The Now Playing Podcast Team

Arnie earned a liberal arts degree in Communications, focusing on filmmaking, TV and radio production, and creative writing. Even then, his academic work leaned heavily into genre. If there was a way to work Freddy, Jason, or Clive Barker into a paper, he found it. His senior thesis was a literary deep dive into Imajica becuase... of course it was.

In 2005, he combined his storytelling background with web design skills to launch Star Wars Action News, the first podcast devoted to Star Wars collecting. The show ran for 19 years, won multiple awards, and built a global audience of collectors who care about cardbacks as much as canon.

Over the years, Arnie also worked on Marvelicious Toys, Books & Nachos (now part of Now Playing Podcast), Republic Forces Radio Network, The Star Wars Action News Book Club, and Comicpocalypse. Along the way, he’s interviewed Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Kenan Thompson, horror icon Robert Englund, and many others. He has presented panels across the U.S. and in Germany on Star Wars collectibles and podcasting, contributed audio editing to professional film projects, hosted movie reviews for UK radio station TalkSPORT, and written for The Star Wars Collector’s Wishbook and Movie Magic Magazine.

In 2007, Arnie and his wife, Marjorie, launched Now Playing Podcast, an in-depth movie review show covering everything from horror to blockbuster franchises. The show has grown far beyond its original expectations and has not missed a single week since 2011, holidays included.

Favorite Movies: Star Wars, The Professional, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, Baby Driver, Guardians of the Galaxy, Real Genius, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Despite the on-air persona, Stuart is not from Los Angeles. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up just a few blocks from Arnie in central Illinois. The two have been friends since second grade and, before podcasting, attempted several completely serious and definitely legitimate business ventures, including a detective agency, a breakdancing crew, an ’80s synth-pop band, and the original concept for Star Wars: Episode VII. You’re welcome, Hollywood.

Stuart studied Film at Columbia College Chicago with the clear and practical goal of someday applying that education to slasher sequels and obscure comic-book TV shows from the 1980s. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, and back to Illinois in the 2010s.

He joined Now Playing Podcast in 2008 as a guest co-host for reviews of The Midnight Meat Train and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and officially became a full-time host with the 2009 Friday the 13th Retrospective Series. In addition to hosting, Stuart handles review scheduling and co-founded Books & Nachos, the show’s deep dive into novels, comics, and other print media (which is now part of Now Playing Podcast).

For someone who talks for a living, Stuart keeps a surprisingly low profile online and mostly steers clear of social media.

Favorite Movies: The Silence of the Lambs, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Network, The Warriors, Akira.

Brock joined Venganza Media in 2006, originally working with Arnie to coordinate the Star Wars Action News Book Club. In 2008, after years of book and TV reviews for Star Wars Action News, he stepped behind the mic on Now Playing Podcast to review Pineapple Express, and his role expanded significantly during the show’s first full retrospective series, Friday the 13th, in 2009.

That series turned Brock into something he never expected to be: a horror guy. After watching more slasher films than any reasonable person should, he developed a genuine appreciation for the genre and its history, even if he occasionally questions the life choices that got him there.

Of course, most listeners recognize him immediately as the voice of Venganza Media, serving as the announcer for nearly all of the network’s programming.

Favorite Movies: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Court Jester.

Justin is a graphic designer with more than two decades of industry experience, working with brands including Apple, Nintendo, Budweiser, and Macware. A graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado, he started in industrial design before finding his lane in logos, branding, and visual identity. His design philosophy is simple: Creative. Compelling. Concise. If it doesn’t hit all three, it’s not done yet.

He’s just as comfortable designing for collectors as corporations. Justin also runs FigureShield, a company dedicated to protecting and displaying carded action figures, built from his own frustrations as a lifelong collector.

That collector mindset is what first connected him with Arnie and Marjorie. Justin began contributing animations and segments to Star Wars Action News and then co-founded Marvelicious Toys Podcast in 2010. For over a decade, he covered San Diego Comic-Con and broke down Marvel toy news with the precision of a designer and collector.

