Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

Part two of "Buddy's Underrated Comedies" moves ahead to 1990 and a little-known Bill Murray black comedy called "Quick Change." Directed by Murray and Howard Franklin, the story follows Grimm (Murray), who dressed up as a clown and robs a bank. But there's more to the story than first appears to be the case. Two of the "hostages" turn out to be co-conspirators as Loomis (Randy Quaid) and Phyllis (Geena Davis) help Grimm escape the bank under the guise of hostages released as a quid-pro-quo for the accomodations provided by harried Chief of Police Rotzinger (Jason Robards). From there, however, the plan goes spectactularly astray as they run afoul of problem after problem in their attempts to get to the airport and out of the country with their million dollars! The film also features cameos from Phil Hartman, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, and Kurtwood Smith. And the trio reveal the listener request that prompted the next pairing of cinematic psychopaths!

This pairing is "Buddy's Underrated Comedies" and we kick it off with a Richard Pryor/John Candy team-up from the mid 1980s! Directed by Walter Hill, and based on a novel by George Barr McCutcheon, written in 1902, this 1985 film tells the story of minor league baseball pitcher Monty Brewster (Pryor) and his best friend and catcher Spike Nolan (Candy). Brewster has just been kicked off the team when he's dragged into the office of Edward Roundfield (Pat Hingle) and, as the Executor of the will, informs Brewster that he's the last remaining heir of the late Rupert Horn (Hume Cronyn) and has been left 300 million dollars. But there's a catch: He has to spend 30 million in 30 days without telling anyone else it's a condition of the will. He is assigned a legal secretary, Angela Drake (Lonette McKee) who will keep track of his spending for the law firm, but her boyfriend Warren Cox (Stephen Collins) is secretly working for the bank to sabotage Monty's efforts.

Celebrating our 250th episode, this is week two of our movies about making movies with another forgotten classic from the early 80s! When a hotel owner leaves his nephew in charge, it turns into a comedy of errors at the Under the Rainbow hotel when the little-person cast of "The Wizard of Oz" checks in! Add in visiting dignitaries, assassins, and spies, and you have a madcap comedy of errors, all set in the late 1930s! Directed by Steve Rash, the film stars Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher, who make a surprisingly charismatic pair, along with Eve Arden, Joseph Maher, Billy Barty, Pat McCormick, Adam Arkin, and a compliment of little-person actors never before brought together in a film... except maybe in the movie this movie is all about! Plus, the trio reveals which two underrated comedies they'll be focusing on as they cruise into their second 250 reviews!

It's out 250th episode and we can't believe we've done 249 episodes before this! It seems like only yesterday we were starting out with an idea and hope. In actuality, it was June 5th of 2016, so almost 5 years ago! For this anniversary pairing, we're looking at movies about making movies! First up, it's director Black Edwards' lesser-known masterpiece, S.O.B. (which stands for "Standard Operational Bullshit" in this case). The story follows acclaimed Hollywood producer Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) whose latest film, starring his ex-wife Sally Miles (Julie Andrews) has bombed. Unable to cope with his first abject failure, Felix is suicidal, requiring the assistance of his friends Cully (William Holden), Ben (Robert Webber) and Dr. Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston). After literally falling into a party, Felix has an epiphany: He'll turn his family film bomb into an erotic masterpiece! Unfortunately, that means his rated-G wife would need to do a nude scene, something she has never even entertained, let alo

The second film in our "Fast Zombies" pairing is so good, we're breaking our "10 years old or older" rule for choosing movies! It's an amazing offering from the filmmakers in South Korea who may very well be the new masters of horror. Winner of over 30 awards from around the world, the film is 2016's "Train to Busan." Directed by Sang-ho Yeon, and follows the story of Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), a harried single father trying to deliver his daughter Soo-an (Su-an Kim) to her mother in Busan. As the train is departing, a zombie outbreak is beginning, and an infected woman boards the train, starting the infection spreading. The film also stars Ma Dong-seok and Jung Yu-mi, a husband traveling with his pregnant wife. This movie has scenes of such suspense and horror that it should come with content warnings, and it actually made the resident horror geek hold his breath! Plus, the geeks and G.I.T. reveal the films they'll be reviewing to help celebrate the 250th episode of the podcast!

