Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Fast and Furious Retrospective Series

If there are no doors, how do you get in?

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. 

It's a house with no right angles, walls meeting floors in curves, and it may just be haunted. That's the real estate listing in Joe Screiber's latest horror novel, No Doors No Windows. Arnie will tell you if this book will have you clawing the walls in fear.

A podcast about a novel written by a podcaster. Huh.

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. 

Avid podcaster Scott Sigler has become a novelist. Now his novels are the subject of a podcast. Is that recursive, ironic, or just a coincidence? Either way, here we review his 2008 novel Infected, which began as the podcast novel Infection in 2006. With Halloween around the corner, is this the answer to your need for scares? Join us for this book review to find out!

If you are a character in a Rob Zombie movie, you might be a redneck

After a long run of sequels with wildly inconsistent results, Michael Myers gets a 21st-century overhaul in 2007's Halloween, directed by Rob Zombie. Blending Zombie’s grimy, exploitation-influenced style, previously seen in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, with the framework of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, this version expands Michael’s backstory while retelling the familiar Haddonfield massacre. Part prequel, part remake, and fully committed to Zombie’s aesthetic, the film also casts Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis, stepping into one of horror’s most recognizable roles. Does this reimagining successfully modernize Halloween for a new audience, or does digging deeper into Myers’ origins strip away the mystery that made him terrifying? The hosts weigh whether this bold reset pays off, or if the franchise should have stuck with its previous path.

Tony Stark versus three assassins. What could possibly go wrong?

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. 

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Dangertainment Tonight

What happens when you throw reality TV, early-2000s internet culture, martial arts, and Michael Myers into a blender? You get Halloween: Resurrection. Despite the previous film's seemingly definitive ending, The Shape is back again, this time stalking a live-streamed haunted house event designed to cash in on Haddonfield's bloody history. Featuring Busta Rhymes (Higher Learning) delivering roundhouse kicks and reality-show chaos front and center, Resurrection leans hard into the trends of its era. But does this attempt at a modern, "hip" reimagining inject new life into the franchise, or does it finally push the series past the point of no return? The hosts step into the house one more time to decide whether this revival was inspired or ill-advised.

With an interview with author Jamie Estes

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. 

We dive into A Walk Through the Book of Matthew: Youth Style by Pastor Jamie Estes, a devotional guide that makes the Gospel of Matthew readable and relatable for young people. The book walks through the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in Matthew, but in a tone that’s approachable for youth groups or anyone looking to connect the ancient text to real-world faith. It’s written with the express goal of helping readers better understand Christ and the example He set for how we live and love.

In this episode, Jerry breaks down key themes from the devotional, talks through what makes the Youth Style approach distinctive, and reflects on how Estes frames Jesus’ teachings in Matthew in a way that’s practical for young believers. Then Arnie sits down with Jamie Estes himself to talk about why he wrote the book, how he navigates making deep Scripture accessible without diluting it, and what he hopes readers will take away after finishing the devotional.

If you want an episode that’s part book review, part author conversation, and all about making the message of Matthew come alive for a new generation, this one’s for you.

Nobody doesn't like Jamie Lee!

Twenty years after the night he came home, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her iconic Laurie Strode role in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. Ignoring several previous sequels, this entry aims to reset the timeline and give Laurie a final confrontation with her masked brother. With the late-'90s slasher revival in full swing and the influence of hotshot screenwriter Kevin Williamson, H20 tries to blend classic Halloween tension with the sharper, self-aware tone audiences embraced after Scream. Does this legacy sequel deliver the showdown fans had waited two decades for, or does it rely too heavily on trend-chasing and nostalgia? The hosts examine whether this return to form truly makes you scream, or merely echoes past glories.

Given the pattern of these subtitles, shouldn't the next one be titled "The Trail of Michael Myers"?

Michael Myers returns yet again in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and this time the franchise dives headfirst into ancient curses, secret cults, and the mysterious Man in Black teased in the previous film. The infamous Thorn storyline attempts to explain the unexplainable, layering druids and destiny onto what was once a simple shape in the shadows. If that already sounds complicated, just wait! Between the theatrical cut and the later Producer’s Cut, there are two different versions of this movie, each trying to make sense of the chaos. Can the Now Playing Podcast hosts untangle the mythology and find something coherent in this sixth installment, or does the curse extend to the audience as well?

This time it's personal. Wait, wait, so was the last time... and the time before that.

Michael Myers returns once again in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the fifth chapter in the long-running franchise. Picking up after the events of Halloween 4, the film promises answers about Jamie Lloyd, Michael's masked rampage, and the mysterious figures lurking in the shadows. But instead of clarity, audiences get a strange man in a trench coat, cryptic symbols, and a few head-scratching detours along the way. Does Halloween 5 build suspense and deepen the mythology, or does it pile on confusion in place of scares? The hosts sort through the masks, the mayhem, and the mysteries to see whether this revenge story earns its place in the series.

Michael Myers is going after his niece. Will she cry uncle?

After the detour of a Halloween film without Michael Myers, the franchise makes its intentions crystal clear with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. The title says it all: the Shatner-masked icon is back, front and center, and the series is once again betting everything on The Shape stalking Haddonfield. But does bringing Myers back also bring the franchise back to form? Is this a worthy return to the tension and simplicity that made the early films classics, or just a familiar face in a weaker sequel? The hosts look at the new characters, the body count, and whether Halloween 4 earns its "return" or merely repeats it.