Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast

For the first time ever, all six Now Playing Podcast hosts are together, and somehow everyone manages to keep their pants on. Mostly. In this Intermission podcast: Stuart discovers his inner Broadway fan; Brock boldly goes back to Star Trek: The Next Generation; Jason gears up for Formula One in Las Vegas; and Justin explores haunted houses and the Brat Pack. Meanwhile, Arnie and Marjorie return from Universal's Halloween Horror Nights with tales of questionable Cenobites, a Universal Studios tour guide's worst nightmare, and some very expensive home decorating ideas. Then it's time for Impossible Arnie Trivia, as one brave listener faces a gauntlet of Godzilla questions with an enormous prize package on the line. Finally, the hosts open the listener mailbag to answer your burning questions. How has nearly 20 years of Now Playing changed their lives? How do they take notes in dark movie theaters? Would they rather celebrate a masterpiece or tear apart a cinematic disaster? And which movies are they still dying to review? It's musicals, monsters, movies, memories, and more on November's stuffed Intermission podcast!

Getting Into Characters Batman would have one less problem in Gotham if Tom Rhys Harries (Slaughterhouse Rulez) had won an Oscar rather than gotten carved up by mobsters in the 2026 origin story Clayface. Can this disfigured celebrity reclaim his looks and movie-star status once scientist Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice) fills his pores with A.I. nanocells that allow the method actor to literally stretch?  Or does staying bent out of shape at the folks who canceled his career typecast this versatile thespian as an unlovable villain? Hear Now Playing give DC Studios an earful today!

Eat some snails with Arnie, Justin, and Stuart in the Now Playing Arcade Lord Bison (David Dastmalchian) invites the world’s toughest warriors to show off their “psycho energy” and gravity-defying hairdos in the 2026 reboot of Street Fighter. Can estranged brothers Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji) repair their relationship as the MTV playboy summons a Flaming Hadouken, and the orphaned loner struggles to contain a dark spirit inside himself? And is spy Chun-Li (Callina Liang) right to say there’s more happening at this tournament than 50 Cent and Jason Momoa flexing video game physiques? Listen Now!

Getting In Your Face(book) Mikey Madison (Anora) braces for a Social Reckoning after she shares stolen Facebook secrets with investigative reporter Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) in this 2026 docudrama. Has Mark Zuckerberg (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) become a better friend to media types like Bill Burr (The Mandalorian) since Jesse Eisenberg played the retaliatory tech-company CEO in start-up story The Social Network?  And can Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) make this Meta commentary with the same directorial flair as David Fincher?  Find out Now!

Iguana Be Sedated Matthew Broderick needs another day off after Godzilla rises out of the Hudson to nest in New York City in a 1998 reboot of the iconic Japanese monster. But should this dweeby biologist criticize the asexual reproduction of a giant lizard laying eggs inside Madison Square Garden when he’s got even less romantic chemistry with aspiring reporter Maria Patillo?  And can Hollywood hitmakers Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin coax our star to demolish Manhattan buildings with the same zeal as the UFOs from Independence Day?  Listen and find out now!

Halloween has come to Now Playing! The hosts share their favorite spooky-season traditions, from month-long horror marathons and haunted houses to vintage TV specials, costumed pets, and gifts from the mysterious Mr. Bogeyman. Meanwhile, Arnie has accidentally planned an entire month around Hellraiser. Plus, concerts, Star Trek, fantasy football, and a patron brave enough to face our horror movie trivia!

Jurassic Landmark This podcast covers both the original 1954 Japanese Godzilla as well as the 1956 Americanized re-edit Godzilla: King of the Monsters Before all the throwdowns with Mothra, Ghidorah, and King Kong, radioactive dinosaur Godzilla stood tall as a symbol of nuclear annihilation in his 1954 debut. Can paleontologist Takashi Shimura (Seven Samurai) convince the people of Japan that the creature attacking their boats, trains, and radio towers is just as much a victim of H-bomb testing as they are? And do things get worse with the arrival of American journalist Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) and an Oxygen Destroyer invention that steals the fiery breath from the big lizard’s mouth?  Find out now!

First Person Shirker   Austin Abrams (Whalefall) is tasked with delivering the cure to another Umbrella Corporation lab leak in the 2026 reboot of Resident Evil. But can the hapless courier reach the top floor of a Raccoon City hospital overrun with monsters using a vehicle unprepared for snowy mountain roads, receiving intermittent cell connection with a pregnant girlfriend, and having only handled guns in video games?  And will writer-director Zach Cregger (Weapons) be torn limb from limb for discarding all the franchise lore to focus on pratfalls?  F*ckin’ find out when you Listen Now!

Is it evil that I’m glad Milla Jovovich is no longer a resident of this franchise? Umbrella Corporation wanted South Africa’s New Raccoon City to launch a pharmaceutical revolution in 2022, but the failed utopia ends up birthing a zombie apocalypse in Netflix’s episodic reboot of Resident Evil. Is the reason why twin sisters Ella Ballinska (Charlie’s Angels) and Adeline Rudolph (Mortal Kombat II) have no Joy in 2036 because their chemist father Lance Reddick (The Wire) screwed up an antidepressant 14 years before?  And does it make Zero sense that the T-virus is now turning caterpillars and lizards into kaiju?  Find out now!

Crimson Tides YouTuber Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier) adapts David Symanski’s 2022 submarine simulator Iron Lung into the surprise hit movie of 2026. What conspiracies will be uncovered when a convict gets welded inside a rickety submersible and dives into an ocean of blood on a distant moon?  Will the x-rays taken of alien creatures, or transmissions downloaded and decoded from other vessels, be the key to saving a dying universe?  And will Simon - or hosts Stuart, Arnie, and Justin - survive this deep plunge into the Now Playing Arcade?  Find out Now!

Get Your Ass Off Mars Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) thought he liberated the Red Planet from bossy Earthlings 25 years ago, but that was just the Origins of a conflict that rages on in this 2011 SyFy Channel video game adaptation. Can Red Faction trooper Brian J Smith (Stargate Universe) mobilize Blue Planet scientist Danielle Nicolet (TV’s The Flash), and local Marauders led by Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica), to ensure that the Earth Defense Force stays off Martian soil?  Trust Terrans Arnie, Justin, and Stuart to tell the truth about this next Now Playing Arcade installment.

The Now Playing crew checks in for another Intermission with a packed slate of movies, memories, and questionable homework assignments. Jason revisits Point Break on the big screen 35 years later. Brock goes from The American President to Kate & Leopold and an MCU rewatch, and Stuart reports back from Chicago’s new Obama Presidential Center. Plus Arnie and Justin unexpectedly find common ground in the comedy of The State, Wet Hot American Summer, and Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. Then longtime listener Josh joins the show for Resident Evil trivia and turns the tables with a question about the origins of Now Playing Podcast's "Brown Arrow" Review Rating. Finally, Disney+ has assembled a 15-project watchlist to prepare for Avengers: Doomsday. Does revisiting the MCU’s greatest hits and less-greatest hits make the crew more excited for the next Avengers movie, or does it just feel like homework? All this is explored on September's special Intermission episode!

