Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

The second film covers close to a whole year, but features the December holidays significantly, in a story about people at cross purposes, in love without knowing who each other are. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is the owner of "The Shop Around the Corner," a small New York bookstore specializing in children's literature she inherited from her mother. Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) is the youngest member of a corporate dynasty known as "Fox and Sons Books." When their newest store imperils the survival of Kathleen's bookstore, the two meet and are immediately at odds with one another. But, unbeknownst to either, they have already fallen for each other online. After meeting in a chatroom, they've struck up an email correspondence and are both quite taken with each other, sight unseen. This is a modern take on the original 1940 film which shares a title with Kathleen's book store, and at the same time, a nod to the classic "Pride and Prejudice" story as well! Director/Screenwriter Nora Ephron, with screenwriting help from he

The holiday season is approaching, and we're easing our way into it as well! Our first film, set around Christmas, is directed by Jon Turteltaub and written by Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric Lebow. The story follows Lucy (Sandra Bullock), a subway toll-booth worker for the Chicago Transit Authority, who develops a huge crush on a handsome rider, Peter (Peter Gallagher) who comes through her booth every day. When he is attacked on the platform and falls onto the tracks, Lucy springs into action and saves him. Later on, at the hospital, she is daydreaming and talking to herself about how she was going to marry him. A nurse overhears her, assumes she is Peter's fiance, and announces her as such when his family arrives. Lucy protests, but is steamrolled by Peter's family. She soon finds herself swept into the family she never had by Peter's father Ox (Peter Boyle), his mother Midge (Micole Mercurio), family friend, and Peter's godfather, Saul (Jack Warden), family matriarch Elsie (Glynis Johns), and little sister

Our second Thanksgiving holiday pairing film is also focused on the art of the dance, this time from 1987. Baby (Jennifer Grey) travels with her Dad (Jerry Orbach), her mom (Kelly Bishop), and her sister Lisa (Jane Brucker) to Kellerman's, a family retreat in the Catskills, for a week's vacation. There, Baby meets Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze), the "dance people," and is smitten with Johnny immediately. When Penny needs to take a night off, Baby volunteers to fill in, even though she has no dance experience. What starts as preparation for a single event builds to a romance and a declaration of love and freedom set in 1963, just before President Kennedy was assassinated. Directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Eleanor Bergstein, the movie "Dirty Dancing" became THE love story of the 1980s, and the soundtrack became, and is still, equally beloved! And the trio explain how they're edging into the Christmas holidays with their next two films!

Beginning our more family-friendly dance-film Thanksgiving holiday pairing, we're beginning with one of the four major dance films of the 80s, and one that made Kevin Bacon the household name (and focus of the "Six Degress of Separation" game), 1984's "Footloose!" Directed by Herbert Ross and written by Dean Pitchford (based on an actual event), the film follows Ren McCormack (Bacon) who has just moved to a small Oklahoma town with his mother (Frances Lee McCain), and finds the environment stifling to say the least. And for a kid from the streets of Chicago, the nightlift leaves a lot to be desired, especially since he can't even dance, thanks to a town ordinance forbidding such physical expression. He quickly meets the source of the rule, Rev. Shaw Moore (John Lithgow) who rails in church about the evils of sex and alcohol, both of which he links to dancing. His zealous ideals are balanced by his strong, soft-spoken wife Vi (Dianne Wiest) and tested by his hellion daughter Ariel (Lori Singer). Add in Ren's f

The second B-Movie in our pairing comes from just two years later than our first! Director Phillip Noyce took the formula perfected in Japan the Zatoichi series of films about blind samurai. Actor Tim Matheson wanted to produce, and brought the idea of making an American version of the films, through two directors, three studios, seven years, and eleven drafts of the screenplay, to TriStar pictures, before getting it made. The story follows former Vietnam solder Nick Parker (Rutger Hauer), blinded by mortar fire, and taught to fight with a samurai sword by kindly villagers. He returns to the U.S. to find his former squad-mate, Frank Devereaux (Terry O'Quinn). After discovering that Frank and his wife have divorced, Nick ends up being tasked to escort Frank's son, Billy, to his father in Reno. Along the way, harassed by people working for mob boss MacCready (Noble Willingham) who have capture Frank and are forcing him to create drugs for him, Nick must find a balance between completing his own quest and protec

