Now Playing -- The Movie Review Podcast

After the success of X-Men, 20th Century Fox quickly green-lit another Marvel superhero film--Daredevil! With Ben Affleck still riding his career high after The Sum of All Fears cast as the blind lawyer cum vigilante Daredevil seemed poised to swing in right behind the success of 2002's Spider-Man. Aided by a strong supporting cast including Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan, and a pre-Iron Man Jon Faverau, this film broke box office records its opening weekend, but in the court of public opinion this film has been forgotten. Now, continuing their look back at every movie based on Marvel's superhero comics, Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart take the stand and bear witness to Daredevil. Was justice served? Listen to this podcast to find out the verdict! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Blade II made over $150 million worldwide, so it was no surprise that two years later Blade was back in theaters. What was surprising is he brought friends, in the form of Jessica Biel, Parker Posey, Natasha Lyonne, and Ryan Reynolds. Can the daywalker stand up to the star power in this cast? And does the return of Blade's comic book nemesis Dracula inject new blood into the franchise? Listen and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Blade was an unexpected hit in 1998, and so in 2002 Wesley Snipes returned to the role for the first sequel in his career. This time, with a still mostly unknown Guillermo del Toro at the helm, and writer David S. Goyer penning the script, did the Daywalker really get his chance to shine? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob's review to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

By 1998, the only Marvel Comics character to get a wide theatrical release was Howard the Duck. But Dark Knight writer David Goyer would change all that with Blade, starring Wesley Snipes as the comic book vampire slayer. With Stephen Dorff as charismatic vampire Deacon Frost, Blade redeemed comic based movies after Batman and Robin and kicked off the Marvel Age of movies. But can this pre-Matrix combination of CGI and black leather stand up today, and how does it fit in with the other Marvel comic book movies? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Dracula, Lestat, Angel, Nosferatu, Spike...Jerry??? While Hollywood continues to mine all vampire properties to build on the current fang mania, the 1985 cult film Fright Night was not one with the name recognition that made it an obvious choice for a remake, but with Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Marti Noxon writing, and an impressive cast including Colin Farrell and David Tennant, this unlikely remake seemed like it may make vampires scary again. But can it live up to the 1985 original in the eyes of fans, and will it appeal to new audiences? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Brock to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Now Playing finishes its Final Destination Retrospective Series with the newest installment in the series. Sam and his coworkers are on their way to a work retreat when a bridge collapse nearly kills them all, but Death's design is still coming. Does Tony Todd's Bludworth have an insight into Death's plan that can help them save their lives, or are they Dust in the Wind? And do audiences care, or do we just want to see inventive death scenarios? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Brock as they review this installment and find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Despite having dusted Jerry in the first Fright Night film, Charlie Brewster has been convinced by his therapist that there are no such thing as vampires, and yet when Jerry's sister Regine comes looking for revenge Charlie's only hope lies with Peter Vincent-Vampire Killer! With a new girlfriend for Charlie, a new crew of baddies, and no Evil Ed in sight, does Fright Night Part 2 live up to the original? And even if it did, could you find a copy to watch? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

In 2009 Rob Zombie returned to the twisted mind of Michael Myers in Halloween 2...and no one cared because horror films had entered a new dimension: 3-D! Capitalizing on this new cinema gimmick was The Final Destination, the fourth in the franchise. With Final Destination 2 director David R. Ellis returning to stage another car crash, this time on a speedway, and psychic Nick trying to save the lives of his friends from such threats as a car wash, a swimming pool, and a chain link fence, do inventive deaths inject new life into the Final Destination series? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Jerry and Billy would be great neighbors, were it not for all the apple cores they leave in the yard, and the bodies of dead prostitutes they take out in garbage bags. But while the rest of the neighborhood seems not to notice, Charlie Brewster realizes the truth--Jerry is a vampire. In 1985 Fright Night brought back the Vampire genre from the dead with its mix of horror and comedy. With Chris Sarandon as the evil, yet fashionable, Jerry, and Roddy McDowell as Peter Vincent, the fearless vampire killer, is this film's allure eternal, or should it have been buried in the 80's? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Brock to find out! Then come back to NowPlayingPodcast.com as we review all the Fright Night films, culminating with a review of the remake starring Colin Farrell! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

