We’re collecting writer / director Edgar Wright’s movie double bill recommendations on Twitter.
It’s a wonderful curation series from an outstanding filmmaker whose own films (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, World’s End, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Baby Driver) is each a self-contained anthology of references to other films (as is his early work on TV series Spaced, a whole film school in itself).
Each “double bill for the day” tweet is a little stay-at-home respite in itself – and occasionally elicits reply tweets from other names you might recognise…
Double bill for the day: Do The Right Thing (1989) and Boyz In The Hood (1991). Spike Lee's provocative masterpiece paired with the powerhouse debut by the much missed John Singleton. Two films released 31 & 29 years ago respectively, that remain, sadly, as relevant as ever. pic.twitter.com/PWtCTfnPnn
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 31, 2020
Double bill for the day: Moon (2009) & Adaptation (2002). To celebrate Mr @ManMadeMoon's birthday, a double bill in every sense. From the minds of Jones & Jonz, watch a lunar personality crisis, then a dizzying case of writers block. A matching head trip for clones & twins alike. pic.twitter.com/uUFhe1AoAA
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 30, 2020
Double bill for the day: Jaws (1975) & The Fog (1980). Missing the beach? Visit Amity Island & Antonio Bay for all the thrills you need. Spielberg's 24 carat adventure makes you scared to dip into the big blue, while Carpenter's exquisite ghost story rolls all its scares ashore. pic.twitter.com/wPBTrhZdW1
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 29, 2020
Double bill for the day: Rosemary’s Baby (1968) & The Stepford Wives (1975). Superb paranoid thrillers based on Ira Levin novels. First, Mia Farrow suspects an evil cult wants to take her baby. Then, Katherine Ross moves into a new community strangely full of blonde trophy wives. pic.twitter.com/yp9RG1q90y
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 28, 2020
Double bill for the day: Belle Du Jour (1967) & Mona Lisa (1986). The oldest profession shot from both sides. In Buñuel’s classic, we follow Deneuve’s Yves St. Laurent clad housewife into the world of high end escorting. Then see Bob Hoskin’s minder doomed as he falls for one… pic.twitter.com/NttETbRFgh
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 27, 2020
Double bill for the day: Mad Max Fury Road (2015) & Apocalypto (2006). What could possibly follow George Miller's hang-it-in-a-gallery masterpiece of an action epic? Well, how about former Max Rockatansky's epic jungle gym of a chase movie. True motion pictures in every sense. pic.twitter.com/fJ5nUDF0kY
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 25, 2020
Double bill for the day: Reservoir Dogs (1992) & The Thing (1982). Self isolation not feeling intense enough? Try these two. Tarantino's debut is powderkeg cinema with a post heist lockdown going wildly wrong. Then Carpenter's sci-fi masterpiece is a paranoid quarantine classic. pic.twitter.com/ihUuMkSLEa
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 24, 2020
Double bill for the day: La Haine (1995) & Les Misérables (2019). Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mathieu Kassovitz’s incendiary drama set in the banlieues of Paris. Then watch its spiritual successor, Ladj Ly’s directorial debut, showing the surburbs still at boiling point. pic.twitter.com/lJ3NnSxRTw
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 23, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Wicker Man (1973) & Woman In The Dunes (1964). Hypnotic tales where city men stray from home and are trapped by strange ancient traditions. The OG Wicker Man is a folk music filled horror classic, the latter a woozy dive into psychological quicksand. pic.twitter.com/clpIdLb6NT
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 22, 2020
Double bill for the day: Get Carter (1917) & Dead Man's Shoes (2004). Gritty UK crime movies, where Sir Michael Caine and (not Sir yet) Paddy Considine, return to their old stomping grounds to avenge their wronged brothers. The first is Newcastle Noir, the second Peak Vengeance. pic.twitter.com/V0ZLpNsokE
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 20, 2020
Double bill for the day: Attack The Block (2011) & Assault On Precinct 13 (1976). To toast my new venture with Nira Park, Joe Cornish & Rachael Prior, enjoy Joe's former joint where @johnboyega saves SW9 from aliens. Follow with Carpenter's influential synth heavy siege classic. pic.twitter.com/uf458Aq9WQ
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 19, 2020
Double bill for the day: Your Sister's Sister (2011) & Sword Of Trust (2019). Beautiful character comedies from Lynn Shelton, who left us too soon. First, a breakout hit, shot in only 12 days. The latter was sadly to be her last, making her role (and end scene) achingly poignant. pic.twitter.com/dVxcgYcmda
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 18, 2020
