Two Geeks And A Git Classic Movie Reviews

Episode 196: Sometimes the monsters are who you least suspect! That's the theme of our pairing this time around, and we're starting with what very well may be John Carpenter's best film, 1988's "They Live!" Written, directed, and scored by Carpenter, this film features wrestler Roddy Piper in the lead role, and he proves once and for all that (at the time) WWF wrestlers are as talented as Hollywood actors as he turns in a heartfelt performance! Then, you pair him with legend Keith David, and you have pair of protagonists who lead us through a film truly unique amongst all of the other movies made! Piper plays Nada, a homeless man searching for a job and a place in a world that increasingly doesn't seem to care. He meets Frank (David) on a construction job, and Frank shows him to a homeless camp near a church, where he can sleep and get some food. After going into the church, he stumbles on a box of black sunglasses, one of which he takes with him. But when he decides to put them on, he sees the truth of the w

Episode 195: The second film in this computer espionage pairing simply couldn't be remade today with the same cast... it would cost too much money! We're talking about the second film penned by the team of Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, with a little help from director Phil Alden Robinson, 1992's "Sneakers!" Starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Timothy Busfield, Eddie Jones, Mary McDonnell, Donal Logue, George Hearn, Ben Kingsly, Stephen Tobolowsky, and James Earl Jones, this is the story of a group of "Sneakers," hackers-for-hire who find a businesses security holes and report it to them. When they're approached by the NSA to retrieve a mysterious "black box," they embark on a mission that results in their acquiring something so valuable, any government on the planet would happily kill them all just to take possession of it! In fact, it's too valuable to hand to the NSA, so they have to figure out what to do with it, and how to survive until they do! P

Episode 194: It's computer espionage this pairing, along with two films written by the team of Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes! We begin with a film that was a major hit and introduced the world to a very young Matthew Broderick, 1983's "Wargames," directed by John Badham. The story follows David (Broderick), a young computer hacker, who inadvertently finds his way into the NORAD mainframe while looking for some new games, but also to impress Jennifer (Ally Sheedy). Unfortunately, the game he starts also begins a real build-up to nuclear armageddon, which Systems Operator Mr. McKittrick (Dabney Coleman) and General Beringer (Barry Corbin) must deal with! After discovering David and Jennifer's part in starting up the war game, the military take them into custody, then lose them as they head out to find the original programmer of the computer Professor Falken (John Wood). Although over 35 years old, this film still holds up today and is a fun, exciting thrill ride through to the very end!

Episode 193: The second film in our pairing of blockbuster Steven Spielberg films comes from 1993 and features several ground-breaking technical aspects that heralded a new generation of film! Jurassic Park was the first movie of its generation to really demonstrate the full and awesome power of computer-generated images as it tells the story of an eccentric entrepreneur Mr. Hammond (played by director Richard Attenborough) who brings a trio of experts (Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum) to an island off the coast of Costa Rica. On the island, Hammond reveals that he has funded the cloning of dinosaurs from DNA discovered in an ancient mosquito encased in amber, and created a theme park around his creations. Add to that a cranky computer programmer (Wayne Knight), an overworked project manager (Samuel L. Jackson), a dinosaur-hating head of security (Bob Peck), and Hammond's grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards) and the cast is assembled. When, as you might expect, things don't g

Episode 192: This pairing focuses on the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation, someone whose track record is outstanding and unique. It's films by Steven Spielberg, and we're starting with the movie guaranteed to make you cry, even just a little bit, 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial! The film stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and features two first cinematic appearances from C. Thomas Howell and Erica Eleniak! The story shows us what happens when an alien spacecraft is forced to leave one of its crew behind, and that creature gets adopted by a young boy, his older brother, and their younger sister. The bond that forms between the alien and the young boy is both wonderful and terrible, and things get rather tense once the government finds out the alien is here, but it's a Spielberg film, so you know things will work out for the best in the end, although not necessarily the happiest for all involved. This is a genuine classic and something eve

Welcome to our Top-5 lists, a bonus for our faithful subscribers! Buddy, Chad, and Jeff discuss their personal top-5 sports movies, and if you know anything about these guys, some of their picks may come as a bit of a surprise! There will be news lists periodically, but even more Top-5 lists are available to our Patreon supporters! Check out our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/tgaag !

Episode 191: The second film in our Tim Curry pairing features a first for Walt Disney films, and does it with a star-studded cast in 1993's "The Three Musketeers!" One of many versions of the Alexandre Dumas tale, this one has a flair to it that most other attempts lack! The film follows the evil Cardinel Richelieu (Curry) who is attempting to overthrow the King of France. Backed by his faithful assistant Rochefort (played by the always-fascinating Michael Wincott), they disband the Musketeers on the King's orders and send three of them into rebellion: Aramis (Charlie Sheen), Athos (Kiefer Sutherland), and Porthos (Oliver Platt). At this point, a young swordsman named D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) is headed to Paris to join the Musketeers. Along the way he meets the queen (Gabriel Anwar) and her handmaiden Constance (Julie Delpy) before discovering that the Musketeers are no more. After running afoul of the three, D'Artagnan ends up joining forces with them and they ride out to stop the Countess D'Winter (Reb

Episode 190: For this pairing we're celebrating the work of an under-appreciated genius known as Tim Curry. We begin with the film that was ahead of its time (it didn't "pop" until the VHS generation found it, and now it's a cult classic), 1985's "Clue!" Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Lynn and John Landis himself, the film (based on the board game of the same name) introduces us to Wadsworth (Curry) a butler hosting a unique dinner party. The guests are Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), and Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren). It's a murder mystery unlike any other, and that's part of the reason it didn't quite catch on until it came out for home video viewing, but has since become an eminently-quotable cult classic!