You could describe Wendy's life as a roller coaster. She is facing high school graduation, her best friend is about to dump her doe-eyed boyfriend, and she's having psychic visions--of a roller coaster crashing. Armed with her magic camera, Wendy and friends must try to cheat death, but be it a car crash, a nail gun, or a tanning bed, death's design shall not be thwarted! With original director James Wong returning, is Final Destination 3 a fun roller coaster of carnage? Listen to Jakob, Arnie, and Brock to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

With stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, and directed by Jon Faverau, Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart were roped in to seeing Cowboys & Aliens this past weekend. A mash-up of western and sci-fi based on a comic series, this seemed to be one of the few films this summer that was not building on an existing franchise, but starting one new and fresh. But did this film rustle up a good review? Ride 'em cowboy to nowplayingpodcast.com to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Death's design was thwarted in the first Final Destination film...or was it? In Final Destination 2, death continues to haunt Ali Larter's Clear to show, as Bludworth said, "You don't even want to mess with that mack daddy". With an astounding opening car crash and a new group of victims, is this a Destination worth visiting? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

The first Fantastic Four film was never released. The second time, the film was released to modest box office and poor reviews. But now Marvel's first family is back, and they've brought friends--fan favorite The Silver Surfer and his master, the world-eater Galactus. With these new characters and a retelling of one of the Fantastic Four's most beloved storylines, is the third time a charm for the Four, or do we have to wait longer for a Fantastic comic adaptation of Thing, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, and Mr. Fantastic? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as we finish our Fantastic Four retrospective series to find out!   {Marvel Series} {Fantastic Four Series} --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

In 2000 the new wave of teen horror started by Scream ruled the box office. A slew of imitators jumped on the horror bandwagon only to flame out, but one new series found its legs and continues to have new films released today, and that is 2000's Final Destination. A vision that the plane taking his classmates to Paris will crash causes High School senior Alex to disembark with several of his friends, but they were meant to die on the plane and death's design will not be thwarted, as told to us by horror icon Tony Todd. Will Alex figure out a loophole and escape death? I have a vision that you will listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Brock's review to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

After over 20 years of trying, the Fantastic Four have finally arrived on the big screen in this big budget blockbuster! Made by 20th Century Fox, they obviously hoped to have a franchise to alternate between X-Men films, and what better than another team of super powered beings from the Marvel universe fighting against their arch-nemesis Dr. Doom. But with $100 million budget, does this film finally reach their target audiences, or does it flame out? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

In this first installment, the Now Playing hosts watch a film never meant to be seen -- 1994's Fantastic Four. Made on the cheap and possibly never intended for release, this film has become legend to comic book lovers and film lovers alike. Why was this film never released? Did it deserve its fate? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Transformers: Dark of the Moon made headlines this weekend. Despite Revenge of the Fallen being almost universally hated by critics and Transformers fans alike, the third Bayformers film has kept pace with the predecessors and broken box office records, grossing over $400 million worldwide in less than a week, and breaking the US Fourth of July holiday weekend record. But is the movie any good, or is it yet another example of a lackluster film that sets the box office ablaze due to gorgeous special effects and inflated 3-D and IMAX ticket prices? Listen to our latest podcast as Jerry, Stuart, and Arnie review this latest, and reportedly last, Michael Bay helmed Transformers film. Will a government conspiracy dating back to the Apollo moon mission bring the Transformers' storyline down to earth, or is all that's here what meets the eye? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Tonight Transformers: Dark of the Moon opens in theaters, several days earlier than originally scheduled, but you can prepare for your Transformers experience by joining Arnie, Stuart, and Jerry as they review the second installment in the Bayformers series -- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. There's more Autobots, more Decepticons, more cute little puppies, and G1 story staples like the Matrix of Leadership and the death of Optimus Prime, but do these callbacks make for a satisfying movie experience? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Now Playing has a bonus episode for you: BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT, Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart take a break from their Marvel Comics based movie reviews to look at a DC Comics property--Green Lantern! Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong, this is DC's attempt to emulate Marvel's Iron Man success with the B-level Emerald Knight. Does it reach Iron Man heights? Is Angela Bassett the new Samuel L Jackson? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support

Continuing our Transformers Retrospective Series, Arnie, Jerry, and Stuart look at Michael Bay's 2007 Transformers, affectionately known among fans as Bayformers! Do director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg transform this series into something accessible to non-fans, or does this film lack the All Spark? Listen to find out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/support