Discerning Geeks Portal

Season 4 is the season of variety. So far, we've reviewed two Christmas movies, a western, and a horror TV-movie older than all the co-hosts. This week, we review a different kind of movie. It's the cutscenes of the video game "Arkham City" stitched together in cinematic fashion. It's our first time reviewing something from a video game, outside of Whatcha' Doin'? episodes.

- Which voice actors from "Batman: The Animated Series" reprise their respective roles in the "Arkham City" game/movie?

- This was Preston's pick, partially because the also liked the game. What did non-gamers Dave & Todd think about this cutscene compilation?

- Which relative of Dave & Andruw came close to meeting Mark Hamill at a video game convention?

- What did the Geeks think about the portrayal of Batman in this "movie"? Was he just as good, if not better, than Batman in other cinematic presentations?

- Was Batman a little too physically strong in this game/movie, considering he's a superhero without actual super powers?

- Which Geek wondered how exactly Batman is not killing people in this game/movie considering how hard & how fast he's punching people?

- How well does the game/movies portray Batman as DC's best detective?

- What did the Geeks thing about the three main villains and the two ticking-clock scenarios?

- What did the Geeks about the plethora of support characters (and subsequently many subplots) in the game/movie?

- Which of the three main villains did the Geeks find most interesting?

- Were these versions of Penguin and Mr. Freeze better than their counterparts from the Tim Burton & Joel Schumacher movies?

- What did the Geeks think about the appearance of Gotham Cty?

- Which Geek said he doesn't like it when Batman gets too dark.

- What did the Geeks think about the ending? Did Batman carry the right person out of Arkham City?

- And, ultimately, does this compelation of cut scenes truly work as an actual movie?

Find out the answers to these and other caped crusading questions as explore the many buildings, room, villains, and subplots of..."Arkham City."

So far, in season 4, we've had the 3rd & 4th of our four Christmas movie reviews, a review of a modern western, a 2023 year-in-review special, our first review of a TV movie, and now a review of a of a video game "movie." Coming...sometimes in 2024, we have the reviews of a mainstream semi-modern fantasy, a sexy heist movie, and streaming channel horror movie trilgoy; plus a ranking of the MCU Phase 2, and much more. Stay tuned, and let us know what you'd like us to cover.

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we delve into classic small-screen macabre with a review of the highly-rated 1972 TV movie, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." This is the first of two TV movies which led to the single season of a Kolchak TV show, which in turn inspired "The X-Files."

- Preston is the big Kolchak fan in the group. How much, if any, were the other Geeks impressed by it?

- Which odd comparison did one Geek make between Kolchak and a certain lawyer show character from the '80s & '90s.

- Gayle Foster was an intriguing support character with an unclear profession and a surprising relationship with Kolchak. Which Geek(s) liked the mystery around Gayle, and which Geek(s) would have preferred more clarity around who & what she was?

- Did we see enough of the vampire in the movie? Did the Geeks agree on this, or were there differing opinions?

- Which Geek had a bit of a problem with Kolchak's publisher being so hesitant...to publish a story.

- Which Geek(s) appreciated the time period in which this TV movie was made and adjusted their expectations accordingly?

- What was the score of this movie's biggest fan?

- What unofficial connections does Kolchak have to "The X-Files"?

- What excuse did Todd find to mention "Babylon 5" this week?

- Which Geek at one time wanted to be a reporter in the field?

- And, did the Geeks forget to roll for a future topic in this episode?

Listen now for the answers to these and other journalistic questions as we report on "Kolchak: The Night Stalker."

So far, in season 4, we've had the 3rd & 4th of our four Christmas movie reviews, a review of a modern western, a 2023 year-in-review special, and now our first review of a TV movie. Coming...sometimes in 2024, we have the reviews of a video game "movie," a mainstream semi-modern fantasy, a sexy heist movie, and streaming channel horror movie trilgoy; plus a ranking of the MCU Phase 2, and much more. Stay tuned, and let us know what you'd like us to cover.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Happy New Year, Discerning Listeners, and welcome to our special Year In Review episode for 2023. In this episode we talk about some of the best -- and...not so best -- movies, TV shows, and other entertainment that we enjoyed in 2023.

