Ah… the Drive-In Double Feature.  We’ve gone over this territory many times before here at DIMP, so I won’t go back into my love of that particular American institution. However, I will say that the last time we talked about it, I was not having a particularly good time watching the DVD I was reviewing.  Dark Sky Films has released multiple DVDs now that feature the "Drive-In Double Feature" format, meaning that the DVD starts up with some vintage ads for the concession stand and some previews of coming attractions and then the first movie starts.  Then there's an intermission and the second feature starts.  It is exactly what you would expect to see if you were actually sitting in your car at the drive-in sometime between 1955 and 1975. 

I for one, am very happy that Dark Sky is doing this.  I think it’s really cool that someone is preserving this experience in some way and the idea of putting together two movies that would be perfect drive-in fodder also means more b-movies are finding their way to DVD… always a good thing in my eyes.

However, the movie selection is also the thing that can make or break the format.  Unlike the actual drive-in, which could sucker people in with one good movie and then get them to stick around for a lesser quality one, Dark Sky doesn’t have the luxury of offering a “ringer” so to speak.  They’ve come close with this release though.  Featuring an espionage theme, the Drive-In Double Feature: Assasination in Rome and Espionage In Tangiers actually serves up some fun moments and has some surprisingly interesting casting.

First up (and opposite to the way it’s billed on the cover) is Espionage in Tangiers, starring a pre-James Bond George Lazenby.  Originally titled Marc Mato, Agente S.077 this film is an Italian knock-off of the Bond movies.  Lazenby plays special agent Mike Murphy, a fearless man who has luck on his side and the ability to make women melt with a look.  Murphy is out to steal back a ray gun that can disintegrate its target.  True to the title the entire thing is shot in Tangiers and even includes a villain that dresses in white and communicates via video-phone. 

This movie is pretty hilarious.  There are perhaps three scenes in the entire film where someone is not being chased, shot at, punched or seduced.  It’s like someone took a giant paint can, filled it with all the things people liked about spy movies, shook it up and then tossed it Jackson Pollack style at 35mm film. 

I would love to tell you that the result is an enjoyable spy movie, but it’s not; mainly because of Lazenby.  I’ve heard the term “ham-fisted” before but I never knew the true meaning until I watched his performance as Mike Murphy.  Perhaps it’s the script that’s really to blame but for me, every time he was on camera, I just wanted to punch him.  Perhaps that’s why so many people actually try to in the film.  Either way, this is a movie that Bond fans are going to want to see simply because it opened the door for Lazenby to actually play 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 

The second feature, Assasination in Rome, is actually a pretty damn good thriller.  Cyd Charisse and Hugh O’Brian star in what ends up being a reasonably engaging mystery that surrounds the disappearance of Charisse’s husband while on vacation in Rome.  O’Brian plays a local newspaperman who was once in a relationship with Charisse.  He offers his help in finding her husband and begins to uncover a plot that goes beyond a simple kidnapping and may involve government secrets. 

The acting here is reasonably good, as is the script.  Unlike Espionage in Tangiers, nothing extraneous is thrown at the viewer.  Everything comes together in time and the mysteries aren’t easily solved.  Just when you think you have something figured out, you find that you were headed down the wrong path.  Shot in Rome and Venice, the locations are beautiful, and the plot takes you from well known tourist sites to the underground slums.  The only downer of this film is the Scooby-Doo style ending, but it’s still worth your while.

Presentation
Both films are presented in their widescreen format, but true to form, it looks like Dark Sky just took the prints as they were and threw them onto DVD.  There are jumping frames, dirt on the film and color shifts everywhere.  If you go in knowing that’s what you’re getting, you’ll have a good time.  The audio is nothing to scream about but the 2.0 mono track is much cleaner than you might expect.

Extras
Other than some trailers for other Dark Sky films and the Drive-In feature format, there is nothing extra on here.  They do have English subtitles for those who may be hearing impaired.  While I’m on the subject of the Drive-In format though, I want to say that one of the most annoying things about all ofthese releases is that you can’t bypass the Drive-In format from the very first menu.  You actually have to let the “double feature” start playing, then stop it and go back to the main menu in order to be able to select one film or the other.

Attn: Dark Sky,
The Drive-In thing is a cool feature to have but you shouldn’t make it mandatory.  Offer it up as an option instead please and I promise I’ll sing your praises on future reviews.

The Bottom Line
The fact is, very few people out there are going to be looking for either of these films.  They’re oddities in a way and that’s probably why they were plucked up for inclusion on this release.  They’re still worth a look though if you’re a film fan and especially if the secret agent genre is your specific interest.