The pairing Jeff swore he'd never do, but was persuaded by great films, this is the first of our "Fast Zombies" films! From 2009 comes the Ruben Fleisher-directed masterpiece that is "Zombieland." The film follows neurotic survivor Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) who is trying to get home to find his parents. En route, he crosses paths with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and they decide to travel together for a bit. They run across a pair of zombie-era con artists, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who, after taking Columbus and Tallahassee's vehicles and weapons not once, but twice, decide that four are better than two, as they change directions and head toward an amusement park in California, meeting a celebrity along the way, and all the while hunting the elusive last Twinkie. A post-modern zombie movie that's so good, the speed of the zombies becomes irrelevant, this is a new classic of the zombie genre.

Our second film in our "In Memorium" pairing honors the 1972 winner of the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Ruth Popper in "The Last Picture Show." We lost film and television legend Cloris Leachman on January 27th, 2021. Although well-known for her comedic roles and her collaborations with Mel Brooks, Ms. Leachman won the Academy Award for her role in Peter Bogdanovich's magnum opus as the neglected wife of the high school athletics coach. Co-written by original novel author Larry McMurtry and Bogdanovich, the film co-starred Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ben Johnson, Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan, and Clu Gulager. It also gave newcomers Cybill Shepherd and Randy Quaid their start in motion pictures! The film tells the story of the slow death of Anarene, Texas in the early 1950s, by telling the interwoven and tragic stories of its residents. The film gave Leachman her only Oscar, and also awarded Ben Johnson a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as Sam the Lion. Plus, the trio

We're dedicating this pairing to honoring two incredible actors who passed away quite recently. Our first film is from 1965, that year's winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Robert Wise-directed "The Sound of Music." It's the film Christopher Plummer is likely best known for, and the reason we chose it to honor him. Co-starring Julie Andrews, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, Heather Menzies-Urich, Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, and Kym Karath, this film tells (very loosely), the story of the Von Trapp family and their attempt to flee the Nazis annexation of Austria pre-World War II. Oh, and did we mention that it's a musical as well, written by famous duo Rogers and Hammerstein? Likely one of the most famous musicals of all time, and a film whose draw endures even to this day.

Our second musical from the 1980s comes only two years after "Fame," and set the box office record for highest grossing musicla of the 80s! Directed by Colin Higgins and based on the Tony-nominated Broadway show, it's 1982's film version of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas!" Based on actual history out of the great state of Texas, the film tells the story of the Chicken Ranch, a brothel that had been in business for close to a century. The current madam is Miss Mona (Dolly Parton), who is in a love affair with Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Burt Reynolds). Ed Earl is ably assisted by Deputy Fred (Jim Nabors) and everything is peaceful and quiet. That is, until TV huckster and rabble-rouser Melvin P. Thorpe (Dom DeLuise) decides to make closing down the Chicken Ranch his next big crusade! Sparks fly, dance numbers are performed, and it ends just like it does in the history books, albeit with a log more singing. And finally, the trio discuss why they decided to more their schedule back a pairing and do an "In Memori

This episode begins our pairing of 80s musicals with the one that affected SO many kids in junior high or high school! If you were in performing arts, this movie spoke to you and your dream of attending a school like this! We are, of course, talking about the 1980 blockbuster "Fame!" Directed masterfully by Alan Parker, the film follows seven students from freshman through senior year at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts: Coco (Irena Cara), Leroy (Gene Anthony Ray), Bruno (Lee Curreri), Lisa (Laura Dean), Montgomery (Paul McCrane), Ralph (Barry Miller), and Doris (Maureen Teefy). Their trials, tribulations, and successes are all chronicled, including the lesson that fame is elusive and fleeting. The film spawned a TV series in the 80s, and was remade in 2009!