Jason Momoa starts a street fight that stretches from East LA to Antarctica in Fast X, and Vin Diesel is furious after his family gets framed for terrorism in Rome. Can Brie Larson help the Toretto car cult clear their name as police, mercenaries, and new Agency boss Alan Ritchson (Reacher) chase them across the global highways? And what side will hacker Cipher (Charlize Theron) choose after her dark web activity gets her stabbed in the back? Find out if the podcasters agree with grandma Rita Moreno that this franchise is built to last. Listen Now!

Getting Long In The Tooth Slain cult leader Sam Spruell (TV’s Fargo) promises to lead Insidious demons like Lipstick Face and The Bride In Black Out Of The Further in this sixth installment of the enduring horror franchise. Will traumatized dental hygienist Amelia Eve (Haunting of Bly Manor) be the unwitting courier for evil forces conquering the material world? Or is stopping shotgun-wielding housewives and a trio of anesthesia-huffing old farts still what dead medium Lin Shaye will do best at age 82?  Follow Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart into the pillow fort to find out now!

Unclear and Present Danger John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) walked away from four seasons playing Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on an Amazon Prime series, only to return in the explosive 2026 reunion movie Ghost War. Can the former CIA analyst help his old boss Wendell Pierce (Hackers, The Wire) and friend Michael Kelly (House of Cards) fight a rogue black-ops unit making terrorist threats 20 years after brutally solving post-9/11 political realities?  And is Jack too much of a private citizen to play cloak-and-dagger with MI-6 babe Sienna Miller (GI Joe: Rise of Cobra)?  Step out of the darkness now!

Asking questions about character motivation that Marvel never put to Echo Struggling actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) hides his destructive ionic powers to land his dream role as Wonder Man in this 2026 Disney+ series.  But can Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) really expect to shed his Mandarin image if he’s gonna villainously turn his super-scene partner into the Department of Damage Control? And shouldn’t Hollywood be giving an Oscar to anyone who can permanently show Josh Gad the door?  Listen Now to learn if showrunner Andrew Guest (Brooklyn 99) found the real man inside this Stan Lee creation.

Home Sick It’s a Brand New Day for Tom Holland now that everyone has magically forgotten Peter Parker, and Spider-Man is once again anonymously ridding New York City of criminals like Scorpion and The Hand.  But is the workaholic web-slinger turning into something socially unacceptable by suppressing his feelings? And will his genetic mutation qualify him for Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters if he can’t go to MIT with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon)?  Find out if Punisher (Jon Bernthal) or Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) have any fatherly advice when you Listen Now!

Arnie and Justin unveil StubBook, their independent movie-and-TV logging platform. Plus: mahjong mysteries, vintage novelizations, 3D-printing disasters, Marvel trivia with patron Corey, and a heated debate over whether Disney’s “Infinity Vision” is a meaningful theatrical standard or an empty marketing gimmick.

John Wick comes at you with a pencil; Frank Castle comes at you with a pen! That's the Punisher way! Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) worries that his life has no purpose after putting down the crime family that murdered his wife and two children in an ultra-violent 2026 Marvel Television Special. Could there be One Last Kill for Punisher to perform after sitcom mom Judith Light (Who's the Boss) sets a bounty that brings every criminal in Little Italy to the vigilante’s door?  Hide your kids, lock up your dog, and take that donut and coffee to go, as you join Justin, Arnie, and Stuart for the bloodiest street bawl ever started on Disney+.  Listen Now!

Ill Will Hunting Matt Damon has trouble finding a way home after winning the Trojan War with a duplicitous offering to Athena (Zendaya) in Christopher Nolan’s epic re-telling of The Odyssey.  Is there something more than the giant cyclops, spellcasting witch, Charlize Theron’s lotus flower diet, or the ghost of fallen soldier Elliot Page that prevents this Ithacan King from reclaiming his throne?  And how pissed will son Tom Holland be if mom Anne Hathaway reads Twilight instead of Homer, and marries Robert Pattinson? Find Out Now!

Dora (Milaje) The Explorer Marvel Animation resurrects Black Panther for the 2025 Disney+ anthology series Eyes of Wakanda. Join Arnie, Stuart, and Justin as they follow an elite squadron of “War Dogs” over the centuries and see the sacrifices made to recover stolen artifacts from a pillaged Ethiopian city, a snowy Chinese temple, and even the Trojan War. Are there times when the isolationist African nation of Wakanda might benefit from burying the hatchet and sharing its advanced tech with the outside world?  Listen Now to learn a history the colonizers never taught you!

The book Sam Neill wrote for himself... and shared with the rest of us. Sam Neill spent nearly five decades becoming one of cinema's most dependable actors, from Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October to Event Horizon, The Piano, and dozens of films in between. Following Neill's passing, Arnie looks back at the actor's 2023 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This? Written during treatment for a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, the book becomes far more than another celebrity autobiography. Instead of Hollywood gossip or behind-the-scenes stories, Neill reflects on friendship, family, cars, dogs, wine, aging, and what really mattered to him. Join us for a tribute to a remarkable actor and an even more remarkable man.

The Devil’s In The Deep Dish Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from her Wakanda Forever semester abroad to learn she’s lost her Tony Stark grant money and is being kicked out of MIT in the 2025 Disney+ miniseries Ironheart. Is the young inventor so desperate to fund the overhaul of her robot suit that she’d partner with possessed Chicago hood Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)?  And how much help will the superhero receive from a magic candy store, an A.I. program designed to look like her dead BFF, and pushover Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story)?  Find Out Now!

Athleisure wear, Affairs, and Awful Life Lessons Arnie concludes his journey through Lauren Weisberger's Devil Wears Prada trilogy with When Life Gives You Lululemons. Shifting the focus to Emily Charlton and an all-new ensemble initially feels like a welcome break from the repetitive formula of the earlier novels. But does the fresh premise lead to a better story? Arnie examines the novel's suburban satire, gender politics, and increasingly questionable ideas about marriage, motherhood, and what makes a woman successful.

One Million Readers Would Kill for a Better Sequel Over a decade before Disney made The Devil Wears Prada 2, original Devil author Lauren Weisberger wrote her own sequel. Arnie reviews Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, a novel that reunites Andy, Emily, and Miranda... but delivers little revenge, little devil, and surprisingly little story. Was this forgotten sequel worth revisiting?

This month on Now Playing Intermission, the hosts discuss community theater, symphony screenings of Star Wars, audiobooks, road trips, and what they've been watching. Plus, listener Michael from England joins the show for Tom Hanks trivia before the conversation turns to one of the biggest questions in Hollywood: why are original movies suddenly beating the biggest franchises at the box office?

DC Universe Series Episode 2 Stupor Girl Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) resists the call to do good like her cousin Clark (David Corenswet), instead spending the second DCU movie partying on red sun planets. Is she finally ready to put down the bottle and become Supergirl after villainous Krem (Mathias Schoenaerts) poisons her dog Krypto and orphans a swordmaker’s daughter (Eve Ridley)?  And how much help is bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa) to their vengeance quest?  Find out if the director of I, Tonya and Cruella can handle another badass chick when you Listen Now.

