Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

In December of 2024 we received a message from a fellow academic in Scotland! Hugh O'Donnell wrote us and suggested we take a look at two Scottish dramas, both from acclaimed director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty! First up, the story of 15-year-old Liam (Martin Compston) in 2002's "Sweet Sixteen!" Liam, his grandfather Rab (Tommy McKae), and his mother's boyfriend Stan (Gary McCormack), are headed to visit her in prison. Liam is counting the days until she's released, but Stan expect Liam to pass her drugs and he refuses to do so. He is beaten by Rab and Stan on the way home and kicked out of his house. He ends up moving in with his sister Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton), who tells Liam he can stay as long as he watches his infant nephew Calum. Liam desperately wants to get his mother away from Stan once she's released, and comes up with a plan to purchase a caravan (a trailer like you'd find in a US trailer park) that's on the water, away from the city. He and his best friend Pinball (William Ruane) steal S

The second film in our pairing of plays young Chad once participated in during high school brings to light life in a small town at the turn of the 20th century. Directed by Sam Wood and based on a Thornton Wilder play, 1940's "Our Town" follows life in a fictional American town called "Grover's Corners" in New Hampshire. The story begins in 1901 and introduces the audience to several residents, including brother and sister George (William Holden) and Rebecca (Ruth Tobey), and next-door neighbor Emily (Martha Scott). We learn fairly quickly of the growing connection between George and Emily as they both grapple with impending adulthood. The story then moves to 1904, when George and Emily are preparing for their wedding. We're treated to a flashback to when both were juniors in high school, and how they actually admitted their feelings to one another... in a roundabout way. The ceremony concludes, although both express some reservations, and we experience a jump in time again. It is now nine years later, and we

This pairing feature films of theatrical plays that, once upon a time, included Chad among their casts, back when he was in high school. First up, it's a story of clashing cultures and classes! Directed by Hollywood legend Frank Capra, the story introduces us to Anthony Kirby (Edward Arnold) who is on the cusp of the deal of a lifetime. There's just one small impediment: A single household that refuses to sell. The family that owns it, the Vanderhofs, is led by its patriarch Martin (Lionel Barrymore), is filled with unique and bizarre personalities, including candy-maker and budding ballerina, Essie Carmichael (Ann Miller), her very Russian instructor Kolenkhov (Mischa Auer), Essie husband Ed (Dub Taylor), and a young secretary named Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur). Things get even more complicated when Anthony's son Tony (James Stewart) falls in love with Alice, who is working for him. When the two families finally meet, it's chaos and mayhem all around, with everyone winding up in jail together, and life-lesso

Our second film in this pairing is another sci-fi classic based on a story by a legendary author! In 1990's "Total Recall," based on a story by Philip K. Dick and directed by Paul Verhoeven, we are introduced to Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a construction worker with a beautiful wife, Lori (Sharon Stone). Doug has a problem with a series of nightmares all showing him to be on Mars, fighting for his life, and alongside a sultry brunette. After Lori shuts down his idea of going to Mars, he decides to investigate a business he's seen advertised on TV called "Rekall." The company offers the option of implanting memories of vacations people have neither the time nor the income to afford, giving them the experience without actually having gained it. Doug chooses a deluxe Mars trip, complete with an added package that will give him the memory of a secret agent on assignment there as well. Unfortunately, something goes wrong in the process and Doug wakes up before the procedure has begun, claiming to be som

Sci-Fi films based on stories by famous writers? Arnold Schwarzenegger films? Last century's cheese science fiction movies? There's so many ways to describe this pairing, but however you label it, these are two films that were both predictive of the future and much deeper than a surface analysis would suggest! Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, 1987's "The Running Man" is a film based on a Richard Bachman (a.k.a. Stephen King) story. Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a former helicopter pilot who is arrested after refusing to fire on a group of unarmed civilians. After escaping from a prison work camp, he is seen on the news by showrunner Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), head of the most popular TV show in the country, "The Running Man!" After Ben is re-captured, Damon gets Ben assigned to be a contestant on the show, and pairs him with the two other prisoners who escaped with him, Harold Weiss (Marvin J. McIntyre) and William Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto). Now the three, along with Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita

