Category / Throwback Thursday

by WetheGeek

The Crow strikes again

I just recently watched The Crow.

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This movie had been on my watch list for a long time. I don’t really remember why I first santed to watch it but it was probably because of how people keep switching Heath Ledger’s death (cardic arrest via drugs) and Brandon Lee’s death (accident on set), probably because the two characters have pretty similer looks.

The Crow is about a young man who was killed when a bunch of thugs raided his house and defiled his bride-to-be. A few years later, a crow gives him the power to take revenge on the people who wronged him and his lover.

I guess you would call him a “hero”, or at the very least an antihero. He does do an awful lot of killing during this movie. It was a decent movie to watch, pretty basic in it’s plot, you could check out for a few minutes and still get a basic idea of what was happening. It is set on Halloween so if you’re looking for a Halloween movie, not a bad choice.

It is rated R for a reason:

Gore, drug usage, violence, swears, nudity, graphic content

-Mabel

#wethegeek #wethegeekmabel #moviereveiw #thecrow #thecrowreveiw #halloween #halloweenmovie

by WetheGeek

Over the Wall we go

I just watched “Over the Garden Wall”

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I had actually known about this series for a long time, a girl friend of mine had sat me down to watch the first two episodes with her maybe a year back. We did plan to watch the rest together but Korean dramas soon took over and we forgot about it. It wasn’t until a recently when my sister threw a party just for the explicit reason of watching the series because, for her, this is her must watch Halloween “movie”.

The series itself is about two brothers, Wart (the worrying philosopher) and Greg (happy-go-lucky singer), who want to find their way back home. Along the way, they meet interesting creatures and people and thus insues a mini conflict and resolve for each episodes. It kind of reminds me of Gravity Falls, but with a grittier character design.

It is a series that makes you say “Wait… What…?” multiple times. Some jokes you see coming from a mile away while others Jack-in-the-box you in the face. There are random moments that happen during one episode the come back later in a different episode to make sense.

The part I really enjoyed was when my sister took the opportunity when we were done watching to look up a YouTube video on 15 facts about Over the Garden Wall. I had no idea that famous actors like Tom Curry and Elijah Wood voiced characters in it. It also was apparently in production since 2004, which is incredible dedication on such a short miniseries.

I will probably have to rewatch it again at some point, it’s one of those series that things make a bit more sense once you see the end.

-Mabel

#wethegeek #wethegeekmabel #overthegardenwall #review #halloween #halloweenmovie #series #georgewashington

by WetheGeek

Predator (the decent one)

It’s the 1980s (again. That’s where all the good movies come from) and Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the highest paid action stars of his era. Conan the Barbarian came out in 1982 and Terminator came out in 1984. Now comes an action movie that all geeks recognize.

Predator.

Classic Geek Sci-Fi. I’m talking about the one from 1987. That’s pretty much the only one anyone should be talking about.

Predator first came to theaters June 12, 1987. With only a $15 million dollar budget the film did surprisingly well and grossed over $98 million. It was not critically acclaimed due to a flimsy plot but it has grown quite a fan base in the past 31 years, enough fans to make a bunch of crappy sequels and spinoffs.

The story follows a team of American Special Forces in the jungles of South America. They are on a rescue mission to find a buddy of the teams leader who is a CIA agent.

The team discovers a downed helicopter with dead US military on board. The team continues to search for the CIA agent and arrive at the town he is being held captive at. The team kills the terrorist only to find out there mission isn’t to rescue anyone but o find out information on the Soviets.

As the team leaves they are tracked by a mysterious figure that turns out to be a killer alien. The alien is one of the best hunters in the galaxy. Through traps and an assorted weapons the alien kills most of the soldiers. The final battle between Arnold and the Predator is very explosive.

This movie was the first use of one of the most iconic lines Arnold has ever said, “ Get to the Choppa!” As far as quality it’s not a bad movie. It’s a lot of fun and very interesting to watch and see that man isn’t always the top of the food chain. Overall the special effects are typical of 80s movies and for the most part the plot isn’t super crazy. It’s all pretty straight forward. I enjoyed it and I think it’s the best in the series. Which isn’t saying much.

I give it a 6/10 😐

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Ghostbusters (the good one)

We are going to start Spooktober Throwback Thursday off right with a classic geek comedy

Ghostbusters

It’s the 1980’s and Dan Aykroyd is living the big life. SNL is at its peak and nothing can go wrong. Dan along with the help of John Belushi come up with a crazy script about a time traveling SWAT like team fighting ghosts. They titled it Ghostmashers. Seeing the budget (and technology) issues with the first script, Ivan Reitman told Aykroyd to rewrite it. And he did. We finally ended up with what was released in 1984.

