Name your "bookend" double feature.

[jake_fink]

Name two films from different periods - separated by at least a decade - that you would pair as a double feature, and say why.

For example:

Vertigo and Chinatown. Both are detective movies and highly subjective in their storytelling. The viewer watches the character watch and makes the same connections the cahracter does. Both are also as much "about" as "set in" the cities in which they take place.

Here's another:

It's A Wonderful Life and Save the Tiger. Both are films about the "American Dream" and the small business man fighting to survive, but they are flipsides of that story. Both are steeped in nostalgia, and war is an important background element. In one the soldier is an heroic individual, the nostalgia a solid foundation for the present, in the other the nostaligia is illusion, a childish game, and war is a tragedy, not least because it reduces men to numbers.

A silly game, maybe. But I'm having trouble concentrating on my work, so perusing my dvds is keeping me entertained, and awake. Try it, you might like it.

 

[Feraud]

this could be fun...
POTENTIAL SPOILERS WITHIN!! DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DISLIKE SPOILERS!!

The two following films I would bookend because they are great fun to watch and have a similar theme. Both plotlines are the quest for gold/fortune and directed by John Huston.

1 - Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, Walter Huston. Three 'down and outers' use their last few bucks to seek their fortune in gold in the Sierra Madres Mtns. of Mexico. On the surface the film can be viewed as a great adventure. A memorable soundtrack. Bogie & co. shooting it out with Mexican bandits. That famous line about the "stinkin' badges"! The fellas hitting the motherlode but greed and violence follows.
On another level the film tracks the personalities of the men as they reach and ultimately lose their goal. The men start out with intentions of "one for all" and striking it rich through hard work. As the piles of gold dust start to accumulate, hidden personalities emerge. I think Bogie's character Fred C. Dobbs is the most striking. What seemed like a generous intention of throwing in the "lion's share" of the start up money is brought back into the picture as greed rears its ugly head. Dobbs is aware of his contribution to the group and the thought germinates in his mind until he comments how he "deserves" half as much more as everyone else! The good advice from Howard ( Walter Huston) who cautions to not put everything on a money basis is disregarded as Dobbs descends into greed, paranoia, and violence. The men decide as a group to murder a fellow prospector that turns up in camp. Fate steps in and spares them the dirty work as the prospector is killed in a bandit attack. Close calls with Mexican bandits eventually catch up with Bogie after he has left his partner for dead. He has a run in with the same bandits he enountered earlier in the film. The finale leaves Bogie dead and the gold blown back to the mountain.

2 - The Man Who Would Be King. Starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Based on a Kipling story. John Huston intended to make this film earlier in his career with Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable to play the roles of Peachy Carnahan and Daniel Dravot.
Two ex-British soldiers in India seek fame, fortune, and a kingdom to rule in Kafiristan(sp?) These fellas have larger egos and desires than common sense as they attempt to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great to conquer and plunder their way to a personal kingdom. They make their way through the Khyber Pass, bandits, and bad weather. They use one tribe against another to fight their way across the country. During a battle Daniel Dravot (Connery) has an arrow shot into his chest. Fighting on unhurt Dravot is regarded as a god and revered! Dravot and Peachy Carnahan mete out justice and take possession of an immense treasure intended for the return of Alexander the Great. Much like Treasure of the Sierra Madre success brings out the worst in men. Believing his own hype, Dravot considers himself the reincarnation of Alexander the Great! He and Peachy have a falling out as Peachy advocates grabbing the gold and getting out quick. Dravot's grand scheme involves taking a wife and ruling the people. Ignoring the superstition of god and mortal marital relations, Dravot marries a beautiful local woman named Roxanne. She is played by Michael Caine's real-life wife Shakira Caine. Dravot attempts to seduce her and this starts the downfall of everything he and Peachy have schemed for. There is a fine climax on a bridge as Sean Connery sings a wonderful song as he falls to his death. Michael Caine just barely survives the ordeal. He makes it back to civilization and tells his tale to the skeptical newspaper correspondent Kipling. What convinces him? See what he pulls out of the bag

Sorry for being long winded.

 

[jake_fink]

Great post. Great double feature.

 

[The Wolf]

How about "Star Spangled Rhythm" and "The Blues Brothers".
Comedy mis-adventures of putting on a show, appearances by acts doing what they are known for, also compare jeep scene with the Bluesmobile.
Essays should be on my desk Friday morning.

Prof. Wolf

 

[Mycroft]

How about Dirty Harry and Bulliet, both about unorthodox detectives, who are in San Fran., and are defined by their key prop (the Gun for DH and Car for B)?

 

[Quigley Brown]

Okay...an odd pair and definitely not for everyone.

1970's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. This is actually a parody of Valley of the Dolls....still, it is a wierd flick about the 'sex, drugs and rock n' roll Southern Calif. scene of the late 60s involving an all-girls band. The soundtrack is actually not too bad. Dumb ending, though. Funny thing...it was co-written by Roger Ebert.

from West Coast to East Coast...

1989's Slaves of New York. About the avant garde scene in SoHo in the late 80s.

