Now Playing -- The Movie Review Podcast

When Saw came out in 2004 no one expected it to rapidly become the premiere horror franchise of the 21st century, but since then Saw has laid claim to the Halloween holiday, with each year seeing the release of a new installment in this horror series. It all started with Carey Elwes and Leigh Wannell waking up in a dirty bathroom, chained at the leg, and one is told to kill the other. With Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, and Shawnee Smith rounding out the cast, does this movie deserve to be the modern day epitome of the horror film? Listen to Now Playing to find out!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Knights in White Satin, Sherri Moon Zombie in a white dress, and a white horse all populate Rob Zombie's stylistic but thematically confused sequel to his 2007 remake of Halloween. If, as Loomis says, "Bad taste is the petrol that fuels the American dream" then this movie is a dream come true. Listen to the hosts of Now Playing as we conclude our Halloween retrospective series and find out if a sequel of a remake really can hold a candle to the original.

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. After a series of sequels with widely varying quality, Michael Myers follows Leatherface to have an extreme makeover for the 21st Century audience. Directed by Rob Zombie this film is a hybrid of Zombie's aesthetic previously seen on screens in House of 1000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects, and John Carpenter's original vision. It's part prequel, part remake, and all Rob Zombie, with Malcom McDowell taking on the role of Loomis. But does the remake work, or should Busta Rhymes have returned and the old story continued? Listen to find out!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Ever wonder what happens if you put Busta Rhymes, Karate, The Blair Witch Project, Big Brother, American Pie, and Michael Myers all in a blender? Well, this is it! It's Halloween: Resurrection and despite having his head chopped off in the last movie, Michael Myers is back to eat more rats (with Fennel!) and kill more people. Is this hip reimaging just what the series was calling for? Listen to find out!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, 20 years after the first Halloween, but Michael Myers is back too. Produced and influenced by Kevin Williamson, will this movie make you Scream? Listen to find out!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Michael Myers is back in black...or at least with the man in black from the last Halloween movie, and we learn that Michael is cursed by a thorn and controlled by druids...oh I give up, listen to this podcast to find out if the Now Playing hosts can make sense of this movie, or the Producer's Cut alternate release.

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Michael Myers is back and out for revenge in the fifth installment of the Halloween franchise, but what happened to his neice, and who is the strange mysterious man in the dark trenchcoat? Or the old woman at the barn party? We don't know, but listen anyway as we review Halloween 5!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. After the debacle that was a Halloween movie without serial killer Michael Myers, the makers of this new installment want to be sure the Shatner-masked icon is front and center both in this movie and in its title. But does the return of The Shape also mean the return to the quality levels found in the first Halloween movies? Listen to find out!

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Join us this week as we count down the days till Halloween (Silver Shamrock!), and discuss the entry in this film franchise that doesn't include Michael Myers, Dr. Loomis, or anything else that made the series successful in the first place.

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Join us this week as we continue with The Shape's pursuit of Laurie Strode, and discuss the film that introduces the family connection that intended to finish the story but instead started the sequel machine.

With the release of the latest movie in the Halloween franchise, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look into Michael Myers' family scrapbook, watching and reviewing all ten Halloween movies. Join us this week as meet The Shape and his infamous Captain Kirk mask, and discuss the movie that frightened a generation, sparked a new genre of slasher film, and made John Carpenter one of the masters of horror.

In anticipation of Rob Zombie's upcoming movie Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look back at Rob Zombie's initial foray into horror with the films House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects. Join us as we go into the home of the Firefly family and follow them on the run. We conclude with Zombie's second film, The Devil's Rejects. Does the Firefly family leave us on a high note? Listen to find out!

In anticipation of Rob Zombie's upcoming movie Halloween II, the hosts of Now Playing look back at Rob Zombie's initial foray into horror with the films House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects. Join us as we go into the home of the Firefly family and follow them on the run. We start with Zombie's first film, House of 1000 Corpses. Where do they fit all those bodies? Listen to find out!

Welcome to the Now Playing Terminator retrospective series, where we will be looking back at all the films in the Terminator franchise. Today we finish our series watching Terminator Salvation. We have a new director, a new star, and a new, conflicted Terminator model. Is this movie the series' salvation, or should this series now be terminated? Listen to find out!

Welcome to the Now Playing Terminator retrospective series, where we continue looking back at all the films in the Terminator franchise. Twelve years after Terminator 2 dominated box offices, Arnold is back as the T-101, this time fighting a female Terminatrix to save a grown up John Connor and his future wife from termination. With the threat of nuclear war looming in the background, can John Connor save the world from Judgment Day? And more importantly, is it entertaining watching him try? Listen to find out as we rate this third film and prepare for the release of Terminator: Salvation

Welcome to the Now Playing Terminator retrospective series, where we are looking back at all the films in the Terminator franchise. This time we look at the biggest movie of 1991, and the film that changed special effects forever--Terminator 2: Judgment Day. With the liquid silver T-1000 up against Arnold's T-101, which is now defending John Connor, can this movie surpass the original? And if so, does it set a bar so high no sequel can ever live up? Listen to find out as we discuss this seminal film, and also the Universal Studios show inspired by the movie.

Welcome to the Now Playing Terminator retrospective series, where we will be looking back at all the films in the Terminator franchise. Today we start off with the original Terminator, released in 1984. With a blend of sci-fi, action, and horror this movie gripped audiences and made a star of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Does it live up to the reputation? Listen to find out!

Welcome to Now Playing's Star Trek Retrospective Series, where we are reviewing every movie in the Star Trek movie series in anticipation of the new Star Trek movie being released on Friday, May 8th, 2009. In the final installment of our Star Trek Retrospective series we finally view the reboot of the Trek series. How faithful is it to the original, how do the new actors measure up against the old, and most importantly, is it fun to watch? Listen and find out!

Welcome to Now Playing's Star Trek Retrospective Series, where we are reviewing every movie in the Star Trek movie series in anticipation of the new Star Trek movie being released on Friday, May 8th, 2009. This episode we discuss Star Trek Nemesis, released in 2002. Does this final journey for the Next Generation boldly go where no other Trek film has gone, or have we seen all of this B-4? Listen in and find out!

Welcome to Now Playing's Star Trek Retrospective Series, where we are reviewing every movie in the Star Trek movie series in anticipation of the new Star Trek movie being released on Friday, May 8th, 2009. This episode we discuss Star Trek Insurrection, released in 1998. Does this Fountain of Youth rebellion story provide a fresh perspective for this series that we can get behind or do we feel this movie still needs a few more nips and tucks? Listen in and find out!