Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast

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

Dangertainment Tonight What happens when you throw reality TV, early-2000s internet culture, martial arts, and Michael Myers into a blender? You get Halloween: Resurrection. Despite the previous film's seemingly definitive ending, The Shape is back again, this time stalking a live-streamed haunted house event designed to cash in on Haddonfield's bloody history. Featuring Busta Rhymes (Higher Learning) delivering roundhouse kicks and reality-show chaos front and center, Resurrection leans hard into the trends of its era. But does this attempt at a modern, "hip" reimagining inject new life into the franchise, or does it finally push the series past the point of no return? The hosts step into the house one more time to decide whether this revival was inspired or ill-advised. {Halloween Series}

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

Nobody doesn't like Jamie Lee! Twenty years after the night he came home, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her iconic Laurie Strode role in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. Ignoring several previous sequels, this entry aims to reset the timeline and give Laurie a final confrontation with her masked brother. With the late-'90s slasher revival in full swing and the influence of hotshot screenwriter Kevin Williamson, H20 tries to blend classic Halloween tension with the sharper, self-aware tone audiences embraced after Scream. Does this legacy sequel deliver the showdown fans had waited two decades for, or does it rely too heavily on trend-chasing and nostalgia? The hosts examine whether this return to form truly makes you scream, or merely echoes past glories. {Halloween Series}

Given the pattern of these subtitles, shouldn't the next one be titled "The Trail of Michael Myers"? Michael Myers returns yet again in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and this time the franchise dives headfirst into ancient curses, secret cults, and the mysterious Man in Black teased in the previous film. The infamous Thorn storyline attempts to explain the unexplainable, layering druids and destiny onto what was once a simple shape in the shadows. If that already sounds complicated, just wait! Between the theatrical cut and the later Producer’s Cut, there are two different versions of this movie, each trying to make sense of the chaos. Can the Now Playing Podcast hosts untangle the mythology and find something coherent in this sixth installment, or does the curse extend to the audience as well? {Halloween Series}

This time it's personal. Wait, wait, so was the last time... and the time before that. Michael Myers returns once again in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the fifth chapter in the long-running franchise. Picking up after the events of Halloween 4, the film promises answers about Jamie Lloyd, Michael's masked rampage, and the mysterious figures lurking in the shadows. But instead of clarity, audiences get a strange man in a trench coat, cryptic symbols, and a few head-scratching detours along the way. Does Halloween 5 build suspense and deepen the mythology, or does it pile on confusion in place of scares? The hosts sort through the masks, the mayhem, and the mysteries to see whether this revenge story earns its place in the series. {Halloween Series}

Michael Myers is going after his niece. Will she cry uncle? After the detour of a Halloween film without Michael Myers, the franchise makes its intentions crystal clear with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. The title says it all: the Shatner-masked icon is back, front and center, and the series is once again betting everything on The Shape stalking Haddonfield. But does bringing Myers back also bring the franchise back to form? Is this a worthy return to the tension and simplicity that made the early films classics, or just a familiar face in a weaker sequel? The hosts look at the new characters, the body count, and whether Halloween 4 earns its "return" or merely repeats it. {Halloween Series}

This movie gives a whole new meaning to the term 'bugging out'. Join Now Playing Podcast this week as we count down the days until Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Silver Shamrock! This episode tackles Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the bold franchise detour that dares to remove Michael Myers, Dr. Loomis, and just about every element audiences associated with the series. Instead of The Shape, viewers get sinister masks, corporate conspiracy, Irish witches, and a jingle that will lodge itself in your brain whether you want it there or not. Was this anthology experiment ahead of its time, or did stripping away the franchise’s core identity doom it from the start? The hosts dive into the risks, the mythology, and whether this season without Myers deserves a second look. {Halloween Series}