In this exclusive interview, Now Playing Podcast speaks with actor Paul T. Taylor, the performer who stepped into the role of Pinhead for the upcoming Hellraiser: Judgment. Taylor discusses replacing franchise legend Doug Bradley, his approach to portraying Clive Barker's iconic Cenobite, and how he prepared for one of horror's most recognizable characters. Taylor also shares behind-the-scenes stories about working with James Gunn on Super and Robert Rodriguez on Sin City, explains the extensive Pinhead makeup process, talks about fan expectations surrounding the Hellraiser franchise, and reveals why Hellraiser: Bloodline remains his favorite entry in the series. Whether you're a longtime fan of Clive Barker's Hellraiser films, curious about the evolution of Pinhead, or interested in the making of Hellraiser: Judgment, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the actor behind the nails.

Left To Her Own DevicesWoody (Tom Hanks) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) worry that screens have replaced childhood make-believe once 8-year-old Bonnie receives her first tablet in Toy Story 5. Can the cowgirl doll help her kid make friends the old-fashioned way after Lilly Pad (Greta Lily) connects her to mean girls online?  And will deputized spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) keep the peace in the playroom once infinite upgrades of himself fly in from a spilled shipping container?  Listen Now to learn if this Pixar sequel (or just Conan O’Brien) takes a dump on the beloved franchise.

The Switches of Eastview Kathryn Hahn (Glass Onion) realizes she’s Agatha All Along after breaking the TV show spell put on her by Wanda Maximoff in a 2024 Disney+ miniseries. But can this prickly loner forge a coven with Broadway legend Patti LuPone and deadly Aubrey Plaza (White Lotus) that has the power to access a mythic, wish-granting Witches' Road?  Or did her dream to reconnect with her dead child come true the minute a nameless, hexed teenager (Joe Locke) joined her quest?  Listen Now to hear if Justin, Stuart, and Arnie sing the praises of this WandaVision sequel.

Fistos of Fury Manchild Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) dares to stand in Dolph Lundgren’s spot and attempt to wield the Sword of Power in the 2026 reboot of Masters of the Universe. Will his newfound muscles and brute strength impress boyhood crush Teela (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes), Man-At-Arms Idris Elba (Thor), and disapproving dad James Purefoy (Resident Evil)? Or has Jared Leto (Tron: Ares) ruined yet another kids' franchise with his eccentric take on villain Skeletor? Find out if director Travis Knight fumbled another Bumblebee when you Listen Now!

By The Power of Filmation Before the Masters of the Universe conquer 2026 movie theaters, Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart dish about the 1985 animated feature that reveals He-Man and She-Ra are twins. Is The Secret of the Sword that Adora is a real-life Eternia princess who’s been kidnapped and gaslighted by evil adoptive parents Hordak and Shadow Weaver… or just that Mattel would do anything to sell girls on a new doll line? And will Skeletor solicit help from this Horde so that he can finally seize control of coveted Castle Greyskull? You have the power to Listen Now!

The fourth Intermission finds the hosts debating film preservation, 4K restorations, AI upscaling, George Lucas's Star Wars revisions, Spielberg's E.T. walkie-talkies, and whether modern transfers are preserving movies or changing them. Plus, Jason completes a year-and-a-half watch-through of the entire Kristy Swanson filmography, Arnie revisits 1995's Mortal Kombat, listener Tom Ross hosts a trivia challenge, and the conversation wanders through Darth Maul, The Boys, Project Hail Mary, and more.

The old protect the young, and the young develop poor eating habits. The Mandalorian and Grogu have left Disney+ behind to take orders from sci-fi queen Sigourney Weaver (Alien) in a big-screen 2026 Star Wars movie. But does Pedro Pascal need to go rescue little "Stinky the Hutt" now that he’s grown into big, buff Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)? And can director Jon Favreau (Elf) find The Way to balance between adrenalizing fans of the badass bounty hunter and soothing everyone else that’s come for adorable Baby Yoda? Learn if Arnie, Justin, and Stuart bring this spin-off in warm or cold when you Listen Now!

Before Alfred Hitchcock turned birds into cinematic terror, The Birds was a bleak, intimate apocalypse story from author Daphne du Maurier. In this special Now Playing Podcast Book Review, Arnie looks at the 1952 short story that inspired Hitchcock’s classic film and finds something very different: a grim survival tale closer to War of the Worlds, I Am Legend, and Night of the Living Dead than the Hollywood thriller audiences know. From post-war paranoia to unexplained cosmic dread, hear why this short story still works over 70 years later, why its ending hits so hard, and why Hitchcock may have only borrowed the premise while leaving most of the original story behind. Plus, how gulls attacking a farmer became one of horror’s most influential setups.

Is this The Way to make a follow-up to a hit show? Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) aims to bring the various Mandalorian factions together and reclaim their homeworld in Season Three of the popular Star Wars series. Does that mean The Armorer can give Pedro Pascal a pass for peeking out from under his helmet and pushing his foundling child Grogu to become his combat-ready apprentice? Or would Grogu prefer to remain coddled by psycho fans like Amy Sedaris, Jack Black, and Lizzo? Find out if villain Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) can Force himself into the crowded storylines when you Listen Now!

Nic is not the only Cage who made garbage action flicks in the 1990s Karl Urban (The Boys) goes from Comic-Con has-been to fighting for Earth in a life-or-death tournament called Mortal Kombat II. Does this aging Gen X-er still have enough fight to defeat classic video game characters like fan-wielding Kitana, toothy Baraka, and big, bad Outworld villain Shao Khan? And can director Simon McQuoid bring new life to martial artists who didn’t stick the landing in his COVID-era first attempt at the property? Get over here and listen to Arnie, Justin, and Stuart provide perspective on another Now Playing Podcast Arcade entry.

Kenneth Branagh’s Adoing Nothing Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) returns to Runway Magazine in The Devil Wears Prada 2, where the collapse of print media may finally threaten the icy reign of editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). But after the death of a publishing mogul leaves Miranda’s future uncertain, will the fashion queen be forced to trade first-class flights and chauffeured town cars for coach seats and Uber rides? And can Streep (Silkwood) still get away with terrorizing assistants, insulting body-positive models, and tormenting long-suffering Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger) in 2026? Join Marjorie, Arnie, and Brock for their devilishly opinionated review.

The Devil Wears Prada has become iconic. Anne Hathaway’s cerulean sweater. Meryl Streep’s silver hair and clipped “that’s all” dismissal. The pop songs, the score, the fashion world excess. Just hearing the title instantly conjures images from the film for millions of people. And while it’s common knowledge that Streep’s Miranda Priestly was inspired by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, fewer people realize the story began as a novel: a lightly fictionalized account written by Wintour’s former assistant, Lauren Weisberger. Now, with a movie sequel hitting theaters, Arnie looks back at Weisberger’s original 2003 novel and its follow-ups, Revenge Wears Prada and When Life Gives You Lululemons. Join him as he dives into the world of chick lit and reveals just how dramatic a makeover the original book received on its way to becoming a Hollywood phenomenon.