Double bill for the day: 'Waiting For Guffman' (1996) & 'Best In Show' (2000) Salute the sublime lunacy of the late, great Fred Willard in these Chris Guest mockumentaries; hilarious as star struck travel agent Ron in the first, then stealing the latter as a dog show commentator. pic.twitter.com/8Ac3jwp4qm
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 17, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Driver (1978) & Baby Driver (2017). My film wouldn't exist without Walter Hill's stripped down neo-noir classic. It's 91 minutes so lean & mean, there's barely time to find out character names. Beyond influential on crime cinema (& games) ever since. pic.twitter.com/CI5t96zwSY
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 16, 2020
Well The Driver was made in 1978 and this video by me is from 2002, so… https://t.co/LdnAwFQVGz
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 16, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Italian Job (1969) & The Hot Rock (1972). Fancy a hip, twist-filled heist movie scored by @QuincyDJones? How about two? First up: Sir Michael Caine, Mini Coopers & the ultimate cliffhanger ending. For dessert: an absolute gem of a 70's crime caper. pic.twitter.com/IO3dUNwP0N
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 15, 2020
Double bill for the day: Heathers (1989) & World's Greatest Dad (2009). Two black comedies dealing with school suicide in shockingly satirical fashion. The former is the definition of a cult classic, the latter a most underrated gem with the late Robin Williams just superb in it. pic.twitter.com/ABfyMPMSw0
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 14, 2020
Double bill for the day: Moonrise Kingdom (2012) & Paterson (2016). Funny, sweet, beautifully told tales by Wes Anderson & Jim Jarmusch. See @realJaredGilman & @TheKaraHayward first as young lovers in New Penzance, then cameo in the New Jersey fable of a poetry loving bus driver. pic.twitter.com/2i91pb4mfa
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 13, 2020
Double bill for the day: 'The Big Sick' (2017) & 'Obvious Child' (2014). Romantic comedies of an unconventional subject matter with superb dramatic performances by comedians. Behold the combined mega-talents of @kumailn @emilyvgordon @zoeinthecities @jennyslate & @GillianHardG! pic.twitter.com/QUgtwRe3EZ
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 11, 2020
Double bill for the day: What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) & Misery (1990). To show you your quarantine is not SO bad, two Oscar winning isolation shockers. Aldrich's films has Bette & Joan gloriously at each other throats, while Bates amazes as ultimate fan, Annie Wilkes. pic.twitter.com/1pvZ8TQro4
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 10, 2020
Double bill for the day: Zodiac (2007) & Dirty Harry (1971). Fincher's masterful film hurtles down disturbing dead ends hunting the real life Zodiac Killer. Then see Inspector Callahan chase down 'Scorpio' in brutal cop classic (Shot in San Francisco while Zodiac was at large). pic.twitter.com/fcMQK0SuZY
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 9, 2020
Double bill for the day: Silent Running (1972) & WALL-E (2008). An environmental sci-fi duo with cute robots our only hope of preserving nature. See the 70's gem with Bruce Dern, amazing miniatures & Joan Baez on the score then watch as the end segueways perfectly into Pixar… pic.twitter.com/zNjCyi6f8f
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 7, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Shining (1980) & Last Year At Marienbad (1961). Need even more cabin fever? Stay in these glamorous hotels for the night. Have hexagon carpeted nightmares at the Overlook, then check into a haute couture hallucination. Cinematic mazes to get lost in. pic.twitter.com/0gZAlFyCxg
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 6, 2020
Double bill for the day: Uncut Gems (2019) & The Small World Of Sammy Lee. The Adam Sandler/Anthony Newley double you've been waiting for. Heavily in debt, a jeweller/strip club compere race through their seedy underworlds to survive the night. Vivid portraits of NYC / Soho both. pic.twitter.com/kutUrDG5Zo
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 5, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Black Hole (1979) & Battle Beyond The Stars (1980). Star Wars cash-ins both! A Disney spin on 2001 with a stellar cast, ace matte paintings, a John Barry score & goofy robots. Plus a Corman cash-in more fun than it should be (written by John Sayles!) pic.twitter.com/NXfE53MAYk
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 4, 2020
Double bill for the day: Flash Gordon (1980) & Big Trouble In Little China (1986). Two sublime genre romps; first Sam Jones’ quarterback muscles his way through intergalactic foes. Then Kurt Russell’s cocky truck driver Jack Burton blusters his way through martial arts mayhem. pic.twitter.com/BvzePVJRPT
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 3, 2020
Double bill for the day: A Hard Day’s Night (1964) & Head (1968). Lester’s joyous romp finds the Beatles in their white hot moment of fame, while Rafelson’s surreal trip sees The Monkees in a metaphysical cage of teenybopper fame. The latter is co-written by Jack Nicholson. Yes! pic.twitter.com/vosFqKV12F
