Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast

The greatest trick Magneto ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist...

When you think of superhero movies, you probably don’t think of concentration camps, civil rights allegory, and moral philosophy. But in 2000, Bryan Singer’s X-Men changed the conversation. Bringing Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X, Magneto, and Rogue to the big screen for the first time, the film grounded comic book spectacle in themes of prejudice and identity. Anchored by a cast that included past and future Oscar winners, it treated its source material with an unusual seriousness for the era. More than just launching the X-Men franchise, the film helped kick off the modern wave of Marvel adaptations that would soon dominate Hollywood.

Over a decade later, does it still feel like the beginning of something bold, or a stepping stone to bigger things? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they revisit the movie that helped usher superheroes into the 21st century.

Max Headroom, Ace Ventura, and Freddy Krueger all rolled into one!

Before Hugh Jackman’s claws, before billion-dollar box office, there was… Generation X. In 1996, Fox aired a made-for-TV movie intended as a backdoor pilot for an X-Men series that never materialized. Based on the comic spin-off, the film follows a new class of teenage mutants at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, this time led by Emma Frost and Banshee. With Matt Frewer (Max Headroom) chewing the scenery as dream-invading villain Russell Tresh, this oddball entry feels worlds away from the sleek superhero cinema that would arrive just a few years later. Is this forgotten TV experiment a fascinating relic for hardcore X-fans, or a mutant misfire best left buried in the ’90s? Listen and find out.

We don't need friends, we need you to download this podcast!

Eleven years after the "final" chapter, Ghostface picked up the phone again.

Scream 4 brings Sidney Prescott back to Woodsboro for the franchise's first true revival, blending legacy characters with a new generation raised on remakes, reboots, and online fame. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette return, joined by a cast of younger would-be survivors who think they know the rules better than anyone. This time, the satire targets horror remakes, internet celebrity, and a culture obsessed with going viral. Arnie, Stuart, and Marjorie break down the fourth entry to see whether this comeback revitalized the series or proved some franchises should stop at three.

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.

At least this movie doesn't have John Waters in it

When Scream 3 hit theaters in 2000, it was billed as the final chapter. Kevin Williamson had always talked about a trilogy, and this looked like the end of the Ghostface saga. This time, the carnage moves to Hollywood, where actors on the set of the fictional film Stab 3 start dropping. Sidney Prescott is in hiding, Gale and Dewey are back in the chaos, and even Randy shows up one last time via videotape to lay down the "rules" of a trilogy. Bigger setting. Bigger cast. Bigger body count. But does the franchise’s self-aware horror formula still work at three films in, or does the Hollywood backdrop push it into parody? Join Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart as they close out the original trilogy and set the stage for the next chapter.

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.

Tori Spelling will not be playing Marjorie in the Now Playing Podcast movie adaptation

Ghostface is back, and this time the body count is rising at Windsor College. Following the smash success of the original, Scream 2 doubles down on meta commentary, skewering horror sequels while trying to outdo its predecessor. Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott, joined by Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and a fresh crop of college classmates who quickly learn that surviving one massacre doesn’t mean you’re safe from the next.

In the script, Kevin Williamson famously claims that "by definition alone, sequels are inferior films." Does Scream 2 prove him wrong with sharper kills and bigger twists, or does it fall into the very traps it mocks? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Marjorie as they revisit the 1997 follow-up to see if this franchise still has something to say or if the rules start to unravel the second time around.

Who knew Jiffy Pop could add so much tension to a scene?

With Scream 4 hitting theaters, it’s time for Now Playing Podcast to follow the rules and kick off a full retrospective of the Scream series, one of the defining horror franchises of the last two decades. It started in 1996, when Ghostface began stalking a new generation of teens, including Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy, Rose McGowan, and Drew Barrymore, under the direction of horror veteran Wes Craven. Clever, self-aware, and bloody as hell, Scream rewrote the slasher playbook, influencing 20 years of horror. But nearly 15 years later, does it still cut deep, or has the meta magic faded? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Marjorie to find out.

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.

No, you won't find Now Playing Podcast on MySpace...it's not 2007.

