Discerning Geeks Portal

This week, we review the 4th movie of the MCU, the original "Thor."

 - Which co-host just got his driving permit?  (Hint:  It's the teenager.)

 - Which multi-faceted writer was mentioned multiple times in this episode?  ...And, what was his cameo in the movie?  ...And, what quote from the movie was highlighted because the writer likes using variations of that line in multiple works?

 - Todd found 18 online sites that ranked all 27 MCU movies (before Doctor Strange 2: atMoM) and averaged together all the ranks in a spreadsheet (NERD!!!).  Where did Thor rank on the list average?

 - Which co-host thought the supporting cast was a strength?

 - Which co-host enjoyed watching Thor interact in what was to him an alien world?

 - What were some of the co-host's theories as to why fans don't think more highly of this movie?

 - How many co-hosts said Loki was annoying?

 - And, what bizarre way was the name Burt Bacharach uttered during this episode?

Listen now for the answers to these and other thunderous & electrifying questions.

Join us on our journey along the rainbow bridge to adventure as we explore the power of "Thor."

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 and Outro:  "King's Trailer" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

- Lightning Round Clock:  "Rulers of Our Lands" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

This week, we review the 1987 sci-fi action flick, "Predator."

 - Why did Dave T. pick this?  Sadly, Dave T. passed away before our review (listen to episode #095 for details), but we honor him by still reviewing his pick.

 - How many co-stars of "Predator" ran for public office, and how many of those were actually elected?

 - Which co-host loved this movie?

 - Did any co-hosts find the movie formulaic?

 - One co-host compared this movie to the original "Alien" movie.  Did he feel "Predator" was better or worse?

 - Which co-host liked that this movie felt like a classic war movie at first?

 - Which co-host(s) cited the creature design as being a strength in the movie?

 - Which co-host compared this movie's handling of characters to "Battle: Los Angeles"?

 - Which co-host(s) appreciated the intelligence of some of the characters?  But, were characters smart enough...often enough...and consistently enough?

 - Which co-host said he could feel the testosterone in his face?  (Gross.)

 - What did Dave S.'s wife think of this movie?  (Note:  No big surprise, but this movie was not deemed kid-friendly.)

 - Which co-host felt one special effect was so bad that it made him laugh?

 - Did the Predator have too many technological advantages to still claim some sense of honor or victory from the "hunt"?

 - Were any co-hosts okay with the vulgar jokes told by Shane Black's character?

 - Which one of Dutch's defensive techniques has been scientifically disproven by several TV, YouTube, and publication sources?

 - Which cheesy visual technique in the movie was compared to the TV show "The A-Team"?

 - Which co-host thought Dutch was actually killed in the final explosion (he did watch this movie, didn't he)?

 - What is "Presidor"?

 - And, what did we all think Dave T. would have given as his rating for this movie, since it was his pick?

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

Grab your stealth suit, heat vision mask, plasma cannon, emergency medical kit, self destruct device, and your DVD copy of "Presidor," as we try not to become trophies of..."Predator."

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, Rundown (start), and Outro:  "Assassin" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Rundown (middle):  "Night Attack" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Rundown (end; yeah, I admit the rundowns are getting a little long; sorry):  "Battle Ready" by Bryan Teoh via FreePD.com

 - "Presidor" Moment:  "Hail to the Chief" by U.S. Air Force Concert Band via...I don't remember, possibly LoC.gov (Library of Congress) or Archive.org (public domain either way)

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "After the End" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

Well, this was a tough one, folks...  We spend the first quarter of this episode explaining a loss we've experienced on and off the podcast and why one of us is no longer with us.

With no super-smooth transition possible after that, we do try to carry on with our usual geeky topics...

 - What TV shows have we been watching lately, including Marvel & DC related shows?

 - Which co-host is watching the Critical Role cartoon "Vox Machina"?

 - What do Dave & Todd think about the current season of "Outlander"?  (A couple more episodes have come out since we recorded this episode; Todd is impressed.)

