This week, we review the intellectual romantic fantasy thriller (a very niche subgenre), “The Adjustment Bureau.” Join us as we discuss the film’s inventive plot devices, the theme of fate vs. free will, comparisons between the film and the short story (by Philip K. Dick) that the film is based on, memorable quotes, and most importantly, the impressive & believable chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in the protagonist roles. Along the way, we also go on tangents comparing Matt Damo...
Nov 29, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast We're halfway through season 2 of The Mandalorian with our latest review of the episode, "Chapter 12: The Siege." We discuss the episode's revelations and foreshadowing of things to come, theories about Dark Troopers and the assumed future appearance of Ahsoka Tano, the possibility of this TV series helping to flesh out missing information from the movie sequel trilogy, the humor of the Mythrol character, and as always, the humor & hunger of Baby Yoda. Repairs won't take long (apparent...
Nov 26, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast We continue our reviews of The Mandalorian season 2 with "Chapter 11: The Heiress." We discuss the backstory of the Mandalorian culture established in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, the sheer coolness of the episode, the amazing visuals, the Imperials' frightened reactions to the Mandalorian warriors, predictions for coming weeks, the appearance of a very special guest star, and whether Baby Yoda's progression is toward the light side or dark side. More importantly, did B...
Nov 21, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Finally, FINALLY, the episode absolutely no one was waiting for… This week, we take a discerning look…I’m sorry; I can’t type that with a straight face…we take an idiotic look at the 1988 “film” called KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE. I’m so sorry. We discuss the movie’s consistency in tone & theme, the creativity of the extreme clown motif, the production quality that is surprisingly redeemable in spots, the film’s cult status, and even how this movie compares to some low budget, local...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're a little late this time, but what do you expect when traveling at sub-light speeds? We continue with our reviews of The Mandalorian season 2 with "Chapter 10: The Passenger." We discuss the episode's parenthood motif, the role of rebel forces after "Return of the Jedi," the connections between this episode and 1.06 "The Prisoner," the inspiration for the spider-like creatures in this episode, and what it might mean to be a cannibal in the Star Wars universe. Book passage with u...
Nov 14, 2020•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We discuss the beauty of the visuals, some of the changes between an early trailer and the final film, the pure enjoyment factor of the movie, the underdog nature of the plot and the characters, the importance of this movie as a direct prequel/prologue to Episode IV: A New Hope, odd Star Wars logic about blasting door controls, where each of us rank Rogue One among all the Star Wars films, and of course, the big Darth Vader scene...
Nov 07, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we review the season 2 premiere of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 9: The Marshal." Join us as we discuss the overall look & feel of the episode, the story, its excellent production quality, and our outlook on the season ahead. Be on the lookout for future episode reviews of The Mandalorian, as we may review the entire season (if schedules permit). Grab your armor, jet pack, rifle, and Baby Yoda, as we join The Manadalorian on his quest for...The Marshal. Note: On Monday 31 O...
Oct 31, 2020•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week is a special "Water Ya Doin'?" episode. With one of the Daves at the beach when we recorded, we decided to try our first random, (almost) totally unprepared episode based on movies & TV shows with the ocean, beach, or water in general as the theme. Board our submarine as we take deep dives into Aquaman, Waterworld, Lost, Pacific Rim, and Down Periscope. Put on your swim trunks as we go for quick dips into Earth Girls Are Easy, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Princess Bride (A...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review "The Thing," the original sci-fi horror film from 1982 starring Kurt Russell (not the 2011 prequel of the same name). We discuss its creature concept, the film's story as a mental exercise, how the setting of Antarctica provides the feeling of isolation, what it is about horror movies that people like in general, a possible connection between our current political climate and the kind of fear the movie's creature instills, and...the convenience of flame throwers. Is th...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review the 1982 Jim Henson classic, The Dark Crystal. We marvel at the amazing artistry, craftsmanship, and performance that goes into a movie starring non-human characters represented by puppets. We discuss the movie's gradual reveals of its mythology, the alien look & feel of the movie, how the movie is for kids, the conundrum of the clueless Jen character being the main protagonist, the pacing, and other amazing visuals like the sets & costumes. Joining...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we have another "Whatcha Doin'?" episode where we pause from reviews to talk about current things we're watching, reading, playing, and otherwise enjoying. Joining us as a special guest for this episode is Dave's nephew Andruw (not a typo; it's really spelled with a "u"). We've mentioned him before as the other player in our weekly D&D campaign. Together we talk about the following... TV Shows & Movies "Total Drama Island" "Enola Holmes" on Netflix "Away" on ...