I would have loved to live through the late 60s (of course the 1930s and 40s, too) and would like to redo the 80s. Don't come over to my place expecting to spark a J or anything. Afterwards...some late-Beatles and Blondie.

The following weekend: 1943's Around the World (Kay Kyser Band) and 1964's A Hard Day's Night (Beatles).

 

[WEEGEE]

WITH THE SWEETHEART

To be watched with your guy or doll.


The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)


Quotes: Sabina: I've met another man. He's the best man I've ever met. He's bright, handsome and he's crazy about me. And, he's married. There's only one thing; he doesn't like my hat.

Henry & June (1990)


:cheers1:

 

[Fu Manchu]

Obvious, but lots of fun.

I'd pair the following:

1. Casablanca (1942)

with

2. Play it Again Sam (1972)

Woody Allen's comic homage to Bogey links two good movies into one great double feature!

Fu Manchu

 

[StraightRazor]

The Wizard of Oz, and 101 Dalmations. Two of my daughters favorite films. I could take her out to the movies for the first time and not worry about language, fart jokes, ect. (And I would actually enjoy myself for once as well.)

 

[Harry Lime]

Fun thread.

1) Red Menace (1949). A movie about the threat of communism polluting the minds of all good Americans, what they're really up to and how to deal with "the other side." An attempt at creating paranoia to incite action.

2) Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). A movie about threat and paranoia and actions.

Harry Lime

 

[Feraud]

Fun thread.

1) Red Menace (1949). A movie about the threat of communism polluting the minds of all good Americans, what they're really up to and how to deal with "the other side." An attempt at creating paranoia to incite action.

2) Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). A movie about threat and paranoia and actions.

Harry Lime

Good ones. :eusa_clap

 

[jake_fink]

Great suggestions so far.

Here's another.

Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Wages of Fear which moves a similar story up into the fifties and down to the Andes. It too looks at just how far men will go in their greed or desperation for money.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I always thought that "Chinatown" and "L.A. Confidential" would make an excellent Drive-in double feature. They are both gritty detective stories that take place in LA during the same time period. I suppose you could make it a triple-feature by throwing in "Muholland Falls."

 

[Harry Lime]

Another one.

1) The Best Years of Their Lives (1946) A very brave and realistic look at the lives WW2 returning vets faced. Far less rose-colored than we might expect for a film released at this particular time.

2) Born on the Fourth of July (can't remeber exact year.) A look at a vet returning home from a different war, different circumstances, differnt POV. A lot of differences but in some ways also a lot of similarities.

Both, at the very least, examine the hidden costs of war.

Harry Lime

 

[Burma Shave]

Hemingway Jones said ...

..."I always thought that 'Chinatown' and 'L.A. Confidential' would make an excellent Drive-in double feature. They are both gritty detective stories that take place in LA during the same time period. I suppose you could make it a triple-feature by throwing in 'Muholland Falls.'"

Very good one, sir. I actually watched two of the three -- Mulholland Falls and Chinatown -- back-to-back a few weeks ago, and they were an excellent pairing.

How about "For Whom the Bell Tolls," with Gary Cooper, from 1943, and "Force 10 From Navarone," from 1978, with Harrison Ford? In each, a mismatched band fights an enemy opposing force, with the goal of taking out a bridge that is critical to stopping the enemy. Both are at least slightly hokey in retrospect, but they're well-done films -- and both were based on best-selling books.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Thank you Burma. That's kind of you to say. Your choices are excellent as well, and I have never made that connection before. Well done, and I am always looking for that Hemingway connection.

 

[Feraud]

For a little bit of Sci-Fi how about The Thing from Another World & The Day the Earth Stood Still.
The first film is classic 50's sci-fi. A military team discovers an alien ship & passenger. Could this "Thing" be the first wave of an attack on our world? The story centers around the discovery of the alien and the battle for survival that ensues. A military compound at the North Pole creates the atmosphere of claustrophobia and isolation. Thanks to deft handling of direction & dialogue the tone of this film is moderate.
Highlights include snappy dialogue and a great transmitted report by Scotty the reporter at the close of the film.

The second feature also includes an alien ship & passenger (two counting Gort). This film asks us to consider things outside of our own little world. The point of view of this film is from the outsider's perspective. The alien named Klaatu/Carpenter visits our world not to conquer but to warn. To warn us that our petty squabbles are having potential long range effects. We are faced with the simple option to stop our pointless bickering and live together or not at all! Our self-centered bickering will not be tolerated to interfere with the bigger Universe. The tone is quite different from the first film. The mood is serious, thoughtful, and questioning. An effective counterpoint to the first film.
The Thing is a fun favorite of mine yet The Day The Earth is a very good film with depth and relevance.

 

[Katt in Hat]

Midnight Cowboy(X) & Bambi(GGG)

I saw Bambi in early '40s and it scared the hell out of me. Many of the same elements can be found in Cowboy.

Would really like to see these 2 titles on a marquee. Perverse of me I guess. fftopic:

 

[StraightRazor]

For a little bit of Sci-Fi how about The Thing from Another World & The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Excellent choice!