Temuera Morrison is ready to throw The Book at Tatooine spice dealers as he steps from his Bacta tank and back into the role of Boba Fett for a 2022 Disney+ miniseries. But how did the badass bounty hunter escape Return of the Jedi’s Sarlacc Pit to claim Jabba the Hutt's throne from Bib Fortuna? And does he really need to interrupt Grogu’s Force training with Luke Skywalker and call in Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian to win a showdown with outlaw Cad Bane? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Justin now for this next chapter in the Star Wars saga.

Sachs And The City Anne Hathaway’s wannabe writer Andy finds both her outfits and work ethic clashing with boss-from-hell Meryl Streep in the 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada. Can bitchy first assistant Emily Blunt and diva fashion director Stanley Tucci help the aspiring journalist dress the part and fit in at high-pressure Runway magazine? And will boyfriend Adrian Grenier (Entourage) get tossed out with last season’s wardrobe once Andy connects with smooth operator Simon Baker (The Mentalist)? Gird your loins and join Marjorie, Arnie, and Brock for this free bonus podcast.

Stuart went back in the hospital this month for another surgery. But he's back home and ready to tell all his Stu Cru supporters about it on the third episode of Intermission. He gives more detail on his health, the complications that followed his initial surgery, and the major procedure he recently underwent to reclaim his life. It's a harrowing story but one with an uplifting end, and maybe even a xenomorph! Then Stuart, Arnie, Justin, and Jason hit pause on movie reviews to catch up on everything happening behind the scenes. Arnie talks about launching the new Now Playing website, what took so long, and what listeners can finally explore. The hosts welcome a longtime listener for a round of trivia covering I Spit on Your Grave, Star Wars, and a deep-cut Mortal Kombat question that actually stumps the room. Jason shares a new creative hobby that turns movies into ambient experiences, Justin talks hockey and the latest in Star Wars and superhero TV, and Arnie recounts a trip to Pittsburgh’s Monroeville Mall—including a surprisingly great horror museum filled with Dawn of the Dead history. It’s a mix of fun, behind-the-scenes insight, and real-life perspective, and we hope you'll enjoy this Intermission between our movie reviews!   Show Links: The all-new Now Playing Podcast Website The Living Dead Horror Museum and Gift Shop in Monroeville, PA Photogallery of The Living Dead Horror Museum. Jason's Ambiance Videos on YouTube

Actor Thomas Dekker (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010) joins Now Playing Podcast to revisit the Elm Street remake on its anniversary. He shares how he landed the role, what it was like filming in Chicago, and how the movie evolved from a darker original script into the final theatrical version. Dekker discusses reshoots, studio notes, changes to Freddy’s performance, and why he chose to play his character as genuinely afraid rather than heroic. He also reflects on fan reactions, working with Jackie Earle Haley, and what the experience taught him about big studio horror.

Three Mando and a Baby Pedro Pascal and “Baby Yoda” (Grogu) search for a Jedi ally in The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney+. But what does it mean to be The Mandalorian when Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan removes her helmet, and Temuera Morrison straps back on his Boba Fett armor to join the quest? Is it more fun watching a legacy Star Wars character fly in and take down Moff Gideon's Dark Troopers, or seeing returning players like Carl Weathers step behind the camera? The Force will be with you if you Listen Now!

I guess you think you're... you know, like an authority figure, with that stupid fuckin' uniform, huh buddy? Bob Odenkirk goes from Nobody to playing a “Normal” small-town interim sheriff. Teaming up again with Derek Kolstad, does he bring the same mix of dry humor and sudden violence that made their last series work? And with Henry Winkler in the wintery mix, are we getting something closer to the quirky crime chaos of Fargo, or just another round of bumbling crooks? Nearly nobody went to see this in theaters, but our hosts did, and you can join them now for this far-from-normal movie review!

No Child Left Behind Pedro Pascal strapped on the helmet to become The Mandalorian and help launch the Disney+ streaming service back in 2019. Is there a beating heart underneath the Beskar steel armor that convinces the cold-blooded bounty hunter to betray his client, Werner Herzog, and prevent "Baby Yoda" from falling into the hands of Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul)? Listen Now to find out if creators Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) forged a Season One that honors the influences of Spaghetti Westerns, samurai flicks, and the OG Star Wars trilogy.

Best known as Pavel Chekov from Star Trek, Walter Koenig joins Now Playing Podcast for a candid interview about his journey through the final season of the original series, the transition into writing for The Animated Series, and his continued involvement in the Star Trek universe. Koenig reflects on joining an already established cast, the fan response to Chekov, and why his character often seemed to take the brunt of on-screen danger. He also dives into his work behind the camera, including writing for the animated series and exploring creative opportunities beyond acting. Beyond Star Trek, Koenig discusses his stage work, independent film projects like InAlienable, and his approach to storytelling in new media. He also shares thoughts on fan productions, the franchise's evolution, and whether he sees himself returning to the role of Chekov. It’s an insightful, wide-ranging conversation with one of Star Trek’s most enduring cast members, offering fans a deeper look at the man behind the uniform and where he’s headed next.

The Devil Wears Ghorman Twill Four years of Star Wars spy missions have Andor (Diego Luna) ready to ditch the Rebellion with equally traumatized girlfriend Bix (Morbius' Adria Arjona). Can schemer Stellan Skarsgård keep his agents in position like the bugged antiques in his shop until he has all the Death Star intel? And is Mon Mothma too busy throwing her teenage daughter's wedding to notice best friend Jimmy Smits has been replaced by Benjamin Bratt? Listen Now to learn if the Now Playing Podcast hosts get caught in creator Tony Gilroy’s Season Two spider web.

Disney animator and creative director Dave Pacheco discusses his work at Disney across animation, publishing, and collectibles. Known for his contributions to films like The Little Mermaid and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pacheco also shares behind-the-scenes details on reconstructing lost animation from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this interview, Pacheco talks about breaking into Disney animation, working with classic characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Tinker Bell, and translating 2D animation into 3D collectibles and merchandise. He also explains how Disney character design is maintained across theme parks, publishing, and consumer products. Hear insights on traditional animation vs CGI, advice for aspiring animators, and stories from inside Walt Disney Animation Studios. This interview is a must-listen for Disney fans, animation enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the history and craft of Disney animation.

Now You’re Playing With Millennials  Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) rocket into another Galaxy to rescue her kidnapped sister Rosalina (Brie Larson) in the 2026 Super Mario Brothers Movie sequel. Can brothers Mario and Luigi (Chris Pratt and Charlie Day) keep the Mushroom Kingdom safe as Bowser (Jack Black) returns to full size and escapes to a homemade planet built by imaginative son Junior (Benny Safdie)? And what do video game icons Yoshi (Donald Glover), Honey Queen (Issa Rae), and Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) bring to this “Mario Party”?  Listen to Find Out Now!

