Books & Nachos

Author JRR Tolkien spent three books, and over a thousand pages, creating a dense Middle Earth mythology. Now he brings that age of folklore to a thunderous close with Return of the King. Here all of the saga's major characters are granted an opportunity to fulfill their destiny. Among the questions answered:

Can vagabond king Aragorn gather the army he needs to return to Gondor and reclaim his royal birthright from invading hordes? Will shieldmaiden Eowyn earn the respect of King Theoden and the other warriors by disguising herself as a man on the battlefield?And most centrally, will ringbearer Frodo have the inner strength to escape Orc captivity and finally reach Mount Doom? And will there be a Shire for the Hobbit to return to should he succeed in destroying the One Ring? Join Jakob (who grew up on Tolkien) and Stuart (who previously only knew the story from Peter Jackson's work) as they dig deep into the original text in preparation for the Now Playing Silver and Platinum donation reviews of all Hobbit and Lord of the Rings film adaptations.

A new front in the fight for Middle Earth opens as Hobbits Frodo and Sam continue their eastern journey to Mordor with only monstrous Gollum as a guide, leaving behind their friends to defend the remaining human kingdoms from evil wizard Saruman. With Two Towers, author JRR Tolkien abandons the lighthearted Hobbiton simplicity that made his books appealing to children, and presents a sprawling tapestry of global warfare that teems with dozens of new characters and subplots. Will all of this added complexity have the podcasters begging to return to The Shire with Merry and Pippin, or is Middle Earth an even better playground for adults? Join Jakob (who grew up on Tolkien) and Stuart (who previously only knew the story from Peter Jackson's work) as they dig deep into the original text in preparation for the Now Playing Silver and Platinum donation reviews of all Hobbit and Lord of the Rings film adaptations.

It took almost twenty years for the author of The Hobbit to pen a sequel - time enough for the children who grew up on the story to mature into readers capable of tackling a darker, denser saga spanning three separate novels. Fellowship of the Ring begins the adventure with aged journeyman Bilbo Baggins giving nephew Frodo a magic ring he won from monstrous Gollum. Wizard Gandalf can see the treasure is a conduit for dark magic, and sends the new ringbearer and his three Hobbit friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin on a journey to Rivendell. There a council of elves, dwarfs, and humans must decide the best course of action to take against growing enemy Sauron.Join Jakob (who grew up on Tolkien) and Stuart (who previously only knew the story from Peter Jackson's work) as they dig deep into the original text in preparation for the Now Playing Silver and Platinum donation reviews of all Hobbit and Lord of the Rings film adaptations.

It's hard to believe there was a time when the world didn't know of Hobbits, those hairy-toed homebodies who prefer a good pipe and cozy hole in the ground to the promise of fame and fortune. But their secret subterranean lifestyle was exposed in 1937 when author J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit. Intended for children, but serving as the basis for his more sophisticated later Lord of the Rings trilogy, this introductory Middle Earth novel offers a delightful account of how paternalistic wizard Gandalf prodded sheltered Bilbo Baggins to step outside his comfort zone and help a band of dwarfs reclaim their kingdom.

The Hobbit is celebrated and castigated in equal measure for re-popularizing folklore in 20th Century literature - presenting a detailed alternate universe teaming with warmongering elves, hungry trolls, giant spiders, and a fire breathing dragon. Is it all just fodder for role-playing games and kiddie cartoons 77 years later, or are there timeless life lessons and enduring appeal to what's on the page? Join hosts Jakob (who grew up with Tolkien) and Stuart (a fantasy-challenged reader) as they revisit this milestone in preparation for a larger Hobbit/Lord of the Rings movie retrospective being created for Silver and Platinum donors to sister podcast Now Playing.

Of all the stories in Stephen King's Night Shift none have the name recognition, or the notoriety, of "Children of the Corn." Originally published in a 1977 issue of Penthouse, this story has spawned one of the longest-running horror franchises in film history! Now hear Arnie's review of the short story, then join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob at nowplayingpodcast.com to hear their reviews of all nine Children of the Corn films, as well as the "Dollar Baby" adaptation Disciples of the Crow!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where an uneasy truce is being negotiated between distrustful apes and paranoid human survivors. How did things get so bad between man and his closest genetic match to make war such an inevitable outcome? And what was life like in the initial days after apes broke free of their cages and stormed across the Golden Gate bridge to take refuge in the Redwoods? In the prequel novel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm author Greg Keyes returns to the year 2011, bringing together all new characters with the fan favorites of Rise of the Planet of the Apes to explore a turning point in both species' survival. Does he find a way to expand upon the movie universe, or are you better off skipping this 304 page preview and just reading the new film's numerous subtitles?

Stuart in LA answers this and more in his final Planet of the Apes podcast of the summer. Listen now!Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

Planet of the Apes might have begun in literature, but it reached mass popularity and commercial success with the 1968 Charlton Heston movie. That cinema classic, and its four sequels, presents a stark future Earth where Mankind has slipped back into savagery and become slaves to our evolutionary brethren.

In 2011 - the same year Twentieth Century Fox released blockbuster reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Archaia Entertainment, author Andrew Gaska, and over a dozen celebrated illustrators launched a continuation of the original movie universe in print. Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes retells the story of the time-traveling Liberty 1 space mission using gorilla, chimp, orang, and human characters we never got to know in the movies.Join Stuart in LA to hear if this illustrated novel is a bold reinterpretation of a landmark film, or just aping the past for quick cash.

Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

In Tim Burton's 2001 film Planet of the Apes Leo Davidson (played by Mark Wahlberg) is sent to the alien world Ashlar in the far future where humans and smart apes wage war upon each other. But how did humans get to Ashlar and what role did Davidson's space station Oberon play? The movie never answered those questions, but two novels by author William T. Quick did! Now Stuart in LA is here to bring you up to speed with his summaries and reviews of Planet of the Apes: The Fall and Planet of the Apes: Colony. Listen to find out if these books enhance the experience of watching the 2001 re-imagined Apes film.

Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

The story of the monolith and man's exploration of space concludes in Arthur C. Clarke's ultimate Odyssey novel 3001: The Final Odyssey. Set a thousand years after Dave, Frank and HAL journeyed into space to investigate the strange lunar monolith, this concluding chapter reveals the true motivations of the mysterious alien race, with some familiar faces returning to guide readers. Now join Stuart as his voyage through the years concludes and he reviews this 31st Century adventure.

Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!

The movies ended in 2010 but the story of humanity's Space Odyssey continued in novels by original 2001 co-creator Arthur C. Clarke. In this third installment of the series Heywood Floyd is on a mission to land on Haley's comet but unexpected events lead him to Europa--the one place in the galaxy the monolith forbade man to tread. Are there answers about the mysterious monolith at last? Join Stuart in this gala 100th episode of Books & Nachos to find out!

Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!