 - How many current & recent big-screen movie releases has Dave caught up on lately, and what did he think of them all?

 - What YouTube channels does Todd recommend?

 - What is the TV show "Lore" all about?

 - What do we think about the whole Oscars/Smith/Rock/Slap incident, and does one of us think it might have been staged?

 - What accent does Todd need to improve on for his new D&D character?

 - What kind of characters are Andruw & Preston playing in the new D&D campaign?

 - And, what's the current news with "Babylon 5," "Stargate," and "The Orville."

Listen now, for the answers to these and other poignant questions.

SPECIAL THANKS to the "Katrina & Friends" YouTube channel and specifically Daniel Beachy, Dave Miller, and David Fisher, for their moving cover of the gospel song "Angel Band," and for giving us permission to use the song in this episode (at the very end) for a very special reason.

Check out the video of their performance of the song here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktthBzyJ_rY

Also, my sincerest apologies for the bad audio on my (Todd's) track.  Somehow I didn't notice that the built-in microphone on my laptop was inadvertently set as the input instead of my podcasting microphone.  Of all the episodes to make that mistake on, this was the worst one for me to do that on.  I wish I could go back and time, but sadly, I'm not Marty McFly from "Back to the Future" or Claire Fraser from "Outlander."

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:  "Brothers Unite" (wow, fitting) by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com

 - Memorial:  "Amazing Grace" performed by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

 - Memorial (continued, with a "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" reference):  "Attic Secrets" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Memorial (continued, with a "Lord of the Rings" reference):  "Lonely Mountain" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - "Outlander" Topic:  "green-eyes-of-my-highland-girl-flute-solo-9054" by NaturesEye (Leigh Robinson) via Pixabay.com

 - "Outlander" Topic (continued):  "Fife Feature: Fishers Hornpipe Variation/Guilderoy/Red Haired Boy" by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps via FreeMusicArchive.org

 - New D&D Campaign Topic:  "Expedition" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - New D&D Campaign Topic (continued):  "Journey of Solitude" by Kevin MacLeod via FreePD.com

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Rest well, brother.  We miss you.

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This week we review the semi-recent blockbuster release, "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  This episode was a little more improvised than most because we decided to review it right before we recorded for our previous episode, the review for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (check that out too, if you haven't already).

 - Which did each co-host like better, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" or "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"?

 - Which actor did one co-host say was a highlight of the movie?

 - How did the co-hosts feel about the villains and the plan to cure them rather than kill them?

 - How did the co-hosts feel about an important character death?

 - How did the co-hosts feel about the movie pointing out the different types of web shooters (biological vs. mechanical)?

 - What were the main complaints about Doctor Strange?

 - What are a couple co-hosts' issues with the ending of the movie?

 - And, what did the co-hosts feel about the magic spell that causes all the mayhem?

Listen now for the answers to these and other web-slinging questions.

Grab your costume, mask, web-shooters (if yours are mechanical), inter-dimensional friends, and cures for all your villains, as we thwip up a review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

Personal Note:  We're sorry for the recent delay in episodes.  An episode that we've now recorded and that should be coming soon will help explain why we've been a little distracted lately.

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 -- all via FreePD.com...

 - Intro & Outro:  "Guerrilla Tactics" by Rafael Krux

 - Breakdown:  "Epic Blockbuster 2" by Rafael Krux

 - Lightning Rounds:  "The Enemy" by Alexander Nakarada

This week, we review the animated movie, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

 - What were the co-hosts' favorite characters?

 - What did the co-hosts have to say about collecting Spider-Man comic books?

 - What are some of the technical & artistic techniques used to make the movie look like a comic book brought to life?

 - What did the co-hosts have to say about the music & sound in the movie?

 - Which character's design was one co-host's biggest complaint?

 - Which co-hosts quibbled a little about information overload, visually; and which co-host had no complaints at all?

