Episode Collection: Year 12

Exasperated final episode of Double Feature. Alice’s relationship with Richard Kelly. The newfound cult status of Southland Tales. Donnie Darko and Michael’s tonal whiplash of seeing Southland Tales for the first time. A movie from another timeline. Why did everyone watch Southland Tales all at once, years after it was release? The current world and the exhausted state of fury. Preparing for an end of the world party. David Cronenberg’s hopeless vision is a perfect feet for a deeper look at the source of modern agony. What is Spider really about? Secret Cronenberg movies that are actually just twenty years old and you’ve been meaning to get around to for so long you forgot they exist. Dissonant mysteries. Continue reading →

BLM and Capitalism. Americans hold power to account as The Brands cash in. On the seventeenth day of Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, workers and corporations are both forced to find the right framing for returning to work in an economy that hasn’t even found its footing amidst the global pandemic. Sorry to Bother You as a singular force against capitalism and in defense of the worker. Finally, a film addresses the broken pact of work in the modern world. Bulworth is newly relevant as corporations figure out how to advertise in the middle of civil unrest. Is it enough to simple have heart in the right place? The message is the message. Continue reading →

The non-actor. Complimentary softness in the two films approach of the search for belonging.Tomboy and Bubble are two films that explore similar themes of identity and self-discovery, but through unique approaches. Tomboy tells the story of a young girl named Laure who, after moving to a new neighborhood, begins to present as a boy. Navigating this new identity includes confronting the expectations and judgments of peers and family. Bubble then follows the story of Martha, a middle-aged woman living in a small town in Ohio who works at a toy factory. When a new employee, Kyle, arrives, Martha becomes fascinated by his mysterious past and begins to question the choices she has made in her own life. Both films explore themes of identity, self-acceptance, and the search for belonging, but approach these themes through different characters and settings.

Another world, where things never made sense to begin with. A bizarre world. A more relatable world. Michael is a dog, now, and Double Feature leaves Earth to cover Avatar and Greener Grass. Bending elements. Tweet Michael if you’re not listening from Earth. Doing weird without having to suspend disbelief. James Cameron’s Avatar is one of few films younger Alice [redacted]. The plot of Avatar is not unique. 3D is gone. Mall goth scoffing. Personal mythmaking. The silliness of promoting the technology used to create art. Secret Papyrus correction. Was Greener Grass written by an A.I.? Michael watched Greener Grass in a roomful of people who didn’t know what they were in for. Assuming a film was executed as intended. Finding the things a film did well. Anti-art and anti-film. Filmmaking influences. Fans who will seek out films with no advertising or budget. My kid is a dog as a Continue reading →

A much deserved look at the work of Bong Joon-ho. An update on virtual cinema! Barking Dogs Never Bite as a dark comedy. Investigating the theme of personal frustration and the ways in which individuals cope with their own limitations and failures. The story of a college professor who becomes increasingly desperate and unhinged as he attempts to solve the problem of a neighbor’s barking dog. A series of absurd and humorous events that ultimately reveal the darker! Mother examines the theme of the relationship between a parent and a child and the lengths to which a parent will go to protect their offspring. The film tells the story of a mother who is determined to clear her son’s name after he is accused of murder, and raises questions about loyalty, justice, and the corrupting influence of power.

Amazon’s SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection. An isolation Double Feature provides a look into one of the early attempts to recreate some of the film festival experience as most of the world remains on COVID-19 lock down. Le Choc du Futur as a film that celebrates the process of creating electronic music, particularly in the late 1970s. Locked inside, experimenting with new sounds and working on songs. The detailed process of creating music, including false starts, repetition, and distractions. Electronic music as a revolutionary and forward-thinking art form. Vintage electronic equipment and an enveloping orange-brown color palette. Ah, TFW NO GF. Involuntarily celibate men who have rejected societal norms and often engage in violent rhetoric against women and people of color. The perspective of incels, who feel misrepresented by the media and misunderstood by society. A collection of edgelord tweets and 4chan screen grabs. Disaffected and disconnected from society. “Economic opportunities”? Social isolation, economic disenfranchisement, and a lack of positive role models.

