Two Geeks and a GIT Classic Movie Reviews

For our second Halloween-season pairing, we turn to two more modern takes on the Zombie sub-genre of horror. First up is a film that looks at a zombie-esque uprising in a small Canadian community (although, according to director Bruce McDonald, they're not zombies they're "conversationalists") in 2008's "Pontypool!" Radio personality Grant Mazzy (played by the incomperable Stephen McHattie) is headed to a station so small he fires his agent as he drives to his first day on-air. Arriving at the station, he is greeted by his young engineer Laurel-Ann Drummond (Georgina Reilly) and quickly begins to butt heads with his producer Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) over how they're going to handle Grant's on-air "personality." As the morning goes on, they begin to get reports of a mob attacking a local Doctor's office, which quickly becomes something more... something worse. As a seemingly random attack turns into a full-on epidemic crisis, Grant, Sydney, and the doctor in question, Dr. Mendez (Hrant Alianak) try to figure out not why this is happening, as there is no why to be found, but how this virus transmits itself, and their findings are like nothing seen before in a zombie film! Also featuring Rick Roberts as the voice of traffic reporter Ken Loney, this small cast provides a riveting story of how experience, even if it seems unrelated, can sometimes be the key to solving a huge problem... even if it doesn't save everyone!

Buddy and Jeff, decades-old film geeks, help educate Chad, a film geek-in-training by discussing two great college fraternity comedies: Animals House (1978), the beginning of the genre, and PCU (1994), a descendent whose message still holds up in today's university culture! The gents also discuss their favorite other college comedies, and give a preview of what's to come in Episode 2!

Veteran film geeks Buddy and Jeff, and geek-in-training Chad, explore the fascinating Tech-Noir genre with two of the best examples made yet: Blade Runner from 1982 and Dark City from 1998. What follows is a discussion of the two movies and the film noir genre in general, and the trio give a preview of what's to come in Episode 3!

Buddy and Jeff, film geeks extraordinaire, help open the eyes of geek-in-training Chad, by exploring two of the most gangster-y of gangster films: 1972's The Godfather and 1990's Goodfellas! And even though one of the geeks isn't a gangster-film fan, everyone finds something to like in at least one of the films. Jeff and Chad talk about their plans to attend the upcoming Podcast Movement conference in Chicago, then the trio discuss what's ahead for Episode 4!

Buddy (a Film Geek), Jeff (also a Film Geek), and Chad (a Film Geek-In-Training) look at the first of two Anti-McCarthyism films, 2005's "Good Night and Good Luck," directed by George Clooney and starring David Straitairn, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, and Frank Langella.

Buddy (a Film Geek), Jeff (also a Film Geek), and Chad (a Film Geek-In-Training) look at the second of two Anti-McCarthyism films, 2015's "Trumbo," directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alan Tudyk, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Stephen Root, Christian Berkel, and Dean O'Gorman. Also, they reveal what westerns will be the focus of episodes 6 and 7!

Buddy (a Film Geek), Jeff (also a Film Geek), and Chad (a Film Geek-In-Training) decided that it was high time they paid attention to one of the most American film genres of them all: The western. The first film (of two) for Episode 5 is 1960's "The Magnificent Seven," adapted from Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai," and starring some of the best talent from the 1960s, Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn! The film is currently available online on Amazon Prime.

This week, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad review the movie that started the 2nd major western cycle in film, the 1985 homage to all that makes a western a western: Silverado. Directed and co-written by Lawrence Kasdan and a score by Bruce Broughton, this film features a list of stars that no one could afford to put in the same movie nowadays: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt, Jeff Goldblum, Lynn Whitfield, Jeff Fahey (in his first film role), and Earl Hindman of "Home Improvement" fame! The film is currently available online on Amazon Prime. And finally, the trio discuss working in a music store, as they unveil their picks for workplace comedies for the next two episodes!

This week the terrible trio of film reviewers, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad, dive into workplace comedies set in one specific location - a record store! They talk 1995's Empire Records, starring Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, and early performances from Ethan Embry, Robin Tunney, Renee Zellweger, and Live Tyler! Plus the inside scoop on the making of the film and the hard time it had finding its audience! This film is currently evailable online at Amazone Prime.

In this episode, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad review Chad's favorite film of all times, 2000's High Fidelity, starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, and Jack Black, with appearances by Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, Lili Taylor, and Tim Robbins. The trio talk favorite characters, favorite scenes, and how this is an example of how you are supposed to edit a film, as well as how well an adaptation this particular film is. This film is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. And they reveal what two films are up to bat for episodes 10 and 11!

Clearly the inspiration for NetFlix's blockbuster hit "Stranger Things," in this episode, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad talk about what has become the seminal coming-of-age film about young men, 1986's Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connel, Kiefer Sutherland, John Cusack, and Richard Dreyfuss as The Writer. Nowhere else can you find this many stand-out performances by actors of this age, and with a script adapted from a Stephen King novella, what you have is a timeless classic! This film is currently evailable online at Amazon Prime.

Get busy living or get busy dying. Great words from this week's film, 1994's The Shawshank Redemption! Jeff, Buddy, and Chad discuss the origin of the film (spoiler alert: another Stephen King novella) and why this film ranks among Hollywood's best in terms of direction, cinematography, writing, and acting! With Frank Darabont at the helm, lead talent like Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and phenomenal supporting actors like Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, and James Whitmore, it would be really difficult to screw this one up... and they didn't! This film is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Finally, they head into the realms of horror and let Jeff (the horror film expert) pick the two films to be viewed next for the next pairing!

Film geeks Jeff and Buddy force geek-in-training Chad to watch horror films, picked by horror afficianado Jeff, and he's going back 35 years for this one: 1981's Ghost Story. Directed by John Irvin, based on a novel by Peter Straub, and starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman, Craig Wasson, Patricia Neal, and Alice Krige, this is, as Buddy describes, partially a "dark old house" film, but at the same time it's also a supernatural revenge story. No gore, just suspense and a few truly noteworthy make-up effects, this is a great film to watch on a dark winter's eve, but be sure you're watching it with someone else! This film is currently evailable online at Amazon Prime.

