Discerning Geeks Portal

This week, Todd & Preston improvise with part 1 of their third Drive-Time Chat episode, where the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.

Check out the topics covered by Todd & Preston in this installment...

 - Reasons for the writer & actor strikes

 - Examples of actors’ struggles from wrestling and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

 - Movies & TV shows delayed by the strikes

 - An “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel TV show Todd didn’t even know about

 - Frustration with TV shows nowadays not being like how TV used to be

 - Whether all shows need as much super high production quality that they get now — making some shows cost too much time & money to operate like shows from the past

 - Syfy’s “The Ark” as an example of an allegedly cheaper show that is still enjoyable for stories and characters

 - How easy or hard is it for sci-fi and fantasy to pull off good shows with cheap effects

 - Whether productions should utilize dead malls as shooting locations

 - Todd making a post-Dragon Con pit stop, in 2019, at a mall in Georgia used as Starcourt Mall in season 3 of “Stranger Things”

 - Todd and Preston’s disappointment over a few specific shows being delayed by the strikes:  “The Rookie” season 6, “The Penguin” season 1, “Ghosts” season 3, and “The Boys” season 4.

 - Disney+’s latest MCU show, “Secret Invasion”

 - Preston’s recommendation of “Bluey” (which Dave S. has also recommended in the past)

 - Todd’s quick non-spoiler summaries of “Outlander” season 7 so far, “The Blacklist” recent series finale (after 10 seasons), and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 2 so far

 - Preston’s quick summary of “The Witcher” season 3 so far

 - Preston’s description of what “The Righteous Gemstones” (currently in season 3) is all about

 - Preston’s recommendation of “The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs”

 - Todd’s recent rewatch of Grimm, including his non-spoiler review of the series finale and then — after the outro music — some spoiler talk about one major character

Listen now for these topics and stay tuned for Part 2 of the conversation, coming soon.

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Hello again, Discerning Listeners, and sorry for our unexpected hiatus, due to a combination of scheduling conflicts and some audio issues in this episode that required some extra editing. But, we are back -- whether you like it or not. (I see you, yeah you, the one guy in the corner who looks really disappointed that we're back; I see you, and Santa Claus sees you; you'll get coal in your stocking this Christmas).

Anyway, also returning from an even longer hiatus is Alpha-Movie-Bet, where we progress through the alphabet talking about our favorite movies that begin with certain letters. In this installment, we cover movies beginning with I, J, K, and L.

- Which movies did each Geek list per letter?

- Out of these four letters, which movies were nominated for the best of this episode?

- And, which movie won the vote?

- This was Preston's first time in Alpha-Movie-Bet, so after we completed our main letters, we let him backtrack and list his picks for A through H. What did Preston choose?

- And, did Todd or Andruw have any additions or revisions to their previous picks?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions, as the Geeks list their favorite movies I to L in Alpha-Movie-Bet #03.

Check out episode #064 for the original Alpha-Movie Bet covering letters A to D. The Geeks originally covered E to H in episode #073, but for a better-sounding version, check out the special re-edit, which is, so far, our only non-numbered bonus episode. It was released in October 2022 between episodes #112 & #113. Due to an accidental deleting of the original #073 project file, Todd re-edited that one from scratch again (!?!?!) complete with new intro/outro music and an extended version of the "this episode brought to you by..." segment.

Note: As mentioned, there was an audio issue on this episode that required some extra clean-up during editing. Todd already noticed a few missed spots after it was published, fixed them, and has re-imported the improved version. If anyone hears any remaining bad audio or editing mistakes, feel free to let us know -- politely and constructively -- at [email protected]. Todd might be able to resolve any lingering issues if they are worth taking care of.

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, we reverse-engineer a review out of the 2003 movie, "Paycheck." This is a story of a Ben Affleck character having three years of his memory erased only to discover he has forfeited the huge paycheck for a job and has left himself 20 clues to stopping a major, future catastrophe.

- Which Geek gets a bunch of jabs against the movie in early?

- Which Geek considers this one of his favorite movies?

- Which Geek is somewhere in the middle, considering this movie a quarter-life crisis for its star.

- Which Geek(s) were okay with this movie's brief technobabble explanation for how to see into the future, and which Geek(s) were not.

- How did this review lead to references to "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame"?

- What similarities does this movie have to a story from "Batman" comics?

- Which Geek had barely anything good to say about this movie, and did that mean that he hated it or not?

- What were the Geeks' varying opinions about the chemistry between Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman?

- Which Geek had a nitpick about the power consumption required for a future-viewing device (and is it the Geek you'd expect to nitpick about that)?

- What aspect about his love for science fiction did one Geek site as one of this reasons for loving this movie?

