Discerning Geeks Portal - podcast cover

Discerning Geeks Portal

Discerning Geeks Portalpodcasters.spotify.com
Discerning Geeks Portal is a gateway into the exploration of all things geek: Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, ‘80s movies, TV, and more. Dave, Todd, Andruw, and Preston, take a discerning look into the world of geek fandom. We care about intriguing storytelling, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes, but we also love action, special effects, and comedy. We break down the positives, negatives, and mixed feelings about everything we cover. Step through the portal with us for fun and analytical discussions about geek culture, for fans, by fans.

Episodes

#185 - Special Topic - Favorite Female TV Characters - PART 1 of 2

From brilliant scientists and fearless leaders to quirky oddballs and animated icons, television has given us some unforgettable female characters. In this episode, Preston & Todd kick off a two-part countdown of their all-time Favorite Female TV Characters, revealing ranks 20 through 09. Way back in episodes #037 & #039, the Geeks listed their Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters. Many of our favorite shows are dominated by male characters, so we realized that too many excellent female charact...

Mar 06, 20251 hr 18 minSeason 4Ep. 185

#184 - 2024 Year In Review - PART 2 - TV and more

Continuing with the 2024 Year In Review, the Geeks list and rate their favorite TV seasons of 2024. There's also a little bit about music, wrestling, and books. The TV shows covered in this episode include: ABC / Hulu - 9-1-1 (seasons 7 & 8) - High Potential (season 1) - The Rookie (season 6) Amazon Prime - Batman: Caped Crusader (season 1) - Fallout (season 1) - Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (season 2 of 5 - really?!?!?) Apple TV+ - Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (season 1) Disney+ - A...

Feb 10, 20251 hr 27 minSeason 8Ep. 184

#183 - 2004 Year-In-Review - PART 1 - Movies of 2024

Welcome to 2025, and thanks for returning to the Discerning Geeks Portal. In PART 1 of our two-part 2024 Year-In-Review, we take a look back at movies we've seen & even some movies we were only tempted to see & a few we were glad we did not see. Throughout the discussion, the following movies get at least a mention, if not a deeper dive... - Alien: Romulus - Atlas - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Borderlands - Challengers - Civil War - Deadpool & Wolverine - Dear Santa - Fly Me to the...

Jan 24, 202559 minSeason 4Ep. 183

#182 - Cmas TV Review - Grimm Christmas Episodes

Finishing off the holiday season, we review the Christmas episodes of the TV show "Grimm": 3.08 "Twelve Days of Krampus" and 4.07 "The Grimm That Stole Christmas." Technically, we also briefly mention 1.07 "Let Your Hair Down," but that episode would barely be about Christmas at all if not for one single scene. - This episode starts with a tangent about the TV show "Farscape." What did the Geeks think about that show? - And, even after starting to talk about "Grimm," how did Todd work in his obl...

Dec 25, 20241 hr 18 minSeason 4Ep. 182

#181 - Cmas Movie Review - Muppet Christmas Carol (again)

The movie doesn't have a sequel, but now the review does. We revisit the holiday classic, "The Muppet Christmas Carol." This time, Todd re-evaluates the movie with Preston, who wasn't with us the first time around, in episode #028 (check out that episode for the first version). - What examples did the Geeks have of Muppets being comforting, diplomatic, the theme of the best ride at Disney World, great music video makers, and being made for adults as much as for kids? - While still on tangents be...

Dec 23, 20241 hr 21 minSeason 4Ep. 181

#180 - Cmas Movie Review - The Nightmare Before Christmas

Merry Christmas! Next up in our Christmas movie reviews is "The Nightmare Before Christmas." - If the various holidays (each represented by a tree in this movie) each got their own movie and eventually crossed over to form the "Nightmare Before Holiday" Cinematic Universe, which holiday (or maybe day of the week) would be the antagonist? - Does this movie contain any deeper meanings, and what could those be? - How well developed (or not) is the relationship between Jack and Sally? What are the d...

Dec 21, 20241 hr 18 minSeason 4Ep. 180

#179 - Cmas Movie Review - Iron Man 3

Merry Christmas, and welcome to the last minute marathon of Christmas-related movie reviews for 2024. First up, we review "Iron Man 3." We reviewed "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2" in episodes #011 & #099. This makes the 3rd trilogy that we've completed, having reviewed the "Back to the Future" trilogy in episodes #058, #065, and #088, and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy in a two-parter, episodes #066 & #067. - Are the Geeks caught up on their vaccines, and how it that relevant? - What memori...