The second film in our Conjuring universe pairing is the second film released by director James Wan and his crew. In 2016's "The Conjuring 2," we are shown Ed and Lorraine Warren, played once more by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, and their part in the infamous Amityville incident. After that, they are called to investigate a spiritual disruption happening in Enfield, England, by the Catholic church in the person of Father Gordon (Steve Coulter). They travel overseas and meet the Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor) and her daughters Janet (Madison Wolfe) and Margaret (Lauren Esposito), and her sons Billy (Benjamin Haigh) and Johnny (Patrick McAuley). There they also meet two other paranormal investigators who have been working with the Hodgsons for some time, Maurice Gross (Simon McBurney) and Anita Gregory (Franka Potente). Together they learn that Janet has been terrorized by a malevolent spirit in the house who, upon investigation, they believe is the former occupant. After a few days, Janet is caught fakin

Our next pairing focuses on what one Geek has labeled as the horror franchise thus far in the 21st century! In 2013's "The Conjuring," director James Wan introduces the audience to the life and times of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a married couple who were paranormal investigators in the latter half of the 20th century. In this first film, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) respond to a plea from Roger (Ron Livingston) and Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) who have moved into a Rhode Island fixer-upper with their five daughters Andrea (Shanley Caswell), Nancy (Hayley McFarland), Christine (Joey King), Cindy (Mackenzie Foy), and April (Kyla Deaver), only to be tormented by some sort of spiritual manifestation. During the course of their investigation, the Warrens, along with police officer Brad Hamilton (John Brotherton) and their assistant Drew Thomas (Shannon Kook), find out that the whole area has a haunted history and end up in a fight with the spirit of a 19th century witch who is trying to possess Ca

Our second film was the first stop-action animated film to ever win the "Best Animated Film" Oscar, and introduced American audiences to a franchise much beloved in the United Kingdom! Directed by Steve Box and Nick Park, and written by that duo and Mark Burton, 2005's "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" tells the story of absent-minded inventor Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and his dog Gromit (who doesn't ever speak), proprietors of Anti-Pesto, a company dedicated to protecting vegetable crops from hungry bunnies! They've been very successful, thanks to Wallace's inventions, but when Lady Campanula Tottington (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) calls on the pair, it's time to up their game! At the same time, we also meet Lady Tottington's unwanted suitor, Victor Quartermain (voiced by Ralph Fiennes), whose solution is much more violent, and permanent, than she's comfortable with. Wallace hits on an idea to use his latest invention, the Mind Manipulation-O-Matic, to reprogram the bunnies to avo

We begin a two-week look at stop-action animation with a film that was shown every day, somewhere in the world, for 28 straight years! Directed by Ivo Caprino, 1975's "The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix" became the most successful animated film to come out of Norway! Hi atop a hillside next to the village of Pinchcliff, bicycle repairman Theodore Rimspoke (voiced by Frank Robert) with his two helpers, Lambert (voiced by Toralv Maurstad) and Sonny Duckworth (voiced by Kari Simonsen). While watching TV one evening, the trio see a news report about Rudolph Gore-Slimey (voiced by Helge Reiss), a former apprentice of Grimspoke's, who has built a racing car using plans stolen from Grimspoke's workshop, and is challenging anyone to try and beat him on the track! Lamenting his poverty, Grimspoke return to work, but Sonny spies a vacationing Sheikh and decides to try to get Grimspoke a sponsor. After a few mishaps, Sheikh Abdul Ben Bonanza (voiced by Rolf Just Nilsen) agrees to finance Grimspoke's wondrous invention, a car kn

The second film in our Christmas pairing moves ahead almost 50 years! Written and directed by Nora Ephron, 1994's "Mixed Nuts" is the story of Phillip (Steve Martin) who runs a crisis hotline with jaded matron Mrs. Munchnik (Madeline Kahn) and sweet, overly-empathic introvert Catherine (Rita Wilson). On Christmas Eve, things go from bad to worse - the calls are stranger, the helpline is about to be evicted from their office, and the Seaside Strangler is still running around killing young women! Add to the chaos a beautiful trans woman named Chris (Liev Schreiber in his first cinematic role) and a chaotic couple, unemployed layabout Felix (Anthony LaPaglia) and his pregnant girlfriend Gracie (Juliette Lewis), Phillip's veterinarian Dr. Kinsky (Rob Reiner) and Louie (Adam Sandler), a lovesick crooner, and things spiral out of control firmly and quickly. How will it all end, and will anyone catch the Seaside Strangler? Also starring Garry Shandling, Steven Wright, and featuring cameos from Parker Posey and Jon S