 - Was Kingpin a sympathetic character at all -- because of having a wife & kid and despite his villainy?

 - What nitpicks did the co-hosts have about the multiverse collider machine?

 - Which co-host has a new microphone?

 - Which co-host defended depth & emotion in the movie?

 - What did Dave's kids think about the movie?

 - And, which movie had to be substituted into the rotation when it was discovered that "Young Frankenstein" is not streaming...anywhere?

Listen now for the answers to these and other web-slinging questions.

Grab your costume, web-shooters, inter-dimensional friends, cartoon hammer, Rubik's cube, and a thumb-drive-shutdown-key-thing someone awkwardly refers to as a goober, as we crawl up a review of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

Personal Note:  We're sorry for the unexpected hiatus between episodes.  There's a significant reason why we're a little behind, and we'll explain further in an episode hopefully coming soon.

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 -- all via Pixabay.com...

 - Intro:  "trendy-hip-hop-18515" by Anton Vlasov

 - Breakdown (middle):  "into-the-night-20928" by Praz Khanal

 - Breakdown (end):  "dubstep-trap-13387" by Playsound

 - Lightning Round (Andruw):  "do-it-now-10942" by AleXZavesa

 - Lightning Round (Dave):  "the-hip-hop-street-20701" by Stock Studio / Alex Golubiev

 - Lightning Round (Todd):  "gym-workout-trap-99526" by QubeSounds

 - Outro:  "beat-dj-groovy-brass-upbeat-positive-vinyl-music-20864" by REDproductins / Yoav Alyagon

Listen now to our review of the romantic comedy / time travel fantasy movie, "About Time."

 - Which co-host hated it, which co-host didn't get around to watching it, and what did the other two co-hosts think of it?

 - What did the co-hosts think about the chemistry between the main characters?

 - This is a romantic comedy, but what genre did one co-host jokingly say he worried the movie was at first?

 - What were the differences in opinions & perception over what happened in the wedding & reception scenes?

 - What odd & scary thing would one co-host do if he had the ability to time travel?

 - What does one co-host think is the important real-life lesson we should get from this movie?

 - Which co-host ate dinner during the review, and which restaurant did his family get the food from?

 - Which actor in this movie is a favorite of one co-host?

 - Which aspects of this movie's time travel methodology did the co-hosts find problematic, vague, or inconsistent?

 - How well did Dave's wife sum up what this movie is all about (Dave shares it during his Lightning Round)?

 - Just how bad was one co-host's rating of this movie he hated?

 - In how many movies has Rachel McAdams starred as the love interest of a time traveler?

 - Which movie was rolled, uh, I mean spun, on the Wheel of Insanity, only to realize later that it's not streaming anywhere at all?  And, which movie was rolled, uh, spun, later & offline to replace it?

Listen now for the answer to these and other heart-warming questions.

Grab your British lawyer's wig, theatre tickets, wedding invitation, umbrella, extra umbrella, poncho, and best man speech, as we examine a movie that's all...About Time.

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.  If you give us 1, 2, or 3 stars, listen to a few more episodes, and when you get to one you love, go back in time and give us 5 stars from the beginning.

Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - Intro:  "a-simple-love-song-piano-ballad-in-d-major-2135" by JuliusH via Pixabay.com

 - Latter Part of Rundown:  "Lovely Piano Song" by Rafael Krux via FreePD.com

 - Editor's Interlude:  "bella-ciao-guitar-ahmadmousavipour-11996" by Ahmadmusic (Ahmad Mousavipour) via Pixabay.com

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "Champ de tournesal" by Komiku via FreePD.com

 - Discerning Lurkers Portal Promo:  "Putin's Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (The song's name is unfortunate, but I can't help it that the song itself sounds perfect as the intro music for our Babylon 5 spinoff podcast.)

