Movie Madness artwork

Movie Madness

464 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days ago - ★★★★ - 24 ratings

Movie Madness is a weekly podcast hosted by Chicago film critic Erik Childress presenting movie reviews, interviews, film festival coverage, DVDs, awards, box office and much more!

TV & Film Arts Visual Arts movies
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Episode 464: Beasts, Spiders, Werewolves & Other Monsters

April 13, 2024 13:44 - 1 hour - 59.1 MB

Another seven movies on the docket for Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy and a lot of variations on horror. Not so much with the third film from director Goran Stolevski that Steve suggests a look at (Housekeeping for Beginners). But Larry Fessenden crafts a werewolf metaphor for America (Blackout), there is a new giant spider film (Sting), Nicolas Cage’s sons, at least, fighting hairy snapping creatures (Arcadian) for a few minutes plus Lea Seydoux on the lookout from unimaginable dread for ...

Episode 463: Where Are The White Women At?

April 08, 2024 21:15 - 51 minutes - 34.5 MB

This week’s physical media edition has Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress looking at films with people getting lost as well as ones with murderers, looters, variations on classic horror and family fare plus a '70s era Kong. They include films by Peter Weir and the writer of Blade Runner plus a film hammered by MST3K and a dog murdered for their inheritance. Admit it, you’re intrigued. 0:00 - Intro 2:24 - Criterion (Picnic at Hanging Rock) 7:25 - Shout (Lost in Space) 12:11 - Film Ma...

Episode 462: Three Sixes And You’re Out!

April 06, 2024 01:20 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight reviews this week that range from one of the best surprises of the year thus far and a film that could be destined to give Tommy Wiseau’s The Room a run for its money. They begin with a pair of documentaries including the natural follow-up to Boys State (Girls State) and how the rise of memes and conspiracy theories came into modern fold (The Antisocial Network). Erik looks at a mystery thriller starring Elizabeth Hurley and directed by her son (St...

Episode 461: Look At This F*!@ing Guy!

April 01, 2024 18:26 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MB

Do not mistake a light week for physical media as evidence that it is dying. Even they need a break after Easter. Nevertheless Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress are here to tell you about five titles making the rounds this week. They include a debut from a one-time up-and-coming actor/director plus an early effort from George Lucas’ Huyck friends. There’s an Oscar-nominated documentary from last year and a film that is hardly good for post-Easter or post-anything. Finally, there’s a baseb...

Episode 460: Martin & Morricone x Godzilla & Kong

March 30, 2024 02:27 - 1 hour - 69.6 MB

Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy review seven new movies over Easter weekend. They include a documentary about an evil son-of-a-bastard-fuck and his attempt to erase the memory of dead children (The Truth vs. Alex Jones) and another doc about one of the most legendary composers (Ennio). David Krumholtz is dying and just going about his deadpan remaining days (Lousy Carter) while Tessa Thompson oversees a chat line for lonely and troubled people (The Listener). The great Steve Martin gets his o...

Episode 459: What Brain Donor Asked Eastwood To Sing?

March 26, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 70.5 MB

Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to get you (and Carrie Coon) up to date on the latest in physical media. There are crime stories drenched in noir and including Nicole Kidman as a seductive weather lady and Edward Norton in his screen debut. There are all sorts of bizarre westerns including Jack Nicholson behind the camera, John Wayne babysitting and Clint Eastwood singing. There are inspirational teachers, courtroom dramas and ants. Plus one of the great football movies, John Turturro...

Episode 458: Heeeeeeeerrrrreeeee’s David!

March 23, 2024 01:07 - 1 hour - 53.7 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review seven new movies this week, a couple of them even good. Which ones could they be? Is it this week’s killer with amnesia thriller starring Russell Crowe (Sleeping Dogs). Maybe the two-hander horror film from Shudder (You’ll Never Find Me)? Regina King plays the first black woman elected to Congress (Shirley) and Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the shoes of Patrick Swayze (Road House). David Dastmalchian is a 70s talk show host dabbling with forces live on-a...

Episode 457: The Abyss Is Staring Right At You

March 21, 2024 01:43 - 2 hours - 78.4 MB

Catching up on a couple weeks of releases, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk westerns from the end of John Wayne’s career to the middle-ish of Tom Selleck’s. There are documentaries about art, filmmaking plus Harrison Ford with a Russian accent. Remakes of Stephen King, American J-Horror and just American remakes leading into political conspiracies and Liza Minnelli as a sex worker. That is all just a warm-up to the 4K releases everyone has been waiting for from James Cameron. ...

