We continue our coverage on the TOS era of Star Trek movies with what nearly everyone agrees was the low point, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. But how low did it go? We didn't love it when we saw it, but how do we feel about it today, after a re-watch? Why didn't this movie work as well as the others, despite the fact that the general premise didn't ipso facto doom it to mediocrity? Future camping technology! Pop psychology in spaaaaace! A surprisingly easy trip to the center of the galaxy! Bushy-haired Klingons! Chintzy special effects! Its all here.    Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

It's an understatement to say that Alien is a classic, a genre-defining moment in science fiction and horror. Tom saw it when it was released, and was blown away. Steven just saw it, and...Well, you'll have to listen to find out! Join us for both our reactions to the movie, some behind-the-scenes facts, and much more. A truly alien alien! Frights galore! Confined spaces! Containment protocols everyone should follow! Fantastic filmmaking! They're all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

In the 1970s, Jim Starlin, a comic artist and writer, revamped a C-list Marvel character named Adam Warlock. Starlin's unique art, sharp writing, and unique vision for this "cosmic" superhero made us instant fans! Plus, Warlock's story became a foundational part of The Infinity Gauntlet, in which Thanos strives to destroy life across the universe! (You may have heard of this Thanos fellow.) Starlin went on later to write some of our favorite comics, both at Marvel and DC. Totalitarian theocrats! Crazy plot twists! Actual insanity! Aliens!  Obvious Elric connections! Trolls! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Kind of an homage to pulp heroes, kind of deliberate camp, and definitely one of the most 80s-ish movies you'll ever see. It's The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! It has been about 40 years since we saw this movie for the first time, and we're still trying to figure out what it was supposed to be, and how we feel about it. OK, so the title character is a brain surgeon, a physicist, a rock star, a test pilot, and a comic book hero....? OK, cool. Join us as we re-visit this movie, with a great cast who may or may not have known what this film was supposed to be.  Super-science! Space Rastafarians! Orson Welles! Shock treatments for fun! John Lithgow having a great time! An unnecessarily long movie title! Very 80s fashion! It's all here.    Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

It's a madhouse! A maaaaaadhouse! One of the critical Big Ideas science fiction movies of our youth was Planet Of The Apes. Not only was it filled with jaw-dropping revelations, but it became popular enough to inspire four sequels in rapid succession. The world went ape, and so did we! One of the biggest plot twists in movie history! Satire! Misanthropy! Incredible makeup effects! The original Rod Serling script! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock answered some questions about the fate of the Enterprise crew, and left others very unresolved. Where would they go next? Why, on a trek to find humpback whales, of course! Star Trek IV: The Journey Home was a very light-hearted adventure to the 20th century to save the future of Earth, and became one of the most beloved Star Trek productions ever! Come with us back to the 80s, an era of colorful metaphors and peak Trek.  A mysterious alien probe! San Francisco! A stolen Klingon ship! Way too much rain! Humor! Hot takes! Its all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

After Star Trek II, it wasn't completely clear where Star Trek would go, but given the success of The Wrath Of Khan, it was clear it was going somewhere. We only had a couple of years to wait until the release of the third movie, The Search For Spock. Journey back with us to the early 80s, when Star Trek movies became a popular event, Leonard Nimoy started his directorial career, and the fate of the Enterprise crew, and the Enterprise, was still uncertain. Klingons! The Genesis planet! Scrambled minds! Space heists! Sacrifice! Plus, we premiere our new rating system for all things Trek!   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

"Stormbringer, come to me!" Michael Moorock's Elric of Melniboné is the classic sword and sorcery...Protagonist? Anti-hero? Definitely his own person. The albino ex-emperor of a decadent empire, wielding a soul-stealing sword, destined to play a pivotal role in the climactic clash between Law and Chaos, an incarnation of the Enternal Champion, traveler in the multiverse...He's definitely all that. In this episode, Tom discusses why he has been an Elric fan since his teens, and Steven talks about what it's like to read this series for the first time. We also discuss the impact of Moorcock's work on the geekiverse. Chaos demons! Elementals! Psychedelic settings! Crazed, dimension-hopping adversaries! Dragons! Deliberately un-Tolkienish fantasy! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

In the early 1980s, the editors at DC Comics decided that the DC Universe(s) had become unmanageable. Heroes and villains from different eras of comic continuity, often living in different realities, crossing over to have a friendly chat with their peers -- it was all too much. They hired Marv Wolfman and George Perez to blow it all up, and then re-build. Crisis On Infinite Earths, a 12-issue mega-series, was the result. Journey back with us to 1983, when the Crisis first started. We talk about the multiverse that preceded it, and how Crisis helped improve the quality of DC's publications for years afterward. But the repercussions weren't all good... Heroes and villains dying! Entire universes dying! Anti-matter annihilation! Golden Age, Silver Age, and Bronze Age characters, all at the same multiversal jamboree! Cosmic battles! Incredible art! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