 - Outro:  "classic-piano-ballad-in-dorian-mood-2064" by JuliusH via Pixabay.com

This week, we review the 2002 martial arts comedy spoof, "Kung Pow! Enter the Fist."  Writer, director, and star, Steve Oedekerk inserts himself, his computer-generated super tongue, a few other characters, and an out-of-sync voice track, into the action or the 1976 kung-fu classic (I assume), "Savage Killers," also known as "Tiger & Crane Fists."

This is the movie mentioned several times by Dave T. & Todd as being the comedy that exhausted them from laughing, twice before when they were younger.  This was the big experiment.  Did it hold up, two decades later?  And, what did Dave S. & Andruw think about it, seeing it for the first time?  This is also the first time the four co-hosts have watched a movie together since "Black Widow" in the theater last summer.

 - Which co-host recommended this movie to drug-users (*but* did *not* endorse drug use itself)?

 - Which character's traits annoyed one co-host?

 - What bodily function did one co-host use to categorize this movie?

 - Was cinematography pronounced correctly this week?

 - Which TV show did one co-host compare this movie to?

 - Which co-host defended the character development that occurred in the movie?

 - What was the deal with Tonguey?

 - And, how many corny jokes did the four co-hosts cram into 44 seconds in the 2nd half of the episode.

Listen now for the answers to these and other moo-ving questions.

Grab your trusty dog, critter nunchucks, mystical pyramids, and dairy pail, as we experience the KICK! PUNCH! COW!...of "Kung Pow!"

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.  If you give us 1, 2, or 3 stars, your computer will get a nasty virus.

Public domain music used in the episode includes...

 - Intro:  "kung-fusion-asian-sounding-commercial-track-3566" by astrofreq via Pixabay.com

 - Rundown, 1st part:  "Coy Koi" by Anonymous via FreePD.com

 - Rundown, 2nd part:  "chinese-game-15261" by Muzaproduction via Pixabay.com

 - Rundown, 3rd part:  "chinese-wind-15264" by Muzaproduction via Pixabay.com

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "china-town-13501" by SergeQuadrado via Pixabay.com

 - Outro:  "drill-ye-chinese-tarriers-instrumental-2127" by cliveromney via Pixabay.com

In this episode, we review the groundbreaking sci-fi film, "Jurassic Park."

 - Which co-host most appreciated the movie's cautionary tale of man trying to play God?

 - Which co-host appreciated the epic scale of things in the movie?

 - Did anyone have issues with the dinosaurs, or did all co-hosts think they were done well?

 - Which brief shot mentioned in the review has caused debate & confusion as to what's actually going on in that moment?

 - Which co-host had several continuity & common sense issues with the movie?  It's not who you might expect.

 - Which character did one co-host say was nearly useless for half the movie?

 - What complaint did one co-host have about the ending during the lightning round?

 - Who did Andruw call old this time?

 - And, how did the co-hosts rank the first movie among the other Jurassic Park & Jurassic World movies?

Grab your automated electric jeep, hunting rifle (for protection), and arm-length plastic glove (for those dinosaur dung examinations) as we take a tour of...Jurassic Park.

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 Dino-stars if you love us, 4 Dino-stars if you hate us.  If you give us 1, 2, or 3 Dino-stars, your Dino-computer will get a nasty virus.

Public domain music includes, all via Pixabay.com...

 - Intro/Outro:  "the-splendor-of-a-new-world-12605" by Kinemesis_Music

 - Lightning Round Clock:  "chasing-victory-long-9396" by ZakharValaha

This week, we review the first movie of The Dark Knight trilogy, "Batman Begins."

 - Which co-host(s) appreciated this movie's more grounded & realistic take on Batman?

 - Which co-host felt it was somewhat predictable?

 - How long did it take for the episode to inevitably sway into a discussion of the Batmobile/Tumbler?

 - Was cinematography mispronounced as cinnamonnn-tography by accident or on purpose this week?

 - Which co-host felt a strength was Batman having the right amount of screen time & visibility (he's in the shadows as much as he needs to be, but when you need to see him...you can see him)?

 - Listed as a strength, what was clearly the central theme of this movie and the possible themes of the two sequels?

