Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast
Now Playing - The Movie Review Podcast
Venganza Media, Inc.
The hosts of Now Playing Podcast dive deep into every franchise from Bond, DC and Marvel to Mad Max, Andromeda Strain to Wolverine, breaking down each film with sharp insight, behind-the-scenes stories, and a lot of humor. If a movie has a sequel (or three), we’ve probably reviewed it with real research, real opinions, and zero patience for bad movies.
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger Book Review
Athleisure wear, Affairs, and Awful Life Lessons Arnie concludes his journey through Lauren Weisberger's Devil Wears Prada trilogy with When Life Gives You Lululemons. Shifting the focus to Emily Charlton and an all-new ensemble initially feels like a welcome break from the repetitive formula of the earlier novels. But does the fresh premise lead to a better story? Arnie examines the novel's suburban satire, gender politics, and increasingly questionable ideas about marriage, motherhood, and what makes a woman successful.
Jul 3
26 min
Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns Book Review
One Million Readers Would Kill for a Better Sequel Over a decade before Disney made The Devil Wears Prada 2, original Devil author Lauren Weisberger wrote her own sequel. Arnie reviews Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, a novel that reunites Andy, Emily, and Miranda... but delivers little revenge, little devil, and surprisingly little story. Was this forgotten sequel worth revisiting?
Jul 3
37 min
Intermission #5: Backrooms v Supergirl - The Summer Hollywood Didn't See Coming
This month on Now Playing Intermission, the hosts discuss community theater, symphony screenings of Star Wars, audiobooks, road trips, and what they've been watching. Plus, listener Michael from England joins the show for Tom Hanks trivia before the conversation turns to one of the biggest questions in Hollywood: why are original movies suddenly beating the biggest franchises at the box office?
Jul 2
1 hr 10 min
Supergirl (2026)
DC Universe Series Episode 2 Stupor Girl Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) resists the call to do good like her cousin Clark (David Corenswet), instead spending the second DCU movie partying on red sun planets. Is she finally ready to put down the bottle and become Supergirl after villainous Krem (Mathias Schoenaerts) poisons her dog Krypto and orphans a swordmaker’s daughter (Eve Ridley)?  And how much help is bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa) to their vengeance quest?  Find out if the director of I, Tonya and Cruella can handle another badass chick when you Listen Now.
Jun 30
1 hr 55 min
Toy Story 5 Movie Review
Left To Her Own DevicesWoody (Tom Hanks) and Jessie (Joan Cusack) worry that screens have replaced childhood make-believe once 8-year-old Bonnie receives her first tablet in Toy Story 5. Can the cowgirl doll help her kid make friends the old-fashioned way after Lilly Pad (Greta Lily) connects her to mean girls online?  And will deputized spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) keep the peace in the playroom once infinite upgrades of himself fly in from a spilled shipping container?  Listen Now to learn if this Pixar sequel (or just Conan O’Brien) takes a dump on the beloved franchise.
Jun 24
1 hr 41 min
Agatha All Along Miniseries Review
The Switches of Eastview Kathryn Hahn (Glass Onion) realizes she’s Agatha All Along after breaking the TV show spell put on her by Wanda Maximoff in a 2024 Disney+ miniseries. But can this prickly loner forge a coven with Broadway legend Patti LuPone and deadly Aubrey Plaza (White Lotus) that has the power to access a mythic, wish-granting Witches' Road?  Or did her dream to reconnect with her dead child come true the minute a nameless, hexed teenager (Joe Locke) joined her quest?  Listen Now to hear if Justin, Stuart, and Arnie sing the praises of this WandaVision sequel.
Jun 16
2 hr 31 min
Masters of the Universe (2026) Movie Review
Fistos of Fury Manchild Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) dares to stand in Dolph Lundgren’s spot and attempt to wield the Sword of Power in the 2026 reboot of Masters of the Universe. Will his newfound muscles and brute strength impress boyhood crush Teela (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes), Man-At-Arms Idris Elba (Thor), and disapproving dad James Purefoy (Resident Evil)? Or has Jared Leto (Tron: Ares) ruined yet another kids' franchise with his eccentric take on villain Skeletor? Find out if director Travis Knight fumbled another Bumblebee when you Listen Now!
Jun 9
2 hr 3 min
He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword Movie Review
By The Power of Filmation Before the Masters of the Universe conquer 2026 movie theaters, Arnie, Marjorie, and Stuart dish about the 1985 animated feature that reveals He-Man and She-Ra are twins. Is The Secret of the Sword that Adora is a real-life Eternia princess who’s been kidnapped and gaslighted by evil adoptive parents Hordak and Shadow Weaver… or just that Mattel would do anything to sell girls on a new doll line? And will Skeletor solicit help from this Horde so that he can finally seize control of coveted Castle Greyskull? You have the power to Listen Now!
Jun 3
1 hr 29 min
Intermission #4: Maclunky, Walkie-Talkies, and the Death of Movies
The fourth Intermission finds the hosts debating film preservation, 4K restorations, AI upscaling, George Lucas's Star Wars revisions, Spielberg's E.T. walkie-talkies, and whether modern transfers are preserving movies or changing them. Plus, Jason completes a year-and-a-half watch-through of the entire Kristy Swanson filmography, Arnie revisits 1995's Mortal Kombat, listener Tom Ross hosts a trivia challenge, and the conversation wanders through Darth Maul, The Boys, Project Hail Mary, and more.
Jun 1
42 min
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Movie Review
The old protect the young, and the young develop poor eating habits. The Mandalorian and Grogu have left Disney+ behind to take orders from sci-fi queen Sigourney Weaver (Alien) in a big-screen 2026 Star Wars movie. But does Pedro Pascal need to go rescue little "Stinky the Hutt" now that he’s grown into big, buff Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)? And can director Jon Favreau (Elf) find The Way to balance between adrenalizing fans of the badass bounty hunter and soothing everyone else that’s come for adorable Baby Yoda? Learn if Arnie, Justin, and Stuart bring this spin-off in warm or cold when you Listen Now!
May 26
2 hr 6 min
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