Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

The year is 1943. World War II is in full swing, and America's baseball stars have enlisted and gone overseas to protect their country. Just like the women who stepped up to work in the factories, this film is a semi-biographical look at the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that provided the country with baseball like no one had ever seen before! Directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, Jon Lovitz, Bill Pullman, Gary Marshall, and the incredible David Stathairn, this film tells a story about baseball that so many had no idea even happened prior to the release of this movie! Plus, find out what genre brings Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner together in a film pairing that's not of this world... at least... not yet!

It's the end of Summer, and we're checking out two great baseball movies! First at bat is 1988's "Bull Durham!" Written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Trey Wilson, and Robert Wuhl, this film follows two minor league baseball players, one near the end of his career and the other just starting his, and their path through the season, and around an "Annie" that affects both of their lives! Find out why this film is worth seeing, why it may be Costner's best acting job, and what other film seems to have copied notes from this one!

Part 2 of our look at classic cinema advances one year later than the last episode, but finds the ultimate film! Episode 59 is a look at the 1942 classic, a template of the closest thing to a perfect film in cinema history, "Casablanca." Directed by Michael Curtiz, and written in just a few weeks by Julius and Philip Epstein, along with Howard Koch, from an unproduced screenplay by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, this has become one of the top-rated films of all times! Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid as the love triangle set against just before America entered World War II, this is a story that stands up against any of today's films! Co-starring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau, Dooley Wilson as "Sam," Joy Page, John Qualen, Loenid Kinskey, and Curt Bois, this is the perfect storm of filmmaking - writing, acting, music, cinematography, directing, lighting, sets, costumes... you name it, this film did it right! Plus, the guys

Our listeners asked, and we responded! Episode 58 is the first of our two-episode look at film classics, starting with the incredible first film from Orson Welles, 1941's "Citizen Kane!" Directed by Welles, and co-written with Herman J. Mankiewicz, the film stars Welles as the titular character of Charles Foster Kane. In the supporting roles, all fellow radio actors from the Mercury Theatre, are Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead (in her first ever film role), Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Everett Sloane, William Alland, Paul Stewart, and Gource Coulouris. Truly one of the great films of all times, and a proto-noir film that had an incredible (and visual) impact on the film noir genre to come!

Part 2 of our look at the "splatstick" genre is a film that is notable both for its record-setting excessive use of fake blood, and for its director, none other than Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson! Directed by Jackson, written by Jackson, Stephen Sinclair, and Fran Walsh, and starring Timothy Balme (of "Almight Johnsons" fame), Diana Penalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall, and Stuart Devenie, this is a zombie movie with heavy Oedipal overtones, hinges on a lawnmower, and set the record for blood in a single film! Plus, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad reveal what "classic films" are, and which ones they're going to be talking about in episodes 58 and 59!

The genre is called "splatstick" - a combination of gory horror and comedy. And the film that started it all is 1981's Evil Dead! Jeff, Buddy, and a reluctant Chad (who doesn't do gore) review the cult classic that's still being talked about, and produced on pay-cable, today! Written and directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Bruce Campbell, this film started it all, and was the first major work for both Raimi and Campbell! Co-starring Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly, and made on a shoestring budget, this film nevertheless gained a following worldwide and made Bruce Campbell a household name!

In the second half of our look at millennium anxiety films, we examine the incredible mind-bender that is 1999's "Fight Club." Directed by David Fincher, written by Jim Uhls (based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk), the film stars Edward Nortan as simply "The Narrator," who takes us on a journey of discovery, rediscovery, and the perils of getting back in touch with our primal nature. Co-starring Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, and Jach Grenier, this is a movie that examines the concept of reinventing oneself in a different way than people usually think of it. Plus, learn what two films in a composite-genre the trio will be reviewing in episodes 56 and 57!

The year was 1999, and the coming turn of the century had created all sorts of uncertainty. The film "American Beauty" captures that angst, that disillusionment, that search for meaning in an increasingly meainingless world, with an honest, brutal integrity and ecstatic beauty! Directed by Sam Mendes, written by Alan Ball, and shot by the amazing cinemotrapher Conrad L. Hall, this film captures life at the turn of the 20th century and all the uncertainty that the new millenium brought with it. Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallaghar, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards, and the incredible Chris Cooper, this movie has a lesson to teach, both in how it looks and in what it says!