Think of the bright side. If he does attack you here, you are already in the hospital! Join Now Playing Podcast this week as we continue our Halloween retrospective with Halloween II. Picking up right where the 1978 classic left off, Michael Myers, aka The Shape, is still on the hunt, still wearing that infamous Captain Kirk mask, and still turning quiet suburban spaces into a killing ground. Does Halloween II successfully extend the fear and tension that sparked a slasher boom, or does it feel like more blood and noise without the same creeping dread? The hosts dig into the escalation, the hospital setting, and whether this first sequel earns its place in the series’ legacy. {Halloween Series}

It's a nice 3-bedroom, 2-bath. A bit of a fixer-upper. The gutters are falling down, and there's a murderer living inside. But you can't beat the payment! With the release of Halloween II, Now Playing Podcast begins a deep dive into the entire Halloween franchise, revisiting all ten films in the series. It all starts with Halloween, the low-budget shocker from John Carpenter that introduced the world to Michael Myers, also known as The Shape. Armed with a Captain Kirk mask and an unrelenting presence, Michael Myers stalked suburban streets and helped define the modern slasher film. Does this 1978 classic still deliver the tension and terror that frightened a generation, or has time dulled its edge? The hosts step into Haddonfield to examine the atmosphere, the score, and the legacy of the movie that turned Carpenter into a master of horror. {Halloween Series}

You're gonna teach me to do what with that chicken? Now Playing Podcast continues its look back at Rob Zombie’s early horror films with The Devil's Rejects, the gritty follow-up to House of 1000 Corpses. This time, the Firefly family is on the run, trading haunted-house madness for a dusty, grindhouse road movie soaked in violence and moral decay. Stripped of some of the carnival surrealism of the first film, The Devil’s Rejects leans harder into brutal realism and outlaw nihilism. Does this sequel refine Zombie’s style into something sharper and more effective, or does it double down on cruelty without adding depth? The hosts follow the Fireflies down the highway to decide whether this chapter elevates the saga or just leaves more wreckage in its wake. {House of 1000 Corpses Series}

What do Billy Joel, Ric Ocasek, Chris Robinson, and Rob Zombie have in common? In anticipation of Halloween II, Now Playing Podcast looks back at director Rob Zombie’s first plunge into feature-film horror: House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel, The Devil's Rejects. The journey begins with House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie’s fever-dream introduction to the twisted Firefly family. Blending grindhouse aesthetics, carnival grotesquery, and unapologetic brutality, the film throws viewers headfirst into a nightmare world where every door hides something worse than the last. Does Zombie’s debut announce a bold new horror voice, or is it style over substance buried under a mountain of mayhem? The hosts step inside the Firefly home to find out just where all those bodies fit. {House of 1000 Corpses Series}

If I only had a heart! Today, the Now Playing Podcast Terminator Retrospective Series concludes (for now) with Terminator Salvation. With a new director, a new leading man, and the story shifting fully into the post-apocalyptic future war, this installment attempts to reinvent the franchise by showing the world audiences had only glimpsed before. Featuring Christian Bale as John Connor and a conflicted new Terminator model at the center of the story, Salvation trades time travel for battlefield grit. Does this bold change in direction breathe new life into the saga, or does it prove the series has finally run out of power? The hosts render their final verdict on whether this chapter redeems the franchise or brings it to an abrupt shutdown. {Terminator Series}

When playing with your Terminatrix, always remember the safe word. This episode of the Now Playing Podcast Terminator Retrospective Series jumps ahead twelve years to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as the T-101, now facing off against a new model assassin, the deadly T-X, while protecting an adult John Connor and his future wife as Judgment Day once again looms. With nuclear annihilation hanging over the story and expectations sky-high after T2, this third installment tries to prove the franchise still has life left in it. Can John Connor actually change fate, and more importantly, is it entertaining to watch him try? The hosts evaluate the action, the tone shift, and whether this sequel stands on its own as they gear up for the release of Terminator Salvation. {Terminator Series}

