Books & Nachos

Books & Nachos is merging with Now Playing Podcast.  This Books & Nachos feed will no longer be updated as of September 1st.  If you want to continue to get Books & Nachos shows, please subscribe to Now Playing Podcast at NowPlayingPodcast.com

Books & Nachos is merging with Now Playing Podcast.  This Books & Nachos feed will no longer be updated as of September 1st.  If you want to continue to get Books & Nachos shows, please subscribe to Now Playing Podcast at NowPlayingPodcast.com

Books & Nachos is merging with Now Playing Podcast.  This Books & Nachos feed will no longer be updated as of September 1st.  If you want to continue to get Books & Nachos shows, please subscribe to Now Playing Podcast at NowPlayingPodcast.com

Books & Nachos is merging with Now Playing Podcast.  This Books & Nachos feed will no longer be updated as of September 1st.  If you want to continue to get Books & Nachos shows, please subscribe to Now Playing Podcast at NowPlayingPodcast.com

JK Rowling collaborates with a pair of theater veterans to tell her eighth Hogwarts adventure Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as a stage play.  And while Brock, Stuart, and Arnie couldn’t score tickets, they are ready to review the published script.  What happens when Harry’s son goes Slytherin, and travels back in time to change the outcome of the Triwizard Tournament? Listen to find out if fans throw the author into a Goblet of Fire for messing with a classic tale.   

This week Brock, Stuart, and Arnie graduate from Hogwarts as they complete JK Rowling’s seventh and final Harry Potter novel, The Deathly Hallows.  Is the boy wizard ready to lead the fight against a Ministry of Magic overtaken by Death Eaters?  Where exactly has Dark Lord Voldemort hidden the last piece of his soul?  And what is the real reason Professor Snape hates Harry so much?  Find out if your predictions for the conclusion come true.  Listen Now!     

Harry Potter was “the Chosen One” for readers around the world even before his sixth adventure became a global best-seller in summer 2005. Now the skeptics rally around the boy wizard too, in the hopes he’ll be able to stop the return of dreaded sorcerer Voldemort. Did a mysterious Half-Blood Prince provide answers for defeating evil in the margins of Harry’s potions book?  Brock, Stuart, and Arnie piece this Tom Riddle together on the latest podcast.      

Readers around the globe celebrated the 2003 release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. So why are so many terrible things being printed in newspapers about the boy wizard on his fifteenth birthday?  Is it all in Harry’s head that Voldemort has infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, and changed Hogwarts curriculum so that students are left defenseless against his rise? Listen now as Brock, Stuart, and Arnie remember what it was like to be an angry teenager.   

Brock, Stuart, and Arnie are cheering in the stands for Harry Potter as he finally gets into the ring with nemesis Voldemort for his massive fourth novel The Goblet of Fire.  Can Dumbledore and gruff new Defense Against Dark Arts professor Mad Eye Moody prepare the boy wizard for the fight of his life?  And will the hormonal teenager have a harder time finding a date for the Yule Ball than competing in the Triwizard Tournament?  Find out when you Listen Now!    

Wizard studies might be going well for Harry Potter in third adventure Prisoner of Azkaban, but what he really needs is a law degree so he can keep homicidal maniac Sirius Black locked in jail. Will the man responsible for making the wizard boy an orphan return to Hogwarts and finish off the family tree?  And can Harry negotiate a stay of execution for Hagrid’s pet hippogriff after it bites Draco Malfoy?  The time for Brock, Stuart, and Arnie to put the next book on trial is now!   

Brock, Arnie, and Stuart invite you into their flying car as they head back to Hogwarts, and pry open the cover of The Chamber of Secrets. This second Harry Potter novel finds the boy wizard trying to unmask the Slytherin heir who threatens to commit genocide on Muggle-born classmates.  Was house elf Dobby right to warn children away from a school year that might petrify them?  Have a seat on the toilet and listen to the hosts moan about it all.  Listen Now!     

Brock, Arnie, and Stuart use their combined podcasting magic to revive Books & Nachos so that the literary adventures of Harry Potter can finally be discussed!  How did this orphaned boy wizard enchant so many millions of readers from all around the world?  And are philosophers or sorcerers responsible for the stone at the center of this first installment?  You won’t need a wand to conjure the answers. Just strap on a pair of headphones and Listen Now!      