Dec 18, 20242 hr 30 minSeason 4Ep. 179

#178 - TV Review - The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 05 to 08

We return to "The Simpsons," one of Preston's favorite shows, to review the "Treehouse of Horror" specials 05 to 08. Check out episodes #168 & #169 of our podcast for our two-part review of "Treehouse of Horror" 01 to 04. In this batch The stories, spoofs, and themes covered in these four episodes include: "The Shining," time travel, cannibalism, giants, "Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Thing," microscopic societies, alien bodysnatchers, nuclear holocaust, "The Fly," Salem Witchcraft Trials, ...

Nov 22, 20241 hr 26 minSeason 4Ep. 178

#177 - Special Topic - Political Movies & TV Shows: The West Wing, Veep, The American President, My Fellow Americans, Madam Secretary, House of Cards, and much more

Just in time for listening while standing in line at the polls on Election Day, Todd & Preston discuss movies & TV shows of a political theme. Political-Themed TV Shows Discussed The West Wing Veep Madam Secretary The Simpsons episode 6.05 "Sideshow Bob Roberts" Commander-In-Chief House of Cards The Newsroom The Good Fight South Park episode 20.05 "Douche and a Danish" Babylon 5 Political-Themed Movies Discussed The American President Election Air Force One My Fellow Americans Welcome to...

Nov 05, 20241 hr 28 minSeason 4Ep. 177

#176 - Drive-Time Chat #09 - Halloween 2024 Edition - Beetlejuice 2, Agatha All Along, Grotesquerie, Salem's Lot, VHS Beyond, I Watched the TV Glow, and much more

Welcome to the Halloween 2024 Edition of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chats. This episode starts with Preston's review of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." Preston then continues with reviews of the following streaming movies: - A recent remake of "Salem's Lot" - "VHS Beyond" - "I Watched the TV Glow" Todd then talks about movies he's recently seen in abridged form, via reaction videos on YouTube: - "Alien vs. Predator" - "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" - "Alien Romulus" - "Army of Darkness" (which th...

Oct 30, 20241 hr 25 minSeason 4Ep. 176

#175 - Drive-Time Chat #08 - Franchises, Writing, and Failures, Oh My!

This week, we take a deep dive into the importance we place on entertainment, whether we're being too picky about movies & TV shows, why some of them fail, and how much writing is responsible for successes or failures. Note: Please excuse this brief description when first being published. I had an extensive description all typed out, and when I clicked one link on the screen, Spotify blanked out my summary!?!?! Check back later and refresh the episode for when I have the patience to re-type ...

Oct 23, 20241 hr 19 minSeason 4Ep. 175

#174 - Movie Review - Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

This week, we review the sci-fi film, "Valerian and the city of a Thousand Planets," a passion project of "The Fifth Element" director Luc Besson. - What record does this movie hold among independent films and European films? - What did the Geeks think about the story structure and pacing? Did the movie flow well, or were there too many distracting tangents along the way? - With Luc Besson directing both visually vivid movies, which had better visuals, this movie or "The Fifth Element"? - What d...

Oct 08, 20241 hr 8 minSeason 4Ep. 174

#173 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #07 - PART 2 of 2 - Late Night With The Devil, Arcadian, Deadpool & Wolverine, X-Men, Batman, Agatha All Along, Spider-Man

We continue with Part 2 of our Drive-Time Chat #07, covering the following topics... - "Late Night With The Devil" movie - "Arcadian" movie - "Deadpool & Wolverine" trailers (recorded before the movie itself came out) - The "X-Men" franchise, in general - "Batman: Caped Crusader" TV show - "Agatha All Along" trailer - "Spider-Man" comics Listen now for these topics & more. You can contact us at [email protected]...

Sep 17, 202455 minSeason 4Ep. 173

#172 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #07 - Part 1 of 2 - X-Men '97, House of the Dragon, The Acolyte, The Ark, The Bear, and Jules

Tune in to our Drive-Time Discussion #07 as Todd & Preston cover: X-Men '97, The Ark, House of the Dragon, The Acolyte, The Bear, Jules - Preston is finally caught up on "X-Men '97," so we're finally able to talk about it, including some spoilers. What did the Geeks think about it? - What reasons did the Geeks have for bringing up Surge energy drink, Putt-Putt Golf & Games, love triangles, and strong accents? - What did Todd have to say about the return of the low-b...