Just in time for the winter holidays, it's our Christmas pairing! Starting out, we travel back to 1945, right at the end of World War II, for a tale of mistaken (sometimes deliberately) identity and a rollicking screwball comedy set in the country during the holidays! Directed by Peter Godfrey, "Christmas in Connecticut" was a present to all the moviegoers of the time, weary of war pictures and serious topics, who were ready for something just... silly. Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is a home and hearth magazine writer who comforts people across the country every week with stories from her farm in Connecticut with her husband, baby, and animals. Plus, the recipes she includes have turned her into a household name! There's only one problem: She's single, lives in an apartment in New York, and can't cook at all! But when publisher Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet, in a rare comedic role) invites a lonely GI, Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) to spend a down-home family christmas with renowned homemaker E

25 years after the original film came out, Paul Newman returned to start as Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson once more in director Martin Scorsese's 1986 film "The Color of Money!" This time, Newman's "Fast Eddie" is 25 years older, supposedly wiser, and working as a liquor salesman. He's involved, seemingly seriously, with the bartender of an establishment named Janelle (Helen Shaver), and occasionally partners with nine-ball players like Julian (John Turtorro). When he meets Vincent (Tom Cruise) however, he sees in the young man a protege worthy of his attentions. Along with Vincent's girlfriend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), they embark on a six-week hustling tutorial, with their ultimate goal a pool tournament in Atlantic City. Along the way, Eddie must confront some of the realities of a world that has changed in 25 years, as well as admitting that he is no longer the same as he was that long ago. Also starring Bill Cobbs, a cameo by rocker Iggy Pop, and the film debut of Forest Whitaker! Plus, the trio

For this pairing of a film and its sequel, 25 year went by between the two films! It's to the world of the pool hall shark and con artists in general we go, starting with 1961's "The Hustler." Directed by Robert Rossen, the film follows the tale of Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson (Paul Newman), an up-and-coming pool hustler. Felson feels he's ready for the big time and challenges reigning master pool shark Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). After losing to Fats, more because of character than talent, Felson meets Sarah Packard (Piper Laurie) in a bus station diner. After running into her again later on, the two end up together. Fats' partner, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) shows up and invites Eddie to become his partner too. After turning him down, Eddie is attacked and made unable to play pool for some time. When he recovers, he agrees to Bert's proposition and goes on the road with Sarah in tow. Unfortunately, things go badly on the road, and a tragedy occurs, but it completes Eddie's growth of character enough tha

Film number two in our look at Neo-Noir films comes from 2006. Director Allen Coulter and writer Paul Bernbaum tackle the story of what, exactly, happened to actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck), star of the first television series featuring Superman. The film starts just after Reeves' death, as private detective Louis Simo (Adrian Brody) investigates what, at first, appears to be a suicide. Hired by Reeves' mother Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith), he begins to uncover the life of the actor, and the various directions his career had taken. Reeves was involved with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), wife of MGM studio head Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Eddie has a mistress, so it's ok with him for Toni to have a lover we well. But after Superman is cancelled, George and Toni separate and Reeves takes up with a younger woman, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) who his mother doesn't approve of at all. As Simo gets closer and closer to figuring out if it was suicide or murder, his own life begins to come apart. It doesn't stop him from

Neo-Noir films make up this pairing, both films having been suggested by a friend of Chad's. First up, to Tinseltown we turn, and the sprawl of humanity that exists around in in director Curtis Hanson's 1997 film "L.A. Confidential." The film follows three LA police detectives: Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), Bud White (Russell Crowe), and Ex Exley (Guy Pearce). Vincennes works with a yellow journalist, Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito) exposing drug-related busts for the publicity, while Jack works as a technical consultant to a popular TV show, "Badge of Honor." White has used his badge as a means to pursue any and all men who abuse women and he deals with them in some rather illegal ways. Exley is a young cop with political ambitions who doesn't care who else on the police force is upset by the way he plays the game. All three find themselves dealing with an organized crime vacuum after a powerful local mobster is taken off the board. It's a twisting tale of assumptions, manipulation, backstabbing, and exactly how