Our first international film, we head to Japan for the world-wide phenomenon, 1998's Ringu (Ring). This film is an example of what modern horror can (and should) be, with a gripping story, amazing performances, and a twist ending the Shyamalan only wishes he could still pull off! Directed by Hideo Nakata, based on a novel by Koji Suzuki, and starring Nanako Matsushima, Niki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi, Hitomi Sato, and Yoichi Numata, this is a different kind of ghost story, one that casts a new light on why ghosts do what they do, and what outcomes the ghost most desires. Sometimes, it isn't what you think. When you watch the film, make sure you watch the subtitled version, so you don't miss out on the actor's vocal performances! This film is currently available on Amazon Prime. And don't miss the preview of episodes 14 and 15, a tribute to a great actor lost too soon!

We recently lost a true genius as both a comic and serious actor, as well as an amazing writer. Gene Wilder passed away on August 26th, 2016, at the age of 83. Fortunately for us all, he left behind an absolutely amazing body of work, including the western parody film that all other western parody films since have been compared to (and found lacking against), 1974's Blazing Saddles, starring Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, and John Hillerman. Although not the first choice for the role, it became a defining one for him and for audiences everywhere! Jeff, Buddy, and Chad explore his career, his life, and the role that introduced his comic talents to the world!

In the second part of our tribute to actor and writer Gene Wilder, who passed away on August 26th, 2016, at the age of 83, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad look at his first big success as both a comedic actor and a writer with 1974's Young Frankenstein! Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Terry Garr, and Peter Boyle, with a cameo from Gene Hackman, this deliberately black-and white film pays tribute to the original three Frankenstein movies of the 1930s while also adeptly parodying the genre in a way not seen since! It's a masterpiece of imagining the Frankenstein scenario in the modern age, but replete with elements from the original films, including on-set equipment that was used in 1931 when the original Universal film was made! And finally, the filmic trio reveal the theme of the next pairing!

This episode, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff look at the first of two "Atomic Future Warning" movies, by watching the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes!" Charleton Heston in one of his least-overacted roles, along with Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and Linda Harrison. This film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, and written by none other than Rod Serling (from "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery"), based on a novel by Pierre Boulle (who also wrote "Bridge On the River Kwai")! It's a great sci-fi story, full of ethical questions that were contemporary in the late 60s and, strangely, are still issues we're grappling with today! Plus, with an amazing score by the one and only Jerry Goldsmith and award-winning make-up effects, this is the very essence of "an oldy but a goody!"

In the second part of their "Atomic Future Warning" episode, the filmic trio of Geeks Buddy and Jeff, along with Geek-In-Training Chad, run and hide their way through 1984's nightmarish science-fiction epic "The Terminator." Written (partially) and directed by Hollywood legend James Cameron, and starring Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton, this movie is most remembered as the breakout role for a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, before anyone really knew who he was. It's also a deeply scary film, featuring an adversary that it is next to impossible to stop, and destroying it is the only way to survive! At the end of the episode, the Geeks and GIT discuss how the new "Luke Cage" series on Netflix has influenced their choices for episodes 18 and 19!

In honor of Luke Cage, episode 11 is all about the Blaxploitation films of the 70s. We're starting with one of the best, and a rarity at that - a blaxploitation film produced by a major studio! It's 1971's "Shaft" starring the incredible Richard Roundtree. Directed by the amazing Gordon Parks, with iconic music by Isaac Hayes, this was the beginning of a genre that sought to exploit, but resulted in a lifting up of an entire culture!

Part two of our look at Blaxploitation moves toward the end of that period for 1974's "Coffy." A true part of the genre, this independent film from American International Pictures stars Pam Grier in the titular role, with supporting performances from Booker Bradshaw, Robert DoQui, Sid Haig, and Allan Arbus! Combining the best elements from Blaxploitation as well as the feminist movement of the mid-70s, this film is all about revenge and justice. And, of course, at the end of the episode, the Geeks and the GIT talk about genre parodies and which two films they'll be reviewing for their next pairing!

Episode 20 is all about parody, specifically films that parody an entire genre, and the suave international spy genre is our first target! Buddy, Chad, and Jeff review 1997's "Austin Powers-International Man of Mystery," directed by Jay Roach, written by and starring Mike Mysers! This film also stars Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Fabiana Udenio, Mindy Sterling, and Will Ferrell in probably the best send-up of the James Bond films to be made yet!

The second half our our look at parodies comes full circle with Episode 21 and our look at Blaxploitation films in episode 11 with 2002's "Undercover Brother!" Directed by Malcolm D. Lee (cousin to Spike Lee), and written by John Ridley (who wrote the acclaimed "12 Years a Slave"), the film stars Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, Neil Patric Harris, Gary Anthony Williams, and Billy Dee Williams! It's a farce, a romp, that's not afraid to laugh at itself along with the audience, nor poke at some racial stereotypes and beliefs throughout, while, in the end, giving us a really entertaining film! And finally, the trio reveal what two Pixar films they're reviewing for episodes 22 and 23 as "representative" of the company that has brought us so much feeling and laughter over the last two decades and more!

In Episode 22, we're looking at the Pixar catalogue and, believe us, figuring out what films to review was our nost contentious argument to date! But, we settled on two that we think capture Pixar at its best. Part 1 is all about the first film from Pixar, the movie that took the world by storm, the original "Toy Story" from 1995! Directed by John Lasseter, and written by LaSseter and a plethora of other writers (including fan-favorite Joss Whedon), this film features the voice-acting of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, and Penn Jilette!

Episode 23 is a look at two of Pixar's best films (in our humble opinions), and 2008's "Wall-E" is one of their strongest films in practically every single way. Not only is it a stunning visual experience, not only does it possess a score beautiful enough to make a grown man weep, not only is it a tale of innocence and true love, but it's a legitimate science fiction film as well, worthy to be held up with movies like 2001, Blade Runner, Alien, and other sci-fi classics! Directed by Andrew Stanton, and written by Stanton, Pete Docter, and Jim Reardon, this film has the distinction of having the fewest spoken lines of any Pixar film! The lines it does have are voiced by Ben Burtt, Elissa KNight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard (in the film's only "actual footage" clips), John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver, and an actual Macintosh voice program called "MacInTalk!" Plus, the trio reveal that they're going back to a genre they've covered for the next two episodes, but with a twist!

