Skip to main content
Discerning Geeks Portal

Discerning Geeks Portal

By Discerning Geeks Portal

Discerning Geeks Portal is a gateway into the exploration of all things geek: Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, ‘80s movies, TV, and more. Dave, Todd, Andruw, and Preston, take a discerning look into the world of geek fandom.

We care about intriguing storytelling, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes, but we also love action, special effects, and comedy. We break down the positives, negatives, and mixed feelings about everything we cover. Step through the portal with us for fun and analytical discussions about geek culture, for fans, by fans.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

#162 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 - Part 1 - X-Men '97, Shogun, Invincible, Darkplace, The Rookie, 9-1-1, and more...

Discerning Geeks PortalApr 22, 2024

00:00
01:08:57
#162 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 - Part 1 - X-Men '97, Shogun, Invincible, Darkplace, The Rookie, 9-1-1, and more...

#162 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 - Part 1 - X-Men '97, Shogun, Invincible, Darkplace, The Rookie, 9-1-1, and more...

It's time for another Drive-Time Chat with Todd & Preston. As usual, they packed in more topics (and side tangents) than they expected, so be on the lookout for Part 2. For now, here's what they they cover in Part 1.


- "X-Men ’97" first half of season 1

- "Shogun" (up to the penultimate episode for Todd; no spoilers; Preston is still catching up)

- "The Rookie" season 6 so far

- "9-1-1" season 7 so far

- Jerry Stiller

- "The Ark" (when is season 2 coming out?!?)

- "Invincible" season 2

- "After Midnight With Taylor Tomlinson"

- "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace"

- Cancellation of "Quantum Leap" revival after two seasons :(

- Animated "Justice League" series and other shows that lasted two seasons

- "Twin Peaks," "Dune" (1984), and David Lynch

- Todd’s Star Trek Challenge


Listen now for the discussion on these topics and more. Then, open up Discord and join our new Discerning Geeks Portal server.


@@ Todd's Star Trek Challenge @@

Make Todd watch and review any episode of Star Trek (that he has access to, which may not include "Prodigy" at the moment). Pick any series, any season, and any episode. It can even be a fan-made episode or film on YouTube, as Todd really enjoyed "Star Trek Continues" recently. Send the episode request via the Discord server or by e-mail at discerninggeeks@gmail.com. Once Todd watches the episode, he will review it in both podcast form (here and/or on the Fandom Variables podcast) and in written form, on the DGP Discord server and at Medium.com.


Please rate or review our podcast wherever you listen to us. Thank you.

Apr 22, 202401:08:57
#161 - Web Series Review - Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared - Season 1

#161 - Web Series Review - Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared - Season 1

This week, we take a...hopefully discerning...look into the British musical horror comedy web series, "Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared." Technically, this is just season 1, which only takes about 35 minutes to watch six episodes, and somehow this led to our 2nd-longest podcast episode ever.


- What were the co-hosts' general feelings about this web series. Which one(s) found it at least entertaining, if not meaningful; and which one(s) found it frustratingly nonsensical & pointless? Can you guess which Geek was which?

- What exactly were the motivations behind the makers of this web series? How much do the Geeks agree and/or disagree on those motivations?

- One Geek referred to at least part of the project as cohesive & having meaning. Which Geek was the first to grunt at such a notion?

- What was the significance of June 19th in the web series?

- What was the main redeeming quality that one critical Geek gave the web series?

- Did the Geeks feel the series had any successful horror or comedy elements?

- What was the explanation behind the title of the series, and did it make any sense to the other Geeks?

- What one-time scoring system did one Geek come up with specifically for this web series?

- How did this review lead to references to Star Trek, Pink Floyd, urine, Shakespeare, Bluey, N.C. State basketball, Lost, philosophers Plato & Diogenes, a BBC show called "Ghost Watch," the movie "Dead Poets Society," and Elon University's one-month winter terms?


Listen now for the answers to these and other cryptic questions as we try...with varied success...to make sense of..."Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared" (season 1).


You can now join us on our new Discord channel. Just login to Discord and look for Discerning Geeks Portal. You can send us an e-mail at discerninggeeks@gmail.com.


Please rate or review our podcast on your favorite listening apps.

Apr 06, 202401:51:13
#160 - Movie Trilogy Review - Fear Street (Netflix Exclusive)

#160 - Movie Trilogy Review - Fear Street (Netflix Exclusive)

With the triumphant return of Andruw, we finally review the Netflix horror trilogy, "Fear Street." Each of the movies in the trilogy are named after the year in which they're based: 1994, 1978, and 1666.


- How well did the Geeks think these three movies worked as a collective trilogy? Was there disagreement about this point?

- Did one or more co-hosts love these movies, and did one or more co-hosts hate these movies?

- Were the characters likable and/or sympathetic? Did that change for the better or worse for any of the co-hosts?

- With these three movies gradually going back in time, which other movie trilogy did one Geek compare it to?

- Which of the Geeks felt a same-sex relationship between two characters was crucial to the plot & message of the trilogy, and which other Geek felt that wasn't even important until the 3rd movie?

- Was there too much focus, good or bad, on a scene involving a bread slicer?

- Which co-host repeatedly reminded the others how many hours it took to watch the whole trilogy?

- Which of the Geeks was extremely critical of the trilogy's plot, to the point of claiming there was no plot?

- Which Geek wondered where all the adults were in the trilogy?

- Which cartoon had an episode with convenient similarities to this trilogy?

- How did this review lead to tangents about "Avatar" movies, Dave Teague, "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," oldies music, and "Mac & Me"?

- What were the Geeks' opinions about the production value, monsters, and music?

- Which of the Geeks totally blew his Lightning Round?

- One of the Geeks listed 5 witch-related movies better than Fear Street. What were his picks?

- And, what confounding thing was randomly rolled to be reviewed in the near future? Note: We actually got to that item before things rolled earlier, so this episode's rolled item will be reviewed in the next episode.


Listen now for the answers to these and other frightening questions as we try to demystify..."Fear Street."


Please rate or review our podcast. Send us an e-mail at discerninggeeks@gmail.com. @@ AND, search for our new DISCORD SERVER. @@

Mar 27, 202401:38:17
#159 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 2 - Crime Shows & Movies, Spaghetti Westerns, Better Navy: SW Empire vs. ST Federation, Star Trek Adventures RPG, and Star Trek Continues Web Series

#159 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 2 - Crime Shows & Movies, Spaghetti Westerns, Better Navy: SW Empire vs. ST Federation, Star Trek Adventures RPG, and Star Trek Continues Web Series

This week is PART 2 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time #05. Topics discussed include...


- "NCIS" franchise

- "JAG"

- "Magnum P.I."

- "Hawaii Five-O"

- The movie "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

- The movie "2 Days in the Valley"

- Spaghetti Westerns

- Who had the better navy, the Empire from Star Wars or the Federation from Star Trek

- "Star Trek Adventures" role playing game

- "Star Trek Continues" web series


Listen now for these and other topics, and check out Part 1 of this Drive-Time Chat #05 if you didn't already.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mar 21, 202450:55
#158 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 1 - Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Godzilla & King Kong, Wonka, Fargo, Popcorn In Bed, Quantum Leap, and The Rookie

#158 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 1 - Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Godzilla & King Kong, Wonka, Fargo, Popcorn In Bed, Quantum Leap, and The Rookie

With Dave & Andruw incognito this week, Todd & Preston go on another imaginary car ride for their Drive-Time Chat #05. And, once again, the discussion lasted long enough to make a two-parter. This is Part 1.


This time, Todd & Preston discuss...

- Preston's audio issues (sorry about that, folks)

- Super Bowl commercials & trailers

- Trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire"

- "The Real Ghostbuster" animated series from the '80s & '90s

- Trailer for now-officially-named "Deadpool & Wolverine)

- Trailer for "Godzilla x King Kong: The New Empire"

- Preston's viewing of the musical prequel film "Wonka"

- Preston's viewing of "Fargo" season 5

- Todd's viewing of YouTube channel "Popcorn in Bed," where a Canadian woman living in Utah (sometimes joined by her sister) reacts to movies she's seeing for the first time

- Todd's and Preston's different senses of humor

- Todd's new..."between jobs"...status

- Todd's viewing of "Quantum Leap" (revival) two-part season 2 finale and reminiscing about the original series

- Todd's viewing of the "The Rookie" season 6 episodes 1 & 2 (after a strike-extended hiatus and with the season's 2nd episode being the show's 100th episode overall)

- And, the Zander Hawley amusing song, "Daddy Cop," from the popular cold opens of episodes 89 & 100 of "The Rookie"


Listen now for these and other topics, and stay tuned for Part 2 of this Drive-Time Chat #05.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mar 05, 202401:03:33
#157 - Movie Review - Field of Dreams

#157 - Movie Review - Field of Dreams

This week, we review the 1989 fantasy/sports/road-trip movie, "Field of Dreams," a favorite of one of our co-hosts.


- This movie makes a lot of nostalgic connectionss between baseball and Americana. Which Geek is a fan of Japanese baseball?

- Which Geek described this as a "Hallmark movie for dudes"?

- What did the Geeks think about the relationship between the main character and his wife?

- Which Geek(s) really loved the opening monologue?

- How much or how little did this movie's stance on baseball as a major American tradition have an affect on the Geeks' opinions about the game?

- The supernatural aspect of the movie is barely explained. Which Geek has his own unorthodox theory?

- One theme of the movie is a man's relationship with his father. What aspect of this topic got one Geek a little more emotional talking about it, more so than watching that aspect of the movie itself?

- What did the Geeks thnk about James Earl Jones' place in the movie?

- What is the origin story of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and how is that relevant to this movie?

- How many of the Geeks would have preferred at least a little more explanation into the supernatural aspect of the movie?

- Which Geek equated this podcast to the Field of Dreams, and how many Geeks got a little sentimental during the lightning round?

- And, which ranking-related topic was rolled for a future episode.


Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as play for a while on the..."Field of Dreams."


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Feb 17, 202401:15:37
#156 - Movie Review - Arkham City (video game cutscene edit)

#156 - Movie Review - Arkham City (video game cutscene edit)

Season 4 is the season of variety. So far, we've reviewed two Christmas movies, a western, and a horror TV-movie older than all the co-hosts. This week, we review a different kind of movie. It's the cutscenes of the video game "Arkham City" stitched together in cinematic fashion. It's our first time reviewing something from a video game, outside of Whatcha' Doin'? episodes.


- Which voice actors from "Batman: The Animated Series" reprise their respective roles in the "Arkham City" game/movie?

- This was Preston's pick, partially because the also liked the game. What did non-gamers Dave & Todd think about this cutscene compilation?

- Which relative of Dave & Andruw came close to meeting Mark Hamill at a video game convention?

- What did the Geeks think about the portrayal of Batman in this "movie"? Was he just as good, if not better, than Batman in other cinematic presentations?

- Was Batman a little too physically strong in this game/movie, considering he's a superhero without actual super powers?

- Which Geek wondered how exactly Batman is not killing people in this game/movie considering how hard & how fast he's punching people?

- How well does the game/movies portray Batman as DC's best detective?

- What did the Geeks thing about the three main villains and the two ticking-clock scenarios?

- What did the Geeks about the plethora of support characters (and subsequently many subplots) in the game/movie?

- Which of the three main villains did the Geeks find most interesting?

- Were these versions of Penguin and Mr. Freeze better than their counterparts from the Tim Burton & Joel Schumacher movies?

- What did the Geeks think about the appearance of Gotham Cty?

- Which Geek said he doesn't like it when Batman gets too dark.

- What did the Geeks think about the ending? Did Batman carry the right person out of Arkham City?

- And, ultimately, does this compelation of cut scenes truly work as an actual movie?


Find out the answers to these and other caped crusading questions as explore the many buildings, room, villains, and subplots of..."Arkham City."