Episode 456: Well That Looks Tasty

March 15, 2024 21:40 - 1 hour - 55.9 MB

Erik Childress is back from SXSW and Steve Prokopy joins him to catch up on nine films released this week. They include a pair of documentaries about one of our most beloved comic actors (Remembering Gene Wilder) and one of the 20th century’s most iconic artists (Frida). Mia Wasikowska tries to teach kids how to eat (Club Zero) and Zach Braff tries to marry a chef who may have eaten someone who does agree with him (French Girl). Steve suggests why Focus has basically buried the satire it br...

Episode 455: Hey Teacher, Leave Those Kids Alone

March 06, 2024 18:01 - 44 minutes - 28.7 MB

Physical media continues to thrive though it is having a slight week this time around as Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski go over the new releases. Saw fans can grab the whole series in one fell swoop. There is esoteric stuff from Guy Maddin and a western with Vincent Cassel. Traditional Old West fans get a little treat from Walter Hill along with one of Katharine Hepburn’s Oscar-winning roles. Finally, Shout Factory upgrades a cult Jonathan Kaplan teen film starring Matt Dillon in his s...

Episode 454: Sand, Sandler and Swinton

March 02, 2024 12:30 - 1 hour - 59.6 MB

Nobody wanted to open against Taylor Swift last fall and since nobody wanted to open against the sandworms, it’s a light week of reviews. Still five movies for Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy to talk about including an animated documentary about a missing pianist (They Shot the Piano Player) and the story of a burn victim seeking love and revenge (Silver Haze). Adam Sandler misses Carey Mulligan and talks to a giant spader (Spaceman). Former SNL writer Julio Torres makes his directorial de...

Episode 453: Calling All Gangsters And Weekend Warriors

February 26, 2024 22:26 - 44 minutes - 29.5 MB

This week on the latest and greatest in physical media, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about a wealth of new titles in 4K. But also a film noir package dedicated to Edward G. Robinson, a restored version of the 1970s French giallo picture and a horror film about a necrophiliac doctor. That is mixed in with new upgrades for Stanley Kubrick’s first feature, a classic western with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and Steven Soderbergh’s all too-prescient thriller about a pandemic...

Episode 452: Somebody Take The Wheel, Please

February 23, 2024 22:40 - 1 hour - 42.4 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy take on seven new films this week. They include a bored millennial trying to solve a pharmacy robbery (Drugstore June) and Orlando Bloom taking on mob boss Andie MacDowell (Red Right Hand). Steve looks at one of this year’s Oscar nominees (IO Capitano) and U2 getting involved in the war in Sarajevo (Kiss the Future). An animator begins to get lost in her art and mind (Stopmotion) while Ethan Coen loses Joel and takes Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanatha...

Episode 451: Who Is Darkman And What Is That Tainted Mutant Vodka?

February 20, 2024 01:32 - 1 hour - 54.6 MB

Keeping your physical media collection up to date? That is what Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to do again this week. The latest and greatest in Blu-rays include a female-led martial arts double feature extravaganza as well as a double bill of films from the Civil Rights era. There’s a new film with Isabelle Huppert along and a collection of short parodies from Ernie Fosselius. Then new upgrades to 4K run the gamut from Australian psychic horror to a goofy underwater monster f...

Episode 450: Don’t Let Them Fool Ya

February 17, 2024 15:38 - 1 hour - 57.2 MB

Eight reviews this week from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy run the gamut from good documentaries to surprisingly-not-so-bad to shockingly awful. Where do all of these films fit in? How do you feel about an action film from the director of Underwater with this name (Land of Bad) or the rookie secret service agent trying to save the President with this one (Air Force One Down)? Ewan McGregor takes a road trip with his addicted daughter (Bleeding Love) and Lily Sullivan stumbles upon an ali...

Episode 449: Wanna Have A Dance Party?

February 14, 2024 19:59 - 1 hour - 46.9 MB

Peter Sobczynski again joins Erik Childress to tell you what’s available in physical media this week. You can stock up on your French auteurs, Eric Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard. There are lions and Cagneys and Willy’s, oh my! They go through the good and mediocre in the pricey new 4K set from Sony and Peter offers his two cents on his choice for the best film of 2023. Plus nobody puts Kevin Bacon in the corner as both recall their experiences with the film that tried to stop him from dancing....

