Now Playing Presents: The DC Comics Movie Retrospective Series
48 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 29 ratingsJoin Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they watch the theatrical adaptations of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Swamp Thing, and all the other heroes, and not-so-heroic characters, that originated in the pages of DC Comics
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Episodes
Justice League
November 22, 2017 05:08 - 2 hours - 110 MBHow 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 Snyde...
Suicide Squad
August 10, 2016 01:00 - 2 hours - 136 MBEarlier 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!
American Splendor
April 19, 2016 21:45 - 1 hour - 70 MBHarvey 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 2...
The Spirit (2008)
April 12, 2016 23:28 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBFrank 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!
The Spirit (1987)
April 05, 2016 19:30 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBWhen 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
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
March 29, 2016 21:29 - 2 hours - 134 MBIt 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!
Watchmen
March 23, 2016 00:37 - 2 hours - 151 MBWatchmen 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 fi...
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
March 15, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBAfter 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, D r. 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...
Justice League of America
March 01, 2016 20:34 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBDC 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 ...
Legends of the Superheroes
February 24, 2016 00:25 - 1 hour - 70.9 MBIn 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 Jak...
Stardust
February 10, 2016 01:29 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBNeil 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, Rober t 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 ou...
The Incredibles -- A Now Playing Bonus Review
February 27, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 84.4 MBPixar films including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, had been smash hits. But could this success that worked on toys, fish, bugs, and beasts, work for a movie starring a roster of human characters? That was the risk they took with The Incredibles -- Pixar's first superhero film. The gamble worked and Pixar had another hit, but how does this film hold up more than 10 years later? Join Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out!
Join us at NowPlayingPodcast.com for our Fast and Furious Retrospective Series!
February 24, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBAn undercover police officer infiltrates a group of thieves, but can he resist the lure of the subculture and do his duty? No, we're not talking the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze film Point Break--we're reviewing the 2001 car racing film The Fast and The Furious. Starring Vin Diesel, fresh off the success of Pitch Black, the film raced to box office success and launched a billion-dollar franchise. But is there more to this film than fast cars and attractive women? Join Stuart, Arnie, and Ja...
The Return of Swamp Thing
November 05, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBIn 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 revi...
Swamp Thing
October 29, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 35.4 MBBy 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 ...
RED 2
August 06, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 38.6 MBBruce 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.
RED
July 30, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MB80s 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.
The Losers
July 23, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBComic 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.
V for Vendetta
July 09, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBHas 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.
V For Vendetta
July 09, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBHas 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.
A History of Violence
July 02, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBViggo 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.
Road to Perdition
June 25, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 33.4 MBTom 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.
Man of Steel
June 18, 2013 06:00 - 2 hours - 68.1 MBWith 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 openi...
Superman Returns
June 11, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 40.5 MBFor 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,...
Steel
June 04, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 36.9 MBSteel 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 ...
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
May 28, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 39.1 MBRichard 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 woul...
Supergirl
May 14, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBWith Christopher Reeve growing tired of wearing tights Warner Bros and the Salkinds attempted to recreate the magic with Supergirl. In her first starring role Helen Slater plays Superman's cousin who has come to Earth to recover the power supply to her dying city. With a witch as Supergirl's nemesis, does this film capture the excitement of Richard Donner's original? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out!
Superman III
April 30, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MB1983 was a banner year for computing. Microsoft Windows was announced, Lotus spreadsheets were released and the first IBM clone PC was sold by Compaq. And Gus Gorman builds a supercomputer that becomes self-aware, turns humans into cyborg slaves, and tries to kill Superman! This third installment in the Superman film series, this one directed entirely by Richard Lester, relied more on laughs than action, with comedian Richard Pryor taking a co-starring role. How does the mix of comedy, a...
Drag Me to Hell
April 25, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 34.2 MBAfter a series of blockbuster, large-scale films director Sam Raimi returned to his horror roots with Drag Me to Hell. While there is no cabin, no necronomicon, and no deadites, this film feels very much like an Evil Dead movie with geysers of blood and a main character put through physical and psychological torment. Now as a bonus review, Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart are dragged to hell to face the Lamia. Does this film have the impact of Raimi's earlier, more raw horror films? Listen to fin...
