Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

Boxing, in all its despair and glory, is the topic of this pairing, beginning with argually the best of the genre, 1976's "Rocky!" Directed by John G. Avildsen, and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, this was the film that launched a franchise that is still spawning movies today! Co-starring Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and the incredible Burgess Meredith, this is the story of a young Italian boxer named Rocky Balboa, who fights part-time whenever he can get a fight, who is, by a million-to-one chance, given an opportunity to step into the ring with the world heavyweight champion! He doesn't have a chance in hell of surviving the fight, let alone winning. The only problem is... no one told him that.

For the second film in our tribute to the "Buddy Cop" genre, it's 1987's smash hit and franchise-maker, "Lethal Weapon." Directed by the genius that is Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson (before he went crazy in real life), Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Traci Wolfe, it's the story of one cop who's ready to retire being forced to partner with another cop who should have been placed on leave a long time ago! Combine that with a dead prostitute and a drug-ring, and you have an action-packed film that is much darker then the last one reviewed, but not as dark as it could have been! Plus, the trio reveals what their "one-two punch" will be for the next pairing!

It's off to the chilly Lake Michigan shore community of Chicago for this episode as the trio review one of their favorite buddy cop films of all times, 1986's "Running Scared!" Directed by Peter Hyams, and starring Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Smits, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Pantoliano, Dan Heydaya, Jon Gries and Tracy Reed, this is a mostly-forgotten gem in the "buddy cop" genre! While a bit more light-hearted than a lot of others of this type, the movie does an excellent job of following most of the rules of the genre without succumbing to tripping over the tropes and showing a lot of over-used elements. Although it's clearly an 80s film (watch for the "carphone"), otherwise, it's still representative of the best this type of story can become!

For the second film in our homage to the car chase, we turn to 1971's "Vanishing Point," which answers the question "Does speed kill?" in more ways than one. Directed by Richard C. Sarafian, written by Cuban screenwriter Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and starring Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger, and Victoria Medlin, the film represents a significant entry in the counter-culture movie genre especially popular in the early 1970s, when disillusionment with the government, the police, the war in Vietnam, and organized religion was starting to really simmer. It also has a rather deep philosophical message (although whether existential or nihilistic, we'll let you be the judge) that doesn't exactly endear the film to one of our reviewers once he understand it, but it's interesting nonetheless! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal what two non-traditional buddy cop films they'll be talking about for the next two episodes!

We're celebrating the car chase in films in this episode of the podcast, with the movie that defined what a film car chase should be, and is still influencing moviemakers today, 1968's "Bullitt!" Directed by Peter Yates, and starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, and George Stanford Brown, it's a trip back to the end of the 60s in San Francisco! Plus minor supporting roles by Vic Tayback, stuntman Bill Hickman, a cameo appearances by Julie Christy, and a first-ever cinematic appearance from Joanna Cassidy! And accompanied by a Lalo Schifrin score, this movie is an ode to police work at the turn of the decade, even if one of our geeks feels the romantic storyline was shoehorned in. :)

It's the second of our looks at the comedy work of the one, the only, Bill Murray, in 1993's "Groundhog Day!" Directed and co-written by long-time friend Harold Ramis, Murray plays weatherman Phil Connors who gets stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, reliving the same day, and having to cover the groundhog, over and over and over and over and over... but ultimately for good reason. Co-written by Danny Rubin, and co-starring Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Rick Ducommun, and Rick Overton, this film has such an ultimately funny AND profound message that some major world religions think it represents tenets of their individual philosophies! Plus, it has some of the most quotable lines ever to come from a Bill Murray movie! And finally, the trio disclose the first full pairing of their second hundred episodes, coming up next!!

Happy 100th episode! To celebrate, we're focusing on the genius work from actor and comedian Bill Murray, starting with his 1981 blockbuster hit "Stripes!" When a disaffected slacker decides to join the army, and drags his best friend with him, it could be a train-wreck, but with Ivan Reitman at the helm, and Bill Murray and Harold Ramis as the stars, it becomes one of the best comedies in American cinema! Co-starring John Candy, John Larroquette, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Diehl, Judge Reinhold, and the amazing Warren Oates, this was an anthem for the beginning of the Reagan era by poking holes in the idea that the military was the solution for everything, for everyone! And with Elmer Bernstein providing the orchestral musical score, this movie provides an fantastic viewing experience even now!

