Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

The second film in our pairing of police comedies, also from 1984, is an example of just how well law enforcement, action, and comedy can be combined! Directed by Martin Brest, "Beverly Hills Cop" follows the story of Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), a young and newly-minted Detroit Police detective, who is out to make a name for himself, regulations be damned! After an unapproved sting operation goes sideways, and after he gets reamed out by his supervisor, Inspector Todd (Gilbert R. Hill), he finds an old friend at his apartment. Mikey Tandino (James Russo) and Axel used to break a few laws together back in the day, but Mikey is now back in town with a stack of stolen German bearer bonds. Unfortunately, the people he stole them from come calling, knock Axel out, and kill Mikey. This leads Foley to take some vacation days and head out to Beverly Hills, California, where Mikey was working. There he reconnects with an old friend, Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) and make a new one in her employee Serge (Bronson Pincho

This pairing celebrates the tradition of combining law enforcement, action, and comedy with two films, both from 1984! First up, director Hugh Wilson shows us one possible result of relaxing admissions in law enforcement! In "Police Academy," we meet Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), a constant recipient of law enforcement being given a choice: Jail or joining the police academy, but with one condition: He can't quit. He can, of course, be thrown out, which sets the stage for a screwball comedy that began a long-running franchise! Upon arriving at the academy, Mahoney first makes the acquaintance of cadet Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall). While pretending to be one of the instructors, Mahoney also meets Lt. Harris (G. W. Bailey), who takes an instant dislike to Mahoney's recklessness. He is assigned to room with Eugene Tackleberry (David Graf), a gung-ho weapons enthusiast. He is also reunited with Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow) who he met when he was last arrested. With fellow cadets Moses Hightower (Bubba Smi

The second film in our pairing honoring Roger Corman is one of eight films done by Corman based on Edgar Allen Poe stories. Directed by Corman and written by Richard Matheson, this story takes the basic premise of Poe's story and spins it off in an original direction! Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) is a nobleman living in Spain with his sister Catherine (Luana Anders). When Francis Barnard (John Kerr) arrives, looking for his sister Elizabeth, who married Nicholas, he is told she has died of a rare blood disease. Francis doesn't believe Nicholas, and is further intrigued when Elizabeth's doctor, Charles Leon (Antony Carbone) arrives and tell him Elizabeth died of extreme fear after spending an enormous amount of time in the castle's torture chamber, originally created by Nicholas' father who was part of the Spanish Inquisition. As Francis begins to unravel the truth about his sister, Nicholas' sanity also begins to unravel, until only madness and death begin to fill the castle. How will it end? You'll have t

This impromptu pairing is dedicated to Roger Corman, who passed away at the age of 98 on May 9th, 2024. Known as the "King of the B-Picture," Corman was also famous for giving many young actors and directors their first, or breakthrough, opportunities! The first film in our pairing is a cult-favorite that put young actor Jack Nicholson on Hollywood's radar - 1960's "The Little Shop of Horrors!" If you're familiar with the off-Broadway musical, or the 1986 movie musical, this is the original version of that story! Directed and co-written by Corman, this is the tale of young Seymour Krelborn (Jonathan Haze), a true schlub, who is working for Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles) at his Skid Row flower shop. Seymour is also in love with Audrey Fulquard (Jackie Joseph), the young woman who also works at the shop. In an effort to bring in more customers, Seymour has created a hybrid plant he's named "Audrey Jr." (voiced by co-writer Charles B. Griffith). Unfortunately for Seymour, he discovers the plant requires blood to th

The second film in this pairing pays tribute to another young actor, one who did amazing things and undoubtedly would have gone on to have an incredible career, had he not died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills and anti-anxiety meds. Directed by Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight" was a sequel to "Batman Begins" in 2005, also directed by Nolan. Taking place nine months after the events of the first film, "Dark Knight" follow Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale, reprising the title role) as he continues to try to bring order to Gotham City. After dealing with impersonators and an old nemesis, a new menace appears in Gotham's underworld, a clown who identifies himself only as The Joker (Heath Ledger). As Batman continues to take on the mob and the banks that are laundering their money, the Joker pitches his assistance to the criminals and proposes killing the Batman. Bruce is also dealing with the heartache of having his love, Rachael Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), falling for another man, Gotham's new D.