Episode 24 is our first return to a genre. We're going back to Westerns, but instead of celebrating the traditions of westerns, we're instead celebrating the films that took the Western genre in new and unexpected directions. This week, it's Sergio Leone's neo-realist masterpiece "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" from 1966. Directed by Leone, co-written with Luciano Vincenzoni, and starring Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, and Clint Eastwood, this is a film that delivers storytelling on several different levels simultaneously! Whether it's the beautiful Ennio Morricone score, the incredible cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli, or the performances turned in by these amazing actors, this is a film that, rightfully so, it held as an example of how to make a nigh-unto perfect movie!

Episode 25 continues our look at non-traditional films in the Western genra with arguably one of the best revisionist-western films made to date - 1992's "Unforgiven!" Directed by, and starring, Clint Eastwood, and co-starring Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett, Soul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, and Anna Levine, this story takes us long after the "good old days" for gunslinger William Munny, who gets persuaded to return to his desperado lifestyle to avenge the attack on a prostitute by two cowboys. Between the righteousness of the hunt and the reward money for killing the two culprits, this story follows an anti-hero on a quest, demonstrates the simple nature of regret, and shines a light on the difference between the vigorous sureness of youth and the bitter wisdom of age. This is an example of filmmaking at its finest, and comes very close to being the perfect movie! Plus, at the end, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff talk about their picks for episodes 26 and 27, otherwise known as the Christmas pairing!

One of the most christmas-y stories of all times is Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," and one of Jeff's favorite stories. In this episode, Buddy and Chad let Jeff pick his favorite version of the story on film, and that turns out to be 1970's "Scrooge!" Directed by Ronald Neame, adapted for the screen by Leslie Bricusse, and starring Albert Finney, Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Michael Medwin, David Collings, and Sir Alec Guiness, this is the story brought to life differently as a musical, adding in tunes happy ("Thank You Very Much"(, sad ("You, You"), and creepy ("See the Phantoms"). All together, this is one of the most affecting versions of the story yet to be put on film!

Another of our favorite christmas films, this time it's an action-adventure story set in a warm Los Angeles evening! Of course, we're talking about 1988's "Die Hard," directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis, Gonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, and Alan Rickman! There are those would would argue that Die Hard isn't a Christmas film, but Jeff, Buddy and Chad disagree, and will persuade you to their view if you let them. :) All this, plus a preview of which great writer, who started as an independent filmmaker and went on to become a Hollywood name, the trio will be examining next!

Even though they're not even supposed to be here today, join Buddy, Chad and Jeff for a trip to a convenience store that offers as much insight as it does humor! This week, they review writer/director Kevin Smith's maiden foray into filmmaking, 1994's Clerks! Starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith himself, this film informed generations of filmmakers that if you want to make a film bad enough, you can (and it can find an audience too)! Plus, it was the film that made black and white cool again, even though that's not what it set out to do!

Renegade angels, two prophets, a forgotten apostle, the metatron, a demon, and a Golgothan? That can only mean it's writer/director Kevin Smith's religious action film Dogma from 1999! Join Buddy, Chad, and Jeff for a look at this truly different, thought-provoking, and downright fun examination of Catholicism as only Kevin Smith can create! Starring Linda Fiorentino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, George Carlin, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Salma Hayek, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith, this is a story that asks all the right questions, and leaves you with an idea of your own! Plus, the trio reveal what part of the thriller genre they're going to delve into for the next two episodes!

Life, as seen through a window, can be truly fascinating... and horrifying! Join Buddy, Chad, and Jeff for Episode 17A as they focus on the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Rear Window!" Directed by Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes (based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich), this tale of suspicion and suspense stars Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr! One of the movies that created a plot type that gets used in films to this day, and one of Hitchcock's finest outings!

The first horror film to completely untether the audience from traditional storytelling is our focus for this episode! Join Jeff, Buddy, and Chad as they take on 1960's Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece of terror, "Psycho!" Directed by Hitchcock, written by Joseph Stefano (based on the novel by Robert Bloch), the film stars a young Anthony Perkins in the role that re-defined his entire career, along with Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Martin Balsam! This film changed the way we watched movies as well as the way stories were told... in short, this is a turning point in horror cinema and, in fact, in film itself! And, as always, hear what's ahead in Epsiodes 32 and 33!

A favorite time-travel film for Buddy and Jeff, and a fun introduction to Chad, it's 1979's Nicholas Meyer writen and directed "Time After Time!" This film stars Malcolm McDowel, Mary Steenburgen in her 2nd film outing ever, and the incomperable David Warner. It's a fun romp through time, changes in social conventions, time travel, and, of course, love. It also features an extremely young Corey Feldman in his first-ever movie role... see if you can spot him! While a little dated, this film holds up well enough that, coming in March 2017, ABC television is premiering a series based on this film! Impress your friends with your knowledge of the series when it airs by watching the source material ahead of time!

As if time travel isn't strange enough, unleash Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin, from Monty Python, on a time travel script and what do you get? 1981's "Time Bandits!" This is also an interesting episode, as it's the first time one member of the podcast experienced a movie he absolutely just didn't like, so we have a truly split decision on whether the film is worth watching or not! Starring David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Craig Warnock, a cast of little-person actors, Ralph Richardson, and David Warner, you have an interesting film. With cameos from Michael Palin, Shelley Duvall, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Ian Holm, Peter Vaughan, Katherine Helmond, and Jim Broadbent, you get a *very* interesting film. Unfortunately, in this case, interesting doesn't mean enjoyable for one of the crew. Listen in to find out which one gave this film a big thumbs down! And, as always, the filmic trio lets you in o, coming up mid-February!

It was 1966, and this new program called "Star Trek" premiered on TV. Who would have known then that it would have turned out to be one of the biggest franchises in all of entertianment? And one of the first to really influence people's daily lives, giving them a future to look forward to and to try to make happen? Who would also have known that it would begin the phenomenon that is cosplaying? Buddy, Chad, and Jeff take a look at a love-letter to the emphatic, sometimes over-the-top, cult of personality that is Star Trek fandom as celebrated in the 1997 documentary "Trekkies!" Directed by Roger Nygard, and featuring interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Wil Wheaton, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, and NASA Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, it's an honest look at a fandom that has spawned followers, casual, to devoted, to a little scary. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful tribute to a story that continues today!

