Now Playing -- The Movie Review Podcast

Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart get lost in The Mist as they find their way back to the Stephen King retrospective. It took Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont more than a decade to bring this standout entry in King’s Skeleton Crew short story collection to the big screen. Are the beasties that maroon Thomas Jane and his son in a grocery store as scary as the religious zealotry of fellow refugee Marcia Gay Harden? And what will the hosts make of that infamous downbeat ending?  Listen Now and clear the air on this controversial adaptation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Peter Parker leaves his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man alter ego behind for a journey Far From Home meant to alleviate the loss of mentor Tony Stark. But S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury won’t let the 16-year-old tourist shirk his Avenger duties while on European holiday, rebranding him “Night Monkey” so that Peter can fight elemental monsters alongside new superhero Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Can the web-slinger still make time to kiss Zendaya on the Eiffel Tower while keeping Venice afloat, or London Bridge from falling down? Listen and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

While Ed and Lorraine Warren are off “conjuring” up their next big screen supernatural adventure, daughter Judy and her groovy babysitters are back Home trying to contend with Annabelle. It’s an apocalypse in the Artifacts Room when the devil doll escapes her glass case, and unleashes everything from a bloody bridal dress to a British werewolf in an effort to claim souls.  What else will Marjorie, Stuart, and Arnie discover when they reach inside this Feeley Meeley box and sort through the odds and ends? Download the podcast and Find Out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) has come to a critical spork in the road.  Can the cowboy doll continue down his path of being Bonnie’s neglected plaything now that fate, and a raucous family road trip, has reunited him with long lost love Bo Peep (Annie Potts)? And how should he deal with broken doll Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), who holds Bonnie’s homemade creation "Forky" hostage in the hopes of exchanging him for Woody’s pull string?  Listen to your inner voice - and Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart - when you to download the epic Toy Story 4 podcast! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

The Conjuring cinematic universe has certainly given Marjorie, Arnie, and Stuart a lot to cry about over the years. Is it a blessing or a curse that a blubbering Spanish spectre named La Llorona has followed Annabelle priest Father Perez to the big screen for a sixth installment in the franchise?  Find out if the podcasters have a bawl watching this Weeping Woman use her long talons to snatch away two children from Hawkeye’s wife Linda Cardellini.  Listen now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Pixar’s playthings are ready to toy with your emotions once again as they prepare to spend infinity and beyond in the attic. But will their friendship survive after Andy decides to take only one of his childhood favorites to college, leaving the rest to be donated to a frenetic daycare center where passive-aggressive teddy bear Lots O’Huggin (Ned Beatty) orchestrates their misery?  Find out if Toy Story 3 leaves Now Playing’s trio of podcasters in tears when you Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe overhauls the X-Men, those first movie mutants rise up from the ashes of the Fox franchise for a last stand with Dark Phoenix. What happens when a space mission leaves Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) surging with energy, and blowing her stack at Professor X (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and all mankind? Will she be attracted to the newfound zen of Magneto (Michael Fassbender)? And does space alien Jessica Chastain come in peace... or just want a piece of her glow? School’s in session when you Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) might have patched things up with arrogant astronaut Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), but who’s going to fix all the wear and tear that longtime play has had on his increasingly fragile doll body? Is this cowboy ready to be put out to pasture? Or will Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, and Buzz stop a thieving toy collector (Wayne Knight) from turning their friend into a collectible, and shipping him off to a museum in Japan? Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie reflect on the heartbreaking lessons of maturity offered in Toy Story 2 when you Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Every child imagines that their stuffed animals and action figures have a secret life, but the official Toy Story wasn't recorded until Pixar created the first computer animated feature film. Cowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks) proves playthings can be just as petty as people when his 8-year-old owner Andy receives high-tech space man Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) for a birthday present. Is the fight to be Andy's favorite toy a zero sum game? Are the Now Playing hosts cynical enough to blow up this movie classic when they regress to childhood? Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Who can defeat The Avengers? Leave it to hitman extraordinaire John Wick! The sleeper hit series has, with its third "chapter", topped Avengers from their spot atop the box office charts. That success led to an instant announcement of Chapter 4 coming in 2021. But for all its success, can 54-year-old Keanu Reeves continue to kick ass on screen? Or does new partner Halle Berry "Jinx" the whole affair?  Arnie, Justin, and Jakob have served, and will serve, so join them with this review of Parabellum. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Did Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds feel it in his jellies when he signed on to be the voice of electric mouse Detective Pikachu in his first live-action adventure? Or is the sarcastic actor talking to the wrong crowd by partnering with millennial Justice Smith for a PG rated Pokemon movie? Join Stuart, Arnie, and Justin as they wrap up this legendary series, and follow the clues left at a mysterious car crash back to a deadly purple gas and notorious genetic mutation MewTwo.  Catch It Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Team Rocket is at it again! Spies Annie and Oakley have abducted the dragon protectors of a tranquil canal city. Good thing Pokemon Heroes Ash, Brock and Misty are here to ensure that Legendary Latios and Latias are rescued before a massive tidal wave destroys their town. Join hosts Justin, Arnie, and Stuart as they "sight share" their experience watching the last animated Pikachu movie to receive wide theatrical distribution in America, as well as their enjoyment of mobile game phenomenon Pokemon Go. You gotta catch the poke-cast now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