I’m going to be honest. You should have seen this in the 34 years it’s been out. But if you haven’t I’ll give you a short recap.

Ghostbusters follows Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson around New York catching ghosts. Aykroyd, Murray, and Ramis are failed Columbia University scientists who get kicked out of school and have to start over. They put together enough money to start a small team to fight and capture ghosts.

New York is strangely exploding with ghosts at this time and the team is in high demand. They hire Hudson to help with the influx. The team is called by Sigourney Weaver to figure out why a demon is hiding in her apartment.

The EPA steps in and screws everything up (typical big government). The EPA accidentally starts the apocalypse by releasing all the ghosts the team had captured. The team discovered the demon in Weavers apartment is responsible and they have to fight it. I’ll let you watch the rest to see how they did.

Ghostbusters is a classic. It’s spun off a ton of material including cartoons, video games, and two other terrible live action movies. If you ignore all the crap it’s helped create you can actually enjoy the movie. It’s funny and charming and not too far down the science fiction path that it gets confusing. It’s very well balanced and includes some amazing talent. Rick Moranis even has a role that he does well. It will definitely make you laugh and probably even cheer as you watch the plucky team fight their was to fame and fortune. It’s iconic and incredible. It’s all memorable and enjoyable from the cast to the music.

I give it a solid 8/10 😃

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The last in our Indiana Jones #tbt series is finally here. Our last crusade so to speak, or more accurately Indy’s. The conclusion to an amazing trilogy that definitely does not have a forth movie about aliens in South America and crazy Commies.

It’s 1938 and Indy is already in trouble. His dad has gone missing while searching for the Holy Grail. Indy must travel all over Europe in search of his dad who has been kidnapped by… drum roll please… Nazis! Indy rescues his dad and the two return to searching for the grail. Things don’t go as planned and the Nazis make a mess of things, go figure. If you want to know what happens you should go watch it.

The Last Crusade was released May 24, 1989. It tied up the lose ends of the other two movies and gave Indy a nice retirement. Made yet again by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg the movie wasn’t half bad. It wasn’t nearly as dark as Temple of Doom and gave a nice background on Indy and his Dad who was played by Sean Connery.

I didn’t hate the movie. All things considered I didn’t think it was half bad. I have seen worse and I honestly feel it was better then Temple of Doom. It added a new adventure but didn’t betray the other movies. Overall I would give it a 7/10 🙂

Tune in next week when we start “scary” and “Halloween” geek movies to celebrate Spooktober!

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

It’s that time of the week again! We are here to put on our rose tinted glasses and look at classic 70s,80s, and 90s movies. It’s week two of the Indiana Jones trilogy and it’s another great movie.

We pick up with Indy a year before the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s 1935 and Indy is in deep trouble again. He is on the run from the Chinese mob and ends up getting partnered with a little kid named Short Round (how original). During their dating escape they end up in a small village in India. The village is in bad shape because of a cult. Indy sets off to stop the cult leader and save the village. A lot of crazy things happen like a mine cart chase and human sacrifices.

Created again by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg this sequel was supposed to be a lot darker then it ended up (I think human sacrifices is pretty bad). Lucas said “it had to have been a dark film. The way Empire Strikes Back was the dark second act of the Star Wars trilogy.” Lucas and Spielberg disagreed on much of the film, everything from the main villains to locations. After a lot of work we have the film that we all love today. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released May 23, 1984 to the pubic who loved it.

Temple of Doom is not my favorite of the three. I tend to find it a bit too strange. That’s not to say there aren’t great scenes like the mine carts or the temple itself. But all in I think it could have been better. There were ideas about an adventure around the Great Wall of China or bringing back a few of the Nazis but in the end they didn’t happen. I would have much rather seen the China story line over the Temple. But in the end it’s not a bad movie.

I give it a 6/10 😐

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not all heroes wear capes. Some are college professors that wear a fedora and carry a whip. You probably already know who I’m talking about, Indiana Jones! Indy is the star of the next few weeks of our #throwbackthursday series. ⠀
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By the same studio that brought you Star Wars (Lucas Films) and the mind of Steven Spielberg comes an action movie that stands out. It has romance, adventure, treasure, and nazi fighting! Harrison Ford plays the smart and dashing rogue archeologist Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones who is out to seek the truth and do so in style. A trilogy (just. A. Trilogy.) the whole family can enjoy!⠀
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If the cheesy trailer doesn’t sell you, well I’m not done. The first Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first in a series that followed Indy on his adventures to save priceless treasures and protect the past from the nazis and evil soviets. ⠀
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Raiders came out in 1981. The story is based in 1936 and follows Indy as he tries to find the Ark of the Covenant as talked about in the Bible. On his way to find the Ark Indy must fight off Nazis and try to stay one step ahead of them the entire time. ⠀
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Raiders started a franchise that has long been a staple of action adventure movies. Most people have seen and love the trilogy. Small side note, I know there is a forth Indy but I absolutely hate it and it wasn’t made in the 80s so it doesn’t count. Deal with it. I digress, Harrison Ford does an amazing job playing a rogue character that you really come to like. He is brash, charismatic, and what most young boys want to be. I love this series if you couldn’t tell. Well most of it. Overall I give Raiders a solid 7/10⠀
-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Part III is the final part of the BttF trilogy. Even though it is the third by no means is it the weakest. Most people would assume by three movies, going back in time would be a tired old trope because the films would follow the same formula. They would be wrong. Sureee Marty (Michael J. Fox) gets stuck in some different time and has to have help getting back to 1985. But with each one there is a fun variation on how it happens and how time travel even works. It’s not always as simple as it seems.

