Held every Tuesday in the basement of a bar named “The Den,” the club offers a free and comfortable space for informal gatherings, catching up, and spending quality time.
That's exactly what the Club is, explains the Club's curator, Kasper Graef Rakin, who previously studied film and animation. I had the pleasure of speaking with him about the origins and future of the club.
He argues that modern film culture (what he terms “robot movies”) is harmful to anyone with any level of interest in film, and that “people should watch everything, even the bad ones.” I believe that.
This is the fundamental origin of Double Dragon. A desire to widen the audience for movies. The club encourages chat and discussion throughout the film, and Double Dragon is clearly a passion project. Kasper is often seen sitting in front of the projector as often as behind it, encouraging movie-related conversations and always being at the ready.
The club first began in April 2023 as a co-creation between Kasper and bar manager Ryan Mulder, running alongside a food pop-up that lasted several weeks. The double bill combines related movie genres with the food served alongside them.
This became the current Double Dragon. Kasper said food pop-ups are being reassigned to special occasions simply for convenience, and double bills are being reduced to single screenings for the time being, primarily due to declining viewership after the first film. I describe it as calm. Screenings may resume.
It's well worth keeping an eye on the Instagram page @doubledragoncinemaclub for updates, film lineups (available by directly messaging the page rather than posts), and possible future collaborations.
Newsletters provide monthly movie pricing updates and often offer discounts and additional freebies.
The club really shows everything. On this visit, I watched a number of movies I would have never encountered otherwise, from 2001's Japanese Battle Royale to 2019's Mandy to the classic My Neighbor Totoro. I did.
Once you arrive, finding your way to The Den is easy. The bar staff will be happy to point you in the right direction (and make great cocktails and mocktails depending on your taste).
The den itself lives up to its name. It's spacious, with comfy sofas, lots of cushions, and subtle lighting like fairy lights.
I chose the weeks to visit depending on the movies being shown, but you'll find it just as immersive and fun to visit regardless.
As someone who has had a primarily mainstream film education, it was great to be exposed to a variety of films, both old and modern, that might not be shown on streaming platforms or in movie theaters. Since we didn't want to drink, we asked about mocktail options and ultimately left it up to them, but it turned out delicious. Who needs an Everyman Cinema when you can get your drink order delivered right to your couch?
The lineup is released monthly and is “one of the best parts of running a movie theater club,” Kasper says. Mr. Kasper explained to me the intuitive nature of the process of determining weekly double rate genres and links. This is clearly a way to share their all-time favorites and upcoming interests for everyone to see.
On a recent visit, Mandy and Jacob's Ladder, starring Nicolas Cage, were selected, but it was refreshing to see them in a more casual setting. Through the seemingly insane series of events that occur on screen, we were able to chat, snack, and bond with those around us. At the heart of Double Dragon is a space created for community, and for no other reason than to share an incredible diversity of films.
