Discerning Geeks Portal

This week, we review the culmination of the MCU Phase 1 and the first Marvel movie to earn $1 billion, "The Avengers."

We discuss the movie's moments of humor, our favorite moments, Loki as the antagonist, and the visuals.  Does "The Avengers" hold up over time?  How strong (or weak) is the story compared to the visuals and the coolness factor?  Do parts of the plot even make sense?  How does it compare to the other three Avengers movies?

Grab your high tech armor, vibranium shield, magical hammer, guns, bow & arrows, and...stretchy pants...as we assemble to review...The Avengers.

How much do you think "The Avengers" holds up over time?  What are your favorite moments?  Who is your favorite Avenger?  How does this movie stack up against other Avengers movies or the MCU as a whole?  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.

This week, we review the first four episodes of the Disney+ MCU series, "Loki."

We discuss the series' surprising turning points, the witty humor, and the buddy-cop-like chemistry between Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Owen Wilson as TVA agent Mobius.

How does the "Loki" series compare to "WandaVision" and "Falcon and the Winter Soldier"?  How do we think this TV show and the other shows are claiming their place in Phase Four and setting up future movies & series, something somewhat new to the MCU considering previous pre-Disney+ TV shows never influenced the movies?  Who do we think Mobius might be a Variant of?  What were our favorite moments?  And, where do we think Loki is now?

Find out the answers to these and other timeless questions.

Grab your TemPad, pruning rod, disappearing daggers, Variant jacket, and coasters (we don't want drinks leaving rings on the furniture) as we investigate the apocalypses for signs of...Loki.

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.

Note:  Please pardon the error in the episode title when first published.  I accidentally wrote that we covered episodes 4 to 6 of Loki, when it was actually 1 to 4.  I've now corrected the title.  I'm sorry for any confusion.

This week, we review the World War II historical drama -- and the 5th movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- "Captain America: The First Avenger."

We discuss the story, pacing, characters, excellent casting of characters (not just in this movie but for the entire MCU), the movie's handling of 1940s technology, and the portrayal of the friendship between Steve and Bucky.

We also continue to spin the "Wheel of Insanity" to pick the next movie to review, and this week's spin proves the wheel to be truly insane...or all too sane and maybe truly sentient...or driven by the entropy of order rather than the randomness of chaos.

Which co-host(s) were impressed with this movie and which one(s) were underwhelmed?  Which co-host was apparently a fan of the Agent Carter TV series and even got to meet Hayley Atwell (very briefly)?  Which co-host is possibly obsessed with "America's @$$"?  What is up with the robo-voice in this episode?  And, did anyone even remember to mention Red Skull?  Listen now for the answers to these and other face-peeling questions!

Grab your gun, helmet, star-spangled uniform, super-soldier serum, Tesseract, and giant frisbee made out of rare, extra-terrestrial metal, as we promote...Captain America: The First Avenger.

Speaking of promotion, is Steve Rogers a Captain forever, just because it sounds better?  If he saves the Earth enough times, could he ever become Major America, Colonel America, or even General America?  And, unless he skipped a rank there would be that awkwardly wordy period of Lieutenant Colonel America.  Then there are the different levels of General ranks (Brigadier, Major, Lieutenant).  You know what; forget I said anything.

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.

Note:  The marching band songs used for the intro, lightning round countdowns, and outro, were performed by the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and come from an album called "Celebrating 50 Years," which is available at freemusicarchive.org.  They were used with the -- hopefully not misled -- understanding that that particular album has been released into public domain.

This week, our 2nd time having used the season 2 "Wheel of Insanity" feature to pick our movie randomly, we review the 1997 sci-fi film, "Gattaca."  This is a film about a future (or maybe an alternate reality) in which status, opportunity, and personal value, are measured solely by DNA, not by experience or determination, with fetuses being genetically enhanced & optimized in the womb.