For the 2nd film in our pairing focusing on films by director John Ford, we move ahead to 1946, and the second western he directed! It's off to Tombstone with the Earp brothers, driving cattle across the country to California. After a chance run-in with local cattlemen the Clantons, their cattle is stolen, and one of the Earp brothers killed. Wyatt (Henry Fonda) decides to accept the position of Marshall of Tombstone as a means of seeking justice for his brother James' death. Virgil (Tim Holt) and Morgan (Ward Bond) are at his back, while patriarch Old Man Clanton (Walter Brennan) and his sons Ike (Grant Withers) and Billy (John Ireland) circle. Add to the mix the town's resident gambler Doc John Holiday (Victor Mature) and the two women vying for his attention, Chihuahua (Linda Darnell) and Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs), and you have the full cast. It's an absolutely beautifully-shot film, and features (according to Ford, anyway) the most authentic version of the shoot-out at the OK Corral that's ever been

Director John Ford is the focus of our pairing for the next two episodes! And we begin with the film that brought the Western into the realm of feature films (as opposed to shorts or B-pictures) with the epic tale of class conflict and clashing character that is 1939's "Stagecoach!" Directed by Ford and starring Clair Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell (who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Doc Josiah Boone in this film), Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, and the first feature appearance of one Mr. John Wayne, this film follows a stagecoach as it travels from Tonto in the Arizona Territory to Lordsburg, New Mexico. With a driver and a Marshall riding shotgun, the passengers of varying social classes cope with threats and setbacks from several sources as they attempt to survive passing through Apache country while Geronimo is reportedly on the warpath! This is the film that created many of the tropes that would become staples for the Western film genre!

The second film in our look at what happens after the aliens arrive on earth takes a much more socially-realistic view and draws its inspiration from South Africa's apartheid in 2009's "District 9!" Directed by Neill Blomkamp and written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, the film is presented partically in documentary style, and focuses on Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a mid-level beaurocrat who is chosen to lead the "re-settlement" efforts of the South African government in dealing with the alien species, nicknamed "prawns," who arrived 30 years ago. The film does not sugarcoat the inherent hypocrisy of the government's approach to re-homing the aliens, nor does it shy away from public attitude towards the prawns or how badly they're treated by... well... everyone. This film is a much starker look at how we would likely treat such new residents of our planet, and features an absolutely amazing performance by Copley, who must be credited, at least in part, for the film's four Academy Award nominations! A

So many movies deal with aliens coming to Earth, but few look at what happens afterwards, especially if we "adopt" them. That's what this pairing is all about, and we're starting with a forgotten gem out of the '80s, 1988's "Alien Nation!" Directed by Graham Baker, the film follows police detective Matthew Sykes (James Caan), a bigot who seems to hate the "newcomers" more than anything. After his partner is killed by newcomers, he swallows his bigotry and volunteers to be paired with the first newcomer detective, Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), to try to find out who killed his partner. During their investigation, they run across one of the most successful newcomers, William Harcourt (Terrance Stamp), who may or may not have had a hand in several suspicious deaths, human and newcomer alike, that have occurred lately. With an amazing subtext that tackles racism at its worst, this film spawned a short-lived TV series and several made-for-TV movies! It's a wonderful movie that, sadly, did not get the attention i

Tony Montana (Al Pacino) was a nobody, a Cuban refugee trapped in a refugee camp. But for the price of a politically-motivated killing, he and his friend Manny (Steven Bauer) were given green cards and released into the streets of Miami, Florida. From there, it was only a matter of time before Tony rose through the criminal ranks, starting with working for mob boss Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). This gave Sonny the ability to start taking care of his mother and his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). But it also introduced him to Frank's girlfriend, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). And between his hunger for power, money, and Elvira, Sonny begins to carve out his own path to glory, a story that never ends well. Directed by Brian De Palma, and co-starring F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar, Harris Yulin, and Angel Salazar, this film ends in the only way a real-life criminal fairy tale can end. Plus, the trio reveal which two science fiction classics they'll be turning their attention to for the next pairing!