So far, in season 4, we've had the 3rd & 4th of our four Christmas movie reviews, a review of a modern western, a 2023 year-in-review special, our first review of a TV movie, and now a review of a of a video game "movie." Coming...sometimes in 2024, we have the reviews of a mainstream semi-modern fantasy, a sexy heist movie, and streaming channel horror movie trilgoy; plus a ranking of the MCU Phase 2, and much more. Stay tuned, and let us know what you'd like us to cover.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Feb 09, 202401:23:30
#155 - Movie Review - Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1972 TV Movie)

#155 - Movie Review - Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1972 TV Movie)

This week, we delve into classic small-screen macabre with a review of the highly-rated 1972 TV movie, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." This is the first of two TV movies which led to the single season of a Kolchak TV show, which in turn inspired "The X-Files."


- Preston is the big Kolchak fan in the group. How much, if any, were the other Geeks impressed by it?

- Which odd comparison did one Geek make between Kolchak and a certain lawyer show character from the '80s & '90s.

- Gayle Foster was an intriguing support character with an unclear profession and a surprising relationship with Kolchak. Which Geek(s) liked the mystery around Gayle, and which Geek(s) would have preferred more clarity around who & what she was?

- Did we see enough of the vampire in the movie? Did the Geeks agree on this, or were there differing opinions?

- Which Geek had a bit of a problem with Kolchak's publisher being so hesitant...to publish a story.

- Which Geek(s) appreciated the time period in which this TV movie was made and adjusted their expectations accordingly?

- What was the score of this movie's biggest fan?

- What unofficial connections does Kolchak have to "The X-Files"?

- What excuse did Todd find to mention "Babylon 5" this week?

- Which Geek at one time wanted to be a reporter in the field?

- And, did the Geeks forget to roll for a future topic in this episode?


Listen now for the answers to these and other journalistic questions as we report on "Kolchak: The Night Stalker."


So far, in season 4, we've had the 3rd & 4th of our four Christmas movie reviews, a review of a modern western, a 2023 year-in-review special, and now our first review of a TV movie. Coming...sometimes in 2024, we have the reviews of a video game "movie," a mainstream semi-modern fantasy, a sexy heist movie, and streaming channel horror movie trilgoy; plus a ranking of the MCU Phase 2, and much more. Stay tuned, and let us know what you'd like us to cover.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jan 30, 202401:08:19
#154 - 2023 Year In Review

#154 - 2023 Year In Review

Happy New Year, Discerning Listeners, and welcome to our special Year In Review episode for 2023. In this episode we talk about some of the best -- and...not so best -- movies, TV shows, and other entertainment that we enjoyed in 2023.


For movies, we cover the following:

- Blue Beetle

- Super Mario Bros. Movie

- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

- Evil Dead Rise

- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

- No Hard Feelings

- Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

- The Marvels

- Oppenheimer

- Godzilla Minus One

- Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

- Crater (TV movie formerly on Disney+)

- The Creator

- John Wick: Chapter 4

- Barbie


...But, which ones did we think were good, bad, or somewhere in between? You may be surprised by our opinions, but as usual, we do our best to back up our reasons.


For TV shows, we cover...probably too many to list. But, it's the usual wide variety of Marvel, Star Trek, Star Wars, and other sci-fi, fantasy, superhero, and horror shows. But, we also sneak in at least one example each of cop, medical, heist/hijack, kids show, political drama, and royalty docudrama type shows. We also talk a little bit about shows that we binge-watched in 2023 even if those shows didn't originate in 2023.


Taking longer than we thought on movies & TV, we had to save a few topics for a future episode, but we still squeezed in at least one example each of books, games, YouTube channels, and podcasts.


Listen now for our epic wrap up of a year that was...maybe a little less than epic but...still worth reviewing. 2023 is behind us. Best wishes to everyone for an excellent 2024. :)


One of the topics we had to skip was the big question... Was 2023 truly a lackluster year, or are we becoming too picky? What do you think? Let us know by sending us a message.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jan 14, 202401:32:57
#153 - Movie Review - Tombstone

#153 - Movie Review - Tombstone

Happy New Year! We welcome in 2024 with a slight departure from sci-fi and fantasy with the 1993 western, "Tombstone."


- How many of the Geeks have a love for westerns, and how many of them were turned on to westerns by their dads?

- What did the Geeks think about the huge, all-star cast?

- Which deep or emotional aspects of the movie appeal to at least one of the Geeks?

- Which line of dialogue from the movie inspired this week's obligatory "Babylon 5" reference?

- Which Geek knows the trivia about the real-life versions of the characters in the movie?

- How accurate is this movie's depiction of the shootout at the O.K. Corral?

- What did the Geeks think about the portrayal of women in the old west?

- And, what were some of the Geeks' favorite quotes from the movie?


Listen now for the answers to these and other gunslinging questions, as the Geeks travel to the infamous town with the unfortunate name, "Tombstone."


Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jan 09, 202401:10:43
#152 - Movie Review - Batman Returns

#152 - Movie Review - Batman Returns

Concluding our run of Christmas movies, we review the 1992 superhero sequel, "Batman Returns," which maybe should be renamed "The Penguin & Catwoman: Featuring Batman."


- Did two of the Geeks possibly see this movie together during its 1992 theatrical run?

- Which Geek, as a teenager, was on the local news for his out-of-the-theater reaction to the movie, and did he give hard-hitting, discerning commentary, or did he boil his review down to how Michelle Pfeiffer looked in the catsuit?

- Was there a consensus on this movie, or were opinions split?

- More specifically, did anyone like this movie's version of the Penguin character?

- How much influence, if any, did this version of the Penguin have on the character in other mediums?

- What impressive physical feat did Michelle Pfeiffer achieve during the shooting of one Catwoman scene?

- Which comparison was made between the Catwoman and Seven-Of-Nine from "Star Trek: Voyager"?

- Did the Penguin, Catwoman, or both together, overshadow Batman in his own movie?

- Which Geek had significant complaints about the movie not making sense?

- What comment about comic book logic led to a bit of trivia about the "Deadpool Meat Dimension" from Marvel Comics?

- How much did the Penguin and Catwoman in this movie both deviate from their comic book origins?

- Which Geek had...quite a bit...to say about the sequence in which the Penguin gains control over the Batmobile?

- What nitpicks & logic flaws were brought up involving the Batsuit?

- What were the Geeks' various opinions about this movie's depiction of Gotham City, the relationship between Bruce and Selina, and Max Shreck as the movie's 3rd (but possibly best) villain?

- How did discussion about the Bruce/Selina relationship lead one Geek to reminisce about dating life in high school?

- What subplot in this movie reminded one or two, maybe all three, Geeks about real-life politics and not in a good way?

- Which Geek particularly liked the last moment of the movie?

- In what way is a prehistoric caveman superhero an important precursor to all of DC's heroes & villains with special powers or optimal human traits?

- Was there consensus on whether this movie truly qualifies as a Christmas movie?

- Was there consensus on whether "Batman Returns" is better or worse than "Black Adam"?

- And, what three season 4 topics were randomly rolled (two offline) for future episodes? Did Preston finally get one of his selections picked?


Listen now for the answers to these and other vigilant questions as the Geeks review, "Batman Returns."


Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#150 - Violent Night

#151 - The Santa Clause


And, check out our other reviews of movies based on DC Comics characters...

#003 - Batman

#089 - Batman Begins

#116 - Black Adam

#145 - Shazam

#146 - Wonder Woman


Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dec 23, 202301:33:48
#151 - Movie Review - The Santa Clause

#151 - Movie Review - The Santa Clause

This week, technically our season 4 premiere though awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas run, we reviewed "The Santa Clause" the first of the movie & TV franchise that stars Tim Allen as the next Father Christmas. And, we had special guests: Dave's daughters, Evangalyne and Josephine.


- Which reindeer was oddly missing from both this movie and the previous review movie, "Violent Night"?

- What geeky things did the co-host do to light and/or decorate their Christmas trees this year?

- What "battle" regarding Christmas lights does Dave's family have every year?

- How many Advent calendars do Dave's wife & kids have?

- What do Dave's daughters want for Christmas?

- What traditional Moravian Christmas event did one Geek attend this year (and, he's not the one who's Moravian)?

- What things about Moravian Lovefeast coffee and Moravian brass bands got mentions?

- Was the apparent death of Santa Claus in the movie dark or disturbing, and how well did Dave's kids handle it?

- What was one Geek's conspiracy theory about the reason Disney made this movie?

- What did Dave's daughters think about this movie?

- How did Dave's daughters rank this movie compared with other Christmas movies they've seen?

- What were one Geek's very specific pieces of advice for making the best hot chocolate drink?

- Which Geek appreciated the way the movie navigated the main character being a divorced father trying to reconnect with his child?

- Which Geek had trouble tracking the passage of time in the movie -- making it seem to him, the first time around, like the two Christmases in this movie were one long Christmas?

- Which Geeks had a nitpick about the movie not explaining what powered Santa Claus's time traveling?

- And, what score did each Geek give this movie?


Listen now for the answers to these and other legally & supernaturally binding questions as we read the fine print of..."The Santa Clause."


Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#150 - Violent Night


Accidentally & awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas movie run, this is technically our season 4 premiere. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dec 20, 202301:05:59
#150 - Movie Review - Violent Night

#150 - Movie Review - Violent Night

Our 2nd Christmas movie review of 2023 is for the action-fantasy-heist film, "Violent Night," starring David Harbor, from "Stranger Things," as holiday legend and former warrior, Santa Claus.


- How much were supporting cast members of this movie previously in Lifetime and Hallmark movies?

- This is the type of movie that would normally be a tough sell for Todd and Dave. Did they find redeeming qualities in this movie? How much? Would they go so far as to say they even liked it?

- How and to what extent was this movie an homage to "Home Alone" and/or "Die Hard"?

- How well did it work giving Santa Claus a backstory of being an ancient Viking warrior?

- Should the magic of Santa Claus have had more explanation, or did it work leaving it as a mystery, even to him?

- How effective were the main villain, henchmen, and henchwomen in the movie?

- How good, sympathetic, and important of a character was young Trudy? Did her casting & portrayal match the age she was implied to be?

- What did the Geeks think about Trudy's estranged parents? How good, interesting, sympathetic, well written, and/or well performed were those characters? Did the Geeks care whether the parents got back together?

- What were some of the Geeks' least favorite parts?

- How was one character based on Mark Walberg?

- What did one Geek think was this movie's main target audience?

- How did a mention of Biltmore House -- America's largest private home and a popular Asheville, North Carolina, tourist destination -- lead to an unexpected soapbox rant by one Geek?

- Was there agreement that this movie was at least better than "Black Adam," the movie the Geeks watched on New Years Eve last year and which led to Preston joining the podcast?

- And, what musical way did one Geek choose to work in a "Babylon 5" reference, and did it come from whom you would have expected it?


Listen now for the answers to these and other bashing, smashing, and trashing questions as we journey with the legendary Santa Claus through a very..."Violent Night."


Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation


Accidentally & awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas movie run, this is technically our season 3 finale. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dec 14, 202301:08:56
#149 - Movie Review - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#149 - Movie Review - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Merry Christmas, everyone! And, welcome to the Discerning Geeks Portal's first Christmas movie review since 2021! This week, we are reviewing the 1989 Christmas classic, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."


- How many National Lampoon's vacation movies are there, and did everyone know that number?

- Which Geek said his review of this movie could pretty much be a rerun of his review for another comedy the Geeks examined in a recent episode?

- Which Geek was the first to praise John Hughes for his filmography and style of storytelling?

- What were the various opinions about the character of cousin Eddie?

- What were the various opinions about the style of humor in the movie, including the Christmas light issues, the sh***er jokes, the jelly-of-the-month surprise, the cat incident, etc.?

- Which Geeks had memories of Christmas stunts and lost lasagnas to share?

- What Geek felt the movie was like a live-action cartoon, and did he mean that in a good way or a bad way?

- Which Geek had turkey cooking advice?

- Which Geek felt like mindset might factor in to the likability of the movie?

- Which annoying Christmas song is sung in the shower every morning during the Christmas season by the relative of two of the Geeks?

- And, which Geek had to make slight adjustments to a lot of his lower-grade movies in his spreadsheet in order to get this movie and a few forthcoming movies into a more proper ranking (the spreadsheet part should be huge hint)?


Listen now for the answers to these and other festive holiday questions as the Geeks shine too many lights on..."National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."


Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dec 10, 202301:06:49
#148 - TV Topic - Favorite Genre TV Seasons - PART 2 (of 2)

#148 - TV Topic - Favorite Genre TV Seasons - PART 2 (of 2)

We resume our Favorite Genre TV Seasons topic with our respective top 6s. If you missed our #10 through #07 picks and honorable mentions, listen to episode #147 first.


The seasons discussed in this episode are from the following shows:

 - Babylon 5

 - Batman: The Animated Series

 - Cowboy Bebop

 - Dark Matter

 - Doctor Who

 - Fargo

 - Fooly Cooly

 - Firefly

 - Fringe

 - Game of Thrones

 - Invincible

 - Kolchak: The Night Stalker

 - Star Trek: The Original Series

 - Stargate Universe

 - Stranger Things

 - The Boys

 - The Orville

 - The Umbrella Academy

 - Twilight Zone


But, which seasons were picked, which Geeks picked which seasons, how many shows were picked for more than one season and/or by more than one Geek, and which shows from this list are here due to one Geek listing two more honorable mentions he forgot in Part 1?


Listen now for the answers to these and other cliffhanging questions as bring a finale to our lists for Favorite Genre TV Seasons.


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dec 04, 202357:54
#147 - TV Topic - Favorite Genre TV Seasons - PART 1 (of 2)

#147 - TV Topic - Favorite Genre TV Seasons - PART 1 (of 2)

This week, we begin a two-part discussion about our Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror/Superhero TV Seasons. Here in PART 1, we list our honorable mentions and the first 4 seasons in our ranked top 10 lists.


Those honorable mentions and #10 to #07 ranks are represented by the following TV shows.


 - Adult Swim Infomercial Series

 - Alien Nation

 - Babylon 5

- Battlestar Galactica (original)

 - Buck Rogers

 - Dark Matter

 - Doctor Who

- Eureka

 - Futurama

 - Grimm

 - Metalocalypse

 - Helsing

 - Paranoid Agent

 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

 - Star Trek: The Next Generation

 - Stargate SG-1

 - Stargate Universe

 - The Flash

 - The Incredible Hulk

 - The Mandalorian

 - The Orville

 - The Venture Bros.

 - The X-Files

 - Travelers

 - True Detective


But among these shows, which seasons were picked? Which ones are honorable mentions, and which ones are in at least one Geek's top 10?

- Which five shows were mentioned or ranked by two of the Geeks so far?

- Which two additional shows were represented by two seasons but by the same Geek?

- Which was the one show mentioned or ranked by three different Geeks?

- Which of these shows officially sneaked into the list during editing?

- Which other show was mentioned during the editing process but so unofficially that it's not even in the list above?


Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we break down our favorite genre TV seasons up to 7th place.


Stay tuned for PART 2, coming soon, which will include our respective top 6 lists.


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nov 26, 202355:53
#146 - Movie Review - Wonder Woman

#146 - Movie Review - Wonder Woman

This week, we review the 2017 DCEU blockbuster, "Wonder Woman."


- How tall is Gal Gadot? Is she undersized for playing an Amazonian? Does she fill out the costume well enough?

- How did the Geeks feel about the casting of Gal Gadot, beyond the physical?

- What did the Geeks feel about the adaptation of Wonder Woman, her costume & equipment, other characters, and the island of Themyscira, from the comics? Which Geek missed the invisible jet?

- Was there any logic in Hippolyta wanting Diana trained not at all or wanting her trained harder than anyone else, but not anything in between?

- Was there any logic in the Amazons being a race of warriors but not willing to intervene in a war? Did the Amazons lose sight of their purpose?

- Did the Geeks like the casting & performance of Chris Pine as Steve Trevor?

- What were the Geeks' favorite moments & quotes from the movie? Which Geek said this movie contains the best moment in all the DCEU? Which line of dialogue almost gets one Geek choked up?

- What did the Geeks think about the 3rd act, which is often criticized by people? Which Geek felt the 3rd act should have involved more hand-to-hand combat between Diana and an enemy, rather than the telekinesis, lasso work, and energy exchanges that we got instead?

- Dave is usually the pickiest about villains. Were this movie's villains acceptable to him? Which Geek felt the villains were a little weak? Which Wonder Woman adversary from the comics did one Geek say he would have preferred seeing?

- Which horror movie trilogy was randomly rolled for a future review?

- Just how different is Andruw's voice between his first episode (over three years ago) and today?

- And, which movie about the creator of the Wonder Woman character did three of the Geeks recommend?


Listen now for the answers to these and wonder-ful questions, as we enter the trenches with..."Wonder Woman."


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nov 18, 202301:13:38
#145 - Movie Review - Shazam!

#145 - Movie Review - Shazam!

We return to the DCEU, for our 2nd review in that franchise, the 2019 moderate hit, "Shazam!"


- Which support character received the earliest accolades in the review?

- Which Geek had a semi-cryptic and half-hearted compliment as his first positive of the review?

- Which Geek said this movie was on par with "Guardians of the Galaxy"?

- Which Geek said he could relate to the Freddie Freeman character?

- Which Geek reminisced about going with his dad to comic book stores every Friday after school?

- What did the Geeks have to say about the family aspect of this movie, mostly about orphans on the good side plus a villain that's resentful of his family?

- Which Geek questioned whether the villain in this movie was actually...too villainous?

- How did a discussion about rough childhood experiences lead one Geek to the inevitable "Babylon 5" reference (technically more about the show's creator than about the show itself)?

- Which had some intellectual things to say about psychopaths and sociopaths?

- How many of the Geeks considerd the movie...boring?

- Which Geek reminisced about seeing this movie with his dad?

- And, what DCEU movie was rolled randomly for a future installment?


Listen now the answers to these and other electrifying questions as we cast lightnigh from our hands toward... "Shazam!"


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nov 09, 202301:18:55
#144 - Movie Review - Ghostbusters (1984)

#144 - Movie Review - Ghostbusters (1984)

This week, we review the horror-comedy classic, "Ghostbusters," starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate--... Just kidding, it's the 1984 version, with Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, and Annie Potts.


- How did Todd work in Babylon 5, London, and Dragon Con references into the first six minutes, and how annoying is that getting?

- Which of the Geeks had several items of trivia about the movie?

- For a movie that's part comedy, part horror, part fantasy, part sci-fi, and part disaster movie, what interesting perspective did our late friend & co-host Dave Teague have about a more grounded. mundane aspect of the story?

- When a friend of Preston's built an Ecto-1 replica, what lengths did he have to go to imitate the Ecto-1's unique siren sound?

- Why was the cartoon based on the movie called, "The Real Ghostbusters" rather than just "Ghostbusters"?

- Which Geek pointed out the Ecto-1 as one of the best ideas in the movie?

- Which Geek sited the conversation between Ray and Winston about the Bible as one of the best scenes?

- Which characters did Preston say were the unsung heroes of the movie?

- Which Geek had the most nitpicks? (If this takes you more than two guesses, you must be new to the podcast.)

- Which Geek tried to dig deeper into another Geek's nitpicks, and how many times did it take for one Geek to understand the question being asked?

- How did one Geek compare movie structure to music?

- How good were the ratings for this movie, and did any of the Geeks say that "Ghostbuster 2" or "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is just as good -- if not better -- than the original?

- When asked if they believe in ghosts or have had any actual ghost encounters, what did each Geek say?

- Which DC movie was rolled randomly to be reviewed soon?

- And, how frustrating is it that Todd finally finished editing & releasing the review of a ghost-related movie really late in the day on November 1 instead of October 30 or 31 -- in time for Halloween -- which would have been more thematically appropriate?


Listen now for the answers to these and other stream-crossing questions as the Geeks examine, explicate, exalt, extol, exorcise, and exterminate..."Ghostbusters."


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nov 02, 202301:33:06
#143 - Special Topic - Ranking the MCU Phase 1 Movies

#143 - Special Topic - Ranking the MCU Phase 1 Movies

This week, we rank the movies of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


- Was there consensus among the Geeks on which MCU Phase 1 movie is at the bottom, or was the vote more split than expected?

- Which Geek had a surprising & controversial pick for his #5 rank?

- Which Geek had a surprising & controversial pick for his #3 rank?

- Out of the six movies, how often did 3 out of 4 Geeks agree on the same rank?

- Which Geek(s) thought more highly, than you might expect, of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Thor"?

- Which Geek(s) thought a little lower, than you might expect, of "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "The Avengers"?

- And, what was the overall MCU Phase 1 ranking after combining all four Geeks' separate scores?


Listen now for the answers to these and other flying, smashing, hammering, throwing, punching, shooting questions, as we tackle the ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Phase 1 movies.


For the full reviews of all six MCU Phase 1 movies, listen to some of our past episodes.

#011 - Iron Man

#052 - The Incredible Hulk

#099 - Iron Man 2

#097 - Thor

#055 - Captain America: The First Avenger (the review where Joanna got drunk)

#057 - The Avengers


We also reviewed a few more movies & TV shows from the MCU. Check those out as well.

#108 - Thor: The Dark World

#118 - Ant-Man

#047 - Captain Marvel

#059 - Black Widow

#094 - Spider-Man: No Way Home

#038 - WandaVision 1.01 to 1.06

#042 - WandaVision 1.07 to 1.09

#056 - Loki 1.01 to 1.04

#060 - Loki 1.05 to 1.06


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public Domain music used in this episode include:

- Intro & Outro: "Defenders of the Truth" by Zakhar Valaha ("Daddy_s_Music") via Pixabay

- "Make It Work" Interlude: "The Star Spangled Banner" by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps via Free Music Archive

Oct 18, 202301:26:25
#142 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04 - Part 2 - Ahsoka, Spooky Season, Predicting Upcoming MCU Phase 1 Rankings

#142 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04 - Part 2 - Ahsoka, Spooky Season, Predicting Upcoming MCU Phase 1 Rankings

Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04 picks up where it left off with Part 2.


In this continuation, the Geeks discuss...

- The Star Wars "Ahsoka" series

- Spooky season, something one Geek loves, the other maybe not as much

- Dave Teague's Halloween parties

- Preston's favorite rewatches around Halloween

- Preston's love of the "The Last Drive-In With Joe-Bob Briggs"

- Predicting everyone's picks for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1 ranking episode


Listen now for these topics and plenty of tangents in between. Check out Part 1 of this discussion if you haven't already.


The Geeks' ranking of the MCU Phase 1 movies is coming soon along with reviews of the movies "Ghostbusters (1984)" and "Shazam." Other topics ahead that still need to be recorded are reviews of the movies "Wonder Woman" and "Tombstone" and the remaining TV topics, Favorite Multi-Episode Stories and Favorite TV Seasons.


We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Oct 12, 202336:35
#141 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04 - Part 1 - Dragon Con, Mac & Me, A Haunting in Venice, Venture Bros., and Oppenheimer

#141 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04 - Part 1 - Dragon Con, Mac & Me, A Haunting in Venice, Venture Bros., and Oppenheimer

Welcome to Part 1 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #04, where the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.


In this episode, Todd & Preston chat about...

- Todd's trip to Dragon Con 2023

- Todd's first viewing of the cheesy 1980s movie, "Mac & Me," while at Dragon Con

- Preston's review of the Agatha Christie-based Hercule Poirot film, “A Haunting in Venice”

- Preston's review of the Venture Bros. TV movie, "Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart”

- Todd's review of the movie "Oppenheimer" and a discussion about pacing in movies


Listen now for these topics and plenty of tangents in between.


Stay tuned Part 2 of this Drive-Time Chat #04, when Todd & Preston talk about the Star Wars "Ahsoka" series, spooky season, and predictions about the Geeks' upcoming ranking of MCU Phase 1 movies.


The Geeks' ranking of the MCU Phase 1 movies is coming soon along with reviews of the movies "Ghostbusters (1984)" and "Shazam."


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Oct 05, 202357:44
#140 - Movie Review - Young Frankenstein

#140 - Movie Review - Young Frankenstein

This week, we review the Mel Brooks horror comedy classic, "Young Frankenstein." It's been a while, but all four co-hosts, Dave, Todd, Andruw, and Preston, are here, and they have a wide range of opinions on this movie.


- It might be called "Young Frankenstein," but is the movie older than all four co-hosts?

- Which of the Geeks feels so strongly about this movie that he gives it a score early, in first impressions.