Snake Plissken is back, but which Snake Plissken is the real Snake Plissken? After reviewing four BOOM! Studios Escape from New York graphic novels, Jakob and Jason shake the pillars of heaven to see John Carpenter’s antihero go head-to-head with an alter ego from Little China. That’s right, Jack Burton is back, and he’s teaming with Snake to take on villains of the past, and present. Join us once more for the final episode in our Books & Nachos Escape from New York series.

Fun times in Cleveland again! Snake Plissken’s been retired for more than a decade, but when the government comes for his land, he’s going to lead a revolution against the one percent! The final volume in BOOM! Studios’ Escape from New York series leads directly into the events of John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A., but does the creative team know that? Jakob and Jason have some questions, and a whole lot of fun, saying goodbye to Snake in the penultimate episode of our Books & Nachos Snake Plissken series.

Snake Plissken just wants to get away, but first, he’s got a bone to pick with his former president. In the third volume of BOOM! Studios’ Escape from New York series, the hero of John Carpenter’s iconic action film returns to his roots, breaking into the world’s largest prison to take down an arch nemesis. It’s the showdown this series has been building toward, and hosts Jakob and Jason are here to break it down. Could it overcome the campiness of Escape from Florida and the unneeded detour that was Escape from Siberia? Well, this one’s got a flying car. Nuff said.

Snake Plissken leaves the Sunshine State for Siberia in the second volume of "Escape from New York" by BOOM! Studios. John Carpenter's eyepatch-wearing outlaw is sent to a frozen warzone by a vengeful president, but before he can face down his enemy, Snake must outwit bears, soldiers, a man from his past, and a cult of comet worshippers. It's as crazy as it sounds, but is it any good? Jakob and Jason follow Snake's journey in our ongoing Books & Nachos series, which ties into our Escape from New York retrospective on Now Playing Podcast.

In 2014, comic book publisher BOOM! Studios acquired the rights to produce new stories based on John Carpenter’s “Escape from New York” and its hero Snake Plissken. Their first story picks up seconds after the finale of Carpenter’s 1981 film, with Plissken on the run from the United States Police Force and seeking refuge in the “free” state of Florida. But Snake’s in for a helluva fight at every turn. Does “Escape from Florida” live up to the legacy of Carpenter’s creation? It’s hard to say when you can’t tell what’s happening from page to page. Follow Snake’s journey with hosts Jakob and Jason, and find out if this is a worthy successor.

Filmmaker John Carpenter scored a hit when his “Escape from New York” hit theaters in 1981, introducing the world to Kurt Russell’s eyepatch-wearing antihero Snake Plissken. But there’s more to the story than what audiences saw on the screen. This week Jakob and Jason (making his Books and Nachos debut) break down author Mike McQuay’s adaptation of Carpenter’s film, including the deleted scenes and backstory that add new dimension to the Plissken character and the authority figures that force him into a suicide mission on the prison island of Manhattan. PLUS, our hosts break down two additional Plissken stories in comic book form; “Adventures of Snake Plissken” and “John Carpenter’s Snake Plissken Chronicles.”

Before it became one of the most beloved movies of all time, The Godfather was a blockbuster novel with characters and plot points that never made it to the screen.  Join long lost podcaster Stuart as he comes home to his Books & Nachos family and parses out all the changes made to Mario Puzo’s classic.

Ben's three-year-old brother Eric disappeared five years ago, but Ben continues to search. When Ben takes a job at the store where Eric vanished things are not all that they seem. Join Brock for his spoiler-free review of Bad Man to see if this is the perfect thriller to cap off your summer reading list!

SPOILER ALERT: This podcast contains detailed information about the 2017 Showtime Twin Peaks series as well as all previous Twin Peaks books, movies, and episodes. This year's Twin Peaks: The Return revival polarized audiences and seemed to ask as many questions as it answered. With that series complete, series writer Mark Frost is free to discuss it all in Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier -- the intended final book based on Twin Peaks. Join Stuart and Arnie now to find out if Peaks goes out on a high note!   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode, including the new Showtime episodes, at NowPeakingPodcast.com

Continuing his look at nonfiction Hellraiser books, Arnie is back with a review of The Hellraiser Chronicles--a 1992 behind-the-scenes look at the first three Hellraiser films. But seeking even more pleasures Arnie continues on to look at Damnation Games which also gets under the skin of those first three films. Are either or both of these worth a read? Join Arnie to find out!