Everyone loves B-Movies, and the Geeks and G.I.T. are no exceptions. This episode is the first of two focusing on some B-Movies that are worth seeing! It was 1987, the end of the Reagan era, and buddy cop movies were very popular. On the heels of films like "Beverly Hills Cop," director Tom Holland, whose "Fright Night" we just reviewed, brought together Whoopie Goldberg and Sam Elliott in a rather unique buddy action film called "Fatal Beauty." Goldberg plays Rita Rizzoli, a narcotics detective with the LAPD. She stumbles across a cocaine variant called "Fatal Beauty" which does, in fact, kill those who take it. After bearding drug-kingpin Conrad Kroll (Harris Yulin) in his beautiful L.A. mansion, Kroll assigns his security man Mike Marshak (Elliott) to follow Rizzoli "for her protection." Over the course of the next several days, the two find more and more reasons to join forces, along with a growing personal connection. Also starring Ruben Blades, John P. Ryan, and Brad Dourif, this film is so much better

It's part two of this year's Halloween pairing, looking at 80s vampire films! For this episode, we move to 1987 and the film the really kicked off the whole teenage vampire craze that's still sweeping Hollywood, director Joel Schumacher's "The Lost Boys!" Written by Jan Fischer and James Jeremias, with screenplay help from Jeffrey Boam, the film follows Lucy (Dianne Wiest), a single mother of two boys, Michael (Jason Patric) and his younger brother Sam (Corey Haim), as they find themselves at the "end of the world," being the west coast, in the California community of Santa Clara. They're moving in with Michael and Sam's Grandpa (the incredible Barnard Hughes), and there's a lot of adjusting to be done by all involved. But the three members of the family meet new friends that all bring complications to their lives. Michael meets David (Kiefer Sutherland) and David's girlfriend Star (Jamie Gertz), who Michael falls for almost instantly. Sam meets the Frog Brothers, Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Allen (Jamison Newl

It's Halloween time again, and as usual, we've got a pair of amazing horror film reviews for you! First up, arguably the best horror/ comedy of all time, but definitely the best of the 1980s! From writer/ director Tom Holland, it's 1985's "Fright Night!" When a vampire moves in next door, you have to try to destroy him, even if no one else believes you, not even the famous "vampire killer" who hosts the weekly horror movie television program! Starring William Ragsdale as Charley Brewster, the young man who notices the vampire moving in, Amanda Bearse as his girlfriend Amy, and Stephen Geoffreys as their "friend" Evil Ed, the film also features Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandrige (the vampire), and Jonathan Stark as his live-in... ghoul? Golem? No one really knows, but his name is Billy Cole. And finally, the former "vampire killer" is none other than Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent! It's a favorite of both geeks and the geek-in-training, so you know it's a great film!

For the second film in our pairing of unabashedly, gleefully whimsical comedies, we move to the opposite end of the 80s for the 1989 Weird Al Yankokvic-written treasure that is "UHF!" Starring Yankovic as George Newman, alongside David Bowe as Bob Steckler and Michael Richards as Stanley Spadowski, the film tells the story of a long-suffering dreamer who gets a dream job: Running a tiny UHF television station! George and Bob, with the help of their new janitor, Stanley, try to figure out how to turn around the failing "U62" TV station. When they unexpectedly succeed, however, they begin to threaten the powerhouse VHF station, Channel 8, run by the cruel and merciless R. J. Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy). Add to this mix Victoria Jackson as George's girlfriend Teri, Fran Drescher as receptionist/report Pamela Finklestein, and Anthony Geary (of "General Hospital" fame) as Philo, the station engineer, and this becomes a "Secret Life of Walter Mitty"-esque comedy with great performances, music, and comedy that'll leav

Our next pairing is pure balm for whatever is causing any stress you're feeling, as they are two comedies that hold nothing back and are just genuinely funny! First up, for Episode 224, it's 1980's classic film spoof "Airplane!" Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, the movie is based largely on a 1957 thriller called "Zero Hour," that the three caught on VHS tape by accident! They were so taken with how over-the-top the melodrama was in "Zero Hour," that they decided to turn it into a comedy, and created one of THE comedies of the 20th century! Starring "serious actors" like Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Lesley Nielsen, and Robert Stack, and partnering them up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hays, Lorna Patterson, and Stephen Stucker, this movie wove its comedy into the straight-faced performances by its entire cast and created a classic that's just as funny today as it was when it premiered! This film also gave us an absolute treasure-trove of memorable lines to quote from

