Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Fast and Furious Retrospective Series

I thought King was retiring years ago....

Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast.

Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings. 

Stephen King's latest work, Under the Dome, is his third-longest novel to date, bested in page count only by his classic works The Stand and It. Does this new novel, about a small Maine town cut off from the rest of the world by an unseen force, meet the standards of those books? Listen to find out in this totally spoiler-free review!

(Note: There is a spoiler-ish conversation AFTER the review regarding one of the book's larger plot twists, but you will have plenty of warning so you can listen to the review and still remain totally spoiler-free.)

How can the graphics have more dimensions than the characters?

Two years after his last theatrical release, "King of the World" James Cameron returns with Avatar, a sci-fi epic promising to redefine blockbuster filmmaking. Shot with groundbreaking performance capture and touted as a revolution in digital 3-D, the film drops audiences onto the lush alien world of Pandora for a story of conflict, colonization, and transformation. With massive hype, sky-high expectations, and visuals unlike anything currently playing in theaters, Avatar arrives as a full-scale cinematic event. But does the story rise to meet the technological leap, or is it spectacle in search of substance? Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart step into the world of the Na’vi to decide whether Cameron has once again changed the game, or simply dazzled us with shiny new tools.

A steam cage maze? Remember the good old days when it was just two guys, a crap-filled toilet, and a gun?

Now Playing Podcast completes our Saw retrospective series (for now...) with Saw VI. This sequel takes Jigsaw’s moral crusade in a surprisingly topical direction. Though John Kramer is dead, his final plans target a new set of "players," this time zeroing in on the cold calculus of insurance executives and corporate decision-making. With traps designed to force those who profit from denying coverage to confront the human cost of their policies, Saw VI leans harder into social commentary than previous entries. Some may see Jigsaw’s warped sense of justice as timely, others as heavy-handed. Does this entry sharpen the series’ themes, or does it stretch the premise too far? The hosts examine whether this latest game hits its mark or pushes the concept past its breaking point.

Thank GOD he had a ballpoint pen handy!

Now Playing Podcast continues the game with Saw V, a chapter that shifts focus from elaborate set pieces to the growing legacy of Jigsaw’s work. With John Kramer gone, the spotlight turns to those carrying out his philosophy, and whether they truly understand the rules he claimed to live by. As a new group of victims faces traps that demand cooperation rather than selfish survival, the film digs deeper into the idea that the real test may not be physical endurance, but moral choice. Meanwhile, the investigation tightens around Jigsaw’s inner circle. Does Saw V meaningfully expand the mythology, or does the series start to feel like it’s running on borrowed time?

Jigsaw puts a New Kid on the Ice Block!

At the end of Saw III, Jigsaw was dead. So how does the game continue in Saw IV? This fourth installment rewinds, overlaps, and twists the timeline as Detective Rigg becomes the latest player forced to navigate a deadly moral maze. Meanwhile, Donnie Wahlberg finds himself in serious jeopardy, hanging in the balance as Rigg (Skinwalkers' Lyriq Bent) races against the clock to learn Jigsaw’s lesson before it’s too late. With John Kramer gone, the franchise leans harder into apprentices, legacy, and increasingly complex storytelling. But can Saw IV sustain the series without Jigsaw at the center, or does the absence of the mastermind expose cracks in the formula? The hosts untangle the traps, the timeline, and whether this chapter keeps the game alive.

Jigsaw's brain is exposed in a room THAT dirty? Even if it helps the tumor, the infection will be terrible!

Now Playing Podcast continues its descent into Jigsaw’s world with Saw III. John Kramer, played by Tobin Bell, is dying from a brain tumor, but that doesn’t mean the games stop. This time, Dr. Lynn Denlon (Crash's Bahar Soomekh) is forced to keep him alive while another victim, Jeff (Braveheart's Angus Macfadyen), endures a brutal series of tests designed to confront his grief and thirst for revenge. Why would Lynn cooperate with a serial mastermind? Because if Jigsaw’s heart stops, the device strapped to her head detonates. Stakes escalate, traps grow more elaborate, and the mythology deepens as the franchise pushes its interconnected storytelling further than ever. Does Saw III raise the series to a new level of psychological complexity, or does it collapse under the weight of its own intricacy?

You throw me the novel, I'll throw you the whip!

Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast.

Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings. 

Indiana Jones is back! With the revival of the Indiana Jones franchise in 2008, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the original novelized adventures of Indy continue with Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead. Taking place between the 3rd and 4th Indiana Jones movies, we get to see our hero back in action. But as Crystal Skull did not appease many fans of the franchise, will the book fare better? Choose wisely...listen to our review!

Wouldn't you try to find a mirror before slicing off a piece of your own neck?

Now Playing Podcast continues its dive into Jigsaw’s world with Saw II, the sequel that expands the game from one grimy bathroom to an entire house full of traps. This time, Detective Matthews (Dreamcatcher's Donnie Wahlberg) finds himself pulled into Jigsaw’s latest test, while a group of strangers scramble to survive a nerve gas–filled nightmare. With Tobin Bell (Rudy) returning as the calm, calculating mastermind and the mythology growing more intricate, Saw II aims to prove the original wasn’t a one-off shocker. Does this sequel smartly escalate the concept and deepen the puzzle, or does it trade tension for bigger, bloodier set pieces? The hosts examine the twists, the traps, and whether this second round ups the stakes or simply repeats the game.

Somehow, I don't see the Betty Ford clinic adopting Jigsaw's methods for "curing" drug addicts.

When Saw hit theaters in 2004, few predicted it would ignite one of the defining horror franchises of the 21st century. Yet within a few short years, Saw had staked its claim on Halloween, launching an annual tradition of increasingly elaborate traps and moral games. It all begins with Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell waking up chained in a filthy bathroom, given a simple but impossible choice: one must kill the other to survive. With Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, and Shawnee Smith rounding out the cast, the film blends low-budget ingenuity with psychological cruelty. Does Saw earn its reputation as the modern standard-bearer for horror, or was its success more about shock than substance? Our hosts dissect the twists, the traps, and whether this first game still cuts as deep now, as they cut into Now Playing Podcast's Saw retrospective series!

White horses could drag me away...

White horses. "Knights in White Satin." Sherri Moon Zombie drifting through dream imagery. Halloween II is Rob Zombie at his most stylized and divisive, a sequel to his 2007 remake that doubles down on brutality, trauma, and surreal symbolism. Abandoning much of the structure of Halloween, this follow-up pushes deeper into psychological horror, fractured identities, and a Loomis who may be as monstrous as the killer he chases. If, as Loomis declares, "Bad taste is the petrol that fuels the American dream," then this movie runs on premium. As Now Playing Podcast concludes its Halloween retrospective series, the hosts examine whether this sequel to a remake can justify its existence or if it proves some legends should remain untouched.