Now Playing: The Karate Kid Retrospective Series

Anthology and horror have a long history together in comics, television, and film, with a heyday in the 80s with such films as The Twilight Zone, Nightmares, Cat's Eye, and the Creepshow films. But in 2007, Michael Dougherty made the most high profile horror anthology in over a decade with Trick 'R' Treat. Starring Sam, a character from Dougherty's animated short, as the sprit of Halloween, this film has plenty of recognizable stars and a high profile producer, but was unable to secure a wide theatrical release and ended up becoming a cult hit on home video. Now, due to listener demand, Arnie, Stuart, and Brock give their review of this underground favorite. Did they find it a treat? Listen to find out!

Joss Whedon may have directed the biggest movie of 2012, but it wasn't the only film he released this year. Before Avengers, another Whedon co-written and produced film, Cabin in the Woods, was released and polarized both Whedonites and horror fans. This genre-bending tale of five friends who try to go off the grid but find themselves terrorized by inbred hillbilly zombies seems rote, but who are the puppet masters pulling the strings and for what purpose? Well Now Playing puppet masters overwhelmingly voted for a review of Cabin in the Woods in our one-off horror review poll, so listen to find out why!

In the 60s and again in the 70s George Romero wowed not just horror fans but movie audiences across the globe with his tales of desperate people trying to survive in the middle of a zombie outbreak. In the 80's Romero again returned, this time to tell his most bleak vision for humanity. A small group of military men and scientists hole up underground in Florida, not knowing if they are the last humans on earth, but seeking a cure for the zombie plague. With Romero demanding the film be left unrated, and securing a very limited theatrical release because of it, Day of the Dead is a film that found it's popularity in the afterlife of VHS. Does it live up to Romero's first two tales of terror? DONATE TO NOW PLAYING TO FIND OUT!

George Romero didn't want to make another zombie movie, he had to be coaxed back to revisit the film that made him famous, but many would argue that Romero's Dawn of the Dead is that rare sequel that is better than the original. Now in the 1970s Romero gives us a world gone mad as the dead rise to kill the living, and we focus on a group of survivors holed up in the most American of fortresses -- a mall! The film is legendary among zombie fans, but does it hold up over 30 years later? DONATE TO NOW PLAYING and you can listen and find out!

Now Playing has begun its Fall 2012 donation drive, and if you support Now Playing you can here our reviews of the George Romero Night of the Living Dead films. Listen to this preview, then head to NowPlayingPodcast.com to find out how to hear the whole show!

This year is big for James Bond fans. It's the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, the first James Bond movie, and also Bond returns to the screen in the long awaited movie--Skyfall! Join us at nowplayingpodcast.com as we review every James Bond film leading up to Skyfall.

Over 25 years after Daniel-san first craned kicked his way into movie history comes this remake of The Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Shot on location in China and featuring Kung Fu instead of Karate, this reboot of the franchise hopes to pack the same punch with a new generation of moviegoers. Does this retelling of the story for modern audiences have the same heart that makes the original the classic it is today, or is this just another Hollywood remake that misses the point? Listen in and find out!

Over 25 years after Daniel-san first craned kicked his way into movie history comes this remake of The Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Shot on location in China and featuring Kung Fu instead of Karate, this reboot of the franchise hopes to pack the same punch with a new generation of moviegoers. Does this retelling of the story for modern audiences have the same heart that makes the original the classic it is today, or is this just another Hollywood remake that misses the point? Listen in and find out!

In 1994 The Karate Kid tried to be the comeback kid in this soft rebooting of the series. Gone is the aging protagonist played by Ralph Macchio, and he has been replaced by future Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank in her first starring role. And back is Mr. Miyagi with his wisdom and unlikely training methods. This film failed to catch on in theaters, but with a new reboot of The Karate Kid coming out next week was The Next Karate Kid an unappreciated classic? Listen in and find out!

In 1994 The Karate Kid tried to be the comeback kid in this soft rebooting of the series. Gone is the aging protagonist played by Ralph Macchio, and he has been replaced by future Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank in her first starring role. And back is Mr. Miyagi with his wisdom and unlikely training methods. This film failed to catch on in theaters, but with a new reboot of The Karate Kid coming out next week was The Next Karate Kid an unappreciated classic? Listen in and find out!

Three years after the release of The Karate Kid Part II, Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi were back in California, and in theaters with the aptly named The Karate Kid Part III. Now Daniel must defend his Karate title against "Karate's Bad Boy" Mike Barnes, and when Mr. Miyagi refuses to help him train Daniel turns to toxic waste dumper Terry Silver for help. With a subplot involving Mr. Miyagi's Little Trees, this film has been generally panned by critics. But is this movie as bad as everyone remembers? Listen in and find out!

Three years after the release of The Karate Kid Part II, Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi were back in California, and in theaters with the aptly named The Karate Kid Part III. Now Daniel must defend his Karate title against "Karate's Bad Boy" Mike Barnes, and when Mr. Miyagi refuses to help him train Daniel turns to toxic waste dumper Terry Silver for help. With a subplot involving Mr. Miyagi's Little Trees, this film has been generally panned by critics. But is this movie as bad as everyone remembers? Listen in and find out!

In 1984 The Karate Kid crane-kicked the box office, and it didn't take Mr. Miyagi to realize a sequel would be fast-tracked. Released in the summer of 1986, The Karate Kid Part II took Daniel LaRusso from California to Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi faces his former rival Sato, and Peter Cetera delivers a theme song that still monopolizes light-rock radio the world over. The sequel grossed even more than the original, but does that make The Karate Kid Part II the better film? Listen in and find out!

In 1984 The Karate Kid crane-kicked the box office, and it didn't take Mr. Miyagi to realize a sequel would be fast-tracked. Released in the summer of 1986, The Karate Kid Part II took Daniel LaRusso from California to Okinawa, Mr. Miyagi faces his former rival Sato, and Peter Cetera delivers a theme song that still monopolizes light-rock radio the world over. The sequel grossed even more than the original, but does that make The Karate Kid Part II the better film? Listen in and find out!

Did you want to take Karate lessons in 1984? If so, you weren't alone! When The Karate Kid first came out it was a smash hit, earning an Oscar nomination for Pat Morita and entering "Wax on, Wax off" into the cultural lexicon of movie phrases. Now, with this classic story being reinterpreted for modern audiences with this summer's remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, we at Now Playing will "wax on" with our Karate Kid retrospective series. Is this first installment worth the legacy? Listen in and find out!