Discerning Geeks Portal

This week, we conclude our discussion about the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, a special topic too epic to contain in just one episode.

Last week we focused on characters.  This week, we focus on what Dave calls Moments of Awesomeness -- and, there are many.  Two moments were so awesome, in an emotional way, one co-host's voice cracked a bit just describing them.

This topic was too epic for the typical lightning round.  We instead do a pseudo-lightning round where we wrapped up our last thoughts as fast as possible, but we didn't bother with the 30-second timer.  And, despite the high praise and high scores for all three movies of the trilogy, at least one co-host still had a handful of nitpicks.

A day may come when our love of these movies may fail!  But, it is not this day!  An hour with nothing more great to say!  But, it is not this day!  This day, we discuss!  By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you listen, Geeks of the Portal!!! 

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We're finally doing it...  We're finally taking a discerning look into one of the greatest (if not *thee* greatest) film trilogies of all time, "The Lord of the Rings."

We discuss the theatrical versions vs. the extended editions, the movies vs. the books, and the awesomeness of the characters.  Much of this first part is taken up with the following character superlatives.

 - Coolest Character

 - Funniest Character

 - Most Honorable Character

 - Most Important Character

 - Most Sympathetic Character

 - Best Female Character (admittedly, not many to choose from)

 - Best Performance

 - All-Around Favorites

Grab your walking stick, traveling stew pot, and Elvish cloaks, as we form the fellowship of the review of the "Lord of the Rings."

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this special topic when we focus on moments of awesomeness, nitpicks (not many), final scores, and ranking the three movies against each other.

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we review the classic middle installment of an almost-certainly-never-to-be-rebooted trilogy, "Back to the Future, Part II."

We discuss the movie's story structure, tone, pacing, character focus, and the excellent cliffhanger ending.  How much (or how little) does the movie's depiction of 2015 hold up to the 2015 we now know in our real world past?  Do the special effects depicting flying cars hold up to today's standards?  Is the alternate 1985 created by Biff fun, funny, unpleasant, or just plain hard to get through?  Is it a necessary evil to drive the story and heighten the stakes?  We cover these questions and more on this week's episode.

Grab your hoverboard, sports almanac, fedora, shades, leather jacket, and walkie talkies, as we take a historic journey to 2015, alt-1985, and 1955 (again) with "Back to the Future, Part II."

Which movie in the "Back to the Future" trilogy is your favorite?  You can contact us at...

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And, this week, something completely different.  Again.

This week, one of the Daves couldn't make it, so we postponed our review of (spoilers) "Back to the Future, Part II" and improvised with something we're calling...eh...Alpha-Movie-Bet.  (There are mixed feelings about the name.)

The concept is simple.  We took turns discussing 2 or 3 of our favorite movies beginning with a certain letter, in alphabetical order.  After nailing down the rules, we got through letters A, B, C, and D.  We also voted on an overall winning movie for the episode.  We enjoyed it enough, that we'd like to do more installments like this and hopefully finish off the entire alphabet.

We shouldn't list here what our choices were.  You should listen to the episode for that.  But, it's safe to say that between favorites and honorable mentions we covered several superhero movies, several 1980s sci-fi classics, and one movie each of anime, claymation, and puppetry.  Because there's more to being geeky than just science fiction & fantasy, we didn't restrict ourselves to just certain genres.  Going by our overall favorites, we were able to include a political/romantic comedy, several historical dramas, and more.

Grab your...I don't know...alphabet refrigerator magnets, maybe Scrabble tiles...well, either way, start thinking about letters and be ready to do a Google or IMDb search as we take a discerning, alphabetical look into movies from A to D.

So...how about you?  What are your favorite movies beginning with A, B, C, and D?  Let us know.  You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we have another Whatcha's Doin'? episode, where we talk about anything we're watching, reading, playing, or thinking about in the geek sphere (okay, admittedly no reading or playing this particular week, but we've covered books & games in other Whatcha' Doin'? episodes; check those out).  In an effort to catch up after our two-week hiatus, we recorded this the same night as our Blade Runner review (check that out; episode #062).  We covered the following topics.

 - Dragon Ball Super (Hulu)

 - Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix)

 - Space Jam: A New Legacy (theatrical)

 - Teen Titans movies (one of them on HBO Max)

 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer

 - Fringe re-watch (IMDb TV)

 - Star Wars: Bad Batch finale (Disney+)

 - Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney

 - DC shows on the The CW

 - War of the Worlds (TV series, Amazon Prime)

 - The Olympics in science fiction or fantasy

How true was "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" to the 1980s cartoon and/or toys?  Was the Space Jam sequel worth it?  Are we hopeful or worried about the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel?  And, what's good on TV right now?  Tune in now for the answers to these questions and other questions you didn't even know you should have asked.

