Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast
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Transformers: The Movie Movie Review
14 juni 2011 · 1 uur 32 min
You're not fooling anyone, Hot Rod. The next screw that falls out will be you Lees meer
For our first episode in the Transformers Retrospective Series, we roll back to 1986 and the animated big-screen debut of The Transformers: The Movie. Optimus Prime vs. Megatron, the rise of Hot Rod, a synth-heavy soundtrack, and a voice cast that includes Eric Idle (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), and the legendary Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) in his final role. It had all the makings of a franchise-defining event, but it left children traumatized and flopped at the box office. Dare to be stupid with Arnie, Stuart, and Transformers mega-fan Jerry as they revisit the animated epic that reshaped Cybertron and ask whether this so-called bomb was actually more than meets the eye.
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X-Men: First Class Movie Review
4 juni 2011 · 2 uur 5 min
Now we gotta cut loose, with nukes! Lees meer
Our X-Men retrospective ends where the X-Men began. X-Men: First Class rewinds the timeline to the 1960s, recasting Charles Xavier (now Wanted's James McAvoy) and Magneto (now Eden Lake's Michael Fassbender) and rebuilding the franchise from the ground up. Matthew Vaughn, coming off Kick-Ass, takes the director’s chair while Bryan Singer returns in a producing role, steering the series into prequel territory. Can this rebooted origin story stand alongside successful franchise relaunches like Star Trek and Batman Begins? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart for this First Class finale of their journey through the X-Men saga.
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Review
27 mei 2011 · 1 uur 56 min
After this podcast, we're afraid Stryker is going to try to have our mouths grafted shut Lees meer
Hugh Jackman steps out on his own in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel tracing Logan’s life from 19th-century Canada through wars, Weapon X experiments, and the events leading to his memory loss. While there's no Xavier's School, there's still a slew of fan-favorite mutants like Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), Blob (Kevin Durand), and a very different take on Deadpool. But does this deep dive into Logan’s past add meaningful layers to the character? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they revisit Wolverine’s first solo outing and decide whether these origins sharpen the claws or dull the legend.
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X-Men: The Last Stand Movie Review
20 mei 2011 · 1 uur 55 min
Multiple men discuss Multiple Man Lees meer
With Bryan Singer graduating from Mutant High to direct Superman Returns, and much of the original creative team gone, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) stepped in to close out the mutant trilogy with X-Men: The Last Stand. The long-foreshadowed conflict finally explodes when a "cure" for mutation is announced, splitting the mutant community and forcing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) into open war. The film swings for epic, tackling the Dark Phoenix storyline while juggling an expanding ensemble. It’s also one of the most divisive entries in the franchise, with fans split over its choices and casualties. Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they revisit the trilogy’s conclusion and decide whether The Last Stand earns its place in the saga or buckles under its own ambition.
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X2: X-Men United Movie Review
13 mei 2011 · 1 uur 27 min
Bobby's brother was nominated for Worst Movie Sibling 2003 Lees meer
Three years after X-Men helped redefine superhero cinema, the mutants return with a bigger budget and new enemies. X2: X-Men United brings back Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and the original cast, but does the focus on Wolverine's mysterious background overshadow the team? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they break down Bryan Singer’s follow-up and decide whether X2 is the rare superhero sequel that improves on the original, or just a case of mutant overload.
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X-Men Movie Review
6 mei 2011 · 1 uur 50 min
The greatest trick Magneto ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist... Lees meer
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.
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Generation X TV Movie Review
29 april 2011 · 1 uur 15 min
Max Headroom, Ace Ventura, and Freddy Krueger all rolled into one! Lees meer
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.
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Scream 4 Movie Review
22 april 2011 · 1 uur 57 min
We don't need friends, we need you to download this podcast! Lees meer
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.
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Jaws The Revenge by Hank Searls Book Review
21 april 2011 · 13 min
This time the review is personal! Lees meer
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.
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Scream 3 Movie Review
15 april 2011 · 1 uur 16 min
At least this movie doesn't have John Waters in it Lees meer
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.
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Healers and Hunters (WARS: The Battle of Phobos - Earthers, Part 1 of 3) by Nathan P. Butler Book Review
12 april 2011 · 14 min
Before it was a novella, it was a card game. Lees meer
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.
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Scream 2 Movie Review
8 april 2011 · 1 uur 22 min
Tori Spelling will not be playing Marjorie in the Now Playing Podcast movie adaptation Lees meer
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.
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Scream Movie Review
1 april 2011 · 1 uur 47 min
Who knew Jiffy Pop could add so much tension to a scene? Lees meer
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.
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Jaws by Peter Benchley Book Review
29 maart 2011 · 15 min
Just when you thought it was safe to read on the beach! Lees meer
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.
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Kick-Ass Movie Review
25 maart 2011 · 1 uur 52 min
No, you won't find Now Playing Podcast on MySpace...it's not 2007. Lees meer
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!