- Which Geek is the grump this episode (maybe not a hard guess)?

- Which Geek has at least one song from the movie, if not the whole soundtrack, downloaded on his phone?

- Which Geek thinks this movie is just *old*?

- Which Geek once again thought this movie would be a slam dunk, like he did with one of his other previous picks -- and was once again wrong?

- What lesson does one Geek have about the origin stories of Dracula and Frankenstein's monster?

- Which Geek compared this Frankenstein spoof to the original, more serious source material?

- Which Geek(s) have possible explanations for why the humor doesn't work for him/them?

- Which Geek explains the connection between one of this movie's early jokes and an Aerosmith song?

- Which Geek explains the motivation of Gene Wilder for accepting the lead role in this movie?

- Which Geek referenced some classic science-fiction literature and unintentionally walked Todd right into an obligatory "Babylon 5" reference?

- Does the one parent in the group feel this movie is kid-friendly?

- What redeeming qualities did Mr. Grumpypants scrounge up for this movie?

- Which Geek lost his internet connection during the recording (maybe not a hard guess if you're a long-time listener)?

- Did one or more Geeks think some level of knowledge of the original Frankenstein source material is necessary, or at least helpful, in the enjoyment of this movie?

- Which Geek cracked himself up just quoting the movie (frequently)?

- Which Geek compared this movie to a Looney Tunes cartoon, and did he mean that in a good way or bad way?

- After 100+ episodes, which Geek can't remember how long the Lightning Round is?

- Which Geek has a personal reason for being bothered by Elon Musk's first name?

- Which Geek said he liked the font used in part of the opening credits?

- Which Geek is reminded, in a good way, of a recently deceased relative when thinking of this movie?

- Which Geek pointed out that this movie reminded him of our late friend & co-host, Dave Teague.

- Which joke from this movie was Dave Teague's last words on this podcast (in episode #092) before he passed away?

- With the wide range of opinions on this movie, were there 0, 1, or 2 perfect scores for this movie, and how low were the not-great scores?

- Which DC superhero movie was randomly chosen for a future episode?

- Which DC character would two of the Geeks love to see on screen (they might get it on TV, eventually)?

- Which Geek is prejudging the "Barbie" movie and lamenting its success?

- And, what did Dave & Todd think about the "Oppenheimer" movie?


Listen now for the answers to these and other monstrous questions, as the Geeks experiment with..."Young Frankenstein"?


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used in this episode include:

- Intro: "Night in the Castle" by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

- Rundown: "halloween-spooky-horror-scary-creepy-funny-monsters-and-zombie-116009" by SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras via Pixabay.com

- Preston's Classics Creation Corner: "the-rockpool-162588" by Geoff Harvey via Pixabay.com

- Technical Difficulty Transition: "Wakka Wakka" by Bryan Teoh via FreePD.com

- Lightning Round Clock & Outro: "spooky-halloween-152254" by The_Mountain via Pixabay.com

- "Oppenheimer" Mini-Review: "this-is-war-version-b-95408" by Solbox via Pixabay.com

Sep 16, 202301:10:13
#139 - TV Topic - Favorite SF/Fantasy/Horror Single-Episode Stories - PART 2 (of 2)

#139 - TV Topic - Favorite SF/Fantasy/Horror Single-Episode Stories - PART 2 (of 2)

Picking up where the previous episode left off, Dave joined Preston and Todd in time to share Top 5 Single-Episode TV Stories.


The Geeks' top choices came from the following shows.

- Babylon 5

- Batman: The Animated Series

- Dark Matter

- Firefly

- Fringe

- Game of Thrones

- Kolchak: The Night Stalker

- Lost In Space (Netflix reboot)

- The Orville

- Star Trek: The Next Generation

- Stranger Things

- True Detective

- The Twilight Zone


But, what were the exact episodes? How many of Preston's top 5 picks did he already list in Part 1 (along with Todd's honorable mentions)? Were there any surprises? Did any of the Geeks pick episodes from the same shows...or the exact same episodes? Listen now for the answers to these and other top-notch questions.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Sep 07, 202351:07
#138 - TV Topic - Favorite SF/Fantasy/Horror Single-Episode Stories - PART 1 (of 2)

#138 - TV Topic - Favorite SF/Fantasy/Horror Single-Episode Stories - PART 1 (of 2)

We're finally covering our TV topics. First up, is Part 1 of our lists of Favorite Single-Episode TV Stories. In Part 1, we cover our honorable mentions, broken out by categories. Stay tuned for Part 2, which is all about our Top 5 lists.


In this installment, our official (and unofficial) honorable mentions include episodes from the following TV shows:


- Alien Nation

- Are You Afraid of the Dark?

- Babylon 5

- Batman: The Animated Series

- Battlestar Galactica

- Dark Matter

- Doctor Who

- Game of Thrones

- Goosebumps

- Lost

- The Simpsons

- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

- Star Trek: The Next Generation

- Stargate: SG-1

- Travelers

- True Detective

- Twilight Zone


But, those are just the shows. Listen now to find out which episodes we picked.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Aug 31, 202301:22:32
#137 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #03 - Part 2 - Babylon 5, The Rookie, toys or games as TV or movies, SeaQuest, Mac & Me, and more...

#137 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #03 - Part 2 - Babylon 5, The Rookie, toys or games as TV or movies, SeaQuest, Mac & Me, and more...

Welcome back to Part 2 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time #03, the imaginary car ride so long, we had to split it up.


Here's what covered this time...

 - Todd’s complete binge watch of Nathan Fillion cop show “The Rookie”

 - Videos on TikTok and YouTube

 - The premise of “House, M.D.” being, “What if Sherlock Holmes were a doctor”

 - Babylon 5 animated movie “The Road Home” coming August 15 and B5 blu-rays coming December 5

 - Inspired by the success of the “Barbie” movie, Preston asked if there was a toy or board game that could be made into a movie or TV show.  Todd & Preston each have a top choice, and Todd had a top 10 list for the subject, left over from the “Clue” movie review in episdoe #109.

 - Todd’s explanation of “Risk 2210”

 - Todd reminiscing about a version of Risk that he, Dave, and Dave, created when they were younger — not long before Risk 2210 and Samurai Swords came out (with similar game mechanics)

 - SeaQuest DSV (known as SeaQuest 2032 in its 3rd season)

 - Genius teenagers in sci-fi TV & movies

 - The movies “Flight of the Navigator” and “Mac & Me”


Listen now for these topics and more. Check out episode #136 for Part 1 of the conversation.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Aug 09, 202345:34
#136 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #03 - Part 1 - Writer & Actor Strikes, Secret Invasion, The Witcher, The Righteous Gemstones, Grimm, and more...

#136 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #03 - Part 1 - Writer & Actor Strikes, Secret Invasion, The Witcher, The Righteous Gemstones, Grimm, and more...

This week, Todd & Preston improvise with part 1 of their third Drive-Time Chat episode, where the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.


Check out the topics covered by Todd & Preston in this installment...


 - Reasons for the writer & actor strikes

 - Examples of actors’ struggles from wrestling and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

 - Movies & TV shows delayed by the strikes

 - An “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel TV show Todd didn’t even know about

 - Frustration with TV shows nowadays not being like how TV used to be

 - Whether all shows need as much super high production quality that they get now — making some shows cost too much time & money to operate like shows from the past

 - Syfy’s “The Ark” as an example of an allegedly cheaper show that is still enjoyable for stories and characters

 - How easy or hard is it for sci-fi and fantasy to pull off good shows with cheap effects

 - Whether productions should utilize dead malls as shooting locations

 - Todd making a post-Dragon Con pit stop, in 2019, at a mall in Georgia used as Starcourt Mall in season 3 of “Stranger Things”

 - Todd and Preston’s disappointment over a few specific shows being delayed by the strikes:  “The Rookie” season 6, “The Penguin” season 1, “Ghosts” season 3, and “The Boys” season 4.

 - Disney+’s latest MCU show, “Secret Invasion”

 - Preston’s recommendation of “Bluey” (which Dave S. has also recommended in the past)

 - Todd’s quick non-spoiler summaries of “Outlander” season 7 so far, “The Blacklist” recent series finale (after 10 seasons), and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 2 so far

 - Preston’s quick summary of “The Witcher” season 3 so far

 - Preston’s description of what “The Righteous Gemstones” (currently in season 3) is all about

 - Preston’s recommendation of “The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs”

 - Todd’s recent rewatch of Grimm, including his non-spoiler review of the series finale and then — after the outro music — some spoiler talk about one major character


Listen now for these topics and stay tuned for Part 2 of the conversation, coming soon.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jul 29, 202301:01:27
#135 - Alpha-Movie-Bet #03 - Favorite Movies I to L

#135 - Alpha-Movie-Bet #03 - Favorite Movies I to L

Hello again, Discerning Listeners, and sorry for our unexpected hiatus, due to a combination of scheduling conflicts and some audio issues in this episode that required some extra editing. But, we are back -- whether you like it or not. (I see you, yeah you, the one guy in the corner who looks really disappointed that we're back; I see you, and Santa Claus sees you; you'll get coal in your stocking this Christmas).


Anyway, also returning from an even longer hiatus is Alpha-Movie-Bet, where we progress through the alphabet talking about our favorite movies that begin with certain letters. In this installment, we cover movies beginning with I, J, K, and L.


- Which movies did each Geek list per letter?

- Out of these four letters, which movies were nominated for the best of this episode?

- And, which movie won the vote?

- This was Preston's first time in Alpha-Movie-Bet, so after we completed our main letters, we let him backtrack and list his picks for A through H. What did Preston choose?

- And, did Todd or Andruw have any additions or revisions to their previous picks?


Listen now for the answers to these and other questions, as the Geeks list their favorite movies I to L in Alpha-Movie-Bet #03.


Check out episode #064 for the original Alpha-Movie Bet covering letters A to D. The Geeks originally covered E to H in episode #073, but for a better-sounding version, check out the special re-edit, which is, so far, our only non-numbered bonus episode. It was released in October 2022 between episodes #112 & #113. Due to an accidental deleting of the original #073 project file, Todd re-edited that one from scratch again (!?!?!) complete with new intro/outro music and an extended version of the "this episode brought to you by..." segment.


Note: As mentioned, there was an audio issue on this episode that required some extra clean-up during editing. Todd already noticed a few missed spots after it was published, fixed them, and has re-imported the improved version. If anyone hears any remaining bad audio or editing mistakes, feel free to let us know -- politely and constructively -- at discerninggeeks@gmail.com. Todd might be able to resolve any lingering issues if they are worth taking care of.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jul 22, 202301:22:24
#134 - Movie Review - Paycheck

#134 - Movie Review - Paycheck

This week, we reverse-engineer a review out of the 2003 movie, "Paycheck." This is a story of a Ben Affleck character having three years of his memory erased only to discover he has forfeited the huge paycheck for a job and has left himself 20 clues to stopping a major, future catastrophe.


- Which Geek gets a bunch of jabs against the movie in early?

- Which Geek considers this one of his favorite movies?

- Which Geek is somewhere in the middle, considering this movie a quarter-life crisis for its star.

- Which Geek(s) were okay with this movie's brief technobabble explanation for how to see into the future, and which Geek(s) were not.

- How did this review lead to references to "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame"?

- What similarities does this movie have to a story from "Batman" comics?

- Which Geek had barely anything good to say about this movie, and did that mean that he hated it or not?

- What were the Geeks' varying opinions about the chemistry between Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman?

- Which Geek had a nitpick about the power consumption required for a future-viewing device (and is it the Geek you'd expect to nitpick about that)?

- What aspect about his love for science fiction did one Geek site as one of this reasons for loving this movie?

- What about one Geek's time in hospitals led him to have special insight into the technology in this movie that allows someone to forget a large chunk of time?

- What topic led one Geek to reference this podcast's infamously contentious review of "The Space Between Us"?

- Which Geek asks the question, "How wind-resistant is Ben Affleck" (though the more appropriate question would have been "How aerodynamic is Ben Affleck")?

- Which Geek loses his mind explaining a nitpick he has about the bottom of a birdcage in this movie?

- What were the Geeks' various ratings for this movie, and which Geek changed his score based on the scores given by the other two?

- And, what was randomly rolled to review in the near future?


Listen now for the answers to these and other time-bending questions as we examine the clues to..."Paycheck."


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jul 01, 202301:20:36
#133 - Movie Review - The Entity

#133 - Movie Review - The Entity

This week, the Portal takes an usually serious, scary, and mature turn as the Geeks review the 1982 supernatural horror film, "The Entity," a movie about a struggling single mother who is repeatedly assaulted & violated by a malevolent & unseen force.


- Which genres & specific movies does Preston compare to this movie?

- How well does this movie explore tough topics like trauma, abuse, survivorship, etc.?

- What moments or plot points were shot but left out of the movie?

- What kind of special effects were used for one disturbing bedroom scene?

- How much is this movie inspired by an alleged real-life poltergeist case?

- What are some of the theories on who or what the entity actually is?

- How effective (or not) or out-of-place (or not) was the ending of the movie?

- How do the tough themes in the movie lead to a few tangents about hot-button issues of today and things going on in the news (including the switching of teams by a politician from the Geeks' home state)?

- What bizarre way did Todd find an excuse to once again mention the quirky 1990s CBS dramedy "Picket Fences"? (We get it; you binge-rewatched the show on Hulu last year. In fairness, he didn't mention "Babylon 5" this time tough.)

- What is Preston's explanation for how the protagonist is able to detect that the entity is weaker at one point?

- This was one of the Dave Teague picks left on topics list after he passed away. Why did the Geeks think Dave Teague wanted us to watch this movie?

- Todd said his objectivity & subjectivity were at odds with each other on this movie. How did that affect his final grade?

- How far apart (or not) were Todd & Preston's grades on the movie despite agreeing so much on the quality & content?

- And, what movie did the Geeks randomly roll to review soon?


Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as the Geeks attempt to examine...but not be haunted by...The Entity.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jun 26, 202301:10:16
#132 - Movie Review - Highlander

#132 - Movie Review - Highlander

This week we review the classic 1986 fantasy film, "Highlander."


- In what ways does the opening scene of this movie have significance in 1980s wrestling, including the backstories of eventually-famous Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon Jr.? And, which Geek is the one to know about it (this should be an easy one)?

- Which Geek noticed something dirty in Connor MacLeod's apartment?

- What do the Geeks feel about the look, tone, cult status, and 1980s-ness of the movie?

- Which Geek compared this movie's cult status and resurgence to that of "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," which the Geeks reviewed in episode #020 (still one of this podcast's best episodes -- and remastered, slightly, a few months ago; give it a listen)?

- Could the Geeks make it 20 minutes into the podcast before mentioning the soundtrack by famous British band, Queen?

- How much did opinions vary about the acting in the movie? Were any performances described as a "block of wood"? Which character was over-the-top for one or more of the Geeks?

- Which actors were allegedly intoxicated sometimes during filming?

- How was the sword fighting in this movie compared to lightsaber duels in Star Wars?

- What do the Geeks think about the basic premise of the movie?

- What did the Geeks have to say about "Highlander II: The Quickening," regarded as one of the worst movies of all time?

- Which Geeks were fans of the Highlander TV show, featuring Connor's distant cousin, Duncan?

- How does the ending of this movie make the continuation of a franchise problematic?

- And, when "Best MCU Phase 1 Movie" was rolled as an upcoming topic, which Geek assumed the obvious answer would be "The Avengers," and did another Geek imply opinions on that topic might not be so obvious?


Listen now for the answers to these and other timeless, ageless, immortal questions, as There Can Be Only One...review...of..."Highlander."


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jun 03, 202301:24:01
#131 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #02 - Grimm rewatch, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, streaming services, and more...

#131 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #02 - Grimm rewatch, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, streaming services, and more...

Welcome everyone to the 2nd installment of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #02, where the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.


In this episode, Todd & Preston covered the following topics...

- “Grimm”

- Peacock and Paramount Plus

- “Obi-Wan Kenobi”

- “Andor”

- Streaming services in general

- “Titans”

- “Gotham”

- “Doom Patrol”

- “Peacemaker”

- Clarification of previous “Star Wars” comments

- Is “superhero fatigue” a real thing?

- The MCU

- “Fantastic Four”

- “Squirrel Girl”

- “Spider-Man” and “Young Avengers”

- “Highlander”

- “Drive In With Joe Bob Briggs”

- Horror Movies

- The Movie Trivia Schmoedown


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

May 21, 202301:42:01
#130 - Special Topic - Star Wars Movies Ranked - PART 2

#130 - Special Topic - Star Wars Movies Ranked - PART 2

Welcome back to the DGP ranking of the Star Wars movies! :) Here in Part 2, we pick up with each Geeks' top 3s of the 9 trilogy movies (a.k.a. The Skywalker Saga). Afterwards, the Geeks backtrack to fit in "Rogue One" and "Solo," rate the trilogies overall, and discuss the TV series.


- All four Geeks have a different Star Wars movie ranked at #3. Which movie do you think each Geek picked?

- What were the various reasons for four different Star Wars movies making it into everyone's top 3s but not everyone's top 2s?

- Which Geek was particularly impressed with the music in "A New Hope"?

- How much did Carrie Fisher (a.k.a. Princess Leia) contribute to dialogue improvement in certain Star Wars movies? How many movies, play, and books did she write? And what are some of the many movies on which she served as "script doctor"?

- Is it any big surprise that the three movies of the original/middle trilogy faired so well in all four Geeks' lists? Which movies of that trilogy don't quite make it into all four top 3 lists, and which movies from the prequel and/or sequel trilogy take their place?

- Which movie is the only one to be in all four Geeks' top 3s, and what were the various reasons for it being so well regarded?

- Which Geek had the most controversial ranking amongst the group, and which movie of his was the biggest outlier?

- How many herbs & spices are in the colonel's secret KFC recipe?

- Which "Gilmore Girls" character pokes holes in the "high ground" moment from "Revenge of the Sith"?

- What were the arguments for and against the directing, writing, fight choreography, and psychology, in "Revenge of the Sith"?

- Todd kept score, with each 9th-place ranking getting 1 point, 8th-place getting 2 points, 1st-place getting 9 points, etc. When totaled, which movie of the three trilogies won overall 1st place by a 5-point margin? Which two movies tied for overall 2nd, with a 7-point margin over 4th place? And, which two movies tied for overall last place, just one point lower than the 7th-place movie?

- When discussing "Solo" and "Rogue One," what were some of their positives & negatives, and which of the two faired better?

- How did the Geeks rank the three trilogies? Which Geek said he could sum up his review of one of those trilogies with a one-second sound effect (and, in an upcoming episode, clarifies his statement that he doesn't mean that as a negative reflection of those that worked so hard on the various artistic & technical aspects of that trilogy)?

- What were the Geeks' opinions about the Star Wars TV shows (with focus on "The Mandalorian")?

- And, who makes special appearances in the outro for the first time since the outro for episode #008 of this podcast, the review for "Solo: A Star Wars Story"?


Listen now for the answers to these and other high-ranking questions as we conclude our special topic of ranking the Star Wars movies.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

May 13, 202301:09:33
#129 - Special Topic - Star Wars Movies Ranked - PART 1

#129 - Special Topic - Star Wars Movies Ranked - PART 1

Happy May the Fourth -- Star Wars Day! :) Listen now for Part 1 of The Discerning Geeks Portal's official ranking of the Star Wars movies. This is one of Andruw's topics, left waiting in the wings, but after some delay, we're finally debating our favorite and least favorite Star Wars movies. Andruw chose to have us only rank the nine movies of the trilogies, and we get to our bottom six done in Part 1. But, stay tuned for Part 2 where we finish with our top threes and give our opinions for "Rogue One," "Solo," and the TV shows.


- Out of the Star Wars trilogies, which movie didn't do better than than the bottom three, which bottom-three movie for most of the Geeks worked its way to the middle for one Geek, and which movie from the sequel trilogy faired the worst with most of the Geeks?

- Which two Geeks had almost the same bottom fives, were it not for a difference in opinion about "The Last Jedi"?

- Which Geek felt one of the Star Wars films seemed to be made to *intentionally* mess up any movie that came after it?

- Which Geek was the only one to dislike "The Last Jedi" more than "The Rise of Skywalker"?

- Which Geek was the only one to like "The Last Jedi" better than "The Force Awakens"?

- Which Geek was the only one to have "Revenge of the Sith" higher than the bottom four?

- Which Geek admitted to confusion and very mixed feelings when rating or ranking "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker"?

- Which Geek was the only one to have "The Force Awakens" outside the middle three--for better or worse?

- Which Geek(s) had "A New Hope" and/or "Return of the Jedi" in the middle three?

- Which Geek felt like "The Last Jedi" was one good movie and one bad movie crammed into one?

- Out of the bottom six, which movie seems the most contentious, "Attack of the Clones," "The Last Jedi," or "The Rise of Skywalker'?


Listen now for the answers to these question and more. Be on the lookout for Part 2 of this discussion, coming in a few days. Can you guess each Geek's top three? What is the overall Discerning Geeks ranking of the trilogy films when consolidating all four Geeks' rankings together? What do the Geeks think about "Rogue One," "Solo," and the TV shows? Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

May 04, 202356:53
#128 - Bonus Time-Capsule Star Wars Discussion - Recorded October 25, 2020 - Now Finally Released

#128 - Bonus Time-Capsule Star Wars Discussion - Recorded October 25, 2020 - Now Finally Released

Welcome to a special Star Wars discussion episode...recorded 2.5 years ago on October 25, 2020. The episode was held back and intended to be used as a fill-in episode in case the Geeks ever missed a week. And...then...we didn't use it anyway...even when we could have. This is the 3rd and final lost/unearthed/time-capsule episode recorded in 2020. Check out the other two "lost" episodes, #122 and #125, which were recorded before the Geeks released episode #001 (I guess you could say these three lost episodes form our own...prequel trilogy). But, this episode was all about Star Wars, in general.


- Which Geek declared one of the prequels to be the best Star Wars movies, even better than "The Empire Strikes Back"? What were his reasons, and did any of other Geek agree with him?

- What did at least one Geek say was one of the major, fundamental issues with the prequel trilogy?

- Were Anakin and Padme soulmates? Is it obvious? Does one Geek think so?

- Where should the prequel trilogy probably have started?

- Which Geek(s) were fan(s) of the "Star Wars: Clone Wars" animated TV show?

- Which Geek(s) theorize that Disney could -- and maybe should -- remake Episodes I to VI of the Star Wars films? Do any of the Geeks think that's what Disney actually intended to do (until "Solo: A Star Wars Story" wasn't received as well)? What were the counter-arguments?

- What did the Geeks think about Episodes VII to IX of the Star Wars films?

- What did the Geeks think about "The Mandalorian" (at the time)?

- Which of the Geeks referenced the movie "Ice Pirates," which the Geeks recently reviewed in episode #126?

- What were the various opinions among the Geeks about whether new Star Wars material belong more on TV or the big screen?

- Which Geek stated eagerness to see the Star Wars book character Thrawn brought to life (not knowing that he was already in the "Star Wars: Rebels" animated TV show)?


Listen now for the answers to these and other questions, as this special time-capsule episode explores our Star Wars opinions from 2.5 years ago. And, be on the lookout for our next episodes when we have a recently recorded two-parter, ranking the Star Wars trilogy films and talking about Solo, Rogue One, and the Star Wars TV shows.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apr 30, 202301:27:59
#127 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Discussion Hour (Topics:  syndication, space opera, dangerous technologies, guilty pleasures, Dungeons & Dragons, and much more...)

#127 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Discussion Hour (Topics: syndication, space opera, dangerous technologies, guilty pleasures, Dungeons & Dragons, and much more...)

Welcome to Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Discussion Hour. Due to Andruw having a scheduling conflict and Dave falling asleep before we were supposed to record, Todd & Preston ended up improvising their own two-person episode. As Preston put it, this is like the discussion we might have during a car ride. So, the runtime is over an hour, and the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.


To give a little structure to the conversation, Todd & Preston asked each other the following main questions.


- What favorite TV shows have we found via syndication?

- What kinds of movies & TV shows have we enjoyed in the space opera sub-genre of sci-fi?

- What technology would we *not* want humanity to have?

- Do we have any guilty pleasures?

- What kinds of classes have we played or want to play in Dungeons & Dragons?


But, thanks to a lot of tangents, comparisons, and other references, many geeky things were mentioned, including (but not limited to)...

#Babylon5

#Continuum

#DCU

#DoctorWho

#DungeonsAndDragons

#IExpectYouToDie

#Farscape

#Invincible

#JamesBond

#KolchakTheNightStalker

#Lexx

#MCU

#Monsters

#PeterDavid

#SpaceCases

#StargateSG1

#StarTrek

#StarTrekDeepSpaceNine

#StarTrekTheNextGeneration

#StarWars

#TheLangoliers

#TheOrville

#TheSimpsons

#TheTwilightZone

#TimeTravel

#Wrestling


Slide over the pile of jackets and cloth grocery bags in the back seat, climb in, and listen now to find out which roads Todd & Preston traverse in this special improvised Sunday drive down a...highway of geekiness...(?!?)... (Ooh, sorry, typing this at a late hour after two glasses of wine is causing the whole drive-time discussion metaphor to fall apart. You get the idea. We talk about stuff. Have a listen.)


And, stay tuned for several installments of Star Wars related discussions. First will be one more "lost/unearthed" episode...a general Star Wars discussion recorded back in late 2020, never published, and now ready to release into Wild Space. After that, we will release the topic of Favorite & Least Favorite Star Wars Movies, which is finally recorded and long enough to be split into two installments...our first two-parter since September 2021. Just for a little shameless self-promotion, our previous multi-parters were...


- #023 & #031 - "The Adjustment Bureau" and "Adjustment Bureau Overflow - The Works of Philip K. Dick"

- #034, #035, and #036 - Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

- #037 & #039 - Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters, Parts 1 & 2

- #044 & #045 - Best & Worst TV Series Finales, Parts 1 & 2

- #066 & #067 - "The Lord of the Rings" Film Trilogy Review, Parts 1 & 2

- #069 & #070 - Dragon Con 2021, Part 1 ("Pre-Con - What is Dragon Con?") and Part 2 ("Post-Con - How Did It Go?")


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apr 24, 202301:22:59
#126 - Movie Review - Ice Pirates ... (with bonus "brought to you by..." montage at the end)

#126 - Movie Review - Ice Pirates ... (with bonus "brought to you by..." montage at the end)

While not coming out in March as originally intended, this week's review is of the 1984 sci-fi comedy-adventure, "Ice Pirates." This is the last of four reviews we were doing specifically to honor our late friend & co-host, Dave Teague. Check out the other reviews in this series: "Godzilla (2014)," "Conan: The Barbarian (1982)," and "Robot Jox." We've also recently released our two long-lost practice episodes, #000.0 & #000.5 (a.k.a. #122 & #125). And, since it's currently out in theaters, we also squeezed in a NON-spoiler review of "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." But, more about "Ice Pirates"...


- Which co-host had a landmark birthday during the week we recorded?

- Which letter of the alphabet is the sponsor of this episode?

- What farm animal does one co-host sound like when giving his first impression of the movie?

- Which of the Geeks described this movie as a "cinematic masterpiece" and somehow compared it to Shakespeare -- and was he serious either way?

- What did the Geeks think about the robots in this movie?

- Did one or more of the Geeks actually succeed in "digging deeper" into this movie's reflection of historical context & social issues, or did he just dig himself a hole to fall into?

- What C-word was said an uncomfortable amount in the middle of this review?

- What was the lead male character's true intentions with the lead female character -- honorable, dishonorable, or somewhere in between?

- Which movie previously reviewed by this podcast has footage in the background, during a scene in this movie?

- What did the Geeks think about the story, tone, special effects, grand finale, etc.?

- Does this movie deserve (good or bad) to be in a category with "Logan's Run," "Krull," and "Beastmaster"? And, how does it compare to "Spaceballs"?

- How much did one co-host love Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Rock in this movie? (Note: They're not actually in the movie.)

- Mostly importantly, what line spoken in this movie was both loved and better said by our late friend & co-host, Dave Teague, and one of the main reasons Dave S. chose this movie for our series of reviews honoring him?

- And, what did we think Dave Teague would have rated it?


Listen now for the answers to these and other futuristic, cheesy, 80s-funtastic questions, as we steal some time for..."Ice Pirates."


Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a montage of the five commercials the podcast has done for letters of the alphabet: O, E, V, A, and I.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apr 13, 202301:15:22
#125 (Sort Of) - Special Unearthed Episode #000.5: Getting to Know the Co-Hosts (Recorded June 17, 2020)

#125 (Sort Of) - Special Unearthed Episode #000.5: Getting to Know the Co-Hosts (Recorded June 17, 2020)

Welcome to another special unearthed episode, recorded 17 June 2020 and the 2nd of two practice episodes that Dave, Dave, and Todd, did before releasing their review of "The Martian" as their episode #001 in July of that year. Finally edited and ready for release, this episode explores the co-hosts' geeky interests and what they hoped for out of the podcast.


- Which co-host was shopping for a cave to retreat to?

- Which co-host actually had definitions of "discerning" ready to go?

- Can someone be geeky about something like sports or history? One co-host explained.

- What were the thee main things that Todd said he looks for in great TV shows?

- Which co-host stated being a big fan of Charles Dickens?

- What movie scene does one co-host claim might be the best moment in cinematic history?

- What life lessons did the Geeks get out of Ally McBeal and N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano?

- What TV show's ending did the Geeks equate with a messy divorce?

- And, how long have the Geeks known each other (technically, it's been longer than the number of years mentioned)?


Listen now for the answers to these and other -- finally unearthed -- questions as we go back in time...to one month before the start off of the podcast with Episode #000.5 And, check out Episode #122, which is actually #000.0, the first of the two practice sessions and the one where the Geeks actually named the podcast.


Movies, TV shows, games, and other geeky things -- good or bad -- that get mentioned in this less-than-an-hour episode include...

- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

- A Christmas Carol

- The A-Team

- Ally McBeal

- Babylon 5

- Battle: Los Angeles

- Battleship

- Battlestar Galactica

- Breaking Bad

- Conan: The Barbarian

- Critters

- Dead Poets Society

- Dragon Con

- The Dukes of Hazzard

- Dungeons & Dragons

- Firefly

- Fringe

- Game of Thrones

- Ghostbusters

- Gilmore Girls

- The Green Mile

- Gremlins

- Killer Klowns From Outer Space

- Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

- Magic: The Gathering

- The Mandalorian

- The Martian

- The Matrix

- N.C. State basketball coach, Jim Valvano

- Outlander

- Parenthood

- Quantum Leap

- Saving Mr. Banks

- SpongeBob SquarePants

- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

- Star Trek: Enterprise

- Star Trek: The Next Generation

- Star Wars: Destiny

- Toy Story 3

- Toy Story 4

- Vulcan, the fictional planet from Star Trek (and the real-life star, 40 Eridani A, that it orbits)

- The Walking Dead

- The West Wing


NOTE: Sorry for the delay on the "Ice Pirates" review, which was intended for release in March. Due to competing schedules, it was recorded later than expected and could not be edited as quickly. It should be released by the middle of April. There is likely one more "unearthed" episode, a Star Wars discussion recorded in October 2020, which will probably be released sometime between "Ice Pirates" and a new discussion about the Best & Worst Star Wars Movies (which is probably our next topic to record), followed by a review of "Highlander," three TV topics, and whatever else we randomly roll along the way (exact order to be determined). Stay tuned, and thank you for listening.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apr 08, 202358:14
#124 - Movie Review - Dungeons & Dragons - Honor Among Thieves

#124 - Movie Review - Dungeons & Dragons - Honor Among Thieves

This week, we give a NON-spoiler review of a movie that came to theaters...today, 31 March 2023...Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Dave, Preston, and Todd, already saw it two Sundays ago as part of an Amazon Prime-exclusive early preview, and Todd saw it again last Sunday as part of an additional early preview. And, spoilers...it's a great movie. It's so refreshing to be able to say that after being in the weeds for a while.


- Which co-hosts felt like this was the best movie to come out in several years, at least since Covid?

- How well did the Geeks think the movie handled being an homage to the game but also being a movie -- feeling like a role playing game but without feeling like campaign notes translated to the screen.

- Which co-host(s) felt like the movie still felt like a role playing session and could feel the moment that a Dungeon Master might be directing the story or where the adventuring group might be flailing?

- Which locations, creatures, character classes, and other elements of the game (or cartoon) did the Geeks appreciate the most from the movie?

- What quibbles with the Druid character does one co-host have?

- How much do the Geeks appreciate each character arc in the movie? Do the Geeks feel like there's sufficient closure for each one?

- Which co-host most appreciate the ending and the surprising emotional payoff in this movie -- not the kind of movie where you'd expect that much emotional response?

- Which co-host felt like the movie was a little predictable, and how much, if at all, did that hurt his enjoyment?

- Should this movie stand on it's own? Should it be the beginning of a movie series? Is the truth somewhere in the middle, and where does each co-host land?

- If there are future movies, what direction could the next one go?

- One co-host compared the risk & reward of turning a movie into a franchise using the same movie for an example of both? Which movie was the example?

- And, how did the Geeks' positive opinions translate into their final scores for the movie?


Show some Initiative, and listen now for the answers to these and other Insight-ful questions -- no Perception check required -- as we Perform an Investigation on the Nature of..."Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."


Note: Due to a few factors, including the time-sensitive nature of reviewing a movie just coming out in theaters, this episode is being released before our last "March" movie review honoring our late friend & co-host Dave Teague. Our review of "Ice Pirates" is recorded (in March), will be edited (hopefully) soon, and will come out in early (maybe mid) April. Also coming in the near future is a release of Episode #000.5, another practice episode Dave, Dave, and Todd, did before publishing their first episode. That might come out before "Ice Pirates." If you haven't already, check out our previous March releases -- reviews of "Godzilla" (2014), "Conan: The Barbarian" (1982), and "Robot Jox," as well as Episode #122, which is really Episode #000.0, the first practice session in which Dave, Dave, and Todd, first named the podcast. Stay tuned for one other "lost" episode before we get back on track with a discussion of our favorite Star Wars movies, a review of the movie "Highlander," and several discussions about our favorite TV episodes & seasons.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apr 01, 202348:18
#123 - Movie Review - Robot Jox

#123 - Movie Review - Robot Jox

This time, on the Discerning Geex Portal, we review the 1990 sci-fi flick about giant fighting robots and the people that pilot them into battle..."Robot Jox."


- What classic tabletop strategy game about robot combat did Dave, Dave, and Todd, play in high school, sometimes all night? The game gets several mentions in this episode.

- Which of the Geex can pretty much sum up his opinion of this movie with one word, and what is that word?

- Which of the Geex had issues with the acting, dialogue, sets, costumes, and/or special effects?

- Which of the Geex was surprised & impressed by how serious the story was?

- Which parts of the story & production still come off as cheesy? Was the movie too cheesy, not cheesy enough, or just right?

- What were the co-hosts' opinions of the spy subplot?

- Was Andruw, being the youngest, critical of the late '80s special effects, or would he have accepted even more primitive effects if it meant much more robot screen time?

- Were any of the Geex able to extract any deeper meanings from the story or setting?

- What did the Geex think about the robot designs?

- Groin saw? Yay or nay?

- Which of the Geex was bothered that the female character wasn't given the full chance to pilot the robot?

- What rating did the Geex think Dave Teague would have given the movie?


Listen now for the answers to these and other robotic questions as we run diagnostics on..."Robot Jox."

:

:

And, stay tuned all March as we pay tribute to David Charles Teague, who we greatly miss.

(This particular episode is being published at approximately 11:55 PM on March 22, exactly one year after he passed away.)

:

:

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mar 23, 202301:12:51
#122 (Sort Of) - Starlite Starbrite: Special Unearthed Episode #000.0: The Naming of the Podcast (Recorded June 10, 2020)

#122 (Sort Of) - Starlite Starbrite: Special Unearthed Episode #000.0: The Naming of the Podcast (Recorded June 10, 2020)

Welcome to "Starlite Starbrite: Special Unearthed Episode #000.0: The Naming of the Podcast."  Recorded on June 10, 2020, this is the first of two practice sessions that Dave, Dave, and Todd recorded to prove that the podcast could become a reality -- six weeks before publishing their movie review of "The Martian" as episode #001 on July 21, 2020.  In this first unearthed episode, the Geeks discussed & decided on the name of the podcast.


 - Which possible podcast names did each Geek advocate for, and which names got shot down?

 - Which Geek came prepared with a color-coded spreadsheet of over 60 possible names to work from (this should be an easy guess)?

 - How fast did the Geeks come to a decision, and how did each Geek contribute to a portion of the final name?

 - After the decision was made, how did the discussion turn to the movie "Battle: Los Angeles," which the Geeks eventually reviewed in episode #086?

 - How did the discussion then turn to favorite sci-fi TV characters, and which characters were mentioned?  Which co-hosts mentioned their #1 favorites, and who were they?  You may know the answer to this question if you tuned in to our Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters topic in episodes #037 & #039 (not a typo; we published a "WandaVision" review between Parts 1 & 2 of the characters discussion).

 - And, why does the name of this bonus episode start off "Starlite Starbrite" -- a reference to the trailer park (and neighboring convenience store) in the movie "The Last Starfighter," which we reviewed in episode #033?  Hint:  It's in honor of Dave Teague.  Listen to the first few minutes of the episode for context.


We hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane, appreciate a peak behind the scenes at our process for naming the podcast, and forgive us for the sound quality of recording from 2020 Discord chat using our first set of microphones.

:

:

And, stay tuned all March as we pay tribute to David Charles Teague, who we greatly miss.

:

:

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - "A Good Bass for Gambling" by Komiky via FreePD.com

 - "the-beginning-of-the-story-110942" by Leonid Timachev ("AmarantaMusic") via Pixabay.com

Mar 16, 202344:45
#121 - Movie Review - Conan the Barbarian (1982)

#121 - Movie Review - Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Thousands of years ago, before Florida was drunk by the sea and New York crumbled into the ocean, four brothers ride into battle, to discuss, "Conan the Barbarian."   Yes, this movie is another Dave Teague pick as we celebrate his life during March, almost one year since his passing.  Andruw moderates as this was his selection among Dave Teague picks, with Andruw being a huge Arnold Schwarzenegger fan.


 - How long has the Conan character been around in literature -- long before he was even a character in movies or TV?  How much did the movies help revitalize the character?

 - Conan is one of several characters and fantasy franchises that helped lay the groundwork for other fantasy franchises.  How excited are Dave and Todd that a TV show will be made for Roger Zelazny's "The Chronicle of Amber" book series?

 - How important and successful was Arnold Schwarzenegger for this movie and vice versa?

 - What was the most memorable quote from the movie?

 - Which co-host felt the script for this movie was "solid," and how many other co-hosts feel the movie is "great, for what it is"?

 - Which co-host was caught off guard by a moment of shape shifting, sorcery, or mind control, by the main villain -- and which power was actually on display in that moment?

 - Which co-host is the only one to watch the 2011 version of "Conan the Barbarian" -- along with "Conan the Destroyer" and "Red Sonja"?  What were his opinions of the remake vs. the original?

 - Which two co-hosts have read some of the original Conan novels?  (This one is an easy guess.)

 - What did the Geeks think about the plot & characters in this movie?  Were they deep, and did they need to be?  If they weren't, is that okay for this type of movie?  Which co-host felt strongly that the plot & characters were deeper than most people give credit for?

 - Most importantly, did Arnold Schwarzenegger really punch that camel?

 - What were one co-host's nitpicks over the opening narration and closing subtitles?

 - Which co-hosts nitpicked some over the blood in the movie -- one for it being too fake, another for it being too much?

 - What were the co-hosts' final scores for this movie, and which one graded it the most harshly?

 - What did the co-hosts think Dave Teague would have rated it, in his special & unique grading system?

 - And, what two Dungeons & Dragons character classes should get inspiration from the two main Conan movies?


Listen now for the answers to these and other glistening, muscle-bound questions as we go on a quest with..."Conan the Barbarian."

:

:

And, stay tuned all March as we pay tribute to David Charles Teague, who we greatly miss.

:

:

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - Intro, Part 1:  "Night Attack" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Intro, Part 2 & Outro:  "heroes-on-a-journey-cinematic-action-theme-135281" by Dream-Protocol via Pixabay.com

 - Countdown Clock:  "warriors-from-another-time-free-epic-soundtrack-2562" by GioeleFazzeri via Pixabay.com

Mar 13, 202301:08:22
#120 - Movie Review - Godzilla (2014)

#120 - Movie Review - Godzilla (2014)

This March, we will be honoring our late friend and co-host, Dave Teague, by reviewing movies we know he liked or had previously suggested.  First up is the 2014 version of "Godzilla," the first movie in the WB/Legendary MonsterVerse and a movie Dave T. suggested for review at the end of episode #032, which was our review of "The Lake House."  This episode also marks Preston's first time taking the helm and moderating.


 - As a fan of wrestling, what nicknames does Preston give the Geeks during intros?

 - What two drinks did Dave S. prepare to help him through the review?  Does he finish one or both by the end?

 - Which co-host saw this movie with Dave Teague at a theatre in Myrtle Beach when it first came out?

 - Was there too much focus on monster destruction scenes, on the human characters, both, or not enough of either?

 - How many minutes into the movie did Godzilla finally show up, and was that too late?

 - Approximately how much screen time did Godzilla get, and was it enough?

 - In what way -- or multiple ways -- does Godzilla represent America?

 - What did the co-hosts think about sounds & music in the movie?

 - How great was the CGI, and was it worth the effort when cloaked in so much fog & shadow?

 - Do opinions about the movie change at all when thinking of it as a disaster movie instead of a monster movie?

 - Is there enough character development to care about more than just one or two characters -- or even that many?

 - Were the military in the movie portrayed as well-trained, unwise, or a little bit of both?

 - What is the one weapon that has ever been effective against Godzilla (in previous movies)?

 - What's more dangerous, Godzilla or a weapon that can defeat Godzilla in the hands of humans?  How much does that question contribute to the premise of Godzilla and what it might thematically represent?

 - Did this movie portray the right sense of terror, and how would the co-hosts feel if one or more giant monsters really did come onshore and attack our cities?

 - Which co-host cut his lightning round short because he ran out of things to say?

 - Preston gave Dave Teague's rating on the movie instead of his own.  How did Preston know Dave Teague's rating?

 - And, what are the reasons Todd, Andruw, and Dave S. selected "Robot Jox," "Conan the Barbarian," and "Ice Pirates," respectively, to honor Dave Teague this month?


Listen now to the answers to these and other city-leveling questions as we attempt to fight, drive off, or at least survive..."Godzilla."

:

:

And, stay tuned all March as we pay tribute to David Charles Teague, who we greatly miss.

:

:

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.  NOTE:  We could really use your help with this.  On Apple Podcasts, we got our first non-perfect review, and it's brought our average down to 4.7.  We'd love to get that closer to 5 again.


Public domain music used in the episode includes, all via Pixabay.com...

 - Intro, Part 1:  "japan-koto-folk-background-music-124876" by "Music_Unlimited"

 - Intro, Part 2:  "down-with-tokyo-3455" by "GabrielDouglas"

 - Countdown Clock:  "japan-origami-113045" by Francesco Biondi ("FreeGroove")

 - Bumper Addition:  "asia-oriental-logo-139061" by "AlexiAction"

 - Outro:  "japanese-garden-139092" by "moodmode"

Mar 05, 202301:16:10
#119 - Whatcha' Doin'? - February 2023 - The Last of Us, Lockwood & Company, Wednesday, Quantum Leap, Willow, National Treasure: EoH, Kaleidoscope, DCU, and more...

#119 - Whatcha' Doin'? - February 2023 - The Last of Us, Lockwood & Company, Wednesday, Quantum Leap, Willow, National Treasure: EoH, Kaleidoscope, DCU, and more...

Thanks to the returning Andruw, this episode is brought to you by the letter A, and it's about...anything.  We start off catching up with what Andruw's been doing, and we gradually transition into more geeky topics from there.


 - Preston asked what food in movies or TV would we most like to eat?  Preston had good answers.  Andruw had a weird example.  Todd didn't have a favorite example, off the top of his head, but had a couple random examples...one from "Babylon 5" (shocker).  This topic also led to tangents of a bug-eater from a "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode, Subway product placement on "Chuck," and the Pixar movie "Ratatouille."

 - What stunt did the funny & sarcastic "Red Letter Media" YouTube channel pull that was comedic, semi-educational, and very charitable, all at once?  Just how many thousands of dollars did their stunt raise and for which two charities?

 - What did Preston have to say about "The Last of Us" on HBO, "Lockwood & Company" on Netflix, and "Wednesday" also on Netflix?

 - What did Todd have to say about the "Quantum Leap" revival on NBC, "Willow" season 1 on Disney+, "National Treasure: Edge of History" season 1 also on Disney+, and "Kaleidoscope" on Netflix?  And, what extent did he have to go to not have this segment being mostly him rambling on for way too long?

 - What did Andruw have to say about "The Office: Superfan" on Peacock?

 - Which co-host is a fan of "The Simpsons" and "The Last Drive In With Joe Bob Briggs"?

 - Were the Geeks looking forward to "Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania" at the time of this recording?

 - What do the Geeks think about James Gunn's line up of DCU "reboot" movies & TV shows?

 - Is Todd going to give modern Star Trek another try with "Star Trek: Picard" season 3?

 - And, will Todd finish writing the summary of this episode before his laptop battery runs out while sitting in the Barnes & Noble cafe long after finishing his white chocolate mocha and breakfast croissant (that he ate as a late lunch)?


Listen now for the answers to these and other random questions (well, except for the Barnes & Noble cafe part) in this month's improvised & eclectic Whatcha' Doin'? episode.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used in this episode includes...

 - Intro to Episode:  "A Good Bass for Gamblin" by Komiku via FreePD.com

 - Transition to Commercial for the Letter A:  "Vintage Party" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Todd's Lightning Round Countdown Clock:  "Inventing Flight" by Bryan Teoh via FreePD.com

 - Outro:  "deep-space-adventure-sci-fi-orchestra-1258" by Phillip Dillow ("Phill_Dillow") via Pixabay.com

Feb 20, 202301:09:03
#118 - Movie Review - Ant-Man

#118 - Movie Review - Ant-Man

This week, we're down one Dave but back up one Andruw (plus a returning Preston; and we can't seem to get rid of Todd for an episode), as we review the MCU Phase 2 movie, "Ant-Man."


 - Which co-host appreciated the aspect of the movie in which Scott Lang had trouble using his skills for a real career.

 - What did the guys think about the character of Scott Lang?

 - Was Scott Lang's backstory pretty standard, pretty unique, or a little of both, depending on your perspective?

 - This is a Marvel heist movie.  How well were the heist aspects handled?

 - What were some of the Geeks' favorite moments?

 - Were the Geeks okay with the adaption of the Hope Van Dyne character, which wasn't a direct translation from the comics?

 - Which co-host compared the movie to biscuits and cookies?

 - How many ways should Todd be eating his Chipotle burrito bowls differently?

 - And, what topic did the Geeks roll for an upcoming episode?


Listen now for the answers to these and other tiny questions as we shrink down for a closer look at..."Ant-Man."


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Note:  This summary was done in a rush in the morning before getting ready for work.  It might improve later, when there's more time.  At the very least, the list of royalty-free music used in the episode will be added later.

Feb 15, 202301:07:43
#117 - Movie Review - Rollerball (1975)

#117 - Movie Review - Rollerball (1975)

This week, we review a movie slightly older than all of us (well, okay, *significantly* older than guest host Preston and soon-to-return Andruw; Todd & Dave really are old).  It's the 1975 kind-of-futuristic, kind-of-sci-fi sports film, "Rollerball."  This was recently chosen randomly on our still-unnamed-season-3-portal, but it's a season 2 leftover Wheel of Insanity pick chosen by our late friend & co-host, Dave Teague.


