Twin Films: The Definitive List Part #7

This is the final instalment of the twin films project, a list I now regard as the most complete in existence. Because what qualifies as a twin film becomes more ambiguous the further down the list I go, some of the connections between these final films are more tenuous than some of the films previously mentioned. I’ll also include some worthy mentions at the end that could potentially have qualified for this list.

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky (2009) Vs Coco before Chanel (2009)

Two biopics about Coco Chanel released in the same year charting her rise to fame and fortune and her various relationships along the way. Twin films, of course. Both films are in French and English and both films are French made. I can’t offer more analysis as I haven’t seen either but I am reliably informed that they are twin films.

 

 

 

IMDB Rating: Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky 6.2, Coco Before Chanel 6.5
Verdict: Both films are about even. Coco Before Chanel would probably edge it for me because of Audrey Tautou but not by much. Similarity Rating 8/10

Bedtime Stories (2008) Vs Inkheart (2008)

Two films released in the same year about characters who have the ability to make fictional characters jump out of their stories and magically come to life. Weird how similar the ideas that float out of Hollywood at the same time can be. Both films have pretty stellar casts as well. Bedtime Stories stars Adam Sandler, Guy Pierce, Russell Brand, Lucy Lawless, Courtney Cox and Jonathan Price whilst Inkheart stars Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany and Helen Mirren. Neither film is particularly superior to the other in any way and both are enjoyable family adventure films.

IMDB Rating: Bedtime Stories 6.1, Inkheart 6.0
Verdict: Tie, both are enjoyable yarns. Similarity Rating 8/10

Black Dahlia (2006) Vs Hollywoodland (2006)

I’m a little dubious about these two being twinned but they’re both period pieces set in the 40’s and 50’s respectively and both revolve around a murder investigation in Los Angeles / Hollywood. Both are film noir type efforts because of the period in which they’re set. The Black Dahlia is based on the gruesome murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short in 1947 whilst Hollywoodland revolves around the mysterious death of the original Superman actor George Reeves. Both have a pretty good cast. Black Dahlia stars Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank whilst Hollywoodland stars Adrien Brody, Bob Hoskins and Ben Affleck.

IMDB Rating: Black Dahlia 5.6, Hollywoodland 6.6
Verdict: Hollywoodland edges it. Similarity Rating 5/10

The Killing of John Lennon (2006) Vs Chapter 27 (2007)

Two films here released within a year of each other that chronicle the life of Mark David Chapman and his subsequent assassination of John Lennon in 1980. Neither is particularly well known and both were spectacular flops at the cinema. But they are like the biopics of Coco Chanel and Steve Prefontaine near identical biopics released within a year of each other.

IMDB Rating: The Killing of John Lennon 6.2, Chapter 27 5.6
Verdict: Both pretty average. Similarity Rating 9/10

 

Garden State (2004) Vs Elizabethtown (2005)

I’ve seen these two twinned on a number of lists but I’m really not that sure about their similarity to one another since I haven’t seen either one. Both seem to involve a funeral or memorial and then an unexpected romance. At least that is what I can determine from the synopses. Chic Geek might know better as he tends to watch more of these mushy type films, Twilight anyone? Elizabethtown has some big names in it such as Orlando Bloom, Susan Sarandon, Bruce McGill, Alec Baldwin, Kirsten Dunst and Jessica Biel. Wait Kirsten Dunst and Jessica Biel in the same film? Might have to give it a watch then. Garden State stars Zach Braff and absolutely no one else I’ve ever heard of which would seem to indicate that Elizabethtown be the better film.

IMDB Rating: Garden State 7.8, Elizabethtown 6.3
Verdict: IMDB voters think differently though. Similarity Rating 7/10

Elizabeth (1998) Vs Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Another two films that are a little tenuous in their similarity. Granted both take place during the reign of Elizabeth I and both involve the virgin queen to varying degrees. But Shakespeare in love isn’t about Queen Elizabeth, it’s about Shakespeare so that is where the similarities end really. It seems a little suspicious though that two films were released in the same year, both set in Elizabethan era England which is why they’ve been twinned. That and they also appear on a number of twin film lists. Both are pretty decent films and both were pretty successful at the box office.