Episode 223 is the second of our look at Peter Sellers films with, arguably, his finest performances. Yes, plural. Sellers, in fact, plays three separate roles in the film, all three very different! The film is a perfect satire of cold war paranoia and the military's love affair with nuclear weapons, and features some of the most biting commentary on, at that time, modern military thinking ever captured on celluloid. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-starring George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, and featuring the very first cinematic appearance of James Earl Jones, this is one of those movies we think everyone should see at least once! And the trio reveal which "balls-out" comedies they're pairing up for the next two episodes!

For the next two episodes, we're focusing on the genius that was Peter Sellers! Episode 222 is the film that started a franchise that Star Wars has only just matched: 11 films! We are, of course, talking about 1963's "The Pink Panther." The film was supposed to be a starring vehicle for David Niven, but after Peter Ustinov was replaced with Peter Sellers, things changed. Sellers and director Blake Edwards bonded over a shared love of early silent comedy, and the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau was re-written as a hapless, bumbling detective, and he ended up stealing the film from Niven! Also starring a very young Robert Wagner, Capucine, Brenda de Banzie, and the stunning Claudia Cardinale, the film is, at once, comedy, mystery, bedroom farce, and more!

Episode 221 is the second in our look at the films of Charlie Chaplin with his 1931 hit, "City Lights!" The film Chaplin himself named as his favorite (and the trio agree), this film too stars his famous character known as the Tramp, this time wandering a big, modern city. There, he meets a lovely but blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) and falls in love. He allows her to believe he is a rich man, and shortly thereafter meets an actual rich man, an Eccentric Millionaire (Harry Myers) to be exact who, after being saved from a drunken suicide by the Tramp, declares them fast friends! Unfortunately for the Tramp, this friendship is only felt when the Millionaire is drunk - when he's sober, he doesn't remember his friend at all! More entertaining hijinks occur, but this film also results in a happy ending... maybe. It's left up to the audience's interpretation. And the trio reveal what comedic superstar their next pairing will focus on, who arrived some three decades later!

Episode 220 begins our look at truly classic comedy, with the first of two films from the silent era and one of the founding comedic actors in all of film history, Charlie Chaplin, and his 1925 film "The Gold Rush!" The film follows Chaplin's iconic little Tramp character as he travels to the Yukon to try and find his fortune. He becomes lost and wanders into a cabin that is currently inhabited by the villainous Black Larsen (Tom Murray), and soon after by another explorer of the tundra, Big Jim (Mack Swain). Eventually, after some hijinks in the cabin, Chaplin's self-described "little fellow" finds his way to a mining town. There he spots Georgia, a dance hall girl, and is immediately smitten. Trying to find a way to woo her, the Tramp offers to make dinner for her and her friends on New Year's Eve. The film winds its way to a happy ending, despite the trials and tribulations endured by the Tramp. The trio also delve into the reasons this film is considered a classic, and why Chaplin is an important part of

Episode 219 is also the result of a listener request! Tom Barclay asked us to check out "12 Angry Men" (which we talked about in our last episode) and we picked an equally-amazing film to pair it with, from 1962, "To Kill a Mockingbird!" Based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Harper Lee, this film recalls three summers (and a bit more) in the life of young Scout Finch (Mary Badham), her brother Jem (Phillip Alford), and their friend Dill Harris (John Megna). Their father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck, in probably his best role ever) is asked by Judge Taylor (Paul Fix) to take on the task of representing an African-American man named Tom Robinson (played by the incredible Brock Peters) who is accused of beating and raping a young girl in the South of the 1930s. But, cast against this story, is the children's fascination with their supposedly violent and captive neighbor Boo Radley (Robert Duvall in his first credited film role). As the summers pass, the stories are told, eventually culminating in an ending that

