Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast

From 1974 to 1982 Stephen King published 12 books, most of them bestsellers. Yet only three movies were based on his writing during that same period: Carrie in 1976, The Shining in 1980, and Creepshow in 1982. That all changed starting in 1983. In the next four years a total of thirteen movies based on King's works hit screens. The first movie in that deluge was Cujo, based on King's 1980 book about a mother and son trapped by a rabid dog. Does Cujo keep to the quality of the Kubrick, De Palma, and Romero films that came before? Listen to find out!

In the 1990s no one saved the world from aliens like Will Smith! In 1996 he piloted us to freedom in Independence Day, and for summer of 1997 he was doing it again as one of the Men in Black. With Tommy Lee Jones as his dry, experienced mentor, the two must save the world from an intergalactic war. Is this a film you should remember, or is a neuralizer the better option? Listen to this excerpt, and find out details how you can donate and hear the whole show!   Note: This podcast is not available for general download. The Men in Black Retrospective Series was made as a special "Thank you" for those Now Playing Supporters who donate between April 1 and July 31, 2016. You can listen to a preview of this podcast now, and then visit our donation page to find out how to pledge and support Now Playing!  

Harvey Pekar was an independent comic writer, a notorious talk show guest, and a general grump. And with the film American Splendor he added another title--movie star. Pekar himself and Paul Giamatti both play the author in the film that depicts Crumb's start in comics, and his fight with cancer. It's possibly the most down-to-earth comic book movie Now Playing has ever reviewed...but is it good? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!And after you listen to this review, listen to Jakob's 2008 interview with Harvey Pekar.

Frank Miller was given a director's credit on Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. With that film's success Miller went on to direct his own feature film. The result was The Spirit, based on Will Eisner's iconic comic book crimefighter. The movie's visual style and tone strongly resembled Sin City but the reception didn't match that earlier film. Is this film a Sin worth committing? Listen to find out!

When fans think of The Spirit they probably think of Will Eisner's 1940's comic book crimefighter. Or they may think of Frank Miller's 2008 film adaptation of the same name. Only the hard core Spirit fans and '80s trivia buffs would think of the film we'r

It took fifteen years of development, but now the World's Finest heroes are together on screen with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Can the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel share the screen?  The box office was big but the audience divided. Now join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for this review to find out!

It took fifteen years of development, but now the World's Finest heroes are together on screen with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Can the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel share the screen?  The box office was big but the audience divided. Now join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for this review to find out!

It took fifteen years of development, but now the World's Finest heroes are together on screen with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Can the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel share the screen?  The box office was big but the audience divided. Now join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for this review to find out!

Watchmen was an acclaimed '80s comic series. It helped legitimize comics as a literary medium, and remained a bestseller for over 20 years. Yet with its complex, nonlinear narrative, all attempts to adapt it to film had failed to launch. But in 2009 director Sack Snyder, fresh off his success on 300, used the same visual style to bring Watchmen to theaters. The result was not as highly-praised as the graphic novel, but is it worth a watch? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they review the film version of Watchmen, including a comparison of all three different cuts released!

After the success of the X-Men superhero properties were in demand. But before hero teams like Justice League, Watchmen, and Avengers could assemble, there was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sean Connery's Allan Quatermain leads a cadre of literary figures including Tom Sawyer, Dr. Jeckyll, The Invisible Man, and others. The film's reception, though, was anything but extraordinary with rumors this production ended the careers of both Connery and director Stephen Norrington. Is the film deserved of that reputation? Join our League of Extraordinary Movie Critics to find out!

Created by comic book superstars J Scott Campbell, Jim Lee, and Brandon Choi, Gen 13 was Wildstorm Comics' risque Gen-X version of the X-Men. After only a few years in publication the series' success led to Buena Vista creating this animated feature, starring voice actors Mark Hamill, John de Lancie, John de Lancie, and Flea. But before the movie could see release Wildstorm was bought by DC Comics, and Buena Vista parent company Disney forever shelved this action cartoon. Is this a gem that deserves its day, or a mercy killing a'la Corman's Fantasic Four? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for this review to find out!

DC has had over 15 years of television dominance. From Smallville to Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, the heroes of DC Comics have come to life on the small screen. But not every attempt to bring the comics to life succeeded. Birds of Prey was cancelled early, and David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot was never aired at all.  Neither was Justice League of America - a 1997 TV movie intended as a pilot for a CBS series. With The Flash, Green Lantern, The Atom, Martian Manhunter, Fire, and Ice sharing the screen, is this a lost gem? Join Now Playing's Super Friends Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!

In 1976 Wonder Woman spun into America's homes on CBS. In 1978 Superman took flight in theaters. So to capitalize on this success Hanna-Barbera brought a live-action Superfriends to TV with Legends of the Superheroes!  This TV special was split into two episodes, one an adventure and the other a "roast" of the heroes. But with Adam West and Burt Ward returning to the roles of Batman and Robin, is Legends of the Superheroes a worthy successor to Batman's camp fun? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob with this review to find out!

This show description is guest written by Deadpool.   Oh, hello there! Deadpool here. It took ten years but I've finally got my own solo film! Now, I know I'm awesome, but even I'm shocked at how many box office records it broke. I have to give a lot of credit to the marketing, but the movie stars me, so it has to be awesome. The real question, though, is what Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob think. So whatever you're doing -- STOP! You need to just put your life on hold for the next 100 minutes and listen to this show to hear the guys review of my first movie!

Neil Gaiman's Stardust began in 1997 as a DC comic book fairy tale. In 1999 it was then published as an illustrated novel. Finally in 2007 it was adapted to the screen, directed by Matthew Vaughn. This story about a fallen star had its own star power with Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Peter O'Toole. Is this yet another Vaughn comic adaptation worth checking out, or should it be burned ashes to ashes, Stardust to Stardust? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out as they return to their DC Comics Retrospective Series!