Episode 189: For the second film in our pairing from the urban fantasy genre, we move ahead to 1994 and Brandon Lee, son of famous martial artist and cinema star Bruce Lee, in his final performance on-screen in "The Crow." Directed by Alex Proyas, and set in Detroit, Michigan, the film stars lee, Ernie Hudson (of "Ghostbusters" fame), Rochelle Davis, Michael Wincott, Bai Ling, Anna Levine, and Tony Todd and spins the tale of Eric Dravan and his wife Shelly, both assaulted and horribly killed by a street gang. One year after their deaths, Eric is reborn as an avenging angel who seeks to right all of the wrongs from his death, including a few that actually lead to a better life for some. The trio also discuss the tragic death of Brandon Lee while filming, dying on-set in what investigators called a tragic accident... but was it? And finally, the Geeks and their G.I.T. reveal which listener request they're taking for their next pairing!

Episode 188: This pairing focuses on the genre known as Urban Fantasy, that being supernatural events taking place "modern day." And we begin with one of the best urban fantasy films of the 80s, 1986's "Highlander!" Featuring the unique cinematic direction of Russell Mulcahy, the film stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart as it tells the story of Connor MacLeod, a scotsman who was born in 1518 and is, for all intents and purposes, immortal. But there have been others, and now it's down to only a few, as "The Gathering" is happening, and Connor must fight to be the victor and winner of "the prize," even though no one knows what that prize actually is. With breathtaking cinematography, a tour de force by Brown as the film's villainous "Kurgan," and a soundtrack by the band Queen, this is a highlight of so many great things from the 80s all wrapped up in a single film!

Episode 187: This is the second look at the films of Monty Python, and in this episode we move ahead four years to 1979's Monty Python's "Life of Brian!" Directed by Terry Jones, and again starring Jones, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin, this is a different take on British comedy as we follow the life of Brian Cohen (Chapman), who happened to be born in the manger next door to Jesus. Thus begins his loosely parallel life to Jesus, including being mistaken for being the Messiah (or at least A Messiah)! While the film created a lot of controversy (including being banned in some places until just five years ago), it has become a favorite of Python fans around the world, and even of the Pythons themselves! Plus, find out what urban fantasy films will make up the trio's next pairing as they head toward Episode 200!

Episode 186: It's the best in British comedy for this pairing! Buddy, Chad, and Jeff are reviewing two of the funniest, oddest, most successful British comedy films of all time, by one of the best comedy troupes of all time: Monty Python! First up, 1974's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which is almost literally the Holy Grail of English comedies! Directed by the Terrys (Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam) and starring Jones, Gilliam, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin, this is a very unique telling of the Arthurian legend and King Arthur's quest for the holiest of holy objects: The Grail. Complete with insolent peasants, mighty enchanters, vicious rabbits, French taunters, and coconut horses, this is a decidedly silly film that's been placing on top-50 and top-100 comedy films of all times lists for decades! If you haven't seen this movie, go out and watch it first, then come back for the review (we don't want to ruin any of the jokes)!

Episode 185: Moving ahead five years from the first film in our Christmas Horror pairing, we turn to an anthology film done differently than most, where each story has (at least tengentially) a link to the holiday season. Directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan, we meed Dangerous Dan (William Shatner), a veteran DJ broadcasting to Bailey Downs on Christmas Eve. As the overall 'narrator' of the story, he is part of the glue that ties the various stories together: An investigation of a year-old Christmas murder in the basement of a convent-turned-high school, a police officer cutting corners to get a free Christmas tree, a dysfunctional family making a surprise visit to an estranged aunt, and a tale of Santa defending himself against bloodthirsty zombie elves and his ancient nemesis! Not all stories are created equal, but overall it's a rollicking, supernatural, creepy good holiday time! Plus, the trio announce what their first official pairing of the new year will be, and you won't want to m

Episode 184: Christmas horror films (and yes, that's a genre) are the focus of our final 2019 pairing, and we begin with a film made in the home of the Santa Claus myth. Written by the Helander brothers (Jalmari and Juuso) and directed by Jalmari, the film stars a real-life father and son team, Omni and Jorma Tommila, as Pietari and Rauno Kontio. Rauno is a reindeer herder, while Pietari is a typical young boy, living out in rural Finland. When the reindeer herd is slaughtered, Pietari comes up with an unbelievable explanation. But when they find a naked old man with white hair and a long white beard, Pietari's theory begins to sound less fantastic. Add in a corrupt evil American corporation and some ancient Finnish mythology and you have a truly unique Christmas story which, according to Buddy, is more of a dark fantasy than a horror film but, nevertheless, is definitely worth your viewing hours!