He joined Now Playing Podcast in 2017, debuting with the Pirates of the Caribbean series and diving headfirst into the punishing Video Game Movie Retrospective. On the show, Justin brings a designer’s eye to film analysis, focusing on visual storytelling, franchise evolution, and whether a blockbuster actually looks as good as its marketing promised.

He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, continues to collect Star Wars and Marvel Legends figures, and is a master of karate and friendship.

Marjorie co-founded Venganza Media with her husband, Arnie, and helped launch Now Playing Podcast in 2007. In addition to co-hosting Now Playing Podcast, she’s also been behind the mic on Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys, covering everything from blockbuster franchises to collectible deep dives.

Her love of movies started early with Star Wars, but she quickly graduated to less age-appropriate fare, becoming a devoted fan of the Friday the 13th series and Revenge of the Nerds long before most parents would approve. Horror remains a core part of her DNA, with Halloween and The Terminator ranking among her all-time favorites.

Marjorie is also a proud Crispin Glover enthusiast, championing his work in cult oddities like Rubin & Ed and Willard. And yes, she will openly admit that White Chicks holds a special place in her heart.

When she’s not recording, Marjorie is usually running, painting, or doting on her Frenchies.

Favorite Movies: Rubin & Ed, Star Wars, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, House of 1000 Corpses, and 13 Going on 30

Jason’s path to Now Playing Podcast started the way many great journeys do: by searching iTunes for Alan Howarth’s Halloween 4 score. In 2011, that search led a Las Vegas TV producer to discover the show. A year later, he was collaborating with Arnie behind the scenes, and by 2014, he officially joined the team as a publicity and marketing assistant.

Since then, Jason has worn just about every hat available. He’s hosted episodes of Books & Nachos, launched the IN FOCUS newsletter in 2020, and in 2025 stepped into the role of Now Playing host and creative director, helping shape the show both on-air and behind the curtain.

Outside of podcasting, Jason is an Emmy Award-winning television news producer whose career spans traditional broadcast, streaming FAST channels, and digital distribution. He understands media from both the creative and business sides, which makes him equally comfortable dissecting a franchise entry or positioning it for an audience.

He is a die-hard, lifelong, and unapologetic fan of the Halloween and Fast & Furious franchises, and will defend both with the passion they deserve.

Favorite Movies: Beverly Hills Cop, Clue, Point Break, Dream a Little Dream.

Heath was born and still resides in Melbourne, Australia, where a childhood double hit of Star Wars and E.T. on the big screen sparked a lifelong obsession with film. Inspired in part by Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, he set his sights on becoming a film critic and went on to build a career writing television and movie reviews for newspapers across Australia.

As an editor for Now Playing Podcast, Heath is the quiet force behind the scenes, spending countless hours shaping raw recordings into the polished episodes listeners hear each week. With a critic’s ear and a craftsman’s patience, he trims, tightens, and fine-tunes the show while most of the hosts are already arguing about the next franchise. He has edited more episodes of Now Playing Podcast than anyone else.

Favorite Movies: Back to the Future, Magnolia, The Blues Brothers, Die Hard, Unforgiven.

Santiago is a sound engineer and actor based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who joined Now Playing Podcast in 2021. His love of cinema started early, when he saw Drive and The Tree of Life at 12 and realized movies could be more than just entertainment. Since then, he’s balanced a passion for arthouse and independent film with an equal appreciation for big-budget blockbusters, while always championing cinema from his home country.

He is active in the Argentine theater community, performing in and assisting with stage productions, and brings that performance background to his work behind the scenes. As an editor, Santiago helps shape episodes with a careful ear for pacing, tone, and storytelling.

A devoted fan of the James Bond franchise, he credits Now Playing Podcast’s Bond retrospective with pulling him into the world of podcasting in the first place. When he’s not editing, he’s likely playing harmonica, rehearsing for a production, hunting down new films to watch, or diving headfirst into astrology. Interpret that however you’d like.

Favorite Films: Drive, The Tree of Life, Fallen Angels, Aftersun, Casino Royale (2006).