When Leonard Nimoy passed away in February of 2015, a world mourned his passing. Without him, we would not have had one of the most iconic charactgers in the 20th and (so far) the 21st centuries: Spock. Jeff, Chad, and Buddy will introduce you to a fascinating, heart-warming look at the life of Leonard Nimoy, both professional and personal, in this touching documentary directed by his son, Adam Nimoy. This documentary also features interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy (via archive footage), George Takai, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, director and writer Nicholas Meyer, Catherine Hicks, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, J.J. Abrams, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik, Jason Alexander, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. It's a tribute to an integral part of the trio's childhood, and likely yours as well! Plus, at the end of the episode, the guys talk about the next pair of films they're going to review, two films a bit too appropriate for today's political climate!

Episode 20 is all about the political thriller genre, and we're starting with 1975's "Three Days of the Condor!" Directed by Sydney Pollack, written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel based on the novel by James Grady, the story follows Joseph Turner (Robert Redford), codenamed "Condor" as he is catapulted from being a CIA analyst into a world of danger and intrigue. Co-starring Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max Von Sydow, and John Houseman, this film explores the the country's loss of innocence through the eyes of a man betrayed by his government.

Wrapping up our episode on political thrillers, we talk about the pinnacle of the genre, 1976's "All The President's Men!" Based on the book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, with a screenplay by William Goldman, and directed by Alan J. Pakula, this movie tells the story of how two junior Washington Post reporters uncovered the greatest government scandal in the history of the United States. The film stars Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter Birney, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, and F. Murray Abraham! And, at the end, the Geeks unveil their weird and unique take on the road picture genre for Episodes 38 and 39!

Episode 21 is focusing on modern "road pictures," where the journey (of one type or another) is integral to the story. And we're starting off with a film that is just plain fun no matter how young or old you are - 1979's "The Muppet Movie!" Made shortly after the Muppet Show took off on television, this movie tells the apocryphal story of how the muppets got together in the first place. Oh, and it's a musical to boot, with an Academy Award-nominated song (The Rainbow Connection) and lots of other catchy songs as well! Directed by James Frawley, written by two long-time muppet collaborators Jack Burns and Jarry Juhl, and starring the voices of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz, this is a must-see! The film also features Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton, and has cameos from some of the greats of the time, including Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Madeline Kahn, Telly Savalas, Paul Williams (who wrote the music as well), Elliott Gould, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Milton Berle, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Cloris Leachman, and Orson Wells himself!

Part two of our look at modern road pictures comes 25 years after our first film, and is a completely different type of road picture. 2004's "Sideways" is a "coming-of middle-age" story about Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) as they take off for a week of bonding and "guy time" the week before Jack's wedding. But Miles didn't plan for Jack seducing Stephanie (Sandra Oh), nor did he plan to fall for waitress and fellow wine-aficianado Maya (Virginia Madsen). This film is a journey on so many levels, even Buddy doesn't have time to discuss them all! DIrected and written by Alexander Payne, and co-written by Jim Taylor, based on the Rex Pickett novel, if you haven't seen this movie, you're missing out on more than just an education on wine and how to behave at a wine-tasting! As always, at the end of the episode, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad talk about the next two films they'll be reviewing, this time out of the "best of the bad of the 80s" category!

It's a bit of a split-ticket in this episode as Geeks Jeff and Buddy introduce Geek-in-Training Chad to one of two gloriously awful 80s movies, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension!" This film, modeled after the Doc Savage serials of the 1930s, is a low-budget cult classic that only truly found its audience on VHS after it failed at the box office. Directed by W.D. Richter, Written by Earl Mac Rauch, and starring Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Rosalind Cash, Lewis Smith, Pepe Serna, Billy Vera, and Vincent Schiavelli, this is the story of a man who can do anything, including drive a jetcar through solid matter. What happens afterwards, however, matters more!

In our second homage, as well as our second gloriously awful 80s movie, it's a martial arts-meets-motown mash-up with 1985's "The Last Dragon" from Motown producer Barry Gordy! This film pays tribute to Bruce Lee and the martial arts films of the 70s, but with a decidedly 80s Motown twist! Directed by Michael Schultz, written by Louis Venosta, and starring Taimak, Vanity, Julius Carry, Christopher Murney, Faith Prince, Mkie Star, Glean Eaton, and Ernie Reyes Jr., this film answers the question "What if a Bruce Lee movie were set in a 1980s dance club and cast with primarily African-American actors in the title roles?" It's truly a fun romp, but not exactly Oscar-worthy (although there was a song from this film nominated for a Golden Globe)! Finally, the trio discuss the romantic-comedy/romantic-dramady pairing coming up in the next two episodes!

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!

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!

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 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!)

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 your own judgement!

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 Goelz, Michael Hordern, and Denise Bryer! Truly one of the best Henson films of all times, even if it didn't do well when it was initially released! Finally, the trio reveal the genre and films they'll be reviewing in Episodes 48 and 49!

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!

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 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 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!

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!

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!

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!

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 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!

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!

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 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 will explain why Baseball influenced their decisions about what films will be reviewed in episodes 60 and 61!

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!

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!

The fear of nuclear war gave birth to many genres, but the post-apocalyptic film genre is different. Borrowing from mythology, samuri films, and the western genre, it's built around several central themes, and 1981's "The Road Warrior" is the prototype for all that would come after it. Technically a sequel, the film was written by Terry Hayes, George Miller, and Brian Hannant, and directed by George Miller. Starring Mel Gibson and a cast of largely unknown fellow actors, this movie established these types of stories, all the while telling an incredible film of life after a nuclear war!

Post-apocalpytic is generally thought of as post-nuclear, but what if was post-global warming instead? Enter 1995's hellaciously expensive "Waterworld," written by Peter Rader and David Twohy, and directed by Kevin Reynolds... mostly. Starring Kevin Costner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, Michael Jeter, and Dennis Hopper, this is the story of decades after the polar icecaps have melted and what's left of humanity lives on the water. The trio have a lively discussion about whether or not Costner's acting was appropriate for the film, and whether or not this movie is good enough to recommend! Find out what decisions they each come to, and what bad broadcasters they're going to be focusing on for the next two episodes!