In part III Marty gets stuck in 1885 with an also stranded Doc. Both have to fight off the town bullies and attempt to get back to 1985. Inadvertently Doc falls in love with a beautiful woman whom he just can’t leave. By the end Doc decides two things. To send Marty back alone and to destroy the time machine. These decisions have a lot of repercussions and you will have to watch to find out how the trilogy ends.

Overall it isn’t my favorite of the three but I also don’t hate it. It’s a solid conclusion that ties up the story nicely. In the end I give the Back to the Future trilogy 7.5/10. So go rewatch it and have some fun along the way!

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Back to the Future Part II

Back to the Future part II is crazy. I think that’s the best way to describe it. After the events of Part I, the sequel follows almost immediately. Back to the Future Parts II and III were filmed back to back in 1989-1990. Each one quickly followed its predecessor since the success of the first BttF in 1985. Part II had a $40 million budget and made over $332 million worldwide. Much or the original cast returned except Crispin Glover and Claudia Wells. Part II was released November 22, 1989 to mixed reviews from critics. It currently holds a 7.8/10 on IMDb.

For those of you who have seen it I’ll try to summarize. Doc Brown finds Marty happily enjoying 1985. Doc tells Marty that Marty’s kids are in danger in the future and need help. They both travel to 2015 to discover a strange world with flying cars and growing pizzas. In short Biff (the reoccurring villain) steals the time machine and travels to 1955 so he can change 1985 because he wants a better 2015. He ends up ruining the world and everything is terrible. Marty and Doc have to fix the time line. In the end Doc is stuck in 1885 and Marty has to go save him.

The movie is a lot more technical then that but that’s the easy description. It’s a lot easier if you would just go watch it.

I love this entire trilogy. If that wasn’t evident yet. The use of time travel and classic 80s tunes are fantastically done. Even the use of the “butterfly effect” is well done. For those of you not versed in made up science, the butterfly effect is when someone goes back in time and accidentally kills a butterfly. The results in the present could be disastrous. You never know what that butterfly could effect in the past. I’m part II this is addressed when the villain helps his past self make a lot of money and in the end takes over the present. It’s really messed up but also fascinating.

I really enjoy this trilogy and highly suggest it. Or more accurately I think you should all rewatch it.

-RytheGeek

by WetheGeek

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

Time travel is pretty neat. For a long time I’ve wanted to see the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the birth of Christ. Back to the Future is the quintessential geek movie that made time travel seem possible. With a stroke of luck, good casting, and 1.21 Jigawatts Robert Zemeckis made a trilogy that has stood the rest of time.

Most people have seen BttF sometime in the past 33 years but for those of you who have missed it I’ll explain briefly. Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) is friends with an old scientist named Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Doc Brown has spent his whole life trying to achieve time travel, and does it by converting an AMC DeLorean into a time machine. Marty accidentally travels back to 1955 (from the present 1985) and hi jinx ensue.

The comedy written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale was an instant success. The movie made over $11 million opening weekend and has since made over $210 million. To be fair the film wasn’t always a classic though. “The script was rejected forty four times before it was finally green-lit.” IMDb.com reports. Thankfully the finished product was astounding and still holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In the 33 years since it’s July 3, 1985 release BttF has spawned two sequels, several books, and cemented itself in pop culture. So much that the DeLorean was featured as the main mode of transportation for the hero in the book and film Ready Player One.

Each of the resulting BttF sequels was based in a different time period and I will discuss these films in weeks to come.

I can’t begin to praise this trilogy enough. I love everything from the score, to the 80s icons used, to the attention to detail. All of that is not mentioning the fantastic acting by the stars Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd. To say the least I’m a huge fan. I love BttF and give it a solid 8.5/10. If somehow you haven’t seen it, go watch it. And for everyone that has, go rent it again.
-RytheGeek