Stay ConnectedBecome a Paid Subscriber and get bonus podcasts: https://anchor.fm/nowplayingpodcast/subscribe
Three playful movie reviewers break down a variety of film franchises by dedicating a podcast to every single sequel, reboot, and spin-off in a series. In-depth conversations cover production history, literary sources, gossip, merchandising, and personal opinion with humor and critical insight. No cinematic universe is too obscure or sacred! Over 1,200 reviews at http://nowplayingpodcast.com
Copyright: © Venganza Media, Inc.
He drew first blood...on the page.
As we finish our series looking back at the Rambo films, novels, and novelizations, Arnie sits down with author David Morrell. Morrell wrote First Blood over a decade before Stallone portrayed the character on screen, and then Morrell returned to Rambo by novelizing the screenplays for the first two film sequels. Now the author opens up about why he chose to adapt someone else's story for his character, his thoughts on the films and the Rambo cartoon series, and how Rambo has influenced his career.
Education or exploitation?
Twenty years after Rambo III crashed harder than a tank into a chopper, John Rambo returned in Rambo. Fresh off his comeback as Rocky, Sylvester Stallone stepped back into the bandana, this time heading to war-torn Burma for a rescue mission that quickly spirals into full-scale carnage. This fourth installment ditches glossy ’80s bombast for brutal, unflinching violence. But does this stripped-down, ultra-violent Rambo mark a worthy evolution for the character, or does it prove the franchise should have stayed buried in Cold War nostalgia? Arnie, Brock, and Jakob lock and load to decide whether this 21st-century return redeems the series or simply escalates the body count.
After Rambo First Blood Part II blew up at the box office like napalm on a waterfall it was inevitable that Stallone would reprise the role for another outing. This time, Rambo heads to war-torn Afghanistan, teaming up with the Afghan rebels to rescue his only friend, Colonial Trautman, and liberating the country from the Russian army in the process. Is this third film as dated as the cold war or more fun than sheep-carcass polo? Listen to this week's Now Playing with Arnie, Jakob, and Brock to find out!
{Rambo Series}
It's better than the movie... but how could it not be?
Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast.
Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.
This week, we look at Rambo 3, written by David Morrell, author of the original Rambo novel, First Blood. The film was a financial disappointment and almost killed the Rambo film franchise, but was the book our worst literary nightmare, or could Morrell save this plotline from the torture? Listen to find out! Then come back next week as Arnie sits down with David Morrell to discuss all three Rambo novels!
Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!
Best. Tank vs helicoptor scene. Ever!
After Rambo: First Blood Part II detonated at the box office, another mission was inevitable. Sylvester Stallone returned once more in Rambo III, sending John Rambo into war-torn Afghanistan to rescue his captured mentor, Colonel Trautman, and take the fight to Soviet forces. Trading jungles for deserts, the third installment ups the scale again with bigger explosions, heavier weaponry, and a geopolitical backdrop ripped straight from late-Cold War headlines. But decades later, does Rambo III feel hopelessly dated, or does it deliver pure '80s action excess at its most entertaining? Arnie, Jakob, and Brock saddle up to decide whether this sequel still packs a punch or has been left behind by history.
In 1985 Stallone returned to theaters as Rambo. Rambo returned to Vietnam to rescue POWs. And now, Brock, Jakob, and Arnie return to Now Playing to review Rambo: First Blood Part II, and they get to win this time! Continuing our Rambo Retrospective series, we discuss all of Rambo 2, from the slimy government agent who leaves Rambo to die, to Rambo's exploding arrow heads. Was this film a welcome return to familiar territory, or was watching it like being strapped to an electrified bed frame? Listen in to find out!
{Rambo Series}
No, it's worth reviewing! Really!
Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast.
Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.
Rambo made his first appearance in 1972 in David Morrell's novel First Blood, which was then adapted into a film. The film was a huge success, and so a sequel was made, written by James Cameron and Sylvester Stallone. As movie novelizations were big business, a novel was commissioned. None of this is shocking until you look closely at the cover--Rambo's original creator, David Morrell, returned to write the novelization of his character in a story in which he had no input. This is a very unique situation, and since Now Playing Podcast is reviewing all the Rambo films, we felt this movie novelization would be worth a look. Listen to find out if we were right!
Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!
Now that is a knife!
In 1985, Sylvester Stallone brought John Rambo back to theaters with Rambo: First Blood Part II. This time, the mission sends Rambo back to Vietnam to rescue American POWs, turning the brooding survival story of the original into a full-throttle action spectacle. With corrupt bureaucrats, double-crosses, heavy artillery, and those unforgettable exploding arrowheads, Rambo II doubles down on muscle and patriotism, cementing Rambo as a pop culture icon of the era. But does this sequel deliver cathartic action-hero triumph, or does it sacrifice substance for spectacle? Brock, Jakob, and Arnie continue their Rambo retrospective by dissecting whether this was a victorious return or an electrifying misfire.
Sly didn't make Rambo, David Morrell did!
Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast.
Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.
Now Playing Podcast is spending November reviewing all the Rambo films, so let's also look back to Rambo's origin in David Morrell's 1972 classic novel, First Blood. How does the book compare to the legend? Listen to Arnie's review to find out!
Also, listen to Arnie's interview with First Blood author David Morell!
Featuring David Caruso without sunglasses!
John Rambo, as embodied by Sylvester Stallone, became one of the defining action icons of the 1980s. Though Stallone had already earned Oscar recognition for Rocky, his non-Rocky career was wobbling when he signed on to adapt First Blood for the screen. The result was a tense survival thriller that launched a franchise, reshaped Stallone’s image, and even drew admiration from figures like President Ronald Reagan. Now Playing Podcast begins its Rambo retrospective by revisiting the film that started it all. Is this original Rambo just another loud, over-the-top relic of the Reagan era, or does it earn its reputation as a more thoughtful and grounded action drama? Arnie, Brock, and Jakob head into the woods to find out.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