Our pairing this time around is dedicated to actors who left us too soon, and whose promising careers never saw what should have been their end. First up, the actor who did few films but earned not one but two Academy Award nominations for those he did do. James Dean was a rising star on television and in the cinema, but his untimely death just four years after he began acting took him from the world. Directed by Nicholas Ray, 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause" was Dean's second-to-last film. In it, Dean stars as Jim Stark, the high-school-aged son of an immasculated father (Jim Backus) and a domineering and over-protective mother (Ann Doran). The Starks have moved to yet another new town in the hopes that Jim will finally fit in. Unfortunately, Jim makes enemies of the local gang, led by Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), after flirting with Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Natalie Wood). The local outcast, Plato Crawford (Sal Mineo) quickly becomes Jim's friend and admirer, and tries his best to watch Jim's back. As the stor

The second film in our dual-memorium pairing pays tribute to Louis Gossett Jr. in a film that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Directed by Taylor Hackford, 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman" tells the story of Zack Mayo (Richard Gere), son of a rear admiral who never wanted to be a father. Mayo decides to enlist in the Naval Aviator program, ruled over by a tyrannical Drill Instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Gossett Jr.). There he meets and befriends fellow candidate Sid Worley (David Keith), and the two of them meet Paula Pokrifki (Debra Winger) and Lynnette Pomeroy (Lisa Blount). Foley and Pomeroy, and Mayo and Pokrifki, begin a whirlwind romance, all the while trying to survive the training doled out by Foley. Throughout their 13 weeks, Mayo, Worley, and their fellow cadets experience every conceivable type of hardship and must overcome every obstacle thrown in their path, although Worley and Mayo have more to overcome than most. Ultimately, some fall by the wayside before grad

This pairing is a dual-memorium pairing for two wonderful actors we've lost recently. First up, we celebrate the life of noted character actor M. Emmet Walsh, who passed away on March 19th, 2024 at the age of 88. With over 230 films to his credit, we've already done a few he was part of. To pay tribute, we turn to one of Jeff's guilty pleasures, a film based on a book written before the location of the wreckage of a famous ship had been located. In 1980's "Raise the Titanic," directed by Jerry Jameson and based on a book by Clive Cussler written in 1978, the U.S. Government is developing missile shield technology, but it requires a material called byzanium. The only cache of byzanium known to exist shipped for the U.S. from London in 1912... on the RMS Titanic. The director of the National Underwater Marine Agency (N.U.M.A.), Admiral James Sandecker (Jason Robards) decides to send the agent, Dirk Pitt (Richard Jordan), to head up a search and recovery mission. Step 1: Locate where the Titanic actually sits on

The second film in our pairing of Star Trek movies brings us to 1986, and the fourth film in the franchise! Directed by Leonard Nimoy, this story begins with a strange probe entering Earth's orbit and creating world-wide cloud cover, thus blocking the solar power that provides all the energy for the planet. Only the crew of the Enterprise, including Captain Kirk (William Shatner), a newly-returned-to-live Spock (Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForrest Kelley), Sulu (George Takei), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig), and Mr. Scott (James Doohan), can save the Earth! Unfortunately, they no longer have the Enterprise (it was destroyed in Star Trek III), so they must take a stolen Romulan bird of prey back to the 20th century in search of humpback whales! Assisted by Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks), at least... once they convince her they're not crazy, the crew must navigate the strange cultures of the 1980s and both save the whales and themselves! Also starring Robin Curtis (who took over the role of Saa

It took us over 400 episodes, but we're finally paying tribute to the longest-running American science fiction franchise, one that has millions of loya followers all over the globe! That's right, it's time to talk about Star Trek! For our first film in the pairing, we're looking at what most Trekkers consider the best film to come out of Trek Lore! Directed by Nicholas Meyerand written by Gene Roddenberry, Jack B. Sowards, and Harve Bennett, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is the first and only Trek film to find its story in the continuance of one of the original television episodes! Some thirty years after the events of "Space Seed" (1967), Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise are on Earth, helping train a class of new cadets at Startfleet Academy. This film introduces us to the dreaded "Kobiashi Maru" simulator test, something that has become firm and lasting Trek lore. Taught by Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and led by cadet Saavik (Kirstie Alley), the cadets a