IMDB Rating: Elizabeth 7.6, Shakespeare in Love 7.3
Verdict: Pretty similar in quality as well, tie. Similarity Rating 5/10

Heist (2001) Vs The Score (2001)

Two heist films released in the same year. In the Score, an aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist whilst Heist has a slightly more complicated plot which involves a web of deceit. Heist stars Gene Hackman, Danny Devito and Sam Rockwell whilst The Score stars Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton. Both are entertaining yarns, not spectacular but both watchable.

 

IMDB Rating: Heist 6.5, The Score 6.8
Verdict: Both enjoyable in their own right. Similarity Rating 7/10

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) Vs Requiem (2006)

These two are very similar and both are to varying degrees based around an exorcism and more specifically the real life exorcism of Anneliese Michel. The exorcism of Emily Rose concentrates on the legal case the priest who performs the exorcism faces after she dies whilst Requiem focuses more directly on the exorcism itself. Like Sliding Doors and Lola Reent, these films are in English and German respectively. The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney in a leading role.

 

IMDB Rating: The Exorcism of Emily Rose 6.7, Requiem 6.9
Verdict: I haven’t seen either but IMDB voters rank them about the same. Similarity Rating 6/10

The Assignment (1997) Vs The Jackal (1997)

Two fictional accounts here that are loosely based around the life of the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal. The Assignment is allegedly a very underrated movie starring Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley though I haven’t seen it. The Jackal I didn’t like all that much, the film had a bitter aftertaste. It starred Bruce Willis and Richard Gere who swore never to work with each other ever again. Their filming schedules were also so different that when they did cross paths during the filming of  movie, they’d ask each other how their movie was coming along.

IMDB Rating: The Assignment 6.8, The Jackal 6.1
Verdict: The Jackal was enjoyable but I suspect The Assignment is better. Similarity Rating 6/10

Other Possible Twin Films

Turistas (2006) and Hostel (2006) In both films, unsuspecting tourists are lured into remote locations by locals with malicious intent.

Hoodwinked (2006) and Happily N'Ever After (2007) are both computer-animated films that send up fairy tales. Both also happen to feature Patrick Warburton and Andy Dick.

Knight and Day (2010) and Killers (2010) Both films are about a spy in a romantic action comedy.

The Piano Teacher (2001) and Secretary (2002) are two controversial films revolving around a female protagonist involved in sado-masochism and self-mutilation, with dysfunctional relationships both to her mother and to the male protagonist, who attempts to rescue her. While The Piano Teacher was a serious drama that ended unresolved, Secretary was a black comedy with a happy ending.

The Haunting (1999) and House on Haunted Hill (1999), two films with a similar premise and both remakes of older films.

The Vindicator (1986) and RoboCop (1987): both movies are about an innocent man who is left mutilated and near-dead by villains, is reconstructed into a cyborg by a special-weapons company, and seeks revenge on the people responsible for his fate.

Back to the Future (1985) and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) both feature protagonists who go back in time and meet high school versions of their family members, played by the same actors.

Twin Films–The Definitive List Part #6

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Vs Valmont (1989)

Well these two are twins in every sense of the word. Hardly a massive surprise since they're both adaptions of exactly the same book. Both are set in Baroque France in the mid 1700s and both are about the Vicomte de Valmont scheming to seduce Madame de Tourvel, an honourable, God-fearing woman. Valmont in the process of attempting to seduce her perhaps somewhat predictably falls in love with her. It would be difficult to write a different synopsis for either because the plot of both is essentially identical. Dangerous Liaisons does have some big names in it such as Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman. The Valmont cast list is not quite as grandiose with Colin Firth the only billed cast member I've ever heard of.

IMDB Rating: Dangerous Liaisons 7.7, Valmont 6.9
Verdict: Some people prefer Valmont but the majority seem to rate Dangerous Liaisons as a better film. Similarity Rating 9/10.

