Discerning Geeks Portal

...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:  [email protected]

 - 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

...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:  [email protected]

 - 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

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:  [email protected]

- 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

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:  [email protected]

- 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

Have you ever lost a file on your computer -- something important, that you meant to keep forever, and you don't how it got deleted?  That happened to Todd recently.  He had the "bright" idea to start mentioning on the Facebook & Twitter feeds when certain episodes of the podcast reach their 1-year or 2-year anniversary.  When needed, he would go a step further & clean up the audio a little for older episodes & re-publish them with the improved audio.

Well, the first episode in line for this was episode #073 - Alpha-Movie-Bet #02 - Movie Favorites E to H, first published October 10, 2021.  And, on October 9th or 10th, to his horror, he realized the GarageBand project for episode #073 was the only one completely missing from his iCloud drive.  He could have just left it alone.  He could have just skipped that one.  But, since he's obsessed or maybe just crazy, he re-edited it all over again.  (!?!)

So, here now, as a bonus episode, is a new & slightly different version of #073 - Alpha-Movie-Bet #02.  The original is still there as #073.  This new version won't become a numbered episode unless the pod-hosting apps do something funky with bonus episodes.

Here are the differences in the new edit...

 - The intro & outro song is different & more lively.

 - In the first couple minutes, Dave S. joked that this episode is brought to you by the letter E, something Todd kind of takes as a dare.  He edited a commercial for the letter E in the original version.  This bonus episode has an extended version of that commercial with new soundbites, new examples of E words, and *slightly* different background music.

 - Todd removed a few minutes of banter from the early part of the original version, and Joanna joked that the banter was "sub-standard."  It's not that bad after all, and in this version, he left all of that banter intact, at least partially as a memorial to one co-host who's no longer with us.

 - There is pleasant and/or thematic background music to the moments where Dave Teague talked about "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," where Todd listed episode numbers for referenced movies we've reviewed on the podcast, and when Todd was recapping everyones picks before the voting.

 - Several new/different sound clips

 - More Joanna

 - Several new ways of making fun of Andruw for being sleepy

 - One outtake tacked on to the end after the final music ends

Is Todd crazy for re-editing an episode that's already published & that isn't being replaced?  Is life too short for that madness?  Should Todd leave the house & get some vitamin D via actual sunlight?  Would losing a file on your cloud drive make you crazy too?  Did *you* take Todd's file?  If you have the answers to these or other questions no one else is asking, let us know by e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - 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:  "rock-9046" by John Yasut ("John_Sib") via Pixabay.com

 - "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" review theme:  "Attic Secrets" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Referenced episodes background:  "Fancy Family" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Movie picks recap background:  "Llama in Pajamas" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event:  The 2nd Discerning Geeks Portal...Showdown!

In the New York corner...  Originating from the year 2077...  Starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman...  Capable of delivering character development and multiple plot twists...  Specializing in automated weaponry, hydroelectric energy, cool aircraft, and foldable motorcycles...  It's the sci-fi thriller known as..."OBLIVION!"

In the Primal Forest corner...  Originating from at least 1000 years in the future...  Starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith...  Capable of capitalizing on star power and nepotism...  Specializing in backpack gadgets, a glider suit, insectoid aliens, and giant semi-intelligent birds of prey...  It's the father-son experiment known as..."AFTER EARTH!"

Your judges are "experts" in post-apocalyptic Earth movies...

 - Dave...the Moon Crusher

 - Todd...the Scorched-Earth Scavenger

 - Andruw...the Nuclear Option

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

"Oblivion" vs. "After Earth!!!"  Which movie will rise from the ashes, and which movie will just be history?

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!

Ring the fight bell!  Let the showdown begin!

You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - 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:  "Spec Ops" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "drone-space-main-9706" by Zakhar Valaha ("Daddy_s_Music") via Pixabay.com

This week is a special episode as we recap Dragon Con 2022, the 11th for Todd and the *1st* for Dave and Andruw.

 - What did Todd do Thursday night and Friday before Dave and Andruw got there on Saturday?

 - What TV show premiere tempted Todd away from some Thursday night Dragon Con programming?

 - What unexpected medical situation kept Dave and Andruw from arriving Friday as planned?