Stuart's Burning Down the House on this episode... What did we lose when video stores disappeared, and can streaming ever replace it? Arnie, Stuart, and Justin dive into that, along with immersive theater, playoff hockey, and a round of listener trivia that puts their movie knowledge to the test. And this is still a new podcast format for us, so let us know if you enjoy the show. We welcome your feedback to help shape this new type of Now Playing Podcast! If you like this looser vibe, let us know. We’ll be back next month!

Robot Chicken takes on Star Wars! Seth Green and Matthew Senreich talk with Now Playing Podcast about their upcoming Robot Chicken: Star Wars special, including directing George Lucas, getting Mark Hamill back as Luke, writing for the special, and bringing Star Wars humor to late-night TV. Plus, Robot Chicken writer/voice actor (and Greg the Bunny creator) Dan Milano joins in to talk about what happens when collectors start smashing their own toys for comedy. It’s Star Wars fans living the dream of becoming official Star Wars creators! So hear this dive into their special now!

Do NOT confuse this title for another Caravan of Courage on the Ewok moon Before he was the martyr of Rogue One, Diego Luna was a desperate thief who accidentally lit the spark of the Rebellion in the 2022 series Andor. Is he better off making Death Star parts in prison with Andy Serkis, or facing the consequences of the Imperial robbery he pulled for chameleon Stellan Skarsgård? And can Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) keep footing the bill while Forest Whitaker, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller follow the money? Join rebels Justin, Arnie, and Stuart for the darker side of Star Wars right now!

Qui-Gon but Not Forgotten Ewan McGregor returns to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a 2022 miniseries that gives him another chance to school his rogue Padawan, Hayden Christensen, for rebranding himself as Darth Vader. But is the Force strong enough with this middle-aged Jedi Master to save little Princess Leia (Bird Box’s Vivien Lyra Blair) after she’s kidnapped by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea? And will Inquisitor Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit) succeed in her mission? Listen now to find out whether Arnie, Stuart, and Justin have renewed hope that Star Wars will thrive on Disney+.

The Hate U Give Disney Ends All Their Hopes (T.H.U.G. D.E.A.T.H) Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) attempts to save twin sisters from a witch coven and bring them into the Jedi fold, only to watch his Acolyte turn to the Dark Side in this Star Wars prequel. Can Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) as former Jedi Osha be Forced to return to the Order and stop her sister Mae before she assassinates a meditating Jedi Master, a Wookiee hermit named Kelnacca, and even Trinity herself, Carrie-Anne Moss? And will Arnie, Justin, and Stuart give a Sith about this eight-episode Disney+ epic after it was cancelled following its first season? Listen and find out now.

Time for the main course of the Lecter books! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.    Before he was winning Oscars and dominating the silver screen, Hannibal Lecter returned to the page in Thomas Harris’s 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs. In this second Lecter story, the brilliant but imprisoned doctor is enlisted to help an FBI trainee track down a killer who skins his victims—while Lecter quietly plots a gruesome escape of his own. Join Stuart as he revisits the novel that deepened Lecter’s legend, examining how Clarice Starling’s presence reshapes the dynamic with the infamous doctor and helped turn Harris’s cultured cannibal into one of fiction’s most compelling villains.

Love at first bite Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Prepare the Chianti and fava beans. Stuart is spending a month dining with author Thomas Harris and his most infamous creation—Dr. Hannibal Lecter. As a companion to our Hannibal Lecter movie retrospective, Stuart is cracking open the four novels that inspired the five films featuring the cultured cannibal. The first course is Red Dragon, the 1981 crime novel that introduced Hannibal Lecter to the world. This chilling story of FBI profiler Will Graham hunting the serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy” would later inspire two film adaptations: Michael Mann’s Manhunter (1986) and Brett Ratner’s Red Dragon (2002). Join Stuart as he gets inside Lecter’s mind and examines how Harris crafted the twisted relationship between the imprisoned doctor, the new murderer who idolizes him, and the investigator who once put Lecter behind bars.

Speaking In Tongues Mary Shelley possesses Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and turns her into The Bride!, a politically charged sequel to her 1818 novel Frankenstein. But would the reinvigorated woman prefer not to be engaged to Christian Bale’s Monster when his idea of romance is stomping on mobsters' heads while pretending he’s tap dancing in a movie musical? And is director Maggie Gyllenhaal a mad scientist for fusing a Bonnie and Clyde love story with Gothic horror? Follow dubious detectives Brock, Stuart, and Arnie as they investigate this brain attack!

Bring Your Daughter To the Slaughter Neve Campbell sat out Ghostface’s rampage in New York City so she could raise Isabel May to become her Final Girl replacement in Scream 7. Has Matthew Lillard risen from the dead to stalk veteran survivors like Courtney Cox, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown in a brand new suburbia?  And why did O.G. screenwriter Kevin Williamson take another stab at directing a scary movie after his debut, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, nearly killed his career?  Join true crime junkies Marjorie, Arnie, and Stuart as they clean the blade of another postmodern slasher installment.

Turn of the Dark, Turn on the Podcast These days, when Marvel makes headlines in 2011, it isn’t for Thor or Captain America. It's for a Broadway musical that seemed determined to crash harder than Gwen Stacy. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark arrived with Bono and The Edge writing the songs, Julie Taymor of The Lion King producing, and a budget that keeps climbing as cast members keep falling. The show remains "in previews" just to try and staunch the flow of bad press, but this Broadway bomb has become infamous before most people ever saw it. But what about the fans? Marjorie, Arnie, and Stuart attended one of these preview performances to see the spectacle for themselves. Is this ambitious, aerial Spider-show a misunderstood marvel or a web of chaos? They’re here with an unfiltered, first-hand report. So Turn off the Dark... turn up the volume!

Welcome to the very first episode of Now Playing Podcast: Intermission, our new monthly free-form show where the structure is looser, it's far less edited, and anything can happen! This month: Arnie goes nuclear over Alamo Drafthouse’s new mid-movie cell phone ordering system and why he canceled his Season Pass. Brock and Stuart break down Oscar season, from the Best Picture nominees to which films Arnie might actually enjoy. The hosts debate Star Wars fatigue, The Mandalorian & Grogu, and who Lucasfilm is making movies for. And we welcome our very first Patreon supporter guest for some horror trivia! This is the show where we talk about what we’re watching, what’s frustrating us, and what’s coming next for Now Playing Podcast. And this is our first show of this kind, so let us know if you enjoy the show. We welcome your feedback to help shape this new type of Now Playing Podcast! If you like this looser vibe, let us know. We’ll be back next month!

