Movie Madness

After a week off for The Chicago Critics Film Festival, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski return to get you up to date on the latest in physical media world. They include one of the great musicals and a landmark in 60s cinema. Disney upgrades one of their animated hits before its live-action counterpart hits theater. See the film Robert Zemeckis made in-between shooting Cast Away. There is plenty of sleaze thanks to Pete Walker and Wings Hauser and a reunion of Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep. There is disaster sci-fi and upgrades for two of the all-time great horror films, one of them you may still have never gotten around to seeing. 1:53 - Criterion (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 4K, In the Heat of the Night 4K, Room 666/999) 16:25 - Disney (Lilo and Stitch 4K) 19:49 - Fun City (Falling in Love) 24:09 - Shout Factory (What Lies Beneath 4K) 30:36 - MVD (Tunnel Vision) 36:52 - Kino (Crack in the World, Pete Walker Crime Collection, Vice Squad)  58:18 - Arrow (The Andromeda Strain 4K) 1:06:39 - Lionsgate

Marvel is hoping for both a critical and financial reboot with their latest summer opener and Erik Childress is joined once again by comic book expert, Erik Laws, to discuss. Laws delves into the history of the Thunderbolts and various incarnations in the comics. They talk about what they enjoyed about the film as well as elements that fell flat. A lot of credit goes to a pair of key performances in the film as Marvel banks on audiences responding to themes of alienation and depression in place of just the usual comic book action. Is that enough to make the film a cut above the post-Endgame era? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com

After weeks of light lineups in the physical media world, the end of April explores with a variety of titles that Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to guide you through. They include Sean Baker bookends from Criterion, blaxploitation and films from Russ Meyer. You got journeys to the Bermuda triangle and the gates of hell not to mention bullets and betrayal. Bill Murray enters the army and Michael Keaton goes to rehab. Plus Clint Eastwood has a trio of his films get the 4K upgrade.  1:52 - Criterion (Basquiat 4K, Prince of Broadway, Anora 4K) 18:09 – Warner Archive (Lili, Three the Hard Way, Clean and Sober) 33:23 - Arrow (V-Cinema Essentials) 36:53 - Grindhouse (The Beyond 4K) 45:10 - Severin (Night Train Murders 4K, Motorpsycho 4K, Up! 4K) 1:07:32 - Kino (The Bermuda Triangle, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead) 1:21:47 - Shout (Timecop 4K) 1:27:44 - Sony (Stripes 4K, Gandhi 4K) 1:39:44 - Warner (Dirty Harry 4K, The Outlaw Josey Wales 4K, Pale Rider 4K) 2:02:36 – New TV on Blu-ray

Before taking off for the upcoming Chicago Critics Film Festival (May 2-8) which they program, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review nine movies this week. They include the latest from Francois Ozon (When Fall Is Coming) and a Jim Henson-like fantasy from A24 (The Legend of Ochi). Jack Quaid and Jeffrey Dean Morgan make for unique investigators of a kidnapping (Neighborhood Watch) and a new video game adaptation is decidedly less unique (Until Dawn). Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jacob Elordi have secrets in the 1950s (On Swift Horses) and we take a trip through the careers of one of the most famous comedy teams of all-time (Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie). David Cronenberg takes us on a conspiratorial meditation on grief and death (The Shrouds) while Gareth Evans has Tom Hardy deliver so much death (Havoc) and, nine years later, Ben Affleck’s lethal autistic numbers cruncher returns with bro Jon Bernthal  (The Accountant 2).  2:56 - When Fall Is Coming 9:44 - Neighborhood Watch 15:08 – The Legend of Ochi 19:42 -

Another light week for physical media but a fun one – especially for those nostalgic for the early ‘90s. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about Criterion’s upgrade of a multi-part French masterpiece from the ‘80s. They share thoughts on The Most Dangerous Game riff that got snakebit by real-world tragedies and Covid. Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase try to prevent the assassination of the pope. No, not that one. One of the late Val Kilmer’s most iconic performances gets the 4K upgrade. The duo also share their fondness for one of the most entertaining comic thriller team-ups of the era and discuss the history of the movie John Hughes tried to take his name off while Erik lent his name to the commentary track on the Blu-ray. 1:55 - Criterion (Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring 4K) 8:41 - Shout (The Hunt 4K) 13:54 - Kino (Foul Play 4K, Sneakers 4K, Career Opportunities 4K) 53:08 - Disney (Tombstone 4K) 1:06:03 - New TV On Blu-ray (Cheyenne: The Complete Series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers:

