Sequester & Chill: Summer Streaming Surprises
The pandemic may have spoiled the summer movie season, but that doesn’t mean there are no summer movies.
It’s been a summer movie season like no other. Some would say we didn’t have a summer movie season, with the likes of Maverick: Top Gun 2, Fast and Furious 9, Black Widow, Tenet, and many other highly anticipated blockbusters being punted to the future.
Yet, there were still many movies released.
Out of necessity, the practice of straight-to-streaming exploded this summer. Less than a year ago, many considered such a release as a monstrous curiosity that would destroy cinemas (see Scorsese’s The Irishman), but when there are no cinemas, or a communal viewing experience isn’t safe, distributors and streaming services combined to give cinephiles a way to experience new movies.
And some of them were really, really good!
Here’s a list of “new summer movies” I saw and most certainly recommend*:
Palm Springs
After Hot Rod and That’s My Boy I have avoided Andy Samberg like a COVID-19 ward, but good word of mouth had me visit Palm Springs and it was a good trip! There have been many movies to try and take the Groundhog Day repeating-day conceit, but I can think of none that had such interesting characters. It was funny and had some character-driven plot twists that kept me engaged.
If you see only one repeating-day film, see Groundhog Day. But if you want to see another, head to Palm Springs.
My Spy
It’s the dearth of new entertainment that led me to watch Dave Bautista’s entry in the “muscle man with kids” genre. Ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger broke out of his big-guns stereotype and became a family-friendly name with Kindergarten Cop it seems every wrestler-turned-actor has tried to copy that success. Some of these comedies work (I enjoyed The Game Plan),and some don’t (Hulk Hogan in Mr. Nanny).
After trying the insipid Stuber I wasn’t inclined to see My Spy but… I did. And it exceeded all my expectations. The chemistry between Bautista and child actress Chloe Coleman feels very natural, and the plot avoids several of the Kindergarten Cop cliches.
In a year that also brought the near-unwatchable Playing with Fire, My Spy was a fun diversion.
The Lovebirds
When this was intended for theatrical release the trailers made the film look funny. Kumail Nanjiani really impressed me with The Big Sick so I’m more inclined to see his work (though with Stuber that was a poor choice).
Lovebirds follows Nanjiani and costar Issa Rae as a couple on the verge of break-up. Well, nothing brings the spark back into a releationship as being on the run for a murder you didn’t commit. The result is the couple trying to find the real killer, uncovering a major conspiracy of Eyes Wide Shut orgiastic proportions, and making me laugh the whole way through.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
It shouldn’t be difficult to make a Mortal Kombat movie. The stories are pre-written for the characters, the filmmakers then need to dramatize those stories in an interesting way.
Legends differentiates itself from previous Kombat movies by focusing on Scorpion. He was a near-mute ninja in the live-action films. Here, he is the protagonist.
The story is pretty rote. Scorpion is a felled warrior resurrected for revenge (see also: The Crow, The Wraith, Spawn, etc.) but the plot does have a few twists. For fans of the previous Kombat games or movies, seeing the classic characters brings a nostalgic thrill.
The only drawback is the animated action. It’s well-drawn, but either you like cartoon fighting or you don’t, and it never thrilled me in any animated form. I much prefer seeing stuntmen do well-choreographed martial arts to seeing artists’ renderings.
It’s not at Flawless Victory, but Scorpion wins.
*For the sake of this list, only movies released as movies were included. Mini-series that really played like long movies, like Defending Jacob, were excluded becuase their episodic format labels them “TV Series”
Now Playing Podcast Host Arnie’s 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2020
It seemed in 2019 I was anxious each month for a new film. From Glass (a super-villain team-up!) to Avengers: Endgame (how can they follow up infinity war?) to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Tarantino back with DiCaprio and Pitt in a Charles Manson story!) to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (can they end on a high note?) there were so many films that had me hyped.
As we start 2020 my list is much shorter than 2019’s, but there are still some films that have me shivering with antici…….pation. Here’s the top 10:
10. The New Mutants (April 10)
Anticipation doesn’t always mean I expect it to be good. The X-Men films have been on a steady decline since First Class, and the years of delays, rumors of reshoots, then rumors that the reshoots didn’t happen, mean this film is likely to be a incomprehensible mess. Still…after wondering if it would ever come out, that they released a new trailer and it looks to actually be happening has me ready.
9. Fantasy Island (Feb 14)
How I picture a few dozen Valentine’s Day conversations (or maybe just mine):
Him: “Hey honey, for Valentine’s Day let’s go to Fantasy Island!”
Her: “Sure!”
Him: “This Fantasy Island has Hostel like torture and Wishmaster level ironies”
Her: “Ummm… How about dinner out instead?”
I can’t imagine why Blumhouse took a license like Fantasy Island only to make something so vastly different from the Aaron Spelling cheese-fest that ruled early ’80s television.
It could be laughably bad, or it could actually be Happy Death Day level fun. I’m hoping for the latter.
8. Black Widow (May 1)
Post Endgame I find little excitement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its stars have left. They’re in what a sports team would call a “rebuilding year.” So they’re banking on their biggest marquee star, Scarlett Johansson, to launch us into Phase 4 with the second female-led Marvel film.
But…why? Didn’t she die in Endgame? If this is, as Marvel claims, a movie set in the past, between Civil War and Infinity War, what does it have to offer the Universe?
It looks exciting, the jokes in the trailer are funny, but there’s lots of funny action films. That alone wouldn’t put this movie on the list.
Two things make me ready for the Widow‘s sting–first, Johansson has taken Black Widow from a horrible inconvenience (Iron Man 2) to a rich main player (I still think The Winter Soldier featured her best). She deserved a solo film, and it will likely be very good.
But…is it possible Marvel is lying? Could there be bigger surprises in store? The glimpse of a very de-aged General Ross (William Hurt) in the trailer makes me hope there will be some Universe-impacting surprises yet to come…
7. Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5)
The DC connected movie universe has more hits than misses, but the original Wonder Woman was one of the brightest spots. I was skeptical about this sequel when I heard Kristen Wiig (Ghostbusters 2016, SNL) was hired to play Cheetah…but when that first trailer arrived I was hooked.
The ’80s aesthetic, the idea that the bad guy is what defined the ’80s–ambition–and the humor in the return of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) makes this look like a DC movie that would actually be fun! So let’s go to the mall…today!
(But, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for New Order and so putting “Blue Monday” under any trailer is likely to get my hype level up.)
6. Underwater (January 10)
This movie seems to have no buzz about it. The premiere showings are tonight as I write this, but no one is talking about Underwater…and I don’t know why.
Kristen Stewart has proven herself a capable actress, and was practically the only good part of last year’s Charlie’s Angels. To see her take on a Ripley role in this film that looks completely like Alien underwater has made this a must-see.
5. Bill & Ted Face the Music (August 21)
When we last saw the Wild Stallyns they seemed ready to become a global phenomenon of hair metal music. Unfortunately their music never lead to nirvana as Nirvana brought a new sound that changed public tastes.
I’ll admit on paper the idea of bringing these two righteous dudes back together 31 years after their Excellent Adventure seems like a bad idea. And I imagine Alex Winter wasn’t one to turn down a gig. But Keanu Reeves has had his (2nd? 3rd?) career renaissance. He doesn’t need Bill & Ted. Something in Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon’s screenplay (the writers of the two original Journeys) must have captured his imagination. He even shaved his beard for the role!
I’ll be there opening weekend, ready to air guitar with this blast from the past.
4. No Time to Die (April 10)
At 51 Daniel Craig may feel a little old to play Bond…James Bond, but he’s still six years younger than Roger Moore in A View to a Kill so let’s have some optimism!
Craig has produced two of the best Bond movies in Casino Royale an Skyfall (still my favorite all-time Bond film). Then there were the forgettable Quantum of Solace and ill-advised Spectre.
If the pattern holds, then Craig’s odd-numbered films are the great ones…and Rami Malek impressed the hell out of me with his performances in both Mr. Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody. No Time to Die has me ready to be shaken, not stirred, by another spy flick.
3. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
I hate saying bad things about the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot because the issue has become so politicized by ugly people (one of whom was so butt-hurt by the idea of women Ghostbusters he leaked naked photos of Leslie Jones). Still, if I’m being honest, that movie didn’t match the quality of Ghostbusters 2, let alone the classic original.
The trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife seems to reach for an ’80s Spielberg vibe–or at least a variation on Stranger Things. Having Egon Spengler’s grandson rediscover a spectral world both honors the original (including the late Harold Ramis) and feels fresh for a new generation.
That the original Ghostbusters are also returning (for a cameo? bit part?) for a proper reunion has me very anxious for this new film.
But…please…can they not hire any more modern bands to play Ray Parker Jr’s song? Please?
2. Tenet (July 17)
Christopher Nolan has a large contingent of fans anxious for whatever his next project may be. I’m not one of them. Several of his movies, especially period pieces, failed to excite me. (You can hear me, Stuart, and Jakob review every Nolan film at NowPlayingPodcast.com).
But when Nolan does sci-fi tinged action films like The Dark Knight and Inception I feel he has no equal. While the teaser trailer for Tenet doesn’t give me much to go on, I get a big Inception feel from the trailer.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being my favorite film of 2020.
1. Top Gun: Maverick (June 26)
It’s been 34 years(!) since Tom Cruise lost that lovin’ feeling at the Top Gun academy in a film that tends to polarize modern audiences. It’s a movie I’ve come to adore (along with that near-impossible to beat NES game)…but Cruise donning his Maverick helmet again wasn’t something I need.
Besides, do we still need fighter pilots? It seems the future is here and fighter jets have been replaced with drones, our servicemen safely in a building, not at risk of dying in a dogfight.
Still, when Cruise partners with Christopher McQuarrie the results are usually good (I’ll forgive them The Mummy). I do wish McQuarrie was directing Maverick, not just co-writing, but he knows a tight script.
But what really got me excited is when Paramount announced only one shot in this movie is CGI. Nearly all aerial stunts took place with real FA-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets. The dogfights, the navigating through a canyon, it’s all real. The actors are even in the planes pulling the G-forces (though, no, they didn’t fly the planes) and I can feel it in the trailer.
Plus Cruise seems surrounded by a great cast, with Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller (forgive him his Fant4stic mistake, he was amazing in Whiplash and Bleed for This).
So enlist me now for an opening weekend seat back at Top Gun!
Will these movies live up to my expectations? You can follow me on Letterboxd where I log and rate every movie I watch.
Do you agree with my list? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!
Arnie’s Top 25 Films of the 2010s
I keep reading articles and posts about how movies aren’t what they used to be. From Martin Scorsese, bitter about his Irishman distribution woes, to Spielberg decrying the “movie-ness” of streaming services, to box office reports of lower attendance.
Yet I maintain the 2010s have had as many great films as any decade before.
When putting this list together it was literally impossible to only do ten movies. I finally cut it off at 25, and then which order became a frustrating rearranging.
Finally, here are my Top 25 films of the 2010s:
25. It: A movie that genuinely horrified, and did Stranger Things better than Stranger Things. The opening scene is (pardon the pun) a grabber, and it didn’t let up much after that point. Had the sequel been as good there’s a chance this would rank even higher on the list as a duology. As it is, It is still the 25th best of the 2010s.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of It
24. The Hateful Eight: Tarantino gets two slots on this list, and the first is his underrated suspense film from 2015. Both funny and gruesome, I was unexpectedly pulled into this period piece.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of The Hateful Eight
23. Wind River: Jeremy Renner does his fair share of franchise films, but when he escapes those films he brings a depth and realism to his characters. He showed this in the incredible The Hurt Locker, and he did it again in this 2017 murder mystery. Likewise, Elizabeth Olsen keeps up with Renner as a FBI outsider investigating a murder on Native American lands (the best rookie FBI performance since Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs)
22. The A-Team: I was skeptical any new cast could capture the magic, the chemistry, and the unique personalities of NBC’s ’80s The A-Team. I was wrong. Christian Kaplan, the film’s executive in charge of casting, deserves an award for finding four performers who simply are the 2010 personifications of Hannibal Smith, Face, BA Baracus, and Howling Mad Murdock.
More, director Joe Carnahan’s use of montage to show how the team went from planning to execution was invigorating.
I love it when a movie comes together, and this one surely did.
Read Jakob, Arnie, and Marjorie’s reviews of The A-Team and 124 other movies in the Now Playing book Underrated Movies We Recommend. The eBook is available now, the print book is shipping soon!
21. Deadpool: Funny and irreverent–I’d expect nothing less from Ryan Reynolds or Deadpool. Romantic and exciting–those are the surprises in store in Fox’s R-rated (relatively) low budget comic book movie. While Fox studios is no more, the risks they took with first Deadpool and then Logan showed the big boys at Disney and Warner Bros. that comic book movies aren’t just for teenage boys. Without Deadpool there’d be no Joker.
Hear the full Now Playing review of Deadpool
20. Her: Joaquin Phoenix had his biggest box-office hit with 2019’s Joker. Likewise, moviegoers hail his lead performance (quite a trick to follow up Heath Ledger’s ’08 turn). But Joker wasn’t Phoenix’s best performance of the decade–that was in 2013’s Her.