Exploring Virtual Cinema with a stay inside and do a virtual séance double feature. What is virtual cinema? How virtual cinema differs from VOD in both spirit and practice. The unspoken blow to independent film in the time of COVID-19. Film Movement releases Zombi Child through arthouse theaters. Other Bertrand Bonello picks. A fresh take on zombies through a very personal and emotional examination of Haitian zombie lore. Zombi Child in the context of French cinema. France’s relationship with horror. Drafthouse brings the Alamo Stay-at-Home experience to Extra Ordinary. What is it like to attend the Alamo Drafthouse? Pre-show and Q&As. The visual and stylistic comedy of Extra Ordinary.

Shelf life. How movies fall in and out of touch with society. Relatability is a circle. Alice’s new film Antrum is the deadliest film ever made and also the number one trending movie on Amazon Prime! In Contagion there’s a global pandemic caused by a deadly virus and people can’t stop watching it. Fear, isolation, and the human cost of scientific advancement. The ways in which the spread of a deadly disease can bring out the best and worst in humanity. Demolition Man as a science fiction action film set in a future society where crime has been virtually eliminated. The film explores the theme of the dangers of totalitarianism and the importance of individual freedom. As the main character, a cryogenically frozen police officer, tries to adjust to a world where all forms of dissent are suppressed, he becomes increasingly aware of the dark side of a seemingly perfect society.

EMERGENCY EPISODE. Film in the time of Coronavirus. Universal sends their theatrical releases straight to VOID as the country joins a world-wide shut down for COVID 19. Modern and period pieces on class are left in the past by a world wide pandemic.

Low-fi crime day. Two films with an odd relationship to comedy. Contrasting personal relationships in the lives of similar characters. Why Double Feature is shelving the pandemic for a special emergency episode.

Music as a weapon. Talking about films that leave you speechless, like Blindspotting and The Devil’s Candy. Blindspotting is more than just a film about a cop shooting a black person. Oakland’s moment in cinema. Presenting conversations through the art of film. Alice and Michael’s bad geography lesson. Gentrification. PTSD. Cultural appropriation. The White Shield. Felony convictions. The difference between armchair philosophy and lived experience. Beat beating. The importance of music bridging the gap between Blindspotting and The Devil’s Candy. A quick watch. Michael can’t every remember what happens in The Devil’s Candy, but loves it. Hating devils in film, unless they’re white. Metal as the anti-devil force for a change. Forgetting Hard Rock Zombies. The challenge of showing a character’s amazing art. Child murder returns to Double Feature. Uncertainty is scary. Being bad at murder. Deconstructing a film murder scene. Why are we still here? Ah, right. The Patreon.

Living your identity! Tangerine is deeper than you may have heard. At least this once, let’s make sure we all know the full title of Priscilla Queen of the Desert is actually The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Alice cuts Michael’s Dunkacinno jokes. Usually. Tangerine and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. How Hugo Weaving ended up in The Matrix. Tangerine is a Christmas film, shot by Alec Baldwin. The public’s focus on unusual film trivia to the detriment of the actual film. Trans women are just people. Making a genuine, non-exploitation film. A different representation of L.A. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is mostly just trying to be fucking fun. Thinking otherwise misses the point. Australian Rocky Horror Picture Show. Having to be drag queens to exist in 1994. Some gay people sound different and it’s not a big deal. Michael tries not to be problematic. Coming to terms with cultural change and acceptance. Michael does not know anyone in West Virginia. A time before Internet-sanctioned language.

