GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss webcams . In the news, ICE murdered another person in broad daylight with video and witnesses, and Senate Democrats are willing to shut the government down over continued funding of ICE. Call your senators today . No funds for ICE: abolish, dismantle, and prosecute. In other news, Europe may ban Elon Musk's nonconsensual porn machine and France is planning to buil...

Tonight on GeekNights we review The Running Man (1987 film) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson. In the news, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO along with regional bodies throughout the state have called for statewide labor action in Minnesota over the brutality of ICE. The crazy house we rented once in Wildwood NJ is for sale, and the New York Sirens are on the verg...

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Big Shot (2001) . If you want some vicious auctions this is the game for you. In the news, the United States is in extreme crisis threatening to invade Greenland , invade Minnesota , terrorize the city of Minneapolis , and end the global world order as we know it. Also Mothership has good videogame journalism . Call your reps to tell them to defund ICE. Related Lin...

Tonight on GeekNights, we review a card game called Magic: The Gathering . It's 32 years old, so you may not have heard of it. In the news, gamers don't like generative AI and The Game Awards happened. Rym posted his [video editing process](https://community.frontrowcrew.com/t/the-geeknights-lecture-video-process/3683 for producing GeekNights panel and lecture videos. We will be live at Super MAGF...

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club , we discuss Jacqueline Harpman 's phenomenal I Who Have Never Known Men . I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a dystopian sci-fi novel. It was originally written in French and published in 1995. It was not very well known until recently it surged in popularity. This renewed interest in the book is not unfounded. Although it is only thirty years...

Tonight on GeekNights, we share our early thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond . In the news, Frankfurt's Christmas market is lit, and the Netflix x Warner Brothers Discovery situation is even more dangerous than the baseline danger of capitalist consolidation of media. Related Links Forum Thread Initial Thoughts on Dispatch and Metroid Prime 4 Discord Chat Initial Thoughts on Dispatch...

Tonight on GeekNights we review the historical and topical 23 Knives (2025) . It's worth playing, and Rym is probably going to buy it. In the news, PAX Unplugged 2025 was smooth as butter, Doodle Puzzle is a good idea that's hard to make work, Gingham is more vicious than it appears, and Scott surprisingly is enjoying Octopath Traveler . Related Links Forum Thread 23 Knives Discord Chat 23 Knives...

Tonight on GeekNights we review Ugo Bienvenu's Arco (2025) . Set in the future and the far future, it's a very French Science Fiction animated feature that's definitely worth seeing. In the news, we'll be at PAX Unplugged this weekend, as will the Night Market, and the Internet relies too much on one service . Related Links Forum Thread Arco (2025) Discord Chat Arco (2025) Bluesky Post Arco (2025)...

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider anti-intellectualism . In the news, Valve has new hardware including a new VR headset Rym is going to get, and you should learn about the 1981 Air Traffic Controller strike . We will be live at PAX Unplugged 2025 ! Related Links Forum Thread Anti-Intellectualism Discord Chat Anti-Intellectualism Bluesky Post Anti-Intellectualism Things of the Day Rym - ...

Tonight on GeekNights, we review (without spoilers) the third installment in the Knives Out Mysteries: Wake Up Dead Man . Benoit Blanc is a character for the ages, and it's worth seeing. In the news, Zohran Mamdani is the next mayor of New York and his victory speech is worth a watch . Democrats overwhelmingly vote to fight for democracy . Kodak quietly begins selling film again . Related Links Fo...

Tonight is a very special GeekNights. This is our 20th anniversary stream. GeekNights began on October 31 2005 and has continued for 20 years with no real breaks. We did a series of "beta" episodes even earlier to work out the show format and learn how to podcast. We've done 317 talks at conventions . We had a massive forum which we replaced with a smaller forum . And somehow we're still going! Re...

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about when one messes up the rules in games. In the news, EA is being aquired by Trump-linked private equity , and VRChat has recaptured some of the magic of the Old Internet. Related Links Forum Thread Messing Up the Rules Discord Chat Messing Up the Rules Bluesky Post Messing Up the Rules Things of the Day Rym -  Project Gemini: The Most Dangerous Space P...