Prefontaine (1997) Vs Without Limits (1998)

I really don't know why Hollywood does it sometimes. Surely one biopic about an Olympic athlete would have been enough, but no apparently we needed two. So here we have it, two films released less than a year apart about Olympian long distance runner Steve Prefontaine who competed for gold at the Munich Olympics and subsequently died in a tragic car accident. Both films flopped terribly at the box office but this isn't always an indicator that a film is bad and in the case of these two it isn't as they are both regarded as lost gems in cinema history. 

IMDB Rating: Prefontaine 6.3, Without Limits 7.0
Verdict: Again it's tricky, Prefontaine has a very 70s feel in the way the story is told which adds to the authenticity but most people feel that Without Limits is better. Similarity Rating 9/10.

Sliding Doors (1998) Vs Run Lola Run (1998)

Two films released in the same year that deal with the parallel universe / what if scenario. I'm dubious about the similarity of these two films despite having seen them on a number of twin film lists. I guess in a loose sort of way they are since they do deal with how one minor decision can alter the course of someone's life. In Sliding doors, it's whether or not Gwyneth Paltrow manages to catch the train or not. From that moment on, both possibilities are played out in parallel cutting from one story to the next unfolding over a period of weeks / months. In Run Lola Run, the timelines are shown one after the other and only deal with a particular half hour of her life. Also Run Lola Run is a German film and really doesn't feel that similar to Sliding Doors, more like a condensed version of Groundhog Day. Anyway I'll twin them for the hell of it because of the butterfly effect theme. Sliding Doors stars Gwyneth Paltrow whilst Run Lola Run stars Franka Potente (of the Bourne films).

IMDB Rating: Sliding Doors 6.7, Run Lola Run 8.0
Verdict: I'm dubious, I didn't think Run Lola Run was as good as Sliding Doors,  the camp German style grated a little. Similarity Rating 5/10.

Phone Booth (2002) Vs Liberty Stands Still (2002)

Another two films here that would seem to be working from an identical brief. That of a protagonist rooted to a location because of a sniper who insists on speaking to them on the phone. Beyond this, the respective plots diverge significantly. In Phone Booth, Colin Farrell is held in place by a sniper who is just generally fucking nuts and wants to hold him to account for being a douchebag. Certainly you can't blame someone for disliking a person for having this quality but training a sniper scope on them  and threatening to kill them may be a tad much even if entertaining to watch. Liberty stands still on the other hand follows more or less the same theme except it carries a political message and a more realistic backstory - that being the man behind the scope lost a child because of America's crazy gun laws and wants a debate on the second amendment.

IMDB Rating: Phone Booth 7.2, Liberty Stands Still 5.7
Verdict: Phone Booth despite the shallow backstory and lack of a deeper meaning is pretty damn entertaining to watch so wins this one for me. Similarity Rating 7/10.

Babe (1995) Vs Gordy (1995)

I suppose you do genuinely have to wonder what the hell various bigwigs in tinseltown are thinking sometimes. Perhaps after a drug fuelled night on crystal meth and LSD they came up with the latest genius idea for competing films that'll blow 'em all away – about pigs that talk, hell why not, yeah it'll be a blast! So for whatever reason in 1995, we got the most annoying computer operating system ever released and two films about talking pigs. Now I hate to admit it but I have actually seen Babe and to be fair it wasn't a bad film, it was kind of entertaining watching a pig pretend it was a dog. Gordy I've never seen and if I ever do have the misfortune of watching it, it may well be time to consider playing Russian roulette with no empty chambers.

IMDB Rating: Babe 7.2, Gordy 3.4
Verdict: It's pretty clear, Babe is a winner. Similarity Rating 6/10.

Hotel Rwanda (2004) Vs Shooting Dogs (2005)

These twins both centre on the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the massacre of the Tutsis by the Hutu militia. Hotel Rwanda features hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina housing over a thousand Tutsi refugees during the genocide whilst Shooting Dogs features a similar plotline of a catholic priest and an idealistic English teacher protecting 2500 Tutsi refugees from the Hutu militia. Both films also show the amazing ineptitude and utter uselessness of the United Nations who staying true to their reason for existence of promoting peace and unity did absolutely fuck all during the entire genocide. Another film was also released in 2005 - Sometimes in April which also deals with the Rwandan genocide.