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight movie reviews this week including revisiting one of their favorites from Sundance, a twisted alternate version of Cinderella (The Ugly Stepsister). Steve looks at another cabin-in-the-woods-horror (Call of the Void), a documentary about drummers (Count Me In) and Catherine Deneuve as Beradette Chirac (The President’s Wife). Erik looks at Severance’s Britt Lower as a lonely librarian (Darkest Miriam) and Steve checks out the four-year art project of a group of squatters (Secret Mall Apartment). Ang Lee’s landmark LBGTQ film gets a 21st century remake (The Wedding Banquet) and Ryan Coogler blends the Jim Crow south with vampires (Sinners). 0:00 - Intro 2:22 - The Ugly Stepsister 12:11 - Call of the Void 18:16 - Count Me In 24:07 - Darkest Miriam 30:22 - The President's Wife 36:11 - The Wedding Banquet 47:05 - Secret Mall Apartment 57:24 - Sinners 1:20:36 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access

It’s been a little light out there for titles in physical media world but this week has no shortage of interesting ones and Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk you through them. They include one of Wong-Kar Wai’s most remembered films and John Sayles’ foray into studio filmmaking in the ‘80s. John Wayne goes to war and then later goofs off with John Ford. There are new 4K editions of two of Steven Soderbergh’s films plus one of Abel Ferrara’s more treasured crime dramas. Then the pair wade into the controversies and legacy of Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct. 1:49 - Criterion (Chungking Express 4K) 7:57 - Kino (Sands of Iwo Jima 4K, Donovan’s Reef 4K) 18:33 - Fun City (Baby, It’s You) 27:21 – Lions Gate (King of New York 4K, Basic Instinct 4K) 56:04 – Warner Bros. (The Good German 4K, The Informant 4K) 1:14:19 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray (Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Heart Eyes) 1:16:53 - New Blu-ray Announcements CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST This is

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movies to talk about this week. They range from a documentary about one of the music world’s most talked about relationships (One to One: John & Yoko) and an animated story of Jesus told through the mouth of Dickens (The King of Kings). The Michaels – Cera & Angarano – go on a road trip (Sacramento) and Stephen Dorff tries to go legit in the Old West (Gunslingers). The director of Happy Death Day presents the world’s worst first date (Drop) and CIA analyst Rami Malek tries to avenge his wife (The Amateur). Finally, Alex Garland takes us back into war in real time along with Ray Mendoza who lived it (Warfare).  0:00 - Intro 3:27 - One to One: John & Yoko 12:25 – The King of Kings 25:59 - Sacramento 36:14 - Gunslingers 46:11 - Drop 56:39 – The Amateur 1:09:07 – Warfare 1:20:19 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com

Another light week for physical media but Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have you covered with one of the greatest comedies of all time and one of Peter Sellers’ overlooked gems. There is film noir, a sorority massacre and a pair of films covered on The Friendship Dilemma podcast. They include Ryan Reynolds in the friend zone with Amy Smart and Shane Black getting paid to make Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson his mismatched mystery partners.  0:00 - Intro 3:59 - Criterion (Some Like It Hot 4K) 15:06 - Kino (I’m All Right, Jack / Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXV) 33:01 - Shout (Sorority House Massacre 4K) 39:50 - Warner Archive (Just Friends) 48:04 - Arrow (The Long Kiss Goodnight 4K) 1:03:44 – New Blu-ray Announcements This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have reviews of eight new movies this week. They revisit one of the best films they saw at Sundance this year (The Ballad of Wallis Island) while Erik handles this week’s latest video game adaptation (A Minecraft Movie). Public domain puts Steamboat Willie into horror (Screamboat) and how do they like dem apple on dat head (William Tell). Michael Shannon directs the aftermath of a school shooting (Eric Larue) and Paul Walter Hauser plays the infamous Press Your Luck champion (The Luckiest Man In America). The directors of Half Nelson and Captain Marvel make an ‘80s anthology (Freaky Tales) and, finally, Naomi Watts and a Great Dane grieve over the loss of Bill Murray (The Friend).  0:00 - Intro 1:37 - The Ballad of Wallis Island 10:44 - A Minecraft Movie 21:11 - Screamboat 32:11 - William Tell 39:53 - Eric Larue 53:40 - The Luckiest Man in America 1:10:14 - Freaky Tales 1:18:29 - The Friend 1:30:30 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this