Time for a Pepsi and a five-dollar footlong! This episode of the Now Playing Podcast Terminator Retrospective Series takes on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the biggest movie of 1991, and the sequel that redefined what blockbuster visual effects could achieve. James Cameron raises the stakes, flips the premise, and unleashes the groundbreaking liquid-metal T-1000 against a reprogrammed T-101 now sworn to protect John Connor. With Arnold Schwarzenegger returning in an iconic role and cutting-edge CGI pushing the medium forward, T2 aims not just to top the original, but to evolve it. Does this sequel surpass The Terminator, and in doing so set a standard so high that future installments can’t possibly match it? The hosts break down the action, the emotional core, and even touch on the T2-3D: Battle Across Time theme park show inspired by the film. {Terminator Series}

The only things that can make it through the time machine are organic materials and hair gel. Welcome to the Now Playing Podcast Terminator Retrospective Series, where we revisit every film in the killer-cyborg saga. We begin with The Terminator, James Cameron’s lean, relentless sci-fi thriller that fused time travel, slasher tension, and gritty action into something audiences hadn’t quite seen before. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the unstoppable cybernetic assassin sent back to 1984 Los Angeles, the film turned a low-budget premise into a genre classic. It launched one of cinema’s most enduring franchises. Does The Terminator still pack the same punch decades later, or has time diminished its impact? The hosts break down the performances, the pacing, and whether this original machine still runs like new. {Terminator Series}

It's taken 11 movies, but the mystery is finally uncovered... her first name is Nyota. In the final (for now) installment of the Now Playing Podcast Star Trek Retrospective Series, the hosts arrive at the franchise reset - the brand new Star Trek. J.J. Abrams’ reboot promises a new timeline, a younger cast, and a faster, louder approach designed to relaunch Trek for a new generation. How faithful is this reimagining to the spirit of the original series? Do the new actors successfully step into some of science fiction’s most iconic roles, or do comparisons prove unavoidable? And most importantly, does this reboot modernize Trek, or does it make the series genuinely fun again? The hosts engage warp speed one last time to see where this bold new direction takes the franchise. {Star Trek Series}

Begun the clone war has This episode of Now Playing Podcast concludes The Next Generation era of the Star Trek Retrospective Series with Star Trek: Nemesis. In this final big-screen outing for Captain Picard and his crew, the Enterprise faces a shadowy new threat with unsettling ties to Picard himself, raising questions about identity, destiny, and legacy. Paramount marketed Nemesis as darker and more action-driven, but does this last voyage boldly go somewhere new for Trek, or does it feel like territory we’ve already explored B-4? Listen now to find out if this was an inglorious finale for a Generation of heroes! {Star Trek Series}

Warning - firmer breasts do not make effective flotation devices The Star Trek: The Next Generation crew faces a moral dilemma involving forced relocation, political compromise, and a possible Insurrection. Leaning more toward a classic TV-style adventure than a large-scale cinematic spectacle, this ninth Trek asks whether standing up to Starfleet is worth the cost. Does this rebellion story offer a refreshing return to Trek’s ethical roots, or does it feel smaller and less ambitious than a feature film should? The hosts examine the themes, the tone, and whether this entry rejuvenates the series or still needs a few cosmetic fixes. {Star Trek Series}

That'll do, Geordi. That'll do. Now Playing Podcast continues the Star Trek Retrospective Series with Star Trek: First Contact. Widely regarded as the strongest big-screen outing for The Next Generation crew, this chapter throws Captain Picard and company into a high-stakes time-travel mission to stop the Borg from rewriting Earth’s history. Blending action, horror elements, and franchise lore, First Contact aims to deliver both spectacle and character-driven drama. Is resisting this Borg-driven adventure truly futile, or does the time-travel plot create more confusion than tension? The hosts examine the performances, the pacing, and whether this entry earns its reputation as a standout Trek film. {Star Trek Series}

