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!

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!
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!
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!