Moving into the 21st century from our last film, we also move across the Atlantic to the country of Norway for our second film. Directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Wirkola and Stig Frode Henriksen, 2009's "Dead Snow" combines zombie lore with that of the ancient Norse myth of the draug (undead who spend their afterlife protecting their treasure, usually ill-gotten). A group of medical students head to a remote cabin for a weekend away from their studies. Owned by their friend Sara (Ane Dahl Torp), Erlend (Jeppe Beck Laursen), Hanna (Charlotte Frogner), Chris (Jenny Skavian), Martin (Geir Vegar Hoel), Roy (Stig Frode Henriksen) and Vegard (Lasse Valdal) get as close they can by car, then snowmobile or hike 45 minutes to the cabin. That night, a mysterious hiker appears at their door and tells them the story of a group of German Nazis who, back in WWII, subjugated and abused a nearby town, stealing all their valuables. Supposedly, the Nazis were especially fierce in their desire to keep their plundered gol

Halloween may be over, but the horror fun just keeps on a-comin'! This pairing is dedicated to another sub-genre of horror, that of horror comedy (or horror parody). First up, it's the original slasher parody that people who saw it in the 80s remember so fondly and everyone else has no idea about! Written and directed by Michael Ritchie (under the pseudonym Mickey Rose), 1981's "Student Bodies" was a direct response to all of the horror films that came before it (and the small fortune they all earned at the box office)! It's just another school day at Lamab High School, except that someone has killed two of its students just as they were about to have sex. The audience knows it's the madman known as "The Breather," but the rest of the students are oblivious, as are most of the faculty. Only virginal Toby (Kristen Riter) has the formula figured out - that sex kills! Unfortunately, that also lands her as suspect #1 in the killings! A truly unique film that skewers all of the traditions and tropes of 70s horror

Our second folk horror film comes from right at the edge of our timeline, but is a perfect example of the resurgence of Folk Horror seen in the U.S. and the UK in the last decade! Written and directed by Robert Eggers, 2015's "The Witch" follows a 17th century family exiled from their community for practicing a form of Christianity the rest of the town disapproved of. William (Ralph Ineson), the father, and Katherine (Kate Dickie), the mother, leave with their children, eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), eldest son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), the twins Joseph (Lucas Dawson) and Mercy (Ellie Grainger), and infant son Samuel (Axtun Henry and Athan Conrad Dube) for a life alone in the woods. Struggling to raise enough food for the winter, the family has also a few chickens and a few goats, including a large black billygoat named Black Phillip. They believe a witch lives in the woods nearby, and the children are therefore forbidden to enter. After Samuel is taken, supposedly by wolves, the family's fortune

Happy Halloween! It's that time of year where horror films are 'in vogue' and we here at Two Geeks and a G.I.T. will not disappoint! This year, our pairing focuses on a type of film only relatively recently recognized by film scholars, that of Folk Horror. Our horror sage explains what that moniker means, and then it's on to one of the first films of its type! Directed by Robin Hardy, 1973's "The Wicker Man" follows English policeman Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) as he travels to the small Scottish island of Summerisle to search for a missing girl. Almost immediately he's met with indifference, and finds himself a lone Christian in an otherwise un-Christian community. The town's blatant sexuality and pre-Christian ways disconcerts him, including the advances made by the Innkeeper's daughter, Willow (Britt Ekland). When Sergeant Howie finally gets to meet with the leader of the community, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), he must confront the fact that this community's lifestyle offends him greatly, and hi

The second film in our pairing honoring the late, great James Earl Jones, is also a sports film, but this time it's about baseball, and a scandal that happened just a few years after the Jack Johnson saga! Adapted and directed by Phil Alden Robinson 1989's "Field of Dreams" tells the story of Ray (Kevin Costner) and Annie (Amy Madigan) Kinsella, former hippies who have decided to spend their lives farming corn in Iowa. With their daughter Karin (Abby Hoffmann), they're making ends meet, at least until Ray hears a voice one night from the cornfield which says "If you build it, he will come." This sets Ray on a long, weird path which includes clearing two acres of cornfield to build a regulation baseball diamond. Everyone thinks he's crazy, and he himself has his doubts, until the spectre of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson appears on the diamond to play baseball again. Slowly the spectres of the 8 Black Sox, who were banned from baseball for a gambling scandal back in the late 19-teens, all reappear, to resume the game