Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Retrospective Series

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 6

Martin Scorsese is back with longtime acting muses Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro in the 2023 Oscar hopeful Killers of The Flower Moon. This time Leo is the taxi driver, chauffeuring Lily Gladstone around Oklahoma as uncle Bobby conspires with an entire town to fleece her Osage tribe out of oil profits. Can Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad) get the FBI to stop this wave of poisonings, bombings, and shootings before the white devils succeed in Native American genocide? Listen Now as the hosts speak truth about Leo and Marty’s sixth collaboration.

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 5

While the frequency of their collaborations has slowed, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are together again in 2013’s Oscar-bating docu-comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio plays real-life Wall Street criminal Jordan Belfort, who lived a sex, drug, and money fueled lifestyle before his short stint in prison. Does Scorsese’s style work when showcasing white-collar crime families? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob’s review to find out!

While the frequency of their collaborations has slowed, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are together again in 2013's Oscar-bating docu-comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio plays real-life Wall Street criminal Jordan Belfort, who lived a sex, drug, and money fueled lifestyle before his short stint in prison. Does Scorsese's style work when showcasing white-collar crime families? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!

{Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series}

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 4

Opening this weekend, Shutter Island reunites Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio for a dark, paranoid descent into madness. Set on a remote island housing the criminally insane, the film follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) as he investigates a disappearance that quickly spirals into something far more unsettling. With storm-lashed cliffs, locked wards, and Leo’s revived Bah-stan accent front and center, Shutter Island arrives as Scorsese’s most overtly commercial thriller in years, drawing comparisons to his earlier suspense work like Cape Fear. But is this moody noir a gripping psychological puzzle, or does it lose its footing as the mystery deepens? Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob head to the island to decide whether this is a movie you’d be crazy to miss.

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 3

Now Playing Podcast takes on The Departed, Martin Scorsese’s return to organized crime after Goodfellas. With an all-star lineup that includes Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio, the film drops viewers into a tense game of cops and criminals trying to unmask each other in Boston’s underworld. Loaded with double crosses, bravado, and more than a few questionable Bah-stan accents, The Departed became the film that finally earned Scorsese his long-awaited Academy Award for Best Director. But was the Oscar recognition truly for this film, or did it feel like a career victory lap? Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart dissect the performances, the pacing, and whether this crime thriller stands tall on its own merits.

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 2

Now Playing Podcast turns its attention to The Aviator, Martin Scorsese’s lavish biopic chronicling the rise and unraveling of aviation pioneer and Hollywood mogul Howard Hughes. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic) in a physically and emotionally demanding role, the film charts Hughes’ ambition, innovation, romance, and growing battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. With sweeping production design, old-Hollywood glamour, and high-stakes business drama, The Aviator arrived as prestige filmmaking in full throttle. But does Scorsese’s grand scale storytelling soar, or does the film get lost circling its own excess? The hosts examine the performances, the technical tricks, and whether this biographical epic truly flies.

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio Series Episode 1

Only a year after 9/11, Martin Scorsese released Gangs of New York, an epic about the violent birth of modern Manhattan. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War draft riots, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio (The Beach) as a young man seeking revenge and Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot) as the towering, mustachioed Bill the Butcher, with Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels) rounding out the central trio. With massive sets, period detail, and prestige ambitions, Gangs of New York arrived carrying serious awards expectations. But does the movie live up to its epic scope, or does it feel more impressive than compelling? And does DiCaprio manage to shake off the lingering shadow of Titanic, or is he outmatched by Day-Lewis at every turn? The hosts dig into the performances, the pacing, and whether this historical saga earns its reputation.