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Man-Thing Movie Review
18 maart 2011 · 1 uur 13 min
He who knows good movies burns at a screening of Man-Thing! Lees meer
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!
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Howard the Duck by Ellis Weiner Book Review
15 maart 2011 · 14 min
And you thought the MOVIE was bad..... Lees meer
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.
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Howard the Duck Movie Review
9 maart 2011 · 2 uur 5 min
Trapped in a podcast we never made... Lees meer
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!
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Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark Broadway Musical Review
8 maart 2011 · 1 uur 14 min
Turn of the Dark, Turn on the Podcast Lees meer
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!
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The Adjustment Bureau Movie Review
5 maart 2011 · 1 uur 29 min
Listening to this podcast is part of your plan Lees meer
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.
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Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick Book Review
4 maart 2011 · 12 min
Are our lives predetermined down to the smallest details? Lees meer
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.
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The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick Book Review
25 februari 2011 · 12 min
Omniscient mutant has the key to the future? Lees meer
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.
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Next (2007) Movie Review
25 februari 2011 · 50 min
We guess Cage didn't see this one coming. Lees meer
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.
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A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick Book Review
18 februari 2011 · 16 min
The search for self gets personal this time for Philip K. Dick Lees meer
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.
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A Scanner Darkly Movie Review
18 februari 2011 · 1 uur 2 min
Keanu has never been so animated Lees meer
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.
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Paycheck by Philip K. Dick Book Review
11 februari 2011 · 13 min
Before the bullets and the doves, there was just a man, a wiped memory, and a handful of junk that might save his life. Lees meer
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.
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Paycheck Movie Review
11 februari 2011 · 1 uur
Given a choice, which movie of his do you think Affleck would erase from his memory? Lees meer
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.
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The Minority Report by Philip K Dick Book Review
4 februari 2011 · 8 min
The precogs have determined you must read this story Lees meer
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!
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Minority Report Movie Review
4 februari 2011 · 1 uur 22 min
Precog sounds like a plumbing term. Lees meer
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.
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Impostor by Philip K. Dick Book Review
29 januari 2011 · 8 min
Who is the man and who is the impostor? Lees meer
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.
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Impostor Movie Review
28 januari 2011 · 46 min
Mr. Monk and the Case of the Reshot Footage Lees meer
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.
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Second Variety by Philip K. Dick Book Review
22 januari 2011 · 11 min
This novella is a real scream Lees meer
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.
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Screamers Movie Review
21 januari 2011 · 57 min
Type 6 Screamers look like DVR boxes. You have been warned. Lees meer
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.
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We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick Book Review
15 januari 2011 · 14 min
If you don't recall this story, it is time for you to read it! Lees meer
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.
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Total Recall (1990) Movie Review
14 januari 2011 · 1 uur 5 min
Man, I just pulled my Quato Lees meer
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!
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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Book Review
8 januari 2011 · 18 min
Everyone knows the movie, now learn about the story! Lees meer
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.
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Blade Runner Movie Review
7 januari 2011 · 1 uur 24 min
Anyone else see a unicorn run through here? Lees meer
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.
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TRON: Legacy Movie Review
24 december 2010 · 1 uur 51 min
In Cyberspace, no one can hear you over the techno. Lees meer
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.
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Black Christmas (2006) Movie Review
18 december 2010 · 54 min
Scott Farkus had yellow eyes, so Billy has yellow skin? Lees meer
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.
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Black Christmas (1974) Movie Review
11 december 2010 · 1 uur 4 min
Can you guess what the gift is, Agnes? Lees meer
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!
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Tron (1982) Movie Review
3 december 2010 · 1 uur 17 min
Check out the data discs on her! Lees meer
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!
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Interview with First Blood author David Morrell
26 november 2010 · 41 min
He drew first blood...on the page. Lees meer
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.
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Rambo Movie Review
26 november 2010 · 1 uur 17 min
Education or exploitation? Lees meer
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.
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Rambo 3 by David Morrell Book Review
19 november 2010 · 15 min
It's better than the movie... but how could it not be? Lees meer
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!
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Rambo III Movie Review
19 november 2010 · 56 min
Best. Tank vs helicoptor scene. Ever! Lees meer
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.
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Rambo - First Blood Part II by David Morrell Book Review
12 november 2010 · 18 min
No, it's worth reviewing! Really! Lees meer
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!
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Rambo: First Blood Part II Movie Review
12 november 2010 · 1 uur 6 min
Now that is a knife! Lees meer
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.
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First Blood by David Morrell Book Review
6 november 2010 · 10 min
Sly didn't make Rambo, David Morrell did! Lees meer
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!
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First Blood Movie Review
5 november 2010 · 1 uur 18 min
Featuring David Caruso without sunglasses! Lees meer
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.
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Saw 3D Movie Review
31 oktober 2010 · 1 uur 42 min
If it's Halloween, then it's Now Playing reviewing Saw! Lees meer
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?