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Theme: Love Thy Brother or The Bod Couples.

"Stuck on You" (2003) -- Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Cher, Meryl Streep; directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. Gross-out writer-director team, the Farrelly Bros. ("There's Something About Mary," "Kingpin"), sprinkle sweetness on the comic tale of Siamese twin burger flippers who go Hollywood, finding love, success, and separate lives. Cher is fun spoofing her image. Streep would fare better sewn to Liza Minnelli. The best moment is actor Kinnear's one-man Truman Capote tribute, while Damon lurks "inconspicuous" on stage.

::::: Buy "Stuck on You" DVD | VHS

"The Thing With Two Heads" (1972) -- Ray Milland, Rosey Grier, Don Marshall, Chelsea Brown; directed by Lee Frost. Schlocky exploitation melodrama from cheapskate American International was plenty bad when first released; now it's deliciously ridiculous. Academy Award-winner Milland is a brilliant surgeon/white racist who schemes to have his brain live on in a new body. Presto! He awakes to discover his head has been grafted onto hulking black Death Row convict Grier. Ludicrous effects and stunt work make for fine snickering.

::::: Buy "The Thing With Two Heads" DVD

Theme: Woo Hoo! Woo Hoo!

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003) -- Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear; directed by Joe Dante. Tired of playing second banana parts alongside a wascally wabbit, gifted actor Daffy Duck leaves the moving pictures business in a snit, teaming with a new partner (Fraser) on a global diamond search; meanwhile, a studio exec (Elfman) runs afoul for fowl firing, so she and Bugs Bunny give chase, all sidestepping the ACME villain (Martin). Beloved Warner Bros. animation stars are relaunched in a live-action extravaganza aiming to regain their satiric edge and adult audience lost to mediocre kiddie productions of recent decades.

::::: Buy "Looney Tunes: Back in Action DVD | VHS

"The Looney Tunes Golden Collection" (2003) -- Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and animation's best repertory company; directed by Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert Clampett, et al. Fifty-six restored and uncut cartoons from Warner Brothers' 1,000-plus library, more a bountiful sampler of these legitimate movie stars in their best (and pretty good) productions, rather than a definitive retrospective. Mix-and-match a dozen or so, like "Rabbit Seasoning," "Wabbit Twouble," "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century," "Fast and Furry-ous," "Duck Amuck," "Feed the Kitty," and "For Scent-imental Reasons," to create your own feature presentation.

Many of these fabulous shorts are being released in their first-ever digital availabilities. Buy the four-disc set with tons of rare clips, behind-the-scenes extras, and commentaries, to ensure more of the golden age classics arrive in appreciative fans' hands and DVD players. (Beware: A truncated two-disc set of this material exists.)

::::: Buy "The Looney Tunes Golden Collection" DVD

::::: Online Bonus: The superlative "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" official movie Web site is chocked full of games, activities, production notes, photo gallery, trailers, etc. The highlight is the on-demand access to the complete 1940 live-action/animation hybrid one-reeler "You Ought to Be in Pictures." It's the obvious touchstone for the 2003 full-length opus. This time Daffy encourages Porky to quit cartoons. A wonderful film, and the ideal start to this double feature.

Theme: Some "Something's Gotta Give" Things

"Something's Gotta Give" (2003) -- Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Amanda Peet, Keanu Reeves, Frances McDormand; directed by Nancy Meyers. In what used to be termed a "sophisticated comedy," senior citizen scamp Nicholson hits a bump on the road to younger women: Keaton, the mother of one of his girlfriends.

::::: Buy "Something's Gotta Give" DVD

"Move Over, Darling" (1963) -- Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, Thelma Ritter, Fred Clark, Don Knotts; directed by Michael Gordon. Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin were in the midst of filming "Something's Gotta Give" (unrelated to the Nicholson-Keaton picture) at the time of her death. The project was never finished, but it was retooled as a vehicle for Doris Day. Based on the 1940 Cary Grant and Irene Dunne comedy, "My Favorite Wife," a woman, who has been declared legally dead, shows up at her husband's next honeymoon, causing fluffy complications.

