Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Fast and Furious Retrospective Series

I doubt this is actually 100% Medically Accurate, but I could be full of sh*t

Warning: This podcast deals with subject matter that will be objectionable to the vast majority of listeners. No one under the age of 18 should listen, and those over the age of 18 should listen with caution.

It's the underground horror hit of the year: The Human Centipede. Playing only at midnight showings in select theaters and on demand, this film promises to be one of the raunchiest horror films ever. With the tagline "100% Medically Accurate," you know you're in for something more than your standard slasher, but how extreme is this film, and, more to the point, is it any good? Stuart, Arnie, and Marjorie have watched this film and now review every gross detail in this podcast!

Fear does not exist on this podcast! Pain does not exist on this podcast!

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

Why are you wearing headphones? You haven't downloaded us yet.

Nine, ten... Freddy’s back in theaters again.

Now Playing Podcast concludes its Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective with a new Nightmare. This time, Robert Englund and Wes Craven step aside, replaced by Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) under the burned makeup and music video director Samuel Bayer behind the camera, delivering a darker, more grounded take on the dream stalker. With a new cast of Springwood teens and a modern horror aesthetic, the reboot aims to reintroduce Freddy Krueger to a generation raised on grittier remakes. Stuart, Arnie, and Brock approach the film from three angles: as a horror fan, a Freddy devotee, and a newcomer to the genre. They compare the reboot to the 1984 original, reflect on the franchise as a whole, and weigh Freddy’s standing among horror’s all-time icons. Does Haley’s interpretation restore the menace and danger some felt had faded over the sequels, or does this reboot prove that some nightmares can’t be recreated? The hosts deliver their final verdict as the Elm Street saga comes to a close.

This is a whole new episode of Now Playing. No, really, it is!

The movie so nice we reviewed it twice!

Having already spent time with the strong, silent type during last year’s Friday the 13th retrospective, Now Playing Podcast switches allegiances to the wisecracking dream demon for a fresh look at Freddy vs. Jason. This time the focus is squarely on Freddy Krueger and how this long-awaited crossover fits into the Nightmare on Elm Street legacy. With Robert Englund donning the glove for what would become his final big-screen turn as Freddy, the film pits cunning against brute force in a battle fans had debated for years. But does this clash give Freddy the send-off he deserves, or does sharing the spotlight dilute what made Elm Street special? The hosts examine whether this slasher showdown honors the dream stalker’s legacy or leaves Nightmare fans feeling like the real casualties.

Doesn't Wes Craven realize the trail of breadcrumbs got Hansel and Gretel hopelessly lost?

With the reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street hitting theaters this April, Now Playing Podcast continues its retrospective with Wes Craven's New Nightmare. A decade after the original film launched the franchise, Freddy had become a pop culture icon, complete with catchphrases, sequels, and a merchandising empire. But in this bold reinvention, Wes Craven pulls Freddy out of the movie world and into our own. Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund play versions of themselves as a darker, more primal incarnation of the dream demon begins invading reality. No longer content with sequels, The Evil Formerly Known As Freddy (TEFKAF) wants control. Is Craven's post-modern reinvention an inspired new direction for the series, or a trail of breadcrumbs leading nowhere? Listen and find out!

Now, wait a minute...hasn't Freddy been dead this entire series?

After the lukewarm response to The Dream Child, New Line knew Freddy’s box office reign might be slipping. So for the sixth entry, they went big. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare promises the ultimate showdown, complete with 3-D gimmicks, celebrity cameos, and a deep dive into Freddy Krueger’s origin story. With the marketing declaring this the definitive end of the dream demon, the film throws everything at the screen in an attempt to close the book on Elm Street. But does piling on spectacle and backstory create a fitting send-off, or does it expose how far the series has drifted from its nightmarish roots? The hosts examine whether this Final Nightmare delivers a proper farewell or feels more like a flashy wake for a once-terrifying icon.

Good to see Quato is getting some work

Nine, Ten. Never sleep again.

Freddy returns once again in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, picking up after Alice defeated him in The Dream Master. This time, the dream demon finds a new way in, manipulating the nightmares of Alice’s unborn child and turning prenatal dreams into deadly playgrounds for a fresh group of Springwood teens. Leaning even further into surreal imagery and darker fairy-tale symbolism, The Dream Child pushes the mythology into stranger territory. But does this fifth chapter build on the series’ momentum, or does it stumble under increasingly convoluted ideas and diminishing scares? The hosts step into the nightmare once more to decide whether this sequel earns its place in the franchise legacy.

I wonder if the Roach Motel was a brokered product placement...

7, 8... Better stay up late.

After Dream Warriors turned Freddy into a box office powerhouse, New Line wasted no time bringing him back. Despite a writer’s strike and a rushed production schedule, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master hit theaters in 1988 with a bigger budget, flashier dream sequences, and an even more wisecracking Freddy. With a new group of Springwood teens and a shift toward a lighter, more action-oriented tone, the film became the franchise's top-grossing solo entry. But does commercial success equal quality? The hosts step back into the dream world to decide whether The Dream Master truly earns its crown.

The only thing that can defeat Freddy is a good mix of hair metal and holy water

5, 6... Grab your crucifix.

Freddy is back, and this time he’s larger than life. Now Playing Podcast continues its retrospective with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the sequel that pushes the franchise deeper into surreal dream logic and bigger spectacle. Returning from the original are Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, joining a new group of teens who discover they can fight back inside their nightmares. With Freddy cracking more jokes and the dream sequences growing increasingly elaborate, Dream Warriors aims for an epic showdown between imagination and evil. Does this entry elevate the series into fantasy-horror greatness, or does it tip into camp and excess? In the name of Lowrek, Prince of Elves, listen now to find out!