This ends up being an impassioned review for at least one of our co-hosts.  We discuss how the injustices faced by the main characters reflect racism and other biases in real life.  There's a bit of a debate between co-hosts as to just how much society was stacked against one protagonist whose parents did not have him genetically modified and how much he would have had to work hard & study certain things, no matter what, even if he had the same opportunities as an engineered person.  We also debate the visual style of the movie which seems to be an intentional blend of retro and futuristic.  We even have differences as to the narrative lessons & visual presentation of the movie's conclusion.  And, while the discussion might be impassioned, one co-host argues that there's not much passion in the movie itself, despite a compelling premise.

We admit, this discussion is a little longer and a little more serious than some of our reviews.  *But*, near the end, we also compare the movie to a Chipotle burrito bowl...and toast.

In the end, opinions are all over the map on this one.  But, it's these unique perspectives that make discussion among Discerning Geeks so compelling...or, at least, we hope so (it's one of several reasons we do this).

Grab your hair brush, fingernail clippers, blood syringes, urine bags, and exfoliating brush -- and, don't forget to incinerate your discarded skin & hair cells -- as we engineer a discussion about...Gattaca.

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 delve into a broader geeky topic...Science Fiction Technology.  We discuss some of our favorite ships, weapons, machines, and other applied sciences from some of our favorite movies, TV shows, books, games, and other franchises.

Throughout this episode we cover a wide array of technologies including the following.

 - Artificial Intelligence

 - Battlemechs

 - Blink Drive (an instantaneous-travel FTL engine adaptor)

 - Cloaking Devices

 - Disintegrator Rifle

 - Holodecks

 - Lightsabers

 - Long-Range Communication Stones

 - Personal Shields

 - Psionics & Psychobabble

 - Robotics & Cybernetics

 - Starfuries (fighter spacecraft)

 - Sulaco (ship)

 - TARDIS (ship)

 - Time Travel

 - Transfer Transit (remote 3D-printing of people)

 - Yamato (ship)

And, those technologies come from the following shows, movies, games, books, and franchises (with some overlap).

 - Aliens

 - Babylon 5

 - Battlestar Galactica (classic)

 - Battlestar Galactica (newer)

 - Battletech game & books

 - Dark Matter

 - DC's Legends of Tomorrow

 - Doctor Who

 - Dune

 - Humans

 - Ice Pirates

 - Isaac Asimov's writings

 - Kate & Leopold

 - Lost In Space

 - The Mandalorian

 - Star Trek franchise

 - Star Wars franchise

 - Starblazers

 - Stargate Atlantis

 - Stargate SG-1

 - Stargate Universe

 - Timecop

That's over a dozen technologies from over a dozen properties, all covered in just a little over an hour.  That's a lot of variety.  Hopefully you're familiar with some of those technologies and can match them up with their sources.  If not, maybe this episode will be educational for you.  These topics prove we really are geeks, if nothing else.

Grab your lightsaber, personal shield, long-range communication stone, and an android, cyborg, or artificially intelligent robot and board the faster-than-light, cloaking, time-traveling ship of your choice, as we advocate, contemplate, debate, and appreciate...Sci-Fi Technology.

What are some of your favorite ships, weapons, robots/androids, tools, and other technologies from the realm of science fiction?  What did we miss?  Did we turn you on to any properties just by talking about the technologies involved?  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 return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the franchise's 2nd installment, the under-rated and sometimes overlooked, "The Incredible Hulk."

We discuss the movie's various homages to the 1978 TV series starring Bill Bixby & Lou Ferrigno, the differences between Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo in their portrayals of Bruce Banner, and the movie's overall quality as an under-rated entry in the MCU, especially in its earliest days.

Grab your purple stretchy pants and an unhealthy dose of gamma radiation as we put this movie under a microscope.  You wouldn't like us when we're...hungry (?!?!?).  But, don't worry; we're...full & satisfied...after a full course of...The Incredible Hulk.