Superman II
April 23, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBHow much would you give up for the woman you love? For Superman the cost of love is his every power as he chooses to relinquish all that makes him super to live a mortal life with Lois Lane. But without Superman what can stop the three Kryptonian criminals Non, Ursa, and their leader General Zod from ruling the Earth? All of this, plus Lex Luthor, is in 1980's Superman II. But do Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob kneel before Zod? Listen to Now Playing to find out as we review both the Richard Do...
Superman
April 16, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 52.9 MBIn 1978 director Richard Donner and a team of cutting-edge optical effects artists made audiences believe a man could fly. Perhaps even more impressive, though, is that stars Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, and Marlon Brando were able to bring such performances that adults and children watched a man convincingly and unironically wear a blue spandex unitard. But when Superman took to the screen there was no unintentional laughter, just a generation held in thrall as they watched the first b...
Superman and the Mole Men
April 09, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 31.3 MBSuperman. In the 1930s the DC character was a breakout success creating a template for superheroes that would be copied for the next century. In the 1970s he made moviegoers believe a man could fly in the first blockbuster superhero film. But long before Christopher Reeve would embody the iconic Kryptonian there was another Superman movie--Superman and the Mole Men. Created as part of the television series The Adventures of Superman, Superman and the Mole Men starred George Reeves as the ...
Jonah Hex
March 12, 2013 06:00 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MBWhen a terrorist plans to destroy Washington D.C. the only hope for the United States is a confederate soldier with a scar on his face and a chip on his shoulder--Jonah Hex. A strange steampunk western based on the DC Comics character, Jonah Hex failed to find an audience despite A-list stars Josh Brolin and John Malkovich. Is this possibly an overlooked gem, or could it really be as bad as world-of-mouth indicates? Listen to Now Playing and find out!
Constantine
March 05, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 39.1 MBFrom the pages of DC’s Hellblazer comics, John Constantine was a blonde, British occult detective with a smoking habit and a bad attitude. The comics had a cult following and in 2005 Warner Bros gave the anti-hero the big screen treatment. Moving the action from Liverpool to Los Angeles, the film starred Keanu Reeves as the Americanized occultist. Now, continuing their look at DC comics one-off films, Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob see if Constantine’s theatrical adaptation had spirit, or was de...
Tank Girl
February 26, 2013 06:00 - 1 hour - 37.3 MBSuperman, Batman, Green Lantern, those are the heroes DC Comics are known for. But there are others. As we build up to Man of Steel this summer, Now Playing hosts Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie are looking at some of these lesser known DC Heroes who fight bad guys and obscurity with equal fervor. For our first installment in this series, the hosts review Tank Girl, the 1995 film that pitted Lori Petty and a team of human/kangaroo hybrids against Malcolm McDowell. Does Tank Girl hit the mark, or...
Catwoman
July 31, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBSince Michelle Pfeiffer squeezed into latex in Batman Returns an idea of a Catwoman movie had been teased. Writers, directors, and stars were attached to the project over the years, and it took over a decade for the film to become reality. Now starring Academy Award winner Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, a woman given the mystical powers of a cat, the film hoped to jump on the superhero bandwagon and launch a new franchise. Instead, it won several Raspberry Awards and tanked at the box o...
The Dark Knight Rises
July 23, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBThe Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated conclusion to his Batman trilogy, opened last Friday under the pall of a senseless tragedy that occurred at a screening in Colorado. Nationwide, people mourn for those lost, and pray for those injured. But the majority refuse to let the acts of one man taint a movie they've waited four years to see, and audiences rushed to theaters and IMAX to see if Nolan's latest effort could measure up to 2008's record-breaking, Academy Award wi...