For much of the film Phoenix’s character Theodore is the only person on screen. While Scarlett Johansson’s voice speaks to him in most scenes, but still Phoenix alone must carry the physical performance. He must be visually and emotionally bare as he alone has all the actor’s tools at his behest.
Moving and thought-provoking, I recommend spending an evening with Her.
19. Hereditary: That scene, right? That one scene (that I won’t spoil)… it is to Hereditary what the shower is to Psycho, the pig’s blood to Carrie, or the orgasm scene of When Harry Met Sally. But to focus only on that scene is to ignore the other 126 minutes of a deeply disturbing and creepy film. Toni Collette takes you with her on her spiral into…madness? And Alex Wolff’s physical performance creates a moment second only to that scene. Hereditary gripped me like a nightmare from which I didn’t want to wake.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Hereditary
18. The Social Network: Facebook is so central to communication that it’s difficult to remember the time before. It has become so engrained in American life that The Social Network is perhaps even more important today than when it was released in 2010.
The story of Facebook’s creation is so dramatic and sensational it’s hard to believe it’s real. In fact, the real Mark Zuckerberg disputes this movie’s accuracy saying, “This is my life, so I know it’s not so dramatic.” Still, it’s hard to not be drawn into the world of Facebook’s creation.
“Nerds” programming at computers could be terribly stale to watch, but director David Fincher brings his trademark visual panache and makes Facebook’s creation feel as suspenseful as Seven. And Jesse Eisenberg was a great choice to play Zuckerberg, bringing the right amount of whiny and nerdy.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of The Social Network
17. Baby Driver: Is Baby Driver a movie, or is it a 113 minute music video? The concept–thievery perfectly timed with music–was originally a music video for Mint Royale’s “Blue Song.”
Yes, the hook of Baby Driver is its gimmick–its soundtrack dominates the film. It makes a scene of getting coffee fun and visually appealing. Really, Baby Driver is an old-fashioned musical, only no one in this film sings–they listen to iPods.
But the magic of Baby Driver is the cast, specifically lead Ansel Elgort. This “one last job” story is given extra depth when it collides with Baby’s love story with Debora (Lily James). Jamie Foxx brings true menace with his character “Bats”, and Jon Hamm’s arc as “Buddy” is almost as involving as Baby’s.
Almost three years since the film’s release I still can’t stop listening to the soundtrack, but mostly those songs now make me remember the film.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Baby Driver
16. Whiplash: I came late to the 2014 film Whiplash. By the time I watched it I’d already watched J. K. Simmons accept his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. I really thought I knew what I was in for…and I was wrong.
Whiplash isn’t your standard “exceptional student” film like Finding Forrester or Good Will Hunting. It also isn’t the cliche “evil teacher” movie like 21 or Real Genius. No, Whiplash is a story of obsession where the student’s ambition is as big an enemy as his teacher.
Simmons earns his Oscar as abusive music teacher Terence Fletcher. It’s a role that, in the wrong hands, could have become camp, but Simmons rides that line. He’s not evil, just amoral and obsessed.
The film ends on a number of twists, the first of which made me roll my eyes…but writer/director Damien Chazelle is too smart to let this film end in a tired cliche, and the film’s final scene sticks with me.
15. Inception: I’ve gotten some guff for not being a paid member of the Christopher Nolan fan club. That said, I love three of his films: Memento, The Dark Knight and Inception. \
Nolan has a way of shooting a cityscape that is gothic and expansive, dwarfing its characters in a Metropolis. It worked so well in Dark Knight and he uses it to great effect in Inception where he adds another dimension as cities change and reshape themselves.
It’s a cinematic equivalent of a M.C. Escher artwork.
But the plot is as exciting as its visuals–a heist film with constant escalation. Add great performances from the entire cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cillian Murphy are stand-outs) and Inception is a movie that’s incredible, and incredibly fun, to watch.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Inception
14. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: How unexpected is it that not only is the best Spider-Man feature film animated, but it doesn’t even star Peter Parker?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the most comic-booky of all comic-book movies. It’s not afraid to tackle topics that live-action movies eschew, including multiverses and alternate versions of characters. But comics do that constantly.
Miles Morales was a Spider-Man created by Brian Michael Bendis in Marvel’s “Ultimate” universe. When Peter Parker was killed Miles Morales stepped up and inherited the Spider-Man mantle. Being biracial, young, and hip, Morales quickly developed his own following as Spider-Man. Now he got a big-screen starring turn…with Peter Parker (actually two Peter Parkers) in supporting roles.
Yes, it’s yet another superhero origin story–but it’s so fast-paced, and the characters come so quickly, that it manages to feel fresh despite audiences having seen hundreds of movies like this before.
I get more out of this film every time I enter the Spider-Verse
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
13. It Follows: Elevated horror often focuses too much on the “elevated” and too little on the “horror.” Not so with It Follows. The metaphor of death coming after intercorse is clear. Yet the horror and paranoia of being stalked by an unstoppable, invisible assailant pulled me in. I empathized with the protagonists and joined them in their fear of “it.”
Hear Now Playing’s full review of It Follows
12. Kingsman: The Secret Service: Matthew Vaugn’s visual style brings three movies to this list of 25…more than any other director. The first is this 2014 spy comedy. It both mocks the James Bond spy formula while also adhering to it, a post-modern, self-aware thriller. From its opening (to Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing”) to its end (to Brian Ferry’s “Slave to Love”) the movie is exciting and fun–but it’s the church scene (choreographed to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”) that cements its place as one of the decade’s best.
11. Maniac (2012): Lately movie reboots (and even sequels like The Force Awakens and Jurassic World) seem to only retell or remake the original film. Maniac does not fall prey to that lazy device. It takes inspiration from the grimy 1980 film, but director Franch Khalfoun and producer Alexandre Aja bring a totally different vibe to this slasher film.
Replacing large, grimy Joe Spinell with small, refined Elijah Wood already indicates this film will be vastly different than the original. But more, the choice to show most of the film in first-person, to in effect make the viewer the killer, is unlike anything in the 1980 film.
We’ve seen first-person slashers before (Halloween’s opening scene may be the best known, but Friday the 13th and others have used this technique). Doing an entire film in that style is a gimmick–but one that works so well here.
With Wood’s creepy performance as Frank Zito (and one of Frank’s arms) and the haunting score by Rob, Maniac is one of the best films I only watched because of Now Playing’s review. Truly one of the most original and best horror films of the decade.
Hear Now Playing’s review of Maniac (2012)
10. Contagion: Few things frighten me more than a fast spreading, highly contagious disease wiping out the population. From The Stand to Outbreak to even Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this all-too-possible scenario scares the hell out of me.
That fear is realized in Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film Contagion. The disease spreads through the global population as the film focuses on both the race for a cure and some of the individuals living in this crumbling world.
Never have I rooted more for a film’s protagonists. And Soderbergh’s ensemble cast of familiar faces from Gwyneth Paltrow to Laurence Fishburne helped me connect with nearly every character.
Contagion doesn’t end on the bleakest of notes, but it carries with it the bleakest of horrors. I hope to never find out if Soderbergh made a realistic film, but he made a thrilling one.
9. 12 Years a Slave: I can think of several horror films that start with a kidnapping and forced enslavement. Seven, Saw, and Hostel just to name a few. But imagine that horror told as a period-piece biopic–a true story of the worst American horror.
It’s unbelievable and horrible that a free African-American in New York could be kidnapped and sold as a slave, with no recourse to regain his freedom. Yet in 1840s America such a scam was commonplace, and happened to Solomon Northup (played here by Chiwetel Ejiofor).
The film is sad, and yet shows a genuine triumph of human spirit and perseverance. I was moved by the tale.
8. The Cabin in the Woods: Is this a horror film or a parody? It rides the line with its trite story of five college students going to a cabin for a weekend of partying. Yet the scenario is reframed here as manipulation by people who look like extras from Office Space. They release pheromones and use drugs to turn these five people into horror stereotypes…but the deaths caused are too real.
With a final twist and cameo appearance that work perfectly, I revisit The Cabin in the Woods often.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of The Cabin in the Woods
7. Django Unchained: Tarantinos’ second film on this list ranks with Reservoir Dogs as his best work. Django (Jamie Foxx) and King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) are a tremendous on-screen duo as bounty hunters who infiltrate the slave trade to rescue Django’s wife Broomhilda.
The movie starts as an action film, but ends up becoming a heist movie along the lines of Ocean’s 11 as the two protagonists plot their rescue. And Foxx brings a gravity to his role as a freed slave, while also being funny with his character’s clothes and turn-of-phrase.
To see Samuel L. Jackson play someone other than Samuel L. Jackson is a delight here as well. The strongest of recommends.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Django Unchained
6. Kick-Ass: Matthew Vaughn’s second entry in this list is this 2010 comic-book adaptation. Vaughn and co-writer Jane Goldman smoothed out the bumps in Mark Millar’s original graphic novel, creating an escapist super-hero fantasy. Voiceover narration and early hero patrols mimic Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man. But Aaron Johnson as the titular hero is an underdog that you can truly root for.
Then Kick-Ass teams up with Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and the film goes to another level of madcap carnage.
Like Kingsman: The Secret Service this film has over-the-top fights and a “happy” ending that works like a fairy tale. Yet the sheer joy of watching these performances and these characters really does Kick-Ass.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Kick-Ass
5. Mad Max: Fury Road: For 20 years or more I’ve read articles and heard complaints from movie critics and fans that sequels and franchises are univentive and tired, ruining American cinema. (Once more, see Scorsese’s comments regarding Marvel films).
I contend franchise films are like all films–there are some that are lazy and poorly made, but then there are moments of genius. Mad Max: Fury Road epitomizes that phenomenon.
Everything could go wrong with a fourth Mad Max film. The titular character was recast to Tom Hardy, and the last installment, Beyond Thunderdome, came 30 years earlier and was hardly a blockbuster. Yet septuagenarian director George Miller injected this film with high-octane action creating one of cinema’s best chase films.
More than just action-for-action’s sake, the film also co-stars Charlize Theron as female liberator Imperator Furiosa, giving the series a kick-ass woman who outshined Hardy and gave Mad Max a feminist bent.
Whether you watch it in the Black and Chrome edition or the color release, watch it on as big a screen as you can find, crank the sound system, and unleash the Fury.
Hear Now Playing’s full review of Mad Max: Fury Road
4. The Nice Guys: Writer/director Shane Black seems unable to recapture the box-office magic he had in the ’80s when he wrote Lethal Weapon (Iron Man 3 excluded as, let’s face it, Black was not the reason that film made a billion dollars). It’s a shame audiences are ignoring Black because his best screenplays have come in the 21st century (and I don’t mean The Predator).
In 2005 Black wrote and directed a buddy-crime film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang — a funny and exciting noir mystery set in Hollywood (and featured in Now Playing’s Underrated Movies We Recommend book). It barely broke even for the studio.
In 2016 he tried again with the comedic noir mystery The Nice Guys starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Set in late ’70s Los Angeles the movie follows private eye Holland March (Gosling) as he investigates the death of porn star Misty Mountains. The case leads him to be beaten-up by tough-guy Jackson Healy (Crowe). Soon the two team-up to investigate a complex mystery. They are both aided and hampered by March’s daughter Holly (Angourie Rice).
Gosling and Crowe are perfectly cast. Crowe’s cinematic history and his large frame perfectly fit his character, while Gosling’s charisma makes a mediocre private eye fun to watch. The mystery is as complex (or is that convoluted) as Lethal Weapon, but the joy is in the characters.
But The Nice Guys did finish last, barely making its budget back, and Black went on to do the atrocious The Predator. I hope his creative spark wasn’t squashed when his two best films didn’t find an audience.
3. X-Men: First Class: Matthew Vaughn’s third film on this list may prove controversial. X-Men: First Class is a polarizing film among fans…though I can’t understand the view of people who dislike this fourth X-Men installment.
A prequel to the original X-Men trilogy, First Class is set in the early ’60s and shows the origins of classic X-Men characters Charles “Professor X” Xavier (James McAvoy), Erik “Magneto” Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), Raven “Mystique” Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) and others.
It’s impossible to not be impressed with this cast. They got Lawrence one year before she became a superstar with The Hunger Games and an Oscar winner for Silver Linings Playbook. McAvoy and Fassbender never reached the popularity of their co-star, but both are magnificent actors able to bring a variety of emotion and pathos to their roles. With Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Platt, Rose Byrne, Zoe Kravitz,and Kevin Bacon in supporting roles, the cast is captivating and interesting.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as First Class offers a bit of revisionist history to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The story spans the globe from Germany to England to Russia and more.
Once again, Matthew Vaughn brings his visual style to a comic book adaptation in a way that’s fresh and fun, and gives us one of the best cameos I’ve ever seen.
With its message of “Mutant and Proud”, its character evolution, and its infectious score by Henry Jackman, there isn’t a moment of this movie I don’t love.
2. The Avengers: Honestly, this entire list could be films from Marvel Studios. Their output is remarkable in consistent quality, and their cast and characters improve from film to film.