If you missed a number of recent films in theaters then this is really the Blu-ray week for you. Beyond those, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski still have some titles for you to consider if you can’t get enough of Nicholas Hoult in vampire films or you really like those new digital shorts on SNL. There’s also the tale of graverobbers that took their work a little too far, an obscure relationship melodrama from the 1940s and an influential ghost story set against the backdrop of the Japanese Civil Wars. 0:00 - Intro 1:50 - Criterion (Ugetsu 4K) 8:22 - Film Masters (Lighthouse) 16:38 - Kino (Burke and Hare (1972)) 22:07 - Shout (Renfield 4K, Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain) 33:54 - TV (Superman and Lois: The Complete Series) 34:26 - NEW (Companion, A Complete Unknown, Mufasa: The Lion King, Dog Man, Flight Risk, Into the Deep, Love Me, Love Hurts, One of Them Days,) 49:36 – New Blu-ray Announcements CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS

Blu-rays, 4Ks, physical media galore this week as Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski guide you through another week. They include upgrades of a great Gene Hackman film and another from Alan Rudolph by Criterion. There’s early work from Rudolph Valentino and the late George Armitage. Horror goes from brain-inhabiting slugs to a black mamba, child murders, cannibalism and eating the rich. There’s also a pair of Chris Farley/David Spade films and a trio of deadly women including Ursula Andress, Kathleen Hughes and the immortal Lynda Carter.   0:00 - Intro 1:54 - Criterion (Night Moves 4K, Choose Me 4K) 21:23 - Warner Archive (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Hit Man) 32:05 - Shout Factory (Shaw Brothers Vol. 6, Night of the Creeps 4K) 41:19 - Blue Underground (Venom 4K) 50:56 - Arrow (Don’t Torture a Duckling 4K) 58:36 - Severin (Delicatessen 4K, Antiviral 4K) 1:09:48 - Paramount (Tommy Boy 4K) 1:15:42 - Kino (Black Sheep 4K, The Glass Web 3D, The 10th Victim, Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw) 1:33:5

Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy have nine movies for you this week. It all starts by hitting the way back machine for their 2023 review of a Sundance film delayed by the controversy over its star (Magazine Dreams). There is also an apocalyptic musical fantasy (O’Dessa) and Bill Skarsgard is trapped in Anthony Hopkins’ fancy car (Locked). Sci-fi goes two ways with the bloody aftermath of an astronaut colony (Ash) and the process future couples go through to have a baby (The Assessment). Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo form a surrogate parental friendship (Bob Trevino Likes It). One of the great baseball movies is out there just in time for the season (Eephus). Robert DeNiro plays dual roles as real-life mobsters for Barry Levinson (The Alto Knights) and the Disney live-action remake machine churns out its latest (Snow White).  0:00 - Intro 1:46 - Magazine Dreams 18:06 - O'Dessa 26:09 - Locked 36:49 - Eephus 48:56 - Bob Trevino Likes It 59:18 - Ash 1:09:06 - The Assessment 1:22:00 - The Alto

Erik Childress has been traveling to Austin for over 20 years for the annual South by Southwest Film Festival. He is back to tell you all about 19 films that he saw this year. Among the films you can see soon are the return of Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively to the world of simple favor. Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega trying to survive the revenge of a unicorn and Nicolas Cage battles some territorial Australians. Hopefully audiences won’t have to wait too long to see the solo directorial debut of Jay Duplass or the latest from Matt Johnson that pays homage to the world of Robert Zemeckis and Rosamund Pike & Matthew Rhys desperately try to get to the scene of their daughter’s accident, Daisy Ridley has to dodge zombies and a pair of brothers take a leisurely stroll through San Francisco with their guitars in a single take. There are documentaries about Curtis Mayfield, Marc Maron, the horrors and fascism in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting and what to do when an A.I. Pioneer won’t answer your questions.

Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress again to get you caught up on a couple weeks of new physical media. They include drama from Charlie Chaplin and Michael Mann’s feature debut. Godzilla returns as does the creepy Roger Corman sci-fi of the early ‘80s. Renny Harlin brings the sharks, Skippy from Family Ties battles a heavy metal killer and Peter reminds us of another piece of ‘80s horror that some parents would like to forget. There is also more weirdness including Steve Allen studying sex, John Travolta investigating sex and Eddie Murphy brought in to save a comedy. All that might be nothing compared to the visualization of The Who’s rock opera brought to life by Ken Russell. 0:00 - Intro 2:11 - Criterion (A Woman of Paris, Thief 4K, Godzilla vs Biollante 4K) 18:53 - Arrow (Deep Blue Sea 4K) 27:08 - Kino (College Confidential, The Godsend, Best Defense, The General’s Daughter 4K, The Black Tulip, Half a Chance) 58:46 - Sony (Bon Voyage) 1:03:57 - Synapse (Trick or Treat 4K) 1:13:01 - Shout (

Movie reviews continue on the show with seven new releases this week. Steve Prokopy looks at the chaos of a young woman and her Zambian family (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl) while Samara Weaving plays a pop star dealing with a stalker (Borderline). John Malkovich is another pop star whom Ayo Edebiri discovers may be part of a cult (Opus). Daffy Duck and Porky Pig try to save the world from zombies and aliens (The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie) while Chris Pratt and Millie Bobbie Brown live in a world of robots (The Electric State). Jack Quaid can feel no pain while trying to rescue his girlfriend (Novocaine) and Steven Soderbergh gives us Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as married spies (Black Bag). 0:00 - Intro 1:17 - On Becoming a Guinea Fowl 9:04 - Borderline 16:14 – The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie 23:41 – The Electric State 36:24 - Opus 50:17 - Novocaine 1:03:08 - Black Bag 1:14:59 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other sub

Physical media never takes a week off but sometimes they sleep in a little. Such as this light week that has Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress starting off with a stone-cold classic thriller from Criterion upgraded to 4K. Kino has more film noir, a double feature with Agatha Christie AND Bert I. Gordon plus the terrifying presence of Klaus Kinski as a Nazi. There’s an animated cat who gives massages and everyone’s favorite bear in a rain slicker. 0:00 - Intro 6:53 - Criterion (The Wages of Fear 4K) 13:32 - Kino (Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXIV, Crawlspace, Endless Night/Picture Mommy Dead 4K) 34:56 - Shout (Ghost Cat Anzu) 39:21 - Warner (Paddington 2 4K) 43:41 - New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray (Gladiator II, Red One, Kraven the Hunter, Den of Thieves 2, The Count of Monte Cristo) 52:36 – New Blu-ray Announcements CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce

Another light week of releases, but are any of them good? Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy talk you through five of them including a documentary on a better person in charge of the Washington Post (Becoming Katharine Graham). Ed Harris factors into two releases this week including a woman manifestsing her PTSD through her fellow soldier (My Dead Friend Zoe) and a crime comedy with an all-star cast (Riff Raff). There is also a bitcoin hostage thriller (Cold Wallet) and an underwater true story that the filmmaker has re-made from their own documentary (Last Breath).   0:00 - Intro 1:56 - Becoming Katharine Graham 7:24 - My Dead Friend Zoe 16:28 - Cold Wallet 22:37 - Riff Raff 32:17 - Last Breath 46:52 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski run down titles you can get on physical media this week and, not gonna lie, there’s a lot of baggage. There’s the Mick Jagger film that say on the shelf for two years along with Lindsay Lohan’s collaboration with Paul Schrader and William Friedkin’s infamous Al Pacino murder mystery set within the gay community. Not to mention John Wayne playing Genghis Khan and the poor timing for an Eric Red horror film. But even controversy can be put aside for cinema sunshine. You can now get Milos Forman’s Mozart film in its original theatrical incarnation. Maybe you don’t even remember the issue parents had with one of the loveliest coming-of-age films of the ‘90s. And why would you say anything controversial about Carol Reed’s masterpiece? All that plus Guillermo Del Toro’s debut and the genius of poking fun at documentaries on this week’s Blu-ray show. 0:00 – Intro 3:13 - Criterion (Performance 4K, Cronos 4K) 22:43 - Vinegar Syndrome (The Joy of Sex, Virtuosity 4K, The Canyon

It’s a light week for movies so Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy work with what they have with four titles that you may or may not want to work with. They include a new Chicago horror film from director Mickey Keating (Invader). Daisy Ridley is a window washer who goes from pane to McClane when eco-terrorists take over her building (Cleaner). Christoph Waltz is an aging hitman with a protégé (Old Guy). Finally, Osgood Perkins is back with a Stephen King adaptation where things do not go well for anybody. (The Monkey)   0:00 - Intro 2:22 - Invader 9:26 - Cleaner 22:19 - Old Guy 31:00 - The Monkey 45:19 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com