Episode 448: It’s Pronounced Frankenshit

February 09, 2024 20:47 - 1 hour - 48.2 MB

Seven new films get reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include a new mistaken identity rom-com with Camila Mendes (Upgraded) and another story of a novelist plunged into a murderous plot (Ghostwritten). A teenage girl comes of age in the time of Terry Schiavo (Suncoast) while a trio of friends discover the harsher realities of growing up while on vacation in an award-winner from Cannes (How To Have Sex). Also for the second week in a row there is a Wim Wenders fil...

Episode 447: Altman, Wilder, Jewison and Boll

February 07, 2024 16:48 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MB

Getting you caught up on the latest and greatest (and sometimes not-so-great) in blu-rays, Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress run the gamut this week. They include Billy Wilder doing Agatha Christie and George Segal doing Michael Crichton. A film from the late Norman Jewison and a reimagining of the late Adrienne Shelley’s final film. Plus in maybe the biggest swing, going over arguably Robert Altman’s finest film and then diving into the career of Uwe Boll. 0:00 - Intro 1:15 – Crite...

Episode 446: But If You Just Believe, There’s No Way We Can Fall

February 04, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 52.9 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to the weekly beat of reviews with seven new titles this week. They include a new 3-D documentary from Wim Wenders (Anselm) and another with the master of giallo (Dario Argento Panico). Leah McKendrick writes, directs and freezes her eggs (Scrambled) plus you can learn all about the making of We Are The World (The Greatest Night In Pop). A pair of streamers serve up animation with an all-Asian cast (The Tiger’s Apprentice) and Charlie Kaufman adapts a...

Episode 445: The 2024 Sundance Film Festival

February 03, 2024 03:58 - 2 hours - 86 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy returned to Park City in-person for the first time since 2020 and they brought back a lot of reviews. 18 films are discussed on the show including the latest works from Steven Soderbergh, the Zellner Bros. and the makers of Saint Frances. Jesse Eisenberg delivers his sophomore Sundance effort and it resulted in one of the bigger deals of the fest, though Erik offers his thoughts on the biggest sale. There is praise for Saoirse Ronan, Andre Holland, Carol Kan...

Episode 444: Hear The Lamentations For The Blu-Rays

January 31, 2024 01:40 - 2 hours - 87.6 MB

Peter Sobczynski helps Erik Childress get caught up with a few weeks of Blu-ray releases. They include what may be John Sayles’ finest film along with one of the better Nicolas Cage movies that nearly got buried. There are movies with submarines and others with serial killers and stalkers plus a genuine animated gem you may have missed. One of the best film noirs musicals, post-Vietnam films are available this week along with the Marx Bros. and Rodney Dangerfield as an animated dog. (It’s n...

Episode 443: WHY IS THIS NOT ON BLU-RAY?! (Chapter 9)

January 16, 2024 18:53 - 2 hours - 94.3 MB

A tradition that has gone absent for too long on the podcast has been this show that began with Sergio Mims and Erik Childress on WHPK Radio Chicago and continued on here. Films that has still yet to get the upgrade treatment on physical media and every time a new one emerges you can hear Sergio screaming down “WE GOT ONE!”  We are finally continuing what we started, Sergio, with Peter Sobczynski stepping in to offer his half of 20 titles that still remain dormant on DVD or no physical medi...

Episode 442: One Word - Plastics

January 13, 2024 20:50 - 2 hours - 91.2 MB

The first new reviews of 2024 are here, even as a few late 2023 titles sneak into the mix. 13 in all starting with Anthony Hopkins, this time not as C.S. Lewis (Freud’s Last Session) and Renny Harlin dialing up some action with Aaron Eckhart (The Bricklayer). An Elvis, a Spock and a monkey go on a strange journey (He Went That Way) while Kaley Cuoco goes on a familiar one as another domesticated assassin (Role Play). MST3K’s Jonah Ray tries to get ahead of his neighbor (Destroy All Neighbor...

Episode 441: We’ve Got A Long Way To Run

January 09, 2024 17:02 - 1 hour - 65.2 MB

The first Blu-ray show of 2024 with Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress has got a little of everything. From Bob Hope to Brigitte Bardot and Chuck Norris to Charles Bronson. The directorial debuts of Andrew Davis and the Coen Bros. gets an upgrade as do the trilogies of Satyajit Ray and Park Chan-Wook (at least the second part of his.) Plus does Eddie Murphy’s stand-up hold up and how much is there to remember about Varsity Blues? 0:00 - Intro 2:34 - Criterion (Blood Simple 4K, Apu Tril...