In 1972, a pair of robbers attempted to make off with an enormous amount of money from a metropolitan bank. But the bank had almost no money at the time of the robbery. The police arrived before the robbers could escape. The hostages became more than just bystanders. And the fact that the stories depicted in the film actually happened makes 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon" just that much more compelling! Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, James Broderick, Sully Boyar, Carol Kane, and featuring the first on-screen appearance of Chris Sarandon, this story has so many twists and turns to it, it's a low-key thrill-ride from start to finish! Plus, the trio offer an explanation of the famous "Attica! Attica!" chant, something few in the 21st century will know anything about!

During the final years of the Cold War, a Russian submarine captain takes his brand new Typhoon-class vessel into international waters, headed for America. Is he intending to fire his missiles at the Eastern coast of the United States or, as one CIA analyst maintains, is he planning to defect and turn the vessel over to the Americans? A tense game of cat and mouse played out underwater may have explosive results in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October!" Episode 237 concludes our tribute to the late Sean Connery with this incredible Tom Clancy book brought to the screen. Directed by John McTiernan (of "Die Hard" fame), Connery plays Captain Marko Ramius of the nuclear submarine "Red October." Alec Baldwin is the first actor to portray CIA analyst Jack Ryan on-screen. With a supporting cast including the masterful job done by Scott Glen, the film also features Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, Richard Jorden, Peter Firth, Tim Curry, Courtney B. Vance, Stellan Skarsgard, Jeffrey Jones, Fred Thompson, and Da

The year is 1964. A German businessman is plotting to become owner of the new global gold standard, after he renders untouchable the entirety of the gold in Fort Knox! Only Agent 007, James Bond, can get the girl and save the day! Episode 236 begins our tribute to Sean Connery in 1964's "Goldfinger!" Directed by Guy Hamilton, based on the novel by spymaster Ian Fleming, the film stars Connery as James Bond, Gert Frobe as the titular character Auric Goldfinger, Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore, Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet as the ill-fated Masterson sisters Jill and Tilly (respectively), Harold Sakata as Oddjob, Bernard Lee as 'M', Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn as 'Q'. This is the Bond film that set the standard for every other Bond film that would come after it, and established James as a wise-cracking spy, lethal to his enemies and the embodiment of desire for every woman he crossed paths with! A Connery classic!

The second film in our official Holiday pairing is about as far away from "A Christmas Carol" as you're able to get! It's "Ernest Saves Christmas," a story about Santa Claus choosing his successor, a task that would have been made easier, but also wouldn't have been possible, without the help (or interference) of one Ernest P. Worrell! Ernest is, of course, played by the multi-talented Jim Varney, who ends up driving Santa Claus, played expertly by veteran actor Douglas Seale, to a meeting with local personality and former children's TV host Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark) who has, unbeknownst to him, been chose to be the new Santa. Along the way, they pick up Harmony Star (Noelle Parker), a street-kid who isn't buying the whole "Santa" thing. But when Santa's sack goes missing, Joe fails to believe Santa, and Ernest is left in charge of getting the reindeer and sleigh to Santa, who must have his successor in place before 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, it looks like this might be the end of Christmas! But, of cour

This film begins our official Holiday pairing for 2020! Chosen by Chad, it's the 1938 version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol!" This version of the story contains a few changes from the original tale, but all of them work for this particular telling! Directed by Edwin L. Marin, and adapted for the screen by Hugo Butler, this film clocks in at a trim 69 minutes, but it doesn't skimp on Christmas cheer! Starring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge, Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit, Kathleen Lockhart as Mrs. Cratchit (and yes, they were real-life husband and wife), Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim, Barry MacKay as Fred, Lynne Carver as Bess, the great Leo G. Carroll as the ghost of Jacob Marley, the dazzling Ann Rutherford as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Lionel Braham as the Ghost of Christmas Present, in many ways, this film set the standard to which all subsequent versions would mimic! This film is also the very first cinematic appearance of a young June Lockhart as well!