Truthfully, I limited myself to one Marvel Studios movie for this list…but which one? Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame all truly deserve spots in any “best of the decade” list.
Marvel’s films have become a cultural touchpoint for people around the world. People who would never deign to read a comic book now wear Captain America T-Shirts and buy Funko POP! figures of their favorite characters.
So which to pick? The one that really started it all-– 2012’s The Avengers. Sure, you can argue Iron Man started it in 2008, but Marvel’s films were only moderately successful through 2011. While both Iron Man films made over $300mil domestic, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor all failed to reach $200 million (2015’s Ant-Man is the only post-2012 film to not gross over $200m).
It took Joss Whedon to make the Marvel Cinematic Universe coalesce, bringing a god, a super-soldier, a rampaging monster, and a playboy in an armored suit together to fight each other, and then an alien invasion.
In only 143 minutes Wheadon gave satisfying character arcs to six characters…the four listed above, plus Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), both of whom failed to impress in their previous MCU films.
Wheadon did that and made it look effortless, while keeping the film moving at a good clip and having enough quips to keep the audience smiling.
The Avengers truly did assemble here, and an unstoppable cinematic juggernaut was the result. You may love that or hate it, but damn if that isn’t an impressive feat.
1. Scott Pilgrim vs the World: How is it the number 1 film is a comic book but isn’t a Marvel movie? Leave it to Edgar Wright’s action-romance fable Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s eponymous series of graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim takes place in a fantasy land where video game rules apply. Skateboarders grind down flights of stairs like in Tony Hawk games. People throw punches and kicks in the streets like Mortal Kombat. Battles of the Bands create large electronic kaiju. And when someone dies, a bunch of coins fly from where their body used to be.
But inside this video game is a romantic comedy where listless Scott Pilgrim (a perfectly cast Michael Cera) falls for the woman of his dreams–Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead at her most alluring). As with any rom-com there are obstacles to their romance. Not only is Scott dating high-school girl Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), but to date Ramona Scott must fight her seven evil exes.
Scott has never fought for anything, so can he keep up the fight for Ramona? Should he even do that?
The result is a light-hearted but emotional film where Scott and Ramona have ups, downs, and battles with the likes of Chris Evans and Brandon Routh.
I also love the entire cast here. Comic book movie veterans Evans and Routh are joined by Thomas Jane, plus future Captain Marvel Brie Larson. Yet the standout supporting character is Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay and snarky roommate Wallace Wells. Culkin delivers his lines with such snide sarcasm I can’t help to smile.
Get a life and don’t miss out on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Read Jakob, Arnie, and Marjorie’s reviews of Scott Pilgrim vs the World and 124 other movies in the Now Playing book Underrated Movies We Recommend. The eBook is available now, the print book is shipping soon!
Arnie’s Best Films of 2019
As we approach New Year’s, it’s a time to look back at what 2019 brought…and that means best of/worst of lists.
I readily admit my movie watching in 2019 was dominated by Now Playing Podcast’s calendar. Many of the films in this list were reviewed on that podcast.
Now to the list:
10. Between Two Ferns: The Movie: I always found Funny or Die videos to lean more to the “die” side. But the awkward humor of Zach Galifianakis interviewing celebrities always made me chuckle. Thrown into narrative form for the Netflix movie, I laughed out loud often. The bloopers at the end, showing the celebrities cracking up at the jokes, made it even better.
9. Zombieland: Double Tap: It took 10 years to bring the Zombieland team back together. No doubt, my love of that original film and those characters tint my view of this lesser sequel. Yet the addition of new character Madison (Zoey Deutch) brings a new energy and life to this picture. The cameo at the very end cements this sequel on this best-of list.
Hear Now Playing’s full Zombieland: Double Tap review
8. Toy Story 4: When I was a kid I’d love my new toys, but after a while I’d get bored and want to move on to a new toy line. Smurfs went in a box to make way for Transformers, etc. Such is the case with Woody and Buzz on their fourth outing (not counting TV specials and shorts). The bloom is a bit off the rose as these character age and lead their post-Andy life. Still, Toy Story 4 finds a way to still have toys build a metaphor for real life, and the horror of the puppet minions was highly effective. Plus, once again Pixar blazes new trails in the realm of CGI animation.
Hear Now Playing’s full Toy Story 4 review
7. Us: Jordan Peele proved himself a master of horror with Get Out (hear Now Playing’s review), but could he repeat that success in his second film? Happily, Peele avoided the dreaded sophomore slump with this story of evil suburban dopplegangers. Like Get Out, it works both as horror and social commentary.
6. Marriage Story: A Kramer vs. Kramer for our time, Marriage Story features Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as parents going through a divorce. It starts amicable, but turns bitter as the stakes escalate. I do wish the film made me feel more for these characters’ loss, but the two lead performances are both impacting and real. I’d not be surprised to see both Johansson and Driver nominated at the 2020 Academy Awards (unless this being a Netflix film dooms it politically).
5. Knives Out: I wasn’t sure what to make of Rian Johnson’s whodunnit when I saw the trailers, with Daniel Craig being called out for his Kentucky Fried accent. But I am a sucker for a good murder mystery, and Knives Out is a great one. With a roster of A-list stars, Johnson counterintuitively makes the film’s focus the lesser known Ana de Armas. This works very well as she is a working-class maid surrounded by parvenu, the star wattage surrounding her sells that difference. The end reveal got me. I hear there’s now rumors of this $200mil grosser becoming a franchise. If Johnson can make them all this clever and funny, I’m ready for another cut.
4. Joker: DC had one of their best years in 2019. Shazam was a solid entry in their DC Extended Universe (hear the Now Playing review)–a movie that played it safe. Then the studio took some creative risks letting Todd Phillips, a director most known for comedy, co-write and direct the R-Rated Joker. With its Scorsese feel and a captivating performance by Joaquin Phoenix, Joker stopped anyone from laughing at DC’s movie offerings and proved comic book movies can span genres and achieve greatness. The camerawork and score emphasize the film’s theme while keeping the film visually interesting.
I fear what Joker’s success may bring (rumors of a sequel, as well as a series of more R-rated comic origins frighten me) but Joker truly is the Clown Prince of comic movies.
Hear Now Playing’s full Joker review.
3. Terminator: Dark Fate: I hear the derision now… “Anyone that includes Dark Fate on a best-of list needs to watch more movies.” The film was a commercial flop costing the studio over $100mil in losses. It was released to an audience seemingly tired with franchise revivals (or, at least, tired of Terminator‘s string of lackluster sequels).
But I am a champion of underrated movies (I even co-wrote a book about them) and Dark Fate fits that bill. Following the Halloween (2018) model, the film has creator James Cameron producing, and Linda Hamilton returning in a co-starring role. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator is both funny and sympathetic, making this the muscle-man’s best performance since before he was elected Governor of California.
With action that packs a punch, a cool two-for-one Terminator Rev-9, and a pace that rarely lets you catch your breath, I was hoping this Dark Fate would be back for more…but I’m positive this is “hasta la vista, baby” for the series.
Hear Now Playing’s full Terminator: Dark Fate review
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home: After the drama and high stakes of Avengers: Endgame audiences needed a breather. Something a little lighter. A funny film that is just a good popcorn film. Far From Home meets all those targets perfectly.
Spanning several European countries, Far From Home works as a road movie, a travelogue, a teen comedy, and a comic book action film.
Tom Holland has proven himself to be the best live-action Spider-Man in five movies from 2016-2019 (two more than any other Spider-Man actor). In his second solo outing, Holland’s Spider-Man still struggles with teen drama but also brings in a good villain in Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. Gyllenhaal and Holland have great on-screen chemistry, as do Holland and love-interest Zendaya.
The cliffhanger ending (with a cameo sure to make Spider-Man fans smile) makes the web-head’s return to the screen my most-anticipated MCU film.
Is it 2021 yet?
Hear Now Playing’s full Spider-Man: Far From Home review
1. Avengers: Endgame: When I think of the duology of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame I’m reminded of a cliffhanger from Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Best of Both Worlds.” The first episode of that duology was dark, exciting, and ended with a feeling that all is lost. When the conclusion aired three months later…they just couldn’t stick the landing. Everything was neatly wrapped up easily…and unsatisfactorily.
Avengers: Infinity War ended on a similar note with Vision dead, along with half the population in the universe. Could the Avengers’ rematch with Thanos meet the adventure-filled Infinity War?
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo didn’t just give Infinity War’s story a satisfying conclusion–they made an amazing film that works on its own. It’s a final hurrah for the original Avengers, and the scaled-down cast allows Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor to each have their own satisfying character arcs. I cheered during the film’s high points, and tears streamed down my face as I bid farewell to some characters I’ve lived with for over a decade.
It feels like a conclusion to the MCU as a whole…I’m not sure Shang-Chi and The Eternals will bring as much to the table as the original Avengers, but damn…what a high note to end on!
Friday the 13th (2009) – Revisited
by Arnie Carvalho
“No matter how much you love the original films in the Friday the 13th series,
it’s virtually indisputable that the 2009 remake/reboot/re-
imagining is far and away the best made of all of them.”
— Adam-Troy Castro, Syfy.com
“Can we now admit ‘Friday the 13th’ 2009 was damn good?”
— Michael White, Bloody-Disgusting.com
“It is one of the best film franchise reboots put out in theaters in the past 15 years.”
— Jason Parker, Friday The 13th Franchise.com
“I’ve always been of the mind (and it’s a hill I’ll die on), that it kinda just
makes no sense to be a fan of the original Friday the 13th movies and yet not
a fan of Friday the 13th ’09”
— John Squires, Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting.com, on Twitter
“Stay away from this movie. It really is one of the bad ones…
Run from this movie. Do not reward the makers with your money”
— Arnie, Now Playing’s 2009 Podcast review
“In three years no one, absolutely no one, will remember that they saw it, that
they liked it, it will have no aftertaste whatsoever. People will remember
the original, they will not remember this movie.”
— Stuart, Now Playing’s 2009 Podcast review
Still Now Playing 10 Years Later…
Today is a momentous day in my life. It’s a birthday of sorts.
While Now Playing Podcast started in 2007 it (like many shows, TV, radio, podcast, and otherwise) went through some growing pains. Cast changes, an irregular release schedule, and format changes all marred the first two years.
That began to change on January 9, 2009 — the date we released the first episode in our first retrospective series: a review of 1980’s Friday the 13th leading up to the 2009 reboot. The show went from two hosts to three (that would begin rotating later that same year). The “Recommend/Not Recommend” finale was solidified, as were patterns of series-specific opening credits, art, and titles for each film series.
Yet it’s arguably today, Friday, February 13th, that could be seen as Now Playing’s true 10th anniversary. It was the day we recorded our final Friday the 13th review. By that point we knew the retrospective was a big hit. Despite initial misgivings, we decided to immediately continue the format and review Star Trek leading up to its reboot. Stuart even went out and bought a microphone and literally stopped “phoning it in.”
I’ll never forget the night of Friday, February 13th, 2009. I was in New York City covering Toy Fair International. I went to see the Friday the 13th reboot in a Times Square movie theater, accompanied by my wife Marjorie. The excitement that caused me to begin the retrospective series was reaching its peak as the lights went down and the movie started.
Flash forward to five hours later. I’m in our hotel room (small, as most all NYC rooms are). I’m pacing. My iPhone 3G is hot against my face from being on a call for so long. I’m on a telephone recording my disappointment with the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot. Brock is in Chicago recording the call, and he would edit the show released to our listeners the following Monday.
All three of us had very similar reactions, and the reboot became the fourth Friday the 13th, out of 12, to get three red arrows on our website.
I honestly never looked back.
“Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity” — Robert Morgan
As the 10th anniversary of the Friday the 13th reboot approached I came upon an interesting and unexpected turn of events: a number of think pieces were published celebrating the film. Even those who had reacted poorly to the movie initially had come around and not only enjoyed but celebrated director Marcus Nispel’s fresh take on iconic slasher Jason Voorhees (played by Derek Mears).
I started to question my own memory. Could they be right? Could that movie have aged well?
Having been a movie critic for over a decade I know from experience one of the hardest things to do when reviewing a film is to separate expectations from the final product. Movies are marketed to create expectations–to get you into a theater seat and spending money expecting delivery on what trailers, interviews, and even posters have sold.
Going into Friday the 13th in 2009 my expectations were sky high. I had loved Nispel’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake far more than the original Tobe Hooper film. I loved Jason as a killer. Jason’s last appearance on screen in 2003’s Freddy vs Jason was one of his best, and that movie’s writing team of Damian Shannon and Mark Swift were writers for the remake.
Could the movie have been good, or at least recommendable, but simply not met my expectations?
10 years have passed, so I decided to find out. For this re-review of 2009’s Friday the 13th I watched the extended “Killer Cut” released on Blu-Ray and Video on Demand. This cut was nine minutes longer than what I saw in theaters.
The Review
I watched the movie having not listened to our 2009 podcast since it was released. I remembered very little going in, only that Stuart thought Jason was a pothead. Then after watching the movie I listened to our old podcast to see what it was that got me so worked up.