He has no powers, no girlfriend, no cool outfit, but Dave Lizewski can still Kick-Ass in a film from the future X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. With its balance of humor and violence, and a foul-mouthed, violent 11-year-old Hit-Girl courting controversy, the film failed to catch on with mainstream audiences. But is this an underrated Kick-Ass film, or are we three for three with our Marvel Misfits retrospective series? Listen to the final episode in this first part of our Marvel Comic Book Movie Retrospective to find out!

He who knows good movies burns at a screening of Man-Thing!

Rising from the swamps comes a humanoid creature made of pure plant matter - Marvel's Man-Thing! A cult comic book character, Man-Thing was promoted to Marvel Movie Star in 2005 to capitalize on the popularity of his superhero peers, X-Men and Spider-Man. Premiering on the Sci-Fi channel, this film remains fairly unknown. Is it a treasure found underneath the murkiness of the swamps, or a fetid swamp plant that should be left to decompose? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to 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.

Trapped in a podcast we never made...

Welcome to Now Playing's Marvel Comics Movie Retrospective Series, where, in anticipation of the ultimate comic book crossover movie, The Avengers, in 2012, we will be watching and reviewing all the Marvel Comics films! This first portion of our Marvel Movie Retrospective is Marvel Misfits, the Marvel characters that don't quite fit anywhere else - Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, and Kick-Ass.

Fresh off the success of Return of the Jedi, blockbuster movie producer George Lucas was thought to have the golden touch and be able to do no wrong, but Lucas has always been one to do the impossible. And in the late summer of 1986, Howard the Duck was laid into by critics and fans alike. Now, for the 25th anniversary of this legendary flop, Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob watch and review the film as the start of their Marvel Comics Movie Retrospective Series! Is the movie as bad as critics said, or, as Lucas said, 25 years later is this film looked back upon fondly? Listen to find out!

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!

Listening to this podcast is part of your plan

The Adjustment Bureau pairs rising political star Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) with dancer Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) in a romance that literally defies fate. After a chance meeting sparks an unexpected connection, Damon discovers shadowy agents are manipulating reality to keep their relationship from derailing a carefully charted destiny. Loosely inspired by Philip K. Dick's short story "The Adjustment Team", this film blends conspiracy thriller with love story, asking whether free will can outmaneuver cosmic bureaucracy. But does The Adjustment Bureau balance romance and high-concept sci-fi, or does one undermine the other? The hosts examine whether this battle against destiny earns its happily ever after.

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.

We guess Cage didn't see this one coming.

Next casts Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider) as a man who can see two minutes into his own future, a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "The Golden Man." It turns into a chase thriller involving government agents, terrorists, and Cage trying to outmaneuver fate itself. Blending sci-fi concept with romance and action set pieces, Next aims to turn a tight Dick premise into a mainstream popcorn movie. But does expanding a short story into a feature give the idea room to breathe, or does it stretch it thin? The Now Playing Podcast hosts look into the immediate future to decide whether this Cage vehicle is a clever twist on destiny or just another miscalculated move.

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.

Keanu has never been so animated

A Scanner Darkly brings Philip K. Dick’s semi-autobiographical novel to the screen in rotoscope animation, with Keanu Reeves (The Matrix), Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice), Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers), and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) drifting through a near-future Southern California soaked in surveillance and Substance D. Directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), the film blurs reality and hallucination as an undercover cop begins to lose his identity while spying on his own friends. The shifting, animated visuals mirror the characters’ fractured minds, turning addiction and paranoia into something both intimate and unsettling. Does this stylized adaptation capture the tragic heart of Dick’s story, or do the psychedelic visuals overwhelm the substance beneath? The Now Playing hosts tune in to decide whether A Scanner Darkly offers clarity or just one long, bad trip.

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.

Given a choice, which movie of his do you think Affleck would erase from his memory?

Ben Affleck stars in Paycheck, a high-concept thriller adapted from a story by Philip K. Dick and directed by John Woo. Affleck plays a reverse engineer who agrees to have his memory wiped after completing a classified job, only to discover he left himself a trail of cryptic clues instead of the massive payout he expected. With future-predicting tech, doves, slow-motion gunplay, and Uma Thurman along for the ride, Paycheck aims to blend paranoid sci-fi with Woo-style action spectacle. But does the film live up to its premise, or does it feel like a missed opportunity with a big-budget gloss? The hosts sort through the clues to decide whether this Philip K. Dick adaptation cashes in or bounces.