The second film in our look at 80s horror anthologies has a tragedy at its heart. In 1983's "Twilight Zone: The Movie," directors Joe Dante, John Landis, and George Miller serve up four different stories, written by John Landis, George Clayton Johnson, and Richard and Melissa Matheson. The wrap-around story stars Dan Aykroyd. In the prologue, he and Albert Brooks are on a road trip trying to keep themselves awake and entertained. Narrated by Burgess Meredith, the first story, "Time Out," tells the story of Bill Connor (Vic Morrow), a bigot who, after offending everyone around him in a bar, finds himself persecuted in Nazi-occupied France in WWII, a black man in 1950s Alabama, and a Vietcon in the Vietnam war. Unfortunately, this segment became infamous after an on-set accident claimed three lives. The second story, "Kick the Can," stars Scatman Crothers as Mr. Bloom, a new resident of a retirement home who brings the joy and confusion of childhood back to his fellow residents. The third story, "It's a Good Li

We're focusing on horror anthologies for this pairing, with two notable examples from the 1980s! First up, the only collaboration between horror masters Stephen King and George Romero resulted in one of the best horror anthologies ever made. In 1982's "Creepshow," with Romero directing a screenplay written by King, the film begins with its wrap-around storyline featuring Tom Adkins and Iva Jean Saraceni as parents of young Joe King (Stephen's son) who is caught reading a "Creepshow" comic book, which his father does not approve of! Then begins five different stories: "Father's Day" starring Ed Harris and Viveca Lindfors about an intolerant father who wants his birthday cake, "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" starring Stephen King himself about a dim-witted farmer and a mysterious meteor that crashes on his property, "Something to Tide You Over" starring Leslie Nielson and Ted Danson about a cuckolded husband's revenge, "The Crate" starring Hal Holbrook and Adrienne Barbeau about a professor who uses an ot

The second film in our pairing examining the work of director William Friedkin takes place on the other coast from our first. In 1985's "To Live and Die in L.A.," Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) loses his long-time partner Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene) after he is killed trying to track down notorious counterfeiter Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). Chance and his second partner John Vukovich (John Pankow) continue the investigation, moving in on Masters who, while long been suspected of making counterfeit currency for years, has never actually been tied directly to any "funny money." Chance becomes obsessed with catching Masters, dragging himself and his new partner into several situations that cross the line of legality in order to create convincing undercover identities that will allow them to close the case. Also starring John Turturro, Darlanne Fluegel, and Robert Downey Sr. The film also features Friedkin's attempt to one-up the chase scene from "The French Connection," although some doub

This pairing focuses on renowned Hollywood director William Friedkin who passed away in August of 2023. Best known as the director of "The Exorcist," he directed over 40 projects in his life, including the two films discussed here. First up, in 1971, with only two projects to his credit, he was given the task of leading the cinematic adaptation of the book of the same name: "The French Connection." Starring Gene Hackman as narcotics detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Roy Scheider as his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo, the film relates the detectives stumbling on a massive heroin deal coming to the United States from France. Heroin dealer Alain Charnier (Fernando Ray) is attempting to smuggle a huge amount of the drug into New York, and it's only through the determination and sheer stubborness of Doyle and Russo that the shipment is discovered. The duo attempts to seize the drugs and arrest the smugglers, but run into several issues in the process. Also starring Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Bill Hickman, and

For the second film in our tribute to Carl Weathers, we move to 1987 and Weathers teaming up with another superstar: Arnold Schwarzenegger! In 1987's "Predator," directed by John McTiernan, Weathers plays Staff Sergeant George Dillon, a former comrade now turned CIA operative, who needs a group of commandos to invade a South American jungle to save Americans taken hostage by a local militia group. Dillon turns to his old comrade Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer (Schwarzenegger), and asks him to bring his crew on the mission. His crew is made up of Sergeant Mac Eliot (Bill Duke), Sergeant Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura in his first film role), Sergeant Billy Sole (Sonny Landham), Corporal Poncho Ramirez (Richard Chaves), and Corporal Rick Hawkins (Shane Black). Upon reaching the camp where the Americans are being held, however, it becomes apparent that this is a strike mission, not a rescue mission. After taking out the militia's camp, the group discovers it is being stalked by a creature not of this earth (played by