It was the end of the Reagan era, and those in high school were turning on "yuppie" parents and trying to figure out how to walk their own paths, and talk their own talk, in a decade they felt was devoid of meaning. Enter Happy Harry Hard-On, the pirate radio DJ, giving the disillusioned youth a voice, and a hero to rally around! Written and directed by Allan Moyle, and starring Christian Slater, Ellen Green, a very early (and brief) appearance by young Seth Green, and introducing Semantha Mathis, this film is the ultimate youth reaction to the Reagan era, and the censorship of our voice on the public airwaves, threaded through with teen angst, romance, and death! A positive, albeit somewhat mixed review, with an unlikely champion among the reviewers!

Great Britain, 1966 - The BBC was Mom-and-Pop-ing radio to death with its Leave it to Beaver-esque programming, which completely ignored the very height of the British rock scene (of which the United States was benefiting from in a major way)! But never fear, where there is rock and roll, there will be rebels, or in this case, literal pirates! Pirate Radio tells the story of Radio Rock (based on the real-life pirate radio vessel Radio Caroline), and the merry band of lunatics and rock loyalists who live in the Atlantic, just inside international waters, and brought the best rock and roll of the day to, at its peak, half of the population of Great Britain! Written and directed by Richard Curtis, and starring an amazing cast of lead and character actors, including Tom Sturridge, Bill Nighy, Tom Brooke, Rhys Darby, Nick Frost, Chris O'Dowd, Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Brown, Rhys Ifans, andPhilip Seymore Hoffman, this is a movie that'll have you rooting for the pirates in their fight against the forces of a corrupt, anal-retentive, overly-conservative government, all while rocking out to one of the best movie soundtracks of all time! Plus, find out why the hosts are returning to war-time England for their next two reviews, and what those movies might be!

Socialite Mrs. Henderson is recently widowed and trying to figure out what to do with herself. After trying several things appropriate to her status, she ultimately decides to open a theatre in London in the late 1930s, and bring Moulin Rouge-style to London. Soon, the city is under seige from Nazi bombers, but the show must go on! Directed by Stephen Frears and based on a novel by Sheila van Damm, this film tells the story of an out-of-place society woman and her attempt to bring to the theatre something that the country sorely needs, especially after entering World War II! Starring Dame Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, and Christopher Guest, this semi-biographical film shines a light on this odd philanthropic outing which was the first of its kind in London.

In the late 1930s, times were changing, and for Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), that includes losing her position as governess. With no money, no clothes but what's on her back, what's a moral, upstanding woman to do? Seize the opportunties that come her way, and end up living a day quite unlike any she's ever experienced before! Throw in an American actress (Amy Adams) and her three suitors Phil (Tom Payne), Nick (Mark Strong), and Michael (Lee Pace), a fashion shop owner on the prowl (Shirley Henderson), and her target, a lingerie designer (Ciaran Hinds), you have the makings of a story unlike any seen since the time period the movie is set in! Directed by Bharat Nalluri, based on a novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a treat, although Buddy, Chad, and Jeff disagree on how delicious a treat it is. Plus, Buddy reveals the films he's going to be asking Chad and Jeff to watch from the world of Hong Kong cinema for the next two episodes!

Released in 1992 in China, then in the United States in 1996, "SuperCop" is the third installment in Jackie Chan's incredibly successful Chinese film franchise "Police Story!" At Buddy's direction, Jeff and Chad head to the east to take in the first of two Chinese action comedies. Directed by Stanley Tong, and co-starring Michelle Yeoh, SuperCop finds Inspector Chan Ka Kui once again being called upon to stop crime, this time in the form of a drug lord about to escape from prison. Featuring the stunt work of Chan and Yeoh (all of the stunts, mind you), this film will make you gasp as you realize that all of the stunts were actually performed by Chan and Yeoh themselves (no CGI, no stunt people for them)! And while there was some dissatisfaction with the story elements, no one could fault the incredible agility and skill of the stuntwork in the film!

This episode is all about Stephen Chow's epic tale of love, fate, and heroes, 2004's "Kung Fu Hustle!" Directed, co-written, and starring Chow, the film also features Tze Chung Lam, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen, and dozens of others! Follow fellow miscreants Sing and Bone as they try to join the infamous Axe Gang, going to far as to try to intimidate the denizens of Pig Sty Alley. Unbeknownst to them, or the rest of the Axe Gang, heroes and masters are hidden within day-to-day inhabitants of the tenement, and they almost literally explode into action when their home is threatened! An homage to American cinema, Warner Brothers cartoons, and Chinese musicals of the 60s (which were all set in the 30s and 40s), this is a stylistic experience like no other. And that's probably why, apart from Buddy, one of the reviewers loved it, and one of them didn't much like it at all! Tune in to find out who, and why. And, with Halloween coming up, find out what two classic horror films the guys will be reviewing for episodes 70 and 71!

The first of two Halloween 2017 episodes goes back 86 years, to the early days of the Universal horror franchise, before horror was even thought of as a film genre, with 1931's "Frankenstein!" Directed by James Whale, produced by E.M. Asher and Carl Laemmle Jr., the film stars Colin Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein, Dwight Frye as Fritz, and in the role that made him a star, Boris Karloff as the Monster! This is the film where we get our image of what Frankenstein's monster looks like, and that's because of the genius of Make-Up Artist Jack P. Pierce, and the method of Karloff's take on the role of a lifetime! A true horror classic that everyone should see at least once!

3700 years ago, a forbidden love resulted in the death of an Egyptian priest. Now his mummy has been unearthed and accidentally re-animated! But does he go on a traditional horror rampage? No, instead he stumbles across a woman who appears to be the reincarnation of his lost love, and sets about doing whatever it takes to reuinite them, no matter how terrifying and horrific that might be! From 1932, it's Universal's "The Mummy," starring Boris Karloff in the titular role, alongside the stunningly gorgeous Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Bramwell Fletcher, and the versatile Edward Van Sloan. Directed by Karl Freund and also co-produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., this film represents the maturing of the studio, both in terms of horror and in terms of the industry moving from silent to sound! Plus, the trio reveal what listener-suggested pairing they're doing for the next two episodes!

