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ZULU and ZULU DAWN double bill
leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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Think not!! O I wish, but do you remember the days when you could go to the movies and see a 'double bill?' In the early eighties, I saw numerous 'Bond' double bills, also I remember 'Deliverance and Southern Comfort' being a double bill, not to mention the 'Steptoe & son' films, and of course 'Carry On' movies. The heavist double bill I went to see was.........wait for it..........'Midnight Express' on with 'The Elephant Man'!!! I came out a nervous wreck from that!!!! Took me days to talk again......anyway, why don't they do that now, and for the note, the two ZULU films never did get a double billing......shame that. Some would say there's time yet.
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rich


Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 897
Location: Long Island NY USA
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Funny thing about the "double bill"...I went to one back when. The only pix out of the two that I remember was "Sink the Bismarck". Now I don't think that was the one to get you into the house. I love that film with Kenneth More, Dana Wynter and the rest of those British actors. One of the fine UK made war movies.

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Leigh

'Zulu Dawn' and 'Zulu', always seem to be kept distant of one another, considering one an epic, the other a prequel-sequel, a sort of belated addition to the first.

As you know, I mentioned about the 'Zulu Dawn' presentation set for the video version, which I had hoped they'd repeat for the dvd.

Also, I wondered if there would ever be a 2-disc box set, with both of them in, but I feel they will always remain apart. Sad

'Zulu' keeps getting improved, 'Zulu Dawn' keeps getting disapproved (of).

That's the way it'll stay methinks.

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leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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Coll - I will add that because there are so many 'new' films coming out nowadays, the film production companies don't need to do double bills anymore, they can reap their monies back from DVD rental and video game tie in's, so whats the point of showing double bills anymore....
The two ZULU films are always kept apart, with perhaps the only link between them being the words Cy Endfield. As I've said before, throughout ZULU DAWN there's no mention of Chard and the others down at Rorke's Drift, which would have been a nice acknowledgement from the producers part. On a further note, its quite nice to see the ocassional movie poster featuring two movies advertised together in two tone colours......One I can think of....CARRY ON UP THE KYBER / KING KONG ESCAPES !!!
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rich


Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 897
Location: Long Island NY USA
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You know there's something to be said to have a double-bill day somewhere over there in the UK where an enterprising entrepreneur could put "Zulu Dawn" and "Zulu" on back to back perhaps with some marketing and historical tie-ins. May not get box office breaking records but you'd get a fair crowd I think. I can see it now..Coll/Tarrant Enterprises PRESENTS....................DWARFING THE MIGHTIEST.. Cool ....

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Leigh

I think the only reference in 'Zulu Dawn' to what was going on at Rorke's Drift, was Crealock near the end of the film saying he rode along the track and saw the sky above was red with fire.

The double-bill which I seem to remember, was the first 2 Mad Max movies, in the 80s.

I was, still am I guess, a big fan of the Road Warrior.

Didn't like Mad Max 3 though.

Rich

You may be on to something there !

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leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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Rich - Thankyou, anything with the word 'enterprises' mentioned sounds good and lucrative to me! If one could afford it, I'd love to rent out a huge cinema (Bradford) make a big event for all. ZULU. Simply that. The day would start with members from this site, standing up and chatting, showing slide shows of the war ground and the actual film locations, nice lunch laid on, before the main feature....Perhaps ZULU DAWN would be first...followed by a talk from Sheldon, then some members from the film production could get up, say some words, then ZULU could be shown...This time, have an intermission....play the ZULU soundtrack in the interval...then part 2 of the film. In the foyer would be a collection of Zulu movie posters from around the world plus other memoribilia....Zulu lobby cards, whatever.....Finishing the evening off could be another 'talk' from the founders of this site.....then into another room for a scrumptious meal...with more memoribilia being displayed, perhaps a few Zulu shields dotted about as well. Now if we could get hold of Michael Caine, just to pop in....that would be something!!! Anyway, that would be a dream day....but for now, just a showing of the two Zulu films as a double bill would be 'history' in itself.
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leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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Could I just add, Simon Ward could also pop in.....after all, he was a Young Winston, and a super role that he played in DAWN.....
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rich


Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 897
Location: Long Island NY USA
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Leigh..There you have it! You would be a great spokesperson for MGM!
Also, you might put an ad in the papers for all the actors and actresses who had roles in the pictures to "come on down". Extras and all. Nothing like getting everybody together from show biz.... Cool

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Location: Wales
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Strangely enough, when in a pub in Wales a couple of weeks ago, I met a bloke who said he was an 'extra' in Zulu. One of the scenes done in Wales mind.

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rich


Joined: 01 May 2008
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Location: Long Island NY USA
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There you go Alan. I'd bet he'd go if you asked him! Once you get the show biz bug you can't shake it... Cool

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Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
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I too saw many a cinema double bill back in the days... though "Zulu" was always shown as a stand-alone film in my experience. One of the reasons why it was never double-billed with "Zulu Dawn" in the UK (aside from the fact that their combined length would be a bumb-numbing four and a quarter hours plus intermission, adverts, trailers, etc!) was that, by the time "ZD" was made, "Zulu" had already been shown on network television (8pm, ITV, 31 Dec 1976 - I was there!). For another, "ZD" had very limited theatrical distribution - somewhat controversially, it was televised (by ITV, 26 Dec 1980) just over a year after release, when the usual theatrical "window" before TV sale was three years. The two films also had different distributors, which always created problems where double bils were concerned (distribs did not like sharing the bill with a rival, as they would have to split the box-office proceeds), which is also the reason you won't see the films in a DVD twin-pack anytime soon, unless Paramount decides to buy the rights to "ZD".
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Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Sorry, that should be "bum-numbing". Talking of which, one of my favourite double bills (which circulated widely in the early 1970s, though I never actually saw this combo) was PATTON: LUST FOR GLORY (the WW2 epic about the notoriously tough general with a penchant for slapping his privates - if you see what I mean) plus - wait for it - WOMEN IN LOVE (Ken Russell's adaptation DH Lawrence's literary classic in which naked men wrestle in front of an open fire or gambol in the dewy woods, rubbing themselves with wet grass). Now what audience do you think THAT show was aimed at? Another one around the same time combined two 1969 hits from 20th Century-Fox: BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID plus THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE. Who said there was no pleasing all the people all the time?! More suggestions for grotesquely inappropriate double bills (or actual recollections of same) on a postcard, please!
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rich


Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 897
Location: Long Island NY USA
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Sheldon..

hey that's what you'd call double-bill cinema marketing, eh??? I think back there is where we find the roots of cinema advertising...got to mix up your "target" audiences I think. I'm sure those double-bills got audience "turn-over" at the pictures, eh???

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leightarrant


Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 131
Location: East Sussex
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As well as the old 'double bill' programmes way back when, I used to enjoy the old 'B' movie that tagged along unannounced with the main feature, again, long lost and into the rubbish bins those films must be. I remember the following, which won't make sense as I don't have the title..but anyway.....Main feature 'Gold' 1974....Leicester Square Odeon, coupled with a film about the craze of the day....'skateboarding', combined with a narration, the film played along with rock tracks from the WHO like Baba O' Reilley......Another 'B' movie thing....more like a documentary, 'Formula 1....James Hunt' feature. This was on also at Leicester Square, with the GUNS OF NAVARONE re release. Others I remember.....Walt Disney's Wild Life adventures, these used to play along with films like BAMBI and JUNGLE BOOK, THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES, HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE and THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. Lastly, I always remember a film about Graffiti, and how 'cool' it was in the slums of New York, this played along with PAPILLON at the Leicester Square theatre in about 1974. Going back to ZULU.....I stretch my thoughts to the 1972 re lease time, but can't think of a so called B movie which ran with this......can anyone shed a light on that one. Perhaps a cartoon or two?? Thanks in advance.
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ZULU and ZULU DAWN double bill
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