Holodecks, warp drives and human replicant androids they can do, but curing male pattern baldness still eludes them. Star Trek: Generations finally brings two eras of Enterprise captains together on the big screen. Marketed as a historic handoff between crews, the movie aims to bridge the classic series with the next generation of Star Trek storytelling. Does this long-awaited captain team-up deliver the kind of crossover fans dreamed about, or does the collision of generations feel more symbolic than satisfying? The hosts examine the stakes, the spectacle, and whether this passing of the torch truly ignites something new or leaves viewers unexpectedly hollow. {Star Trek Series}

The Klingon doth quotes Shakesphere too much, methinks Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was the final big-screen outing for the original Enterprise crew. Framed as a political thriller, this chapter tackles conspiracy, distrust, and the end of an era as the galaxy faces an uneasy push toward peace. Does this farewell give the classic cast a strong, thoughtful send-off, or does it feel like a courtroom slog that can’t quite escape its own gravity? The hosts examine the themes, the performances, the morphing, and whether this last voyage boldly concludes the original crew’s story or puts them on trial one final time. {Star Trek Series}

Ok, Bill, fine. You can direct. Now Playing Podcast continues the Star Trek Retrospective Series with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Directed by William Shatner, this fifth entry sends the crew on a strange spiritual quest beyond the galaxy’s edge, asking some very big questions about faith, pain, and what exactly might be waiting at the center of the universe. Does The Final Frontier deliver a bold, thoughtful chapter for the series, or does it get lost in ambition and uneven execution? The hosts dig into the tone shifts, the infamous effects, and whether this film finds meaning in its journey, or can’t see the DeForest for the trees. {Star Trek Series}

Chekov - San Francisco in the 1980s, perhaps leather pants wasn't the best choice... Trading space battles for time travel, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home sends the crew back to 1980s Earth on a mission involving whales, culture shock, and a very different tone from what came before. Does this lighter, fish-out-of-water Trek still hold up decades later, or does this whale tale sink under the weight of its message and comedy? Continuing the Trek toward the reboot, our hosts dig into the humor and heart, and whether this unexpected detour remains one of the franchise’s smartest moves. {Star Trek Series}

Hey - you're not Kirstie Alley! Now Playing Podcast continues the Star Trek Retrospective Series with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Picking up directly after the events of The Wrath of Khan, the crew of the Enterprise risks everything to recover the body and soul of everyone’s favorite Vulcan. Is this emotional rescue mission a meaningful extension of the saga, or does undoing a powerful ending weaken what came before? The hosts examine the stakes, the consequences, and whether this journey to retrieve the pointy-eared one was worth taking at all. {Star Trek Series}

Waiter, I'll have the Kobayashi Maru Now Playing Podcast continues the Star Trek Retrospective Series with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the sequel often credited with radically changing the course of the franchise. Trading the slow, meditative approach of the first film for sharper pacing, higher stakes, and a personal vendetta, this entry pits Admiral Kirk against his most formidable enemy yet. Does The Wrath of Khan breathe new life into a series that struggled on the big screen, or does it still drift cold and distant like deep space? The hosts dig into the characters, the action, and whether this sequel finally delivers the cinematic Star Trek adventure audiences were hoping for. {Star Trek Series}

We get to the point faster than Kirk gets to the Enterprise! Welcome to Now Playing Podcast's Star Trek Retrospective Series, where we review every film in the Star Trek movie franchise leading up to the release of the new Star Trek movie on Friday, May 8, 2009. The journey begins with 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the long-awaited big-screen debut of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. After a decade off the air, Star Trek returned with a slower, more cerebral adventure focused on ideas, spectacle, and cosmic mystery rather than action. Was this first cinematic voyage worth the wait for longtime fans, or would the crew have been better off staying in reruns? The hosts engage warp drive and find out where this ambitious experiment lands. {Star Trek Series}