Redford and Newman. Two names that are amazing separately, but together they spell true Hollywood magic! This episode is all about the 1969 classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which first paired Redford and Newman, and started an actor's bromance that turned out to be gold at the box office, as the number of Academy Awards this duo racked up shows! Written by the incredible William Goldman, and directed by George Hill, the film also stars the incredible Katherine Ross along with some great character actors like Henrey Jones, Jeff Corey, George Furth, Cloris Leachman, Ted Cassidy, and Kenneth Mars, this is a fusion of history and modernity, most clearly with the pop-jazz Burt Bacharach soundtrack, featuring a song everyone in the world probably knows!

Part two of our "Classic Bromance" episodes finds Robert Redford and Paul Newman together again, but this time in a completely different environment! It's the 1930s in Chicago, and con artists and grifters are all part of the day-to-day game. When young Johnny Hooker's (Redford) partner gets killed, he sets off to find Henry Gondorff (Newman), a veteran con man who can teach him what he needs to know to get his revenge by pulling off the greatest long con in history! Directed (again) by George Hill, written by David S. Ward, and featuring a truly epic supporting cast, including Robers Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, and Dana Elcar, this film won 7 of the 10 Academy Awards it was nominated for in 1974, and deservedly so! Plus, hear why 1977 is such a special year, and what films the trio have chosen to celebrate it with!

"A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away..." These words have been emblazoned on film history since May 25th, 1977, when George Lucas's epic space opera, "Star Wars," was first relased! A relatively new director, a band of actors both seasoned and new, a dream of special effects that hadn't been invented yet, and a studio unsure of its commitment to the genre, Star Wars took the world by storm. Written and directed by George Lucas, and starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, along with veteran actors Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, and backed up by two very famous actors - Peter Cushing and Sir Alec Guinness, this film rose to heights few films ever achieve, and started a cinematic dynasty that's still being produced today! It wasn't completely smooth sailing through the production, and it was difficult to chew on the often clunky dialogue, but Star Wars found its place in film and the audience's hearts, and is one of the most beloved storied every told. Plus, it acknowledges, follows, and pays homage to the work of two revered teachers, one in mythology and one in psychology, Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, to forge a story as old as time, yet still something no one had ever seen before!

Part two of our look at paradigm-shifting films of 1977 comes from Steven Spielberg! Fresh off his success with Jaws, Spielberg took on a completely different topic, and delivered a technological and storytelling masterpiece, with the help of music from acclaimed master composer John Williams! Written and directed by Spielberg, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, the amazing director Francios Truffaut in a rare American acting role, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, and Bob Balaban, this film details the first real contact between the earth and a species from outer space. Parallel stories lead to a fusion ending full of strength, grit, determination, music, science, and above all, hope! Throw in love, seeming-insanity, dedication, and an ability to not blink in the face of seemingly impossible things, and you have a story that'll just make you feel good about our chances as a species! And Jeff, Buddy, and Chad reveal how a combination of talents from Lucas and Spielberg informed their choice of the next two films on their list!

The result of a Hawaiian vacation meeting between Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas resulted in one of the greatest adventure films of all times: Raiders of the Lost Ark! Directed by Speilberg, with a story created by Lucas and expertly crafted into a screenplay by the amazing Lawrence Kasdan, and scored by the musical genius John Williams, this movie began a second franchise for Lucas, also with Harrison Ford! Although not the first person courted, Ford is now the only one anyone can see embodying the title role! Also starring Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacy, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, George Harris, and a very young Alfred Molina, this film also features the amazing cinematography of Douglas Slocombe, and some of the best-choreographed action scenes in movie history!

Our second look at rollicking adventure films is a movie from the 80s that borrows from both the adventure and romance genres: Romancing the Stone! Directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Diane Thomas, this film chronicles the life of romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner), who must leave the comforts of modern living and travel to Columbia to save her sister! She meets, and is saved by, dashing Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), who grudgingly agrees to help her. Also starring Danny DeVito, Zack Norman, the hilarious Alfonso Arau, Manuel Ojeda, Holland Taylor, and Mary Ellen Trainor, this is a story of treasure, greed, adventure, and love, that's purely 80s! Plus, find out what two classic films the geeks and git are reviewing for their Christmas pairing this year!

For a movie that was investigated by the FBI, and was a box-office flop when it first premiered, this film has aged exceptionally well! It's December, and that means holiday films, and the first one is a Frank Capra classic, 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life!" Directed and co-written by Capra, this film stars Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore in a rare villainous role! The film also stars Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, and Gloria Grahame! This unlikely hit sat in obscurity until a clerical error helped it show up on just about every television station around the holidays, and helped it become one of the most iconic holiday films of all time!

A film about Santa Clause, released in June of 1947, with a marketing campaign that never once mentioned Santa (or Christmas). Just how much of a hit could such a movie be? Well, history has rendered its verdict, and found this a holiday classic for film viewers young and old! In this episode (released on Christmas, 2017), Jeff, Buddy, and Chad look back at the 1947 hit "Miracle on 34th Street!" Written and directed by George Seaton, based on a story by Valentine Davies, and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Charlie Halloran, a very young Natalie Wood, and the fantastic Edmund Gwenn (who won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as Kris Kringle), this film has been remade several times for TV and film, the best of those being the 1994 version. But no remake can touch the heartwarming tale that's told in the original, something to gather up your loved ones and watch on Christmas Day!

For the first of two romantic comedies, both of which culminate on New Year's Eve, it's two greats behind the camera and four greats in front of the camera working together to create one of the best in the genre, in 1989's "When Harry Met Sally!" Directed by Rob Reiner, written by Nora Ephron, and starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby, this story follows a man and a woman whose lives cross, and then cross again, and again, and again, until they become friends, and then possibly even more! As a romantic comedy, this film hits all the right notes without falling into the traps of the genre. It's a road-map of how such films should be made!