Clive Barker's Hellraiser and it's immediate follow-up Hellbound: Hellraiser II were low-budget productions, shot in the UK. Despite their small beginnings their impact was global, skyrocketing Clive Barker to fame and fortune and terrifying a generation. How did that happen? The book Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II details the making of these first two Hellraiser films. What insights does it provide, and is it worth a read? Join Arnie on this review to find out!

In 1987 Clive Barker took the world by storm with his film Hellraiser, but his first draft of that movie wasn't in screenplay form--it was a short story. Written with the express intent of being a low-budget movie, Barker explores the concepts of love, deceit, murder, and damnation. It became his defining work, but how good is it? And how does the prose differ from the film? Open the box, unchain this podcast, join Arnie in Hell, and find out! Then join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob for all their Hellraiser movie reviews! Details at http://nowplayingpodcast.com/donate

Gunslinger Roland Deschain had a long quest in his search for The Dark Tower. So too did filmmakers toil long to transform Stephen King's eight-novel series to the big screen. This journey is chronicled in pictures and prose in the book The Dark Tower: The Art of the Film.Join Arnie on this episode of Books & Nachos as he reviews this work. Then he is joined by Daniel Wallace, author of The Art of the Film, to discuss the process of producing this type of book!

Before the new season of Twin Peaks started on Showtime, series co-creator Mark Frost wrote a book to tide over anxious fans. That book was The Secret History of Twin Peaks. An in-universe history of this fictional town finds its citizens have ties to Lewis & Clarke, the Masons, the Illuminati, and events at Rosewell and Area 51. Wait...isn't this a book about Twin Peaks? Maybe. Arnie and Stuart are here with a review to try and make sense of it all!   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode, including the new Showtime episodes, at NowPeakingPodcast.com

As Inland Empire hit theaters Lynch was also prepping a big release...for the bookstores. Catching the Big Fish is Lynch's combination of autobiography and advertisement for his Transcendental Medication.  Join Arnie and Stuart to find out what insights Lynch's writing may provide into the man, his works, and his meditations.   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode at NowPeakingPodcast.com

By the time Welcome to Twin Peaks was released ABC was already telling that town "Goodbye." The series' cancellation had been announced but the tie-in merchandising continued with this pamphlet that is a guidebook to the sights, places, flora, and fauna of Twin Peaks.  What does this book add to the mythology of the series? And does its fictitious maps and places match up with any of the real filming locations? Join Arnie and Stuart for this review for those answers!   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode at NowPeakingPodcast.com

Twin Peaks' cancellation was all but certain in May, 1991. Yet that is also when series writer Scott Frost's Agent Cooper book My Life, My Tapes was released. Unlike The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, Cooper's backstory was mostly unready by a waning fan base. Now the book commands top dollar on the secondary market. Is it worth the price?   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode at NowPeakingPodcast.com

As Twin Peaks' second season began the merchandise machine was gaining speed.  First came Jennifer Lynch's Secret Diary of Laura Palmer.  Hot on its heels came "Diane..." - The Twin Peaks Tapes of Agent Cooper.  Combining TV-show audio with newly recorded bits this audiobook catches you up on the mystery, but are there new clues revealed in the tapes not seen on TV?   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode at NowPeakingPodcast.com

In the summer of 1990 everybody was discussing Twin Peaks - the television phenomenon that kept people in suspense during their season break. Tidbits were teased to fans, including that in Season 2 the secret diary of Laura Palmer would be found. What secrets would it hold? Would it reveal her killer? Viewers would find out, but fans didn't have to wait! Before Season 2 started The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer was released in full to bookstores!  Not only officially sanctioned, it was written by Jennifer Lynch, daughter of Peaks co-creator David Lynch.  Now Stuart and Arnie discuss all that was found, and how it was made so quickly!   Listen to this book review, then hear reviews of EVERY Twin Peaks episode at NowPeakingPodcast.com

No, Stuart was not eaten by a sand worm, he's back to discuss Children of Dune -- Frank Herbert's third novel in the Duneverse.  Focusing on the children of Paul, this book has incest, political intrigue, and a twist ending. Join Stuart for his thoughts on this novel!    