Welcome back to Now Playing Podcast’s Friday the 13th Retrospective Series, where we’ve reviewed every chapter in the saga leading up to the brand-new 2009 reboot hitting theaters this Friday the 13th. In this thirteenth and final installment, Arnie, Stuart, and Brock step back from Camp Crystal Lake to look at the franchise as a whole. Which films delivered the sharpest kills? Where did the series lose its way? How did Jason evolve from sack-headed stalker to hockey-masked horror icon? And after seeing the 2009 remake, does the franchise's future look bright… or buried? We also reveal what retrospective series is coming next. One journey ends here, but Now Playing Podcast is just getting started. {Friday the 13th Series}

If your friends suggest camping out near Crystal Lake....you say no! Now Playing Podcast wraps up its Friday the 13th retrospective with the moment it's all been building toward. After revisiting every sequel, detour, and resurrection, the hosts finally arrive at the franchise's modern reboot, released on Friday, February 13, 2009. This remake promises a faster, meaner, back-to-basics take on Jason Voorhees, blending elements from the early films while aiming to reintroduce the hockey-masked killer to a new generation. Does this reboot deliver the fresh start fans were hoping for, or does it prove that maybe it's better to keep legends in mothballs? The retrospective ends where the future begins. {Friday the 13th Series}

One, two, Jason's coming for you... Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the series heads toward the release of the new film on Friday, February 13, 2009. This episode takes on Freddy vs. Jason, focusing specifically on Jason Voorhees and how this long-teased crossover fits into the Friday the 13th lineage. After years of stalled development and fan anticipation, Jason is finally pulled out of Crystal Lake and dropped into someone else’s nightmare. But does this matchup respect Jason as a character and advance his mythology, or does he get sidelined in favor of flashier dream logic and punchlines? The hosts look at Jason’s role, his portrayal, and whether this crossover works as a Friday the 13th chapter or leaves him playing second fiddle to the killer in his own movie. {Friday the 13th Series} {Nightmare on Elm Street Series}

Aliens called. It wants its plot back. Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the countdown to the new film’s release on Friday, February 13, 2009, rolls on. This episode tackles Jason X, the sequel that does the unthinkable and sends Jason Voorhees into the future… and into space. Trading Camp Crystal Lake for cryogenics, androids, and zero-gravity kills, Jason X fully embraces sci-fi absurdity and franchise fatigue in equal measure. Is this a self-aware blast of camp that understands exactly how ridiculous it is, or a sign that the series had finally drifted too far from its roots? The hosts dig into the gimmicks, the humor, and whether Jason in space is inspired lunacy or just the last gasp before reentry. {Friday the 13th Series}

Hell looks an awful lot like Connecticut Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the series barrels toward the release of the new film on Friday, February 13, 2009. This episode dives into Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. This entry attempts to radically reinvent the franchise by tearing Jason apart and spreading his evil in unexpected ways. Released in 1993, The Final Friday takes big swings with body-hopping mythology, lore expansion, and a very different take on what a Friday the 13th movie can be. Do the hosts find this bold experiment impressive and possessed by Jason’s evil, or does it leave them feeling like they spent the whole runtime in hell? {Friday the 13th Series}

Toxic Waste in the sewers is so cliché. Right, Master Splinter? Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the countdown to the new film’s release on Friday, February 13, 2009, rolls on. This episode tackles Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. This sequel promises to haul Jason Voorhees out of Camp Crystal Lake and into the city that never sleeps... eventually. After eight films, the franchise makes a big swing by changing locations and upping the spectacle. But does shipping Jason to New York actually breathe new life into the series, or does this detour on a boat prove the formula is running on fumes? The hosts dig into the setting (or lack of it), the kills, and whether Jason’s so-called Big Apple adventure wakes the series up or just bites. {Friday the 13th Series}

Psychic powers meets psycho killer. Discuss. Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective with Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. This 1988 sequel tries to shake things up by pitting Jason Voorhees against a new kind of opponent and leaning harder into supernatural elements than ever before. Does The New Blood inject some much-needed life into the franchise, or does it feel like the series is shambling along on fumes? The hosts dig into the gimmick, the kills, and whether this experiment gives Jason a jolt of energy, or makes them wonder if they should have just watched Weekend at Bernie’s II instead. {Friday the 13th Series}