Oct 06, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review the 1985 movie Enemy Mine. We discuss the movie’s themes of unlikely friendship and overcoming differences through cooperation, the religious beliefs of one of the main characters, the extreme sides of humanity on display in the movie, and of course, the special effects. It doesn’t look as good as Star Wars, but it’s still a classic sci-fi story with a timeless message. Join us as we explore…Enemy Mine. E-Mail: DiscerningGeeks@gmail.com Twitter: @Discerning...
Sep 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review the movie that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man. We discuss the origin story of Tony Stark as Iron Man, the movie's excellent editing & casting, the pivotal role of Pepper Potts in defeating Iron Monger, the greatness of smaller characters Agent Phil Coulson and Dum-E the robot, the importance of Iron Man as the start of the MCU, its director Jon Favreau as a "founding father" of the MCU, and what sets Marvel apart from DC. Join us as we revie...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, another first -- our first book review. We review Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the very first book in the Dragonlance saga, an expansive series of books based in the world of Krynn, specially created for use in the world's most popular role playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. We discuss nostalgic memories of first reading the books in high school, the book's structure & pacing, our favorite characters, and how the novel helps with the understanding of playing D&D,...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we have our first review of an animated movie and our first superhero team — Big Hero 6. We discuss the importance of science in the movie, the motivations of the villain, the tendency of Disney movies to explore personal loss, and what it takes for a normal person to turn into a mad scientist. And, of course, we love the adorable, inflated, medical robot, Baymax. Follow us to San Fransokyo as we witness the origin story of a new team of defenders. They didn’t set out to be superheroe...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we venture to a galaxy far, far away and review Solo: A Star Wars Story. Did one or more of the co-hosts feel a dark shadow of the underworld cast upon the visuals of the movie? Did one or more of the co-hosts feel this movie shined brighter than the Millennium Falcon under the original care of Lando Calrissian? Why is the Kessel Run measured in distance rather than time or speed? Is this a heist movie, a buddy movie, a love story, a prequel of the Rebellion, a...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we hack into the star-studded 1992 movie Sneakers, a tale of hacking, cyber security, crime, cryptography, and driving a truck while visually impaired. Did this movie predict the future of the information age? Is it both quaint & timeless at the same time? Would this movie make a good remake or TV show? Were answering machines ever really that big? It’s not easy what we just did, but our voice is our passport, as we discuss…too many secrets…of Sneaker...
Aug 26, 2020•57 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Whatcha Doin'? Releasing mid-week, we recorded our first bonus episode. We have a more informal, off-format chat about TV shows & movies we're watching (not including those for the podcast -- yet???), books we're reading, and even a little bit about our ongoing Dungeons & Dragons game. Which one of our co-hosts is the fan of DC superhero shows on The CW? Which otherwise excellent show has parental warnings for really useful reasons. How many Netflix shows ca...
Aug 20, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Podcasters’ Log, August 2020. Changing course from geeky movies this week, we explore our first TV topic — our most & least favorite Star Trek episodes featuring the recurring character known as Q. Preferences among the co-hosts differed more than expected, so you get a nice variety of opinions about this member of the omnipotent Q Continuum and his intrusive meddling onboard the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Was he best when providing these shows comic relief, ...
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we review the robot fighting movie Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman. We discuss our appreciation for the movie's artistic value & character-driven story, explore its underlying themes, share theories about the robot Atom that are both scientific & metaphysical, and discover the movie has unexpected sentimental value for one of our co-hosts. Yes, all this...from Real Steel. Join us on this very special episode of The Discerning Geeks Portal as we prove that R...
Aug 11, 2020•54 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we go all the way back to 1989 and review the movie Batman. We talk about the look & feel of the movie, music & sound effects, the casting of Michael Keaton, and the greatness of the Alfred character. Who’s the best Batman? Who’s the best Joker? Is this movie dated or timeless? Does Vicki Vale scream too often? Find out! This Bat-Time! This Bat-Channel!
Aug 04, 2020•51 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we review the film "A Knight's Tale," examining how it works as a sports movie in a medieval setting. We talk about creative anachronisms, music, the role of women in the movie, class distinctions, hair, costumes, nitpicks, Chaucer, and of course, favorite moments, characters, and quotes. And, now, I'm afraid without any more ado whatsoever!... Here it is!... Your review of..."A Knight's Tale."
Jul 29, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast In our debut episode, we review "The Martian," starring Matt Damon, a favorite among our original trio of co-hosts, Dave, Dave, and Todd (not a typo; two Daves; not confusing at all). We talk about our favorite moments, favorite quotes, the amazing visuals, the extended version, deleted scenes, and much more. With this review as well as our ones to come, we sum up remaining thoughts in a lightning round, grade the movie three different ways, and throw out ideas of what to cover in a fu...
Jul 22, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