::::: Buy "Move Over, Darling" DVD | VHS

Theme: Silent films from the sound era. A double Double Feature.

Modern Times Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com

"Modern Times" (1936) -- With a digital restoration for theatrical re-release at Christmastime, 2003, renewed luster shines in Charlie Chaplin's farewell to the international language of silent pictures.

For the better part of a decade, the actor-writer-producer-director resisted immersing himself into sound, partially because he thought it might be a fad and, firmly, he knew his beloved little tramp character should never speak. So, his output in the 1930s yielded only two features, both universal masterpieces with that word duly bolded and italicized, and both essentially silent movies. "City Lights" and "Modern Times" nod to audio technology with rich, melodious musical scores essayed by Chaplin -- and the occasional sound effect and assorted gibberish enhancements. Title cards with inscribed dialogue and narration do the talking.

"Modern Times" flings our hero into the ever-steamrolling industrial revolution, pitting man against machines. I like to joke this movie is the star's version of "The Matrix," however the more I ponder the point, 67 years ago, the comic set pieces seen here, including Charlie being sucked through the meshing cogwheels and gear works of a giant factory mechanism, must've suggested to agape audiences a troublesome future merging old realities and science fiction.

See it on the big screen. See it at home. "Modern Times" is entertainment forever and a perpetual banquet of food for thought.

::::: Buy "Modern Times" DVD | VHS

"Silent Movie" (1976) -- Following the one-two punch of "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein," Mel Brooks, the brash writer-director -- and budding film star -- knew his future fame, fortune, and funniness were to be mined in genre spoofs. Audacious for a major studio project, he submerged his 20th Century-Fox zaniness into half-century dead filmmaking techniques, or so it might be presumed. Movies are always visual, in 1975, in 1912, or 3009. What changes are the soundtracks, and Brooks hedged his bets via a reversal on Chaplin's move, relying on wall-to-wall orchestral music and heavy sound effects to pep and pepper the parody.

In his starring debut as Hollywood auteur Mel Funn, Brooks trios with stooges Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise to produce an against-all-odds contemporary silent movie. Will they land the big stars necessary to secure funding? Watch them chase down five leading actors of their day in extended cameos. I like to preserve the well-kept surprises, as I enjoyed on that much anticipated opening night, so no names from me. These varying successful bits join nice detours by Sid Caesar, Bernadette Peters, Henny Youngman, and Marcel Marceau (in an hilarious moment, which, oddly, never gets a laugh -- and I've seen this sequence with an audience two dozen times or more).

Solid yuks are executed throughout "Silent Movie," but, a previously undetected homogenization of Mel Brooks can be felt creeping into this project (and, so disappointing, all of his comedies to follow).

::::: Buy "Silent Movie" VHS | DVD

"The Bellboy" (1960) -- Yep, the Jerry Lewis silent movie. At least, it is for bumbling luggage jockey Stanley as he schleps and mutes his way through Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel. As studio mogul, Jack Emulsion (Jack Kruschen) explains in the prologue, what we have is a "series of silly sequences" depicting a few days in the life of a magnificent hospitality facility and its resident goofball.

This movie came to be under high stakes business pressure. In early 1960, Paramount's biggest star asked the studio to delay his summer release, "CinderFella," until Christmas, feeling the colorful story would sell better during the holiday season. Theatres around the world were already booked to play the splashy fairy tale comedy, but Jerry had a plan. Before April, from scratch, he would produce and star, plus first-time write and direct an entirely undeveloped project for the July playdates. Shocked and skeptical, the bosses agreed to what they foresaw as lunacy and doom.

In a flurry, Lewis flew to Florida for an extended run of personal appearances. He wrote and filmed his self-funded motion picture during the day, then donned a tuxedo for nightly concerts on the Fontainebleau stage. Principal photography was completed during his three week engagement. Relocating to Las Vegas for similar shows, he edited the movie in the mornings and afternoons.

"The Bellboy" made it to the screen and became one of Jerry's top career hits. The largely unrelated comedy blackouts clicked with audiences. His structural device of stitched together sketches, became an integral part of future Lewis scripts.

