Episodes
How does a DC Comics super-team come together when the Man of Steel is dead, Batman is suicidal, Wonder Woman won't lead, and the most promising recruits are an aloof Merman, a renegade robot, and a neurotic runner who'd rather eat than fight? It will take the Classic Rock threat of Steppenwolf, reuniting with the Mother Boxes of Invention, to unify this Justice League. But is there any hope for Recommendations from Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie when the clashing visions of director Zack Snyder...
Published 11/22/17
Earlier this year DC brought Batman back to the big screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now it's time for his nemesis to get the spotlight. Suicide Squad stars villains like Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Enchantress -- a group of bad people who may be able to do some good. The characters are the worst of the worst...but is the film also the worst? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!
Published 08/10/16
Harvey Pekar was an independent comic writer, a notorious talk show guest, and a general grump. And with the film American Splendor he added another title--movie star. Pekar himself and Paul Giamatti both play the author in the film that depicts Crumb's start in comics, and his fight with cancer. It's possibly the most down-to-earth comic book movie Now Playing has ever reviewed...but is it good? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out!And after you listen to this review, listen to Jakob's...
Published 04/19/16
Frank Miller was given a director's credit on Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. With that film's success Miller went on to direct his own feature film. The result was The Spirit, based on Will Eisner's iconic comic book crimefighter. The movie's visual style and tone strongly resembled Sin City but the reception didn't match that earlier film. Is this film a Sin worth committing? Listen to find out!
Published 04/12/16
When fans think of The Spirit they probably think of Will Eisner's 1940's comic book crimefighter. Or they may think of Frank Miller's 2008 film adaptation of the same name. Only the hard core Spirit fans and '80s trivia buffs would think of the film we'r
Published 04/05/16
It took fifteen years of development, but now the World's Finest heroes are together on screen with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Can the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel share the screen? The box office was big but the audience divided. Now join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for this review to find out!
Published 03/29/16
Watchmen was an acclaimed '80s comic series. It helped legitimize comics as a literary medium, and remained a bestseller for over 20 years. Yet with its complex, nonlinear narrative, all attempts to adapt it to film had failed to launch. But in 2009 director Sack Snyder, fresh off his success on 300, used the same visual style to bring Watchmen to theaters. The result was not as highly-praised as the graphic novel, but is it worth a watch? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they review the film...
Published 03/23/16
After the success of the X-Men superhero properties were in demand. But before hero teams like Justice League, Watchmen, and Avengers could assemble, there was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sean Connery's Allan Quatermain leads a cadre of literary figures including Tom Sawyer, Dr. Jeckyll, The Invisible Man, and others. The film's reception, though, was anything but extraordinary with rumors this production ended the careers of both Connery and director Stephen Norrington. Is the...
Published 03/15/16
DC has had over 15 years of television dominance. From Smallville to Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, the heroes of DC Comics have come to life on the small screen. But not every attempt to bring the comics to life succeeded. Birds of Prey was cancelled early, and David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot was never aired at all. Neither was Justice League of America - a 1997 TV movie intended as a pilot for a CBS series. With The Flash, Green Lantern, The Atom, Martian Manhunter, Fire, and Ice...
Published 03/01/16
In 1976 Wonder Woman spun into America's homes on CBS. In 1978 Superman took flight in theaters. So to capitalize on this success Hanna-Barbera brought a live-action Superfriends to TV with Legends of the Superheroes! This TV special was split into two episodes, one an adventure and the other a "roast" of the heroes. But with Adam West and Burt Ward returning to the roles of Batman and Robin, is Legends of the Superheroes a worthy successor to Batman's camp fun? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob...
Published 02/24/16
Neil Gaiman's Stardust began in 1997 as a DC comic book fairy tale. In 1999 it was then published as an illustrated novel. Finally in 2007 it was adapted to the screen, directed by Matthew Vaughn. This story about a fallen star had its own star power with Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Peter O'Toole. Is this yet another Vaughn comic adaptation worth checking out, or should it be burned ashes to ashes, Stardust to Stardust? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out as...
