Discerning Geeks Portal

Tune in to our Drive-Time Discussion #07 as Todd & Preston cover: X-Men '97, The Ark, House of the Dragon, The Acolyte, The Bear, Jules

- Preston is finally caught up on "X-Men '97," so we're finally able to talk about it, including some spoilers. What did the Geeks think about it?

- What reasons did the Geeks have for bringing up Surge energy drink, Putt-Putt Golf & Games, love triangles, and strong accents?

- What did Todd have to say about the return of the low-budget but intriguing series "The Ark" on Syfy?

- Why does Preston think "House of the Dragon" is so good, and why won't Todd give it a try?

- Where does Todd fall in the fandom or hatred of "Star Wars: The Acolyte"?

- What did Preston like so much about season 3 of "The Bear," and did Todd ever hear of it before this season?

- What is the heartwarming sci-fi comedy "Jules" about, and why did Todd find so charming & refreshing?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions, and stay tuned for Part 2 of this Drive-Time Discussion #07.

You can contact us at [email protected] or join our Discord server. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Songs (public domain, CC0, or via Pixabay royalty free licence) used in this episode include:

- midnight-blues-21179 by lemonmusicstudio via Pixabay

- vlog-music-132239 by Onoychenkomusic via Pixabay

- blues-kind-of-day-112818 by solarmusic via Pixabay

It's another new member of the $1 billion club. We review the superhero blockbuster, "Deadpool & Wolverine."

- Plain & simple, which Geek is the grump this episode and how badly?

- What were the Geeks' opinions about performances in the movie?

- Which of the Geek(s) felt like one or more of the fights in the movie were a little over-the-top? Did they mean that in a good way or bad way?

- How good was the on-screen chemistry between Deadpool & Wolverine?

- Which types of humor in the movie did each Geek prefer?

- Were there any issues with character motivations in this movie?

- Which scene practically put one Geek in a bad mood?

- What did the Geeks think about the movie's soundtrack?

- This movie brings Deadpool into the MCU (sort of?), but did it feel more MCU or more Fox X-Men?

- Where do the Geeks rank this movie against various categories of movies, including the first two Deadpool movies?

- And, what details, compliments, and critiques, do the Geeks share in the spoiler section at the end?

Listen now for the answers to these and other timeline-altering questions as we avoid being stabbed repeatedly by..."Deadpool & Wolverine."

You can contact us via e-mail at [email protected] or by joining our Discord server. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

May the odds be ever in your favor...for enjoying this week's review of "The Hunger Games," the first movie in the young adult political action-thriller franchise.

- Which Geek has read the Hunger Games book trilogy, which Geek didn't see any of the Hunger Games until now, which Geek is the only one to see all five movies including the prequel, and are any of these the same Geek?

- Which narrative & visual issues did one Geek have with Act 1 of the movie?

- Which Geek first pointed out how much of the movie was filmed in North Carolina and that he had been to many of those locations?

- Which location in the movie franchise was filmed in Atlanta's Marriott Marquis, the center host hotel of Dragon Con (of course pointed out by Todd)?

- How critical were the Geeks about the love triangle in this movie (and the sage as a whole)?

- Were the Geeks bothered by the target audience being teenage girls?

- Did the premise of the Hunger Games make sense, or was it too unrealistic?

- In what ways is the premise perverse & disturbing?

- What were the most likable things about main character Katniss & support character Rue?

- Which young adult characters in a recent Disney+ show were played by the actress that played pre-teen Rue in THG?

- Which Japanese horror novel contained a very similar plot first, possibly so similar that some criticized this movie for copying?

- Which two animated TV show episodes were randomly rolled to reviewed in the near future?

- In the special SPOILER section at the end, what were two Geeks' complaints about the saga's ending in "Mockingjay, Part 2"?

- And, why the #&][ did Todd go on such huge tangents about "Star Wars: The Acolyte" and...Taylor Swift concert videos on TikTok?

Listen now for the answers to these and other death-defying questions as we give tribute to..."The Hunger Games."

You can contact us at [email protected] or on our our Discord server. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

In Part 2 of our discerning look into "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror 01 to 04," we start with the two literary parodies and then delve into broader discussion about the general appeal of "The Simpsons."

- One of these stories makes a reference to the political primaries of 1992 that included Ross Perot. Don't the days of Ross Perot seem quaint now, in a good way? Could we get that kind of political season back please?

- Did Dave enjoy the monkey's paw parody, or is this another one in the bad category? What did Todd think about it?

- Being a literature fan, did Dave appreciate any aspects of the "Raven" parody? Being less of a literature fan, did that parody reach Todd at all?

- Were there any strong opinions about the wraparound segments, the framing devices that bind the separate stories together into full episodes?

- Which Grandpa moments did Preston enjoy? What is Todd's favorite Grandpa moment that comes from a totally separate episode?

- When trying to determine comedic tastes, was there consensus among the Geeks on Jeff Foxworthy or Jeff Dunham? Which Geek loves the Walter puppet, which Geek loves Jose the "jalapeno on a stick," and which Geek thinks Akhmed the Dead Terrorist is overrated?