This all-sound movie, except for Stanley, rewards best with a crowd and has aged somewhat uneven, but there are many fine, often surreal sight gags, such as the ones involving a clay art sculpture, a powerful flash camera, a ballroom of folding chairs, a Volkswagen, a box of candy, pressed pants, and a symphonic pantomime. Cameo appearances feature Milton Berle, Stan Laurel (impersonated by gag contributor Bill Richmond), and, of course, the man appearing in the showroom, Jerry Lewis (who speaks as this character).

There's a brief, nutty improvisational scene in the hotel lobby where Stanley summons an elevator. Encapsulated in these few seconds are all the reasons I need to love Jerry Lewis. What a superb clown. I'd follow him anywhere for moments like this one. And I certainly have.

::::: Buy "The Bellboy" VHS | DVD

"Mon Oncle" (1958) -- French cinematic heavyweight Jacques Tati is revered around the world for his filmography which consists of six features and a few short subjects. Although the comedian-writer-director's vehicles were made during the sound era, he, too, chose the silent treatment for his charming, befuddled screen presence, generally in the character of Monsieur Hulot. All the while, an interesting contradiction, sound effects were critical to his craft.

In "Mon Oncle," also known as "My Uncle," Mr. Hulot visits his sister's futuristic automated house. He's perplexed, polite, and clumsy dealing with the novel gadgets in a series of obvious and subtle comic touches reverting to Tati's recurring theme of Machines vs. Man. Therein is the connecting link which makes the film the perfect companion piece to Chaplin's "Modern Times."

I welcome Tati viewings at every opportunity, yet I have never been anchored on his wavelength. I'm simply not certain what it is I'm supposed to digest. I suspect I'm a culture shock victim lost in the translation, ironic since his movies are rooted in silent art. Tati's wise, quiet sense of humor can be grasped and harvested. Repeated screenings of his films reveal the details and genius, time well spent.

::::: Buy "Mon Oncle" DVD | VHS

::::: Trivia: Charles Chaplin is the idol of Jerry Lewis. Chaplin wrote the sweet "Smile" for the score of "Modern Times." Lewis has used "Smile" as his theme song for nearly 50 years.

After "The Bellboy" and "CinderFella," Jerry produced "The Ladies' Man," which contains numerous silent movie vignettes. He hired Mel Brooks to co-write the screenplay, later firing him from the production.

::::: Extras: "The Ladies' Man" (1961): Another Movie That Makes Me Laugh | Top 10 Jerry Lewis Comedy Movies (The Films Without Dean Martin) | Top 10 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Comedy Movies

Theme: Lost girls.

"The Missing" (2003) -- Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Val Kilmer; directed by Ron Howard. When renegade Indians kidnap a girl, her mystical grandfather, himself long missing, appears, aiding her headstrong mother and plucky kid sister in a frantic, deadly rescue. Containing obvious parallels to "The Searchers," this western is not a remake. Instead, it offers new characterizations with adventures and motivations stoked by unflinching family ties and heroism.

::::: Buy "The Missing" DVD | VHS

The Searchers Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com

"The Searchers" (1956) -- John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood; directed by John Ford. The stirring, lyrical, and gorgeous telling of two men's lengthy quest to find and return a stolen girl to her rightful home. Wayne, grittier than usual, is the driven anti-hero who finds something better in himself, too. Filmed against the breathtaking backdrops of Monument Valley, Ford's masterpiece is generally hailed as the top western film of all time.

::::: Buy "The Searchers" DVD | VHS

Theme: Well-seasoned and shipshape.

"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003) -- Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany; directed by Peter Weir. A swirling, big budget adventure on the HMS Surprise in its cat and mouse battles with a looming French adversary during the Napoleonic Wars. Lucky Jack is the crafty, much respected captain, friend, and father figure to his mates, leading them into fierce battles and honor. Interesting nature subplot detours through the Galapagos Islands.

::::: Buy "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" DVD | VHS

"Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935) -- Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone; directed by Frank Lloyd; Oscar, Best Picture. The poopdeck pappy of seafaring tales. Mr. Christian and crew aren't too happy with the evil, scene-chewing Captain Bligh, forcing them to confront enemies ahead and aboard their own vessel. Big budget remakes starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard in 1962 and Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson in 1984 ("The Bounty") were found adrift.