The second in our look back at fantasy films of the 80s feels very different from our first! This time, it's Christianity as the background for a tale of corruption in the church and a pair of cursed lovers in 1985's "Ladyhawke!" Directed by Richard Donner, written by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, and Tom Mankiewicz, this film seems almost haphazardly cast, and yet it works! In the lead roles are a young Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Supporting them are Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, and a very young Alfred Molina! Again, the background aspects of the film (costumes, art direction, and sets) bring this story to life in the imaginary land of Aquila. And, like our previous episode, the score brings a unique feel to the movie, with its sometimes-medieval and sometimes-modern sound and rhythm, but when you have the legendary Alan Parsons as the producer, you're bound to get something that's a bit different! And, finally, the trio announce the results of their search for an approp

It's back to the 80s we go, for two of the "best" fantasy films of that decade! Starting off, it's the 1982 cinematic epic that truly put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the public's radar, "Conan the Barbarian!" Directed by John Milius and written by Milius and Oliver Stone (yes, THAT Oliver Stone), this film also stars James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Cassandra Gava, Gerry Lopex, Mako, Valérie Quennessen, and William Smith. This is truly a fantasy spectacle, featuring amazing costumes, art direction, sets, and one of the finest scores ever written for any film, so much so that it tells the story when there are no words to do so! While clearly an artifact from the 80s, the movie holds up as a great fantasy-adventure film even today!

Part 2 of part 2 of Pixar films looks at the only Pixar film to cover the first 70+ years of the story in the first eleven minutes of the movie! If this film doesn't bring a tear to your eye at some point, you're either dead inside or not paying attention! This is a central metaphor-lover's dream-come-true, with its story about love lost and how one learns to live life again! Directed by Pete Doctor, Co-Directed by Bob Peterson, and written by Doctor, Peterson, and Tim McCarthy, this film features a relatively small cast of voice actors, including Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, and John Ratzenberger, but still manages to pack a gigantic whallop! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal the fantasy trip they're going on in the next set of episodes!

By popular demand, we're back with another look at Pixar films! But this time around, we're delving into a film, a favorite of one of our hosts, that combines 19th century philosophy, 20th century hero fatigues, and 21st century family life, into one of the most fantastic superhero stories ever! Written and directed by Brad Bird (who also does a voice in the film), and the voice-acting talents of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Elizabeth Peña, and (of course), John Ratzenberger, this film shares a basic storyline with the much-darker "Watchmen" and tells the story of a society that's outlawed being super, and how one family is coping with being forced to hide in plain site! And, accompanied by the top-notch Michael Giacchino score, this is a film that is truly fun for all ages!

For the second look at Quentin Tarantino films, we move ahead two years to 1994's "Pulp Fiction!" Directed by Tarantino, and written with Rover Avary, this film tells four separate stories that all intertwine, with some characters never meeting and others crossing paths more than once. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Uma Thurman, and featuring Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, and Harvey Keitel, this story is so well-written you won't even notice how often the characters are using very... um... "colorful" language! Arguably Tarantino's best film, if you only ever see one of his movies, this is the one you should see! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff discuss the genre-whiplash maneuver they're executing as the move to the next two films on their list!

We're turning to Quentin Tarantino as a director for the next two epsiodes of the podcast, starting with his directorial debut with 1992's "Reservoir Dogs!" Written and directed by Tarantino, and starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, and Quentin Tarantino himself, this is the story of a heist crew made up of strangers, professionals all, a heist that goes horribly wrong, and the fall-out between a group of career criminals afterwards. It's like a bloody gangster film, an action-oriented heist film, and an introspective character drama all rolled up in one! It also established several elements of modern filmmaking, things that seems "normal" now, but weren't included in films prior to this breakout directorial performance!

Part two of the pairing of silent film-era horror cinema focuses on 1925's "Phantom of the Opera" starring none other than Lon Chaney as "The Phantom!" Based on the Gaston Leroux novel, and directed by a quartet (although three are uncredited), this film also stars Mary Philbin as "Christine Daae," Norman Kerry as "The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny," Arthur Edmund Carewe as "Ledoux," Mary Fabian as "Corlotta," and Virginia Pearson as "Carlotta's Mother," this film is a testament to the power of lighting and make-up! To this day, experts still don't know for certain how Chaney managed the skeletal look for his Phantom, although many have guesses. Again, if you can find the 2011 "Film Preservation Associates, Inc." version, you'll get to see the marvelous tinting and probably one of the best restored versions of the film available! Plus, the trio turn to another director for their next pairing, but you have to listen to find out which one!