Hey Jason - up your nose with a rubber hose! Now Playing continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the countdown to the new film's release on Friday, February 13, 2009, keeps rolling. This episode takes on Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, the entry that brings Jason Voorhees back to Camp Crystal Lake in a big, loud, and very intentional way. After the controversy of A New Beginning, Jason Lives marks a tonal shift for the series, leaning into self-awareness, bigger kills, and a more overt embrace of the franchise's own mythology. Is this the triumphant return fans were hoping for, or just another excuse to dust off the hockey mask? The hosts dig into the humor, the horror, and whether Jason deserves the "Welcome Back" party he gets here. {Friday the 13th Series}

It would have worked, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids! Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective as the countdown to the new film’s release on Friday, February 13, 2009, rolls on. This episode tackles Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, the 1985 sequel that promised a fresh start for the franchise while boldly toying with its most sacred icon. A New Beginning remains one of the series’ most controversial entries, with its new setting, new characters, and some very deliberate choices about the hockey mask. Is this attempt at reinvention a worthwhile shake-up? Or proof that some things should have been left alone? The hosts dig into the kills, the changes, the damn enchiladas, and whether this “new beginning” was ever really a good idea. {Friday the 13th Series}

Where's Corey Haim when you need him? Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective with the fourth installment, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Marketed as the series’s conclusion, this entry escalates the body count, tightens the pacing, and emphasizes the notion that this is indeed The Fnal Chapter at Camp Crystal Lake. With a more menacing demeanor and a deeper understanding of the series’ strengths, fans have long regarded The Final Chapter as a high point. However, does it truly deserve this reputation, and more importantly, should the series have concluded here? The hosts delve into the kills, characters, cast (including Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover!), and whether this was the appropriate conclusion. {Friday the 13th Series}

A quick and easy Halloween costume is born Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective with Friday the 13th Part III, as the hosts work their way through the franchise ahead of the upcoming reboot. This 1982 installment has the hockey mask take center stage, solidifying Jason's iconic look. But arriving in theaters in full 3-D and pushing the series toward bigger kills and broader spectacle, is Part III a cheap novelty packed with flying eyeballs and pitchforks, or a turning point that helped cement the franchise's identity? The discussion digs into the gimmicks, the gore, and whether this eye-popping sequel earns its place in slasher history. {Friday the 13th Series}

I got this great summer job - I'm a camp counselor at Camp Crystal Lake Now Playing Podcast continues its Friday the 13th retrospective series with Friday the 13th Part 2, as the countdown to the new Friday the 13th movie builds toward its release on Friday, February 13, 2009. The sequel picks up the bloody legacy of Camp Crystal Lake and delivers a major franchise turning point. Released in 1981, Part 2 marks the first time Jason Voorhees steps out of the shadows as the killer himself, trading the mystery of the original for a more direct and relentless threat. The hosts dig into Jason’s early incarnation, the kills, the scares, and whether this sequel strengthens the series or just repeats the formula with a burlap sack. {Friday the 13th Series}

Sure, Jason, honey, you can go take a quick dip in the lake Now Playing Podcast kicks off a special Friday the 13th Retrospective Series as we eagerly await the new Platinum Dunes remake. We'll be camping out with all of the Friday films, starting with the 1980 original. It revolutionized the slasher genre and introduced audiences to the iconic Camp Crystal Lake. Long before hockey masks and pop-culture references, this original entry set the stage with gruesome kills, pervasive paranoia, and a body count that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. Our hosts, Stuart, Arnie, and Brock, delve into the factors that contributed to Friday the 13th's immense popularity, compare it to its horror contemporaries, and ponder whether it still stands as a terrifying movie or has transcended its genre to become a fascinating curiosity. Join us at the lake where it all began for this captivating retrospective. {Friday the 13th Series}

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

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