::::: Buy "Mutiny on the Bounty" DVD | VHS

Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones Buy this Photo at AllPosters.com

Theme: Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones face bitter divorce -- in different movies!

"Intolerable Cruelty" (2003) -- George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer; directed by Joel Coen, co-produced by Ethan Coen, who both contributed to the script. In this dark comedy with quirky touches, a ruthless divorce attorney falls hard for the gold digging victim of his legal tricks. She's hot for teacher, too, but is her fuel romance or revenge?

::::: Buy "Intolerable Cruelty" DVD | VHS

"The War of the Roses" (1989) -- Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito; directed by Danny DeVito. More beautiful rich people lose that loving feeling and go for the kill in their vicious property settlement. A lark, turned sinister, some critics said it goes too far.

::::: Buy "The War of the Roses" DVD | VHS

Thanks to my wife, Donna, for shrewdly nailing "The War of the Roses" as the perfect Double Feature mate. Seems she's an expert on divorce flicks and, hmmm, she works for high-powered attorneys. ... Gulp.)

Triple Treasure: "The Palm Beach Story" (1942) -- Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee. "Intolerable Cruelty" and the Coens' earlier "The Hudsucker Proxy" (1994) owe a lot in approach to the films of Preston Sturges, Paramount's writer-director wunderkind of the early 1940s, so why not see his superior divorce farce? Manic and lighter in tone, it's the only picture we've mentioned with a "Weenie King!"

::::: Buy "The Palm Beach Story" VHS | DVD

Hi. Welcome to Double Features Info.

In 1980, at the Rhodes Theatre in Atlanta, the new owner revamped the format from first-run films to revivals, and hired me to keep 'em rolling. It was the perfect job. I love movies and I was in the center of a cinematic smorgasbord.

We resurrected everything, too, churning the titles on a daily basis. There were old movies, recent movies, art movies, experimental movies, foreign movies, silent movies, classics, turkeys, and an occasional premiere, usually booked as double feature programs (and sometimes triples).

As the cranky, but suave projectionist with a heart of gold, I soon discovered the fine knack to programming quality, enticing double features. There must always be a connection between the films and not necessarily the obvious choices.

Sure, two Cary Grants or a pair of 007s make terrific viewing, but, hey, that's the easy way out. Why not mate Cary's "North by Northwest" with nearly any James Bond flick? After all, Hitchcock's sweeping comic adventure is a recognized blueprint for the British secret agent series. Can't you envision Oddjob cropdusting Sean Connery in that cornfield? Or Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry dangling from Mt. Rushmore's earlobes?

In the booth, my favorite pastime (between watching movies, of course) was fantasizing new double feature combinations and challenging my co-workers to top me. It wasn't always easy to find the perfect match.

And now, after all these decades, I'm still shuffling the flickers on a quest for ultimate pairs.

Oops, I'm feeling the urge. Let's plan a Double Feature on the spot.

I haven't prearranged anything with you, have I?

No, me neither.

Let's jam, using an actual movie I have ready to go inside my DVD player. What should we show with "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956)?

There is a safe choice, the 1978 remake, but let's go in different direction....

How about the Barney Bear cartoon, "The Bear That Couldn't Sleep" (1939) for starters, and Woody Woodpecker's "Smoked Hams" (1947)? ... Then, ... I know, Jane Fonda and Gig Young in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969).

What's the theme?

Can't Sleep Movies.

Gee, I'd pay to see that program. I'd even stay awake.

At Double Features Info, we recommend movie combos. It's not only a trivial mental exercise (along the lines of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon). It's also a good time in the dark.

Watch 'em and weep. Watch 'em and grin. I was introduced to many of my most valued films through twin bills, lucky lucky. Nothing would please me more than to have you uncover and enjoy buried treasures, too.

And, as always, keep telling yourself, "It's only a movie. ... It's only two movies. ... It's only a Double Feature. ... (Sometimes triples and double doubles.)"