It's off to the silent era waaaaaaaaay back near the beginning of cinema itself for this pairing of 1920s horror films! Jeff, Buddy, and Chad review the vampire movie that started it all, 1922's "Nosferatu." Directed by the great F. W. Murnau, based on Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" (which got them into a lot of hot water), and starring the great German character actor Max Schreck as "Count Orlok," (Count Dracula) this movie brought horror and German Expressionism together to create magic and history! Co-starring Gustav von Wangenheim as "Hutter" (Jonathan Harker), Greta Schroeder as "Ellen" (Mina), and Alexander Granach as "Knock" (Renfield), the film still holds thrills and chills even today! View the "Transit Film/Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung" version if at all possible, to see the tinting and hear the original score!

In their second look at dramatic roles for Robin Williams, it's 1997's "Good Will Hunting." Directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and starring Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, Casey Affleck, Scott William Winters, and Robin Williams in the role that would finally net him an Academy Award, this is the story of Southie, Will (Damon), an unknown genius and mathematical prodigy, who is discovered by Dr. Gerald Lambeau (Skarsgard). After a run-in with the law that Will cannot talk his way out of, he is remanded into the "custody" of Lambeau on the condition that he work with the professor every week, and that he get therapy. After convincing several other therapists that they cannot help him, Lambeau turns to his old friend Sean (Williams), who decides that Will is a challenge worth accepting. Damon and Affleck would also win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film as well! And finally, let the terrible trio of film tell you about the two "ultimate classic" horror f

The year is 1959 and, at Welton Academy, a preparatory school for boys, another year is beginning. This year, however, is going to be different than any other, because Professor John Keating has come to Welton to teach English Literature. His passionate, unusual style of teaching poetry seizes the imagination of several of his students, leading them to revive the long-defunct "Dead Poets Society," and attempt to "suck the marrow out of life," just as Keating did when he attended Welton. With Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Norman Lloyd, Kurtwood Smith, and Robin Williams as John Keating (a role that would net him an academy award nomination), under the guidance of director Peter Weir, and with the words of great poets and screenwriter Tom Schulman, this "unmakeable" film has become an unforgetable tribute to poetry, to love, to finding your bliss, and to the incredible acting talent that was Robin Williams!

It's our second of two Luc Besson films, this time with his cult favorite "The Fifth Element" from 1997! A rollicking action-adventure science fiction tale starring Bruce Willis, Ian Holm, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, Tiny Lister, Brion James, and the irrepressible Chris Tucker who steals the show! It's got action! It's got romance! It's got some of the most quotable lines from a movie ever! If you haven't seen this one before, do yourself a favor and lift your mood up with this film! And finally, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff talk about their first two Robin Williams film picks, and why they aren't any of his comedies!

He's one of the top "cleaners" in the world, and he's no one to underestimate. But when a twelve-year-old girl needs his help, he reluctantly takes on a junior partner. Written and directed by the incredible Luc Besson, this week's film is 1994's "Leon: The Professional." Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, and Natalie Portman in her first-ever cinematic role, this film takes the "hitman" trope and approaches it from a new directly. For a "throwaway" film, this turned out to be one of the brightest spots in Besson's career!

Our second "Prostitution Comedy" is similar in concept to our first: It's a fish-out-of-water story and it's a geek-becoming-a-hero story, but it accomplishes these tropes in quite a different way from the first film of the pairing. In 1983's "Doctor Detroit," directed by Michael Pressman, it's mild-mannered Clifford Skridlow (Dan Aykroyd) being used as a patsy by the conniving Smooth Walker (Howard Hessman) when Cliff is made the protector of four ladies of the evening (Donna Dixon, Lydia Lei, Lynn Whitfield, and Fran Drescher), who must keep them from becoming the property of the evil Mom (Kate Murtagh), while still fulfilling familial and collegiate responsibilities! It's a more light-hearted take on the genre, and a rollicking, fun filmic experience! And Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal their second listener-suggested film pairing for the next two episodes!