 - The guys went to a few panels on game mastering for role playing games?  Is Todd finally ready to game master yet?

 - Why does Todd like the Dragon Con parade so much?

 - What were some of the notable cosplay designs this year?

 - What is the deal with the Marriott carpet?

 - Which surprise guests were added to the con very last minute?

 - What were each co-host's top three things about Dragon Con this year?

 - Which actor of a popular streaming TV show did Andruw get to talk to and get a photo with in the Walk of Fame?

 - And, do Dave and Andruw want to go to Dragon Con again next year?

Listen now to find out the answers to these and other questions as we take a discerning look back to this year's...Dragon Con.

For more information about Dragon Con, check out dragoncon.org.

You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - 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:  "that-funk-show-20691" by Alex Golubiev ("Stock_Studio") via pixabay.com

 - Outro:  "hip-hop-funk-5386" by John Yasut ("John_Sib") via pixabay.com

Happy David Teague Day!  :)  We declare September 21 to be a new holiday, based on the birthday of our friend and co-host, David Teague, who we lost back in March 2022.  In the early days of the podcast, Dave would persistently request that we review the sci-fi/horror/comedy B-movie, "Killer Klowns From Outer Space."  Eventually, we caved in and reviewed it in episode #020.  In honor and memory of Dave on his birthday, this episode contains all the clips of Dave's requests for Killer Klowns, followed by a slightly abridged version of episode #020 itself.

To celebrate David Teague Day, do any one or more of the following...  Watch a bad movie (on purpose), go to a movie, talk about a movie with your friends, play a game, read a Star Wars book, read any book, enjoy history, enjoy nature, go to the beach or at least think about the beach, play the main theme to Star Wars as you cross a state/county/city border, write something, sketch something, make something with your hands, be silly, be smart, be different, be happy, make someone happy, or just...be nice.

...And, listen to this episode, of course.  ;)

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Dedicated in memory of co-host, friend, brother:  David Charles Teague.

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You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - 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...

 - Montage Music:  "Monsters in Hotel" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Intro:  "Attic Secrets" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

This week, we review the 1985 comedy-mystery, based on the board game, "Clue."

 - Which co-host(s) have seen this movie many times?

 - Were any co-host(s) okay having only seen it twice?

 - Did any co-hosts have any issues with the characters?

 - What did the co-hosts think about the mystery and the various resolutions?

 - In what ways is this movie timeless and/or outdated?  Would some character traits or story elements be inappropriate nowadays?

 - Who appreciated the multiple endings and how they were originally presented in the theater?  Would such a think work today?

 - Which co-host(s) appreciated the puns in the movie and the witty jokes based on playing around with sentence structure?

 - Which co-host(s) had an issue with some characters knowing each other but not revealing early on that they knew each other?

 - One co-host gave a top 10 list of board games, card games, or role playing games that he'd rather see made into movies.  What were those 10 choices (and a few honorable mentions)?

 - Which co-host wants to see "Chess: The Movie"?

 - What movie was randomly chosen for an upcoming review?

 - And, what did the guys discuss about Dragon Con (this episode was recorded a couple weeks before Dragon Con)?

Listen now for the answers to these and other mysterious questions.  Grab your candlestick, dagger, lead pipe, revolver, rope, and wrench, as we investigate "Clue."

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- 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:  "Creepy Comedy" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

- Lightning Round Clock:  "Circus of Freaks" by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

Listen now to our review of Thor: The Dark World, the 2nd movie of the MCU's Phase 2 and the 8th overall.

Full disclosure, this episode is being published while eating a quick breakfast, Friday morning, while at Dragon Con 2022, so there's no time to focus on a creative episode description.

You can contact us at...

 - E-Mail:  [email protected]

 - Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

 - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

 - Link Tree:  linktr.ee/discerninggeeks

Note:  One audio track on this episode and the next one (recorded the same night) is a little...off.  The gain was set right on the microphone itself, but the setting was not right on the computer, causing a "hot mic" sound.  The episode is still worthy of a listen, but we apologize for the quality of one track being lower than usual.  It is corrected as much as possible this time, and it is known how to prevent the issue from happening again.

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:  "Ruler of Our Lands" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "one-last-knight-ride-epic-and-powerful-fantasy-music-10402" by Gioele Fazzeri via Pixabay.com