Episode 480: Movies With All The Feels
Movie Madness
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have no anxiety reviewing eight movies this week. Especially when one is a replay of a movie they raved about at Sundance and won the Audience Award at their Chicago Critics Film Festival this year (Ghostlight). But Steve also talks about Jude Law and Alicia Vikander in a story about Henry VIII (Firebrand) as well as Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham as a father and daughter revisiting Poland (Treasure). Erik checks out David Duchovny adapting his own novel (Reverse the Curse) and an animated version of a decades-old Japanese superhero (Ultraman Rising). They look at...
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Episode 479: Join Us Sometime When You Have No Class
Movie Madness
It is a bit on the lackluster side of physical media releases this week but there are a few gems to get your wallets involved. Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress talk about the final film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder and the final appearance of Alec Guinness. As series with four entries goes there is more love for Shrek than Species. The T&A teen comedy of the ‘80s gets a double feature and there are also stellar early efforts from Luc Besson and Denzel Washington. 0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Criterion (Querelle) 9:26 - Arrow (Mute Witness 4K) 15:17 – Shout Factory (Species II 4K) ...
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Episode 478: The Choice Is Not To Ride Or Watch
Movie Madness
On this six-movie week, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy go back two years to revisit a Dakota Johnson comedy that debuted at Sundance in 2022 (Am I OK?). Erik goes back a couple of weeks to look at the true story of a Chinese immigrant turned eye surgeon (Sight). There are sharks in the Siene (Under Paris) and young women are getting whacked around a weed farm (Trim Season). The daughter of M. Night Shayamalan makes her feature directorial debut (The Watchers) and Martin Lawrence reteams with Will Smith for a fourth time (Bad Boys: Ride or Die). 0:00 - Intro 1:23 - Am I OK? 13:04 -...
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Episode 477: Fear, Loathing and Glory for Rango (Not Beastly!)
Movie Madness
It may be a light week on the physical media front but that’s also less money to spend and there is some choice stuff discussed by Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. They include Terry Gilliam’s seemingly impossible adaptation of a Hunter S. Thompson novel, more Johnny Depp in animated form, the tale of the first black regiment in the Civil War and Harvey Keitel in his most disturbing role. All available in 4K. There’s also a great Robert Mitchum western and an opportunity to remember Chicago’s attempt at a new martial arts hero. 0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Criterion (Fear and Loathing in...
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Episode 476: Y’all Need To Grow Up
Movie Madness
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy get back into their reviewing ways with 10 new films this week. They include documentaries about an infamous movie app (Moviepass, Moviecrash), a filmmaker and his unfinished projects (Flipside) and the career of a bonafide genius (Jim Henson: Idea Man). Steve looks at a story of a 19th century Jewish boy raised as a Catholic (Kidnapped) and Daisy Ridley as the first woman to swim the English Channel (Young Woman and the Sea). Apart from Flipside, there are three more films chosen as part of this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival. They include a new...
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Episode 475: Ferrara, Waters, Alba and Spoooock
Movie Madness
Peter Sobczynski returns to talk new Blu-rays with Erik Childress. This week includes the debut feature from Karyn Kusama and one of last year’s Oscar winners from Criterion. Arrow has some Guillermo Del Toro in 4K and Severin has a whole slew of Italian horror being upgraded. They talk about one of the films to get the rare “F” from Cinemascore and the film that Kevin Smith turned into a punchline. There are a pair of titles from Abel Ferrara and one of John Waters’ more mainstream efforts. Finally, it is time to rank some Star Trek and discuss the one celebrating its 40th...
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Episode 474: Furiosa And A Hit Man
Movie Madness
Six movies in theaters and on streaming are reviewed by Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include a pair of documentaries about one of the greatest bands of all-time (The Beach Boys) and the death-defying pilots of the Air Force (The Blue Angels). The Monday-hating cat who loves lasagna gets the animated treatment (The Garfield Movie) and Jennifer Lopez tries to navigate both sides of the A.I. debate (Atlas). Then, quite simply, two of the best most enjoyable films begin their runs this week. In some theaters before it hits Netflix, Glen Powell stars in one of Richard...
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Episode 473: Don’t Be A Narc
Movie Madness
The latest and greatest of Blu-rays this week have Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski disagreeing on the films of Joe Carnahan. There are two Val Kilmer projects; one certainly better than the other (though it did produce a great John Frankenheimer story) as well as some early horror from Bob Clark and a more recent one from Osgood Perkins getting an upgrade. One of David O. Russell’s best films gets the same 4K upgrade plus Peter talks all about Philo Vance, Bettie Page and Peter Bogdanovich reteaming with Cybill Shepherd. 0:00 - Intro 0:56 - Arrow (Narc) 10:09 – Blue Underground...
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Episode 472: If We Only Knew
Movie Madness
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at seven films this week. They include the latest directorial effort from Ethan Hawke (Wildcat) and the hilarious feature debut from Pamela Adlon (Babes). Horror gets a Danish sequel 30 years later (Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever) and Renny Harlin starts a new trilogy in the home invasion series (The Strangers: Chapter 1). Amy Winehouse gets the biopic treatment from the director of Fifty Shades of Grey (Back to Black). The duo catch up on the latest in the Apes franchise (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) and finally have a lot to say about John...
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Episode 471: Once Upon a Time From The Huh?
Movie Madness
This week certainly has the latest and the greatest in Blu-rays. Depending on who you ask of course. If you inquire with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski you will certainly here about one of the greatest westerns of all-time (Erik’s favorite) as well as a film that deserves to be among the very best of Sidney Lumet’s career. Michael Powell directs a creepy film about voyeurism and murder and the pair look again at the film where Brandon Lee lost his life. Shout Factory has a trio of horror oddities and there is also lament for the goofy sex comedies of the ‘80s. Clint Eastwood’s...
info_outlineEight 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 alien conspiracy (Monolith). Those documentaries include a scary one about Christian Nationalism (God & Country) and a more inspiring one about the history of black astronauts (The Space Race). Finally in theaters this weekend comes another musical biopic (Bob Marley: One Love) and another Sony Spider-Man adjacent comic book tale (Madame Web) that have their own set of problems.
0:00 - Intro
1:37 - Land of Bad
9:20 - Air Force One Down
16:28 - Bleeding Love
22:48 - God & Country
29:35 - Monolith
36:25 – The Space Race
46:30 - Bob Marley: One Love
1:00:47 - Madame Web
1:23:36 - Outro