Aug 26, 20241 hrSeason 4Ep. 172

#171 - Movie Review - Deadpool & Wolverine

It's another new member of the $1 billion club. We review the superhero blockbuster, "Deadpool & Wolverine." - Plain & simple, which Geek is the grump this episode and how badly? - What were the Geeks' opinions about performances in the movie? - Which of the Geek(s) felt like one or more of the fights in the movie were a little over-the-top? Did they mean that in a good way or bad way? - How good was the on-screen chemistry between Deadpool & Wolverine? - Which type...

Aug 14, 20241 hr 25 minSeason 4Ep. 171

#170 - Movie Review - The Hunger Games

May the odds be ever in your favor...for enjoying this week's review of "The Hunger Games," the first movie in the young adult political action-thriller franchise. - Which Geek has read the Hunger Games book trilogy, which Geek didn't see any of the Hunger Games until now, which Geek is the only one to see all five movies including the prequel, and are any of these the same Geek? - Which narrative & visual issues did one Geek have with Act 1 of the movie? - Which Geek first...

Jul 30, 20242 hr 34 minSeason 4Ep. 170

#169 - TV Review - The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 01 to 04 - PART 2 of 2

In Part 2 of our discerning look into "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror 01 to 04," we start with the two literary parodies and then delve into broader discussion about the general appeal of "The Simpsons." - One of these stories makes a reference to the political primaries of 1992 that included Ross Perot. Don't the days of Ross Perot seem quaint now, in a good way? Could we get that kind of political season back please? - Did Dave enjoy the monkey's paw parody, or i...

Jul 16, 20241 hr 1 minSeason 4Ep. 169

#168 - TV Review - The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 01 to 04 - PART 1 of 2

This week, we take a haunting look into the first four "Treehouse of Horror" episodes from "The Simpsons." In Part 1 of this super-sized two-parter, we review the movie parody and "Twilight Zone" parody stories from those first four annual Halloween-themed episodes. Each "Treehouse of Horror" episode contains three stories and a framing device. Preston is the huge Simpsons fan, and he chose to structure our discussion by category. First, we cover the &quot...

Jul 12, 202454 minSeason 4Ep. 168

#167 - Movie Review - Army of Darkness

This week, we join a time-traveling S-Mart employee named Ash against Deadite zombies as we fight with, "Army of Darkness." - Did the Geeks agree whether this movie felt like a Looney Tunes cartoon brought to life? - What did Dave feel was the target audience for "Army of Darkness," and did he consider himself part of that group? - What did the Geeks feel about the special effects in the movie, and how much did it matter that many of the effects, especially the zombie skeleto...

Jun 27, 20241 hr 3 minSeason 4Ep. 167

#166 - Movie Review - The Thomas Crown Affair

This week, we review the 1999 romantic heist film, "The Thomas Crown Affair." - Were the Geeks on the same page with this movie, or was this another contentious review? - What did the Geeks think about the heist aspect of the money? Was it still enough of a heist movie with certain elements missing or downplayed and the movie also being half romantic drama? - How "heisty" is this remake compared to it's original as well as other movies like the "Ocean's" tri...

Jun 06, 20241 hr 13 minSeason 4Ep. 166

#165 - Movie Review - The Fall Guy

Folks, you're missing out if you haven't seen "The Fall Guy." The Geeks recently saw the new action/romantic-comedy in the theater (one of them twice), and now they're reviewing & recommending it to you, our discerning stunt team. - This movie is part action movie, part romantic comedy. For the action part, it's a "love letter" for stunt people. What did the Geeks think about the stunts in the movie? - Which scenes, stunts, moments, techniques, and running...

May 18, 20241 hr 22 minSeason 4Ep. 165

#164 - Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

We are back with a review of a 2024 movie, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Dave, Preston, and Todd, all saw this in the theater together recently, and <spoiler> all liked it. - Did the Geeks think this movie was fun? Was the comedy good? - How well did the movie handle its older characters from the original movies? - Were there too many characters? - Were the character interactions & relationships a plus or a minus? - What was the target audience for this movie? Was it clear? ...

May 14, 20241 hr 13 minSeason 4Ep. 164

#163 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 - Part 2 - Two-Season TV Shows, Wrestling, Star Trek, Mr. Holland's Opus, and more...

