Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein + Up in Smoke

Posted on January 12, 2012

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein + Up in SmokeComedy duos that Double Feature needs to cover. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have never met frankenstein. Universal Studios monster movies. Studio bookkeeping on verses films. Who’s on first? How to enjoy a classic monster movie. Cheech and Chong and Dave. Comic style hypothesis. Punk rock rebellion. Being detained in customs. Watching Up in Smoke without being high. Earache My Eye. A long held Double Feature secret. Disaster climax. Continue reading →

Rocky 4 + Kill Bill 2

Posted on January 5, 2012

Rocky 4 + Kill Bill 2Wait, what are chapters? Paulie’s Robot. Adding new characters to the Rocky franchise. Once again revisiting internet memes. The Tiger 2-XL quizbot. You’re the Man Now, Dog. Dolph Lundgren. Who is Ivan Drago and what is he all about? Talking about technology. Revisiting the cold war. Is Rocky IV against technology? What does it say about technology’s role in the Cold War? Man vs Machine and the secret message of the film. Nationalism and tribalism. The unfair but inevitable question: which Kill Bill is better? Kill Bill as a novel. Tell the story, assume the audience gets the timeline. Tarantino and film noir. Accidental study guide. Surprise action (the best kind of action). Defending the light as a character. Jokes via camera work. Film scores you’re not allowed to have. Where’s the nudity? Continue reading →

Rocky 3 + Kill Bill

Posted on December 29, 2011

Rocky 3 + Kill BillEye of the Tiger. How aware of the Rocky franchise are the people in the Rocky movies? The origins of Hulk Hogan. Being loaded. Off the snow cones. Mick adapting to Rocky’s fame. Something juvenile. Rocky and Apolla are close. Real close. Mr T is an asshole. Kill Bill, Tarantino, and color. Color correction vs color grading. A showy long take. The bittersweet discover of Quentin Tarantino’s longtime editor Sally Menke. Censorship. The Whole Bloody Affair. Finally, an extended conversation on Tarantino and alleged plagiarism. Actually how bad is the borrowing? What Eric wants in life. Continue reading →

A History of Violence + Out of the Past

Posted on December 22, 2011

A History of Violence + Out of the PastMen with questionable pasts. Coffee and Pie. Multiple interpretations of the title. Joey and Tom. The longer a film is great, the harder you expect it to fail. Edie Stall is making it happen. The action and brutality in A History of Violence, and how it stands out against other movies. Breaking the tension. Techniques, old and new, of David Cronenberg. High shots and other camera work. How Cronenberg uses the rule of thirds. Using prolonged violence to create tensions. William Hurt shows off. An extended conversation about sex. A movie for pacifists! Out of the Past and old school Double Feature. Different types of noir fans. Storytelling. Jane Greer as Kathie Moffat. The 80s noir remakes. Jane Greer as Rose Mcgowan. Double crosses and ultimate fatales! The convoluted plots of film noir. Historical context for the crazy. Continue reading →

Coffy + Foxy Brown

Posted on December 15, 2011

Coffy + Foxy BrownTwo films separated at birth: Coffee and Foxy Brown! Eric’s hidden ability. The American Internation blacksploitation race. What violence looks like in a Jack Hill movie. The original Coffee soundtrack. Musical talk back. How Coffee and Foxy Brown stack up against the rest of the genre. Racism! Feminism and female empowerment. Where Foxy Brown came from. Taglines. Outfits and fashion. The Foxy Brown drinking game. Willie Hutch and Motown. Pam Grier, the first badass American action woman. A cinematic milestone. Are Coffee and Foxy Brown sequels? Continue reading →