Double features are back in vogue this summer after the world was gripped by Barbenheimer fever, with the two box office behemoths that couldn’t be more different on every level on course to combine for a cumulative box office haul of $2 billion. However, James Gunn‘s response to a recent suggestion has opened the door to musings over just how bizarre back-to-back pairings can – or should – be.
While there’s no rule that says a double feature has to be comprised of two titles that share any genre, thematic, or spiritual similarities – as Barbie and Oppenheimer have been proving every day for the last week – you’ve got to question why Showgirls and The Fox and the Hound would even come to anybody’s mind.
On one hand, you’ve got Paul Verhoeven’s infamous erotic thriller that was rated NC-17, cratered in theaters, was torn to shreds by critics, won seven Razzies, and effectively killed the RoboCop director’s mainstream career. On the other, there’s Disney’s beloved 1981 classic that recouped its production costs five times over and then some, cemented itself as an indelible favorite, and retains the ability to reduce grown adults to tears on a whim.
The biggest question is which one you’d choose to watch first, because either way, seguing from a heartbreaking animated tale of found family into a raunchy romp that was deemed one of the worst movies ever made before getting reappraised as a cult classic is going to cause cinematic whiplash, so maybe it’s best to leave a little breathing room if you feel the need to take the plunge.
Published: Aug 17, 2023 02:05 am