Now Playing Podcast

The amount of podcasts in existence is staggering. Within that, the number of podcasts reviewing or discussing movies is immense, and choosing one is almost more daunting than it’s worth. That’s why, when I got the chance to interview Arnie from Now Playing Podcast I had to ask what makes his show different. Arnie explained there were two major things that set the show apart: the “retrospective series format” and “the people on the show.” Don’t worry, I’ll explain.

Now Playing Podcast is a review show that discusses films premiering in theaters by looking back at the films that preceded them. “The way we got our start was, back in 2009 when Friday the 13th came out we did all the Friday the 13th movies including the new one,” Arnie explained. The hosts attempt to “build up to what’s in theaters” by looking at the franchise as a whole or the different versions of the films over the years before discussing the newest release. But looking at what led up to new movies isn’t the only thing that sets the show apart.

Arnie doesn’t host the show alone, and actually gets to work with a solid team to make every episode. The people he works with set the show apart because they all come to the films from different perspectives. “We usually try to have somebody who’s a fan of the series, somebody who is new to the series, and somebody who is kind of indifferent.” Now Playing Podcast isn’t a fan podcast for specific films or genres; they offer a critical review of movies while allowing people who enjoy it to speak to what they think works well. According to Arnie, balance is the key.

The show has steadily built a following thanks to Arnie and his cohost’s commitment to their schedule. “We have gone hundreds of weeks without ever missing a Tuesday,” Arnie said. Despite the fact that Arnie cited sticking to the schedule as the most difficult part of making the show, when I asked why they were so dedicated to never missing a Tuesday, Arnie didn’t hesitate. “It’s a fiduciary trust from our listeners. Our listeners look forward to the show.” The show has helped listeners during their hard times, and Arnie refuses to let those fans down by failing to put up an episode.

Those fans are Arnie’s favorite part of making the show. Through social media, emails, forums and the like, he and the other hosts have gotten to know their audience. “[My favorite part is] the listeners, the interaction, the friends that I’ve made online, the stories they tell, the feedback they give.” Arnie loves the fans but did say that his second favorite part of the show is just that he loves discussing movies with his friends. Now Playing Podcast is a chance for him to do that often and he really appreciates that.

After several years of making the show, Now Playing Podcast ran a Kickstarter to publish a book which is finally coming to life. “It’s a nice coffee table book, hardcover, with reviews of 125 movies following the format of our show. So, reviewed by three people each.” With 375 movie reviews and a forward by director John Carpenter, Arnie is excited to ship the book to Kickstarter backers and share the show in a whole new medium.

So, if you’re wondering about the films that led to what’s in theaters, check out Arnie on Now Playing Podcast and be sure to leave a rating and review to let us know what you think!

Chasing Pods is a Podchaser blog series dedicated to letting our readers know about podcasts they may not have heard of or provide a sneak peek into the making of their favorite podcast. We talk to podcast creators about their journey into podcasting, the creation of their shows, the ups and downs of the work, and what they’re looking forward to for their podcast

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