Raging Ghoul  Robert DeNiro couldn’t speak the Queen’s English even before Kenneth Branagh stitched his lips onto other body parts for a 1994 retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Will the miscast actor need to hide at the North Pole to escape the embarrassment of his screen romance with Helena Bonham Carter?  Or was this a worthy creation denied life at the box office because of the bad press the director received over his off-screen dalliances?  Listen Now as Arnie, Brock, and Stuart dig up a classic movie monster and his bride for another re-animated podcast

This time the review is personal! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Novelizations usually deepen a movie’s story. But Jaws: The Revenge is not exactly working from ideal source material. As part of Now Playing Podcast’s Jaws retrospective, Stuart takes a look at Hank Searls’ novelization of the most infamous entry in the franchise. Tasked with turning a screenplay about a vengeance-driven shark into coherent prose, Searls had plenty of narrative gaps to fill. Does the book add logic, character motivation, or even suspense that the film lacked? Join Stuart as he compares page to screen and decides whether this literary take sinks or swims.

Before it was a novella, it was a card game. Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing Podcast. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings. In 2004, Decipher resurrected the gameplay of the ended Star Wars Trading Card Game and launched WARS, building a brand-new sci-fi universe with creative input from names like Michael Stackpole and John Howe. Gamers embraced it, but the line was short-lived, ending in 2005 before the world could fully unfold. Now that story continues in prose with Healers and Hunters by Nathan P. Butler, the first novella set in the WARS universe. For those who never cracked a single booster pack, can this book stand on its own? Does it reward longtime fans while welcoming newcomers, or is it too tied to a game most readers have never played? Join Arnie as he evaluates whether this expansion of the universe is worth your time.

Just when you thought it was safe to read on the beach! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing Podcast. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings. You’ve seen the shark. But have you read the book that started it all? Before Spielberg made audiences afraid of the water, Benchley made readers afraid to turn the page. Now, in partnership with Now Playing Podcast’s Jaws retrospective, Stuart returns to dive into Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel. The core story may be familiar, but the tone, characters, and motivations are far darker and more complicated than the film you know. Political corruption, marital drama, and a very different Amity Island lurk beneath the surface. Join Stuart as he explores the novel that launched the summer blockbuster.

Fleshdance Rock star Sting denies his Frankenstein creation Clancy Brown (Shawshank Redemption) a happy wedding day so that the mad scientist can be the one to kiss The Bride. But will Jennifer Beals (Vampire’s Kiss) find reanimated life enjoyable with The Police frontman watching every breath she takes with suitor Cary Elwes (Princess Bride)? And can little person David Rappaport (Time Bandits) successfully reinvent the jilted Monster into a popular circus clown?  Find out if this 1985 Mary Shelley update plays outside Budapest when you Listen Now!

Before the MCU ruled the box office, George Lucas brought Marvel’s most notorious feathered antihero to the big screen. For the 30th Anniversary of Howard the Duck, Now Playing Podcast's sister show, Marvelicious Toys, revisited the cult curiosity that dared to mix aliens, rock ‘n’ roll, animatronics, and interspecies romance. Arnie sits down with Ed Gale, the performer inside the duck suit, to discuss the physical demands of bringing Howard to life, the technical challenges of 1980s creature effects, and what it was like to work under the Lucasfilm spotlight. Then Hollywood icon Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, SpaceCamp)  joins the show to reflect on playing Beverly, the film’s rocky reception, and the surprising staying power of this oddball comic adaptation.  Along the way, we dig into the movie’s many home video releases, bizarre promotional tie-ins, and the long, strange journey from box office punchline to cult favorite. Is Howard a misunderstood classic, a beautiful mess, or something uniquely 80s that could never hatch today? Listen in and find out.

And you thought the MOVIE was bad..... This book review previously appeared in Issue 11 of Now Playing Podcast's sister podcast Marvelicious Toys. As that show is no longer, the review is published here as part of Now Playing. As we kick off Now Playing Podcast’s Marvel movie retrospective, Arnie turns to one of the strangest literary artifacts of the 1980s: the novelization of Howard the Duck. Written by humorist Ellis Weiner, this long-out-of-print paperback attempts to adapt George Lucas’s infamous cult film into prose, and in the process becomes something far stranger than a simple tie-in. From Hitchhiker’s Guide-inspired dueling narrators to extended satirical tangents skewering Reagan-era America, the book often seems less interested in Howard’s adventure than in mocking the very idea of adapting it. As Arnie recounts in his review, the result is a self-aware, occasionally hostile, and frequently baffling curiosity that seems to resent both its source material and its readers. Is this novelization a hidden gem for Marvel completists, a fascinating train wreck, or quite possibly the worst professionally published book Arnie has ever read? For collectors, it may be a dollar-bin novelty. For everyone else, it might just be proof that some ducks should never leave the pond.

Are our lives predetermined down to the smallest details? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart examines “Adjustment Team,” the 1954 short story by Philip K. Dick that later inspired the film The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Dick’s original tale is a tighter, more overtly metaphysical story about a man who glimpses the machinery behind reality and discovers that unseen bureaucrats quietly "adjust" events to keep the universe on schedule. With less romance and more existential dread than the film version, this original story explores fate, free will, and whether humanity is simply following a script written by forces it can’t perceive. Stuart breaks down how Dick’s concept differs from its cinematic reworking and whether the lean short story delivers a sharper philosophical punch than the big-screen love story.

Omniscient mutant has the key to the future? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart turns to The Golden Man, Philip K. Dick's 1953 short story that later inspired the Nicolas Cage thriller Next. Dick’s original tale is lean, strange, and far more unsettling than its Hollywood counterpart. Set in a post-nuclear future, it follows a mutant who can glimpse the immediate future and survives by instinct alone, hunted by a society that fears what it cannot control. Stuart explores how Dick uses this simple premise to examine evolution, fate, and humanity’s urge to destroy what’s different, and considers whether the short story’s stark vision delivers a sharper punch than the big-budget adaptation.

The search for self gets personal this time for Philip K. Dick Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart examines A Scanner Darkly, the 1977 novel by Philip K. Dick that later inspired the rotoscope film adaptation directed by Richard Linklater and starring Keanu Reeves. Set in a near-future California ravaged by Substance D, Dick’s novel follows an undercover narcotics agent whose dual identities begin to collapse under addiction and surveillance. Written from personal experience, the book blends dark humor, paranoia, and tragedy into one of Dick’s most intimate and emotionally raw works. Stuart explores how the novel handles identity, betrayal, and the human cost of the drug war, and whether the source material hits harder than its psychedelic big-screen counterpart.

Before the bullets and the doves, there was just a man, a wiped memory, and a handful of junk that might save his life. Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart continues our movie reviews of Philip K. Dick's Paycheck and discusses the original short story on which the movie is based. Dick’s 1953 short story is about a technician who trades his memory for a payout, only to discover he’s left himself a series of seemingly mundane objects instead of cash. As he pieces together why, the story unfolds into a tight, paranoid puzzle about free will, corporate control, and whether knowing the future is a gift or a trap. Later adapted into a Ben Affleck movie, the original tale is leaner, sharper, and far more focused on existential dread than action spectacle. Stuart breaks down how Dick’s version stacks up and whether the short story delivers a bigger payoff than its big-screen counterpart.