It was inevitable that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would reach an Endgame after producing 21 blockbusters over the course of 11 years. Can Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye undo the devastation of Thanos’ Infinity War by implementing Ant-Man’s crazy "time heist" plot?  And are IMAX screens big enough to contain the hordes of superheroes fighting for the spotlight in the sprawling final battle? Hosts Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart aim for the heart and the head as they assemble once more for a gigantic, in-depth review. Hear it now!   {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

The world’s greatest paranormal investigator is back on the big screen! Hellboy heads to England on a quest to wield Excalibur, and stop King Arthur’s witchy nemesis Milla Jovovich from unleashing a plague of monsters. Does Stranger Things’ David Harbour look as good in red as Ron Perlman?  And how much help does he get from a saucy medium (Sasha Lane), a suppressed wildcat Major (Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim), and a hard R rating? Hear if Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart have Giant problems with this reboot when you listen now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

The ground has been pretty sour for Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie as they’ve trudged through some pretty rocky Stephen King film adaptations. Have their fortunes improved now that they’ve returned to Pet Sematary? One of the author’s most celebrated novels has found new life in a big budget “elevated horror” remake. Do the hosts hit the breaks on the dramatic plot twist that steers the Creed family down a different road?  And will they dig Jason Clarke and Oscar nominee John Lithgow in the iconic roles? Listen Now, and let Now Playing take you to Church! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

All hands on deck! Detective Comics has added a new superhero to its cinematic family. SHAZAM! might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but this week he’s pushed his way past Captain Marvel to top the box office. Can a 14-year-old foster kid use Zachary Levi as his Photo ID, and pass himself off as the next Superman? Or do podcasters Justin, Stuart, and Arnie have BIG problems with a man-child in spandex? Your phone is charged with lots of laughs and great conversation when you download the show, and Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

It may feel like Stuart, Arnie, and Justin have talked about Pokemon 4Ever, but Ash and Pikachu still have a long road to travel before they complete their cinematic journey. Perhaps they can speed up the process when they encounter Celebi - a legendary Pokemon with the power of time-travel.  The hosts rewind the clock too when they pull out some classic Pokemon board games, and return to the era of dice rolls and moving tokens along fold-out maps. Listen Now and find out the true identity of the masked marauder! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Ash and Pikachu are off pursuing new Championship dreams in the distant land of Johto when Pokemon 3 brings them face-to-face with the Unown! How will the travelers fare against a lonely orphan girl who’s harnessed the power of psychic Pokemon, and kidnapped Ash’s mother Delia, in an attempt to rebuild her missing family? And will Ash’s retired fire-breather Charizard return to the fold, and save his former Trainer from a Legendary pocket monster named Entei? Catch Stuart’s, Justin’s, and Arnie’s evolving opinions on this franchise when you Listen Now! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Pikachu, his trainer Ash Ketchum, and all the classic pocket monsters proved they were no fad of the 1990s when they stormed the new millennium with another hit animated film.  Pokemon 2000 sees them facing off with a heartless collector who stokes apocalyptic fears when he captures a flock of doomsday birds - including “Beast of the Sea” Lugia!  Will the Now Playing crew have as much fun with the film as they do trying to learn the Pokemon Trading Card game? Listen and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Before they reach their End Game, Marvel Studios takes audiences back to where it all began for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury (Samuel “Mother-Flurken” Jackson) - a 1995 close encounter with Captain Marvel. Can Brie Larson’s space invader rectify where her loyalties lie when warring factions of Kree and Skrulls descend upon Earth to claim Annette Bening’s lightspeed technology? And when will the femalien be ready to use her flaming fist power?  Find out if Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob had a Mar-Velous time revisiting the Grunge Era when you Listen Now!    {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain Marvel Series} --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support