Twin Films–The Definitive List Part #5

The Day After (1983) Vs Threads (1984)

These two are quite possibly the earliest examples of twin films I have come across as it seems to be a phenomenon that didn’t really kick off until the late 80s. Both films are about communities dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear war and both were made around the same time comfortably qualifying them for twin film status. Now given the grim subject matter, you'd think you couldn't best the Day After which puts a pretty fine point on how fucked we'd all be but Threads somehow manages to be a notch darker still by pointing out how truly fucked we'd all be. It's been a long time since I've seen either but I remember the documentary style and general narrative of Threads being somewhat comparable to The War Game (1965) which was banned for 20 years. The Day After despite being dark didn't descend into the absolute hopelessness that Threads dared to portray, although everything was a mess - The Day After seemed to offer the hope that some form of civilisation could conceivably emerge from the chaos. Threads definitely did not offer this and the last scene of that film said it all really. I should also mention Testament (1983) which is another film released around the same time dealing with the same theme.

IMDB Rating: The Day After 6.9, Threads 8.0
Verdict: Pretty harrowing films on both counts given that this could realistically happen. Threads bests the Day After. Similarity Rating 8/10

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Perhaps I'm stretching it again with these two but they do have a very similar feel in a fast cars and nitrous oxide sort of way. Maybe they shouldn't qualify because Gone in 60 seconds is a remake and The Fast and The Furious came out over a year later. In any case I've decided to twin them because of the similarities - criminal gangs with supercars, police hot on their tails and at the end for one reason or another the police officer pursuing them decides to let the criminal go because of mixed loyalties. True the plots of these films aren't that much alike - in 60 Seconds the objective is to steal 50 cars in one night whilst in Fast and the Furious, the objective is for an undercover cop to infiltrate a gang of street racers who are suspected of stealing expensive electronic equipment. The common theme remains though - criminal gangs and fast cars.

IMDB Rating: Gone in 60 Seconds 6.1, The Fast and the Furious 6.1
Verdict: Think I preferred The Fast and the Furious more which may explain the soon to be 5 sequels. Similarity Rating 5/10.

No Strings Attached (2011) Vs Friends with Benefits (2011)

Two romantic comedies released relatively close together that both offer a commentary on the 'fuck buddy' theme and how it leads to complications. It's almost cliché so it's maybe not majorly surprising that films with this theme would turn up at some point, but weeks apart? Chic Geek will disagree with me here but Friends with Benefits has to be a better film because it stars Mila Kunis whilst No Strings Attached stars Natalie Portman. Sorry but there is no contest here, Mila Kunis is more attractive by a country mile and it therefore stands to reason that Friends with Benefits is a better film.

IMDB Rating: No Strings Attached 6.2, Friends with Benefits 6.8
Verdict: Even IMDB agrees with me. Similarity Rating 7/10

End of Days (1999) Vs Stigmata (1999)

Two films which dealt with Christian mythology and deeply religious themes released in the same year just months apart. One stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in a fist fight with Satan and the other features an atheist showing signs of the stigmata - both highly likely occurrences in my opinion. I watched Stigmata once at the cinema and End of Days in bits and pieces and didn't particularly enjoy either film. Both star Gabriel Bryne in a major role, so I'm guessing it must have been confusing when trying to remember his lines that year.

IMDB Rating: End of Days 5.5, Stigmata 6.1
Verdict: Stigmata I would say but neither is particularly great. Similarity rating 6/10.

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)

It's not surprising that 2 films about Christopher Columbus were released in 1992, after all it was the 500 year anniversary of the voyage and movie studios naturally decided it was cash in time. So these films are really twins to the letter since they're both biopics about Columbus released at exactly the same time and are about the same voyage. Never seen either one but every list I've seen twins them. The Discovery stars Marlon Brando, Tom Selleck and a very young Catherine Zeta-Jones whilst Conquest of paradise stars Gérard Depardieu as Columbus and Sigourney Weaver as Queen Isabella. Whilst Discovery concentrates more on the voyage itself, 1492 deals with the effect the discovery of the new world had on the native Americans. 1492 also features a fantastic soundtrack by Vangelis who has a nasty habit of composing music that becomes far more memorable than the film it scores.

IMDB Rating: 1492: Conquest of Paradise 6.3, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery 4.4
Verdict: I'm gonna go with IMDB on this and say that 1492 is a reasonable film whilst Discovery is shocking. Similarity rating 8/10.

Madagascar (2005) and The Wild (2006)

Kids films frequently make this list much to my chagrin because I've never usually seen any of them. I think the chic geek should offer some input on these as he has children and has consequently been forced to endure watching films that no sane male would ever consider watching. 

So anyway both films star a troop of animals in a New York zoo that for one reason or another go to Africa  and find that the wild isn't all it's cracked up to be. They're both computer animated kids flicks, that's it. Twin films in every sense.

IMDB Rating: Madagascar 6.7, The Wild 5.3
Verdict: Madagascar is superior according to the consensus held by adults crazy enough to watch it. Similarity Rating 8/10

Capote (2005) Vs Infamous (2006)

Want to know how similar these two are? Consider this conversation that actually took place between screenwriter Douglas McGrath and film producer Bingham Ray regarding McGrath's screenplay for Infamous:
McGrath: Good news, I finished my script!
Ray: I know, I've got it on my desk!
McGrath: Uh, no you don’t, because I have it on my desk.
Ray: No, it's right here, Capote by Dan...
McGrath later commented “It’s very strange, I mean, generally I have my finger on whatever the opposite of the Zeitgeist is. What are the chances of two scripts about Truman Capote going out at the same time?” This would kind of lend credence to the idea that the collective unconscious stumbles across at least some of these ideas at the same time. Both films focus on the life on journalist Truman Capote who whilst researching his novel 'In Cold Blood' develops a friendship with one of the killers Perry Smith leading him to become conflicted in wanting execution for the prisoner - the only sort of closure which will do his book justice. It seems a little eerie that two films about a relatively obscure subject matter landed on Ray's desk at exactly the same time.

IMDB Rating: Capote 7.5, Infamous 7.1
Verdict: After 2 years of working on his script, McGrath has never seen the TOM (The Other Movie) which the voters on IMDB have rated as a slightly better film. I'd cry, I really would. Similarity Rating 9/10

The Cave (2005) Vs The Descent (2005)

What can be said about these, well both are horror films, both about a group of potholers exploring a cave system and both films feature monsters or flesh eating predators of some description, oh and both were released at the same time. Did I miss anything? Ok, so they were directed by completely different studios in completely different countries but the similarity of the plots might lead someone to believe that both films were working from the same brief. Neither film features anyone fantastically famous, the cave has Lena Headey who is vaguely noteworthy but from all counts is a terrible film. The Descent on the other hand is supposed to be a fairly decent horror film that is well worth watching. I've never seen either because horror films aren't really my cup of tea and tend to have a bore me to death kind of effect but I think given some of the reviews I've read, Descent might be worth a watch.

IMDB Rating: The Cave 4.8, The Descent 7.4
Verdict: The Descent has it. Similarity Rating 7/10

Jurassic Park (1993) Vs Carnosaur (1993)

I feel guilty listing these as twins because I feel that a twin film should be roughly equal in box-office stature or at least budgetarily comparable to its twin which is clearly not the case here. Both films are about the resurrection of dinosaurs from ancient DNA or in Carnosaur, a mishmash of the DNA of modern organisms to resurrect them which I suppose is vaguely plausible on some level. Jurassic Park was a critical and commercial success and one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, Carnosaur was none of these things. Jurassic Park starred Sam Neill (Awesome), Jeff Goldblum (Awesome) and was directed by Steven Spielberg (Douche) whilst Carnosaur had nothing comparable in terms of casting or directorship. Nevertheless I've twinned them because of the dinosaur resurrection theme.

IMDB Rating: Jurassic Park 7.9, Carnosaur 3.3
Verdict: Would probably be stating the obvious. Similarity Rating 5/10.

STILL MORE TO COME IN PART 6!