Veteran actor Carl Weathers passed away on February 2nd, 2024, from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was 76 years old, and left us a long history of entertaining and engaging characters and performances. This pairing is a tribute to his career, starting with his best performance in a series that is beloved across the world. In "Rocky III," director and star Sylvester Stallone spins a tale about a fighter who's let success go to his head, and he's lost his way as an athlete. His manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith) didn't want him to try to put his title on the line in the first place, and dies shortly after Rocky loses to Lang. After a horrific beatdown at the hands of thug fighter Clubber Lang (Mr. T), Rocky (Stallone) is adrift, unsure of what path to follow. Enter former opponent and now friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) who tells Rocky he can regain his title, but only by completely changing his style of fighting. After months of re-training, Rocky and Clubber Lang meet once more in the ring, an

The second film in our pairing focusing on men dressing as women became a classic the moment it was released! Directed by Chris Columbus, 1993's "Mrs. Doubtfire" demonstrated the lengths a father will go to in order to be near his kids! Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is a voice-over actor whose inner sense of right and wrong results in some difficulty finding work. Separated from his wife Miranda (Sally Field), she gets fed up with his immaturity and files for divorce. This means that Daniel will only get to see his kids Lydia (Lisa Jakub), Chris (Matthew Lawrence), and Natalie (Mara Wilson, in her very first role) once a week, which isn't enough time for him. As Miranda begins searching for a housekeeper, Daniel decides to become the perfect nanny, adopting the persona of Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, a kindly old Scottish woman. When Miranda decides to bring "her" in for an interview, Daniel turns to his brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein) who, along with his partner Jack (Scott Capurro), who are both costume an

Our 400th consecutive episode... who'd have ever believed it! And to celebrate, we're turning to movies that continue a tradition that dates back to Shakespearean times - Men dressing as women! First up, directed by Sydney Pollack (who also plays a role in the film... more on that in the episode) comes the story of Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), an actor who's just a little too opinionated about his craft, to the point where no one will hire him. To prove a point, he makes himself up as a woman who calls herself Dorothy Michaels, and auditions for a daytime soap opera. To his surprise, he lands a recurring role and becomes one of the most popular characters on the program! Along the way, however, he has to deal with gorgeous female co-stars and a tongue-kissing legacy leading man (played by George Gaynes). The biggest surprise, however, is Michael falling in love with his co-star Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange), while her father Les (Charles Durning) is falling for "her!" It's a comedy that also has some wond

The second film in our pairing of stories which were inspired by, and affected, race relations of the era, we turn to one of the most consistent voices speaking through the medium, writer/director Spike Lee. His 1989 film, "Do the Right Thing," follows a day in the life of neighborhood resident Mookie (Lee) as he navigates his various responsibilities, primarily working for local pizzeria owner Sal (Danny Aiello). He's also dealing with Sal's sons Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edwon), and his rather reactionary friend Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito). Due to a heat wave, tempers are short and relationships begin to fray. We're also introduced to local fixtures Da Mayor (Ossie Davis) and Mother Sister (Ruby Dee), as well as Mookie's sister Jade (Joie Lee) and his girlfriend (and mother of his child) Tina (Rosie Perez), and hear the day narrated by local DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson). As the heat rises, anger bubbles over between the African-Americans, the Hispanics, the Koreans, and t

For the last pairing of the three-hundreds, we turn to films that have an indelible place in U.S. race-relations, in two separate decades. First up, from 1967, a film whose production during a time when mixed-race marriages were still illegal in over a dozen U.S. states. Directed by Stanley Kramer, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" put the issue front-and-center and called into question the truth of many liberal views on the subject. Dewey-eyed college graduate Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) returns from a trip to Hawaii with a new fiance, Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) to introduce him to her parents Matt (Spencer Tracy) and Christina (Katharine Hepburn). Both Matt and Christina are staunch democrats, liberals, and have been vocal in their support of the civil rights movement, but John's arrival forces them to decide if they can actually live their ideals. Add to the mix suspicious and protective housekeeper Tillie (Isabel Sanford), long-time friend of the family Monsignor Mike Ryan (Cecil Kellaway), and