The second part of our look at John Landis-directed Eddie Murphy starring vehicles focuses on a film whose orignal story was also written by Eddie! Join Chad, Buddy, and Jeff, as they look back at 1988's "Coming to America," the first romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, and the first film to feature Murphy (and co-star Arsenio Hall) in multiple roles within the same film. Backed up by greats James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, and John Amos, and co-starring Shari Headley, Eriq La Salle, Louis Anderson, Allison Dean, and featuring a very early appearance by none other than Samual L. Jackson, this was the movie that proved that Eddie Murphy could handle more than broad comedy. Indeed, he's practically regal as an African prince, in New York, looking for love! Plus, find out what "millennial anxiety" produced at the end of the 90s, and which examples the guys will be reviewing in episodes 54 and 55!

This week, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad look at the first of two Eddie Murphy/John Landis films, 1983's "Trading Places!" This was the second movie that featured young comedian Eddie Murphy in a leading role, after his first film "48 Hours." Teaming him with SNL alumnus Dan Aykroyd, and putting him alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Denholm Elliott, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, and Paul Gleason, created one of the best comedies to come out that decade, and demonstrated why Eddie Murphy would go on to become one of the top stars of the 80s. Also featuring cameos by Bill Cobbs, Bo Diddley, Jim Belushi, Tom Davis, and Al Franken (yes, Senator Al Franken), this modern twist on the Prince and Pauper stands still as one of the top comedies of all times!

Episode 51 is the second in the sequence of disaster films, this time from the 1990s. Directed by Jan de Bont, and written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin, 1996's "Twister" is a disaster film set in the heartland of America, in what is commonly called "Tornado Alley!" Starrring Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Cary Elwes, Jamie Gertz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lois Smith, and Alan Ruck, the story centers on Jo (Hunt) and Bill (Paxton), a former couple and storm-chasers both, coming back together so that Bill can get Jo to sign his divorce papers. She, and her crew, are still traveling the roads of America, trying desperately to learn more about these disasters and how to predict them. And while the trio have radically different attitudes on the quality of the film, the majority agree that it's a fun popcorn-movie of the disaster genre! Plus, at the end Buddy, Chad, and Jeff discuss which two films made the cut for episodes 52 and 53 from the catalog of Eddie Murphy!

Episode 50! This episode begins our look at disaster movies with one of the few (perhaps the only) to ever be nominated for best picture, 1974's "The Towering Inferno!" Written by Stirling Silliphant, based on two different novels, and film also featured two directors: John Guillermin and Irwin Allen himself (who directed all of the action sequences in the film)! Starring Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, and Robert Wagner, this story explores what happens to a 130+ story building when fire breaks out and the sprinkler systems don't work! At over two-and-a-half hours, this is truly one of the most epic disaster films made to date, and with this cast, you know there are great stories from the production as well!

Episode 49 is the second half of our look at later Disney films, this time with the truly ground-breaking animated film "Lilo and Stitch" from 2002! Although it was almost entirely traditional cell animation, the storyline and depictions in this film took Disney places none of their films had explored before. From having a broken, dysfunctional family at the center of the story, to its theme of "ohana," to its more realistic (and completely non-traditional for Disney) depictions of its characters, this is a moving story with unusual depth. Directed and written by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, and starring the voices of Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carerre, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Zoe Caldwell, Jason Scott Lee, and Kevin Michael Richardson, this film delivers all the fun and sentiment we've come to expect from "the mouse!" And at the end, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal which films in the "Disaster" genre they'll be tackling for episodes 50 and 51!

Episode 48 is the first of our two-episode look at Disney's "renaissance," the second wave of truly popular and successful animated films started just three years earlier. But 1992's "Aladdin" was truly special, both for the amazing performance of the late Robin Williams as the Genie, and for the fact that this film took home an award not at all related to visual media! Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with screenplay by Clements, Musker, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, starring the voices of Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, and Douglas Seale, and featuring music from the award-winning duo of Alan Menkin and the late Howard Ashman, this film delights fans of all ages, but nevertheless stirred up some controversy as well. Regardless, it's one of Disney's strongest outings and performers in its 2nd wave!