Note:  If you were one of our first few listeners, I apologize for a small editing goof near the beginning of the episode (the first few seconds of the movie "rundown" was missing).  It's been noticed, fixed, and re-imported.  If you ever notice any major mistakes like that, feel free to let us know.  We'd like to correct any issues, if possible, for the sake of your & others' listening enjoyment (okay, definitely that, and maybe someone on our team...okay, me...guess which one...might also be a little bit obsessive, neurotic, maybe a bit of a perfectionist, etc.).

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.

Welcome, discerning listeners, to our Season 2 Premiere!  :)  Thank you for stepping through the portal with us, not just for another episode but a whole new season.  We hope our next 50 episodes are even better than our first 50, and we're off to a great start.  This week, we are reviewing the timeless and beloved 1987 classic fantasy-romance fairy tale..."The Princess Bride."

We discuss trivia and behind the scenes information, including things about Andre the Giant's involvement in the movie.  We talk about favorite moments, which for some co-hosts were pretty much...everything...just, the whole movie.  We also discuss the witty & funny dialogue, the ad-libbing performed by Billy Crystal & Carol Kane in the Miracle Max sequence, and yes, even a few minor nitpicks (well, by one co-host anyway -- guess which one).  But, mostly, we just quote the movie...a lot.

Which co-hosts loved this movie?  Did anyone just like it or even...hate it?!?  Inconceivable!  If one or more co-hosts didn't totally love this movie, just how low does their rating go?  How many times have some of our co-hosts watched this movie?  Can any of our co-hosts quote practically the whole movie from memory (spoiler:  yes, they can)?

Prepare for adventure, swashbuckling, tests of intellect, romance, and giant rodent extermination.  Grab your storybook, sword, pirate mask, chocolate-covered miracle pills, holocaust cloak, and witty comebacks, as we prepare to engage...The Princess Bride.

What is your favorite quote from the movie?  Is it one we actually missed?  Let us know your favorite quotes, moments, or behind-the-scenes tidbits.  Contact us for those or any other reasons at the following...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks

- Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Would you like us to give you another season of thoughtful discussion?  Do you want a nice balance of praise, criticism, and neutral analysis?  Do you want a variety of movie reviews, TV discussion topics, "Whatcha' Doin'?" episodes, and maybe the occasional book review or roleplaying game session?  ...As...you...wish.  ;)

Welcome, Discerning Listeners, to our 50th episode — our Season 1 Finale (Note:  There will be a 2-week hiatus between seasons).  For this landmark episode, we’re reviewing both the book *and* movie of the sci-fi classic…”Ender’s Game.”  This is a story that has captivated three of us since high school, and now we’ve introduced it to Andruw as well.

Join as we discuss the strategy, psychology, story progression, and character development, that goes into a tale about the importance of the child Ender Wiggin in Earth’s alleged survival against an advanced, interstellar enemy.  We also discuss the political machinations of his slightly older siblings (at least as portrayed in the book, not the movie).

The protagonist Ender Wiggin is pretty much the superstar of his own book, so our review is mostly about Ender himself and how the book gets you inside his head so that you can feel his brilliance, his drive, his fear, his frustration, his stress, and his sense of honor.

But, we do also mention that part of the book is based in a city just one county east of us in real life.  We do a quick analysis of the book’s title — about the extra meaning behind those two simple words.  And, there’s also a discussion about the nature of the enemy, the insectoid Formics.

As for the movie, we discuss the usual topics like performances & production quality, but we mostly compare it to the book — the differences in the kids’ ages, the difference in the Battle Room, the shifting around of storylines, etc.

Grab your desk computer, your uniform, your flash suit, and an open mind for learning strategy as we get an education into…Ender’s Game.

And, following our main discussion, we briefly reminisce about our favorite episodes from Discerning Geeks Portal - Season 1.  If you’d like to catch up on what the four of us feel are our best episodes, here’s a handy compilation.