Published 02/10/16
In 1982 DC's Swamp Thing seemed ready for the big time with a major motion picture. But with that original film failing to grow on audiences, it would actually be in 1983 that Swamp Thing blossomed--as new writer Alan Moore took over and revamped the character. With the newfound popularity for the man-plant hybrid a new, low budget film was commissioned and released in 1989. Does The Return of Swamp Thing bear fruit, or is it another rotten comic adaptation? Listen to the Now Playing review...
Published 11/05/13
By 1980 Superman had proven audiences of all ages could watch in wonder as comic books came to life on the big screen. But the next DC hero on the big screen wasn't Batman, Green Lantern, or even Aquaman, it was Swamp Thing. The film was directed by Wes Craven and starred James Bond baddie Louis Jordan and scream queen Adrienne Barbeau. It did not find box office success but did lead to a sequel, a TV series, and a cult following. Did the film just need time to bloom, or did it wither on the...
Published 10/29/13
Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, and all their surviving operatives get a sequel in their sixties with RED 2. Do newcomers Anthony Hopkins and Catherine-Zeta Jones inject fresh blood into this franchise, or has the joke gotten too old even for this crew? Listen and find out.
Published 08/06/13
RED
80s action star Bruce Willis may have gotten older, but he's still considered RED - retired and extremely dangerous. Do Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie have a laugh watching senior citizens strap on pistols to blow holes in the CIA's rep, or is this AARP action-comedy D.O.A.? Listen and find out.
Published 07/30/13
Comic book vets Chris Evans and Idris Elba have joined THE LOSERS - a ragtag band of mercenaries out to punish CIA baddie Jason Patric for a failed Bolivian mission. Should Avatar babe Zoe Saldana trust these C-stringers to get the job done, or should she just call the A-Team? Listen and find out.
Published 07/23/13
Has sweet little Natalie Portman been palling around with terrorists? A masked swashbuckler known only as V For Vendetta hopes she'll help him rescue future London from dictators, but has Wachowski script tinkering disfigured this classic Alan Moore comic book as well? Listen and find out.
Published 07/09/13
Viggo Mortensen looks like an unassuming small town diner owner, but to a crew of Philly hoods he's a thug with A History of Violence. Does director David Cronenberg split opinion in his radical reworking of the graphic novel? Listen and find out.
Published 07/02/13
Tom Hanks is a cold blooded killer heading down the Road to Perdition, hoping to deliver his son from Irish mobsters he once considered family. Has director Sam Mendes made a comic book Godfather, or is this an offer that Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie easily refuse. Listen and find out.
Published 06/25/13
With Christopher Nolan's Batman films Warner Bros. set the gold standard for superhero films. The Dark Knight was a box office hit, a fan favorite, and even won an Academy Award for acting. Yet the year after Batman Begins the other World's Finest superhero, Superman, failed to take flight. So when Dark Knight writer David Goyer pitched a new, bold take on Superman Warner Bros. agreed. Watchmen director Zack Snyder was brought in to direct, and the result was Man of Steel. Its opening weekend...
Published 06/18/13
For 20 years it seemed Nuclear Man and Lex Luthor really had killed Superman. Every attempt to bring the man of steel back to theaters had fallen through. While fellow DC superhero Batman had a major franchise launch, fail, and reboot, Superman seemed relegated to the small screen with Lois and Clark and Smallville. But director Bryan Singer was flying high after two successful X-Men films, and rather than return for X-Men he had Superman Returns. A continuation of the original two films,...
Published 06/11/13
Steel may not seem like a Superman movie, but in the 1990s it was as close as Warner Bros could muster. With Batman ushering in a new age of comic book movies there were many attempts to revive the red caped DC hero. Such names as JJ Abrams, Nicholas Cage, Kevin Smith, McG, and Tim Burton all worked on Superman projects, and all failed to come together. As unlikely as it seemed, the only man of steel we would see in theaters between 1987 and 2006 was Shaquille O'Neil in Steel. Based on a...
Published 06/04/13
Richard Donner, Christopher Reeve, even Richard Lester and the Salkinds, all had declared they were done with Superman. After a disappointing Superman 3 and a disastrous Supergirl the franchise seemed more toxic than kryptonite and the rights were sold off to cheapo genre film company Cannon Films. But despite star Reeves' earlier comments distancing himself from the character, Reeve again returned in exchange for both control over the story and a guarantee his pet project Street Smart would...
Published 05/28/13