- What about one Geek's time in hospitals led him to have special insight into the technology in this movie that allows someone to forget a large chunk of time?

- What topic led one Geek to reference this podcast's infamously contentious review of "The Space Between Us"?

- Which Geek asks the question, "How wind-resistant is Ben Affleck" (though the more appropriate question would have been "How aerodynamic is Ben Affleck")?

- Which Geek loses his mind explaining a nitpick he has about the bottom of a birdcage in this movie?

- What were the Geeks' various ratings for this movie, and which Geek changed his score based on the scores given by the other two?

- And, what was randomly rolled to review in the near future?

Listen now for the answers to these and other time-bending questions as we examine the clues to..."Paycheck."

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, the Portal takes an usually serious, scary, and mature turn as the Geeks review the 1982 supernatural horror film, "The Entity," a movie about a struggling single mother who is repeatedly assaulted & violated by a malevolent & unseen force.

- Which genres & specific movies does Preston compare to this movie?

- How well does this movie explore tough topics like trauma, abuse, survivorship, etc.?

- What moments or plot points were shot but left out of the movie?

- What kind of special effects were used for one disturbing bedroom scene?

- How much is this movie inspired by an alleged real-life poltergeist case?

- What are some of the theories on who or what the entity actually is?

- How effective (or not) or out-of-place (or not) was the ending of the movie?

- How do the tough themes in the movie lead to a few tangents about hot-button issues of today and things going on in the news (including the switching of teams by a politician from the Geeks' home state)?

- What bizarre way did Todd find an excuse to once again mention the quirky 1990s CBS dramedy "Picket Fences"? (We get it; you binge-rewatched the show on Hulu last year. In fairness, he didn't mention "Babylon 5" this time tough.)

- What is Preston's explanation for how the protagonist is able to detect that the entity is weaker at one point?

- This was one of the Dave Teague picks left on topics list after he passed away. Why did the Geeks think Dave Teague wanted us to watch this movie?

- Todd said his objectivity & subjectivity were at odds with each other on this movie. How did that affect his final grade?

- How far apart (or not) were Todd & Preston's grades on the movie despite agreeing so much on the quality & content?

- And, what movie did the Geeks randomly roll to review soon?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as the Geeks attempt to examine...but not be haunted by...The Entity.

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week we review the classic 1986 fantasy film, "Highlander."

- In what ways does the opening scene of this movie have significance in 1980s wrestling, including the backstories of eventually-famous Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon Jr.? And, which Geek is the one to know about it (this should be an easy one)?

- Which Geek noticed something dirty in Connor MacLeod's apartment?

- What do the Geeks feel about the look, tone, cult status, and 1980s-ness of the movie?

- Which Geek compared this movie's cult status and resurgence to that of "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," which the Geeks reviewed in episode #020 (still one of this podcast's best episodes -- and remastered, slightly, a few months ago; give it a listen)?

- Could the Geeks make it 20 minutes into the podcast before mentioning the soundtrack by famous British band, Queen?

- How much did opinions vary about the acting in the movie? Were any performances described as a "block of wood"? Which character was over-the-top for one or more of the Geeks?

- Which actors were allegedly intoxicated sometimes during filming?

- How was the sword fighting in this movie compared to lightsaber duels in Star Wars?

- What do the Geeks think about the basic premise of the movie?

- What did the Geeks have to say about "Highlander II: The Quickening," regarded as one of the worst movies of all time?

- Which Geeks were fans of the Highlander TV show, featuring Connor's distant cousin, Duncan?

- How does the ending of this movie make the continuation of a franchise problematic?

- And, when "Best MCU Phase 1 Movie" was rolled as an upcoming topic, which Geek assumed the obvious answer would be "The Avengers," and did another Geek imply opinions on that topic might not be so obvious?

Listen now for the answers to these and other timeless, ageless, immortal questions, as There Can Be Only One...review...of..."Highlander."

You can contact us at...

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome everyone to the 2nd installment of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #02, where the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.

In this episode, Todd & Preston covered the following topics...

- “Grimm”

- Peacock and Paramount Plus

- “Obi-Wan Kenobi”

- “Andor”

- Streaming services in general

- “Titans”

- “Gotham”

- “Doom Patrol”

- “Peacemaker”

- Clarification of previous “Star Wars” comments

- Is “superhero fatigue” a real thing?

- The MCU

- “Fantastic Four”

- “Squirrel Girl”

- “Spider-Man” and “Young Avengers”

- “Highlander”

- “Drive In With Joe Bob Briggs”

- Horror Movies

- The Movie Trivia Schmoedown

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome back to the DGP ranking of the Star Wars movies! :) Here in Part 2, we pick up with each Geeks' top 3s of the 9 trilogy movies (a.k.a. The Skywalker Saga). Afterwards, the Geeks backtrack to fit in "Rogue One" and "Solo," rate the trilogies overall, and discuss the TV series.

