Discerning Geeks Portal

Almost finished with The Mandalorian season 2, we review the penultimate episode, "Chapter 15: The Believer."  We discuss the meaning of the title of the episode, further development of the Migs Mayfeld character and his backstory, the possible ways this series is bridging narrative gaps between the original & sequel trilogies of movies, and Boba Fett's rather quick makeover of his armor....

This week we review the family holiday film, Muppet Christmas Carol.  We discuss the timeless and feel-good nature of the movie, the immersive production quality, the great decision-making into which Muppet would play each character from the classic Charles Dickens novel, the music (including one song that is cut out of certain versions of the movie), great quotes & moments, how well the...

We continue our Mandalorian season 2 reviews with "Chapter 14: The Tragedy."  We discuss the great Grogu moments at the beginning & end, the well done action scenes in between, the confirmation of a classic character returning to the franchise, and predictions on which Jedi would respond to Grogu's call (this was recorded just a few hours before the release of the season finale, so we sti...

This week, we review the 1980s horror comedy, "Gremlins."  We discuss the movie's tone, the three...problematic...rules about what *not* to do with Mogwai, whether this movie is suitable for kids, how this movie affected the American film rating system, and the varying levels of intelligence shown by the characters throughout the movie.  We even get a little philosophical about whether G...

We are getting back on track with our reviews of The Mandalorian season 2.  Next up is "Chapter 13: The Jedi."  We discuss the live action debut of a major animated Star Wars character, the beautifully shot & well-choreographed action scenes, the satisfying progression of story & character development, one character getting a name, and another so-far-unforeseen character getting...

This week, we review the sci-fi spoof comedy, Galaxy Quest.    We discuss the cult status of the movie, the believability of the premise, favorite characters, continuity issues involving shirts, and how the movie spoofs Star Trek. Never give up; never surrender!  And, join us as we review...Galaxy Quest. Update (Monday 05 December 2022):  Today is the two-year anniversary...

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...

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 Myth...

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...

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 red...

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 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, whe...

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, a...

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 t...

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 climat...

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...

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 ab...

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 mes...

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 Favr...

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 &...

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 Frans...

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 ti...

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...

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 other...

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 E...