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!
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 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. & 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.
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!