- All four Geeks have a different Star Wars movie ranked at #3. Which movie do you think each Geek picked?

- What were the various reasons for four different Star Wars movies making it into everyone's top 3s but not everyone's top 2s?

- Which Geek was particularly impressed with the music in "A New Hope"?

- How much did Carrie Fisher (a.k.a. Princess Leia) contribute to dialogue improvement in certain Star Wars movies? How many movies, play, and books did she write? And what are some of the many movies on which she served as "script doctor"?

- Is it any big surprise that the three movies of the original/middle trilogy faired so well in all four Geeks' lists? Which movies of that trilogy don't quite make it into all four top 3 lists, and which movies from the prequel and/or sequel trilogy take their place?

- Which movie is the only one to be in all four Geeks' top 3s, and what were the various reasons for it being so well regarded?

- Which Geek had the most controversial ranking amongst the group, and which movie of his was the biggest outlier?

- How many herbs & spices are in the colonel's secret KFC recipe?

- Which "Gilmore Girls" character pokes holes in the "high ground" moment from "Revenge of the Sith"?

- What were the arguments for and against the directing, writing, fight choreography, and psychology, in "Revenge of the Sith"?

- Todd kept score, with each 9th-place ranking getting 1 point, 8th-place getting 2 points, 1st-place getting 9 points, etc. When totaled, which movie of the three trilogies won overall 1st place by a 5-point margin? Which two movies tied for overall 2nd, with a 7-point margin over 4th place? And, which two movies tied for overall last place, just one point lower than the 7th-place movie?

- When discussing "Solo" and "Rogue One," what were some of their positives & negatives, and which of the two faired better?

- How did the Geeks rank the three trilogies? Which Geek said he could sum up his review of one of those trilogies with a one-second sound effect (and, in an upcoming episode, clarifies his statement that he doesn't mean that as a negative reflection of those that worked so hard on the various artistic & technical aspects of that trilogy)?

- What were the Geeks' opinions about the Star Wars TV shows (with focus on "The Mandalorian")?

- And, who makes special appearances in the outro for the first time since the outro for episode #008 of this podcast, the review for "Solo: A Star Wars Story"?

Listen now for the answers to these and other high-ranking questions as we conclude our special topic of ranking the Star Wars movies.

You can contact us at...

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- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Happy May the Fourth -- Star Wars Day! :) Listen now for Part 1 of The Discerning Geeks Portal's official ranking of the Star Wars movies. This is one of Andruw's topics, left waiting in the wings, but after some delay, we're finally debating our favorite and least favorite Star Wars movies. Andruw chose to have us only rank the nine movies of the trilogies, and we get to our bottom six done in Part 1. But, stay tuned for Part 2 where we finish with our top threes and give our opinions for "Rogue One," "Solo," and the TV shows.

- Out of the Star Wars trilogies, which movie didn't do better than than the bottom three, which bottom-three movie for most of the Geeks worked its way to the middle for one Geek, and which movie from the sequel trilogy faired the worst with most of the Geeks?

- Which two Geeks had almost the same bottom fives, were it not for a difference in opinion about "The Last Jedi"?

- Which Geek felt one of the Star Wars films seemed to be made to *intentionally* mess up any movie that came after it?

- Which Geek was the only one to dislike "The Last Jedi" more than "The Rise of Skywalker"?

- Which Geek was the only one to like "The Last Jedi" better than "The Force Awakens"?

- Which Geek was the only one to have "Revenge of the Sith" higher than the bottom four?

- Which Geek admitted to confusion and very mixed feelings when rating or ranking "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker"?

- Which Geek was the only one to have "The Force Awakens" outside the middle three--for better or worse?

- Which Geek(s) had "A New Hope" and/or "Return of the Jedi" in the middle three?

- Which Geek felt like "The Last Jedi" was one good movie and one bad movie crammed into one?

- Out of the bottom six, which movie seems the most contentious, "Attack of the Clones," "The Last Jedi," or "The Rise of Skywalker'?

Listen now for the answers to these question and more. Be on the lookout for Part 2 of this discussion, coming in a few days. Can you guess each Geek's top three? What is the overall Discerning Geeks ranking of the trilogy films when consolidating all four Geeks' rankings together? What do the Geeks think about "Rogue One," "Solo," and the TV shows? Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out.