Narratives vs numbers. Alice uses his tease voice. When you money some ball and win a sport. People who think they’re changing the world versus people who actually have an impact, for better or worse. Segway segue. The Sorkin trope of people working at their peak. Fictionalized reality. The importance of winning the final game. Scrappy revolutions. Betting on Zero and learning about multi-level marketing. The heroic wealthy white hedge fund man. Michael’s summary of Clint Eastwood films. The tragic victim at the top of the victim pyramid. Actual human suffering isn’t funny. Temporarily embarrassed millionaires. Anecdotes are the best friend of survivorship bias. Correctness is irrelevant to successful persuasion.

Change through antagonism! A delightful experience with Assassination Nation and Hail Satan? Everybody who saw Assassination Nation died. Deliberately antagonizing people without just being a bigot. The trailer for Assassination Nation. A misunderstood teenager of a film. A Trojan horse full of challenging ideas for the audience. Check out this article. Hey Man, Nice Shot. The satanic church. Pink masses and turning the dead gay. The case for and against evangelism. When all your costume just amounts to wearing a fedora. Michael’s glad for the guy dressed as squirtle next to him in the theater, but doesn’t covet him. Satanic panic is dumb, but did lots of harm. On dismantling systems from within. Pigs heads are scary. Sign up for the Patreon and tell Alice and Michael what films you want them to cover.

Border is a fucking perfect film. Double Feature is still not a review show. Double Feature is like a telethon, complete with commemorative plates. Michael on deciding on his favorite film of the year. Film that does more than it has to. Keeping the audience actively assembling, but not confused. Show up, watch Border. Michael’s favorite Cary Elwes films. The Princess Bride is very watchable. Films that hide everything vs nothing. Michael fails to bring up The Congress. Using a framing device to cut to the second tape of Titanic. Never let Michael edit for you. Pathsploitation.

A moment in California surfer youth unexpectedly captures the imagination and attention of a nation. One film seizes it with the success of a franchise, the other can’t hold on no matter how many films are made. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a shaggy dog film. A mall culture time capsule. Actively resisting following any of the interesting threads. British police call boxes and American phone booths are nothing alike. Alice and Michael have seen Pauly Shore is Dead. NüMetal accidentally suiting a film perfectly. Fred Durst is directing films, but not this one. A retrospective that wasn’t ready to be told. VJs as an early example of people who obtained inexplicable fame. The artistic significance of a film that takes a peek inside Pauly Shore’s mind.

Celebrating Halloween with classic horror films, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Haunting. Grand elaborate production versus innovative film techniques. Alice and Michael are still here to highlight the good in cinema. The Bride of Frankenstein gives you more to chew on than you’d expect. When you saw this for the show, you should have seen the 4K restoration. “We belong dead.” Leaving the audience wanting more Bride. The 1963 The Haunting, not one of the others. The many films and franchises that borrowed from The Haunting. Alice gives Michael a sleepy nap time. Dr. Sleep had a prequel. Surprisingly great camera techniques. Michael can’t stop insulting Podmanity, but join the Patreon anyway.

Sort of made for TV movie day! Two films that are not what they seem. Director Fred Walton returns to Double Feature in When a Stranger Calls Back. Ventriloquist horror. Ideas so stupid they’re amazing. Voice throwing and camouflage. The strangeness of suspension of disbelief. An accidental 2010s horror film made in the early ’90s. Way too good for TV. Prom Night 2: Where’s the Colon? Terminator and The Prophecy ruined sequels being on Double Feature. Double Feature makes up facts. Making a film into a sequel after the fact. No one’s seen Psycho 6. The numbers game of film titling. Subject matter expertise. Horror zeitgeist and genre awareness.

