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Jack Sommersby · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:01 am Post subject: Double-Feature DVDs

Has anyone ever found one of those damn double-feature DVDs worth buying? I swear, it's always the case where one of the films I like but not the other one. For example, I love "Demolition Man" but can't stand "Over the Top".

Evil or Very Mad

JaySeaver · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:40 pm Post subject:

I have a copy of, I think, Casual Sex?, because for a while that was the only way to get Cold Comfort Farm. So that was worth buying because it got me the movie I wanted.

It wasn't a single DVD, though - it was two things shrinkwrapped together. I also got a decent Shaun of the Dead/Dawn of the Dead (remake) once.

And Demolition Man needs to be on Blu-ray. Has that sucker been re-transferred since '97?
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Jack Sommersby · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:36 pm Post subject:

No, I don't believe so. But I have no complaints since the 2.35:1 transfer is excellent. And at least it's actually anamorphic since two other Warner Home Video titles, "2010" and "Outland", state that they're anamorphic which they most certainly are not. Plus, the director's commentary is wonderful. It's always baffled me why Marco Brambilla hasn't had a better career. He's visually astute and great at action staging while keeping the spatial logistics comprehensible. In fact, "Demolition Man" was my second-favorite film of 1993.

(Oh, if you're looking for an unintentionally hilarious commentary, you can do no better than director George P. Cosmatos's for "Cobra". Trust me.)

CharlesTatum · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject:

Sorry, Jack, the only double feature DVD I ever got was "National Lampoon's Vacation"...coupled with the odious "European Vacation"!
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JaySeaver · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:54 pm Post subject:

Demolition Man was pretty great all around, and now that you mention it, it is pretty surprising that Brambila hasn't done much since. I wonder if dealing with Stallone and Snipes was enough to send him back to fine/conceptual art - his website doesn't even mention his feature film work.

The writers' careers sort of dead-ended/peaked there, too (although one seems to have done OK in television). Weird; that was a darn good movie.
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Jack Sommersby · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:36 pm Post subject:

Man, that is weird with his not citing his directorial work. I mean, if all his films were deep-fried shit, then, yeah, but Demolition Man and Excess Baggage were very far from that.

Am also reminded of Mark Pellington. His phenomenal work in the extraordinary The Mothman Prophecies should have moved him up to the top echelon of directors, but he waited 6 years to do another feature film.

(Oh, and today I didn't find a double-feature DVD but a quadruple-feature one with Coma, Wolfen, Bad Moon and Body Snatchers, with the last three given impeccable widescreen transfers. Snagged it for $9. That's only $2.25 per film.)

CharlesTatum · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject:

Jack, $2.25 is still too much for "Bad Moon"...

Smile

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Jack Sommersby · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject:

Well, it's nothing great -- it probably could've been told in 30 minutes -- but the f/x were great and the three main characters held more than enough interest. Plus, the Clairmont-Scope photograhy by the always-great Jan Kiesser is delicious. Better than Silver Bullet, at least.

And, actually, Coma hasn't really aged that well. So chock-full of bountiful loopholes that it's hard to believe the novelist and screenwriter/director have frigging medical degrees!

CharlesTatum · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:03 pm Post subject:

"Coma" freaked me out...when I was 11. I should rent it someday, see if it has the same effect, or goes "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" on me and isn't as good as I remember.
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