 - What were the various disagreements about the quality of the villains in this movie?

 - Which co-host was bothered by the collateral damage from the Batmobile chase scene?

 - Which co-host clarified the meaning of "tank"?

 - Which co-host was actually seeing this movie for the first time, despite having seen both sequels?

 - Which co-host felt the villain machinations were convoluted?

 - How well did the group rate this movie overall?

 - And, which other superhero movie was spun on the "Wheel of Insanity" to be reviewed in an upcoming episode?

Listen now for the answers to these and other Bat-questions.

Grab your cape, cowl, utility belt, grappling gun, Bat-arangs, Bat-smoke-bombs, Bat-radio, Bat-police-scanner, and Batmobile/Tumbler, as we take a vigilant look into how...Batman Begins.

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 Bat-stars if you love us, 4 Bat-stars if you hate us.  If you give us 1, 2, or 3 Bat-stars, your Bat-computer will get a nasty virus.

Public domain music includes, all via FreePD.com...

 - Intro/outro:  "Action Strike" by Rafael Krux

 - Rundown:  "Video Game Blockbuster" by Rafael Krux

 - Lightning Round countdown clock:  "The Enemy" by Alexander Nakarada

In this week's special 88th episode, we conclude our journey through time with our review of "Back to the Future, Part III," the final installment of one of the best trilogies ever.  Check out episodes #058 & #065 for our reviews of Parts I & II.

 - Which co-host can't stop talking about "Buckaroo Bonzai"?

 - How many total pages of breakdown, trivia, and notes, does Todd have about this movie -- and, is it too many?

 - How smooth or clumsy was Todd's barely-relevant "Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist" reference during the rundown?

 - Just how prolific was the acting career of Dub Taylor, one of the old-timers in the saloon?

 - How many times does Andruw remind us that Part 2 is his favorite of the BttF trilogy?

 - Which co-hosts site continuity throughout the trilogy & character development as major strengths of Part 3?

 - What did Dave's daughters think of BttFp3?  (Sadly, it was past their bedtime during recording, so we only learn second-hand.)

 - Which co-host sites a rushed romance as a nitpick?

 - Do you, the listener, agree with Joanna's analysis of 2nd installments vs. 3rd installments in movie trilogies?

 - How is Beaufort pronounced differently in North Carolina & South Carolina, and why would you care?  (And, if I weren't pointing it out here, would you notice Todd left out the "e" when spelling it and had to edit it in later?)

 - How coherent were the lightning rounds this week?

 - Which co-host had a long-winded Muppet reference when explaining his score of BttFp3...and why?

 - And, why exactly did Doc load the Delorean's removed rubber tires into the wooden frame mounted between the train and the Delorean?

Listen now for the answers to these and other time-bending questions as we achieve 88...not miles per hour...but 88 episodes of this podcast.

Grab your hat, horse, six-shooters, walkie-talkies, 2015 Hover Board, specially-made train fuel logs, and your drastically-modified Delorean time machine as we conclude our reviews of one of the greatest trilogies ever with..."Back to the Future, Part III."

The End.

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Stay tuned in future weeks for reviews of "About Time," "Batman Begins," and "Jurassic Park."

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.  If you give us 1, 2, or 3 stars, your computer will get a nasty virus.

Public domain music includes, all via FreePD.com unless otherwise noted...

 - Recap of episodes #058 & #065 for BttF parts 1 & 2:  "Adventures of Flying Jack" by Alexander Nakarada

 - Intro/outro:  "The Range" by Rafael Krux

 - Rundown:  "Blood Eagle" by Alexander Nakarada

 - Joanna's segment about 2nd vs. 3rd installments:  "Sun Up Gunned Down" by Brian Teoh

 - Lightning Round countdown clock:  "Murder on the Bayou" by Brian Teoh

 - Movie Theater Talk With Dave & Dave:  "Vintage News Long" -- a jingle included in Apple GarageBand