For movies, we cover the following:

- Blue Beetle

- Super Mario Bros. Movie

- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

- Evil Dead Rise

- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

- No Hard Feelings

- Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

- The Marvels

- Oppenheimer

- Godzilla Minus One

- Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

- Crater (TV movie formerly on Disney+)

- The Creator

- John Wick: Chapter 4

- Barbie

...But, which ones did we think were good, bad, or somewhere in between? You may be surprised by our opinions, but as usual, we do our best to back up our reasons.

For TV shows, we cover...probably too many to list. But, it's the usual wide variety of Marvel, Star Trek, Star Wars, and other sci-fi, fantasy, superhero, and horror shows. But, we also sneak in at least one example each of cop, medical, heist/hijack, kids show, political drama, and royalty docudrama type shows. We also talk a little bit about shows that we binge-watched in 2023 even if those shows didn't originate in 2023.

Taking longer than we thought on movies & TV, we had to save a few topics for a future episode, but we still squeezed in at least one example each of books, games, YouTube channels, and podcasts.

Listen now for our epic wrap up of a year that was...maybe a little less than epic but...still worth reviewing. 2023 is behind us. Best wishes to everyone for an excellent 2024. :)

One of the topics we had to skip was the big question... Was 2023 truly a lackluster year, or are we becoming too picky? What do you think? Let us know by sending us a message.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

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- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Happy New Year! We welcome in 2024 with a slight departure from sci-fi and fantasy with the 1993 western, "Tombstone."

- How many of the Geeks have a love for westerns, and how many of them were turned on to westerns by their dads?

- What did the Geeks think about the huge, all-star cast?

- Which deep or emotional aspects of the movie appeal to at least one of the Geeks?

- Which line of dialogue from the movie inspired this week's obligatory "Babylon 5" reference?

- Which Geek knows the trivia about the real-life versions of the characters in the movie?

- How accurate is this movie's depiction of the shootout at the O.K. Corral?

- What did the Geeks think about the portrayal of women in the old west?

- And, what were some of the Geeks' favorite quotes from the movie?

Listen now for the answers to these and other gunslinging questions, as the Geeks travel to the infamous town with the unfortunate name, "Tombstone."

Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Concluding our run of Christmas movies, we review the 1992 superhero sequel, "Batman Returns," which maybe should be renamed "The Penguin & Catwoman: Featuring Batman."

- Did two of the Geeks possibly see this movie together during its 1992 theatrical run?

- Which Geek, as a teenager, was on the local news for his out-of-the-theater reaction to the movie, and did he give hard-hitting, discerning commentary, or did he boil his review down to how Michelle Pfeiffer looked in the catsuit?

- Was there a consensus on this movie, or were opinions split?

- More specifically, did anyone like this movie's version of the Penguin character?

- How much influence, if any, did this version of the Penguin have on the character in other mediums?

- What impressive physical feat did Michelle Pfeiffer achieve during the shooting of one Catwoman scene?

- Which comparison was made between the Catwoman and Seven-Of-Nine from "Star Trek: Voyager"?

- Did the Penguin, Catwoman, or both together, overshadow Batman in his own movie?

- Which Geek had significant complaints about the movie not making sense?

- What comment about comic book logic led to a bit of trivia about the "Deadpool Meat Dimension" from Marvel Comics?

- How much did the Penguin and Catwoman in this movie both deviate from their comic book origins?

- Which Geek had...quite a bit...to say about the sequence in which the Penguin gains control over the Batmobile?

- What nitpicks & logic flaws were brought up involving the Batsuit?

- What were the Geeks' various opinions about this movie's depiction of Gotham City, the relationship between Bruce and Selina, and Max Shreck as the movie's 3rd (but possibly best) villain?

- How did discussion about the Bruce/Selina relationship lead one Geek to reminisce about dating life in high school?

- What subplot in this movie reminded one or two, maybe all three, Geeks about real-life politics and not in a good way?

- Which Geek particularly liked the last moment of the movie?

- In what way is a prehistoric caveman superhero an important precursor to all of DC's heroes & villains with special powers or optimal human traits?

- Was there consensus on whether this movie truly qualifies as a Christmas movie?