Part 2 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 continues with the following topics. - TV shows that only lasted two seasons (at least 19 shows mentioned) - Preston's Wrestling Corner - Todd's Star Trek Challenge - Upcoming topics on the podcast: "The Thomas Crown Affair," Ranking MCU Phase 2, "Army of Darkness," Favorite Multi-Episode TV Stories, and "Real Genius" - A tangent about real-world stuff, particularly the teaching profession - The excellen...

May 04, 20241 hr 21 minSeason 4Ep. 163

#162 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #06 - Part 1 - X-Men '97, Shogun, Invincible, Darkplace, The Rookie, 9-1-1, and more...

It's time for another Drive-Time Chat with Todd & Preston. As usual, they packed in more topics (and side tangents) than they expected, so be on the lookout for Part 2. For now, here's what they they cover in Part 1. - "X-Men ’97" first half of season 1 - "Shogun" (up to the penultimate episode for Todd; no spoilers; Preston is still catching up) - "The Rookie" season 6 so far - "9-1-1" season 7 so far - Jerry Stiller - "The Ark" (whe...

Apr 22, 20241 hr 9 minSeason 4Ep. 162

#161 - Web Series Review - Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared - Season 1

This week, we take a...hopefully discerning...look into the British musical horror comedy web series, "Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared." Technically, this is just season 1, which only takes about 35 minutes to watch six episodes, and somehow this led to our 2nd-longest podcast episode ever. - What were the co-hosts' general feelings about this web series. Which one(s) found it at least entertaining, if not meaningful; and which one(s) found it frustratingly nonsensical & pointless? Can you guess wh...

Apr 06, 20242 hr 51 minSeason 4Ep. 161

#160 - Movie Trilogy Review - Fear Street (Netflix Exclusive)

With the triumphant return of Andruw, we finally review the Netflix horror trilogy, "Fear Street." Each of the movies in the trilogy are named after the year in which they're based: 1994, 1978, and 1666. - How well did the Geeks think these three movies worked as a collective trilogy? Was there disagreement about this point? - Did one or more co-hosts love these movies, and did one or more co-hosts hate these movies? - Were the characters likable and/or sympathetic? Did that change...

Mar 27, 20242 hr 38 minSeason 4Ep. 160

#159 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 2 - Crime Shows & Movies, Spaghetti Westerns, Better Navy: SW Empire vs. ST Federation, Star Trek Adventures RPG, and Star Trek Continues Web Series

This week is PART 2 of Todd & Preston's Drive-Time #05. Topics discussed include... - "NCIS" franchise - "JAG" - "Magnum P.I." - "Hawaii Five-O" - The movie "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" - The movie "2 Days in the Valley" - Spaghetti Westerns - Who had the better navy, the Empire from Star Wars or the Federation from Star Trek - "Star Trek Adventures" role playing game - "Star Trek Continues" web series Lis...

Mar 21, 202451 minSeason 4Ep. 159

#158 - Todd & Preston's Drive-Time Chat #05 - Part 1 - Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Godzilla & King Kong, Wonka, Fargo, Popcorn In Bed, Quantum Leap, and The Rookie

With Dave & Andruw incognito this week, Todd & Preston go on another imaginary car ride for their Drive-Time Chat #05. And, once again, the discussion lasted long enough to make a two-parter. This is Part 1. This time, Todd & Preston discuss... - Preston's audio issues (sorry about that, folks) - Super Bowl commercials & trailers - Trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" - "The Real Ghostbuster" animated series from the '80s & '90s - Trailer ...

Mar 05, 20241 hr 4 minSeason 4Ep. 158

#157 - Movie Review - Field of Dreams

This week, we review the 1989 fantasy/sports/road-trip movie, "Field of Dreams," a favorite of one of our co-hosts. - This movie makes a lot of nostalgic connectionss between baseball and Americana. Which Geek is a fan of Japanese baseball? - Which Geek described this as a "Hallmark movie for dudes"? - What did the Geeks think about the relationship between the main character and his wife? - Which Geek(s) really loved the opening monologue? - How much or how little did this m...

Feb 17, 20241 hr 16 minSeason 4Ep. 157

#156 - Movie Review - Arkham City (video game cutscene edit)

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 ro...

Feb 09, 20241 hr 23 minSeason 4Ep. 156