to a double feature, which we’re always behind at the Linderground. I’m due for a revisit of Romancing the Stone. I saw it once during that Zemeckis run at the Music Box, but I must’ve been in a bad mood that day because it didn’t click for me. I should try again since I know you’re a big fan of it. I’ve never seen any of the movies from the trailer block. Should I?
Patrick: I think you’re ok skipping most of the trailer block. I haven’t seen Greystoke in a lot of years, but you know what you’re getting from Police Academy and my last rewatch of Against All Odds only went ok. Banger song, though. It’s possible that Romancing the Stone will never be for you, but I hope you have a magic viewing someday because I think it’s so good in a lot of ways, including as a star vehicle for Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. She’s getting some prime play this month at the Cinemarink.
Double Feature 3:
Patrick: #2:Thanksgiving (2023)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Hobo with a Shotgun, Don’t, Werewolf Women of the SS
Patrick: Theme: Welcome to the Grindhouse
Patrick: It’s such an obvious theme, but I thought it would be fun to watch two movies that started as Grindhouse trailers and got turned into full-length features. I know you’re not a big Thanksgiving fan but hopefully it will play better in this context. I’m actually kind of excited to revisit Machete because I’m not sure I’ve seen it since the original theatrical fun. I remember it being fun enough.
Adam: You’re right that if I were to revisit Thanksgiving, this is the way to do it. I also haven’t seen Machete in a long time, so I’d be down for a revisit. The part with Steven Seagal and the sword at the end still makes me laugh when I think about it. Remember when we saw Machete Kills together opening night and questioned our existence afterwards? That movie was universe shakingly bad.
Double Feature 4:
Patrick: #1: Major League (1989)
Adam: #2: The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: D2: The Mighty Ducks, D3: The Mighty Ducks, Eight Men Out, Lucas, Major League II
Adam: Theme: Charlie & Emilio Sports Movies
Adam: I think this would be a fun night, especially since both actors are having a good time in their respective movies and there’s some variety with each featuring a different sport. Also, you can bring kids to this if you want since Major League is a soft “R” rated movie. Did you know that Charlie Sheen bought out the left field section of a baseball stadium once for a game so that he and his friends could catch a home run ball? That’s rich guy stuff I can get behind. Are you going to go meet him at his book signing? Are you excited about his upcoming Netflix documentary?
Patrick: I AM going to see Charlie Sheen and I’m so excited, even more excited than I am about his Netflix documentary. I’m a little worried that doc is going to totally disillusion me with bad behavior and horrible accusations, but I don’t really have any rose-colored glasses with it comes to MaSheen. I know he hasn’t been a very good guy and my fandom of him has everything to do with his acting and not his personal life. I love Major League and I wonder if pairing it with Mighty Ducks will make me warm to the latter because I didn’t grow up with it the way so many others did. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not big into hockey or because Emilio isn’t one of my guys. I don’t think it’s either thing, though, because I like a lot of baseball movies despite not liking baseball (sorry) and I like a lot of Emilio movies, too. I think I’m just broken.
Double Feature 5:
Patrick: #2: The Stepfather (1987)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Parents, Mom & Dad, The People Under the Stairs
Patrick: Theme: Killer Parents
Patrick: I like the idea of doubling a movie about a murderous mom with a movie about a murderous dad and I like that one plays it straight and the other for laughs. I don’t think we give Kathleen Turner enough credit for her comedy work. The fact that she was willing to play the lead in a John Waters movie at this point in her career should be commended. And while we’re talking about undersung performances, Terry O’Quinn in The Stepfather, am I right? He probably should have been nominated for an Oscar, but horror movies tend to not get recognized. I’m not saying that in a “We poor horror fans are so put upon and persecuted way” because I’m sick of that. I’m just spitting facts.
Adam: Yes! This sounds amazing. I’ve been meaning to revisit Serial Mom for a long time and pairing it with The Stepfather (1987) -- which I saw for the first time a couple of Scary Movie Months ago -- sounds amazing. Yeah, it’s weird Kathleen Turner didn’t quite cross over into the ‘90s as much as she should. I was a kid in the ‘80s but she must have been big enough of a star then that even grade-school me knew she was one of the best, most influential actresses of the decade.
Double Feature 6:
Patrick: #1: Dead of Night (1977)
Adam: #2: Cat People (1982)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Tales from the Crypt episode “Death of Some Salesmen”, Transylvania 6-5000, Strange Darling
Adam: Theme: Masters of Horror Presents: Ed Begley Jr.
Adam: This theme is tongue in cheek, but I will say I would totally buy a ticket for this unironically. I know I’m supposed to like the “Bobby” segment of Dead of Night (1977) most, but I don’t, I’m all in on the Ed Begley Jr. segment, “Second Chance”, that’s barely horror at all and features the best ASMR of Begley waxing poetically about his 1926 Jordan Playboy. The dude’s voice calms me down, what can I say? It’s a peaceful dock in the middle of a storm. Same goes for him talking about funeral packages in the great Crypt episode “Death of Some Salesmen” which has maybe the best performance ever in a Crypt episode by the great Tim Curry. I thought pairing Dead of Night (1977) with Cat People (1982) together would be fun because the night would build in suspense and/or craziness and they’re both remakes (in title at least) of horror films from the 1940s.