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Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to a special Star Wars discussion episode...recorded 2.5 years ago on October 25, 2020. The episode was held back and intended to be used as a fill-in episode in case the Geeks ever missed a week. And...then...we didn't use it anyway...even when we could have. This is the 3rd and final lost/unearthed/time-capsule episode recorded in 2020. Check out the other two "lost" episodes, #122 and #125, which were recorded before the Geeks released episode #001 (I guess you could say these three lost episodes form our own...prequel trilogy). But, this episode was all about Star Wars, in general.

- Which Geek declared one of the prequels to be the best Star Wars movies, even better than "The Empire Strikes Back"? What were his reasons, and did any of other Geek agree with him?

- What did at least one Geek say was one of the major, fundamental issues with the prequel trilogy?

- Were Anakin and Padme soulmates? Is it obvious? Does one Geek think so?

- Where should the prequel trilogy probably have started?

- Which Geek(s) were fan(s) of the "Star Wars: Clone Wars" animated TV show?

- Which Geek(s) theorize that Disney could -- and maybe should -- remake Episodes I to VI of the Star Wars films? Do any of the Geeks think that's what Disney actually intended to do (until "Solo: A Star Wars Story" wasn't received as well)? What were the counter-arguments?

- What did the Geeks think about Episodes VII to IX of the Star Wars films?

- What did the Geeks think about "The Mandalorian" (at the time)?

- Which of the Geeks referenced the movie "Ice Pirates," which the Geeks recently reviewed in episode #126?

- What were the various opinions among the Geeks about whether new Star Wars material belong more on TV or the big screen?

- Which Geek stated eagerness to see the Star Wars book character Thrawn brought to life (not knowing that he was already in the "Star Wars: Rebels" animated TV show)?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions, as this special time-capsule episode explores our Star Wars opinions from 2.5 years ago. And, be on the lookout for our next episodes when we have a recently recorded two-parter, ranking the Star Wars trilogy films and talking about Solo, Rogue One, and the Star Wars TV shows.

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

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- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Discussion Hour. Due to Andruw having a scheduling conflict and Dave falling asleep before we were supposed to record, Todd & Preston ended up improvising their own two-person episode. As Preston put it, this is like the discussion we might have during a car ride. So, the runtime is over an hour, and the car ride is imaginary, but the conversation is real.

To give a little structure to the conversation, Todd & Preston asked each other the following main questions.

- What favorite TV shows have we found via syndication?

- What kinds of movies & TV shows have we enjoyed in the space opera sub-genre of sci-fi?

- What technology would we *not* want humanity to have?

- Do we have any guilty pleasures?

- What kinds of classes have we played or want to play in Dungeons & Dragons?

But, thanks to a lot of tangents, comparisons, and other references, many geeky things were mentioned, including (but not limited to)...

#Babylon5

#Continuum

#DCU

#DoctorWho

#DungeonsAndDragons

#IExpectYouToDie

#Farscape

#Invincible

#JamesBond

#KolchakTheNightStalker

#Lexx

#MCU

#Monsters

#PeterDavid

#SpaceCases

#StargateSG1

#StarTrek

#StarTrekDeepSpaceNine

#StarTrekTheNextGeneration

#StarWars

#TheLangoliers

#TheOrville

#TheSimpsons

#TheTwilightZone

#TimeTravel

#Wrestling

Slide over the pile of jackets and cloth grocery bags in the back seat, climb in, and listen now to find out which roads Todd & Preston traverse in this special improvised Sunday drive down a...highway of geekiness...(?!?)... (Ooh, sorry, typing this at a late hour after two glasses of wine is causing the whole drive-time discussion metaphor to fall apart. You get the idea. We talk about stuff. Have a listen.)

And, stay tuned for several installments of Star Wars related discussions. First will be one more "lost/unearthed" episode...a general Star Wars discussion recorded back in late 2020, never published, and now ready to release into Wild Space. After that, we will release the topic of Favorite & Least Favorite Star Wars Movies, which is finally recorded and long enough to be split into two installments...our first two-parter since September 2021. Just for a little shameless self-promotion, our previous multi-parters were...

- #023 & #031 - "The Adjustment Bureau" and "Adjustment Bureau Overflow - The Works of Philip K. Dick"

- #034, #035, and #036 - Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Radio Play, Parts 1 to 3

- #037 & #039 - Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters, Parts 1 & 2

- #044 & #045 - Best & Worst TV Series Finales, Parts 1 & 2

- #066 & #067 - "The Lord of the Rings" Film Trilogy Review, Parts 1 & 2

- #069 & #070 - Dragon Con 2021, Part 1 ("Pre-Con - What is Dragon Con?") and Part 2 ("Post-Con - How Did It Go?")

You can contact us at...

- E-Mail:  [email protected]

- Facebook:  #DiscerningGeeksPortal

- Twitter:  @discerninggeeks

Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts.