Good Bad Taste: The quest for the perfect double feature

I'm not sure if it's because of my love of drive-ins, but the double feature has long been my preferred movie experience. Whenever I can carve out 3-4 hours of my day to devote to sitting on my keister, I try and program the perfect double feature.
There's something magical about the idea of finding the two films that perfectly thematically and tonally compliment each other. The experience of the two films put together supersedes the quality of each film on its own, so the perfect double feature can't just be your two favorite movies smashed together. There has to be careful attention paid to the variations of intensity throughout the experience.
Here are some pointers to people trying to create their own.
The first film has got to start slow. You want a movie that begins atmospherically, slowly lowering you into the world -- the same world that hopefully will continue into the second feature. Look for a film with a long lead-in as all the pieces that will come into play in the rest of the film are laid out. John Carpenter movies are perfect for this slot. You want to feel like you're embarking on a great journey, and you want the first half hour to ease you into the next three hours.
Despite the slow start, once the action kicks in, you want it to kick in hard. If you pick a deliberate film that rewards close viewing, you'll be too exhausted by the end to properly enjoy the next flick. Pick something with a breezy likability that crescendos into an exciting climax.
The film has got to end on a high note. Look specifically for films that smash cut into credits, it's usually a sign of an impactful ending. Even if the ending isn't perfectly executed, the shock into credits usually fools your mind into thinking whatever just happened was incredibly exciting. Examples include Flash Gordon, Iron Man, Inception, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).
Picking the second film is a delicate task. You don't want to go too obvious -- sequels, other films by the same director, films with similar plots -- because the repetition becomes tiresome by hour three. You want something that is complimentary, yet distinct, just like the best cooking combinations. Again, pay more attention to tone and intensity than just about anything else, and you'll do fine.
In direct contrast to the first film, you want the second to hit the ground running. You're already amped up from the ending of the first, and you're excited to get into the home stretch. Pick something that starts strong, even if it quickly reverts to more conventional plotting after the first few scenes. The second film can be less exciting than the first film, but should feel more exhausting. You want to feel the journey by the end of the second film. Claustrophobic or race-against-time films are perfect for this feeling. Die Hard is the perfect example of a film that by the end, you feel like you've gone through a huge exertion just by watching. If by the end of the movie, you feel like the beginning was a lifetime ago, it's perfect for the second slot.
Here's an example of what I consider to be a great double feature -- presented in viewing order of course.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and The Warriors
This is the double feature of New York City, as chosen by a guy who has never lived there.
If you haven't seen the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three, you are missing out on one of the tensest, funniest suspense movies of the '70s -- a decade known for great suspense films. Walter Matthau, in the midst of his curmudgeonly-action-hero-phase -- that's right, he had one of those -- verbally squares off with Robert Shaw and a host of other robbers as they commandeer a New York subway train full of hostages.
The most joyful part of the entire film is the great cast of character actors as curmudgeonly New Yorkers. Everyone in this film has a bad attitude and a biting wit, and is pissed off about everything.
Combine that with a fantastically funky score, and what may be the greatest last two seconds of any film ever, and you've got the perfect introduction to a New York double feature.
Once you experience the New York subway by day, it's time to board the New York subway at night with Walter Hill's classic The Warriors.
A masterpiece that proves that suspense comes from clarity of purpose, The Warriors is just about the most-straightforward movie ever made, which means it has the ability to barrel towards its conclusion like a runaway train.
The movie instantly sets the stage for its comic book New York populated by cartoon gangs with its opening credits and the huge gang meeting the begins the film. When the man willing to bring the gangs together against the police is assassinated, the Warriors are blamed and every gang member in the city is turned against them.
The plot is simple. Make it from one end of New York through rival gang territory to the other and don't get killed.
The film is brisk, lean and perfect for the b-movie slot of a double feature.
What is your perfect double feature? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/goodbadtaste.

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