SPOILERS BELOW for this 10-year-old movie!
I liked the opening. This is a reboot, and people want Jason as the killer, not old lady Pamela Voorhees. Yet Pamela’s plight from Sean S. Cunningham’s 1980 original Friday is integral to the Jason mythos. To have the climax of the original movie done in montage fashion pays homage and checks the boxes. It does create a confusing timeline as to Jason’s supposed drowning, but handled well.
Then we have the second prologue and, not having seen the movie in a decade, I was faked out. I thought this would be the movie and these five characters, Wade (Jonathan Sadowski), Richie (Ben Feldman), Mike (Nick Mennell), Whitney (Amanda Righetti), and Amanda (America Olivo), were going to be our core cast. They actually seem like a fun group and call back to so many earlier Friday the 13th casts where there’s couples hooking up…and the lonely odd man out. That Jason comes in and killed so many so quickly was a shock.
Then comes our new Jason by Derek Mears. One of my big problems in 2009 goes back to expectation: I was used to the Jason played by Kane Hodder. Jason had gone through many iterations, from bag-wearing woodsman to space-zombie, but the walking after people who run, the nearly supernatural way of catching the prey, seemed like a staple.
This Jason was fast and aggressive. He killed brutally. And he used tools and more thought power than earlier Jasons. Hanging one woman over the campfire to burn while setting a bear trap for another victim really wasn’t in Jason’s modus operandi. But then I had to remember, this is a reboot, not a remake. The Friday the 13th series had lost its luster by doing the same things again and again. In 2009 I couldn’t reconcile this Jason with the ones before. Now I realize this reboot gives us an entirely new Jason.
If I just accept this is a new character, perhaps call him “Jimmy Voorhees”, I’d have no trouble with these new killings. Nispel wanted to revitalize the character and return him to his violent, horror roots. Nearly 30 years had passed since Jason first wielded his machete. It may not be the Jason I wanted, but this viewing I can accept this “Jimmy Voorhees.”
The two characters coming upon Jason’s cabin (plus the bag over Jason’s head) took me back to 1981’s Friday the 13th Part II, and I can go with it.
Not only did the prologue surprise me in killing (seemingly) everyone so fast, I also understand the need to have a body count. One of the pressures with each new horror movie installment was to have more kills. Here, we establish Jason as a badass killer, and we got five good kills. And for those who expect topless women in your Friday films, you got that out of the way too.
Plus, the gore! I was watching the unrated cut, but I marveled at how freely the blood flowed.
Then we actually get to the movie. Again, my expectation was, since we had Shannon and Swift writing again, that we would have a group of fun, believable characters like they gave us in Freddy vs. Jason. Instead, we have a group of character types that would never be friends. I had a real problem with that in theaters.
Yet, when watching it at home on a television, I found myself more forgiving. How many groups of totally different people went camping together in the past? Sure, Parts 1 and 2 made them counsellors thrown together, and 8 had them as classmates, but the victims in parts 3 and 4, and especially 7, don’t feel like they’d hang out together either. So, is this bad writing…or is this an intentional homage to the bad writing in previous installments? More, if I can accept these weird groups in earlier films, why not here too? So, I compartmentalized that complaint and, instead, found these seven young adults appealing, flawed characters, most of whom were obviously going to end up impaled on a machete.
Trent (Travis Van Winkle) is a great douche you love to hate (and with a rich boy name like Travis Van Winkle I wonder how much he was acting). Bree (Julianna Guill) is a wonderful seductress, and the attraction Chewie (Aaron Yoo) shows for Bree takes me back to Crispin Glover’s character in The Final Chapter.
Lawrence (Arien Escarpeta) is a stoner that feels like he would hang out with Chewie. The other couple of Chelsea (Willa Ford) and Nolan (Ryan Hansen) aren’t in the film long enough for me to get a bead on them.
Which does raise one flaw–this group is too big to keep track of. They’re here for a body count, but I’m not sure they are disparate enough where I can even assign them tropes of “the smart one” and “the shy one”, etc. Especially Chelsea and Nolan, they are the flattest of characters.
Then we have typical last-girl Jenna (Danielle Panabaker). Like so many Jason survivors in films past, she’s a brunette, she’s smart, she doesn’t smoke weed, and she doesn’t get naked. And when she encounters, and partners with, Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) who is searching for his missing sister Whitney, I’m taken back (in a positive way) to the similar plot in The Final Chapter.
The kills also are varied. I had a problem with Jason using an arrow to kill Nolan, but he used a crossbow in Part II so this wasn’t so far off. And again, this is the new “Jimmy Voorhees.” He’s a survivalist. He has to hunt to survive. It makes sense he’d be good with a bow. (It equally makes sense that this Jason is far more intelligent than the previous incarnations and so he uses Kerosene to power his home). And Chelsea’s machete-in-the-head gave Jason his usual, nearly supernatural sense of where his victims hide.
So halfway in the movie I wonder…was I too harsh on Friday the 13th? Did I allow my expectation to cloud what was delivered?
The answer is….partially, for the movie really does fall apart in the second half.
Nispel was best known (and may still be best known) for his Texas Chainsaw reboot. I don’t know if Nispel rewrote any of Shannon and Swift’s script, but the second half does turn this new Jason into a wannabe Leatherface. Why are there catacombs underneath Camp Crystal Lake? It makes no sense. Why did Jason kidnap Whitney? It makes no sense. Why does Whitney look so good after six weeks of captivity? It makes no sense.
Yet the deaths continue to impress. In this “Killer Cut” Chewie’s slow death in the tool shed was painful to watch as he writhes, groans, and bleeds for a very long time. Lawrence’s kill by Jason throwing an ax goes back to the survivalist skills, and creates a more “realistic” Jason who can’t just walk after every person who runs.
The best death/fake-out may belong to Trent, though. Waving down a tow truck, a silent hand waves Trent to get on. Can this Jason drive a car? No…it’s an old man on oxygen, unable to shout to the young man whose hesitation results in his being impaled on the truck as it drives away.
Yet another decent fake-out is Jenna. She seemed like the perfect “last girl” and, echoing The Final Chapter‘s Trish, I thought it was a given she’d escape. But two brunettes is one to many in a Friday the 13th film so when Whitney is discovered alive Jenna had to die.
The rest is pretty rote action with Jason just dead enough for a climax, yet, of course, always ready to come back for another sequel.
The Verdict
So, was I too harsh on the 2009 Friday the 13th? Yes, I clearly was. My expectation of what the previous Fridays had given clouded my ability to appreciate the changes Nispel tried to bring to make a Jason that could be scary in the 21st century.
Yet, the writing becomes very lazy in the second half. The film is almost a straight downward line, its quality decreasing with every passing frame of film, start to end. At no point does the body of the film reach the highs of its two prologues.
While this is a totally new Jason, much of the film, including the group of victims, is a throwback to the installments released 1980-1984. I wasn’t a fan of many of those early groups, so this is not a success, but it’s not worthy of the damnation I gave on the podcast.
So is it a recommend or not recommend?
It is on the borderline. I think that slasher fans will have a lot to enjoy, while old school Friday the 13th fans will have a lot to swallow.
The ridiculous ending, including everything after the rescue of Whitney (the tunnels under the camp, the convenient machinery, the obvious final “jump scare”), make me stand by my red arrow. But it’s a close call, and it’s what I’d call on the podcast “A very weak not recommend”…which is the most positive thing said about this movie in the entire history of Now Playing Podcast. |  |
(the tunnels under the camp, the convenient machinery, the obvious final “jump scare”), make me stand by my red arrow. But it’s a close call, and it’s what I’d call on the podcast “A very weak not recommend”…which is the most positive thing said about this movie in the entire history of Now Playing Podcast.
Yet the film has had a longer lifespan than I had imagined ten years ago today and, had it not been for endless legal wrangling over Friday the 13th’s IP rights, I have no doubt “Jimmy Voorhees” would have returned to slay again.
Yet while lawsuits continue over who has the right to make the next Friday film, I look forward to it. Ten years is the longest Jason has ever gone without a movie since his inception in 1980. He is missed, and hopefully Jason Voorhees, not “Jimmy”, will return to the silver screen again in the near future.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!
Hear Now Playing Podcast’s original retrospective series, 12 reviews of Friday the 13th films (plus a bonus recap episode), all available now at NowPlayingPodcast.com
Bumblebee
The Last Knight left many Transformers fans feeling stung, but Hasbro hopes to reawaken nostalgia for the 1980s toy line with their retro-minded solo film Bumblebee. Can the lovable VW bug connect with a grieving gearhead teenager (Hailee Steinfeld) using only a car radio to speak? And will Sector 7 jarhead John Cena, or Decepticons Shatter (Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (Justin Theroux), undermine the Autobot plot to relocate to Earth? Don’t take this high dive back into dicey waters alone. Roll out with Jerry, Arnie, and Stuart. Listen Now!
Bumblebee – Early Unedited Release for Patrons
Our review of Bumblebee will be out for everyone on Totally Free Tuesday, January 1. This is an early, (mostly) unedited release for our Gold level patrons of $25 and higher.
If you want to hear this and many other shows early, plus get access to over 20 exclusive bonus shows, join our Patron campaign today!
The Last Airbender – Donation Bonus
M. Night Shyamalan’s career continued to deflate as he turned The Last Airbender, a beloved Nickelodeon cartoon series, into the Razzie award-winning Worst Film of 2010. Are podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob ready to tattoo red arrows on their foreheads and go to war with this sham cinematic genius? Or can they bend the rules for badly directed karate kids riding a flying bison, and let it all pass as children’s entertainment? Join our Gold Level Tribe and rediscover the lost art of breaking wind. Donate Today!
Aquaman
DC Comics invites audiences to dive under the sea and get chummy with Aquaman – a character who got a lot of sand kicked in his face back in the days of Superfriends. Now tough guy Jason Momoa is on the hook to win the bastard Atlantean some cinematic justice. Will he stop half-brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson) from becoming Oceanmaster, and uniting the seven seas against the surface world? More importantly, can “Fishboy” talk crabby podcasters Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart out of torpedoing his first stand-alone feature? Listen and find out.
Aquaman — Early Unedited Release for Patrons
Our review of Aquaman will be out for everyone on Totally Free Tuesday, Chrismas — December 25th. This is an early, (mostly) unedited release for our Gold level patrons and higher.
If you want to hear this and many other shows early, plus get access to over 20 exclusive bonus shows (including next week’s A Nightmare Before Christmas), join our Patron campaign today!
The Happening – For Annual Subscribers
Everybody out of the swimming pool! There’s a Lady in the Water who keeps insisting M. Night Shyamalan is the most important and inspirational writer of the 21st Century… even after making this flop fairy tale! Can schlubby building superintendent Paul Giamatti set sea nymph Bryce Dallas Howard straight, and keep this vanity project from going sideways? Or will Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob be forced to tear apart the Story like a pack of wild Scrunts? Donate Today and find the hidden messages in this unofficial remake of Splash!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Happening – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $25 or more. This podcast will only be available until March 31, 2019, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
Bad things keep Happening to M Night Shyamalan! Was his foray into R-rated horror simply a creative way of committing career suicide? Or was the Sixth Sense creator under the influence of some kind of psychotropic herb (or $6 cough syrup) when he concocted this loony environmental parable? And should science teacher Mark Wahlberg be running away from the wind or his traitorous, tiramisu-eating wife Zooey Deschanel? Walk it all backwards with Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob when you Donate for Now Playing’s Gold Level Shyamalan series!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — Early Unedited Release for Patrons
Our review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will be out for everyone on Totally Free Tuesday, December 18th. This is an early, mostly unedited release for our Gold level patrons and higher.
If you want to hear this and many other shows early, plus get access to over 20 exclusive bonus shows, join our Patron campaign today!
Lady in the Water – For Annual Subscribers
Everybody out of the swimming pool! There’s a Lady in the Water who keeps insisting M. Night Shyamalan is the most important and inspirational writer of the 21st Century… even after making this flop fairy tale! Can schlubby building superintendent Paul Giamatti set sea nymph Bryce Dallas Howard straight, and keep this vanity project from going sideways? Or will Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob be forced to tear apart the Story like a pack of wild Scrunts? Donate Today and find the hidden messages in this unofficial remake of Splash!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Lady in the Water – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $25 or more. This podcast will only be available until March 31, 2019, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
Everybody out of the swimming pool! There’s a Lady in the Water who keeps insisting M. Night Shyamalan is the most important and inspirational writer of the 21st Century… even after making this flop fairy tale! Can schlubby building superintendent Paul Giamatti set sea nymph Bryce Dallas Howard straight, and keep this vanity project from going sideways? Or will Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob be forced to tear apart the Story like a pack of wild Scrunts? Donate Today and find the hidden messages in this unofficial remake of Splash!
Lady in the Water – Donation Bonus
Everybody out of the swimming pool! There’s a Lady in the Water who keeps insisting M. Night Shyamalan is the most important and inspirational writer of the 21st Century… even after making this flop fairy tale! Can schlubby building superintendent Paul Giamatti set sea nymph Bryce Dallas Howard straight, and keep this vanity project from going sideways? Or will Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob be forced to tear apart the Story like a pack of wild Scrunts? Donate Today and find the hidden messages in this unofficial remake of Splash!