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss tech bubbles like the Dot-com bubble . Unrelatedly here's a video by Hank Green titled The State of the AI Industry is Freaking Me Out , and a video by Adam Conover titled Sora Proves the AI Bubble Is Going to Burst So Hard . In the news, nearly 7 million Americans marched in defense of democracy , Amazon AWS went down Sunday night reminding us how fragile the Int...

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club , we discuss Stephen King's Richard Bachman's The Running Man (1982) . In 2025, the world's economy is in shambles, and America has become a totalitarian dystopia. The better-known Arnold movie is loosely based on it, though thematically it was spot-on. The 2025 Edgar Wright film will be much closer to the original. In the news, No Kings Day is October 18th: fin...

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss fitness tech like heart rate monitors and Strava and Dance Dance Revolution . In the news, Tik Tok has a dubious deal to keep operating in the US and the regime has plans for the algorithm . Also go see Perfect Blue remastered while you can. And read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay . Related Links Forum Thread Fitness Tech Discord Chat Fitness Tech B...

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Gang , a fantastic cooperative tabletop game about pulling bank heists by ranking poker hands. In the news, there's lots to say about the Nintendo Direct , Borderlands 4 has angered gamers with its poor performance and Gearbox isn't handling it super well . 'Pitchford told people to “code your own engine and show us how it’s done, please,” and declared Borderla...

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about specific mice. Mice we've used over the years, since the days of balls. In the news, Google dodges consequences in the US but not in the EU , Google is sued yet again for their advertising monopoly, and Google is looking to flood the phone lines of tiny businesses. Related Links Forum Thread Specific Mice Discord Chat Specific Mice Bluesky Post Specific Mice Th...

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the modern marvel that is video chat. In the news, Perplexity is using undeclared crawlers to scrape content , Samsung has a crazy Micro LED TV , real life ad block is possible , and Trump is forming the American SS . The next GeekNights Book Club book will be The Running Man , by Richard Backman, who you may know better as Stephen King . Related Links Forum Th...

Tonight on GeekNights, we share our thoughts on Donkey Kong Bananza . In the news, Gamescom happened , PAX West badges aren't sold out , and you should see The Relationship Between Game Design and Art Direction with Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Minagawa . Related Links Forum Thread Donkey Kong Bananza Discord Chat Donkey Kong Bananza Bluesky Post Donkey Kong Bananza Things of the Day Rym - ...

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss audio interfaces. Rym uses a PreSonus Studio 1810c to record GeekNights, and as his general purpose "sound card" in the studio. In the news, the CEO of GitHub steps down , you can consider Forgejo if that worries you, Reddit will block the Internet Archive , and Trump illegally forces the National Guard to deploy to the streets of Washington DC. Related Links Foru...

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club , we discuss Alex Michaelide' The Silent Patient . It's a fine mystery novel, and we both enjoyed our time with it. In the news, Texas Democrats have fled the state in a bit to fight fascism, and Disney's ESPN acquires the NFL Network in the continued consolidation of all sports media into one big casino. If you enjoy GeekNights panels and lectures, here's a lis...

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the popularity of anime over time. In the news, CITY The Animation continues to crush it, it's GUNDAM season , The Boy and The Beast is pin theaters August 18th[(https://www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/mamoru-hosoda-the-boy-and-the-beast-theaterical-release-crunchyroll-248944.html?cbtr=LATPOS), and expect this The Bad Guys 2 anti-AI statement to appear in more movie cr...

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider fancy restaurants. In the news, noted racist Terry Bollea has died at 71 , Donald Trump is getting even more dangerously unhinged than usual, and the Canada World Junior assault case has ended. Here is a list of every significant lecture or panel that Rym and Scott have ever done, going back to the year 2002. Related Links Forum Thread Fancy Restaurants Discord C...

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider Tower Defense games like the famous Desktop Tower Defense (2007) . In the news, Ozzy Osbourne made it to 76 , the PS5 Store is full of AI slop , Steam is caught up in the war on "pornography" , and Deltarune is fantastic. Rym's solo version of Every Game is the Same Game from Zenkaikon is live! Related Links Forum Thread Tower Defense Games Discord Chat Tower Def...

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Keiichi Arawi's City the Animation . It's delightful; we reviewed the manga in 2018. In the news, Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a surprisingly popular game , though we had a meh opinion of the anime it's based on . Related Links Forum Thread City the Animation (2025) Discord Chat City the Animation (2025) Bluesky Post City the Animation (2025) Things of the Day Rym&nb...