Two Geeks and a GIT Classic Movie Reviews

Episode 204 begins our "Fish Out of Water" comedy pairing, starting with a lesser-known Steve Martin vehicle, 1990's "My Blue Heaven!" Directed by Herbert Ross and penned by acclaimed writer-director Nora Ephron, Martin stars alongside Rick Moranis (in a rare straight-man role), Joan Cusack, Melanie Mayron, Bill Irwin, Carol Kane, William Hickey, Daniel Stern, and a cast of great character actors. Vincent Antonelli (Martin) and his wife are in federal witness protection, awaiting Vinnie's trial appearances. Rangled by FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Moranis), Antonelli is, to say the least, a handful. He doesn't blend in, he doesn't change, he doesn't want to be there... in short, he's a nightmare assignment for Barney. This film is loosely based on the real-life of Henry Hill, the same man who was the basis for "Goodfellas." This film, however, is a comedy that starts a bit slowly but picks up along the way and comes to a very satisfying conclusion!

Episode 203 is the second in our "Movies About Movies" pairing, and the Indie-est of Indie films done on this podcast thus far, yet is also one of the mostly strangely affecting as well. Described by one of the geeks as "A romantic comedy that segues, somewhere along the line, into a romantic fantasy," 2003's "The Movie Hero" was never released theatrically, but it won several awards throughout its two-year film festival exhibition! Written and directed by Brad T. Gottfred, the movie follows Blake Gardner (Jeremy Sisto), self-proclaimed movie nut, as he navigates his daily life, all the while talking to "his audience," invisible to everyone but Blake. In his efforts to be a good movie hero for his audience, he spots a suspicious character (Peter Stormare) who becomes the problem he must solve. He then recruits a sidekick (Brian White) but, before they can head off to defeat the bad guy, Blake is arrested. He then meets his court-assigned therapist, Elizabeth (Dina Meyer), who Blake immediately decides is his love interest, and begins telling her all about his audience and why the suspicious character must be stopped. Although not a unanimously positive review, this film has more production value, and more heart, than many films with larger budgets, and is absolutely beloved of one of the trio! Plus, the geeks and G.I.T. reveal which two "fish out of water" comedies they'll be reviewing for their next pairing!

Episode 202 begins our pairing of "Movies About Movies," whether that be making them, appreciating them, or loving them the way we do! First up, it's director Christopher Guest's first feature film, 1989's "The Big Picture." Written by Guest, Michael Varhol, and Michael McKean, the story follows award-winning (in school) director Nick Chapman, newly graduated, entering the hard-to-navigate waters of the Hollywood film system. This is made all the more difficult by a couple of sharks in those waters, producer Allen Habel (J.T. Walsh) and selfishly avaricious actress Gretchen (Teri Hatcher in her first big-screen role). Their influence has Nick losing his girlfriend Susan (Emily Longstreth) and his best friend Emmet (Michael McKean), until a chance re-meeting with film school buddy Lydia (Jennifer Jason Leigh) sets him on a path that, strangely enough, guides him back to his roots. A film that roasts Hollywood even as it's saluting it and playing with its traditions and behaviors, plus a plethora of cameos!

Episode 201 is the 2nd in our pairing of Best Picture Academy Award-winning films that seriously underperformed at the box office when they first came out. This time, we move ahead to 1954 and a film that's considered one of the classic films to be made in the 50s, a film that was mired in controversy (and still is for some), but cemented Marlon Brando's place as Hollywood royalty: "On The Waterfront." Directed by Elia Kazan (a hero to some, villain to others, for "naming names" during the House Un-American Activities Committee pursuit of Communists in Hollywood), the film stars Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, and introduced the world to Eva Marie Saint. Perhaps an attempt to get back at Arthur Miller, perhaps an attempt to make up for his HUAC testimony, one thing is for certain: This is an American classic for all times, and netted eight Oscars in 1955! Plus, the trio reveal which two "Movies about making movies" they'll be reviewing for the next pairing!

It's our 200th episode and the first in our pairing of Best Picture Academy Award-winning films that seriously underperformed at the box office when they first came out! Our first film is also director Alfred Hitchcock's first American film, 1940's "Rebecca." Starring Laurence Olivier (pre "Sir"), Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Gladys Cooper, and Edward Fielding. The story follows Maxim de Winter, a lonely widower who falls in love with a young woman, marries her, and takes her home to his mansion known as Manderley. There, the new Mrs. de Winter meets friend and foe amongst the people who work for Maxim, although she doesn't know why she is despised by some and befriended by others. In true Hitchcockian fashion, the story twists and turns until you're not sure who to believe, but you know you're enjoying a cinematic ride like no other!