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!

Precog sounds like a plumbing term.

In 2002, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise teamed up to bring Philip K. Dick's vision of the future to the screen with Minority Report. Set in a world where psychic "Pre-Cogs" allow police to arrest murderers before they strike, the film blends sleek sci-fi spectacle with questions about fate, free will, and government overreach. With cutting-edge visuals and blockbuster ambition, Minority Report aims to be both summer entertainment and a thought-provoking vision of dystopia. But does this director-actor powerhouse deliver a coherent sci-fi classic, or does the complexity turn into confusion? The hosts investigate whether this prediction still holds up.

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.

Mr. Monk and the Case of the Reshot Footage

Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump) headlines Impostor, a paranoid sci-fi thriller inspired by a story from Philip K. Dick. Sinise plays a government scientist developing a weapon to stop alien invaders, only to be accused of being an android assassin programmed to detonate and kill Earth’s leadership. Originally conceived as a short film before being expanded to feature length, Impostor stretches Dick’s identity-twisting premise into a larger chase narrative filled with suspicion, betrayal, and existential dread. But does that expansion deepen the concept, or expose its limitations? The Now Playing Podcast hosts examine whether Impostor successfully blurs the line between man and machine, or if its ambitions outpace its execution.

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.

Type 6 Screamers look like DVR boxes. You have been warned.

In 1995, Peter Weller traded Detroit for deep space in Screamers, a low-budget adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story “Second Variety.” Weller plays the leader of a distant mining colony locked in a brutal war, only to discover that the autonomous weapons built to protect humanity have evolved beyond their programming. Blending dystopian sci-fi with creature-feature paranoia, Screamers leans into claustrophobic tension and practical effects on a modest Canadian budget. But does this adaptation capture Dick’s unsettling themes about identity and artificial life, or does it feel like straight-to-video filler with big ideas it can’t quite execute? Stuart, Jakob, and Brock venture into the wasteland to decide whether fans will scream with delight or wince at what might have been.

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.

Man, I just pulled my Quato

In 1990, Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" fuelled a rocket to Mars for action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, landing him one of his biggest box-office successes and most complex acting challenges. Is Ahnold the good guy liberating a Martian colony from tyranny, the bad guy sleeper spy, or a crazy man on a head-trip vacation gone very wrong? More importantly, does Total Recall decide if it's going to be forgettable action schlock or subversively smart sci-fi? Listen in and find out!

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.

Anyone else see a unicorn run through here?

From identity crises to artificial intelligence, few writers have inspired Hollywood quite like Philip K. Dick. His paranoid, reality-bending stories have attracted some of the industry’s biggest directors and stars, resulting in films that question memory, humanity, and the nature of existence itself. Now Playing Podcast dives into the mind of Dick with a retrospective series examining every major big-screen adaptation of his novels and short stories. From dystopian futures to fractured timelines, Brock, Jakob, and Stuart evaluate how faithfully these films capture Dick’s ideas and whether the movies stand on their own beyond the source material. Do these adaptations honor the imagination of one of science fiction’s most influential voices, or do they dilute the very paranoia that made his work endure?

The series begins with Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott (Alien) and starring Harrison Ford (Star Wars). Widely regarded as one of the most influential science fiction films ever made, it adapts Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into a rain-soaked meditation on humanity and memory. Is it a masterpiece worthy of its reputation, or more admired than loved? The hosts step into the neon-lit future to find out.

In Cyberspace, no one can hear you over the techno.

More than 25 years after Disney’s cult curiosity first lit up the grid, Tron: Legacy storms into theaters with neon intensity. With the original Tron long-regarded as more groundbreaking than great, expectations are high that this sequel will finally turn concept into classic. Fueled by cutting-edge 3-D visuals, a digital recreation of Jeff Bridges, and a heavy dose of Gen X nostalgia, Legacy aims to transform the Grid into a full-fledged cinematic universe. But does Tron: Legacy deliver the upgrade fans were hoping for, or does it still struggle to compile beyond its visuals? Arnie, Jakob, and Brock jack in to decide whether this sequel runs smoothly or crashes on launch.

Scott Farkus had yellow eyes, so Billy has yellow skin?