Drew has been hooked on movies since childhood, a fascination that kicked into overdrive after watching Return of the Jedi one Christmas. From that point on, cinema wasn’t just entertainment. It was a world to explore.

A self-proclaimed B-movie aficionado, Drew spends his free time tracking down obscure and independently produced genre films that most people have never heard of and probably can’t find. He’s also an avid writer, currently at work on his first novel, and unwinds with cartoons and anime after long editing sessions.

As an audio editor for Now Playing Podcast, Drew focuses on keeping conversations sharp, focused, and engaging. His philosophy is simple: every episode should be at least as strong as the one before it.

Favorite Films: The original Star Wars trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens, RoboCop, The Thing.

Joie started out in film school, studying editing and film history, before discovering that her real talent lay at the intersection of storytelling and design. That realization led her into the gaming industry, where she built a career in marketing and community management, helping connect players and shape conversations around major titles like Age of Empires and Grand Theft Auto.

With a background rooted in film and a career grounded in visual communication, Joie brings both cinematic literacy and marketing instincts to her work as a graphic designer for Now Playing Podcast. She understands not just how something should look, but how it should feel and how it should reach an audience.

Outside of work, she’s usually analyzing the latest films or creating new design projects just for the fun of it. For Joie, movies and visuals are two sides of the same coin.

Adam grew up in Central Illinois, raised on MTV and late-night cable, which served as his unofficial film school in music videos, horror marathons, and visual culture. He played guitar and drums in local punk bands before heading to art school in Milwaukee, where he earned a BFA in Design with a minor in Advertising.

After graduating, he moved to San Francisco and built a career in advertising focused on mobile games and apps. His work centers on art direction and design for game trailers, video campaigns, and interactive experiences, blending storytelling with sharp visual instincts. Now based in the Bay Area, Adam continues to work in game marketing while still playing in the local punk scene, mostly in warehouses and dive bars.

He discovered Now Playing Podcast in 2011 during the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween retrospectives and has been a listener ever since. Today, he brings that same genre love to his role as a video editor, shaping visual content with the eye of a designer and the instincts of someone who grew up rewinding VHS tapes to study the details.

Favorite Films: The Shining, Blade Runner 2049, Friday the 13th Part III, Jaws, Over the Edge, Apocalypse Now, Ladies and Gentlemen… The Fabulous Stains.

Stephen hails from Buffalo, New York, with a background in journalism and music. An aspiring film critic in college, he became a fan of Now Playing Podcast in 2012 during the James Bond retrospective, one of his favorite franchises. He joined the team as an audio editor from 2017 to 2021 and returned in 2025, proving you can, in fact, come home again.

Stephen approaches film like a lifelong course of study, constantly digging into classics and filling in gaps in his cinematic education. While he enjoys exploring all eras, his heart belongs to horror, thrillers, and film noir. He is still patiently waiting for a Hammer Horror retrospective and would probably clear his schedule immediately if one were announced.

Outside of editing, Stephen collects physical media, reveres all things David Bowie, and is apparently very comfortable writing about himself in the third person.

Favorite Movies: The Seventh Victim, The Innocents, Targets, Casino Royale, The Silence of the Lambs.

Raised on VHS tapes, looping DVD menus, Napster downloads, and weekend swap meets, Dusty grew up fully immersed in pop culture. Golden-era The Simpsons, arcade cabinets, and stacks of comic books weren’t hobbies; they were a lifestyle. There was always something playing in the background, something being quoted, something being rewound.

That obsession turned out to be solid training. Today, Dusty works as a video editor, bringing a lifetime of media saturation to the craft. Movies and games were never special occasions in his world. They were constant companions, the kind you memorize without trying and carry with you for decades. He doesn’t just watch movies. He catalogs them in his brain, often recalling obscure details long after everyone else has moved on.

Between franchise marathons and modern Steam Deck sessions, Dusty chases the feeling of a moment landing just right and knows when it does.

Still proudly Delco. Still obsessed with pop culture. Still not above finding it the hard way.

Favorite Movies: Scream, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, RoboCop, The Monkey.