Episode 440: The Best Films of 2023

January 04, 2024 22:37 - 2 hours - 81.9 MB

On our annual show, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy make their choices for the standout films of 2023. They are joined once again by Collin Souter of the Christmas Movies Actually podcast to unveil his list as well. Their top 20 is punctuated with a lot of titles you are going to want to remember as they have. What are the ten films that found a spot on all three of their full lists and the four that each made their top tens? Stick until the end to hear their choices in a number of special...

Episode 439: Battle Beyond The Ocean, The Skies And The Biopics

December 23, 2023 15:07 - 2 hours - 101 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy close out 2023 with 11 reviews of the season’s most anticipated films and award season hopefuls. Steve checks out the latest crime comedy from Francois Ozon (The Crime is Mine) while families can check out the latest animated work from Illumination (Migration). Jeffrey Wright is a professor tired of stereotypical depictions of black life in literature (American Fiction) and now there is a feature version of the musical version of Alice Walker’s novel (The Co...

Episode 438: Worlds of Pure Imagination…Mostly

December 16, 2023 17:49 - 2 hours - 81.4 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy play a little catchup this week after being off the previous. This week’s review show includes a pair of documentaries about classic bands (Immediate Family) and a legendary filmmaker (Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer). Erik checks in a wintry monster movie (A Creature Was Stirring) and Steve looks at a filmed stage musical (Waitress: The Musical) and another Dumas adaptation (The Three Musketeers: D’artagnan). It’s the end of the year so it must mean apocalyp...

Episode 437: Do We Have To Spell It Out For You?

December 14, 2023 14:41 - 2 hours - 89.7 MB

The last physical media show of 2023 is here just in time to get your last minute Christmas gifts. They include some wonderful stuff for families including one of the great short films of all time, the animation of Masaaki Yuasa and Shaun the Sheep plus one of the best versions of Pinocchio. One of Spike Lee’s early films gets the 4K upgrade as does films from Walter Hill, David Cronenberg and arguably the best of John Woo’s American resume. Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress look at the e...

Episode 436: Guns, Bullets, Trains, Boats and Surfers

December 06, 2023 03:11 - 1 hour - 77.1 MB

Sony removed over 1,200 titles from their PlayStation store now gone from your library if you purchased them. That doesn’t happen with physical media and, as always, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have got you covered. You can get Terrence Malick in 4K and one of the crazier Christmas noirs you’ve ever seen. The Coreys and Stephen King are also in 4K not to mention upgrades for James Cameron and Steven Spielberg. Indiana Jones goes for one final ride and you can also discover the origi...

Episode 435: ‘Tis the Season For Godzilla

December 02, 2023 03:37 - 1 hour - 51.5 MB

Awards season is upon us and both Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are preparing their Chicago ballots. But is there anything amongst the seven new titles this week that will fit? There are a pair of documentaries from the legendary Frederick Wiseman (Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgros) and about a tumultuous year in the life of award-winning musician Jon Baptiste (American Symphony). Steve has some words for an apocalyptic horror film (Everyone Will Burn) and Erik wishes that title applied to ...

Episode 434: Very Hot And Awfully Wet

November 27, 2023 23:14 - 1 hour - 67.9 MB

Black Friday is gone but maybe Cyber Monday will extend to add these titles to your shopping list or your personal library. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about remastered films from Bernardo Bertolucci, Michael Mann and an ‘80s cult classic from Fred Dekker and Shane Black. There are films with early roles for Annette Bening, Theresa Russell and a campy sci-fi classic with Jane Fonda. We’ve got a Peppard alert! Plus maybe one of the better horror anthologies, one of the bett...

Episode 433: When You Wish For A Better Movie

November 22, 2023 22:46 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy take you into the Thanksgiving holiday with six new reviews. They include a Melissa McCarthy Christmas film from the writer of Love Actually (Genie) and a documentary about one of the most infamous Christmas presents ever (Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids). There are two new animated films including one from Disney (Wish) and another from Adam Sandler (Leo). Which do you think is the better one? Then Oscar-winner Emerald Fennel...

Episode 432: Lovemakers and Bombmakers: A Black Friday Special

November 20, 2023 21:37 - 1 hour - 68.2 MB

Just in time to bulk up your holiday shopping lists there are some choice selections being released this week on Blu-ray from the classic to the pure nostalgic. Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress guide you through it. Criterion has got some Scorsese and Chabrol while Kino goes Burt Reynolds and a bizarro ‘80s Christmas tale. Speaking of Scorsese, there’s another Lily Gladstone performance to check out from this year and Lions Gate releases two of their franchise players from the theaters a...

