Movie Madness

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 their first feature (Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain), Eli Roth crafts a feature out of his Grindhouse trailer (Thanksgiving) and The fuzzy-haired musical creatures are back for their third film (Trolls Band Together). Todd Haynes, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore team up for a squirmy tale ripped from the tabloids (May December) and may the odds be ever in your favor for a new franchise prequel (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). 0:00 - Intro David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived 11:42

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 a Turkish one.) There is stop-motion Christmas for the kids and a stage adaptation of Miyazaki. And sometimes you are being followed whether it be by a giant truck or Ron Silver. 0:00 - Intro 0:59 - Criterion (The Last Picture Show (4K)) 8:23 - Paramount (Terms of Endearment (4K)) 20:40 - RLJE Films (Color Out of Space 4K) 23:27 - Sony (Guarding Tess, The Fog of War, Short Circuit 2, Rudy: Director's Cut (4K))           44:24 - Unearthed (Full Body massage) 48:23 - Shout! Factory (Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before

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 Killer) and Steve gets his shot to weigh in on the latest from the MCU (The Marvels). 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - It's a Wonderful Knife 12:04 - Manodrome 25:25 - Albert Brooks: Defending My Life 38:17 - Dream Scenario 51:58 - The Killer 1:05:29 - The Marvels 1:23:25 – Preview of Next Week 1:24:39 - Outro

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 miss the opportunity to expand into an untapped genre of its Universe? Has the rush to visual effects magic again result in some less than (inter)stellar moments? Childress and Laws also breakdown the ongoing commentary by Martin Scorsese that less than stellar journalists can’t help but needle away on.

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 favorite from our longtime friend, Sergio Mims. Erik and Peter recall the first time they saw Fargo which gets an upgrade as does George Lucas’ coming-of-age classic in time for its 50th Anniversary. Finally, Paramount celebrates the anniversary of two modern Christmas favorites with their own upgrade. Lookin’ good, Billy Ray. Feeling good, Louis! 0:00 - Intro 1:40 - Criterion (Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar) 9:59 - Cohen Media (The Buster Keaton Collection: Volume 5) 14:00 - MVD (A Bullet for Sandoval) 17:21 - Fun C

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 Atlantic in a true story (Nyad). Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed see if there is a test for love (Fingernails) while Meg Ryan and David Duchovny revisit their relationship while stranded in an airport (What Happens Later). Finally, Alexander Payne reunites with Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Sofia Coppola tells the story that is so often overlooked in the Elvis mythos (Priscilla) in two of the best films of the year. 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Helen's Dead 8:47 - Quiz Lady 17:21 - Sly 30:43 - Where the Devil Roams 39:45 – The Mars

 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 is one of the best action films of the year, one of the best performances of Harrison Ford’s career and another round of the master of suspense in 4K. 0:00 - Intro 1:18 - Criterion (Nanny) 9:14 - Ronin Flix (There’s Nothing Out There) 15:41 - Kino (Enter the Ninja, American Ninja, American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, The Challenge) 31:25 - Universal (The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol. 3) (4K) 59:16 - Arrow Films (Witness (4K)) 1:06:19 – Warner Bros. (Blue Beetle 4K) 1:10:38 – Paramount (Mission: Impossibl

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 this John Cena/Alison Brie action/comedy made it into theaters (Freelance). Finally, while it plays in both theaters and on the Peacock, a horror video game becomes a movie (Five Nights At Freddy’s) though that’s debatable. 0:00 – Intro 1:25 – The Persian Version 8:27 – The Mission 20:47 - Pain Hustlers 30:05 - Suitable Flesh 39:47 - Anatomy of a Fall 56:00 - Freelance 1:11:42 - Five Nights At Freddy's 1:23:45 – Preview of Next Week / Outro

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 surprise title that really gets under Peter’s skin. Indicator has some Jean Rollin and a box set of film noir. There is more Shaw Brothers, Sammo Hung, Mario Bava and, naturally, Bill Haley and the Comets. Plus the one thing that every show, big and small, needs – Muppets! 0:00 - Intro 0:59 - Criterion (The Others (4K)) 7:43 - Arrow Films (The Iron-Fisted Monk) 9:51 - Shout! Factory (Shaw Brothers Classics: Volume Three) 12:30 - Indicator (Universal Noir #2 (1945-1949), Fascination (4K), Lips of Blood (4K)) 27:46 - Kino (Re

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 week’s theme of property theft (Silver Dollar Road). That leaves us with the latest from Martin Scorsese on the true story of the 1920s murders amongst the Osage community in Oklahoma (Killers of the Flower Moon). 0:00 - Intro 2:02 - Butcher's Crossing 10:55 – The Pigeon Tunnel 15:49 - Old Dads 22:59 - Silver Dollar Road 32:18 - Dicks: The Musical 41:28 - Killers of the Flower Moon 1:00:54 – Preview of Next Week’s Movies 1:02:09 - Outro

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 underappreciated remakes of the 1980s. There is also an extensive documentary for a classic from that decade and one of the films we asked for on our Why Is This Not On Blu-Ray shows finally gets an upgrade from Kino. All that and more that you cannot get at Best Buy in the future. 0:00 - Intro 3:31 - Criterion (Freaks/The Unknown/The Mystic: Tod Browning's Sideshow Shockers, EO, The Innocent, No Bears) 20:52 - Arrow (The Desperate Hours) 25:31 - Cohen Media (The Three Musketeers / The Iron Mask) 30:20 - Cinedigm (RoboDoc: The Cr

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 icky hallucinations with David Cronenberg. All that and new releases from the theatrical front for your home library. 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Criterion (Videodrome (4K)) 16:10 - Severin (Identikit) 26:44 - Paramount (Friday the 13th (4K Steelbook)) 38:34 - Shout! Factory (Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection) 46:29 - Walt Disney (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (4K)) 51:04 – Recent Theatrical Titles 56:09 – New TV Titles 58:30 – New Blu-ray Announcements 1:04:17 - Outro

