Hello and welcome (back) to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.
If I have to be honest, I didn't even know there was such a thing as double features. If you are an ignorant like me, double features are those movies that go well together. So they can be very helpful to deepen on a topic or whatever. Here are my double double features.
Westworld (1973) + Jurassic Park (1993) | Theme Park + Same Writer
The first is set in a near future where vacationers can experience life in a chosen period of time, like Medievalworld, Romanworld and Westworld. The second, well, everyone knows this one, it's about a group of scientists cloning dinosaurs to make people have a good time. Both written by Michael Crichton, these are two entertaining and suspenseful movies that explore the dark side of progress, technology in the first, science in the latter.
Shutter Island (2010) + Inception (2010) | Unreliable Narrator + Same Leading Actor
While the first is a brilliant psychological thriller set in a mental asylum island and the second is more of a heist movie set inside a man's mind, Leonardo DiCaprio leading isn't the only thing these two films have in common. They also both question how much we can really trust what we are experiencing. It is real or is it all inside our heads? Definitely a double feature I'll try soon myself.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) + The Tree of Life (2011) | Origin of Life + Same Boringness
Both Kubrick and Malick's films deal with the origin of life and what might come after it in a quite ambiguous and surreal way. Did I mention they also are both boring? Anyway, the first offers us a more cold and hostile vision of it; the second it's more gentle and has warmer emotions. This is not a double feature I would recommend though unless you want to die of boredom.
That last double feature would be awful for me lol. I was so angry by the time I finished Tree of Life. Angry that I sat through so much nothing. The other ones I would certainly double up!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure nobody in his right mind would like that one.
DeleteI WOULD!!!!!!
DeleteI would LOVE the 2001/Tree of Life double feature!
DeleteOMG are you people serious?!
DeleteI've been wanting to see 2001: A Space Odyssey but general comments that while gorgeous it can be boring has put me off it.
DeleteI'd stay away from it if I were you. I kind of regret watching it. Such a waste of time.
DeleteTree of Lie almost did put me to sleep. I thought I'll fall asleep and never wake up watching this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteHaha some parts were interesting tho
DeleteI wouldn't say you're ignorant, just young. Back in the day, movie theaters really did run double features. As for your picks, I've seen them all except West World, which I desperately need to. So yeah, I would be down for a double of that and Jurassic Park. Ditto for the two mind-benders, Shutter Island and Inception. That last one??? Ugh. I'll do it only if I desperately need 4 hours of sleep and suffering from insomnia.
ReplyDeleteThat's a damn good idea! Next time I have trouble sleeping I'll do that.
DeleteNice pairings. I'd be most inclined to sit through the second two since I enjoyed them the most. Shutter Island was an especially pleasant surprise. Liked both Westworld and Jurassic Park but never rewatch either. I was worried when I saw 2001 that I'd have to say how much I didn't care for it and suffer some blowback but I see we feel the same! I've avoided Tree of Life because I've been told multiple times it was deadly dull.
ReplyDeleteI miss double features in the theatres, they were a great way to spend a rainy afternoon if the films were good. I went for related genres.
Filmmaker Double Feature
Bride of Frankenstein (1931) Scientist Victor Frankenstein having survived the assault of the original film is forced by the evil Dr. Pretorius to assemble a mate for his monster. Using an electrical storm to bring the creature to life (an iconic looking Elsa Lanchester) he starts a chain of events that lead to much tragedy when it turns out the bride isn’t having any of the monster. Quintessential horror film that with the first set a prototype for many years and started a trend that made its studio, Universal a mint churning out pale imitations of other creature features.
Paired with:
Gods and Monsters (1998)-James Whale (Ian McKellan), esteemed director of Frankenstein and many others, is living a wealthy genteel retirement in California tended to by his faithful housekeeper Hanna (Lynn Redgrave). Lonely and unbeknownst to most ill with a condition that causes a slow diminishment of his faculties he strikes up a friendship with his handsome gardener, ex-Marine Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser). As they share stories Whale recalls making The Bride of Frankenstein among other things as his thoughts scattered and re-form. Deliberately paced but with brilliant acting, both McKellan and Redgrave were Oscar nominated.
War Double Feature
So Proudly We Hail (1943)-In December 1941 a group of Army nurses lead by Lt. Janet “Davey” Davidson (Claudette Colbert) and including Lts. Joan O’Doul (Paulette Goddard) and Olivia D’Arcy (Veronica Lake) are headed to Hawaii for their tour of duty but plans change radically when Pearl Harbor is bombed and they are diverted to the battle sieged island of Bataan. Once there they are confronted almost hourly with bombardments, attacks and masses of wounded calling for enormous sacrifice and resolve. Strong drama headed by three great stars with Veronica being a standout as a bitter woman hell-bent on revenge.
Paired with:
Bataan (1943)-Looking at the male side of the same battle. The Japanese have just invaded the Philippines and the US Army in hopes of holding them back assigns a group of 13 under the direction of Sgt. Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) to destroy a key bridge and prevent its rebuilding. Tense and grim with an excellent cast including Thomas Mitchell, Robert Walker and Desi Arnaz.
Drive-In Double Feature
The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)-A group of scientists on an expedition for fossils in the Amazon stumble upon the previously unknown Creature from the Black Lagoon on their journey. Not having the sense to leave well enough alone they capture the mysterious gill man but he breaks free returning later to take the beautiful Kay (Julie Adams) for his own. The surprisingly hunky and scantily clad remaining scientists (Richards Denning & Richard Carlson) take off in pursuit. A mix of suspense and hilarity ensues.
Paired with:
The Thing from Another World (1951)-Stationed in the Arctic a team of scientists along with a crew from the US Air Force find a crashed spacecraft in the ice as well as the frozen body of the presumed pilot. Again not having the sense to leave well enough alone they extract the body from the ice and then pay a heavy price when it thaws out and becomes THE THING!! Though he’s unrecognizable under the makeup the Thing is played by James Arness before his decades long career on TV’s Gunsmoke.
Apparently there's a lot of us, the people who didn't like 2001. I haven't seen any of your picks, but Gods and Monsters is on my watchlist so I'm considering doing the double feature thing.
DeleteYou know, this week makes me really want to go to the local drive in which is near where I live:) I love your picks because they are so unique. West World is great and much better than Jurassic Park in my eyes. Love the 2nd 2films because it involves the mind and Shutter Island really is great. I will take 2001 over Tree of Life which I have tried to watch more than once but I have to agree with you about 2001. It's considered a masterpiece but I think it was done when everyone was taking LSD
ReplyDeleteExactly! That's the only possible explanation.
DeleteNever have seen the Westworld film, but I'm sure it goes well with Jurassic Park. Your other two pairings are great ones.
ReplyDeleteYou have to see it, it's amazing! Maybe even better than Jurassic Park.
DeleteAwesome pics! I love the Inception and Shutter Island combination. What a creative double feature!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAh cool! These are awesome double features. Jurassic Park and Westworld together is inspired. Loving the mini themes within too. Wtaching Shutter island and Inception back to back would give you chills and one hell of a headache
ReplyDeleteThanks! And you're right, that'd be pretty intense.
DeleteOne of the rare times I have seen every pick. 2001 was one of those films I found amazing of proper big sceen. On a smaller screen the expirence is signifacantly less.
ReplyDelete