The precogs have determined you must read this story Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart turns to The Minority Report, Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella that laid the groundwork for the later big-screen adaptation starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg. Long before glossy holograms and futuristic car chases, Dick’s original story presented a lean, unsettling premise: a justice system that arrests people for crimes they have not yet committed, based on the predictions of three precognitive mutants. But what happens when those predictions don’t agree? Is the original short story sharper and more subversive than its cinematic counterpart, or does the expansion to feature length enhance what Dick only sketched? Read along with Stuart to find out!

Who is the man and who is the impostor? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart continues traveling through the works of Philip K. Dick with a review of “Impostor,” Dick’s 1953 short story about a man accused of being something he may not even know he is. Built around suspicion, self-doubt, and a devastating twist, the story later inspired the film Impostor, starring Gary Sinise. Stuart examines how Dick packs existential terror into a tight narrative, and whether the original short story delivers a sharper punch than its expanded film adaptation.

This novella is a real scream Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, Stuart continues his discussion of Philip K. Dick's works with Second Variety, Dick’s 1953 short story about autonomous killing machines that evolve beyond human control. The tale of soldiers trapped in a war against weapons that can perfectly mimic their creators would later inspire the 1995 film Screamers, but how does the original prose stack up against its cinematic offspring? Stuart digs into Dick’s bleak worldview, razor-sharp concepts, and unsettling twists to determine whether this story still cuts deep.

If you don't recall this story, it is time for you to read it! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  In this episode, Stuart dives into We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, the razor-sharp short story by Philip K. Dick that asks a deceptively simple question: what if your memories aren’t real, and worse, what if they’re better than your real life? Long before exploding heads and Mars rebellions, Dick’s original tale is a lean psychological puzzle about identity, desire, and the fragile line between fantasy and reality. Stuart breaks down how the story plays with implanted memories, government paranoia, and existential dread in just a handful of pages. This isn’t the bombastic spectacle many associate with the title. It’s tighter, darker, and more ironic. A story about wish fulfillment that becomes a nightmare about who you really are when the wish comes true.

Everyone knows the movie, now learn about the story! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  As Now Playing Podcast reviews all Philip K. Dick screen adaptations, Stuart also explores the source material that inspired the movies and transformed the science fiction genre for a whole generation of readers. This week, Stuart takes a look at the seminal 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the dystopian detective novel that gave birth to the Harrison Ford/Ridley Scott classic movie Blade Runner.

He drew first blood...on the page. As we finish our series looking back at the Rambo films, novels, and novelizations, Arnie sits down with author David Morrell. Morrell wrote First Blood over a decade before Stallone portrayed the character on screen, and then Morrell returned to Rambo by novelizing the screenplays for the first two film sequels. Now the author opens up about why he chose to adapt someone else's story for his character, his thoughts on the films and the Rambo cartoon series, and how Rambo has influenced his career.

It's better than the movie... but how could it not be? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  This week, we look at Rambo 3, written by David Morrell, author of the original Rambo novel, First Blood. The film was a financial disappointment and almost killed the Rambo film franchise, but was the book our worst literary nightmare, or could Morrell save this plotline from the torture? Listen to find out! Then come back next week as Arnie sits down with David Morrell to discuss all three Rambo novels! Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!

No, it's worth reviewing! Really! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Rambo made his first appearance in 1972 in David Morrell's novel First Blood, which was then adapted into a film. The film was a huge success, and so a sequel was made, written by James Cameron and Sylvester Stallone. As movie novelizations were big business, a novel was commissioned. None of this is shocking until you look closely at the cover--Rambo's original creator, David Morrell, returned to write the novelization of his character in a story in which he had no input. This is a very unique situation, and since Now Playing Podcast is reviewing all the Rambo films, we felt this movie novelization would be worth a look. Listen to find out if we were right! Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!

Ordinary Life Is Pretty Complex StuffIn this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Jakob sits down with Harvey Pekar, the creator of American Splendor, to talk about realism in comics, the limits of the superhero genre, and why he chose to chronicle the life of a VA hospital file clerk instead of caped crusaders. Pekar reflects on his unlikely path from underground comics with Robert Crumb to mainstream recognition after the 2003 film adaptation, and he’s blunt about luck, ambition, and how hard it is to sell stories about an anti-hero whose biggest battles are depression, dissatisfaction, and everyday frustration. He discusses introducing realism into a medium that, in his view, never had a true realist movement, defends his methodical writing process, and explains why information itself can be entertainment. The interview also veers into politics, criticism, prose fiction, and Pekar’s deep love of jazz, revealing a writer who approached art the same way he approached history and music: systematically, obsessively, and on his own terms. This is not a superhero origin story. It’s something rarer. A working-class intellectual explaining why the mundane matters, and why comics deserved better than capes and punchlines.

Sly didn't make Rambo, David Morrell did! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Now Playing Podcast is spending November reviewing all the Rambo films, so let's also look back to Rambo's origin in David Morrell's 1972 classic novel, First Blood. How does the book compare to the legend? Listen to Arnie's review to find out! Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!

Including an interview with book editor and entertainment journalist Alex Ben Block! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  George Lucas's Blockbusting may sound like a book chronicling George Lucas's rise to box office dominance, first through his Star Wars films, and then through Indiana Jones and the other movies he's been a part of; however, this book is actually a cultural and financial look at movies through history, including what Lucas and the editors deemed the 300 "Blockbuster" movies from 1913 through 2005. On this Now Playing Podcast Book Review, Arnie interviews Alex Ben Block to discuss how the included films were selected, and then reviews this book to see if it deserves a place on your bookshelf!

I thought King was retiring years ago.... Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Stephen King's latest work, Under the Dome, is his third-longest novel to date, bested in page count only by his classic works The Stand and It. Does this new novel, about a small Maine town cut off from the rest of the world by an unseen force, meet the standards of those books? Listen to find out in this totally spoiler-free review! (Note: There is a spoiler-ish conversation AFTER the review regarding one of the book's larger plot twists, but you will have plenty of warning so you can listen to the review and still remain totally spoiler-free.)

You throw me the novel, I'll throw you the whip! Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Indiana Jones is back! With the revival of the Indiana Jones franchise in 2008, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the original novelized adventures of Indy continue with Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead. Taking place between the 3rd and 4th Indiana Jones movies, we get to see our hero back in action. But as Crystal Skull did not appease many fans of the franchise, will the book fare better? Choose wisely...listen to our review!

If there are no doors, how do you get in? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  It's a house with no right angles, walls meeting floors in curves, and it may just be haunted. That's the real estate listing in Joe Screiber's latest horror novel, No Doors No Windows. Arnie will tell you if this book will have you clawing the walls in fear.

A podcast about a novel written by a podcaster. Huh. Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  Avid podcaster Scott Sigler has become a novelist. Now his novels are the subject of a podcast. Is that recursive, ironic, or just a coincidence? Either way, here we review his 2008 novel Infected, which began as the podcast novel Infection in 2006. With Halloween around the corner, is this the answer to your need for scares? Join us for this book review to find out!