- How did the movie "PCU" come up in conversation?

- Everybody has..."their own"...what, exactly?

- How many episodes of the "The Simpsons" has there been?

- Preston is the huge Simpsons fan. Just how high did he score these four "Treehouse of Horror" episodes?

- What is one of Dave's biggest problems with "The Simpsons"?

- Which two very different movies were randomly rolled to be reviewed in the near-ish future?

- And, since he couldn't join Preston & Todd during the full review a couple months ago, what were Dave's "quick & dirty" thoughts about "The Fall Guy" (one of this year's most underrated movies so far)?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we finish up our deep dive of "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror 01 to 04."

You can contact us by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or by joining our Discord server. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we take a haunting look into the first four "Treehouse of Horror" episodes from "The Simpsons." In Part 1 of this super-sized two-parter, we review the movie parody and "Twilight Zone" parody stories from those first four annual Halloween-themed episodes.

Each "Treehouse of Horror" episode contains three stories and a framing device. Preston is the huge Simpsons fan, and he chose to structure our discussion by category.

First, we cover the "Twilight Zone" parodies regarding alien abduction, an all-powerful Bart, and a gremlin on a school bus instead of an airplane wing.

Next, we cover the movie-based parodies regarding a haunted house, a donut robot, a spooky clown doll, King Kong, zombies, a deal with the devil, and Dracula.

Were Dave & Todd's opinions of these "Treehouse of Horror" specials as strong as an oak or as sad as a willow? Was there a consensus to match Preston's love for these, or were opinions a mixed cauldron? Which episode was one Geek's S-tier? The three stories from the 2nd installment were all nightmares, but did one Geek find any of these episodes to be real-life nightmares? Listen now for the answers to these and other bewitching questions as we climb...the "Treehouse of Horror."

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon, where we cover the two literature-based parodies regarding Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and a wish-granting monkey's paw. In Part 2, we also discuss "The Simpsons" in general, including a debate about the show's comedic style.

You can contact us by sending a message to [email protected] or by joining our Discord channel. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we join a time-traveling S-Mart employee named Ash against Deadite zombies as we fight with, "Army of Darkness."

- Did the Geeks agree whether this movie felt like a Looney Tunes cartoon brought to life?

- What did Dave feel was the target audience for "Army of Darkness," and did he consider himself part of that group?

- What did the Geeks feel about the special effects in the movie, and how much did it matter that many of the effects, especially the zombie skeletons, were practical?

- What excuse did Todd use to bring up the recent "The Fall Guy" movie yet again?

- How effective was Bruce Campbell in the lead role? Did he make or break the movie for any of the Geeks?

- Which Geek somehow missed who the famous noble lord was supposed to be in this movie?

- Which famous filming location stood in for medieval England -- despite not looking like England?

- What did the Geeks feel about this movie's depiction of magic, particularly the pivotal mirror scene?

- How did one Geek equate this movie to NASCAR?

- What did the Geeks think about the ending of the movie, especially after Preston shared one alternate ending that was originally considered?

- And, how did the rights to a Hannibal Lecter movie affect this movie and its ending?

Listen now for the answers to these and other undead questions as do combat with..."Army of Darkness."

You can e-mail us at [email protected] or join our Discord server. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we review the 1999 romantic heist film, "The Thomas Crown Affair."

- Were the Geeks on the same page with this movie, or was this another contentious review?

- What did the Geeks think about the heist aspect of the money? Was it still enough of a heist movie with certain elements missing or downplayed and the movie also being half romantic drama?

- How "heisty" is this remake compared to it's original as well as other movies like the "Ocean's" trilogy, "The Italian Job," and "Great Muppet Caper"? Someone on the internet created a spreadsheet on the topic, and Todd had numbers.

- Does a viewer need to adjust moral expectations when watching heist movies, considering the protagonists are thieves?

- Which plot holes do the Geeks recognize in the movie? Do they get in the way of enjoying it?

- This movie is from 1999. Why does one Geek say that post-9/11 thinking affects our judgment of whether certain aspects of the movie make sense today?

- Was Thomas Crown a likable protagonist despite being an ultra-privileged billionaire who's committing a crime & trying to get away with it, just for fun?

- What did the guys think about the Katherine Banning character, including her intelligence, skills, complicated motivations, sexual allure, and being played by an actress in her 40s instead of the more typical 20s or 30s?

- Does Katherine go too far using her sexuality to investigate Thomas Crown, and is Michael out of line in his confrontation toward her about it?

- How fitting did the Geeks think the music was for the movies?

- And, what superhero movie was rolled to be reviewed sometime in the (hopefully) near future (when Andruw can join us again, because this pick is his)?

Listen now for the answers to these and other artsy fartsy questions as we investigate..."The Thomas Crown Affair."