Max Payne
Mark Wahlberg aimed to please fans of the popular shooter Max Payne, but his 2008 movie adaptation missed its target audience and clipped the wings of a potential franchise. Will this vigilante cop have better luck scoring points with Now Playing Arcade hosts Justin, Arnie, and Stuart? And can they coherently link the man who murdered Max’s family to a wild conspiracy involving hallucinogenic street drugs and C-list celebrities Mila Kunis, Chris O’Donnell, and singer Nelly Furtado? Your best shot at finding answers is to Listen Now!
The Village – For Annual Subscribers
M. Night Shyamalan built a wall between himself and some of his fan base when he set his encore to Signs in a 19th Century Village full of superstition and suppressed passion. Can podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob turn a blind eye to a controversial twist that makes a fool out of Adrien Brody? Or do you have to be Bryce Dallas Howard not to see “the Bad Color” popping up on their arrows, pointing audiences away from these monster-filled woods? Donate for Now Playing’s Gold Level series and be led by love through the pitfalls to the painful truth!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Village – Donation Bonus
M. Night Shyamalan built a wall between himself and some of his fan base when he set his encore to Signs in a 19th Century Village full of superstition and suppressed passion. Can podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob turn a blind eye to a controversial twist that makes a fool out of Adrien Brody? Or do you have to be Bryce Dallas Howard not to see “the Bad Color” popping up on their arrows, pointing audiences away from these monster-filled woods? Donate for Now Playing’s Gold Level series and be led by love through the pitfalls to the painful truth!
Creed II
The Rocky series continues to go the distance with its eighth installment: Creed II. But is this really Adonis Creed’s story, or is it Rocky’s, as old nemesis Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) brings his son Viktor to the US for a fight? Will history repeat itself? And can Creed II still pack a punch when Creed writer/director Ryan Coogler is replaced with his buddy Steven Caple Jr? Go for it! Listen to Now Playing’s new movie review to find out!
Signs – Donation Bonus
Unbreakable showed no Signs of derailing M. Night Shyamalan’s plans to reclaim summer box office glory with another story of spiritual crisis, suspense, and unseen supernatural forces. Was it coincidence or an act of God that brings Mel Gibson to the role of a troubled holy man turning the other cheek to mysterious crop circles in his field? And will Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie need tin foil hats to decipher the motivations of hydrophobic aliens showing up to the farm in time for batting practice? Things all make sense when you Donate for Gold Level!
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Wreck-It Ralph not only Breaks The Internet with his second movie, he shatters Thanksgiving box office records. But never fear… it’s Tech Support Tuesday, and hosts Justin, Arnie, and Stuart have the antivirus to all the holiday weekend hype. Will entering a violent racing game help glitchy Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) connect with her inner Disney Princess, and save her Sugar Rush friends? Or will John C Reilly’s 8-bit oaf bring down the franchise with a series of humiliating viral videos? CLICK HERE to get your next Now Playing Arcade fix!
Star Wars Cyber Monday Savings Give Your Wallet Force!
May the Savings be with you on this Cyber Monday where, finally, there are some great bargains to be had on Black Series and Vintage Collection Hasbro Toys, LEGO, and more!
Black Series/The Vintage Collection Hasbro Toys
The best bargain at Amazon today is the Black Series Force FX Z6 Riot Control Baton. This $200 prop replica is 1/3 off today–just $134.39!
Also in the Black Series Roleplay, the Stormtrooper Helmet is 38% off, down to $49.99 from $80 today only!
The Vintage Collection Imperial Combat Assault Tank from Rogue One is now 40% off at Amazon — just $47.99, down from $79.99. I jumped and got one at that price.
The Black Series Dewback with Sandtrooper is also over 25% off, marked down to $42.97 (not the cheapest it’s been, but a good price on a great toy)
Also in the Black Series, the Kylo Ren Centerpiece set is almost half off, just $28.96 (which is the right price for a non-articulated figure and diorama base)
It’s also a good time to army build your Jawas! The Black Series Jawa figure is down to $12.41.
Also the troop builder Black Series Range Trooper from SOLO is 41% off, just $11.77
And it seems stores can’t give away the Vintage Collection Snoke figure. You can get one now from Amazon for just $6.96 (down from $13), but it’s an Add-on item only.
Other Hasbro Toys
The Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie is a great gift for kids (or those who are still kids at heart). This $130 toy is almost half off today only, $69.92!
In the 5POA line, the ForceLink 2.0 Resistance A-Wing with Pilot Tallie is 42% off, just $17.31. Likewise the ForceLink 2.0 Millennium Falcon with Escape Craft is 20% off, down to $23.99
And can you ever have enough Rathtars? The 3.75-inch Rathtar with Bala-Tik is 70% off–just $6.07
From Solo in the 5POA line, the Han Solo Landspeeder with figure is 15% off, $25.49 shipped.
In the kids focused Galactic Heroes line, the Galactic Rivals 10-Figure pack, with Grievous, Yoda, Luke, Vader, Sidious, Obi-Wan, and more, is 43% off, $17.14.
In that same line, Amazon’s exclusive Galacitc Heroes Millennium Falcon with Han and Chewie is $25, down from $40.
Amazon also still has the Sphero R2-D2 for just $39.99. Given that it’s sat at that price for about a week I could see a cheaper lightning deal, but that’s still a great price.
LEGO
Amazon has many Star Wars LEGO sets on deep discount today.
It’s the perfect time to get the 2018 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. it’s 18% off, and you’ll get it in time to start opening on the countdown to Christmas!
The LEGO Imperial Patrol Battle Pack is also 27% off — just $10.99.
The Imperial TIE Fighter set is 20% off, $55.99.
LEGO Brickheadz Boba Fett is 20% off, down to $7.99
The Jedi & Clone Trooper Battle Pack is also 20% off, just $11.99
Also LEGO, Entertainment Earth has the Jakku Quadjumper for 35% off, just $32.49
The LEGO Porg Building Kit is 20% off, down to $55.99
From SOLO, Moloch’s Landspeeder set is 20% off, down to $31.99
Getting to the OT, from Empire Strikes Back comes Yoda’s Hut, marked down 20% to $23.99
GAMING
For gamers, Amazon has several discounts as well:
Star Wars CLUE is almost half off, marked down to $24.95
The Black Series Star Wars Trivial Pursuit is also almost half off, just $20.50
The Star Wars: Rebellion game is over 20% off, just $78.99
The Star Wars: Legion core set is $54.69, down from its usual $90.
The Star Wars: Legion Snow Troopers Expansion is 24% off: $18.99
Star Wars: Edge of Empire – Beyond the Rim is 11% off, down to $21.01
And many more Gaming Bargains can be found on Amazon’s site!
Got a deal we didn’t list here? E-mail us at show@swactionnews.com and let us know about it!
Finally, if you’re a Star Wars Action News listener, you may want to know about the Cyber Monday deal our sister podcast Now Playing Podcast is having right now — for just the next 18 hours!
Ralph Breaks the Internet – Early Release Rough Edit for Patrons
For Thanksgiving Arnie, Justin, and Stuart watched and reviewed the second Wreck-It Ralph movie. Did they wreck this blockbuster sequel?
The fully edited show will be on our main feed Tuesday, for everyone, for free! But Now Playing Patrons who are at the $25 level or higher for early show releases can hear the (mostly) unedited, show now!
Get the unedited recording now at NowPlayingPATRON.com
Unbreakable – Donation Bonus
The bond between writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and superstar Bruce Willis was Unbreakable in 2000, as the Dynamic Duo quickly reunited for another tale of secret supernatural powers. Yet their brooding comic book movie didn’t come close to shattering Sixth Sense box office records, and a sequel sat in movie jail for nearly twenty years. Before Sam “Mr. Glass” Jackson unleashes his next diabolical plot this January, join Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie for issue number two in our Gold Level M. Night Series. Donate Today!
Wreck-It Ralph
Good video games typically “go Turbo” and become crummy movies, but Walt Disney animators try to “Fix-It” with Wreck-It Ralph – a love letter to classic coin-ops. Can an 8-bit villain voiced by John C. Reilly step into a first person shooter and rebrand himself a hero? And do Arnie, Justin, and Stuart get a sugar rush seeing so much pixelated nostalgia from their childhood, like Q*bert and Sonic the Hedgehog? Or will they inevitably find something to glitch about? Save your quarters, because the answers are free when you press play and Listen Now!
Apocalypse Now – For Annual Subscribers
Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie have a mission for all listeners this November: become a Now Playing Patron and enjoy an epic review of 1979 ‘Nam classic Apocalypse Now. Martin Sheen put his life on the line to play a shell-shocked soldier traveling a war-torn river on the hunt for rogue colonel Marlon Brando. Is this boat trip into the heart of darkness worth the risks creator Francis Ford Coppola took with his sanity and Godfather profits? And does napalm smell even sweeter in the extended 2003 Redux Cut? The dossier is declassified when you Enlist Today!
Apocalypse Now – Patron Exclusive Review
Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie have a mission for all listeners this November: become a Now Playing Patron and enjoy an epic review of 1979 ‘Nam classic Apocalypse Now. Martin Sheen put his life on the line to play a shell-shocked soldier traveling a war-torn river on the hunt for rogue colonel Marlon Brando. Is this boat trip into the heart of darkness worth the risks creator Francis Ford Coppola took with his sanity and Godfather profits? And does napalm smell even sweeter in the extended 2003 Redux Cut? The dossier is declassified when you Enlist Today!
A Message from Stuart about our Sixth Sense Movie Review
This week Now Playing starts its M Night Shyamalan Thrillers Retrospective series of podcast movie reviews. M Night is a director Stuart has long wanted to cover on Now Playing and now, with the upcoming release of Glass, the third part in Shyamalan’s Eastrail 177 Trilogy, he’s getting the chance.
Here Stuart has a message for all listeners of Now Playing, as well as a preview of our review of THE SIXTH SENSE.
Listen to his message, then sign up today to hear all 11 M Night movie reviews!
Silent Hill: Revelation
It’s homecoming weekend in Silent Hill, as teenage runaway Sharon reunites with her darkside doppelganger Alessa for a 2012 sequel in 3-D! Will the Revelation that cultists have kidnapped adoptive father Sean Bean provide a good reason for moviegoers to head back into the fog and solve new puzzles? And is Game of Thrones hunk Kit Harington much help in the fight against Pyramid Head, a lunatic Malcolm McDowell, and a staff of faceless demon nurses? Find out when you take another merry-go-round ride on the Now Playing Arcade!
Silent Hill: Revelation – Early Release for Patrons
This podcast was released early for Now Playing Patrons of $25 or more. It will be made publicly available on our usual “new podcast” day, Tuesday, November 13.
It’s homecoming weekend in Silent Hill, as teenage runaway Sharon reunites with her darkside doppelganger Alessa for a 2012 sequel in 3-D! Will the Revelation that cultists have kidnapped adoptive father Sean Bean provide a good reason for moviegoers to head back into the fog and solve new puzzles? And is Game of Thrones hunk Kit Harington much help in the fight against Pyramid Head, a lunatic Malcolm McDowell, and a staff of faceless demon nurses? Find out when you take another merry-go-round ride on the Now Playing Arcade!
Suspiria (2018) – For Annual Subscribers
40 years after Dario Argento burned down Tanz Academy, the school for dancing and occult sciences is open again in divided Berlin for an epic 2018 remake of Suspiria! Can 50 Shades star Dakota Johnson keep pace with all the new steps that Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino has added to this horror exercise? And is witchcraft, delusion, or too much spinning the reason we keep seeing Tilda Swinton in triplicate? Catch your breath when you Donate to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob dig their hooks into this dense and dizzying Silver Level finale.
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Suspiria (2018) – A Podcast Preview
40 years after Dario Argento burned down Tanz Academy, the school for dancing and occult sciences is open again in divided Berlin for an epic 2018 remake of Suspiria! Can 50 Shades star Dakota Johnson keep pace with all the new steps that Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino has added to this horror exercise? And is witchcraft, delusion, or too much spinning the reason we keep seeing Tilda Swinton in triplicate? Catch your breath when you Donate to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob dig their hooks into this dense and dizzying Silver Level finale.
Silent Hill
The Now Playing Arcade finally has a reason to put down the flamethrower! Hosts Arnie, Stuart, and Justin stumble through the falling ash of Uwe Boll films to arrive at Silent Hill – the rare video game movie to earn box office success. Will stranded mother Radha Mitchell find any Green Arrows while searching the West Virginian ghost town for her missing adoptive daughter Sharon? And is that a pyramid, or a dunce cap, atop the head of the sword-wielding monster that follows close behind her? Quiet your questioning mind with another podcast review!