Everybody wants to rule the galaxy...but is it all it's cracked up to be?  Now Emperor, Paul Atreides must balance his leadership with numerous plots to undermine him.  After the great success of Dune, can Frank Herbert match with the sequel:  Dune Messiah? Join Stuart in this review to find out!

Frank Herbert's 1965 landmark novel DUNE is one of the most celebrated works of the science fiction genre, but does today's reader have to be a Mentat in order to wrap their mind around its dense mythology?  Host Stuart In LA promises, "there's nothing to fear.... fear is the mind killer." Join him as he dives headfirst into this first chapter of his six podcast exploration of the Duneverse.      

In 1990 Robert Ludlum returned to Jason Bourne one last time for The Bourne Ultimatum.  This story finds Bourne once again in the crosshairs of Carlos the Jackal. It was a book intended to set a legacy for many Bourne novels to follow in the hands of other writers. So why is this the worst book ever reviewed at Books & Nachos?  Join Stuart in L.A. as he tears into The Bourne Ultimatum and tells you why this is a novel you should avoid at all costs!

Bourne is back! Robert Ludlum had never written a sequel to any of his novels before. That streak ended in 1986 when Jason Bourne (or really David Webb) has to travel to China in search of the men who kidnapped his woman. This novel bears virtually no resemblance to the Matt Damon film, but is it worth a read? Join Stuart in LA in this review to find out! And if you enjoy Books & Nachos, support the show through our PodBean Crowdfunding Page!

This summer is a great time to be re-Bourne! Matt Damon is returning to play Jason Bourne for the fourth time. For many Bourne fans, however, it may be surprising to find out how different these Damon films are from Robert Ludlum's original novels.   On this episode of Books & Nachos, join Stuart in L.A. as he gives a spoiler free review of this book, outlining the creator's original vision for this spy who can't remember his past. And if you enjoy Books & Nachos, support the show through our PodBean Crowdfunding Page!

20 years have passed between the 1996 sci-fi hit Independence Day and this summer's new Independence Day: Resurgence.  That time passed in our real world--but it also went by for the fictional characters who survived that alien assault.  Fans have long wondered--what happened on July 5, 1996? Were all the aliens killed when the ships went down? Some of this will be revealed in the new movie, but those wanting a fuller explanation can find it in the new novel Independence Day: Crucible by Greg Keyes.  It spans all 20 years and follows old characters, like David Levinson and Steve Hiller, as well as new players like Jake Morrison and Dikembe Umbutu.   Did anything happen in that 20-year span to warrant a novel? Join Arnie in this Books & Nachos episode as he summarizes and reviews this new story -- and the comic series Independence Day: Dark Fathom! And if you enjoy Books & Nachos, support the show through our PodBean Crowdfunding Page!

The Dead Zone was Stephen King's follow-up to The Stand. This new novel, about a man who gained psychic powers after a head injury, became the author's first number 1 best seller. It has gone on to be adapted to film by David Cronenberg, and a long-running cable TV series. In this episode of Books & Nachos, Arnie looks back at the book that started it all. He analyzes King's influences that led to the creation of the novel, and deconstructs the characters and plot. So now join him for a review of Stephen King's novel over a year in the making! And if you enjoy Books & Nachos, support the show through our PodBean Crowdfunding Page!

Watchmen. It was the only comic listed on Time Magazine's List of the 100 Best Novels list. It also was in The Comic's Journal's list of the Top 100 Comics of the 20th Century. It has been revered by comic lovers and neophytes alike. Now Arnie and Jakob come together to review all 12 issues of this series, and also give a brief look at the recent Before Watchmen prequel series! Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on Zack Snyder's film adaptation!

Last week the fourth, and final, Hunger Games film Mockingjay Part 2, dominated theaters. Now that you've had a chance to see how the movie concludes the story of Katniss Everdeen you can join Stuart for his review of Collins original Mockingjay novel. Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on all the Hunger Games films! Those movie reviews are only available during the Fall, 2015 donation drive, so donate today!