IMDB Rating: Hotel Rwanda 8.3, Shooting Dogs 7.7
Verdict: Hotel Rwanda is a powerful film, I haven't seen Shooting Dogs. Similarity Rating 8/10.

Drop Zone (1994) Vs Terminal Velocity (1994)

Two skydiving films released in the same year that involve the use of skydiving to steal things or prevent people from stealing things. I guess it's kind of an original idea but why two films at the same time? In Drop Zone, it's up to Wesley Snipes to bring down a team of skydiving crooks who land on the top of police buildings, break into computers and steal files in federal marshals. In Terminal Velocity, it's up to Charlie Sheen to team up with former KGB agent Nastassja Kinski to prevent the Russian mafia from stealing gold. Both films involve a suspicious death which acts as the primary motivation for the protagonist. Not amazingly similar but it's believable that they were both working from the same brief.

IMDB Rating: Drop Zone 5.3, Terminal Velocity 5.2
Verdict: Neither is amazing but probably worth a watch if you've nothing better to do. Similarity Rating 6/10.

Megamind (2010) Vs Despicable Me (2010)

Another two films I've never seen and hopefully will never watch here but I am reliably informed by people (chic geek) who have seen both that they do in fact qualify for this list. As I understand it both films are about an evil genius who for one reason or another ends up becoming the good guy because of various events throughout the film. In Megamind, it's because he creates a new foe who ends up becoming more evil than himself whilst in Despicable Me, the protagonist Gru encounters a trio of orphans who see something in him that no one else has before - a potential father and it ends up changing him for the better.

IMDB Rating: Megamind 7.3, Despicable Me 7.5
Verdict: Probable tie. Similarity rating 7/10.

The Town (2010) Vs Takers (2010)

I am very dubious about these two. The Town I have seen and to its credit I did think it was an excellent film which I really enjoyed. The plot centres around a seasoned team of bank robbers from Charlestown in Boston, a district renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation. After a mostly successful heist, the robbers end up taking a bank clerk hostage who one of the robbers (Ben Afflick) later forms a relationship with whilst she is blissfully ignorant that he was her earlier captor - complications naturally ensue. I haven't seen Takers but the formula seems relatively similar - that of a team of robbers ripping off an armoured car (which also happens in the Town) whilst having a determined cop on their tale (also similar to the Town).

IMDB Rating: The Town 7.7, Takers 5.9
Verdict: The town is a high quality heist film, I'd be surprised if Takers could compare to it and IMDB voters generally agree that it doesn't. Similarity rating 5/10.

Kundun (1997) Vs Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

I feel comfortable twinning these two as the themes running through both are very similar and they were released at the same time. Again these are twins in the literal sense of twin films. Both films feature the young Dalai Lama and the tale of his formative years is woven into both films along with the occupation of Tibet by China and the subsequent exile of the Dalai Lama to India where he remains in exile to this day. Seven Years in Tibet for some reason features Brad Pitt as a German - perhaps not the obvious choice and his accent in the film is questionable. Kundun on the other hand is a Martin Scorsese and flopped terribly at the box office despite the consensus by many that it is the better film.

IMDB Rating: Kundun 7.1, Seven Years in Tibet 6.8
Verdict: Difficult to say, I'd have to tie them. Similarity rating 8/10.

Kick-Ass (2010) Vs Super (2010)

Released just months apart, two superhero films about people who aren't actually superheroes but just dress up as superheroes and act like superheroes. In both films, the protagonists lack any heroic skills whatsoever but nevertheless try their hand at being vigilantes fighting crime naturally leading to hilarious results. Again with these two it does feel as though both films are working from the same brief in competition with each other. I would have to say that Kick-Ass is the better film though even if it doesn't feature say Ellen Page or Liv Tyler. In Kick-Ass though I felt the film cheated a little since although the protagonist clearly doesn't have any powers Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz seem to have Batman-esque style gadgets and training.

IMDB Rating: Kick-Ass 8.0, Super 6.9
Verdict: Kick-Ass does indeed. Similarity rating 8/10.

STILL EVEN MORE TO COME IN PART 7!

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!