Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast

This summer Ridley Scott returned to his Alien franchise for the third time with the thriller COVENANT. Arnie, Stuart, and Brock reviewed this film, continuing the Alien Review Series they started in 2012 with the release of Prometheus. On this preview hear clips from the entire Alien Retrospective Series, and learn how you can hear the full reviews! Plus reviews for Planet of the Apes and Pirates of the Caribbean.  All donations help keep Now Playing operating becuase, without donors... no one could hear Now Playing. Support our show and get the entire series! Details on our donation page

Fans of the 1975 Wonder Woman series have to be excited for the Wonder-ful release from La La Land records: The Wonder Woman 3-CD set. This release has music cues and score from all three seasons of Wonder Woman's run from composers Charles Fox, Artie Kane, Robert Prince, Johnny Harris, Robert O. Ragland, Angela Morley, and Richard LaSalle.  On this bonus Now Playing, Arnie talks with Wonder Woman album producer Neil S. Bulk. Find out what goes into making a soundtrack for a 40-year-old show, and take a listen to some of the music found in this set.  And on this episode--find out how to win one of six copies Now Playing is giving away! You have until June 13th to enter.

Sometimes a movie becomes something more than a film--it becomes a movement. That seems to be the case with Wonder Woman. It has become celebrated as not only a great DC movie but also the first wonder-ful female-led superhero film, and a breakthrough for a female director. Beyond the politics, though, how much does this movie improve the Snyder-verse of DC Comics films? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

There still be some wind left in the sails of the Black Pearl as Captain Jack Sparrow coasted back into theaters last weekend for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. It's been six years since the Lothario captain last graced the big screen. How does this new adventure compare to the original trilogy? Come on board with the Now Playing Spring Donation Series to find out!   This podcast is not available for general download. Now Playing is a podcast with no sponsors or advertisements. We rely solely on listener support to keep going. Our Spring 2017 Donation Drive is underway and from now through July 31, 2017, the Pirates of the Caribbean Retrospective Series is available as a "thank you" to those who support Now Playing. You can listen to this preview of the show for free now using the link above. The full podcast series is available through a Paypal donation to Now Playing, or individual episodes are available on our Podbean page. Details can be found on our Spring 2017 Donation page. Thank you in advance for your support of our show!

Cathy Lee Crosby's Wonder Woman series didn't take off. But one year later ABC was ready to try again with The All-New Original Wonder Woman. It was a huge success and this is the series everyone remembers. Starring then-unknown Lynda Carter as the titular superhero, how does Wonder Woman work in a movie made in the 1970s, set in the 1940s? Spin along with Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

When you think of Wonder Woman on ABC in the '70s no doubt you think of Lynda Carter in her red, white, and blue outfit, spinning through costume changes. But do you remember ABC's first Wonder Woman played by Cathy Lee Crosby? Based on DC Comics' "Diana Prince" era of comics, this made-for-TV movie introduces Wonder Woman the super-spy. Her bracelets may not deflect bullets, but they are gadgets worthy of James Bond. The series based on this pilot was not green-lit, and the next year ABC would try again with their iconic Lynda Carter show. But was this original movie still a Wonder? Wonder no longer! Listen to Now Playing to find out!

After four years lost at sea Jack Sparrow returned for 2011's On Stranger Tides. Gone are many of his compatriots, including  Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner. Also gone is series director Gore Verbinski, replaced by Rob Marshall--a director known for his work on musicals like Chicago. With new baddie Blackbeard and a totally new adventure, is this pirate franchise still ship-shape and Bristol fashion? Support Now Playing to find out, savvy?   This podcast is not available for general download. Now Playing is a podcast with no sponsors or advertisements. We rely solely on listener support to keep going. Our Spring 2017 Donation Drive is underway and from now through July 31, 2017, the Pirates of the Caribbean Retrospective Series is available as a "thank you" to those who support Now Playing. You can listen to this preview of the show for free now using the link above. The full podcast series is available through a Paypal donation to Now Playing, or individual episodes are available on our Podbean page. Details can be found on our Spring 2017 Donation page. Thank you in advance for your support of our show!