Three decades after the original holiday horror classic, Black Christmas returns to the sorority house with a bloodier, louder reimagining of the 1974 shocker. This time, the filmmakers don’t just hint at the killer in the attic; they dive headfirst into his backstory, piling on gruesome kills and seasonal mayhem. The remake leans hard into gore, a twisted family history, and red-glowing Christmas lights. But does explaining the mystery make it scarier, or does it strip away what made the original so unsettling? Arnie, Stuart, and Brock deck the halls with entrails as they decide whether this reboot is a gift for horror fans or something that should have stayed wrapped.

Can you guess what the gift is, Agnes?

Before slashers ruled the ’80s, before masked killers stalked Camp Crystal Lake or Haddonfield, there was 1974 shocker Black Christmas. Often cited as a proto-slasher that paved the way for Halloween and beyond, Black Christmas mixes seasonal cheer with dread, delivering one of the genre’s earliest and creepiest home-invasion nightmares. Arnie, Stuart, and Brock gather around the tree to unwrap this horror classic, digging into its legacy, its influence, and whether its quiet menace still chills decades later. Is this holiday horror essential viewing, or does it get lost among the tinsel and blood? Be merry and listen now!

Check out the data discs on her!

Light Cycles. Neon Frisbees. Arcade games. These are the iconic, nostalgic images that come to mind when you think of Tron, Disney's 'ahead of its time' 1982 cult classic, in which Jeff Bridges plays a cyberspace messiah almost 20 years before Keanu Reeves' Neo. With the upcoming release of the sequel Tron: Legacy, Disney is banking on viewer nostalgia. But beyond those images, how well do you remember Tron? Is it an unappreciated classic that audiences should replay, or are our hosts just waiting for the game-over screen? Boot up this episode of Now Playing Podcast with Arnie, Brock, and Jakob and find out!

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.

Education or exploitation?

Twenty years after Rambo III crashed harder than a tank into a chopper, John Rambo returned in Rambo. Fresh off his comeback as Rocky, Sylvester Stallone stepped back into the bandana, this time heading to war-torn Burma for a rescue mission that quickly spirals into full-scale carnage. This fourth installment ditches glossy ’80s bombast for brutal, unflinching violence. But does this stripped-down, ultra-violent Rambo mark a worthy evolution for the character, or does it prove the franchise should have stayed buried in Cold War nostalgia? Arnie, Brock, and Jakob lock and load to decide whether this 21st-century return redeems the series or simply escalates the body count.

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!

Best. Tank vs helicoptor scene. Ever!

After Rambo: First Blood Part II detonated at the box office, another mission was inevitable. Sylvester Stallone returned once more in Rambo III, sending John Rambo into war-torn Afghanistan to rescue his captured mentor, Colonel Trautman, and take the fight to Soviet forces. Trading jungles for deserts, the third installment ups the scale again with bigger explosions, heavier weaponry, and a geopolitical backdrop ripped straight from late-Cold War headlines. But decades later, does Rambo III feel hopelessly dated, or does it deliver pure '80s action excess at its most entertaining? Arnie, Jakob, and Brock saddle up to decide whether this sequel still packs a punch or has been left behind by history.

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!

Now that is a knife!

In 1985, Sylvester Stallone brought John Rambo back to theaters with Rambo: First Blood Part II. This time, the mission sends Rambo back to Vietnam to rescue American POWs, turning the brooding survival story of the original into a full-throttle action spectacle. With corrupt bureaucrats, double-crosses, heavy artillery, and those unforgettable exploding arrowheads, Rambo II doubles down on muscle and patriotism, cementing Rambo as a pop culture icon of the era. But does this sequel deliver cathartic action-hero triumph, or does it sacrifice substance for spectacle? Brock, Jakob, and Arnie continue their Rambo retrospective by dissecting whether this was a victorious return or an electrifying misfire.

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!

Featuring David Caruso without sunglasses!