So...how about you?  Whatcha' doin'?  Let us know.  You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

And...we're back!  Sorry for the unexpected hiatus, but a couple of co-hosts were out of town on a vacation.  This week, we are back on track with a review of the 1982 sci-fi classic film, "Blade Runner."

Does this film stand the test of time?  How well do its story, characters, and dialogue stack up against its impressive visuals?  Are its visuals good enough to make up for any other shortcomings?  Is this movie more about Harrison Ford's character, or is it really more about the replicants he's hunting?  Are there mixed opinions about the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Young's characters?  And, what exactly is a Blade Runner anyway?  Listen now to find out the answers to these and other burning questions.

To be honest, this is the episode of going off on tangents.  So, as a bonus, you get a mini-discussion about "Cowboys vs. Aliens," and one co-host reveals a "hot take" about a predominantly beloved Data-centric episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.  This episode also sees the return of the If-This-Movie-Were-A-Chipotle-Burrito-Bowl analogy.  There are also brief mentions of bread, sandwiches, and pasta, so we apologize if this review makes you hungry for carbs.

Grab your jacket, gun, and Voight-Kampff machine as we investigate and chase down...Blade Runner.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

And, this week, something completely different…

We’ve chosen TV Series Premieres as the inaugural topic in our new series we tentatively refer to as…”What Should Andruw Watch?”  (Let us know by e-mail or social media whether you prefer “Educating Andruw” or have an even better name.)

You see, three of us on this podcast have been geeks longer than Andruw has been alive.  We’ve accepted the mission of broadening his geek horizons in things he hasn’t had the time, opportunity, or inclination to experience.

At the beginning of this episode, we each challenge Andruw with a TV series premiere option.  Through the magic of editing, we reconvene after he’s had a chance to view all three selections and is ready to talk about them.

Did Andruw accept the first-ranked challenges from any or all of his co-hosts?  Did the guys all pick TV shows from the same era, or did Andruw get to try shows from two or even three different decades?  Did Andruw like all three premieres, hate them all, or somewhere in between?  Would he continue watching any of these shows after experiencing their introductions?  Did we waste Andruw’s time, and does hate us all now?  Tune in to find out the answers to these and other burning questions.

So…  What *Should* Andruw Watch?!?!?  Find out now how we answered that question.

NOTE:  Due to a scheduling conflict, our next episode might be later than usual.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we review the last two episodes of the Disney+ MCU series "Loki."

We discuss how episodes 5 & 6 stack up against the other four episodes, the relationship between Loki & Sylvie, the major new character introduced in the finale, and the nature of the timelines.  What was the creature in the jar buried in the ground on the alien world?  Where did all the lunch trays come from on that alien world?  Where can you find information about all the many Easter eggs spread throughout Loki and other Disney+ MCU episodes?  Was the finale satisfying?  Was there enough action?  Were there enough answers to questions?  Tune in to find out.

Grab your sword, TemPad, and crowned alligator, as we sit around our desks and talk about the end of...Loki.

You can contact us at...

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- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

We started podcasting exactly 12 months ago in the midst of the pandemic, but finally, FINALLY, we have, FOR THE FIRST TIME, a review of not a years-old classic but a BRAND NEW RELEASE, in theaters, RIGHT NOW, in July 2021.  This week we review the 24th MCU film, "BLACK WIDOW."

And...  Eh, it's okay.

We discuss the overall feel of the movie, its value & placement within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the experience of being back in the theater for the first time in 1.5 years.

Grab your tight-fitting leather uniform, guns, electroshock batons, Widow's Bite, and vest of many pockets, as we strike a showy fighting pose with...Black Widow.

Note:  Because we wanted to keep this review spoiler-free, and full disclosure, it was one of three episodes we recorded in one night, this review is brief and not our usual deep dive.

*But*, if you'd like us to take a deeper dive and/or spoiler-filled approach on this movie, or have feedback about any other topics, you can contact us at...

E-Mail:  [email protected]

Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we journey back to 1985 and 1955, in our review of the period piece, teen coming-of-age story, bizarre family drama, and yes, sci-fi time travel classic, "Back to the Future."

We discuss the film's extremely well-crafted story, the music and sound, some of the changes from the original premise to the finished story, the replacement of the lead actor weeks into production, and comparisons between this movie and "Rick and Morty" and "Buckaroo Banzai."

Grab your skateboard, hazmat suit, orange vest that people in the '50s think is a life preserver, and your Delorean time machine, as we reminisce about "Back to the Future."

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.