Episode 123: Dueling Movie Releases

Did You Do Your Homework? | A Pop Culture Podcast

It seems to happen every few years: two movies with strikingly similar stories get released in the same year. Typically, one emerges as the "winner," the film that sticks in the public's consciousness, while one fades away into pop culture obscurity. What determines these "winners" and "losers" in the world of dueling movies? We take a look at two twin pairs: Big Trouble in Little China (1986, dir. John Carpenter) and The Golden Child (1986, dir. Michael Ritchie); and Armageddon (1998, dir. Michael Bay) and Deep Impact (1998, dir. Mimi Leder) to see if we can figure out the why of it all.