If you haven't been to the Christian Geek Central Forums in awhile, or you've never visited before, here's a taste of what's been buzzing around the boards lately. Guilty Pleasures : As geeks we're used to hiding our geekiness from normal folks. But what normal things about you do you not share with geeky folks? We're sharing our guilty pleasures that are so normal and mundane they may risk our credibility as geeks! Scariest Movies : We're trading horror stories and listing the movies that may not necessarily be our favorite scary films, but most effectively scared the pants off of us! Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D .: Varying opinions abound as we continue talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the most highly anticipated new geek TV show of this fall! These are just a few recent topics that have been getting us talking. We'd love it if you joined the conversation!

PLEASE NOTE: The mp3 file links for this post are outdated. To listen to this episode please visit  The SBU Podcast Archives.  Sorry for the inconvenience. Reviews of Diablo 3 for Xbox 360, Event Horizon and what the Bible says (and doesn't say) about Hell. 

Review by Paeter Frandsen It's 1997. I've recently graduated from high school and my job at the local movie theater gets me into movies for free. A cool looking sci-fi thriller called Event Horizon has just come out, and it looks dark and intense. I'm up for a sci-fi thrill ride, so I grab a seat and sit back to enjoy the experience. Two hours later I'm at home trying to fill my head with whatever is on Cartoon Network or Comedy Central, desperately trying to forget the horrifying experience I had just had and remember how to feel good again. It's three years later, in the fall of 2000. My future wife and I had just started dating a few months prior and were enjoying sharing impressionable experiences with each other. Like a fool, I thought that I could introduce her to Event Horizon and watch her squirm, while I sat next to her immune to the feeble powers retained by a horror movie the second time through. Once again, the mysterious spacecraft from ...

Review by Nathan James Norman Following the biblical narrative of Saul and David, this short-lived NBC series explores the story in a present-day setting. King Silas of the modern-day kingdom of Balboa struggles to keep the peace as the voice of God turns against him, and a heroic young captain, David Shepherd, begins to capture the hearts of Silas’ subjects. More-so than any other prematurely cancelled series (I’m looking at you Firefly ), I wish this series had lasted beyond the thirteen produced episodes. The portrayal of the Silas/Saul character by Ian McShane is worth the price of admission all by itself. McShane perfectly captured the emotionally volatile character of Silas/Saul. His constant flip-flopping between loving and hating David would have seemed ludicrous if portrayed by a lesser actor, but McShane brings the biblical character to life. We at once love and loathe this king. The rest of the extensive cast is equally stellar- so much so that the show f...

Review by Paeter Frandsen I played all of Diablo and about half of Diablo 2 on PC. Although I enjoyed the experiences both had to offer, my attention was ultimately diverted by other games. I absolutely love the Diablo formula, but am oddly a bigger fan of "Diablo Clones" on video game consoles than I am of the first two Diablo games themselves, my favorite being Champions of Norrath for PS2. Something about the console controller just works better for me in the action RPG genre than the "point and click-fest" of the original format. (I did try the PS1 Diablo port, but found it to fall short.) So when Diablo 3 came to the Xbox 360, and reportedly without the "always on" connection demands of the PC version, I was sold. The story is set 20 years after the events of Diablo 2 . A star has fallen from the heavens and landed in New Tristram, and your hero arrives to investigate. Soon you are pulled into a growing number of dangers as the forces...

PLEASE NOTE: The mp3 file links for this post are outdated. To listen to this episode please visit  The SBU Podcast Archives.  Sorry for the inconvenience. A retro-review of the sci-fi classic "Westworld" and part 2 of our interview with "The Geek Preacher". 

Review by Ken from Honolulu Fair warning; this review contains spoilers. “Westworld” was made in 1973 by director Michael Crichton.   Starring Yul Brenner, Richard Benjamin, and James Brolin, it tells the story of an amusement park that enables the rich vacationers who visit it to live out their fantasies through the use of robots.   Two visitors choose to embark on a wild west-style adventure, but when the park’s computer breaks down, they find themselves stalked by a rogue gunslinger robot. I give this film a quality score of 7.0 and a relevance score of 7.0.   This was a high budget film in its day and used A-list actors of the time, but it was Michael Crichton’s first film as a director.   Crichton’s better-known films, such as “Jurassic Park” and “The Andromeda Strain,” show the progression of his ability over time, and this early effort, while still talented, doesn’t measure up to that later mark. The practical effects used throughout this mov...

If you haven't heard yet, we recently launched the Christian Geek Central Network here at christiangeekcentral.com! The network is currently made up of four different podcasts, each creating high-quality content of particular interest to Christian fans of geek entertainment, like genre fiction (sci-fi/fantasy/horror), video games, comic books and other awesome geekery. Each podcast regularly produces high quality content and offers something fun, thought-provoking and unique. For more information about the podcasts in the Christian Geek Central Network, click on the CGC Network link at the top of this page!

PLEASE NOTE: The mp3 file links for this post are outdated. To listen to this episode please visit  The SBU Podcast Archives.  Sorry for the inconvenience. An interview with "The Geek Preacher", a review of "Phineas and Ferb: The Quest for Cool Stuff" and a "Trek Talk" about Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

PLEASE NOTE: The mp3 file links for this post are outdated. To listen to this episode please visit  The SBU Podcast Archives.  Sorry for the inconvenience. An interview with the host of the Theology Gaming Podcast and why Paeter is "leaving comic books behind". Plus, some thoughts about being a geek and dealing with "relational discomfort".

Written by Paeter Frandsen I've always been a fan of the characters of the DC Universe. They can't be matched for iconic status or monumental power. While other comic book companies are often grounding their characters, in part by limiting their capabilities, DC characters are known for constantly exploring and pushing the limits of their powers. And though Marvel comics pioneered emotional and psychological realism beginning in the 60’s, DC comics took everything a step further beginning in the mid-80's. And in the late 90's and early 2000's, DC comics seemingly entered a golden age of storytelling, with the return of "The Big Seven" to the Justice League. Soon after, writers like Geoff Johns and Gail Simone gave new life to old properties by refreshing the motivations of the characters they touched and reminding us what makes these characters so interesting to begin with. After graduating from high school and getting my first job, I finally had...

Written by Paeter Frandsen I've been in a little bit of a funk lately. I've got a few different friends who, for awhile now, have all been making self-destructive choices in their lives. Some of these choices may not be causing them any immediate problems, but are instead contributing to long-term issues that have and will continue to cripple them socially, emotionally and most of all spiritually, if they remain on the same course. In each of these relationships I'm very limited in my ability to help. Certainly due to limitations in my own knowledge and strength of character. But the limitations I'm feeling the most are those imposed by the ones I want to encourage and help. So rather than try to force anything on them, I stand by and watch helplessly as they choose pain and separation from God. It's an ache that renews itself almost regularly as I spend time with each of these guys. It stays with me for days before fading and then catche...