 - Why did the guys start the episode talking so much about microphones?  (No, seriously, why?)

 - Why did Dave Teague pick this movie for us to review?  (No, seriously, why?  ...We'll explore & theorize.)

 - Which drug does one co-host think might have enhanced the viewing of this movie (if he were in to that sort of thing...which he's not...or so he claims...we're not around him all the time, so how do we know)?

 - What did the co-hosts think of the "futuristic" 2018 depicted in this movie compared to the actual 2018 we got?

 - How does that future setting reflect or differ from our society today?

 - What is the point of the Rollerball game itself?

 - Which co-host(s) have read "Tale of Two Cities"?  If you guessed Todd, you need to listen to more episodes.

 - What deeper meanings were the Geeks able to get out of this movie?

 - How did Preston help make the review more intellectual and coherent?

 - How creepy was it, three grown men spending almost 1.5 minutes debating go-go dresses vs. summer sun-dresses?

 - And, what upcoming topic did we randomly roll on the portal this week?


Listen now to score the answers to these and other questions as we circle around the topic of..."Rollerball."

:

:

In honor of Dave Teague.

:

:

You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

 - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

 - Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used:

 - Intro (1st half):  "Toccata_et_Fugue_BWV565" by Johann Sebastian Bach in the public domain, downloaded from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toccata_et_Fugue_BWV565.ogg

 - Intro (2nd half):  "be-on-my-way-109191" by Sergei Chetvertnykh ("SergeQuadrado") via Pixabay.com

 - Unfunny Presidential Reference:  "Hail to the Chief" in the public domain

 - Drug Trip Reference:  "weeknds-122592" by DayFox via Pixabay.com

 - Go-Go Dress Reference:  "funky-turn-on-113880" by Oleksii Kaplunskyi ("Lesfm") via Pixabay.com

 - Creepy Go-Go Dress vs. Summer Sun-Dress Debate:  "Pickled Pink" by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

 - Lightning Round Clock (Preston's & Todd's):  "energetic-upbeat-vintage-funky-pop-groove-dance-party-114502" by Dmitry Taras ("SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras") via Pixabay.com

 - Lightning Round Clock (Dave's):  "piano-blues-and-gospel-sisters-choir-humming-9067" by JuliusH via Pixabay.com

 - Outro:  "funkalicious-10403" by BeachVibesMusic via Pixabay.com

Feb 03, 202301:16:05
#116 - Movie Review - Black Adam

#116 - Movie Review - Black Adam

...And, we're back.  Andruw is still busy pinning and body-slamming people (for his high school wrestling team, not just random people on the street).  But, this week, we are joined by friend and special guest host, Preston.  Together, we review a movie the three of us watched on New Year's Eve -- the DCEU film "Black Adam."


 - How many hours does this movie seem to last?

 - Being a huge fan of Justice Society of America from the comics, how did Preston feel the movie handled that team?

 - Which co-host compared Khandaq to Wakanda and Eternium to Vibranium?

 - In how many other ways do the co-hosts compare the DECU to the MCU, in general?

 - Which co-host was annoyed by several action scenes feeling like music videos?

 - Which co-host(s) had issues with the movie's pacing and/or structure?

 - Which co-host felt the movie has several moments of bait-and-switch?

 - What did the co-hosts feel about the villains in the movie?

 - How/why did this movie have a zombie army, on top of everything else?

 - What common superhero/sci-fi trope was actually impressively missing from this movie...until it wasn't?

 - Which co-host is a fan of Red Letter Media on YouTube (actually, at least two co-hosts are fans of RLM, but one co-host name-drops them specifically)?

 - Making his first appearance on the podcast, which unique grading system does Preston use?

 - Which person who sort of watched the movie with us -- but isn't on the podcast -- asked, "Is this movie ever going to end?"

 - Were the co-host's scores for the movie more harsh or more lenient than expected?

 - What are the co-host's suggestions for a better DC movie universe?

 - And, which topic was randomly rolled for an upcoming episode?


Listen now for the answers to these other questions as we rise up in defiance of..."Black Adam."


You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

 - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

 - Twitter:  @discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used:

 - Intro:  "the-sorrow-ii-epic-theme-123138" by Zen_Man via Pixabay.com

 - Background Music During Wrestling References:  "wrestling-109150" by Aleksandr Karabanov ("Muzaproduction") via Pixabay.com

 - Outro:  "the-sorrow-ii-dark-theme-01-123136" by Zen_Man via Pixabay.com

Jan 22, 202301:21:41
#115 - Whatcha' Doin'? - December 2022 Catch-Up

#115 - Whatcha' Doin'? - December 2022 Catch-Up

...And, we're back.  No, seriously, we are.  We're sorry for our longest unintended hiatus yet, caused by a combination of competing schedules, a bout of the flu by two co-hosts and their families (Todd's immune system is apparently still working overtime), the holidays, and general life hectic-ness.


Anyway...  While Andruw was busy pinning people to mats for his high school wrestling team (they're called mats, right; I don't know; maybe Andruw can school us on the lingo), Dave and Todd caught up with some general discussion about movies & TV shows they've watched recently.


In this episode, we covered...

 - "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in theaters

 - The DC shake-up at Warner Bros.

 - "Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special" on Disney+

 - "The Santa Clauses" TV show on Disney+

 - "She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law" TV show on Disney+ (and the rest of 2022 MCU on TV)

 - "Andor" TV show on Disney+

 - "Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" TV show on Disney+

 - "Willow" TV show on Disney+

 - "National Treasure: Edge of History" TV show on...checking my notes...oh, you guessed it, Disney+

 - Christmas movies, Christmas-themed episodes of our podcast, and the problem with binging Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel

 - Podcasts Dave is listening to:  "Monster Hour," "The Crit Show," and "Moriarty"

 - Podcasts Todd is listening to:  "White Rocket Babylon 5 Rewatch Podcast," "Re:Engage" (a Star Trek: TNG rewatch podcast), and "The Grimmcast" (a "Grimm" rewatch podcast co-hosted by three actresses from the show)

 - The new "Quantum Leap" on Disn...nope, NBC (Todd watches via next-day streaming on Peacock)

 - Dave is also rewatching some of the original "Quantum Leap."

 - "The Peripheral" TV show on Amazon Prime

 - "Avenue 5" TV show on Amazon Prime, complete with references to venting poop (the ship in the show venting poop, not one of the co-hosts venting poop)

 - And a few quick, last-minute references to "For All Mankind" on Apple TV+, "The Orville" on Hulu & Disney+, "The Time Travelers Wife" on HBO Max, and "Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" on Amazon Prime

 - Being ready for 2022 to be over

 - At least four topics we know we've got coming up:  a review of "Rollerball" (a Dave Teague pick that's still on the list), Favorite SF/F/Horror Single-Episode TV Stories, Favorite SF/F/Horror TV Seasons, and 2022 Year In Review

 - A plug for our spin-off podcast -- "The Discerning Lurkers Portal: A Babylon 5 Podcast" (two more episodes are recorded and will be edited...soon-ish)

 - A plug for some episodes of this podcast having been re-uploaded with slightly improved audio quality (usually occurring on or near the one or two year anniversary of each original episode)


Again, sorry for the schedule conflicts and other issues that kept us from doing more recently, including some Christmas themed episodes.  We still hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that a very Happy New Year is ahead.  :)


You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  discerninggeeks@gmail.com

 - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

 - Twitter:  @discerninggeeks

 

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.


Public domain music used:

 - Intro:  "jingle-bells-2189" by John Sib via Pixabay.com

 - Outro (1st part):  "jingle-bells-american-traditional-from-the-19th-century-the-one-horse-open-sleigh-dx-e-piano-9542" by JuliusH via Pixabay.com

 - Outro (2nd part):  "Assassin" by Raphael Krux via FreePD.com

Dec 28, 202201:13:08
#114 - Showdown #03 - Deep Impact vs. Armageddon

#114 - Showdown #03 - Deep Impact vs. Armageddon

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event:  The 3rd Discerning Geeks Portal...Showdown!


In the Comet corner...  Starring Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, and Morgan Freeman...  Containing smart, adaptable characters who strive to make the best of a cataclysmic situation...  Specializing in tales of the human spirit, problem-solving story-telling, and heroic sacrifice...  And, ultimately threatening at least three continents with massive tsunamis upon impact...  It is the 1998 drama-disaster film, Deeeep Immmmpaaaact!

And, in the Asteroid corner...  Starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, and Matt Damon's friend, Ben Affleck...  Containing explosions, twice as many heavily modified space shuttles, twice the number of sacrificial shuttle crew members, jokes, quips, space vehicles with Gatling guns, space dementia, and...explosions...  Specializing in frequently excessive camera movements, defying laws of physics, popularizing an Aerosmith song, and earning Razzie nominations...  And, ultimately threatening the entire planet with total annihilation.  It is the 1998 action-disaster flick, Aaaarmaaaagedonnnn!


Your judges are "experts" in space objects and extinction level disasters.

 - Dave...The Earth Eradicator!!!

 - Todd...The Comet Decommissioner!!!

 - Andruw...The Asteroid Assassin!!!


Tonight's match is scheduled for 6 rounds of cinematic & cataclysmic debate!


"Deep Impact" vs. "Armageddon!!!"  Which movie will survive the wave, and which movie will just be washed away?


Let's get ready to RUMBLE...and blow up some big space rocks!!!


Ring the fight bell!  Let the showdown begin!


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  DiscerningGeeks@gmail.com

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

- Link Tree:  linktr.ee/discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.  Give us 5 stars if you love us, 4 stars if you hate us.  The other stars do not work.


Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - Intro/Outro:  "electronic-rock-king-around-here-15045" by AlexGrohl via Pixabay.com

 - Fight Drums:  "401231__rileywarren__drums-1-fight-scene" by RileyWarren via FreeSound.org

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "race-against-time-15194" by Vitaliy Levkin ("LemonMusicStudio") via Pixabay.com

Nov 02, 202201:26:10
#113 - Movie Review - Beetlejuice

#113 - Movie Review - Beetlejuice

This week, just in time for Halloween, we reviewed the 1980s horror comedy, "Beetlejuice."


 - What is up with the early mention about bad sound effects on the podcast ?!?!?

 - How does Joanna get away with talking crap about us?

 - Which co-host keeps track of how many times we say the word Beetlejuice, and why is that relevant?

 - Which co-host accuses Tim Burton of doing drugs?

 - Which co-host reminisces about a time of two comedy cable channels before Comedy Central came about?

 - Which character(s) were deemed as sympathetic & enjoyable even among the co-host(s) that didn't enjoy the movie as much?

 - What were the opinions about the way the movie handled the nature of ghosts?

 - What did the co-hosts think about the special effects and humor in the movie?

 - Which co-host(s) liked the title character and which one(s) didn't?  What are the things that don't make sense about the title character?

 - What grade does Andruw have in his math class right now?

 - What song gets totally ruined by this review -- assuming you're someone who liked it in the first place?

 - And, which celebrities did Joanna try to summon after the outro music?


Listen now for the answers to these and other haunting questions.


You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  DiscerningGeeks@gmail.com

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

- Link Tree:  linktr.ee/discerninggeeks


Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.  Give us 5 stars if you love us, 4 stars if you hate us.  The other stars do not work.


Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - Intro:  "halloween-scary-horror-and-creepy-spooky-funny-children-music-116006" by Dmitry Taras ("SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras") via Pixabay.com

 - Tim Burton opinion:  "narasimha-reggae-13633" by Sergei Chetvertnykh ("SergeQuadrado") via Pixabay.com

 - Lightning Round Clock (Dave & Todd):  "Circus of Freaks" by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

 - Lightning Round Clock (Andruw):  Sunny Rasta by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com

 - Halloween talk:  "scary-halloween-cartoon-animation-horror-creepy-funny-pumpkin-116007" by Dmitry Taras ("SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras") via Pixabay.com

 - Halloween talk (continued):  "spooky-halloween-inspiring-piano-122805" by Alex Golubiev ("Stock_Studio") via Pixabay.com

 - Outro:  "halloween-music-115498" by Dmitry Taras ("SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras") via Pixabay.com

 - Joanna & Justin segment:  "One Step Closer" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

Oct 24, 202201:18:58