Episode 183: Our second December holiday film for 2019 is the one immortalized by Turner Television who, since 1997, has aired a 24-hour marathon each and every year! What movie are we talking about? Why... 1983's "A Christmas Story," of course! Directed by Bob Clark, and starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Schott Schwartz, and Peter Billingsley, this is the story of 9-year-old Ralphie, living in the suburbs in the pre-war 1940s. All he wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB Gun, but everywhere he turns, everyone is telling him it's too dangerous for him to have, crushing his hopes and dreams. Alongside that is a story of being a kid around the holidays and everything else such a kid would have to deal with, including a bratty little brother and a local bully! Beloved by people everywhere... excemt in the Two Geeks and a GIT recording studio. Find out which member of the trio isn't a fan, and then find out how said member is getting revenge on the other two in the next pairing!

Episode 182: It's time again for our December holiday pairing! This year, we begin with a true classic, 1947's "The Bishop's Wife." Directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven, this film tells the story of Bishop Henry Brougham, a devout and good man nearing the end of his energy, who prays for guidance amidst the struggles of finding funding for a new cathedral. His wife, Julia, fears that the Bishop may be drifting away from his marriage, his daughter, and the true meaning of his congregation and community. Enter Dudley, an oddly charming gentleman who befriends everyone he meets, and begins to turn the Brougham's lives upside-down, in a good way. Will Dudley be able to help Henry and Julia sort through their assorted problems while still guiding them toward a happy ending for all? You'll have to watch the movie (and listen to the podcast) to find out!

Episode 181: In the second film in our pairing of musicals written specifically for the silver screen, we move ahead two years to the film that found Paramount unveiling their new widescreen technology which they called "VistaVision!" "White Christmas," directed by Michael Curtiz, follows Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) as they're celebrating Christmas at the front in Germany, 1944. They're giving their regiment a holiday program on Christmas Eve, which is also when their respected commander, Major General Thomas F. Waverly (Dean Jagger), is being transferred. Shortly after, Phil saves Bob from a collapsing building, thus setting the stage for Phil bamboozling Bob into starting a two-man act after the war. After the duo becomes quite successful, they're asked to review the Haynes Sisters act by an old pal from the army... or so they think. This leads them to change their plans and head to Vermont with Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera Ellen) Haynes, where they find a warm-weather-

Episode 180: This episode begins our pairing of musicals made specifically for the silver screen with perhaps THE movie musical of all time, 1952's "Singin' In the Rain!" Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, the film stars Kelly as silent-film heartthrob Don Lockwood, who is an on-screen couple with Lina Lamont, played amazingly by Jean Hagen. Donald O'Connor plays Cosmo Brown, Don's best friend since childhood and the musician that plays the music to put Lena and Don in the right mood for their on-screen romantic adventure. But when Don meets Kathy Seldone, played by Debbie Reynolds in her first major dancing role, sparks fly (in the wrong direction at first, of course). Set in Hollywood right as the industry was transitioning from silent films to talking pictures, the romance has to keep out of sight of a jealous Lena and navigate the Hollywood system at the same time! Arguably the most famous cinematic musical in film history, it's a classic for a very good reason; it's an amazingly well put-together

Episode 179: The second film in our Woody Allen film pairing moves ahead two years to 1979 for the love-letter crafted specifically to and for New York City, "Manhattan!" Also directed and written by, and starring Woody Allen, it tells the story of Isaac, a 42-year-old man who is dating a 17-year-old beauty, Tracy (played by Mariel Hemingway). His best friend Yale (Michael Murphy) is married, but having an affair with Mary (Diane Keaton), and introduces Isaac and Mary. Sparks fly, and soon enough Mary's cut things off with Yale and Isaac has broken up with Tracy. The two give their relationship the old NYC try, but will it work out? You'll have to watch the movie to find out, as the trio resolutely refuse to spoil the ending, although that's close to the only thing all three agree on. Plus, find out what two musicals written specifically for film will be the subject of the next set of reviews!

Episode 178: This pairing focuses on the work of writer/director Woody Allen, and the trio jump into the film that won Allen a Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Academy Award, along with a Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar for leading lady Diane Keaton! Directed, written by, and starring Woody Allen, "Annie Hall" is the story of the ill-fated relationship between Alvy Singer (Allen) and Annie Hall (Keaton). Told almost as a retrospective on their relationship, the film also features Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon in a rate cinematic role, Shelly Duvall, Colleen Dewhurst, and Christopher Walken. Plus, cameos from Dick Cavett, Jeff Goldblum, Shelly Hack, Beverly D'Angelo, and (if you look REALLY closely) Sigourney Weaver! This is also the farthest apart the trio have ever been regarding a movie in the history of the podcast!