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 2, 2020
Double bill for the day: Eyes Without A Face (Les Yeux sans visage) (1960) & The Skin I Live In (2011). The gorgeous poetic French masterpiece from Franju followed by Almodóvar's fantastically twisted homage to it. A true dream (or beautiful nightmare) of a horror pairing for me. pic.twitter.com/1Lwn4hNP6R
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) May 1, 2020
Double bill for the day: Logan Lucky (2017) & Big Deal On Madonna Street (1958) Two twisty crime capers with a band of chancers after a score. Soderbergh's deep south 'Ocean's 7/11' is an undersung blast, while Monicelli's classic is the template for all hilarious heist movies. pic.twitter.com/YlweuRYjmL
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 30, 2020
Double bill for the day: Nuts In May (1975) & Together (Tillsammans) (2000).A comedy duo for the new age. Go camping with sweet Candice-Marie & combustible Keith in Mike Leigh's hugely influential classic. Then snuggle up in a Stockholm sharehome in Lukas Moodyson's swinging gem. pic.twitter.com/FqmsrQcRVP
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 29, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) & Dressed To Kill (1980). Murder mysteries that have played endlessly in my head since I first saw them. Black gloved killers, headspinning twists, infectious scores by Morricone & Donnagio. Style to burn for days. pic.twitter.com/LwnUcrgDHu
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 28, 2020
Double bill for the day: Top Secret! (1984) and Team America: World Police (2004). A sublime, silly & outrageous pairing from combined geniuses, Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, Matt Stone & Trey Parker. Both feature performers wrapped up in international conflicts. Both riotous stuff. pic.twitter.com/4G9TwoX4Me
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 27, 2020
Double bill for the day: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) & Election (1999). A top grade high school double with the added pleasure of seeing Matthew Broderick metamorphosize from a freewheeling teenage slacker to an anxiety riddled high school teacher. Superlative comedies both. pic.twitter.com/NlNH7fU5PG
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 26, 2020
Double bill for the day: This Is Spinal Tap (1984) & Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). Two of the funniest, if you will, rockumentaries of them all. See the solid gold classic from McKean, Guest, Shearer & Reiner, with its modern day pop cousin by the Lonely Island Boys. pic.twitter.com/Zd9xDRFPQa
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 25, 2020
Double bill for the day: Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (1974) & The Big Lebowski (1998). A crime comedy bonanza, with babyfaced Jeff Bridges playing a young buck robber in Michael Cimino's gem of a debut, then ruling as the White Russian swigging uber dude in the Coen Brothers classic. pic.twitter.com/Z3V0gPZrfH
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 24, 2020
Double bill for the day: Near Dark (1987) & Raw (2016). Directors Kathryn Bigelow (in her 2nd feature) & Julia Ducournau (in a stunning debut) bring shocking transfusions to horror cinema, squeezing fresh blood out of the vampire and cannibal genres. Watch through your fingers. pic.twitter.com/RZt4vJjoDr
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 23, 2020
Double bill for the day: Blue Velvet (1986) and Mandy (2018) Cult classics bursting out of their genres (noir mystery & revenge) to become lucid dreams & waking nightmares. Shockingly vivid in their tone, performances, palette and score. Cinematic rabbit holes to get lost in. pic.twitter.com/2m65EZuSPT
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 22, 2020
Double bill for the day: Get Out (2017) & The People Under The Stairs (1991). Savage horror satires skewering US racial tensions with glee. @JordanPeele's smash was the 1st paranoid fantasy of the Trump era, while the late Wes Craven's gem makes actual monsters of Ronnie & Nancy. pic.twitter.com/6apGUl6daT
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 21, 2020
Double bill for the day: ‘Raising Arizona’ and Evil Dead 2 (both 1987). Released on the very same day, these two comedy hybrids were made by colleagues The Coens Brothers & Sam Raimi and the screen can barely hold the creative energy. Made me want to make movies more than ever. pic.twitter.com/VKFTse4Oz0
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 18, 2020
Double bill for the day: Victoria (2015) & Run Lola Run (1998). Two visually startling, female led German thrillers. One, shot in an amazing single take, shows Laia Costa's waitress as an unwitting bank robber. Chase it up with flame haired Franka Potente burning up the screen. pic.twitter.com/9hNEa3iifj
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 20, 2020