For the second episode pairing romantic comedies, we turn to the work of writer/director Nancy Meyers and her 2006 film "The Holiday." Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, and Eli Wallach, this film follows Amanda (Dias) and Iris (Winslet) as they both flee from their homes for the holiday and exchange houses, one traveling to Surrey, England, the other to Los Angeles, California. Amanda meets Iris's brother Graham (Law) and the sparks fly immediately, while Iris meets film score composer Miles (Black) as well as retired Hollywood screenwriting legend Arthur (Wallach), who helps her find her way back to strength and sanity, and encourages the burgeoning romance with Miles! While not a universal top pick by our geeks and git, it's a fun watch, and with a film score by Hans Zimmer, along with a couple neat cameos, it's a fun movie to get swept away by. And it also ends at New Year's Eve, just like our previous film! Plus, the Geeks and Git reveal which top Hollywood director will provide their next pairing!

We're paying tribute to another director for this pairing. It's Stanley Kubrick films, and we're starting with the classic "2001: A Spacy Odyssey," directed by Kubrick and based on a short story by science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke! Starring Keir Dullea as Dave Bowman, Gary Lockwood as Frank Poole, and featuring the voice of Douglas Rain as the HAL 9000 computer, this story did more to fuel worries about artificial intelligence than any film short of Ex Machina. If you've not seen the film, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad will explain why it's a classic you must experience first-hand! And if you have seen the film, the trio will explain the parts of it that no one understands after their first (or second, or third, or fourth) viewing!

For the second episode looking at the work of acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick, we turn to his 1971 epic "A Clockwork Orange." This was the first time Kubrick had written a screenplay, based on a novel, by himself, as well as directing the film. Jeff and Chad talk through this film (while Buddy is out sick) including a synopsis for those who haven't seen it, a sample of the film's music as part of the trailer, and try to figure out such a truly terrifying film is, at the same time, so incredibly beautiful and moving! While it's not a casual viewing experience for Geek or GIT, this is absolutely one of Kubrick's finest films. It tackles subject matter that only Kubrick could make so compelling and so uncomfortable at the same time! This film truly unique across the history of cinema! Plus, Chad and Jeff discuss lightening the mood for the next pairing by moving into cinematic depictions of rock and roll!

It's rock 'n roll biopics for this pairing of films, and Jeff, Buddy, and Chad are taking you back to the late 1950s with a film that follows the rise of 17-year-old Richard Valenzuela, who would later be known as Ritchie Valens, the outstanding rock singer and guitarist. 1987's "La Bamba," written and directed by Luis Valdez, with the support of, and input from, the Valenzuela family, is a (mostly) historically accurate retelling of how a migrant farmworker from southern California went on to become one of the fastest rising stars of the early rock era! Starring Lou Diamond Phillips in his first leading role, with co-stars Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Pena, Joe Pantoliano, Rick Dees, and cameo musical performances from Marshall Crenshaw, Howard Huntsberry, and Brian Setzer, this film tackles every part of life in SoCal in the late 50s, including the struggle between Ritchie and his brother Bob, and the racial tensions of the era. But it does it all with some absolutely amazing music, much of it courtesy of Los Lobos!

The second rock 'n roll biopic for this pairing looks at, arguably, one of the wildest musicians of rock's first age, Jerry Lee Lewis, in the 1989 film "Great Balls of Fire!" Jeff, Buddy, and Chad take a look at one of those performance where you can swear the lead actor is being possessed by the spirit of the rocker he's portraying... except that Jerry Lee isn't dead! Directed by Jim McBride, the film features an incredible performance by Dennis Quaid, perhaps the best of his career, in the lead role as the often out-of-control Lewis! He's accompanied by Winona Ryder, John Doe, the always-entertaining Stephen Tobolowsky, Trey Wilson and Alec Baldwin, with cameos from Steve Allen himself and musician Jimmy Vaughan! And the trio looks ahead at two fun-but-largely-forgotten comedies from the 1980s that revolve around the world's oldest profession for their next pairing!

We're headed back to the 80s for two forgotten comedy classics in this pairing, lovingly referred to as "Prostitution Comedies." First up, it was supposed to be Henry Winkler's anti-typecasting break-out performance, but no one told his co-star, Michael Keaton, in 1982's "Night Shift!" Directed by (at that point) first-time director Ron Howard, co-starring Shelley Long and Gina Hecht, and featuring appearances from Basil Hoffman, Jaid Barrymore, Richard Belzer, Charles Fleischer, Kevin Costner, Vincent Schiavelli, and a very young Shannen Doherty, this movie takes a buddy-comedy premise and pairs it with a romantic comedy, while doing justice to both story types! It's a love story, it's a fish-out-of-water story, and in many ways it's a nebbish-becoming-a-hero story as well! Plus, it features some truly wonderful (and very 80s) music to accompany the improbable story!

Our second "Prostitution Comedy" is similar in concept to our first: It's a fish-out-of-water story and it's a geek-becoming-a-hero story, but it accomplishes these tropes in quite a different way from the first film of the pairing. In 1983's "Doctor Detroit," directed by Michael Pressman, it's mild-mannered Clifford Skridlow (Dan Aykroyd) being used as a patsy by the conniving Smooth Walker (Howard Hessman) when Cliff is made the protector of four ladies of the evening (Donna Dixon, Lydia Lei, Lynn Whitfield, and Fran Drescher), who must keep them from becoming the property of the evil Mom (Kate Murtagh), while still fulfilling familial and collegiate responsibilities! It's a more light-hearted take on the genre, and a rollicking, fun filmic experience! And Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal their second listener-suggested film pairing for the next two episodes!

He's one of the top "cleaners" in the world, and he's no one to underestimate. But when a twelve-year-old girl needs his help, he reluctantly takes on a junior partner. Written and directed by the incredible Luc Besson, this week's film is 1994's "Leon: The Professional." Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, and Natalie Portman in her first-ever cinematic role, this film takes the "hitman" trope and approaches it from a new directly. For a "throwaway" film, this turned out to be one of the brightest spots in Besson's career!

It's our second of two Luc Besson films, this time with his cult favorite "The Fifth Element" from 1997! A rollicking action-adventure science fiction tale starring Bruce Willis, Ian Holm, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, Tiny Lister, Brion James, and the irrepressible Chris Tucker who steals the show! It's got action! It's got romance! It's got some of the most quotable lines from a movie ever! If you haven't seen this one before, do yourself a favor and lift your mood up with this film! And finally, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff talk about their first two Robin Williams film picks, and why they aren't any of his comedies!

