Dr. DVD

I saw the Ice Pirates thread and remember when I was a kid it was playing as part of a double-feature with something else at my local theater. I also remember a double-feature the same theater did with Monster Squad and Nadine. I know that Sony attempted a comeback with second runs of MiB 2 and Spider-Man, but the fact that everyone had more or less seen them didn't seem to help.

I am wondering if theaters will ever take the approach that was originally taken with double features ;take two lower-quality movies that don't run too long and put them together? When I caught Hansel& Gretel, I looked at its length and thought it might have made for good double feature material with something else of a similar length and quality. Basically, not great movies, but the intended viewer is paying a two for one special and possibly buzzed on something ( ) so they don't care.

DRG

I used to love these when I was a kid. My favorite was seeing Nightmare on Elm Street 1-3 the night before our theater got part 4. These days it would probably be more difficult to sit through two movies back-to-back unless they were both very short, but I'd do it if it were something interesting. I think it would be a cool way to package lower-budgeted indie horror movies.

Dr. DVD

I too think that horror movies would benefit mostly from this, as well as medium length action flicks. If I were making a double, I would have the little seen Creature(with Sid Haig) paired with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. House of 1K Corpses would pair well with Devil's Rejects too.

Pizza

I love double features and movie marathons but their time is done. Home video has replaced the drawing card of a double feature. Plus, it's a lot easier to catch two movies in a multiplex than it was in the old days where you'd have to leave one theater and go to another to see a second film.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the art of a good double bill. No one takes the time to do that anymore. I've slowed down going to the great Cleveland Cinematheque, a nicely run operation except they've gotten lazy over the years with what they show in pairs for a given night. When I go there I'd like to make it the evening and sit through two films, except the titles and genres have gotten random. I've seen a good size crowd empty out from the first film and then a handful of people show up for the next feature and vice a versa. Try and capture a crowd and keep them with similar fare. I'm sure the economics and difficulties of film rental don't work easily to do this, but I'd at least try.

Schloob1

??? Been watching the "Double Feature" and in some cases they will even air a "Triple Feature" at my local drive-in now for years. And what's better is it's 1st run films at a not too shabby price either. Right now it's at $4.50 a film which is better than most matinee prices. I can bring whatever food I want to eat in my car, and "tachnically" you cannot drink there Even better this year they supposedly upgraded to digital projectors so will be interested to see how much better it looks.

bluetoast

Columbia did one very briefly in 2011 with The Ides of March and Moneyball. Wish they'd do more of that at the least.

And this time of year, I always make a double feature of seeing all the Oscar nominated live action and animated short flicks, which would be about 3 hrs total. There is also the documentary shorts which even has an intermission, that should be fun.

Dr. DVD

Yeah, but Drive-Ins are becoming a thing of the past. There are some higher class theaters that offer food and drink as well. I truly feel that if they could find two decent and obviously appropriate movies to offer on one bill, it could still work.

fitprod

You think the studios will allow that? That's the key.

fitprod

mhg83

Really would love to go see this but nowhere near me

Dr. DVD

^ Any chance we will get a release of the rated R version of Live Free or Die Hard? That one just seems to stick out like a sore thumb with its PG-13 rating, and that's the only version I've seen.

Solid Snake

Didn't the theaters have control of the double bill?

Why So Blu?

Probably not. Y'all fucked it all up when Grindhouse was released. That was the first official double feature film(s) in years and it bombed. Double features are no longer economically viable.

bluetoast

Grindhouse was also an atypical situation as it was R rated and very niche. To dip into the waters, it would make sense to do something with a lower rating.

Ash Ketchum

I would see an Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller comedy if it was paired with something starring Jason Statham and the Statham movie played first.

Dr. DVD

Not to mention they released it on Easter weekend, a move behind which I see no logic. Everyone who wanted to see that saw it the first night (like me), and no other time.

PhantomStranger

People don't have as much free time anymore to devote a whole block of time that a double bill would require. It was a cool thing in the era before DVDs and having an endless array of movies on cable, but consumers are now awash in access to films. It's a relic that is not coming back unless the hipsters latch on to it.

Charlie Goose

Maybe they could add cartoons, serials, comedy shorts, and a newsreel!

Pizza

True and what a great night that was too! But that's a perfect example of how poorly a double feature does in today's market. It was such a box-office disappointment that they initially split up the features on home video. I had to import the thing from Japan. Thankfully, they finally got it out on blu-ray.
I'd be happy if they just bring back the cartoon shorts.

Ash Ketchum

Instead of the commercials and endless string of trailers!

When I saw GRINDHOUSE, a number of audience members left after PLANET TERROR, thinking the whole thing was over.

Dr. DVD

FWIW, Grindhouse was a single presentation in the form of a double-feature. It was trying to replicate an experience and did it rather well. Problem is, it relied entirely on people "getting it". Those of us who had been following it did, but many did not, as was made apparent by people leaving after the first movie. Granted, the second movie being so lackluster didn't help, but still.
I think that double-features should be special event one weekend only deals for theaters that wish to participate. I could easily see Robert Rodriguez packaging the two Machete movies together .

dom56

The last cartoon short I saw was Disney's Pluto short in Alien. I remember one movie that had the Three Stooges short and couldn't stop laughing.

Jaymole

I used to love going to see the horror double features that use to play in my local theater back in the 70's when I was a kid. The last one I remember seeing was The Omen/Race with the Devil.

Jaymole

Here is one of the most famous/infamous double features ever:

mrhan

I did a search and found a bunch of cool vintage double feature posters. I'd love to own a bunch of these.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...x=wrt&y=Search

davidh777

Those were the days, when you could sit in a theater through two movies and then through the first one again if you wanted. I remember coming into movies late and just sticking around for the next showing to see what I had missed.

The last true double feature I remember seeing was at a second-run house: Big and Die Hard.

I'm often tempted by the marathons for stuff like The Avengers but life is too complicated these days to pull that stuff off.