Episode 431: Strange Bedfellows and Food For Thought

November 18, 2023 03:28 - 1 hour - 79.3 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have nine new reviews on this episode. They include documentaries about the tragedy of a Harry Potter stunt double (David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived) and another about a forgotten woman’s sexuality activist (The Disappearance of Shere Hite). There’s a feature about the unsung architect of the March on Washington (Rustin) and another from Taika Waititi about the World Cup team that lost 31-0 (Next Goal Wins). The comedy trio from Saturday Night Live craft thei...

Episode 430: Giving You A Shot Of Blu-Ray Steel

November 14, 2023 03:34 - 1 hour - 63.6 MB

This week in physical media, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk up a pair of Larry McMurtry tales. Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage are in two of this week’s selections and one of them together. Erik gets one of his titles from the Why-Is-This-Not-On-Blu-Ray series and Peter looks back at the time Nicolas Roeg went to Showtime with Mimi Rogers and Bryan Brown. A crowd-pleasing underdog tale gets a director’s cut in 4K as does a Billy Wilder film with Peter Graves in prison (not ...

Episode 429: His Name Was…What Was His Name Again?

November 11, 2023 03:27 - 1 hour - 60.4 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy check in with six new movies this week. They include another slasher twist on a holiday classic (It’s a Wonderful Knife) and Jesse Eisenbeg either doing a riff on Fight Club or one of his own movies about toxic masculinity (Manodrome). A comedy legend gets a well-deserved tribute (Albert Brooks: Defending My Life) and Nicolas Cage haunts everyone in their sleep (Dream Scenario). Then see how the new David Fincher film stands up to the rest of his work (The K...

Episode 428: The Marvels

November 09, 2023 21:04 - 2 hours - 85.7 MB

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been under fire lately, led by a string of mediocrity that has been well documented here with our regular guest and comic book expert, Erik Laws. Does The Marvels earn the sharpened knives that have apparently been out for it for months? They discuss the current direction of Marvel and where their trio of superheroines succeeds and fails. Has Brie Larson been given the opportunity to distinguish her character amongst the cadre of heroes? Does The Marvels mi...

Episode 427: Chan, Keaton, Winthorp and Billy Ray Valentine, You Betcha!

November 07, 2023 22:40 - 1 hour - 66.6 MB

Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress again to provide a rundown of what you can add to your physical media collection this week. You have brand new collections of films from Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton. The late William Friedkin does his first Tracy Letts adaptation and while it missed Halloween there is a great new edition of an overlooked horror film from J.A. Bayona. In time for Veteran’s Day, Sony has two new 4K editions of war films and there is also a new Blu-ray of a guilty favori...

Episode 426: I’ve Had Enough Bad Love

November 04, 2023 14:40 - 1 hour - 81.3 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy begin November with 10 new reviews this week. They include a wannabe comic murder mystery (Helen’s Dead), Awkwafina testing her skills on a game show (Quiz Show) and Sylvester Stallone getting a documentary about the key period of his career (Sly). The Adams Family have a new horror film (Where the Devil Roams) and Daisy Ridley tries to run away from her Room-like origins (The Marsh King’s Daughter). Jodie Foster tries to help Annette Bening swim the Atlanti...

Episode 425: Can I Get A Witness?

November 01, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MB

 October ends on more of a suspenseful note than a horrific one but that may be enough to not want a phone to ring during viewing. On the latest in physical media, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about the cultural horror elements of the latest Criterion release. There’s also a snarky self-referential horror film that pre-dates Scream. Kino has a cornucopia of 1980s ninja goodness and Peter even has something positive to say about a comic book movie. On top of all that there i...

Episode 424: Flesh, Fall, Freelance and Freddy’s

October 31, 2023 12:51 - 1 hour - 58.9 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy close out October with seven reviews for you. Steve catches up on a film from Sundance (The Persian Version) while both look at the true story of a Bible thumper on the search for a lost civilization (The Mission). Emily Blunt and Chris Evans are on the selling side of the opioid crisis (Pain Hustlers) and Heather Graham is given the H.P. Lovecraft treatment (Suitable Flesh). The duo look at this year’s Palme d’Or winner (Anatomy of a Fall) as well as how th...