Episode 199 finishes up our "second century of reviews," so-to-speak, with another classic 1960's musical. From the last episode, we move ahead two years to 1964 for another film based on a hit Broadway musical, "My Fair Lady!" Expertly directed by veteran director George Cukor, this story follows a poor street girl who sells flowers to get by, being taken in by two linguistics professors as the object of a bet: That one of them can, in six months, turn her into a young woman presentable enough to attend court with royalty and not give away her lower-class origin! Audrey Hepburn plays Eliza Doolittle, with Rex Harrison playing Professor Henry Higgins and Wilfrid Hyde-White as Colonel Hugh Pickering, the former accepting the wager from the latter. Add to that Stanley Holloway as Alfred P. Doolittle (Eliza's father), Gladys Cooper as Henry's mother, and Mona Washbourne as Mrs. Pierce (Henry's housekeeper) and you have a group of excellent performers who, in turn, present a film that took home eight Academy awards, including Best Picture! Plus, the trio reveal which two listener-suggested films will make up the pairing for the 200th episode!

Episode 198 begins our 1960s classic musical pairing with, arguably, one of the best musicals ever made, in or out of the 1960s! We head back to 1962 for the cinematic version of Meredith Wilson's smash Broadway musical "The Music Man!" Directed for the silver screen by Morton DaCosta, this is the story of a traveling salesman/con artist who tries to bamboozle a small town in Iowa, and ends up falling for the maiden piano teacher he's supposed to be sweeping off her feet! Starring Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill, Shirley Jones as Marian Paroo, Buddy Hackett as Harold's old friend and confidant Marcellus Washburn, Paul Ford and the inestimable Hermione Gingold as Mayor and Mrs. Shinn, the Buffalo Bills as the town council-turned-barbershop quartet, and one of the first appearances of a very young Ron (billed as "Ronny") Howard, this film is a lively trip through the antics of a small Iowa town in the year 1912! Great songs, excellent performances, and dance numbers that will make your eyes wide and your toes tap!

Welcome to our Top-5 lists, a bonus for our faithful subscribers! Buddy, Chad, and Jeff discuss their favorite movie quotes, a top-5 list that was the hardest to winnow down to five entries yet! Fifteen amazing quotes from fourteen films (Jeff and Chad shared a film, but not the quotes from it)! There will be new 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 197.5: We thought that, with everything going on in the world, it might be worthwhile to examine how cinema has dealt with various types of plagues and pandemics. The thought was: It's got to be worse than what we're currently experiencing with the COVID-19 outbreak... and we were right! Buddy, Chad, and Jeff each review two pandemic films: "Carriers" (2009) directed by David and Alex Pastor, "Blindness" (2008) directed by Fernando Meirelles, "28 Days Later" (2002) directed by Danny Boyle, "The Omega Man" (1971) directed by Boris Sagal, "Contagion" (2011) directed by Steven Soderbergh, and the remake of the George Romero film "The Crazies" (2010) directed by Breck Eisner. For each film, we've got a breakdown of the cast and plot, the trailer, and then a bit about how much the reviewing individual can recommend the film. Remember: These films are supposed to make you feel better, because what's going on in the world today isn't as bad as what's depicted herein. If you're someone who's already anxious, or a major germaphobe, please use your own discretion when viewing these movies!

Episode 197: The second film in a pairing of movies about who the real monsters are is radically different from the first, but just as clear in its message. Clive Barker (of "Hellraiser" fame) wrote and directed 1990's "Nightbreed," based on a story he wrote entitled "Cabal." It tells of a young man, Boone (played by Craig Sheffer) plagued by nightmares of a place called Midian. His girlfriend Lori (played by Anne Bobby) suggests that he return to see the psychiatrist he'd gone to before, Dr. Decker (played by horror director David Cronenberg). The film also features "Hellraiser" alum Doug Bradley in a tale about a group of "Nightbreed," creatures many would call monsters, who simply want to live their lives, but who end up being hunted by the police and a serial killer, and only the chosen one can save them! Plus, find out what two classic 60's musicals the trio will be examining for the end of their second hundred reviews!