Double bill for the day: Knives Out (2019) & The Last Of Sheila (1973). Starry, funny, intricate whodunnits; a recent smash & its spiritual predecessor. Latter is written by Stephen Sondheim & Anthony Perkins, while @rianjohnson is a bit like a Broadway version of Norman Bates x pic.twitter.com/dPyL29e85E
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 19, 2020
Double bill for the day: ‘Raising Arizona’ and Evil Dead 2 (both 1987). Released on the very same day, these two comedy hybrids were made by colleagues The Coens Brothers & Sam Raimi and the screen can barely hold the creative energy. Made me want to make movies more than ever. pic.twitter.com/VKFTse4Oz0
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 18, 2020
Double bill for the day: Dr. Strangelove (1964) & Idiocracy (2006). Need a break from the news? Try these comedies, one about the unhinged government officials triggering a nuclear war, the other a dystopian fantasy in which mankind is devoid of all intellectual curiosity. Oh… pic.twitter.com/SljboU5jW0
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 17, 2020
Double bill for the day: Don't Look Now (1973) and The Sixth Sense (1999). Two horrors that are really dramas about grief. The former inspired the latter, down to the use of the color red as one of ominous significance. Both are structurally brilliant & always worth poring over. pic.twitter.com/Vjn0NzqT4a
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 16, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Getaway (1972) & Out Of Sight (1998). Open a window, as these Jim Thompson & Elmore Leonard adaptations are the sexiest crime thrillers of them all. The tagline to the McQueen & MacGraw pairing could equally apply to Clooney & Lopez: 'They're hot'. pic.twitter.com/RNEz07TaWw
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 15, 2020
Double bill for the day: Gregory's Girl (1981) Fucking Åmal (Show Me Love) (1998). Two brilliant films about what is it to be a teenager in love, one in suburban Scotland and one in small town Sweden. Sweet, quirky, relatable and romantic; they are coming of age classics both. pic.twitter.com/KquudKrZjp
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 14, 2020
Double bill for the day: Phantom Of The Paradise (1974) & Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970). Both wild music biz satires with producer characters based on Phil Spector who turn murderous (Funny that). The finest rock horror movies of the decade (yes, I know what I’m saying)! pic.twitter.com/UGorFHMEZH
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 13, 2020
Double bill for the day: Whistle Down The Wind (1961) and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Perfect family movies for Easter where young kids discover an 'alien' visitor in the shed that changes their lives. Both feature Jesus parallels & moderate kiddy swearing. Classics both. pic.twitter.com/MEhair4sJR
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 12, 2020
Double bill for the day: Under The Skin (2013) & The Hidden (1987). Aliens in human form cause all sorts of havoc on Earth, preying on the lost souls of Scotland in the former & causing utter mayhem on Hollywood Blvd in the latter. Enjoy a duo of high art & pure, delicious pulp. pic.twitter.com/faO7lKo0qu
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 11, 2020
Double bill for the day: The Servant (1963) & Parasite (2019). Remember when Bong Joon-ho won all the Oscars? It is still the best news of 2020. See it with another classic class thriller featuring James Fox, Dirk Bogarde & a Pinter script so sharp you could cut yourself on it. pic.twitter.com/BgWFufxExT
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 10, 2020
Double bill for the day: Dawn Of The Dead (1978) & Shaun Of The Dead (2004). Watch our film on its 16th anniversary paired with the movie it wouldn't exist without: George Romero's extraordinary zombie apocalypse, somehow too prophetic of what's going on now than one would like. pic.twitter.com/Kgs2BxCIGS
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 9, 2020
Double bill for the day: Daughters Of Darkness (1971) and Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). Two sexy, funny, bloody vampire tales for the price of one. Delphine Seyrig's Elizabeth Báthory & Tilda Swinton's Eve are simply the most (excuse me) fangtastic bloodsuckers for centuries. pic.twitter.com/xoXcRV0F5I
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 8, 2020
Double bill for the day: American Graffiti (1973) & Animal House (1978). Enjoy the coming of age antics of California teens on the last night of summer in '62 and then squint to imagine that Richard Dreyfuss becomes Tom Hulce for all manner of fraternity antics at Faber College. pic.twitter.com/EMqEaYyapS
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 7, 2020
Double bill for the day: After Hours (1985) & Into The Night (1985). Mysterious blonde leads lovable nebbish on a wild late night adventure in New York / Los Angeles. Both great. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/GGLNmGJGuf
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 6, 2020