In episode 47, the second episode of our look at movies from Jim Henson, we talk about one of the most difficult kinds of puppet-based movies: Integrating puppetry with live action and actors! In 1986's "Labyrinth," the true genius of Jim Henson is put on display for all to see! Directed by Jim Henson, and written by Dennis Lee, Jim Henson, and Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame), this story follow Sarah, a young girl stuck in the throes of her early teen years, and that hesitation to put aside childhood in favor of adulthood. She is forced by her parents to babysit her infant half-brother Toby, and calls upon the mythical Goblin King to take him away. After accidentally saying the right words to summon the Goblin King, her brother vanishes, and she must negotiated the trap- and monster-filled labyrinth to rescue him from the King's castle at its center! Starring a young Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, and David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King, this film also features the voices of Brian Henson, Ron Mueck, Dave G

This is the first of two episodes focusing on the non-Muppet work of puppet-master Jim Henson, starting in 1982 with his first attempt at broadening the scope of his work, "The Dark Crystal." Directed by Henson and Frank Oz, the film is set in a unique fantasy world which is the site of the struggle between the kind and wise Mystics, and the evil and selfish Skeksis. In to this world comes Jen, the last of the Gelflings, who is sent on an epic quest by his Master, one of the Mystics. Along the way, he finds out he is actually not the last of his race, meets interesting characters, and ultimately is tasked with righting an ancient wrong (and saving the world)! Written by Jim Henson and David Odell, and voiced by Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, Barry Denning, Jerry Nelson, Thick Wilson, John Baddeley, and Sean Barrett, this film is unique in film history! Of course, it's not for everyone, as you'll hear, but you should see it (and show it to your children) and, as always, make you

The second part of our look at post-modern horror comedy brings us to 2010, and the sleeper hit-turned-cult classic, Tucker and Dale Versus Evil! This movie flips the typical "hillbilly horror" story on its head, with friendly, misunderstood hillbillies, stupid college kids, and "evil" in the guise of arrogance! Directed by relative newcomer Eli Craig, and written by Craig and Morgan Jurgenson, also a freshman to film-writing, this movie stars Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, two stars whose names are well-known in certain circles, but relatively unheard of in others. The film also stars Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss, Philip Granger, Brandon Jay McLaren, Christie Laing, Chelan Simmons, Travis Nelson, Alex Arsenault, and Adam Beauchesne. It's a great film, it's funny, and it's horrifying in just the right way for a horror-comedy! Plus, hear what epic fantasy films will be the subject of the next podcasts! (Hint: They both involved Henson studios!)

Post-modern horror comedies (which are WAY more fun than they sound) are our targets for these episodes of the podcast. Jeff and Chad welcome guest geek Annette (sitting in for Buddy) as they look at 2004's slackers-meet-zombies classic, Shaun of the Dead! This is a bit like a combination of Clerks with George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead," if it were set in England. It's also something of a romantic comedy wrapped in horror paper. Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, and directed by Wright, the film stars Pegg, alongside his partner-in-crime, Nick Frost. They're joined by Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton, along with a brief cameo by none other than Martin Freeman!

The last episode warmed you up for presidential romantic comedy, but in this episode, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad bring you the best of the genre yet put on film, as they discuss 1995's "The American President!" Directed by the amazing Rob Reiner, and written by the person Jeff refers to as "The Master," the unparalleled Aaron Sorkin, this film stars Michael Douglas, Annette Benning, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, Samantha Mathis, David Paymer, Richard Dreyfuss, Wendie Malick, Joshua Malina, and John Mahoney in a tour de force of exactly what a presidential romantic comedy, really ANY romantic comedy in fact, can be when it's done by people who fully understand the structure and possibilities of the genre! It's a rare three-way top-score rating from the trio for this film, so listen in and find out why! And at the end, find out what chillingly funny films are coming up in episodes 44 and 45!

It's a presidential romance, with just the right amount of laughs thrown in, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad discuss all of the elements that make up the wonderful film "Dave" from 1993! From director Ivan Reitman, written by the amazing Gary Ross, and starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, and Charles Grodin, this is a movie that will simply make you feel good, as it's one of those rare RomComs that actually delivers the romance and the comedy both! And it features an oval office set that was so good it's been used in movies and TV shows ever since! Plus, Ving Rhames with hair is a sight you won't see in many other movies, so sit down with someone you love, get some popcorn, and learn about the next movie you should be watching!