Phenomena (a.k.a. Creepers) – A Podcast Preview
Before she battled David Bowie in the Labyrinth, Jennifer Connelly fought off a deformed serial killer at her Swiss boarding school in Dario Argento’s demented fantasy Phenomena. Better known as Creepers in the States, the movie finds the teenage beauty using paranormal powers to befriend flies, lightning bugs, and swarms of flesh-eating insects (not to mention crippled entomologist Donald Pleasance and a razor-wielding monkey). Donate for Now Playing’s Fall 2018 Silver Level series and help convince Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart they didn’t just dream the whole thing up while sleepwalking.
Phenomena (a.k.a. Creepers)
Before she battled David Bowie in the Labyrinth, Jennifer Connelly fought off a deformed serial killer at her Swiss boarding school in Dario Argento’s demented fantasy Phenomena. Better known as Creepers in the States, the movie finds the teenage beauty using paranormal powers to befriend flies, lightning bugs, and swarms of flesh-eating insects (not to mention crippled entomologist Donald Pleasance and a razor-wielding monkey). Donate for Silver Level and help convince Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart they didn’t just dream the whole thing up while sleepwalking.
Hereditary
Because we consider you family, Now Playing is releasing a bonus podcast review of Hereditary for your Halloween enjoyment. Will Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob lose their heads over what’s become the most hyped horror flick of 2018? Or is the sight of Toni Collette’s model household going insane more likely to induce headaches than heart palpitations? You don’t need to worship King Paimon to acquire these answers. This show is free for everyone, and available now, as our way of saying Happy, Happy Halloween!
Children of the Corn: Runaway
Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie tried to Runaway from their Stephen King duties in 2018, but the tenth installment of Children of the Corn has found its way onto the Now Playing calendar in time for Halloween! Join these podcasters as they catch up with Ruth – a fugitive of the Gatlin corn cult who is forced to fight He Who Walks Behind The Rows for custody of her teenage son. Will Feast director John Gulager find a kernel of a good idea in a franchise that’s yielded a steady crop of Red Arrows? The only way to know if the hosts survive this harvest is to Listen Now!
Terror Train – A Podcast Preview
All aboard Terror Train – the final stop on Jamie Lee Curtis’ world tour as Scream Queen of 1980. The horror icon now finds herself stalked on a steam-powered locomotive by a fraternity pledge in a Groucho Marx mask. Donate at the Platinum Level and watch magician David Copperfield’s acting career disappear before you eyes! Marvel at the Dr. Loomis impersonation given by Oscar-winning train conductor Ben Johnson! And enjoy this VIP ticket with Now Playing podcasters Brock, Arnie, and Stuart on their last ride together for 2018! All aboard Terror Train – the final stop on Jamie Lee Curtis’ world tour as Scream Queen of 1980. The horror icon now finds herself stalked on a steam-powered locomotive by a fraternity pledge in a Groucho Marx mask. Donate at the Platinum Level and watch magician David Copperfield’s acting career disappear before you eyes! Marvel at the Dr. Loomis impersonation given by Oscar-winning train conductor Ben Johnson! And enjoy this VIP ticket with Now Playing podcasters Brock, Arnie, and Stuart on their last ride together for 2018!
Halloween (2018)
Return to Haddonfield with Brock, Arnie, and Stuart as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of Halloween with a podcast review of the blockbuster 2018 requel (rebooted sequel)! Former babysitter Laurie Strode is the one stalking Michael Myers this time, as the captured killer is transferred to a new sanitarium. Can Jamie Lee Curtis’s pistol-packin’ grandma hit the bull’s eye without original director John Carpenter? And will her therapist daughter Karen (Judy Greer), or rebellious grandkid Allyson (Andi Madichak), inherit her Scream Queen title? Listen Now and find out!
Halloween (2018) – Early Release (Unedited and Extended) for Patrons
The New Halloween film broke records for its box office, and Stuart, Arnie, and Brock broke a record for one of our longest recordings — nearly 2.5 hours discussing this sequel/Reboot.
The edited, much shorter, show will be on our main feed Tuesday for everyone for free! But Now Playing Patrons who are at the level for early show releases can hear the (mostly) unedited, full 2.5 hour show now!
Get the unedited recording now at NowPlayingPATRON.com
Prom Night (1980) – A Podcast Preview
Fans crowned Jamie Lee Curtis a Scream Queen on Halloween, but the actress didn’t receive her tiara until she walked the catwalk on Prom Night. Is the actress playing another innocent high school student under attack? Or could Curtis be the one under that glittery ski mask, slicing up the bullies responsible for her sister’s fatal hide-and-seek accident? Most important of all, does this flick deserve to rank with Friday the 13th as one of the biggest holiday-themed slashers of 1980? Cast your vote with Brock, Arnie, and Stuart when you Donate Today!
Postal
Notorious filmmaker Uwe Boll has gone Postal – firing back at his many critics with a raunchy adaptation of one of the most offensive video games ever made. Can one unlucky Dude with a shotgun (Zack Ward) stop a Taliban plot to spread bird flu, and earn the respect of his trailer park? Or will he simply kill his cheating wife, cult leader uncle (David Foley), a corrupt cop, that rude lady at the welfare office, and Uwe Boll himself playing the owner of a Nazi-themed amusement park? Find out if Now Playing can make peace with it all when you listen now!
The Fog (1980) – A Podcast Preview
Jamie Lee Curtis kicked off 1980 by re-teaming with Halloween director John Carpenter for a tangle with zombie lepers in The Fog. Does accepting rides from crusty Tom Atkins successfully change the actress’ image from virginal babysitter to promiscuous hitchhiker? Or will our Scream Queen be upstaged by Carpenter’s busty wife Adrienne Barbeau, making her big screen debut as a radio DJ giving weather reports atop a lighthouse? Brock, Stuart, and Arnie will clear the air on this horror classic when you Donate at the Platinum Level.
Venom
WE are Now Playing, and this week WE are watching Venom – the gooey space alien who tries to survive a new movie without Spider-Man as his host. WE will see if reporter Tom Hardy and his black-and-white parasite can bring down unethical tech guru Riz Ahmed, repair a broken relationship with lawyer/fiancee Michelle Williams, and stop a second symbiote named Riot from eating the heads of everyone in San Francisco. (But WE will be the ones spitting venom if this character hasn’t received an upgrade from his Spider-Man 3 debut). WE will Listen Now!
Venom – Unedited Recording Early Release for Patrons
Now Playing’s review of Venom will be on our main feed Tuesday, June 19, 2018 — for free, for everyone, forever. But patrons of $25 or more can enjoy this early unedited release.
Being a (mostly) unedited podcast. It has no opening or closing credits and will contain background noises, misspeaks, and other errors. Also a couple corrections or “inserts” may be in the final version and not in this release.
But we are releasing this for our Patrons of $25 or more who want the fastest access to the show!
The Witch – A Patron Podcast Preview
Now Playing Patrons have damned podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to make sense of The Witch, the spooky 2016 indie that divides genre fans over the label “elevated horror”. Is black magic at work when baby Samuel goes missing, and a 17th Century family of Salem exiles start blaming each other for their sudden streak of misfortune? Or should Split star Anya Taylor-Joy fear her parents’ extreme religious teachings more than demonic goat Black Phillip? Thoust will find out – and live deliciously – when you Become a Now Playing Patron this October. But before you sign that book, here’s a preview of the full show!
The Witch – For Annual Subscribers
Now Playing Patrons have damned podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to make sense of The Witch, the spooky 2016 indie that divides genre fans over the label “elevated horror”. Is black magic at work when baby Samuel goes missing, and a 17th Century family of Salem exiles start blaming each other for their sudden streak of misfortune? Or should Split star Anya Taylor-Joy fear her parents’ extreme religious teachings more than demonic goat Black Phillip? Thoust will find out – and live deliciously – when you Become a Now Playing Patron this October.
The Witch – Patron Exclusive Review
Now Playing Patrons have damned podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to make sense of The Witch, the spooky 2016 indie that divides genre fans over the label “elevated horror”. Is black magic at work when baby Samuel goes missing, and a 17th Century family of Salem exiles start blaming each other for their sudden streak of misfortune? Or should Split star Anya Taylor-Joy fear her parents’ extreme religious teachings more than demonic goat Black Phillip? Thoust will find out – and live deliciously – when you Become a Now Playing Patron this October.
House of the Dead II
Uwe Boll’s reviled adaptation of Sega’s House of the Dead video game won’t stay dead, lumbering back to life with a SyFy Channel sequel. AMS agents Nightingale (Saw 2 babe Emmanuelle Vaugier) and Ellis (Ed Quinn) lead a team of soldiers into a college campus overrun with “hyper-sapiens”. Can they retrieve a blood sample from Patient Zero, and cure the zombie outbreak, before Dick Cheney decides to drop the bomb? And do Justin, Arnie, and Stuart see the franchise evolving now that it’s in new directorial hands? Listen and find out!
Mother of Tears – For Annual Subscribers
30 years after Suspiria put Italian splatter movies on the map, Dario Argento completes the Three Mothers trilogy with an apocalyptic 2007 finale. Museum curators unseal an ancient urn, and unwittingly unleash a kinky witch named Lachrymarum (Moran Atias) onto the streets of Rome. But if she’s the Mother of Tears, why can’t podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob stop laughing? Find out if novice spellcaster Asia Argento stems the wave of crazy violence her father puts up on screen when you Donate for Now Playing’s Fall 2018 Silver Level series!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Mother of Tears – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $10 or more. This podcast will only be available until March 31, 2019, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
30 years after Suspiria put Italian splatter movies on the map, Dario Argento completes the Three Mothers trilogy with an apocalyptic 2007 finale. Museum curators unseal an ancient urn, and unwittingly unleash a kinky witch named Lachrymarum (Moran Atias) onto the streets of Rome. But if she’s the Mother of Tears, why can’t podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob stop laughing? Find out if novice spellcaster Asia Argento stems the wave of crazy violence her father puts up on screen when you Donate for Now Playing’s Fall 2018 Silver Level series!
Mother of Tears – A Podcast Preview
30 years after Suspiria put Italian splatter movies on the map, Dario Argento completes the Three Mothers trilogy with an apocalyptic 2007 finale. Museum curators unseal an ancient urn, and unwittingly unleash a kinky witch named Lachrymarum (Moran Atias) onto the streets of Rome. But if she’s the Mother of Tears, why can’t podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob stop laughing? Find out if novice spellcaster Asia Argento stems the wave of crazy violence her father puts up on screen when you Donate for Now Playing’s Fall 2018 Silver Level series!
Mother of Tears
30 years after Suspiria put Italian splatter movies on the map, Dario Argento completes the Three Mothers trilogy with an apocalyptic 2007 finale. Museum curators unseal an ancient urn, and unwittingly unleash a kinky witch named Lachrymarum (Moran Atias) onto the streets of Rome. But if she’s the Mother of Tears, why can’t podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob stop laughing? Find out if novice spellcaster Asia Argento stems the wave of crazy violence her father puts up on screen when you Donate for Now Playing’s Fall 2018 Silver Level series!
Inferno – A Podcast Preview
The second chapter in Dario Argento’s wicked witch trilogy finds Suspiriorum’s younger sister Mother Tenebrarum (Veronica Lazar) working her black magic in the flooded basement of a New York highrise. Can music student Mark Elliot (Leigh McCloskey) stop his sibling Rose (Irene Miracle) from falling under the spell of this Mother of Darkness? And is the neighbor attempting to exterminate the building’s feral cats actually creating a bigger flesh-eating rat problem? Find out if the sequel is a towering Inferno or a reeking dumpster fire. Donate Now!
House of the Dead
The 1996 shooter House of the Dead invited gamers to pick up light guns and mow down scores of charging zombies. But the 2003 movie adaptation has podcasters Justin, Arnie, and Stuart taking aim once again at immortal writer/director Uwe Boll. Should bad movie lovers take that boat ride with Clint Howard, and attend a Sega-sponsored rave on Seattle’s Island of the Dead? Or will the hangover live forever in viewers’ minds? You’ll find out if the Now Playing Arcade escapes this overturned porta-potty when you listen now!
Inferno
The second chapter in Dario Argento’s wicked witch trilogy finds Suspiriorum’s younger sister Mother Tenebrarum (Veronica Lazar) working her black magic in the flooded basement of a New York highrise. Can music student Mark Elliot (Leigh McCloskey) stop his sibling Rose (Irene Miracle) from falling under the spell of this Mother of Darkness? And is the neighbor attempting to exterminate the building’s feral cats actually creating a bigger flesh-eating rat problem? Find out if the sequel is a towering Inferno or a reeking dumpster fire. Donate Now!
The Predator
30 years after his foul-mouthed mercenary Hawkins was slaughtered in a South American jungle, actor Shane Black returns to write and direct the fourth installment in The Predator franchise. Will audiences be missing Arnold when sniper Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), his autistic son Jacob Tremblay (Wonder), and a busload of looney war vets tangle with the space hunter? And can centerfold-ready scientist Olivia Munn help Sterling K. Brown determine if these new predators got milk, or some other juice, enlarging their bones? “Stick around” and find out!