In 2006 David Lynch finally completed and released Inland Empire -- an experimental film that took him nearly three years to create. If it isn't the largest of Lynch's strange and surreal visions, it is his longest,  coming in at three hours. And recently Lynch announced this is the final movie of his career. With talking bunny sitcoms, a murder mystery, and the Locomotion, did he go out on a high note? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob in this final David Lynch review to find out!   Then head to NowPeakingPodcast.com and hear reviews of every episode of Twin Peaks! It's part of Now Playing's Spring '17 Donation Drive.  Every dollar helps keep Now Playing going!

Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy ends with 2007's At World's End.   With new additions to the cast and an enormous final battle the film did not lack for spectacle.  But does this third Pirates film sink or sail? Listen to Now Playing's donation episode to find out!   This podcast is not available for general download. Now Playing is a podcast with no sponsors or advertisements. We rely solely on listener support to keep going. Our Spring 2017 Donation Drive is underway and from now through July 31, 2017, the Pirates of the Caribbean Retrospective Series is available as a "thank you" to those who support Now Playing. You can listen to this preview of the show for free now using the link above. The full podcast series is available through a Paypal donation to Now Playing, or individual episodes are available on our Podbean page. Details can be found on our Spring 2017 Donation page. Thank you in advance for your support of our show!

James Gunn defied all expectations. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy was the first Marvel studios film to go cosmic, and with stars like a raccoon and a talking tree, it could have easily crashed. Instead it has become many fans' favorite entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now Gunn is back, as are all the Guardians. The stakes are higher. Does this movie rock as much as the first? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

With the original Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow sailed into the top echelon of box-office heroes. But now he rides the wave of Hollywood movie trends, making not one but two sequels back-to-back. The first part of this epic was 2006's Dead Man's Chest. Does this Pirates' course stay straight and true? Listen to this episode of Now Playing to find out!   This podcast is not available for general download. Now Playing is a podcast with no sponsors or advertisements. We rely solely on listener support to keep going. Our Spring 2017 Donation Drive is underway and from now through July 31, 2017, the Pirates of the Caribbean Retrospective Series is available as a "thank you" to those who support Now Playing. You can listen to this preview of the show for free now using the link above. The full podcast series is available through a Paypal donation to Now Playing, or individual episodes are available on our Podbean page. Details can be found on our Spring 2017 Donation page. Thank you in advance for your support of our show!

After Twin Peaks' inglorious end it seemed a safe assumption that David Lynch and the ABC network were through with each other. Yet in the late '90s ABC hired Lynch to make a pilot for a new TV series--Mullholland Dr.  The series wasn't picked up, but Lynch filmed a new ending and the result was one of his most acclaimed films. So take the key, open the box, and join the Now Playing hosts as they analyze this surreal mystery movie!

Johnny Depp has long been a respected actor, but with 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl he became a box office draw. His performance as Jack Sparrow is one of Hollywood's most iconic recent performances, alongside Sean Connery's James Bond, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, and Harrison Ford's Han Solo.   Pre-release rumors had the Black Pearl sinking down to Davy Jones' locker, but instead it was the third biggest movie of 2003 and launched a major movie franchise. But can a movie based on a theme park ride really be, itself, a fun ride? If you donate to support Now Playing you can listen and find out!   This podcast is not available for general download. Now Playing is a podcast with no sponsors or advertisements. We rely solely on listener support to keep going. Our Spring 2017 Donation Drive is underway and from now through July 31, 2017, the Pirates of the Caribbean Retrospective Series is available as a "thank you" to those who support Now Playing. You can listen to this preview of the show for free now using the link above. The full podcast series is available through a Paypal donation to Now Playing, or individual episodes are available on our Podbean page. Details can be found on our Spring 2017 Donation page. Thank you in advance for your support of our show!

For several films where Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto was a car-driving superhero. Now, in The Fate of the Furious he's back on the wrong side of the law, working for a mysterious hacker named Cypher (Charlize Theron). Does this rift with his "family" supercharge the franchise's eighth installment, or is it headed for a burnout? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

After the violent, explicit Lost Highway it seems whiplash-inducing that David Lynch's next film would be a G-rated family film for Disney. But that's what The Straight Story is. There are no dancing little people, no time loops, and no murder mysteries. The Straight Story is a true story of Alvin Straight, a retired farmer who drives his John Deere lawnmower over 300 miles to see his ailing brother. Is this a Story worth watching? Join the Now Playing hosts to find out!