Discerning Geeks Portal

Happy New Year!  :)  Due to a combination of Christmas celebrations and unexpected issues at work for one of our co-hosts, we're...a little behind on recording.  But, never fear!  We have a special bonus episode that we already said was on the way sometime anyway.....

Happy New Year!  :)  Thank you for joining us for our first brand new review of 2021.  :)

This week, we review the 2006 intellectual romantic fantasy film, "The Lake House".  Sandra Bullock plays a doctor named Kate in the year 2006, and Keanu Reeves plays an architect named Alex in the year 2004...

"Greetings, Starfighter.  You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada."

This week, we review the 1984 sci-fi classic, The Last Starfighter.  We discuss the movie's use of computer generated special effects, which were groundbreaking at the time, and how much they hold up today...

And, this week...a little something different.  Welcome to the Discerning Geeks Portal's first Dungeons & Dragons one-shot episode.  This is part 1 of a 2 (or maybe 3) part adventure that sees three heroes in a wintery dreamscape, tasked with helping otherworldly spirits change the destiny of a darkened heart (see "Note" below for context on our ongoing campaign and when this one-shot takes place).

The players & level 10 characters in this adventure are.....

Our D&D One-Shot continues with Part 2...  Anical Ural (the Eladrin Elf Paladin), Dwelvrik Grünmaulkyn (the Forest Gnome Druid), and Ray Myriad (the Kender Arcane Trickster Rogue) face off against shadows from an otherworldly darkness as they continue in their quest to aid benevolent spirits in the redemption of a lost soul.

One summons the forces of good & magic, one wild shapes while harnessing the energy of the moon, and the other.....

Our holiday heroes conclude their Dungeons & Dragons one-shot adventure, facing off against undead evil and helping to put right what once with wrong and teaching a misguided soul that maybe he really can change his stars (ooh, a "Quantum Leap" reference and an "A Knight's Tale" reference in the same totally unrelated intro; this really is the place for geeks).

Listen to Anical Ural, the Eladrin Elf paladin, physically confront evil with full body force...

Finally...  A topic one of our co-hosts has been itching to talk about and hopefully you've been itching for it too (insert ointment joke here).  We have an open discussion about our all-time Favorite Science Fiction TV Characters.  :) :) :)

Between Parts 1 & 2 of this discussion (this episode is Part 1), we rave about almost 50 amazing, likable, and sometimes important characters and several ensemble casts from over 30 shows...

This week, we catch up on reviewing the new entertainment phenomenon, WandaVision, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series to debut exclusively on Disney+.  We're a little late to the game compared to some reviewers, so we unpack the first six episodes of WandaVision in one giant-sized episode of Discerning Geeks Portal.  We discuss the format, the production quality, the pacing, the in-universe commercial breaks, and of course, all the many mysteries...

After a brief detour into the world of WandaVision last week, we now conclude our discussion of Favorite Sci-Fi TV Characters with Part 2.  Our 2nd installment picks up with a segment on Babylon 5 characters, and then we dive into two Top 5 lists and an expanded array of honorable mentions.

Between our top picks and further honorable mentions, this episode alone contains discussion (or at least mentions) of 19 characters and 3 ensemble casts from 14 shows...

Well…it had to happen eventually… Our most contentious, surprising, and explosive review yet was not about a book, a divisive Star Wars installment, or even a superhero movie but…“The Space Between Us.”  It is a semi-recent, semi-low-budget sci-fi teen romance film about a 16-year-old boy born on Mars and visiting Earth for the first time to seek out a girl he communicates with online and to find out who is father is...