You can join our Discerning Geeks Portal server on Discord and/or send us an e-mail at [email protected]. You can request a certain series, season, and episode title of a Star Trek episode for Todd to review in verbal & written form, via e-mail or the Star Trek channel on our Discord Server.

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Folks, you're missing out if you haven't seen "The Fall Guy." The Geeks recently saw the new action/romantic-comedy in the theater (one of them twice), and now they're reviewing & recommending it to you, our discerning stunt team.

- This movie is part action movie, part romantic comedy. For the action part, it's a "love letter" for stunt people. What did the Geeks think about the stunts in the movie?

- Which scenes, stunts, moments, techniques, and running gags did the Geeks enjoy in the movie?

- When Todd went to see this a 2nd time by himself, how successful was his attempt to write notes in a dark theater?

- Three of the Geeks saw the movie, but only two Geeks could make it for the review. What was one of the complaints of the Geek who couldn't record?

- How convincing was the romantic comedy portion? Were the performances, dialogue, and editing, good enough to fill in any blanks that we didn't see on camera, while Colt & Jody were apart? Did Ryan Gossling & Emily Blunt have good chemistry when their characters were reunited?

- How well were the action & romantic comedy aspects blended together? Through the writing, directing, and editing, did the two genres fit together well?

- In the spoiler section, what was one Geek's issues with the plot and the movie-within-a-movie, "Metalstorm"?

- What comparison did one Geek make between "The Fall Guy" and "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King"?

- What surprise twist at the end did one Geek think was one of the best jokes in the movie?

- Was "Metalstorm" more "Mad Max," "Rebel Moon," or a little of both?

- If Dave Teague were still alive (not to be confused with Dave Shutt, who's still with us; he's fine, folks), what would Dave have thought about this movie, in general, and also about the end credits being refreshingly short?

- How would this movie have been received if it had come out in the '90s?

- What grade would Dave Teague have given this movie?

- And, bringing topics together, what ultra-bloody 1980s action movie, still a Dave Teague pick left on our list, did the Geeks randomly roll for a future review?

Listen now for the answers to these and other death-defying, safety-tested questions as we take the plunge with, "The Fall Guy."

NOTE: After the SPOILER SECTION starts, you can SKIP AHEAD to 01:08:33 for SPOILER-FREE ratings, the roll for a future topic, salutations, and some trivia about the Fall Guy theme song, "The Unknown Stuntman."

You can e-mail us at [email protected] or join our Discord server. You can challenge Todd to watch & review any episode of Star Trek by requesting the series, season, and episode title, via e-mail or Discord.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

We are back with a review of a 2024 movie, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Dave, Preston, and Todd, all saw this in the theater together recently, and all liked it.

- Did the Geeks think this movie was fun? Was the comedy good?

- How well did the movie handle its older characters from the original movies?

- Were there too many characters?

- Were the character interactions & relationships a plus or a minus?

- What was the target audience for this movie? Was it clear? Did the movie successfully reach who it meant to?

- Were the plot & pacing good in this movie? Were there any flaws in those areas?

- Which Geek had a few nitpicks (directed at Sony) with the audio & visuals?

- What were the opinions of the teenage Phoebe Spengler character and her interactions with a young humanoid ghost? Was this movie's version of Phoebe true to the character introduced in the previous movie?

- Why did more people not see this movie? Did it not connect well enough with audiences? Are chances hurt for another Ghostbusters movie?

- What bizarre way does one of the Geeks rank the four Ghostbusters movies?

- From the theater concessions, which of the two "Deadpool & Wolverine" themed sodas tasted good or bad to one of our Geeks?

- And, which Geek groaned this time at the thing we randomly rolled to review coming soon?

Listen now for the answers to these and other haunting questions as we finally thaw out, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."

You can send us an e-mail at [email protected], or you can join up on our new Discord server. If you'd like to challenge Todd to watch and review a certain Star Trek episode, send him the exact series, season, and episode title, via an e-mail or Discord.

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

At the very beginning, Todd mentions a desire to check out the upcoming movie, "The Fall Guy." Since the recording of this episode, "The Fall Guy" has premiered to good reviews but disappointing box office. Dave, Todd, and Preston, went to see it in its second week, and two of them recorded a review that will be coming soon. In the meantime, here's a spoiler for the review... Two of the Geeks really liked it, and one Geek was less impressed but didn't hate it.

Part 2 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 continues with the following topics.

- TV shows that only lasted two seasons (at least 19 shows mentioned)

- Preston's Wrestling Corner

- Todd's Star Trek Challenge

- Upcoming topics on the podcast: "The Thomas Crown Affair," Ranking MCU Phase 2, "Army of Darkness," Favorite Multi-Episode TV Stories, and "Real Genius"

- A tangent about real-world stuff, particularly the teaching profession

- The excellent music teacher movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" and the recent reaction video of it on the "Popcorn In Bed" YouTube channel

Please join our new Discord server. You can send us an e-mail at [email protected]. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

If there is an episode of any Star Trek series you would like Todd to watch and review, request the show, season, and episode title via e-mail or our Discord server.