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 when you mix Scream with Back to the Future (Totally Killer). There is more real life horror revisiting the shifting power dynamics of a Sundance relationship (Fair Play), the true-life tale of when to remain silent (Miranda’s Victim) and the true-life-inspired tale of vacationing women and the toxic bar they get jobs in (The Royal Hotel). Finally it seems fitting that on the week that David Gordon Green attempts his own follow-up to one of the greatest horror films ever (The Exorcist: Believer), the late director of t

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 South America for an unique chef gig with Nick Stahl. There are documentaries about cinematic A.I. and a famous Halloween theme park. There are spiders, dogs and earthquakes. Michel Gondry revisits one of his own works and the guys split on a film “based” on true events. Finally there is a real gem featuring one of our favorites, Jim Cummings, and the gathering at a remote coffee shop. 19 films in all for you to consider a look at in the future, which may be doomed. 0:00 - Intro 4:32 - The Toxic Avenger 10:07 - Infested 1

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 treatment as does a Best Picture winner celebrating your 50th anniversary that will cleanse your palette after a week full of gore and frights.   0:00 - Intro 0:54 - Criterion (Don't Look Now (4K)) 8:43 - Lions Gate (Mob Land, Talk To Me, The Mist (4K)) 28:06 - Shout! Factory (Night of the Demons (4K), Night of the Demons 2-3) 36:25 - Paramount (Scream 3 (4K)) 42:17 - Fox (Prey (4K))       50:06 - Universal (The Mummy (1932) (4K), The Bride of Frankenstein (4K), The Phantom of the Opera (1943) (4K), Creature from the Black La

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. 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - Criterion (La Bamba, Moonage Daydream) 8:04 - Blue Underground (The Girl from Rio 4K) 11:24 - Lions Gate (Contempt (4K)) 18:14 - Kino (Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 4K, The Train 4K, Death Wish 4/5) 40:39 - Film Detective (The Giant Gila Monster) 46:36 - Synapse (Tenebrae 4K) 52:40 - Sony (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer 4K, Insidious: The Red Door) 1:00:55 - Paramount (Halloween H2O 4K, School of Rock 4K) 1:10:21 - RLJE (Sympathy for the Devil) 1:13:07 - Disney (Loki 4K, Elemental 4K,) 1:23:02

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 Spring Break, apocalyptic combat to Chicago’s Cabrini Green. Not every film is a dream though one certainly has a fun time with them not to mention the emphasis on women’s stories and trying to find peace in a world of bad men and at least one they call their father. Good stuff, great stuff and some really bad stuff in another festival season. 0:00 - Intro 1:10 – Flipside 5:27 - We Grown Now 8:46 - Flora and Son 14:30 - The Teachers’ Lounge 18:01 – Getting To Toronto and The First Screening 20:15 - Gonzo Girl 22:39 - Working Cl

Peter Sobczynski returns for an epic round of catch-up on the latest and greatest in physical media. They include 4K upgrades of films from Orson Welles and Nicolas Roeg. The strange career of James Foley is discussed around one of his best films. Speaking of best, Lions Gate has one of the best comedies of the year and one of the year’s best period. Right in time for Cassandro this week, the first two Santo films are released. There is excellent television, an all-timer from the late, great William Friedkin as well as the Ghoulies movies and a whole trove of titles from master of disaster, Irwin Allen. Something from all the decades including an ‘80s favorite getting a major upgrade and the directorial debut of Robert DeNiro celebrating its 30th anniversary in 4K. 0:00 - Intro 2:24 - Criterion (The Trial (4K), Walkabout (4K))            14:33 - Music Box (L’Immensità) 17:56 - Indicator (Santo vs. Infernal Men, Santo vs. The Evil Brain) 21:32 - Kino (After Dark, My Sweet, The Beast, Final Cut) 42:37 - Lions

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to the review beat with eight new movies this week. They include a horror anthology (Satanic Hispanics), another coming-of-age werewolf love story (My Animal) and the film that reveals the truth about Augusto Pinochet being a vampire (El Conde). Michael Pena stars in the true story of a Mexican immigrant who dreamed of becoming an astronaut (A Million Miles Away) and Michael Jai White and the makers of Black Dynamite take on the western (Outlaw Johnny Black). The great Haley Lu Richardson finds love at the airport (Love At First Sight), a bunch of amateur stock traders game the system in a recent true story (Dumb Money) and Kenneth Branagh brings the latest in his Hercule Poirot Cinematic Universe (A Haunting In Venice). 0:00 - Intro 2:23 - Satanic Hispanics 8:29 - My Animal 19:53 - El Conde 26:07 - A Million Miles Away 40:56 - Outlaw Johnny Black 50:56 - Love At First Sight 1:06:19 - Dumb Money 1:21:51 – A Haunting In Venice 1:38:32 - Outro

A half-dozen films highlight this Labor Day weekend with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy who guide you through the spectrum of new films from Juliette Binoche (Between Two Worlds) and Frank Grillo (King of Killers). Hilary Swank is kinda involved in solving her son’s murder (The Good Mother) while Simon Pegg tries to solve the mystery of an unseen but all-knowing entity (Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose). The history of the “erotic thriller” is examined in a nearly three-hour documentary (We Kill For Love) and Denzel Washington is back to provide brutal justice in Italy (The Equalizer 3). 0:00 - Intro 1:53 King of Killers 9:44 – The Good Mother 21:32 - Between Two Worlds 27:32 - We Kill For Love 47:52 - Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose 1:00:52 - The Equalizer 3 1:16:54 - Outro