Episode 519: Would That It Were So Simple
Movie Madness
Christmas stockings should be filled with what is on the physical media slate this week. Erik Childress is joined by Peter Sobczynski to take you through everything including Barbra Streisand’s big Oscar win and one of the great adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. Great things come in threes including Clint Eastwood and the works of Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker. They also come in twos with Buster Keaton and the works of Jim Henson. Though speaking of three, Warner Bros. has one of the 4K trifectas of the year with a Mel Brooks classic, one of Hitchcock’s most purely entertaining...
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Episode 518: Rock, You’re Getting A Lump Of Coal
Movie Madness
Mid-November and kind of a mid-week for releases, but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy do have five reviews for you including a pair of documentaries on two icons in the film and music world (Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes, Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley). They look at the latest from Andrea Arnold (Bird) and try to look at the new musical from Jacques Audiard apart from its controversies (Emilia Perez). Finally, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans team up to rescue Santa Claus from the Christmas Witch. Yes, really (Red One). 0:00 - Intro 1:38 - Bogart: Life Comes...
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Episode 517: The Beginnings And The Ends
Movie Madness
A lot of good stuff on the physical media beat for those starting to make their Christmas lists. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to guide you through the lot which includes gangster and samurai classics from Criterion. There’s also a trio of 1980s puberty-starters and a reevaluation of the fourth Body Snatchers adaptation. You can also get new 4K releases of Steven Spielberg’s debut theatrical feature and one of Oliver Stone’s finest achievements. 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Criterion (Scarface 4K, Seven Samurai 4K) 17:25 - Universal (The Sugarland Express 4K) 29:44 - Fun City...
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Episode 516: If I Ever Lose My Faith In Hugh
Movie Madness
It’s a nine-movie week on the show with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy looking at a historical atrocity (Stockholm Bloodbath), WWII through the eyes of a boy (Blitz) and Pierce Brosnan as a 92 year-old veteran trying to atone for D-Day (The Last Rifleman). A 70+ year old is sent undercover in a money laundering scam – or is he? – in a documentary chosen for last year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival (Starring Jerry As Himself). Get into the spirit of the holiday season with one film based on a beloved book (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) and another trying to give you a mood...
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Episode 515: Santa? NO, It’s Godzilla And WAR!
Movie Madness
Halloween is over, which means Christmas is creepin’ upon us so who better to start making your shopping lists with than Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski on this week’s physical media show. They include a pair of Christmas films including a perennial classic and a more modern one with a Wham twist. The king of the monsters has its origin upgraded to 4K by Criterion. Samuel L. Jackson goes to Yemen and Mel Gibson goes to Vietnam in a pair of military films just before Veterans Day. One of the original babysitter horror films gets a 4K upgrade and you can also see the first French...
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Episode 514: Here and There and The 2024 Chicago International Film Festival
Movie Madness
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return for a little crossover show including new titles this week and a recap of films from this year’s Chicago International Film Festival; some of which you can see right now. Reviews this week include a documentary on a legendary composer (Music By John Williams), one of the best animated films of the year (Memoir of a Snail) and the immigrant experience told through a heated kitchen (La Cocina). There is also the latest film from Clint Eastwood that Warner Bros. is burying (Juror #2) and a Forrest Gump reunion from Robert Zemeckis (Here). Then they look...
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Episode #513: Kooky, Spooky, Ooky and Topkapi
Movie Madness
The horror month of physical media closes out Halloween with a couple choice titles, though the horror-adjacent ones may be even better. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk a trio of film noir and a giallo film with Audrey Hepburn and James Mason. One of the great heist movies is here along with an all-timer true crime film from David Fincher. Wes Craven and Sam Raimi get the 4K upgrade as does a cult anthology that almost didn’t see the light of day. But the real joy may be in reminding everyone of a sequel too often left off the discussion of films vastly superior to the...
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Episode 512: Well Then, I Guess You’re Really Up Shit Creek
Movie Madness
We are still in the month of horror and Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about all the horrific and supernatural offerings getting upgrades this month. Not to mention Harmony Korine and Rob Lowe as a hockey player. But moving on from that the pair discuss the Hellraiser series and their lack of enthusiasm for even M. Night Shyamalan’s better films. They talk about the surprise hit of the summer of 1990, one of the films that established the horror genre and another that took it to such uncomfortable lengths Erik has to dare himself to watch it. There’s also Robert Zemeckis,...
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Episode 511: Chainsaws, Zombies and Videotape
Movie Madness
Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to get you caught up on all the upgraded (not elevated) horror that you can add to your physical media library this week. But first there is some Jackie Chan, Rian Johnson, Jon Favreau and Sidney Lumet. Oh yes and some Hitchcock and Borchardt. But for your Halloween parties you can get probably the best J-horror remake from Gore Verbinski. Wes Craven delivers one of the most iconic horror characters of all-time. George Romero returns to the Land of the Dead and Tobe Hooper’s landmark cinematic achievement celebrates its 50th Anniversary. 0:00 - Intro ...
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Episode 510: Choose Your Evil Clown – Art Or Trump
Movie Madness
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy dive into 11 films this week including a documentary that debuted three years ago at SXSW about a unique theatrical production (Alien On Stage). There is also a documentary about Pharrell Williams told through Legos (Piece By Piece) and another chronicling the week John & Yoko took over the Mike Douglas show (Daytime Revolution). A dysfunctional family tries to get through the weekend in Chicago (All Happy Families) and another has a loss in theirs exploited by an evil entity (Daddy’s Head). A high school student devises an elaborate cheating scheme (Bad...
info_outlinePretty big week on the physical media front as Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to spark your blu-ray budget. It’s always a cause for celebration when Albert Brooks can go from DVD straight to 4K and Criterion has a pair of his films for you. Not to mention an upgrade on a film that Brooks should have been nominated for. Robert Rodriguez’s Mariachi films also get the upgrade as does one of Robert Altman’s less-discussed ‘70s crime films. There are arcane French narratives, an early Philip Kaufmann film, one of Jean Claude Van Damme’s better efforts and a barrage of eco-horror the likes of which you have never seen or may even want to see. Yeah, you want to see them.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 – Criterion (Real Life 4K, Mother 4K)
27:21 - Sony (Drive 4K)
34:20 - Vinegar Syndrome (Reptilicus 4K, Thieves Like Us 4K)
48:21 – Arrow (Mexico Trilogy 4K)
1:02:24 – Shout Factory (Poltergeist II 4K)
1:07:57 – Kino (Last Year At Marienbad 4K, Alphaville 4K, The White Dawn, Frogs, Kingdom of the Spiders, Squirm, Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Sudden Death 4K)
1:51:04 – New Theatrical & TV Titles On Blu-ray
1:56:13 – New Blu-ray Announcements