Two Geeks and a GIT Classic Movie Reviews

For the second film in our homage to the car chase, we turn to 1971's "Vanishing Point," which answers the question "Does speed kill?" in more ways than one. Directed by Richard C. Sarafian, written by Cuban screenwriter Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and starring Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger, and Victoria Medlin, the film represents a significant entry in the counter-culture movie genre especially popular in the early 1970s, when disillusionment with the government, the police, the war in Vietnam, and organized religion was starting to really simmer. It also has a rather deep philosophical message (although whether existential or nihilistic, we'll let you be the judge) that doesn't exactly endear the film to one of our reviewers once he understand it, but it's interesting nonetheless! Plus, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff reveal what two non-traditional buddy cop films they'll be talking about for the next two episodes!

We're celebrating the car chase in films in this episode of the podcast, with the movie that defined what a film car chase should be, and is still influencing moviemakers today, 1968's "Bullitt!" Directed by Peter Yates, and starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, and George Stanford Brown, it's a trip back to the end of the 60s in San Francisco! Plus minor supporting roles by Vic Tayback, stuntman Bill Hickman, a cameo appearances by Julie Christy, and a first-ever cinematic appearance from Joanna Cassidy! And accompanied by a Lalo Schifrin score, this movie is an ode to police work at the turn of the decade, even if one of our geeks feels the romantic storyline was shoehorned in. :)

It's the second of our looks at the comedy work of the one, the only, Bill Murray, in 1993's "Groundhog Day!" Directed and co-written by long-time friend Harold Ramis, Murray plays weatherman Phil Connors who gets stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, reliving the same day, and having to cover the groundhog, over and over and over and over and over... but ultimately for good reason. Co-written by Danny Rubin, and co-starring Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Rick Ducommun, and Rick Overton, this film has such an ultimately funny AND profound message that some major world religions think it represents tenets of their individual philosophies! Plus, it has some of the most quotable lines ever to come from a Bill Murray movie! And finally, the trio disclose the first full pairing of their second hundred episodes, coming up next!!

Happy 100th episode! To celebrate, we're focusing on the genius work from actor and comedian Bill Murray, starting with his 1981 blockbuster hit "Stripes!" When a disaffected slacker decides to join the army, and drags his best friend with him, it could be a train-wreck, but with Ivan Reitman at the helm, and Bill Murray and Harold Ramis as the stars, it becomes one of the best comedies in American cinema! Co-starring John Candy, John Larroquette, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Diehl, Judge Reinhold, and the amazing Warren Oates, this was an anthem for the beginning of the Reagan era by poking holes in the idea that the military was the solution for everything, for everyone! And with Elmer Bernstein providing the orchestral musical score, this movie provides an fantastic viewing experience even now!

Happy 100th episode! To celebrate, we're focusing on the genius work from actor and comedian Bill Murray, starting with his 1981 blockbuster hit "Stripes!" When a disaffected slacker decides to join the army, and drags his best friend with him, it could be a train-wreck, but with Ivan Reitman at the helm, and Bill Murray and Harold Ramis as the stars, it becomes one of the best comedies in American cinema! Co-starring John Candy, John Larroquette, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Diehl, Judge Reinhold, and the amazing Warren Oates, this was an anthem for the beginning of the Reagan era by poking holes in the idea that the military was the solution for everything, for everyone! And with Elmer Bernstein providing the orchestral musical score, this movie provides an fantastic viewing experience even now!

The second in our look back at fantasy films of the 80s feels very different from our first! This time, it's Christianity as the background for a tale of corruption in the church and a pair of cursed lovers in 1985's "Ladyhawke!" Directed by Richard Donner, written by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, and Tom Mankiewicz, this film seems almost haphazardly cast, and yet it works! In the lead roles are a young Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Supporting them are Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, and a very young Alfred Molina! Again, the background aspects of the film (costumes, art direction, and sets) bring this story to life in the imaginary land of Aquila. And, like our previous episode, the score brings a unique feel to the movie, with its sometimes-medieval and sometimes-modern sound and rhythm, but when you have the legendary Alan Parsons as the producer, you're bound to get something that's a bit different! And, finally, the trio announce the results of their search for an appropriate pairing for the 100th episode, coming up next!

The second in our look back at fantasy films of the 80s feels very different from our first! This time, it's Christianity as the background for a tale of corruption in the church and a pair of cursed lovers in 1985's "Ladyhawke!" Directed by Richard Donner, written by Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, and Tom Mankiewicz, this film seems almost haphazardly cast, and yet it works! In the lead roles are a young Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Supporting them are Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, and a very young Alfred Molina! Again, the background aspects of the film (costumes, art direction, and sets) bring this story to life in the imaginary land of Aquila. And, like our previous episode, the score brings a unique feel to the movie, with its sometimes-medieval and sometimes-modern sound and rhythm, but when you have the legendary Alan Parsons as the producer, you're bound to get something that's a bit different! And, finally, the trio announce the results of their search for an appropriate pairing for the 100th episode, coming up next!

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!

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!

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!