Mad “Max” Before Thunderdome

Russell Crowe avenges his family’s execution by turning the Gladiator games of ancient Rome into a rematch with murderous Emperor Joaquin Phoenix (Joker). But can the outcast general survive an arena full of unchained tigers and beefcake competitors by maximizing his celebrity with the roaring crowd and mobilizing fellow slaves like Djimon Honsou (Amistad) into a new army?  And did auteur Ridley Scott not entertain movie audiences well enough to deserve a Best Director statue denied to him by the Oscars? It takes no bread to join this circus now!

My Big Fit Greek Wenham

Sullivan Stapleton (TV’s Strike Back) aims to turn the sacrifice of 300 Spartans into The Rise of An Empire in this 2014 continuation of Frank Miller’s comic book vision. But will his dream of a unified Greece get undone by bad girl Eva Green (Casino Royale), who proves to be the real power behind Persian God-King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro)? Or will widow Lena Headey and sole survivor David Wenham avenge fallen Gerard Butler as the battle of Thermopylae migrates to the sea? Listen Now as this podcast review rings out through the centuries!

This is Sparta?  Because it kinda looks like a place you’d put a dollar in his g-string.

Gerard Butler leads 300 Spartans to a glorious seaside death in Zack Snyder’s blockbuster adaptation of a graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City). But did the Greek King bring his wartime problems on himself by literally killing the messenger and using racist and homophobic insults to taunt Persian rival Xerxes?  And can wife Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) use her charms to convince some toga-wearing senators to stop partying long enough to send reinforcements to X-Man Michael Fassbender and David Wenham (Lord of the Rings)? Listen and find out now!

Would you dream of reading 300 pages about the actor who played Freddy?

This year the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise turns 40 years old, and Now Playing host Arnie has been celebrating all month by revisiting the classic slasher series. As part of that personal retrospective he has read and reviewed Freddy Krueger star Robert Englund's 2009 autobiography:  Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams. Does Englund dream up new tales to entertain people who have been fans for decades? Is there more to the man than just the makeup? You can find out by hearing Arnie's bonus Halloween book review now!

Knull in Void

Tom Hardy has a Last Dance with his shadow self Venom as the symbiotic pair hot step across the country evading Chewitel Ejiofer (Serenity) and alien enthusiast Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) in the trilogy’s 2024 conclusion. Is there something extra about the black ooze E.T. that makes him a target for both the US military and imprisoned space elf Andy Serkis?  And are the bickering fugitives better off locked up in Area 51 rather than trying to get from a Mexican dive bar to a Lady Liberty photo op with a pack of monsters on their tail? Listen and Find Out Now!

Bad To The Lucky Bone

Who is The Crooked Man who dares to make a Hellboy sequel without Ron Perlman, Guillermo del Toro, or even David Harbour?  Why it’s creator Mike Mignola, bringing his original comic book vision of the character to the screen for the first time!  But did the titular phantom steal all the coins from the production budget, leaving new star Jack Kesy (Baywatch) looking red from embarrassment at the threadbare special effects and creature designs?  Find out if Crank director Brian Taylor gives the franchise the shot of adrenaline it needs when you Listen Now!

The Lost Boys

Stephen King’s 1975 vampire novel Salem’s Lot won’t stay dead, coming back for a fourth time as a 2024 feature film exclusively on Max. So why did the studio lock this new effort from producer James Wan (The Conjuring) and writer/director Gary Dauberman (It Chapters 1 & 2) in a crypt for three years before exposing it to the light of day? And would they have more luck changing the title and peddling it as a remake of The Sandlot, given how much focus is put on 11-year-old boys at play?  Listen Now to learn if the end results are Pennywise or dollar foolish.

Born This Way

Joaquin Phoenix indulges in a Folie A Deux (aka “Madness of Two”) by restaging the Joker sequel as a musical duet with psycho fangirl Lady Gaga. Will the jury in his high-profile murder trial plug their ears once this incarcerated clown starts singing his defense in full makeup?  Or can lawyer Catherine Keener (Get Out) convince them that Arthur Fleck suffers from multiple personality disorder and never wanted to dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight as Gotham City burned?  Listen Now to find out if director Todd Phillips leaves the hosts crying or smiling.

I’d still take 8 years of civil war over 8 hours at the DMV

Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka) attempts to mend her broken family and America’s political divide in a post-apocalyptic Demilitarized Zone (aka DMZ) formerly known as Manhattan. Can she break the influence that tyrannical baby daddy Benjamin Bratt (Catwoman) has on their graffiti artist son Freddy Miyares (When They See Us) by backing political rival Hoon Lee (Banshee)? And can director Ava DuVernay (Selma) take an obscure DC/Vertigo comic book from 2005 and find new political relevance for today’s streaming audience? Eyes Forward Love to find out now!

Roll Models

The story of Autobots and Decepticons begins with the 2024 animated epic Transformers One. What makes lowly miner droid Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) so optimistic that he will find the Matrix of Leadership and lead his cog-less peers to a new destiny on the surface of Cybertron?  And how does his friendship with bestie Brian Tyree Henry (Into The Spider-Verse) transform into such a bitter rivalry?   Listen Now to find out how well Hasbro incorporates Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm, Keegan-Michael Key, and Steve Buscemi into their iconic toy line.

The Silence of the Low Men

Stephen King tries his hand at touching coming-of-age drama with the 2001 adaptation of Hearts In Atlantis. So why are the Now Playing Podcast hosts so terrified by the stranger danger posed to 11-year-old Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) by neighbor Anthony Hopkins? Is single mother Hope Davis (American Splendor) smart to leave her son unsupervised with this supernatural tenant and trust that his fatherly lessons in gambling and kissing girls won’t get the pair into trouble with the FBI agents swarming small town Connecticut? Listen Now, and don’t miss a minute of it.