Max Movies: 3 Double Features to Watch This Weekend
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.
Does anyone remember the ‘Double Feature’ at the movies? For the price of one admission, you could watch two films in one sitting, each often of varying quality but worth viewing nonetheless. Today as we approach the Easter Weekend, when many Americans will take an extra day off so they can watch more movies, among other things, I want to propose a trio of double features consisting of films from the streaming service, Max. The Max movies in the twin bills have a strong connection to the other which makes watching them back-to-back particularly interesting.
Max Movies: 3 Double Feature Ideas
1.The Lonely Teen Girl Turns Into a Monster: Carrie and Pearl
Carrie (1976)
The 1976 classic horror film stars Sissy Spacek as the high school girl who can move objects (among other things), particularly when taunted and teased by her fellow students. Directed by Brian DePalma, Carrie is a rich and pulpy satire of high school life and the difficulties some have in fitting in. Look for the young John Travolta in an amusing supporting role as one of the evil students who unwisely make Carrie their target.
Pearl An X-traordinary Origin Story (2022)
Mia Goth stars as an unhinged young woman whose unrelenting ambition to become a movie star leads to a bloodbath on a Texas farm in 1918. Pearl, a prequel to director Ti West’s X, may be the superior film here with Goth delivering one of the best (and hypnotic) performances of the decade. (Martin Scorsese calls Pearl “mesmerizing” and, as usual, he is right.) Like Carrie, Goth’s Pearl is overcome by her inability to fit in and acts out the only way she knows how – with violence. The similarity between the films is enhanced by West’s filmmaking style which entertains homage to DePalma.
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2. He’s Batman By Any Other Name: The Dark Knight and The Batman
The Dark Knight (2008)
Director Christopher Nolan’s angst and adrenaline-fueled drama with Christian Bale as Batman going toe to toe with The Joker, played deliciously by the late Heath Ledger. Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, has made a slew of great and good movies but none (even Oppenheimer) are better than The Dark Knight. The auteur shows that superhero films can have as much psychological nuance than any Bergman movie as well as the usual thrills and chills.
The Batman (2022)
Just when you thought that the Batman saga had been exhausted, director Matt Reeves stepped up with this absorbing 2022 gem starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader fighting crime in Gotham City. The film, which matches director Nolan in moodiness and atmospherics, breaks some new ground with its portrayal of Batman as trauma survivor and Paul Dano as a deeply psychotic Riddler. The Batman is too dark for the kiddies but it’s a faithful continuation of the graphic comic book series. Like The Dark Knight, The Batman delves into the deep-rooted fears of the main character, but Pattinson’s portrayal is less light-hearted than Bale’s, particularly as playboy Bruce Wayne. This Batman may be even crazier than the villains he pursues.
3. The Psychopath Among Us: Taxi Driver and Joker
Taxi Driver (1976)
Robert De Niro stars as a New York cabbie in this brilliant character study of urban alienation from director Martin Scorsese. The graphic violence has polarized film critics and fans over the years, but no film has better depicted the rage found in so many American males and explained the reasons why it’s there. De Niro is fascinating as Travis Bickle, the taxi driver, showing him capable of appearing normal and almost suave at one point, only to succumb to his worst instincts after any momentary setback. The superb supporting cast includes Cybill Shepherd as the icy-blonde Travis longs for; Albert Brooks as her coworker; Jodie Foster as an underaged sex worker; Harvey Keitel as her pimp; and Peter Boyle as a fellow driver. Very, very powerful film.
Joker (2019)
Joaquin Phoenix plays a wannabe comedian whose lack of social skills sends him spiraling into madness and, ultimately, violence. If you say this is a clear nod to Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and King of Comedy, you would be right. Director Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay, has acknowledged that he was heavily influenced by both films in crafting this one. The connection between the films is made even stronger by the casting of De Niro as a late night TV host who gives Phoenix’s character a shot on his show. (Well, someone gets a shot, shall we say?)
Max Movies
All six films are now available on Max. Enjoy.
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