Suspiria (1976) – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $10 or more. This podcast will only be available until March 31, 2019, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
Before producing Dawn of the Dead and Demons, Italian horror master Dario Argento shocked the world with Suspiria – the first installment in a feverish trilogy of witch films known as The Three Mothers. Is American ballerina Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) cracking under the high demands of a prestigious German dance academy? Or are her grueling new instructors really part of a black magic coven? Become a Silver Level Donor this fall and hear the sighs of delight and frustration as hosts Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review this beguiling, gory fairy tale.
Suspiria (1976) – A Podcast Preview
Before producing Dawn of the Dead and Demons, Italian horror master Dario Argento shocked the world with Suspiria – the first installment in a feverish trilogy of witch films known as The Three Mothers. Is American ballerina Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) cracking under the high demands of a prestigious German dance academy? Or are her grueling new instructors really part of a black magic coven? Become a Silver Level Donor this fall and hear the sighs of delight and frustration as hosts Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review this beguiling, gory fairy tale.
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 Fall 2018 Donation Drive is underway and from now through March 31, 2019, the The Three Mothers 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 Fall 2018 Donation page.
You can get this review now and help support Now Playing! It is available on our Podbean page.
You can also get this episode and every donation show we’ve done– plus a 12 month subscription for all new shows! Details can be found on our Podbean Subscription page.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Nun
Are podcasters Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart ready to put their faith in The Nun after spitting on most of The Conjuring universe? The latest installment in the franchise traces the origins of demon-in-a-wimple Valak to a war-torn monastery in Romania. Can a free-spirited novitiate (Vera’s little sis Taissa Farmiga), and a guilt-ridden exorcist (Oscar nominee Demian Bichir), find the strength… and that misplaced vial of Christ blood… to combat this unholy sister act? Our vow of silence ends when you click play. Listen Now!
Vanilla Sky – Patron Exclusive Review
Open your eyes and take another look at Vanilla Sky, the much-maligned puzzle movie that Tom Cruise and director Cameron Crowe made as an encore to Jerry Maguire. Audiences in 2001 thought the toothy mega-star would always play handsome, infallible heroes, and recoiled when the fantastical melodrama remade Cruise into a disfigured murderer. Will podcasters Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart see new virtues as they pull the intricate story out of deep freeze, or are they just de-thawing a 17-year-old dog? Find out when you become a Now Playing Patron!
D.O.A. – Dead Or Alive
D.O.A. brought a healthy dose of T&A to fighting games in 1996, and the same holds true for the campy 2006 movie adaptation. Everything jiggles when a trashy American wrestler (Jamie Presley), shinobi ninja princess (Devon Aoki), and slinky British cat burglar (Holly Valance) compete in the lucrative Dead Or Alive competition. Will the vixens put aside their differences and unite against Eric Roberts as he uses nanotechnology to extract and sell off their combat skills? Hear the Now Playing Arcade hosts receive another ass whuppin’ when you Listen Now!
Righteous Kill – A Podcast Preview
The prospect of seeing Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shoot up the screen together still generated enough box office heat in 2008 to earn them a Righteous Kill. Now the iconic duo work side-by-side as police detectives on the trail of a demented poet who targets the crooks they weren’t able to put behind bars. Could a movie with this much acting talent be without virtue? Donate Today to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie perform the autopsy on this final installment of the Platinum Level Pacino Series.
Righteous Kill – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $50 or more. This podcast will only be available until August 31, 2018, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
The prospect of seeing Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shoot up the screen together still generated enough box office heat in 2008 to earn them a Righteous Kill. Now the iconic duo work side-by-side as police detectives on the trail of a demented poet who targets the crooks they weren’t able to put behind bars. Could a movie with this much acting talent be without virtue? Donate Today to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie perform the autopsy on this final installment of the Platinum Level Pacino Series.
Righteous Kill – For Annual Subscribers
The prospect of seeing Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shoot up the screen together still generated enough box office heat in 2008 to earn them a Righteous Kill. Now the iconic duo work side-by-side as police detectives on the trail of a demented poet who targets the crooks they weren’t able to put behind bars. Could a movie with this much acting talent be without virtue? Donate Today to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie perform the autopsy on this final installment of the Platinum Level Pacino Series.
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Righteous Kill
The prospect of seeing Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shoot up the screen together still generated enough box office heat in 2008 to earn them a Righteous Kill. Now the iconic duo work side-by-side as police detectives on the trail of a demented poet who targets the crooks they weren’t able to put behind bars. Could a movie with this much acting talent be without virtue? Donate Today to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie perform the autopsy on this final installment of the Platinum Level Pacino Series.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Before it became one of the most beloved movies of all time, The Godfather was a blockbuster novel with characters and plot points that never made it to the screen. Join long lost podcaster Stuart as he comes home to his Books & Nachos family and parses out all the changes made to Mario Puzo’s classic.
Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Revenge (Movie Review)
Because the first Tekken movie didn’t prove fatal, podcasters Arnie, Justin, and Stuart must now survive Kazuya’s Revenge! But could the emotionless amnesiac drifting through this low budget prequel be the same Kazuya who so rashly seized control of the Iron Fist Tournament last time? And what good could possibly come from partnering with future champ Bryan Fury (Gary Daniels) to take down the assassin school that trained them? Things are gonna get messy, even with a crazed janitor mopping up the arena. Assume a defensive position and Listen Now!
Donnie Brasco
Johnny Depp stars as a real life FBI agent who spent six years infiltrating the New York mafia as Donnie Brasco. Will a close friendship with veteran gangster “Lucky” Ruggiero, played by veteran actor Al Pacino, convince the fresh-faced lawman to fuhgetabout his wife, daughters, and Uncle Sam and switch allegiances to The Family? Or will suspicious new capo Michael Madsen find out Depp is really a fugazi and whack that mole? You’ll find out, and be a “friend of ours,” when you donate for this final installment of Now Playing’s 2018 Gold Level series.
Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach
Ben’s three-year-old brother Eric disappeared five years ago, but Ben continues to search. When Ben takes a job at the store where Eric vanished things are not all that they seem. Join Brock for his spoiler-free review of Bad Man to see if this is the perfect thriller to cap off your summer reading list!
Tekken (2009) Movie Review
Arnie, Justin, and Stuart climb into yet another arcade arena for a round with Tekken – the classic 1996 fighting game that inspired a not-so-classic 2010 science fiction flick. Can lowly thief Jin Kazama (John Foo) hold his own in a “kill or be killed” cage match with eight corporately-sponsored gladiators? Or will he take the fight to the evil organizers of the Iron Fist Tournament, and expose reigning champ Bryan Fury (Gary Daniels) to be a cyborg? Find out if the most damaging blows to the head are delivered to the audience when you Listen Now!
Heat – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $50 or more. This podcast will only be available until August 31, 2018, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both appeared in Godfather Part 2, but they never had a scene together until they faced off in Heat. Michael Mann’s 1995 heist epic finds the iconic Italian actors giving it all they’ve got – Al is an LAPD detective better at catching bad guys than holding on to good women, while Bobby is a thief who prides himself on being able to walk away from everything he steals. Find out who scores with podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob when you Donate for Now Playing’s Platinum Pacino Series!
Heat – A Podcast Preview
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both appeared in Godfather Part 2, but they never had a scene together until they faced off in Heat. Michael Mann’s 1995 heist epic finds the iconic Italian actors giving it all they’ve got – Al is an LAPD detective better at catching bad guys than holding on to good women, while Bobby is a thief who prides himself on being able to walk away from everything he steals. Find out who scores with podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob when you Donate for Now Playing’s Platinum Pacino Series!
Heat – Donation Bonus
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both appeared in Godfather Part 2, but they never had a scene together until they faced off in Heat. Michael Mann’s 1995 heist epic finds the iconic Italian actors giving it all they’ve got – Al is an LAPD detective better at catching bad guys than holding on to good women, while Bobby is a thief who prides himself on being able to walk away from everything he steals. Find out who scores with podcasters Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob when you Donate for Now Playing’s Platinum Pacino Series!
Warcraft
The 1994 strategy video game Warcraft expanded into the worlds of novels, trading cards, and online multiplayer spin-offs before finally reaching movie screens in 2016. The long awaited battle between orcs, elves, and humans was a massive hit with international audiences, but bombed big time in the States. Will Yank podcasters Arnie, Justin, and Stuart have more success than their fellow countrymen making sense of the cross-dimensional storyline? Grow some tusks and join them as they bite into this Tolkien-sized fantasy.
New Jack City – Patron Exclusive Review
Now Playing is looking for some New Jack patrons to join them for a New Jack gangster flick. Let Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart sex you up this August with an exclusive podcast dedicated to the 1991 hood classic New Jack City! Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) thinks “the world is mine” now that Al Pacino’s Scarface is dead, and he controls New York’s crack cocaine empire. Find out if the bad guy also steals the spotlight away from director/star Mario Van Peebles, rapper Ice-T, Breakfast Club bad boy Judd Nelson, and comedic junkie Chris Rock when you become a patron today.
Carlito’s Way – A Podcast Preview
Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited 10 years after Scarface for another movie about a legendary Latino gangster. But penitent Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante goes a different direction than bloodthirsty Cuban Tony Montana – refusing to deal drugs once he’s sprung from jail on a technicality. Will corrupt lawyer Sean Penn obstruct Carlito’s Way out of a life of crime by involving him in a risky prison break? And do podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob still want to party with Pacino without the cocaine? Find out when you donate at the Gold Level or higher!
Volume 2, Episode 1: Hasbro and San Diego — Video Podcast
Marvelicious Toys is Back–and LIVE!
Welcome to the All-New, not All-Different Marvelicious Toys collecting show! There’s new music, there’s video content, and it is broadcast LIVE. But it’s still Justin, Arnie, and Marjorie bringing you the news and reviews of Marvel toys, statues, and more. So join them on this first episode as they reflect on Hasbro’s big news from San Diego Comic-Con.
Then join them LIVE August 23, 2018 at 9pm ET/6pm PT for Episode 2 LIVE!
Carlito’s Way – For Annual Subscribers
Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited 10 years after Scarface for another movie about a legendary Latino gangster. But penitent Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante goes a different direction than bloodthirsty Cuban Tony Montana – refusing to deal drugs once he’s sprung from jail on a technicality. Will corrupt lawyer Sean Penn obstruct Carlito’s Way out of a life of crime by involving him in a risky prison break? And do podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob still want to party with Pacino without the cocaine? Find out when you donate at the Gold Level or higher!
Carlito’s Way – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $50 or more. This podcast will only be available until August 31, 2018, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited 10 years after Scarface for another movie about a legendary Latino gangster. But penitent Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante goes a different direction than bloodthirsty Cuban Tony Montana – refusing to deal drugs once he’s sprung from jail on a technicality. Will corrupt lawyer Sean Penn obstruct Carlito’s Way out of a life of crime by involving him in a risky prison break? And do podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob still want to party with Pacino without the cocaine? Find out when you donate at the Gold Level or higher!
Carlito’s Way – Donation Bonus
Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited 10 years after Scarface for another movie about a legendary Latino gangster. But penitent Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante goes a different direction than bloodthirsty Cuban Tony Montana – refusing to deal drugs once he’s sprung from jail on a technicality. Will corrupt lawyer Sean Penn obstruct Carlito’s Way out of a life of crime by involving him in a risky prison break? And do podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob still want to party with Pacino without the cocaine? Find out when you donate at the Gold Level or higher!
Teen Titans GO! To the Movies
Robin is tired of being Batman’s sidekick, so he and the other Teen Titans are taking their hit Cartoon Network show To The Movies. Trouble is, Hollywood still doesn’t consider the Boy Wonder, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, or Beast Boy to be big screen stars. Does picking a fight with Slade, a “Deadpool rip-off” voiced by Will Arnett, help their box office? And will listeners catch Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart singing along with these goofsters as they crack an egg on the DC Universe? The answers aren’t on the usual Bat Channel. Go! to Now Playing to find out!
Dick Tracy – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Note: This podcast is available to Now Playing Podcast Patrons of $50 or more. This podcast will only be available until August 31, 2018, so be sure to listen (and, if you want to listen after, to download) before that date!
You can also get this podcast through the Now Playing Spring 2018 Donation Drive, or individually for a small donation.
Al Pacino earned his sixth Oscar nomination playing Big Boy Caprice, the manic mobster who comes down hard on comic strip cop Dick Tracy. Warren Beatty’s big-budget 1990 summer movie was considered a disappointment when its box office didn’t match Tim Burton’s Batman. But will podcasters Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart find it to be the better film? And does Madonna deserve a spanking for her performance as gangster’s moll Breathless Mahoney? Extra Extra! Hear all about it when you donate for the Now Playing Gold Level Al Pacino series.
Dick Tracy
Al Pacino earned his sixth Oscar nomination playing Big Boy Caprice, the manic mobster who comes down hard on comic strip cop Dick Tracy. Warren Beatty’s big-budget 1990 summer movie was considered a disappointment when its box office didn’t match Tim Burton’s Batman. But will podcasters Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart find it to be the better film? And does Madonna deserve a spanking for her performance as gangster’s moll Breathless Mahoney? Extra Extra! Hear all about it when you donate for the Now Playing Gold Level Al Pacino series!