We've mentioned fan service in past episodes. Now, we take it head on. Tom and Steven have a lot to say about fan service, because it's a big part of geek culture today. But was it also a major part of our earlier geek lives? How much more of geek culture, especially on the screen, is dominated by it today? Is it always a bad thing, the death of creativity and quality? Or, in the right hands, can it be used for good. Sequels! Remakes! In-jokes! Deep cuts! Updates! Transmedia! Spirited debate between Steven and Tom! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Blake's 7 was definitely ahead of its time. A BBC science fiction series chock full of political intrigue, interesting characters with unexpected arcs, crazy ideas, and plot twists, all wrapped up in a neat space opera package. It ran at the same time as classic Doctor Who, but it doesn't have the same recognition as the good Doctor's adventures. But it's definitely worth tracking down this somewhat lost (or temporarily misplaced) series, and we'll tell you why. Totalitarian regimes! Feisty rebels! Mysterious alien technologies! Nasty villains! Artificial intelligences! Zap guns! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Flash! Aaah-aah! Steven and Tom journey back to 1980, when the big budget Flash Gordon movie premiered. Was it a camp classic? A post-Star Wars cash grab? A sincere homage to the comic strip? A weird amalgam of British, Italian, and American science fiction motifs? Something else? All of the above? Listen and find out. Thrill to retro rocketships blazing across the screen! Cringe at the acting! Marvel at the incredibly colorful costuming and production design! Cover your ears when Brian Blessed delivers his lines! It's all here.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out our new blog on Substack! And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

The original Godzilla movie, plus some of the early sequels, and the excellent Godzilla Minus One!

We've seen the new Fantastic Four movie, and this episode contains all of our thoughts on the film, and then some! We discuss how good a movie it is, how good a Fantastic Four movie it is, and how good a comic book movie it is. Will it appeal to both comic book nerds and people who aren't comics fans? Will this movie help the MCU get back on its feet?  We also have one of the liveliest debates between Tom and Steven in the history of the podcast – so far! Can long-standing franchises avoid getting tied up in ever-multiplying continuity knots? Where should the MCU go next? Listen to find out.  Planet-devouring space gods! Family dynamics! Superhero fatigue! Tomorrowland aesthetics! It's all here, and more.   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic!For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice.© 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

What better way to celebrate the release of the Fantastic Four movie than to journey back to the 1980s, when John Byrne took over both the writer and artist roles for the Fantastic Four comic book. This was one of the best runs of any writer or artist over the 64 year history of the comic book, and Steven and Tom are eager to tell you why. The FF family facing crisis after crisis! Science fiction galore! Doombots exploding! Galactus getting beaten up by everyone! Reed Richards as a mediocre adjunct professor! It's all here, and more.     Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

In this concluding episode of our Death Star-sized coverage of Andor, we look at this series through the lenses of political science and history (topics about which we know a few things). What are the important lessons from a galaxy far, far away about authoritarianism and rebellion here? How do the characters in this series epitomize the roles people play in real-world times of upheaval? How well does Andor depict the hard choices that people have to make? What ultimately makes this show as good as we think it is?   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, reviews on your podcast platform of choice are always appreciated. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

More Andor! Our discussion of the show continues with our analysis of season two. The Empire tightens its grip. The Rebel Alliance gains strength. Characters reach the final destinations of their story arcs. And in the process, we get the best Star Wars in a long, long time. It's John le Carré-level fiction, but with blasters and droids. Hear our analysis of season two, and the series overall. Next episode, we'll get the political science take on this ground-breaking series. What makes this show one of the best allegories about authoritarianism and rebellion ever on screen?   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, reviews on your podcast platform of choice are always appreciated. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Steven and Tom rushed to the movie theater, saw the new Superman movie, and now present their reviews! There's a spoiler-free section in the first part, followed by spoilers galore in the second, so listen carefully for the transition.  Thrill as we give our opinions of how well this movie captures the essential Superman! Gasp as we disagree over how much we liked the movie! Hear how we compare James Gunn's Superman to the 1979 Christopher Reeve classic, as well as other movie and TV portrayals!   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

What's it like to watch Andor, from the perspective of two lifelong geeks who were there for the premiere of the original Star Wars film? And who also have a deep interest in politics and history? That's the topic of the next three episodes of Ancient Geeks. In this episode, we talk about the first season of Andor. How much did we like this show? (Answer: A lot.) How does it change our perception of Star Wars, including the first movie? How well does it stand on its own, without all the connections to the Star Wars universe? And how well does it work as a political allegory? All this, and more, in this episode!   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, reviews on your podcast platform of choice are always appreciated. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor

Back in 1982, both Steven and Tom worried that Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the nail in the coffin of Star Trek. Much to our delight, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan was everything that the first movie wasn't. Exciting scenes! Snappy dialogue! Surprisingly moving moments about aging and loss! Even more surprising acting (of the good kind) from William Shatner! And, of course, one of the best Star Trek villains, if not the best, Khaaaaaaannn!!! Journey back with us to the multiplex for the premiere of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, and learn why this film not only revived the Star Trek franchise, but also has stood the test of time as a great movie!   Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, reviews on your podcast platform of choice are always appreciated. © 2025 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor