You're not likely to find a double bill at a theater these days unless it's a special showing of some sort. I don't know when they died out, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the increasingly high production costs and studios wanted to squeeze every penny out of each one of their expensively-made movies. While it's not anywhere near the same experience, you can create your own double-triple-or more feature right in your own home. Back in the day, you'd feel ripped off if you didn't get a double-feature and maybe a cartoon if you went to practically every theater on the planet.
Today's post celebrates the "combo" posters from monster movie double-features in the proverbial "good old days." Some are from the original runs and some are from revivals and re-releases. Some are cool, like the BLOOD SUCKERS and BLOOD THIRST and GHOUL-ARAMA combos and some are downright crudely designed.
What I like about them is some of the crazy taglines meant to lure the theatergoer into emptying their pocket change: "See the Unholy Feast of the Damned!", "Sickening Horror to Haunt Your Nightmares!", "Tons of Monster Fury vs. Out-of-This-World Fright!", and--wait for it--"A Ghastly Elegance That Suggests Tennessee Williams"! But, what the heck is OKEFENOKEE doing playing with THE MONSTER FROM PIEDRAS BLANCAS?
Also, don't miss the "Witch Deflector" freebie given out to patrons for the showing of Lon Chaney Jr.'s WITCHCRAFT. Yikes!
My favourite 'combo' ad was for a double-bill of I Drink Your Blood (1971) and I Eat Your Skin (1971). Seemed to cover all the bases.
ReplyDeleteWe still had second features in the UK into the 1980s, although they were sometimes under an hour. (Anglo Amalgamated adapted a bunch of Edgar Wallace stories, which were later repackaged for US tv. I watched the full run last year.)
Trouble is, too many films now -- particularly superhero movies -- are way too long for a double feature, so we end up sitting through bloated behemoths praying for a toilet break.
That quadruple-bill seems particularly good value, although I'd prefer The Conqueror Worm was listed as Witchfinder General.
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