Now Playing Podcast welcomes the start of the summer movie season in May with a pair of highly anticipated Marvel reviews, plus an all-new theatrical entry in the long-running Stephen King Retrospective Series. But wait, there’s more! May brings two listener-supported reviews, including one that kicks off a three-episode journey into Jack Nicholson’s career. Though it’s not an official retrospective, listeners should enjoy hearing the hosts delve into some of the star’s most memorable roles.
Here’s everything coming to Now Playing Podcast in May 2022.
May 3 – Hawkeye
Around Christmastime last year, Jeremy Renner’s Avenger finally got the spotlight to himself, for about a minute. Then he had to share it with mini-Hawkeye Hailee Steinfeld. Now Playing Podcast put its Hawkeyereview on hold until May 3, so it could be paired with another Marvel property. Patience pays off, listeners.
May 6 – Under the Skin
In the midst of her own Avengers run, Scarlett Johansson starred in a nudie alien flick in which she drives around Scotland picking up unwitting men and luring them into some kind of liquid death. If you missed Jonathan Glazer’s third feature when it hit theaters in 2014, you’ll want to catch up before May’s first listener-supported review, which can be heard with a patron donation of $10 or more.
May 10 – Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
At last, after a 2021 of hit-and-miss Marvel movies, Phase 4 kicks into high gear with the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. This time, director Sam Raimi joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sending Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange into the Multiverse to meet the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart, among others. Fans have been analyzing the film’s trailers for months, searching for clues that could reveal Marvel’s intentions with characters that have yet to debut in the MCU, notably the X-men and Namor, the Sub-Mariner. We’ll see how many Kevin Feige and company are going to give us on screen.
May 17 – Firestarter
The remake of the 1984 film starring Drew Barrymore and the second adaptation of Stephen King’s novel arrives in theaters (and on Peacock) on Friday, May 13. This time, Ryan Kiera Armstrong stars as the young pyrokinetic Charlie McGee, with Zac Efron as her father and GOAT Robocop star Kurtwood Smith also in the cast. Firestarter could surprise, especially with John Carpenter on board to compose the score.
May 20 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
May brings us two patron-supported reviews, the second one kicking off a micro-Jack Nicholson retrospective. Thanks to one of your fellow Now Playing listeners, our hosts will review the actor’s Academy Award-winning turn in director Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The 1975 drama – co-starring Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, Christopher Llyod, Brad Dourif, Vincent Schiavelli, Will Sampson, Michael Berryman, and William Redfield, among others – is considered one of the greatest movies ever made. We’ll find out if our hosts agree.
May 24 – Chinatown
Nicholson’s Cuckoo’s Nest appearance came the year after another award-winning film, Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. The noir drama, set in 1937 Los Angeles, stars Nicholson as private detective Jake Gittes, who gets mixed up with Faye Dunaway in a plot centered around the California water wars. Now Playing Podcast will review Chinatown on the main feed – “Totally Free Tuesday” – on May 24.
May 31 – The Two Jakes
Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne and producer Robert Evans returned alongside Nicholson (taking his turn in the director’s chair) for 1990’s The Two Jakes. The sequel, set 10 years after Chinatown, didn’t come close to its predecessor’s success, critically or commercially. Still, with Nicholson celebrating his 85th birthday on April 22, it’s a good time for Now Playing to look back on two highs, and one low, of the star’s career.