Patrick: This is amazing. I never realized Ed Begley Jr. made this much horror. Sorry for picking a TV movie to screen at the Cinemarink, but I really like Dead of Night (1977) and I love the idea of pairing it with Cat People. Plus, some Crypt!
Double Feature 7:
Patrick: #2: Twilight (1998)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: The Babysitter (1995), The Babysitter (2017), Crash (2005), Crash (1997), The Gift (2000), The Gift (2015)
Patrick: Theme: Same Title Showdown
Patrick: I stole this from Reserved Seating. I’m still not really a fan of 2008’s Twilight so I thought maybe I could reward myself for sitting through it by playing the Twilight I really do like. The cast in that movie is unreal.
Adam: This was a fun episode of Same Title Showdown. I remember liking Twilight (2008) more than I expected on rewatch. I’m mixed on Twilight (1998) but it’s easy to put on with that cast as you mentioned. Also, thank you for the Trailer options. We haven’t done an episode on any of those pairings. Crash (1997) and Crash (2005) would be an entertaining episode. Of course you’d have to be on it with Rob, Leo & I because Crash (1997) is one of your FTM memes.
Double Feature 8:
Patrick: #1: Burn After Reading (2008)
Adam: #2: Hail, Caesar! (2016)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Intolerable Cruelty, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Suburbicon
Adam: Theme: Clooney Coens
Adam: I struggle with Coen comedies sometimes; I’m like 50/50 on liking/not liking them. I tend to enjoy their dramas more. I (like you) really dig Hail, Caesar! and I would totally give Burn After Reading another chance for the Brad Pitt performance alone. I also wonder if I’d like it more now that I’m used to the bawdier Coen sense of humor from movies like Ethan’s Drive Away Dolls, which I loved.
Patrick: I just revisited Burn After Reading and liked it even more than I remembered so I think there’s a chance it could go up in your estimation on another viewing. It’s so, so funny, even more so when you consider that it was the follow-up to them winning a bunch of Oscars. Thank you for programming Hail, Caesar, too. It’s in my Top 5 Coens, a list I’m never able to finish but I know Hail, Caesar! is in there.
Double Feature 9:
Adam: #1: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Patrick: #2: Permanent Record (1988)
Patrick: Trailers/Shorts: Bad Dreams, Chris Isaak “Somebody’s Crying” video, Tales from the Crypt episode “Beauty Rest,” Wasp Woman
Patrick: Theme: Jennifer Rubin Tribute
Patrick: We’re both big Jennifer Rubin guys and this is my chance to finally see Permanent Record, one of my favorite teen angst movies of the 1980s, on the big screen because I’ve only ever seen it on cable, VHS, and DVD. There’s still not even a Blu-ray. It’s one of those movies I can always point to when people shit-talk Keanu’s acting and Jennifer Rubin is really, really good in it. Plus, she sings! I also got to slot in a little Crypt for my guy.
Adam: That’s a really good Crypt episode too -- directed by Stephen Hopkins, no less. I like Jennifer Rubin. I hope she does another con nearby soon so I can meet her. I still haven’t seen Permanent Record, but your rave here makes me want to prioritize it.
Double Feature 10:
Patrick: #1: Lost in Space (1998)
Adam: #2: Stargate (1994)
Adam: Trailers/Shorts: Lethal Weapon 4, Six Days, Seven Nights, Stepmom
Adam: Theme: Five Free Movies When Buying a DVD Player
Adam: The first DVDs I purchased when I got my DVD player in 1999 were The Matrix, Run Lola Run, and Army of Darkness, but I remember feeling excited that I owned five additional movies (the ones featured here in this double with trailers) via mail-in rebate for purchasing my player. I didn’t watch any of them except Lethal Weapon 4 until recently (maybe the last five years) and I’m pretty sure I sold all of these DVDs over time only to re-purchase a copy of each one of them via Half Price Books or DVD 4-packs. I’m not a Lost in Space guy but it would be fun to watch it in this context and on the front half of a double with Stargate and I know you and Rob dig it so that makes me like it a bit more than I would otherwise. My ranking - Stargate > Six Days, Seven Nights > Stepmom > Lethal Weapon 4 > Lost in Space. What’s yours?
Patrick: This is a pretty funny theme. I think my ranking is almost the same as yours. I recognize that Lost in Space is very, very flawed (#Blarp) but I will always have affection for it for some reason. For that reason, I can’t get behind ranking it below Lethal Weapon 4 because fuuuuuck that movie.
You need to add the “Son of the Invisible Man” segment of Amazon Women on the Moon to the Ed Begley, Jr. block. It’s hilarious.
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