Tony Stark versus three assassins. What could possibly go wrong? Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  We dig into Iron Man: Femmes Fatales by Robert Greenberger, a prose novel that drops Tony Stark into a globe-trotting espionage thriller packed with deadly women, high-tech armor, and corporate intrigue. Femmes Fatales leans hard into the spy side of Iron Man’s world. Stark faces off against a trio of dangerous operatives with their own agenda, forcing him to rely on brains as much as repulsor blasts. Host Arnie breaks down how well the novel captures Tony’s voice outside the comic panel, whether the femme-fatale angle adds real tension or just pulp flavor, and how this story stacks up against the cinematic Iron Man. Suit up and find out. ,

With an interview with author Jamie Estes Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.  We dive into A Walk Through the Book of Matthew: Youth Style by Pastor Jamie Estes, a devotional guide that makes the Gospel of Matthew readable and relatable for young people. The book walks through the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in Matthew, but in a tone that’s approachable for youth groups or anyone looking to connect the ancient text to real-world faith. It’s written with the express goal of helping readers better understand Christ and the example He set for how we live and love. In this episode, Jerry breaks down key themes from the devotional, talks through what makes the Youth Style approach distinctive, and reflects on how Estes frames Jesus’ teachings in Matthew in a way that’s practical for young believers. Then Arnie sits down with Jamie Estes himself to talk about why he wrote the book, how he navigates making deep Scripture accessible without diluting it, and what he hopes readers will take away after finishing the devotional. If you want an episode that’s part book review, part author conversation, and all about making the message of Matthew come alive for a new generation, this one’s for you.

Vlad The Impersonator Director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) spins Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel Dracula into “A Love Tale,” released in US cinemas in time for Valentine’s Day 2026. Is Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out) damned to walk the world a lonely vampire because he picked Roseanna Arquette’s daughter over God in a 1480 Ottoman battle? And how strong a perfume does the 400-year-old bloodsucker need to throw stake-wielding priest Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) off his scent, or smell different than Gary Oldman did in the same role? Listen to Find Out Now!

Never Been Kissed Arnie, Stuart, and Justin peer through their spirit camera to find the ghosts haunting a 2014 movie adaptation of the cult video game Fatal Frame. Is the graduating class of a Japanese Catholic school dying because a curse makes girls go mad and suicidal like Shakespeare’s Ophelia?  And is Ju-On Black Ghost director Mari Asato more interested in making a sequel to The Grudge than entertaining PlayStation 2 and Xbox users?  You don’t have to wait until midnight to plant your lips on the next Now Playing Arcade installment.  Listen Now!

There’s Something About Mary Director Christophe Gans makes a Return To Silent Hill 20 years after adapting the first video game into a hit movie. Sean Bean and his bifurcated daughter have moved on so that struggling artist Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) can save muse Hannah Emily Anderson (Jigsaw) from cult sacrifice. Is everyone seeing crazy things because the water is contaminated? Or is a dude with a pyramid head, a hospital full of gyrating nurses, and armless torsos squirting acid in the street just the local celebrities coming out to greet you? Listen Now to hear the hosts work this puzzle!

I’ve Got 99 Minutes And My Bitch Face Runs Jeff Fahey (Lawnmower Man) screams Die Darkman Die in 'roid rage after trying to usurp the super-strength of the titular B-movie vigilante. Will star Arnold Vosloo (GI Joe: The Rise ofCobra) find a friend in Darlanne Fluegel (TV’s Wiseguy), the doctor who first cut his nerves to make him immune to pain?  And does Darkman 3 work as a retelling of Beauty And The Beast, with the disfigured scientist suddenly smitten with mobster’s wife Roxanne Dawson (Star Trek: Voyager)? Find out if Arnie, Stuart, and Justin are pumped for the trilogy’s conclusion when you Listen Now!

Always replace your divots (never your lead actors) Larry Drake (Dr. Giggles) gives the finger to audiences who assumed his mob kingpin died in the last movie’s climactic chopper crash. Darkman 2 features The Return of Durant (and the exit of Liam Neeson, Francis McDormand, and director Sam Raimi). Can new face Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) use his mask-making machine to infiltrate his nemesis’s gang and stop the development of a high-powered laser? And will reporter Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue) uncover the reasons why this superhero vigilante didn’t receive a theatrical release the second time around?  Listen Now!

The Phantom Menace Liam Neeson needs thicker skin after Larry Drake (TV’s LA Law) burns down his laboratory and turns him into the vigilante Darkman. But will girlfriend Frances McDormand (Fargo) still want to marry the nerd after he disguises his disfigured looks under masks, and goes after the goons that work for shady real estate developer Colin Friels? And did writer-director Sam Raimi create a landmark superhero movie a decade before he spun the Spider-Man trilogy into box office gold?  Listen Now to learn if this 1990 cult film holds together under the Now Playing spotlight.

You Only Live Twice Daniel “007” Craig loses faith in his abilities to solve a third Knives Out Mystery after murdered monsignor Josh Brolin rises from the grave in Wake Up Dead Man. Is Sheriff Mila Kunis right to slap the cuffs on Josh O’Connor after the doubting priest confesses to a violent past?  Or should she be looking at suspicious parishioners like bitter Glenn Close, jilted Jeremy Renner, blocked writer Andrew Scott, grabby groundskeeper Thomas Haden Church, resentful lawyer Kerry Washington, and handicapped cellist Cailee Spaeny? Listen Now to this miraculous podcast!

Feliz Na’vi Dads  Pandora will be turned into Fire and Ash if Giovanni Ribisi and Edie Falco learn the secret to breathing the planet’s toxic air from feral human Spider (Jack Champion). Can adoptive father Sam Worthington protect “monkey boy” from being reclaimed by bio-parent Stephen Lang, or getting whacked by his grieving wife Zoe Saldana?  And who exactly gave birth to 76-year-old “teenager” Sigourney Weaver? Sullys never quit, but James Cameron might if audiences don’t join Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart in theaters for the conclusion of the Avatar trilogy. Listen Now!

Charlie’s (Avenging) Angels  Rohan Campbell goes from ending the Halloween franchise to taking an axe to Christmas in the 2025 reboot of Silent Night, Deadly Night.  Is the traumatized orphan crazy for wanting to wear a Santa suit and murder festive folks in small-town America?  Or is that gruff voice in his head only interested in The Naughty - child snatchers, heartless foster moms, wife murderers, and a White Power rally found kissing under mistletoe and swastikas?  Learn if this holiday horror series has taken a wrong turn under Mike P Nelson’s direction when you Listen Now!

Where A Kid Can Be A Corpse Josh Hutcherson plays different hunger games at a second pizzeria that has child abduction and possessed animatronics on the menu in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Are Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and Freddy Fazzbear even more lethal now that they’re controlled by The Marionette, a forgotten telepathic mascot out to make neglectful parents pay?  And will crabby teacher Wayne Knight (Seinfeld) give an “F” to heroine Abby (Piper Rubio) for entering her ghostly friends from the first film as a science fair project?  Listen Now to find out what’s inside the podcasters’ heads.