Episode 423: Martial Arts and Gut Punches

October 24, 2023 20:40 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

The month of Halloween is almost over but studios are still putting out the spooky stuff on this week’s edition of physical media talk with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. Criterion has one of the great modern haunted house tales with one of Nicole Kidman’s best performances. Brett Ratner tries to remake Michael Mann, Lewis Teague does his first Stephen King and Roland Emmerich completely botches Godzilla. Paramount has a whole box set of frights with some 4K debuts including a surpris...

Episode 422: Excuse Me, That’s Mine

October 20, 2023 21:13 - 1 hour - 44.1 MB

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to review six new films this week. They include the film that was supposed to be Nicolas Cage’s first western, but wasn’t (Butcher’s Crossing). Documentarian Errol Morris gets inside the head of spy novelist John Le Carre (The Pigeon Tunnel) and comedian Bill Burr tries to not let the new woke generation get inside his (Old Dads). The director of Borat adapts a two-man show (Dicks: The Musical) and a new documentary on Amazon is a warm-up for this wee...

Episode 421: Bye Bye Best Buy

October 17, 2023 19:16 - 1 hour - 56.4 MB

Retail chain Best Buy announced they will abandon all physical media in their stores and online starting in 2024. In other words, shop anywhere else especially for the titles we discuss every week here on the show with Peter Sobczynski. This week you can be “one of us” with the latest from Criterion, swashbuck with Douglas Fairbanks or get held hostage by Humphrey Bogart on Blu-ray. There is more new 4K horror from Stan Winston, Robin Hardy, Barbra Streisand and one of the more underappreci...

Episode 420: Long Live The New 4K

October 10, 2023 13:59 - 1 hour - 45.6 MB

Peter Sobczynski returns for a short week of new physical media titles with Erik Childress. On this episode for kids and most decidedly NOT for kids. To keep them busy there is a new 4K of Disney’s first landmark animated motion picture as well as a new collection of Wallace & Gromit’s short films. Then send them to bed so you can revisit the beginning of a horror franchise, Elizabeth Taylor trying to get screwed to death (literally) and James Woods mixing death, screwing and a whole lot of...

Episode 419: We Believe In William Friedkin & Kitty Green

October 08, 2023 13:29 - 1 hour - 74.8 MB

A return to the weekly movie reviews brings ten new films into the fold for Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy. They include a documentary on an Oscar-winning producer (The Storms of Jeremy Thomas) and a baffling story of love featuring Peter Dinklage and two Oscar winners (She Came To Me). The horrors of October are starting to come out with another chapter in the long-running anthology (V/H/S/85), the first of two tales of families and possession this week (When Evil Lurks) plus what happens ...

Episode 418: Fantastic Fest 2023

October 04, 2023 15:43 - 1 hour - 68.4 MB

Steve Prokopy returned to Austin for its annual Fantastic Fest and then came back to the podcast to talk about the barrage of films he saw along with Erik Childress who got to see a few titles as well. They include a Troma reboot with Peter Dinklage, retro screenings of French giallo and Roman softcore. Pet Sematary got a prequel, stopmotion creations come to life and Joe Lynch tries on some Lovecraft with Heather Graham. Steve takes you to a river with a time loop and Erik goes down to Sou...

Episode 417: The Hunt For Blu October

October 03, 2023 14:55 - 1 hour - 53.9 MB

It’s the month of Halloween and studios are delivering some of their spookiest titles n physical media. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk you into a pair of the greatest horror endings of all-time. Speaking of which you can now pick and choose your Universal horror classics in 4K alongside another sci-fi film from the next era. They discuss what they think could be the best film in one franchise and, arguably, the last tolerable one in another. A “cable classic” gets the 4K trea...

Episode 416: Here Come The Pain Big Time

September 26, 2023 18:47 - 2 hours - 76.1 MB

Peter Sobczynski guides you through the latest in physical media. They include a couple music-based films from Criterion. Getting close to October the horror is ramping up with upgrades for Argento, Halloween and even an MST3K favorite. There are 4K upgrades for Godard, Cimino, Frankenheimer, Linklater and even Gregg Araki. Peter and Erik talk about the controversies over Oliver Stone’s attack on media culture and they both love the recent upgrade of one of Brian DePalma’s best films. 0:...

Episode 415: The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

September 23, 2023 01:02 - 1 hour - 72.1 MB

Erik Childress flies solo on this one detailing his full experience at this year’s event. He shares his thoughts on over 25 films ranging from new titles from Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne and Kitty Green to even actors getting behind the camera including Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton and Patricia Arquette. There are films with songs, stories with cops, drug dealers, hit men and serial killers plus two of the year’s very best films about teachers. Tales of everything from WWII to Sprin...