The year is 1959 and, at Welton Academy, a preparatory school for boys, another year is beginning. This year, however, is going to be different than any other, because Professor John Keating has come to Welton to teach English Literature. His passionate, unusual style of teaching poetry seizes the imagination of several of his students, leading them to revive the long-defunct "Dead Poets Society," and attempt to "suck the marrow out of life," just as Keating did when he attended Welton. With Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Norman Lloyd, Kurtwood Smith, and Robin Williams as John Keating (a role that would net him an academy award nomination), under the guidance of director Peter Weir, and with the words of great poets and screenwriter Tom Schulman, this "unmakeable" film has become an unforgetable tribute to poetry, to love, to finding your bliss, and to the incredible acting talent that was Robin Williams!

In their second look at dramatic roles for Robin Williams, it's 1997's "Good Will Hunting." Directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and starring Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, Casey Affleck, Scott William Winters, and Robin Williams in the role that would finally net him an Academy Award, this is the story of Southie, Will (Damon), an unknown genius and mathematical prodigy, who is discovered by Dr. Gerald Lambeau (Skarsgard). After a run-in with the law that Will cannot talk his way out of, he is remanded into the "custody" of Lambeau on the condition that he work with the professor every week, and that he get therapy. After convincing several other therapists that they cannot help him, Lambeau turns to his old friend Sean (Williams), who decides that Will is a challenge worth accepting. Damon and Affleck would also win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film as well! And finally, let the terrible trio of film tell you about the two "ultimate classic" horror films they're reviewing for episodes 92 and 93!

It's off to the silent era waaaaaaaaay back near the beginning of cinema itself for this pairing of 1920s horror films! Jeff, Buddy, and Chad review the vampire movie that started it all, 1922's "Nosferatu." Directed by the great F. W. Murnau, based on Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" (which got them into a lot of hot water), and starring the great German character actor Max Schreck as "Count Orlok," (Count Dracula) this movie brought horror and German Expressionism together to create magic and history! Co-starring Gustav von Wangenheim as "Hutter" (Jonathan Harker), Greta Schroeder as "Ellen" (Mina), and Alexander Granach as "Knock" (Renfield), the film still holds thrills and chills even today! View the "Transit Film/Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung" version if at all possible, to see the tinting and hear the original score!

Part two of the pairing of silent film-era horror cinema focuses on 1925's "Phantom of the Opera" starring none other than Lon Chaney as "The Phantom!" Based on the Gaston Leroux novel, and directed by a quartet (although three are uncredited), this film also stars Mary Philbin as "Christine Daae," Norman Kerry as "The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny," Arthur Edmund Carewe as "Ledoux," Mary Fabian as "Corlotta," and Virginia Pearson as "Carlotta's Mother," this film is a testament to the power of lighting and make-up! To this day, experts still don't know for certain how Chaney managed the skeletal look for his Phantom, although many have guesses. Again, if you can find the 2011 "Film Preservation Associates, Inc." version, you'll get to see the marvelous tinting and probably one of the best restored versions of the film available! Plus, the trio turn to another director for their next pairing, but you have to listen to find out which one!

We're turning to Quentin Tarantino as a director for the next two epsiodes of the podcast, starting with his directorial debut with 1992's "Reservoir Dogs!" Written and directed by Tarantino, and starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, and Quentin Tarantino himself, this is the story of a heist crew made up of strangers, professionals all, a heist that goes horribly wrong, and the fall-out between a group of career criminals afterwards. It's like a bloody gangster film, an action-oriented heist film, and an introspective character drama all rolled up in one! It also established several elements of modern filmmaking, things that seems "normal" now, but weren't included in films prior to this breakout directorial performance!

For the second look at Quentin Tarantino films, we move ahead two years to 1994's "Pulp Fiction!" Directed by Tarantino, and written with Rover Avary, this film tells four separate stories that all intertwine, with some characters never meeting and others crossing paths more than once. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Uma Thurman, and featuring Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, and Harvey Keitel, this story is so well-written you won't even notice how often the characters are using very... um... "colorful" language! Arguably Tarantino's best film, if you only ever see one of his movies, this is the one you should see! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff discuss the genre-whiplash maneuver they're executing as the move to the next two films on their list!

By popular demand, we're back with another look at Pixar films! But this time around, we're delving into a film, a favorite of one of our hosts, that combines 19th century philosophy, 20th century hero fatigues, and 21st century family life, into one of the most fantastic superhero stories ever! Written and directed by Brad Bird (who also does a voice in the film), and the voice-acting talents of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Elizabeth Peña, and (of course), John Ratzenberger, this film shares a basic storyline with the much-darker "Watchmen" and tells the story of a society that's outlawed being super, and how one family is coping with being forced to hide in plain site! And, accompanied by the top-notch Michael Giacchino score, this is a film that is truly fun for all ages!

Part 2 of part 2 of Pixar films looks at the only Pixar film to cover the first 70+ years of the story in the first eleven minutes of the movie! If this film doesn't bring a tear to your eye at some point, you're either dead inside or not paying attention! This is a central metaphor-lover's dream-come-true, with its story about love lost and how one learns to live life again! Directed by Pete Doctor, Co-Directed by Bob Peterson, and written by Doctor, Peterson, and Tim McCarthy, this film features a relatively small cast of voice actors, including Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, and John Ratzenberger, but still manages to pack a gigantic whallop! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal the fantasy trip they're going on in the next set of episodes!

It's back to the 80s we go, for two of the "best" fantasy films of that decade! Starting off, it's the 1982 cinematic epic that truly put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the public's radar, "Conan the Barbarian!" Directed by John Milius and written by Milius and Oliver Stone (yes, THAT Oliver Stone), this film also stars James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Cassandra Gava, Gerry Lopex, Mako, Valérie Quennessen, and William Smith. This is truly a fantasy spectacle, featuring amazing costumes, art direction, sets, and one of the finest scores ever written for any film, so much so that it tells the story when there are no words to do so! While clearly an artifact from the 80s, the movie holds up as a great fantasy-adventure film even today!