Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Fast and Furious Retrospective Series

Trading Places

Well, that’s one way to break a hung jury!

Boris Karloff ends his run as a Universal Monster by getting the Son of Frankenstein to perfect the electrical waves powering his reanimated body. But can the operation be considered a success if the green guy continues to leave a trail of corpses in his wake? And has Bela Lugosi become the real monster of the franchise as new assistant Ygor, despite doing nothing more sinister than playing encouraging flute tunes for his oversized friend?  Listen Now as Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie debate whether this 1939 sequel restores honor to the Frankenstein name.

Wedding Crashers

The Original Champion Bodybuilder

Lightning has struck Now Playing in 2024, prompting Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to have alive-ly debate about Frankenstein… starting with the Big Guy’s 1931 debut as a Universal Monster. Is Boris Karloff’s portrayal of an accidentally murderous reanimated corpse even more iconic than Bela Lugosi giving you the evil eye in his Dracula cape?  And how dramatically did director James Whale amputate Mary Shelley’s source novel to breathe new life into this fable about a scientist playing God? Listen to how this classic creation was stitched together right now! 

Spongebob No Chance

Jason Mamoa does his best to salvage The Lost Kingdom of DC’s Justice League saga in this deep-sixed 2023 sequel to Aquaman. Is estranged brother Patrick Wilson better off in jail than helping crustaceans like Dolph Lundgren cockblock Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and his Black Trident? And how big a barnacle is Amber Heard after all her unflattering court appearances? Nicole Kidman may have “come to this place for magic,” but does the heartbreak of watching her career sink with the Snyderverse really feel good in a place like this!? Find out now!

Squid Games

Christmas with the Cranks

The walls are coming down on civilization’s last city as Patricia Clarkson (Green Mile) and her wicked scientists race the clock to extract The Death Cure from Maze Runner test subjects. How much blood will Dylan O”Brien have to spill to stop his infected friends Rosa Salazar and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Phineas & Ferb) from becoming rage virus zombies?  And is crank-y rebel leader Walton Goggins (Justified) any more of an ally than heavy Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones)? Listen Now as Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob help you find your way to the trilogy’s end.

Here Comes The Hot Steppers 

Dylan O’Brien and his Maze Runner friends leave the labyrinth only to find themselves navigating a charred landscape full of rage virus zombies in second chapter The Scorch Trials. Can Giancarlo Esposito (Mandalorian), Lili Taylor (Conjuring), and Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan) offer these kids sanctuary from wicked scientists wanting to milk their brains? And would our hero do better to stop chasing Kaya Scodelario and date infected pistol-packer Rosa Salazar (Bird Box) instead? These burning questions get answered when you Listen Now!

Thinking Outside The Box 

The Town That Dreaded Markdowns

Director Eli Roth (Hostel) has a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving now that a decades-long mission to expand his Grindhouse joke trailer has finally blessed the multiplex. Will holiday viewers be delighted to dine on a 17-year-old turkey overstuffed with gorey kills and T&A exploitation? Say a prayer for Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they gobble up this 2023 horror-comedy.