John Rambo, as embodied by Sylvester Stallone, became one of the defining action icons of the 1980s. Though Stallone had already earned Oscar recognition for Rocky, his non-Rocky career was wobbling when he signed on to adapt First Blood for the screen. The result was a tense survival thriller that launched a franchise, reshaped Stallone’s image, and even drew admiration from figures like President Ronald Reagan. Now Playing Podcast begins its Rambo retrospective by revisiting the film that started it all. Is this original Rambo just another loud, over-the-top relic of the Reagan era, or does it earn its reputation as a more thoughtful and grounded action drama? Arnie, Brock, and Jakob head into the woods to find out.

If it's Halloween, then it's Now Playing reviewing Saw!

After Paranormal Activity knocked Saw off its Halloween throne, the producers decided the time had come to end the game. This final chapter promises one last round of traps, twists, and moral reckoning - now in 3D! Arnie, Marjorie, and Jakob reunite to finish their own long-running trial of the Saw series, putting more thought into this finale than some might argue the screenplay received. Does this last piece of the puzzle deliver a satisfying conclusion, or does the series end with a dull blade?

Don't you wish all bikers were hot like her?

After 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre carved up the box office, a follow-up was inevitable. But with Leatherface maimed and Sheriff Hoyt flattened, where could the story go next? Platinum Dunes chose to take the story back to The Beginning with a prequel cutting into the origins of the Hewitt clan. This chapter shows the birth of Leatherface, the rise of R. Lee Ermey’s sadistic Sheriff Hoyt, and the grim milestones that shaped the family’s descent into cannibalistic horror. Does this prequel add meaningful depth to the flesh-filled family, or does it simply serve up more carnage without purpose? The hosts sharpen their knives to decide whether this origin tale is a feast for horror fans or another stale helping in a franchise struggling to find its footing.

This is my chainsaw. There are others like it, but this one is mine.

After The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation limped quietly onto home video, it looked like Leatherface’s reign of terror had finally sputtered out. Then Michael Bay and his production company, Platinum Dunes, decided the franchise deserved a modern overhaul, delivering a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With a new Leatherface, a fresh batch of doomed teens, and R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) chewing scenery as the sadistic Sheriff Hoyt, the remake leaned into grime, brutality, and high-production dread. It also kicked off Platinum Dunes’ run of horror reboots, later including new versions of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Was this gritty reset the high-water mark for Platinum Dunes’ horror "rehab" era, or just the first in a series of disappointments? Rev up this podcast to hear Arnie, Stuart, and Brock decide whether this reboot stands tallest among the studio’s remakes.

We hope you LIKE our review!

Your friends Marjorie, Arnie, and Stuart bring you an exclusive podcast just for Now Playing Podcast Facebook fans with a review of The Social Network. Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club), this sharp, fast-talking biopic traces the rise of Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook, charting how one idea built millions of online connections while burning more than a few real-world bridges. Fueled by ambition, lawsuits, and razor-edged dialogue, the film aims to turn recent tech history into gripping drama. But do our hosts "Like" The Social Network, or is it something we’d quietly hide from our wall? The hosts log in to decide whether this modern success story deserves to go viral.

You carved me at 'Hello'.

For the 20th anniversary of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Kim Henkel returned to the franchise to introduce Leatherface to The Next Generation. Featuring early performances from Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, the film positioned itself as a bold new chapter for Leatherface and his deeply disturbed clan. Instead, production delays and studio uncertainty left it sitting on the shelf until a quiet home video release in 1997, after its young stars had become marquee names. The promise was a return to the raw, unsettling spirit of 1974. The result is something far stranger. Does this fourth installment reclaim the franchise’s gritty edge, or veer into off-the-rails territory? Arnie, Brock, and Stuart fire up the chainsaw to decide whether this Next Generation resurrects the saga or hacks it apart.

The Podcast is Family.

While Jason and Freddy dominated the late-’80s horror scene, Leatherface waited in the shadows. Then New Line Cinema, the studio nicknamed "The House That Freddy Built," picked up the franchise and aimed to turn him into their next marquee slasher with Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. This third installment trades regional grit for a more polished studio approach, adding a Hollywood-leaning cast that includes a then-unknown Viggo Mortensen and genre favorite Ken Foree. Even the chainsaw gets a cosmetic upgrade. But does that slicker presentation help Leatherface carve out a place among the era’s horror heavyweights, or does it sand down what made the original so disturbing? Arnie, Brock, and Stuart rev the engine to decide whether this sequel lets Leatherface shine or just sputter.