Double Features to Live By

Monday, September 5, 2011

Deliverance / The Shining

Deliverance (1972) dir. John Boorman

The Shining (1980) dir. Stanley Kubrick

This pair is a bit hard to get through. Both of these movies kind of destroy you--in every way sounds and images can. Wine helps. I also suggest tackling this duo with some friends, good friends. Or at least someone who's going to tell you it's all going to be okay.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

SPECIAL TRIPLE FEATURE! The 39 Steps / A Fish Called Wanda / Gothic

The 39 Steps (1935) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) dir. Charles Crichton & John Cleese

Gothic (1986) dir. Ken Russell

Three visions of England, and reassurance that Americans aren't the only psychos in the world speaking English. If you're unfamiliar with the work of Ken Russell, check out: Altered States, The Devils, and Lair of the White Worm. His career is a bit under appreciated (partly due to his negotiation of taboo and "blasphemous" subject matter) but contains some truly remarkable pieces of cinema history along with some of its most haunting, memorable images.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Yojimbo / Mulholland Drive

Yojimbo (1961) dir. Akira Kurosawa

Mulholland Dr. (2001) dir. David Lynch

Kurosawa, like pizza, stands well enough on its own but also goes well with everything; and although Mulholland Dr. carries more than enough visual and psychological weight for the typical screening, these two films balance nicely together in a dark, cold room. Pair Yojimbo with A Fistful of Dollars if you're into cultural dialogue.