Warning – Double Feature assumes you just watched these two films. This is not a conversation to provide an introduction to these movies. This episode digs into the most difficult questions posed by two disturbing documentaries. It’s up to an individual audience member to decide if they wish to watch the films, but it’s certainly a bad idea to listen to this episode without having seen them. With that in mind, taking two films of an increasingly extreme subject matter at face value. Having a conversation films ask you to have. When there’s no hope of going back. Using BDSM to trick people into doing farm work (and other low key crimes against humanity). Continue reading →

The reckoning. A giant assault of Massive Attack returns to Double Feature with This Must Be The Place and the original Get Carter. Alice tries and fails to not talk about Robert Smith. Using a real-life icon as visual shorthand. Killing Nazis was once normal, then weird, then less weird. Succeeding despite fulfillment. A movie about the character after their interesting story is over. Going back to killing work with Get Carter. The things you learn about Get Carter from Hollywood parties. The lack of violence in a 70s film. Not being able to kill your way to an answer. Watching pornographic films projecting in people’s homes. The Get Carter score and trip-hop. Not wasting time when you plan to kill someone. The inconsistent feel of vigilante justice in cinema. Michael does not advocate killing people, then throws a state execution grenade. Enjoy.

The written word comes to life don’t roll your eyes at me. Writers who specifically hurt one person, with and without malice. Always showing up and actually covering the movies, like Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals and Marc Forster’s Stranger Than Fiction. Curating film. Attacking the wall head on with Nocturnal Animals. Alice’s love of high fashion. Interpreting subtle casting choices. Superficiality, high society, and penetrating the defenses of the untouchable. Super brutal art drama. Stranger Than Fiction, or that one film where Will Ferrell is serious. Like Cold Souls and Waiter, but on Double Feature. Dying at a poetically-appropriate time. Bits from the Fight Club fire sale. Ignoring the question of free will because it’s never interesting. Not explaining the backstory in your meta-comedy. In hindsight, kale smoothies are kind of good.

Couples, long and short. Double Feature, hyping art and Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive and Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine. Patrons, hyping Double Feature and not picking this week’s films. When in doubt, Tilda Swinton. The curse of immortality. The non-horror, non-vampire-movie vampire movie. Having a sense of scale. The repetition of everything except art. Companionship, perspective, genius, and nihilism. Comparing any given moment in time to the greatest moments in all human history. People kept together through murder. It’s probably not in our best interest to kill each other. Murder as a relationship test. Florida Man, the movie. Whether you sympathize with the person giving or receiving road head. Making films for little money. Festivals and additional content.

You wake up, and suddenly everything is different. Kittie is exciting and nü, like Kickstarter, which helped fund Bokeh and used to almost-fund Double Feature. The things that are out-of-focus. What if everyone else just disappeared? Pragmatism versus religion and nihilism. Having a survivable worldview. Michael makes an argument against survival in a world without new films. There is no point in life; Michael’s okay with that and Alice’s panicking about it. The Signal is a nü and interesting horror anthology. The number of directors in your horror anthology. Films showing small pieces of a global event. Bold choices, like male nudity and a secret anthology full of unreliable narrators. Finding something familiar to hold onto in difficult films. The use of tonal shifts in film and improving the overall narrative through the anthology format.

Step into a world of child like wonder. Or maybe one is just, like, smut. It’s time for an adults-are-childen Double Feature. Also, an accidental Dan O’Bannon Double Feature. Tobe Hooper’s Invaders from Mars is a children’s film. What happened to children’s films starring children?  Understanding the art of the underappreciated Master of Horror. Weird practical effects and surprise endings. South Park helps keep Michael from having to discuss Heavy Metal directly. Film for horny teenagers and adults who like fun. Further iterations of Heavy Metal and other smutty nonsense. Netflix Non-tent. Defining the lines between nudity, erotica, and porn.

Summer break has arrived. Eden Lake and The Wicker Man: two films about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and doing wrong. Hooded teens and Broken Britain come to your very American hosts with Eden Lake. Alice finally gets to talk about Eden Lake. Fighting children is somehow never considered okay. Machismo, intrusion, escalation of conflict, hopelessness, and razors. The Wicker Man, but not the NOT THE BEES one. Other things notably absent from the horror masterpiece, The Wicker Man: Nicolas Cage, in bear suit, punching an old woman in the face. Purging yourself of Nick Cage so you can enjoy the greatness of the original and the completely different, superior execution of the same story. Mystery cults and being in over one’s head. Religious ritual, sacrifice, and futility of prayer.