Episode 218 comes to you via a listener request! Tom Barclay told us he "would love to hear a 12 Angry Men episode (my new fave classic film)." Well, ask and ye shall receive! Directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet, and written by Reginald Rose, this is a certified American classic! The film focuses almost solely on 12 men in the jury room, deciding the fate of an 18-year-old boy accused of murder. If convicted, he will be executed. At the beginning, there are 11 for conviction and just one juror who has "reasonable doubt." As the film unwinds, so does the evidence and testimony from the trial as the 12 try to determine what the right thing to do actually is! Starring Martin Balsam (Juror 1), John Fiedler (Juror 2), Lee J. Cobb (Juror 3), E.G. Marshall (Juror 4), Jack Klugman (Juror 5), Edward Binns (Juror 6), Jack Warden (Juror 7), Henry Fonda (Juror 8), Joseph Sweeney (Juror 9), Ed Begley (Juroro 10), George Voscovec (Juror 11), and Robert Webber (Juror 12). An absolutely top-notch example of just what film

Episode 217 is the second review in our pairing of Carl Reiner films. Reiner passed away on June 29th, 2020, but he was, and will always be remembered as, one of the best comedians in the history of media in the United States. This time, we move ahead to 1987 for Reiner's directorial take on the high school comedy genre, one that shows a deeper affection for its characters than almost any of its contemporaries. The story follows gym teacher Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon in an unusual comedic role) who gets drafted to teach remedial English in summer school by his nasty Vice Principal Phil Gills (Robin Thomas). And were it not for the help of AP History teacher Robin Bishop (Kirstie Alley in her first Hollywood film role), he'd have no chance of succeeding and securing tenure! Add to this a cast of amazing supporting actors like Patrick Labyorteaux, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Gary Riley, Kelly Jo Minter, Ken Olandt, Shawnee Smith, Richard Steven Horvitz, Fabiana Udenio, and the incredibly funny Dean Cameron, and you h

Episode 216 begins our pairing in honor of comedy legend Carl Reiner, who passed away on June 29th, 2020. The first film in the pairing is a feat of technical brilliance and comedy genius that sends up classic film noir in a way different from any other, in 1982's "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid!" Directed by Reiner, written by Reiner, George Gipe, and Steve Martin, the film follows Martin as hardboiled private dick Rigby Reardon, about to head out on vacation when he meets Juliet Forrest, played by Rachel Ward. Forrest hires Reardon to find her father whom she fears dead, but that's just the start of the story! Featuring clips from nineteen other classic film noir movies, this is a blending of past and present that reveals the true genius in the writing, directing, cinematography, editing, and acting that this film has to offer! Also starting Reiner and veteran character actor Reni Santoni, who also recently passed away, this is a comedic package sure to please discerning fans of funny, whether you're also a fan

Episode 215 is, perhaps, one of the finest films ever made, and one of the most impactful. Finishing our Films You Should Definitely See Once, we turn to 1993's "Schindler's List." Directed by Stephen Spielberg, with a screenplay by Steven Zaillian based on the book by Thomas Keneally, this film details the real life of Oskar Schindler, a German entrepreneur during World War II who became an unlikely hero to the 1,200 Jewish prisoners he employed in his factories. Schindler (Liam Neeson) brings Jewish prisoner Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) into his business as his bookkeeper to help him rescue Jewish prisoners from the Holocaust by employing them in his metalworking factory. He meets Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) who is in charge of the camp the Jewish prisoners are incarcerated in. Slowly, Schindler's factory gains a reputation as a haven, somewhere where workers aren't abused or killed. As the war goes on, and the atrocities continue, Schindler begins to see that his haven may just be his chance to help change t

Episode 214 begins our pairing of Films You Should Definitely See Once with 1986's Oliver Stone vehicle, "Platoon." Directed and written by Stone, the film stars Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor, a soldier in the infantry newly cycled into Vietnam during the war. His troop includes Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes, Willem Dafoe as Sgt. Elias, John C. McGinley as Sgt. O'Neill, Keith David as King, Forest Whitaker as Big Harold, Francesco Quinn as Rhah, Kevin Dillon as Bunny, Reggie Johnson as Junior, Corey Glover as Lt. Wolfe, Johnny Depp as Lerner, and Tony Todd as Warren. The film follows Chris through three different time-periods during his "365 and a wakeup" in Vietnam, and his gradual loss of innocence throughout the year as well as the transformation he undergoes. An incredibly powerful film, based on Oliver Stone's actual experiences as an infantryman during the Vietnam war.