The Dark Knight
July 17, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBThe Dark Knight opened under the dark cloud of Heath Ledger's death but went on to break box office records and set a new standard for superhero films and cement Christopher Nolan's A-List status. But why so serious? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of this Academy Award winning tale of capes and cowls!
Batman Begins
July 10, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBIt took eight years after Batman & Robin for the caped crusader to return to theaters with Batman Begins. Directed by a cult director with only two studio films to his name, starring an actor best known for extreme roles in small films, and released in a summer dominated by lightsabers, Batman Begins burst onto the scene and changed the public perception of what a superhero film can be. Now listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of Batman Begins as we lead up to Nolan's final film in h...
Batman & Robin
June 12, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBAfter Batman Forever exceeded expectations, a sequel was rushed into production. Trouble on the set led to Val Kilmer being replaced by TV superstar George Clooney, but the real star power was held by the film's villain--Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. And this film brought even more superhero star power, with more super heroes and super villains than any previous Batman movie, including Robin, Poison Ivy, Bane, and even Batgirl! The film was not well received and put Batman on ice for...
Batman Forever
June 05, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 49 MBAfter Tim Burton's Batman returned to diminishing results, audiences put off by the salacious Penguin and dark tone, Warner Bros. brought in Lost Boys director Joel Schumacher to give Batman a new vision. With Val Kilmer now the man behind the cowl, Gotham City was given a new look, a new hero in the form of Robin the boy wonder, and two new villains. Batman Forever came in only second to Toy Story at the 1995 box office, but was it as big a hit with the Now Playing reviewers? Listen to fi...
Batman : Mask of the Phantasm
May 31, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBWhen Batman was a huge success in 1989 a new Batman animated series was immediately approved, but due to the production time of animation it did not premiere until 1992. With a heavy dose of Tim Burton's gothic style but a mood more loyal to the original comics, allowing for such baddies as Clayface and Harley Quinn to fit alongside Joker and Penguin, Batman : The Animated Series was a huge hit reaching outside the normal after-school cartoon demographic to Batman fans of all ages. With the...
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
May 31, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBWhen Batman was a huge success in 1989 a new Batman animated series was immediately approved, but due to the production time of animation it did not premiere until 1992. With a heavy dose of Tim Burton's gothic style but a mood more loyal to the original comics, allowing for such baddies as Clayface and Harley Quinn to fit alongside Joker and Penguin, Batman : The Animated Series was a huge hit reaching outside the normal after-school cartoon demographic to Batman fans of all ages. With ...
Batman Returns
May 29, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBWhen Batman defied expectations to become the top grossing film of 1989 interest in all things Batman exploded. Batman T-shirts were everywhere, and even the 60s television series enjoyed a revival on syndication. But while comics, toys, and TV coasted on Batman 's success, what everyone really wanted was a sequel and so in 1992 director Tim Burton reteamed with star Michael Keaton to bring the next installment in their Bat-franchise--Batman Returns! With Batman facing double the trouble w...
Batman (1989)
May 22, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBIt was a film that couldn't succeed. It was a superhero film starring a comedic actor. It was directed by the quirky, cult Tim Burton. It was a superhero known more for a campy dance than for kicking ass. And it was the most expensive film ever made. Yet in 1989 Batman dominated not only the box office but the pop culture landscape, bringing a darker, more modern superhero aesthetic to the big screen and becoming the movie that all other superhero films would be compared for over a decad...
Batman (1966)
May 15, 2012 06:00 - 1 hour - 36.3 MBWhen it comes to box office superheroes, none looms larger than Batman . He dominated theaters in 1989 with Tim Burton's vision of the caped crusader, and in the 21st century Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman made him the box office champion, with The Dark Knight becoming the highest grossing superhero film ever. Now, as we ramp up for Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Now Playing will be looking back at all of the Batman films, starting with the 1966 theatrical release! When Batman knoc...
Green Lantern Review
June 23, 2011 06:00 - 1 hour - 51.3 MBNow 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!
Green Lantern
June 23, 2011 06:00 - 1 hour - 51.3 MBNow 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!