Double Feature #1: The Odd Couple/Rosemary's Baby

And here we go. The start of a new feature on the blog. I will be doing this regularly, but during August I'll try to do as many I can. The object, in case you missed it, is to watch two movies back-to-back that seemingly have nothing to do with each other. Like, total different ends of the spectrum. The best example, shown to me by Final Girl, was The Odd Couple and Rosemary's Baby.

You look at the double feature poster and go "Huh. What the fuck do they have to do with each other to be billed like that?" The results, much like anything you'll find on "Maury", will shock you.

This being the first one, I'll explain how this will work. I won't give a full out review of the movies, unless I group a movie I am gonna review with it. What I'll do is write a post about the experience of watching them both and asking four questions, then giving an overall recommendation if you should try this at home, only cause I'm a professional and you shouldn't alway do what Uncle Jason tells you to do.

I asked many of my Mass Invaders to send me some movie titles from different genres, so they know at least one half of the upcoming ones. I think when they find out which ones I paired with which, it will surprise them. Or just make them go "eh" and move on with their lives. Whatever.

Ok time to shut up, let's get this going.



For future reference, the order I watch the movie will be chosen at random, probably with a coin toss or something. This time, though, I watched "The Odd Couple" first cause it's been my experience (and correct me if I'm wrong) that movies listed on a double feature poster, the one on the left was shown first, then an intermission, then the one on the right was shown last. I'm not sure who decided on the order of this but they were sick, sick people.

1. Any similarities?
Oddly enough, yes. They're small and subtle but they're there. Both were released in 1968. Both were released by Paramount. Both take place in New York City. And both movies take place in an apartment building 80% of the time. It's kinda funny to pretend that maybe both movies take place in the same building and that down the hall from Oscar and Felix is a self absorbed actor who decides to fuck with his wife who hadn't done anything wrong by having her get fucked by Satan. And it's funny to think that Oscar and Felix are Satanist Witches.

2. And differences?
Well one movie is a comedy written by Neil Simon about two guys moving in together and driving each other crazy, which was eventually turned into a successful sitcom in the 70's. The other is a super dark weird film about a chick giving birth to the anti-christ. I know just listing the genre's under differences is a cop-out. So I'll say this, I felt good at the end of "The Odd Couple". I feel like killing myself after the ending of "Rosemary's Baby".

3. Any compatibility?
Well, if you like movies from the 60's that take place in the 60's, specifically NYC '60's, then these two movies are made for each other. The '60, as seen through the filter of these two movies, was groovin' times, baby. In "The Odd Couple" Felix is upset about his divorce so he roams around NYC for a bit, he walks into a place clearly named something Cafe and inside is a groovin' band with half naked girls dancing. In "Rosemary's Baby", everyone was either old and evil or young hippies who liked to smoke weed. And I guess back then it was normal for young hot chicks to be friends with old people. They must love visiting their grandparents.

4. Would it have been any different if watched in reverse order?
GOD YES! Making "Rosemary's Baby" the last movie of this double feature is like following up a nice dessert with a stab in your eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love "Rosemary's Baby". It is a great film and really dark but it's dark bleak ending is leaving me rather depressed and full of dread. I feel if I watched that first, then used "The Odd Couple" to cleanse my palate would've been better. I dunno, maybe people in 1968 took things like this a lot better. Or no one really watched the movies and just made out the entire time.

My recommendation:
If you think you can handle both sides of the rainbow, go for it. I mean, these two movies are total opposites, no doubt about it. Yeah, "Odd Couple" can be dark what with Felix's suicide attempts, but I think Mia Farrow fucking the Devil and then birthing said offspring is a bit fucked up. I think someone should watch "Rosemary's Baby" first, then "The Odd Couple" and report back to me on what you find.
-Jason