- Was there consensus on whether "Batman Returns" is better or worse than "Black Adam"?

- And, what three season 4 topics were randomly rolled (two offline) for future episodes? Did Preston finally get one of his selections picked?

Listen now for the answers to these and other vigilant questions as the Geeks review, "Batman Returns."

Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#150 - Violent Night

#151 - The Santa Clause

And, check out our other reviews of movies based on DC Comics characters...

#003 - Batman

#089 - Batman Begins

#116 - Black Adam

#145 - Shazam

#146 - Wonder Woman

Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, technically our season 4 premiere though awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas run, we reviewed "The Santa Clause" the first of the movie & TV franchise that stars Tim Allen as the next Father Christmas. And, we had special guests: Dave's daughters, Evangalyne and Josephine.

- Which reindeer was oddly missing from both this movie and the previous review movie, "Violent Night"?

- What geeky things did the co-host do to light and/or decorate their Christmas trees this year?

- What "battle" regarding Christmas lights does Dave's family have every year?

- How many Advent calendars do Dave's wife & kids have?

- What do Dave's daughters want for Christmas?

- What traditional Moravian Christmas event did one Geek attend this year (and, he's not the one who's Moravian)?

- What things about Moravian Lovefeast coffee and Moravian brass bands got mentions?

- Was the apparent death of Santa Claus in the movie dark or disturbing, and how well did Dave's kids handle it?

- What was one Geek's conspiracy theory about the reason Disney made this movie?

- What did Dave's daughters think about this movie?

- How did Dave's daughters rank this movie compared with other Christmas movies they've seen?

- What were one Geek's very specific pieces of advice for making the best hot chocolate drink?

- Which Geek appreciated the way the movie navigated the main character being a divorced father trying to reconnect with his child?

- Which Geek had trouble tracking the passage of time in the movie -- making it seem to him, the first time around, like the two Christmases in this movie were one long Christmas?

- Which Geeks had a nitpick about the movie not explaining what powered Santa Claus's time traveling?

- And, what score did each Geek give this movie?

Listen now for the answers to these and other legally & supernaturally binding questions as we read the fine print of..."The Santa Clause."

Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#150 - Violent Night

Accidentally & awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas movie run, this is technically our season 4 premiere. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Our 2nd Christmas movie review of 2023 is for the action-fantasy-heist film, "Violent Night," starring David Harbor, from "Stranger Things," as holiday legend and former warrior, Santa Claus.

- How much were supporting cast members of this movie previously in Lifetime and Hallmark movies?

- This is the type of movie that would normally be a tough sell for Todd and Dave. Did they find redeeming qualities in this movie? How much? Would they go so far as to say they even liked it?

- How and to what extent was this movie an homage to "Home Alone" and/or "Die Hard"?

- How well did it work giving Santa Claus a backstory of being an ancient Viking warrior?

- Should the magic of Santa Claus have had more explanation, or did it work leaving it as a mystery, even to him?

- How effective were the main villain, henchmen, and henchwomen in the movie?

- How good, sympathetic, and important of a character was young Trudy? Did her casting & portrayal match the age she was implied to be?

- What did the Geeks think about Trudy's estranged parents? How good, interesting, sympathetic, well written, and/or well performed were those characters? Did the Geeks care whether the parents got back together?

- What were some of the Geeks' least favorite parts?

- How was one character based on Mark Walberg?

- What did one Geek think was this movie's main target audience?

- How did a mention of Biltmore House -- America's largest private home and a popular Asheville, North Carolina, tourist destination -- lead to an unexpected soapbox rant by one Geek?

- Was there agreement that this movie was at least better than "Black Adam," the movie the Geeks watched on New Years Eve last year and which led to Preston joining the podcast?

- And, what musical way did one Geek choose to work in a "Babylon 5" reference, and did it come from whom you would have expected it?

Listen now for the answers to these and other bashing, smashing, and trashing questions as we journey with the legendary Santa Claus through a very..."Violent Night."

Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

#149 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Accidentally & awkwardly timed right in the middle of our Christmas movie run, this is technically our season 3 finale. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Merry Christmas, everyone! And, welcome to the Discerning Geeks Portal's first Christmas movie review since 2021! This week, we are reviewing the 1989 Christmas classic, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

- How many National Lampoon's vacation movies are there, and did everyone know that number?

- Which Geek said his review of this movie could pretty much be a rerun of his review for another comedy the Geeks examined in a recent episode?

- Which Geek was the first to praise John Hughes for his filmography and style of storytelling?

- What were the various opinions about the character of cousin Eddie?

- What were the various opinions about the style of humor in the movie, including the Christmas light issues, the sh***er jokes, the jelly-of-the-month surprise, the cat incident, etc.?

- Which Geeks had memories of Christmas stunts and lost lasagnas to share?

- What Geek felt the movie was like a live-action cartoon, and did he mean that in a good way or a bad way?

- Which Geek had turkey cooking advice?

- Which Geek felt like mindset might factor in to the likability of the movie?

- Which annoying Christmas song is sung in the shower every morning during the Christmas season by the relative of two of the Geeks?

- And, which Geek had to make slight adjustments to a lot of his lower-grade movies in his spreadsheet in order to get this movie and a few forthcoming movies into a more proper ranking (the spreadsheet part should be huge hint)?

Listen now for the answers to these and other festive holiday questions as the Geeks shine too many lights on..."National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

Check out our previous Christmas-themed episodes...

#026 - Gremlins

#028 - Muppet Christmas Carol

#034 to #036 - Christmas-Themed Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

#080 - The Man That Invented Christmas

#081 - Klaus

#082 - Home Alone

#083 - Children of Men

#115 - Whatcha' Doin' December 2022 Catch-Up

We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

We resume our Favorite Genre TV Seasons topic with our respective top 6s. If you missed our #10 through #07 picks and honorable mentions, listen to episode #147 first.

The seasons discussed in this episode are from the following shows:

 - Babylon 5

 - Batman: The Animated Series

 - Cowboy Bebop

 - Dark Matter

 - Doctor Who

 - Fargo

 - Fooly Cooly

 - Firefly

 - Fringe

 - Game of Thrones

 - Invincible

 - Kolchak: The Night Stalker

 - Star Trek: The Original Series

 - Stargate Universe

 - Stranger Things

 - The Boys

 - The Orville

 - The Umbrella Academy

 - Twilight Zone

But, which seasons were picked, which Geeks picked which seasons, how many shows were picked for more than one season and/or by more than one Geek, and which shows from this list are here due to one Geek listing two more honorable mentions he forgot in Part 1?

Listen now for the answers to these and other cliffhanging questions as bring a finale to our lists for Favorite Genre TV Seasons.

We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we begin a two-part discussion about our Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror/Superhero TV Seasons. Here in PART 1, we list our honorable mentions and the first 4 seasons in our ranked top 10 lists.

Those honorable mentions and #10 to #07 ranks are represented by the following TV shows.

 - Adult Swim Infomercial Series

 - Alien Nation

 - Babylon 5

- Battlestar Galactica (original)

 - Buck Rogers

 - Dark Matter

 - Doctor Who

- Eureka

 - Futurama

 - Grimm

 - Metalocalypse

 - Helsing

 - Paranoid Agent

 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

 - Star Trek: The Next Generation

 - Stargate SG-1

 - Stargate Universe

 - The Flash

 - The Incredible Hulk

 - The Mandalorian

 - The Orville

 - The Venture Bros.

 - The X-Files

 - Travelers

 - True Detective

But among these shows, which seasons were picked? Which ones are honorable mentions, and which ones are in at least one Geek's top 10?

- Which five shows were mentioned or ranked by two of the Geeks so far?

- Which two additional shows were represented by two seasons but by the same Geek?

- Which was the one show mentioned or ranked by three different Geeks?

- Which of these shows officially sneaked into the list during editing?

- Which other show was mentioned during the editing process but so unofficially that it's not even in the list above?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we break down our favorite genre TV seasons up to 7th place.

Stay tuned for PART 2, coming soon, which will include our respective top 6 lists.

We're approaching the end of season 3. Are there movies, TV shows, or other topics you'd like us to explore in season 4? Let us know.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter (X):  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.