Mission: Impossible — Fallout (Podcast Review)
Tom Cruise recovers from the Fallout of recent flops, and a shattered ankle, by leaping back to the top of the box office with his tried and true Mission: Impossible franchise. The daredevil actor saves the world for the sixth time by once again teaming with techie Benji (Simon Pegg), hacker Luther (Ving Rhames), and markswoman Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) to stop plutonium-wielding terrorists. Listen now to find out if a tagalong CIA superman (Henry Cavill) and captive criminal mastermind (Sean Harris) compromise their mission to entertain.
Sea of Love – Limited Time Release for Patrons
Al Pacino took a four year break from movie stardom before diving into Sea of Love in 1989. The steamy thriller has Detective Frank Keller – Al’s third incarnation as a New York cop – pursuing a female serial killer who stalks men that advertise in singles magazines. Is it poetic justice that the lonely divorcee falls for mysterious MILF Ellen Barkin, or will partner John Goodman convince Al to stop looking at suspects through beer goggles? Qualify for breakfast with the Yankees when you Donate at the Platinum Level this summer.
Sea of Love – A Podcast Preview
Al Pacino took a four year break from movie stardom before diving into Sea of Love in 1989. The steamy thriller has Detective Frank Keller – Al’s third incarnation as a New York cop – pursuing a female serial killer who stalks men that advertise in singles magazines. Is it poetic justice that the lonely divorcee falls for mysterious MILF Ellen Barkin, or will partner John Goodman convince Al to stop looking at suspects through beer goggles? Qualify for breakfast with the Yankees when you Donate at the Platinum Level this summer.
Need For Speed
Electronic Arts was eager to get racing game Need For Speed into multiplexes after watching Vin Diesel’s family of car thieves make bank. But can Aaron Paul break box office records with rapper Kid Cudi, Mr. Robot, and hottie Imogen Poots in his pit crew? They’ll all burn rubber crossing the country in a bid to land a spot in Michael Keaton’s exclusive street race, thereby getting the chance to show up rival driver Dominic Cooper. Find out if this shift in gears in the Now Playing Arcade works for Justin, Stuart, and Arnie when you Listen Now!
The Untouchables – Patron Exclusive Review
Treasury Officer Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) creates an elite task force of axe-wielding Prohibitionists, set on bringing down murderous bootlegger Al Capone (Robert De Niro), in the 1987 blockbuster The Untouchables. Will Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob find director Brian DePalma’s second movie about a hood nicknamed Scarface – now made “the Chicago way” – to be as violent and entertaining as his 1983 Al Pacino cult classic? Become a Now Playing Patron this July and enjoy a podcast that’s much more diverting than accounting.
Scarface – A Podcast Preview
Al Pacino was back in full gangster mode in 1983, starring as Cuban “political refugee” Tony Montana… better known as Scarface! The Brian De Palma cult classic charts the rise and fall of a cocaine kingpin – from his arrival in America and first job burying a Castro commie, to a final standoff with Bolivian guerrillas raiding his lavish Miami mansion. Are viewers f*cking with the best, or do pussycats Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie need to take a chainsaw to all this excess? The podcast is yours when you donate at the Gold Level!
Scarface – For Annual Subscribers
Al Pacino was back in full gangster mode in 1983, starring as Cuban “political refugee” Tony Montana… better known as Scarface! The Brian De Palma cult classic charts the rise and fall of a cocaine kingpin – from his arrival in America and first job burying a Castro commie, to a final standoff with Bolivian guerrillas raiding his lavish Miami mansion. Are viewers f*cking with the best, or do pussycats Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie need to take a chainsaw to all this excess? The podcast is yours when you donate at the Gold Level!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Scarface
Al Pacino was back in full gangster mode in 1983, starring as Cuban “political refugee” Tony Montana… better known as Scarface! The Brian De Palma cult classic charts the rise and fall of a cocaine kingpin – from his arrival in America and first job burying a Castro commie, to a final standoff with Bolivian guerrillas raiding his lavish Miami mansion. Are viewers f*cking with the best, or do pussycats Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie need to take a chainsaw to all this excess? The podcast is yours when you donate at the Gold Level!
It Came From the Desert (Movie Review)
Cinemaware turned to 1950s monster movies for inspiration when developing a 1989 computer game about giant ants attacking small town America. Now It Came From The Desert comes full circle as a 2018 feature film! An arrogant motocross racer and his shy mechanic must stop genetically modified insects from feasting on friends attending their victory kegger. But have these fanboys seen too many B-flicks to make an original mark on the genre? Listen now to find out if Arnie, Justin, and Stuart must burn down another freak game-adaptation-gone-wrong.
Episode 504: SDCC 2018 Pre-Game Show
San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow! So be prepared for a deluge of news and reveals from your favorite toy and collectible companies. Arnie, Marjorie, Justin, Daryl, and Berent will be there bringing you all the Star Wars news there is.
To prepare for the con Marjorie and Arnie bring you this SDCC Pre-Game show. They look at all the Star Wars convention exclusives, discuss the new SDCC lottery system, and provide hands-on reviews of Hasbro’s SDCC exclusives including the Black Series Han Solo and The Vintage Collection Dr. Aphra 3-Pack.
With Brock reviewing the novelization of The Last Jedi and more, it’s all in this brand new episode of the Star Wars Action News podcast!
SDCC 2018 Exclusives:
- IDW
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- Star Wars Adventures 10 comic w/Variant Cover. 500 copies. $10
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- DKE:
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- Baby Fuzzball by Flat Bonnie (Chewbacca — 100 made, $20)
- BunEwok Wall Art by Flat Bonnie (10 made, $100)
- Weekend Dad Trooper 3.75-in figure (25 made, $55)
- Jumbo Art Trooper Andy (12-in figure, 15 made, $165)
- No Toys 4 Us Geoffrey Giraffe Figure (40 made, $65)
- Worst Gift Ever 2-1B (40 made, $45)
- Ewokalypse Now figure (30 made, $55)
- MANY MORE FIGURES
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- Toynk Booths 815, 4437, 5245
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- Super Blitz Plush Chewbacca (2,000 made, $10)
- Super Blitz Plush Chewie with Goggles (2,000 made, $10)
- Super Blitz Lando (2,000 made, $10)
- Super Blitz Qi’ra (2,000 made $10)
- Super Blitz Han Solo (2,000 made $10)
- Star Wars Movie Poster Pins — only $1,000 made. $25
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- Super 7: Booth 4945
- Entertainment Earth: (Pre-order now online, ships after con if stock available)
- LEGO
- Sideshow/Hot Toys: “Dark Side Anakin” (also put online 7/9)
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- Solo Print by Russell Walks – $35
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- Funko:
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- AT-AT Backpack Set $60
- Han Solo Backpack Set $50
- Han Solo Handbag Set (Rebel symbol) $50
- Endor Scout Coach’s Jacket $60
- Endor Commando Coaches Jacket $60
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- Bluefin
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- Jumbo Return of the Jedi Fett on ROTJ card $80
- McQuarrie Yoda Mini-Bust (750 made, $100)
- Jedi Luke Mini-Bust with light-up saber ($120)
- Left Coast Graphics Cantina Adventure Pin Set $24, limited to 1500
- Left Coast Graphics Collector Enamel Pins, blind box. Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Han Solo (small head), Chewbacca and one MYSTERY CHASE character. PG members can buy whole set, including chase for $100.
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- Lando & Lobot Keepsake Ornaments (2,975 made, $35)
- Boba Fett itty bitty on Vintage Card (2,500 made)
- Golden BB-8 Perpetual Calendar (1,200 made)
- PXL8 Boushh and Han in Carbonite Pins
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- Porg mini-backpack (limited to 500, and also shared with Think Geek)
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- Mattel: Booth 2945
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- Porg and Falcon Hot Wheels
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- Egg Attack Boba Fett – 140 sets made. $80
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- No Character Key
- Empire Strikes Back Darkness Shines Metallic Variant : $65
- Other silkscreen pritns
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- Hasbro:
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- Forces of Destiny Porg/Porglings and Chewbacca ($49.99)
- Black Series Centerpiece Rey (Starkiller Base) & Kylo Ren Figure ($109.99)
- Black Series Han Solo & Mynock $34.99
- Vintage Collection Dr. Aphra Comic Set $49.99
- Has Dr. Aphra, Triple Zero, and BT-1
Episode 503: The ORIGINAL Star Wars Collecting Podcast is back!
After a short break, Star Wars Action News is back with Arnie and Marjorie looking at the state of collecting. They discuss why Star Wars sales are down, why Barge sales were up, and what’s coming with SDCC and SWCC! Hear this show to catch up, and then join them TUESDAY July 17th for a SDCC pre-game show!
Issue 189: Is This the Train to San Diego?
Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie are back with a brand new Marvelicious Toys! On this show we recap where we’ve been, and then talk about where we’re going: San Diego! SDCC is next week. What are the must-haves? Listen to find out about all the Marvelicious goodness!
SDCC Exclusives:
- Kotobukiya: Nothing
- Deadpool 2: Booth 3529
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- Exclusive SDCC shirt given to first 1,200 people each day Thurs – Sun
- Deadpool 2 Super Duper Cut pre-order — get SDCC exclusive Trucker Hat! (While supplies last)
- 25 people each day win a set of 18 Fox Blu-rays with the Deadpool box art.
- Deadpool Dream Suite on Saturday evening (modeled after Deadpool’s apartment) — have to enter to win
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- Fox TV
- Marvel Booth: Only announced more pin sets THERE IS A MODOK PIN
- Mondo
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- MCU 10th Anniversary Print – Lotto already over. $70
- Also Souvenir Book Cover
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- Toynk: Booths 815, 4437, 5245
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- Avengers Thanos Gauntlet Pin with Jewel – 1,000 made, $15
- Deadpool on Unicorn Pin – 2,000 made. $10
- Daredevil and Punisher Tiki Cup Set – 400 made, $40
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- NECA
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- Baby Groot Chia Pet – $30
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- Monogram International:
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- Thor Ragnarok Pewter Key Ring 2 Piece Set (300 pieces, $20)
- Thor/Hulk Foam Magnet Set (limited to 300 pices, $10)
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- Entertainment Earth: (Pre-order now online, ships after con if stock available)
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- Push Puppet Deadpool (8.99)
- Infinity Gauntlet Push Puppet (8.99)
- Squirrel Girl Whittles Wooden Doll ($12)
- X-Men Pin Mates 3-Pack ($14.99)
- Scarlet Witch
- Cyclops
- Wolverine
- Infinity Gauntlet Pin Mate 16-pack ($99.99)
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- Ban Dai – booth 3535
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- Scottie Young Deadpool X-Force Finders Keypers – $25
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- Jakks Pacific (Booth 3349)
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- Infinity Gauntlet Tsum Tsum Set – $19.99
- Gauntlet lights up!
- Also giving some away on Twitter week of SDCC
- Infinity Gauntlet Tsum Tsum Set – $19.99
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- LEGO (booth :
- Sheriff Deadpool Minifigure (Saturday. Enter the lotto)
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- Ant-Man & Wasp Set (Saturday, $40. Enter lotto)
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- Funko
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- Also Conan O’Brien Ant-Man POPs
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- Quantum Mechanix Inc. Booth 4145
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- Deadpool Maximum Effort Q-Fig Max ($29.95)
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- Mini Egg Attack Deadpool and Pony (X-Force Version) – 1,000 made, $30
- Life Size Iron man Mk 43 Pewter Finish. Only 30 made! $20,000
- Egg Attack Deadpool (Marvel Comic) – 140 made. $80
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- IDW (Pre-order now for guaranteed pick-up at the show)
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- Jack Kirby’s Marvel Heroes & Monsters Artist’s Edition w/Variant Cover (1,000 copies, $150)
- Joe Jusko’s Marvel Masterpieces Hardcover — SDCC Variant (150 pieces, $75)
- Jack Kirby’s Marvel Heroes & Monsters Artist’s Edition, SDCC Monsters Cover Variant (100 copies, $150)
- Jack Kirby’s Marvel Heroes and Monsters Artist’s Edition Cover Variant (100 made, $150)
- Jim Starlin’s Marvel Cosmic Artifact Edition–Signed and Numbered SDCC Variant (100 copies, $150)
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- Diamond Select Toys
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- Grey Hulk PVC Diorama (11-in tall, 5000 made)
- White Phoenix PVC Statue (10-in tall, 5000 made)
- Unmasked X-23 Wolverine (4000 made)
- Funko POP Teleporting Lockjaw & GITD Black Bolt (15000 made)
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- Avengers PXL8 Ornaments, Cap Iron Man & Thanos (1500 made)
- Dr. Strange PXL8 rnament
- Ant-Man and Wasp PXL8 Pins
- PXL8 Thanos Pin
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- Mattell: Booth 2945
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- Thanos Copter Hot Wheels
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- Gwenpool Animated Statue $64.99
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- Mezco (Booth 3445)
- Essential Sequential (booth 4507, 4606, 4505)
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- Adi Granov Iron Man Giclee – 16×20. Signed. $100
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- Hasbro:
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