In 2009 Catching Fire fanned the flames of Hunger Games fans worldwide. Continuing the adventures of Katniss Everdeen, Collins' novel puts her back in the arena for another adventure. In preparation for tonight's release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 movie, join Stuart in L.A. for a look back at Collins' middle novel in the trilogy. Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on all the Hunger Games films! Those movie reviews are only available during the Fall, 2015 donation drive, so donate today!

The Hunger Games novels topped the New York Times best seller lists and went on to become Amazon's all-time top selling book series (outselling even Harry Potter). It has since gone on to become a billion-dollar film franchise. In anticipation of the upcoming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Stuart in LA is here to review the original novels. In this episode Stuart looks at the original The Hunger Games. Is this the next Twilight, or is it the next The Running Man? Join Stuart in L.A. now for this review, then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on the film! Those movie reviews are only available during the Fall, 2015 donation drive, so donate today!

In 1999 Japanese author Koushun Takami gained global notice for his novel Battle Royale. In this ultraviolent, 600-plus page dystopian novel the Japanese government holds an annual competition where Junior High students must kill each other. The last student to survive is the "winner." The book has been released multiple times in English, been the inspiration for the Battle Royale film series, and had a manga adaptation. And Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has been accused of plagiarizing Battle Royale for her hit trilogy. Is the novel worth the fuss? Join Stuart in L.A. now for this review of the English translation of Battle Royale. Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on the film! Those movie reviews are only available during the Fall, 2015 donation drive, so donate today!

Michael Crichton never intended to write a sequel to his bestselling novel Jurassic Park. But when Stephen Spielberg's film was a smash success and the director, and fans, requested a follow-up, Crichton obliged. What were the results? Join Stuart in L.A. for this review of Crichton's novel, then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear that crew's thoughts on the film! Those movie reviews are only available until July 31, 2015, then they become extinct like the dinosaurs, so donate today!

Today the words Jurassic Park bring to mind a T-Rex roaring at a car, Sam Neil running through a pack of CGI dinosaurs, and John Williams score--all from Steven Spielberg's hit 1993 film. But before it was a movie, Jurassic Park was a bestselling novel by sci-fi author Michael Crichton. The book and the movie share some basic plot elements, but there are also key differences. How do they compare? Join Stuart in L.A. for this review of Crichton's novel, then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear that crew's thoughts on the film! Those movie reviews are only available until July 31, 2015, then they become extinct like the dinosaurs, so donate today!

King's first novel wasn't Carrie, it was The Long Walk written while the author was a college freshman. It tells of a dystopian, alternate America in which the national pastime isn't Baseball, it's a contest of stamina and will--The Long Walk. King's story of one of these Walks, and walker Raymond Garraty, wouldn't be published for over a decade, until it was released in 1979 as the second novel by King's pen name "Richard Bachman." In this episode of Books & Nachos, Arnie reviews and analyzes this early work by the bestselling author. Join him now in this review of the second Bachman Book!

Mark Millar's comic Kick-Ass was adapted to film by director Matthew Vaughn. Now the two have teamed up again with Kingsman: The Secret Service, an idea the two men spawned while filming Kick-Ass. The story tells of Gary, a juvenile delinquent who's given one last chance at a legitimate life--as a British secret agent! A clever twist on the old James Bond formula, is this comic worth reading? Join the hosts to find out, then join them LIVE, Tuesday Feb 17th at 9:30 pm EST at NowPlayingPodcast.com for the review of the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service.

With his fifth published novel Stephen King went big--a tale about God and demons with the backdrop of a dystopian future. Involving fears both realistic and fantastic, many King fans cite this as the author's best work to date. Now Arnie continues his reviews of all King's works with this multi-part podcast series reviewing The Stand. In this final segment of this review Arnie gives is final review on the book, discusses which of the three print editions is best, and also reviews Marvel Comic's 31-issue comic series based on King's novel.

With his fifth published novel Stephen King went big--a tale about God and demons with the backdrop of a dystopian future. Involving fears both realistic and fantastic, many King fans cite this as the author's best work to date. Now Arnie continues his reviews of all King's works with this multi-part podcast series reviewing The Stand. In the fifth part of this review Arnie looks at The Stand's climax, which reaches biblical proportions, and compares the ending in the original and the 1990 unabridged versions.