#001 - Movie Review - The Martian

#004 - Movie Review - Real Steel

#007 - Movie Review - Sneakers

#012 - Movie Review - Enemy Mine

#016 - Water Ya Doin'? - Ocean/Beach/Water Themed Episode

#020 - Movie Review - Killer Klowns From Outer Space

#023 - Movie Review - The Adjustment Bureau

#028 - Movie Review - Muppet Christmas Carol

#032 - Movie Review - The Lake House

#034 - Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot #01 - Part 1

#035 - Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot #01 - Part 2

#036 - Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot #01 - Part 3

#037 - Discussion Topic - Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters - Part 1

#039 - Discussion Topic - Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters - Part 2

#044 - TV Discussion - Best & Worst Series Finales - Part 1 (Best)

#045 - TV Discussion - Best & Worst Series Finales - Part 2 (Worst)

…And, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that #050 - Book & Movie Review - Ender’s Game will be among the best as well.  Listen now to see if you agree. :)

If you’ve enjoyed season 1 of Discerning Geeks Portal, tell a friend and stay tuned for season 2 coming soon.

*@*UPDATE*@*:  Well, life didn't exactly get in the way.  But, updating a few components of the podcast itself are taking a little while.  So, we did end up taking a hiatus for one week after all.  Our season 2 premiere will probably be out Sunday 30 May or Monday 31 May.

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.

Just one week away from our season 1 finale, we give you another "Whatcha' Doin'?" episode.  Including our lightning round, this episode is packed full with over two dozen topics in bite-size chunks.

Our primary topics this week are...

 - Falcon and the Winter Soldier  (Disney+)

 - Wonder Woman 1984

 - Star Wars: The Bad Batch  (Disney+)

 - Star Wars: Biomes  (Disney+)

 - The Simpsons: The Force Awakens From Its Nap  (Disney+)

 - Godzilla vs. Kong  (HBO Max)

 - Invincible  (Amazon Prime)

 - The Whole Wide World

 - Conan: The Barbarian & similar movies

 - The Mitchells vs. The Machines  (Neflix)

 - Mythic Quest  (Apple TV+)

 - The Might Ducks: Game Changers  (Disney+)

 - Greenland  (HBO Max)

 - Stowaway  (Netflix)

 - The Crown  (Netflix)

 - For All Mankind  (Apple TV+)

Our secondary topics are...

 - RottenTomatoes rating comparisons  (example: Deep Impact vs. Armageddon)

 - Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist  (NBC)

 - Legends of Tomorrow - season 6 premiere  (The CW)

 - The Flash - season 7 so far  (The CW)

 - Announcement: Muppets Haunted Mansion Halloween Special coming in October  (Disney+)

 - Big Bang Theory - season 2 rewatch

 - Zack Snyder’s Justice League  (HBO Max)

 - Secrets of Sulfur Springs  (Disney+)

 - Bluey  (season 2 coming to Disney+ soon)

 - Monster of the Week Role Playing Game

Sorry, if you were hoping one of us would talk about "Timecop," you'll have to check out episode #043, our "Whatcha' Doin'?" episode from March 2021.

Grab your wings, blaster rifle, superhero costume, sword, airlock access code, royal crown, duct tape, time travel ship, monster hunter playbook, and...animated blue puppy...as we take you on a whirlwind ride of shows & movies from across the cosmos.

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 review the 1979 sci-fi horror classic, "Alien."  This is the movie that started the franchise and introduced us to one of the most iconic female science fiction movie characters of all time, Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver.

We discuss the production quality, pacing, the use of silence instead of music during creepy scenes, performances, and the gradual progression of character development.

How many co-hosts thought the first half of the movie was too slow & boring?  Which ones felt the 2nd half of the movie redeems any issues from the beginning.  Which co-hosts cared more about the cat and/or the alien than they did about any human character?  How did director Ridley Scott crank up the tension on set to get more shock and anger out of the performances?  Who watched the director's cut, and who watched the edited-for-TV version?

Listen now to find out the answers to these and other questions.  Grab your space suit, flame thrower, cat crate, and badly fitting underwear, as we try to survive an encounter with..."Alien."

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.