Movie Madness

The first show of October begins with nine movie reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. Appropriately kicking off with an actor auditioning to be a demonologist (Devil’s Workshop) and a pair of best friends dealing with a demon of their own (My Best Friend’s Exorcism). Kate Hudson befriends an escaped woman with telekinesis (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and a documentary looks at the career of Sinead O’Connor (Nothing Compares). Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline reteam for a third time (The Good House) and Walter Hill returns to the director’s chair for a new western (Dead for a Dollar). Zac Efron delivers warm PBR to his buddies in Vietnam (The Greatest Beer Run Ever), Sosie Bacon discovers that trauma has a new face (Smile) and Billy Eichner co-writes and headlines a sharp, LBGTQ romantic comedy that deserves your attention (Bros). 0:00 - Intro 1:37 – Devil’s Workshop 8:08 – My Best Friend’s Exorcism 18:45 – Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon 28:45 – Nothing Compares 40:14 – Dead for a Dollar 50:07 –

Another loaded week has Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy looking at nine new movies. They include another guy-joins-shadowy-government-agency film (Section 8) and a tale of another famous (in Canada) bank robber tale with Josh Duhamel (Bandit). The star of The Babadook takes on another rocky tale of motherhood (The Justice of Bunny King), Adelaide Clemens must come to terms with having her first child and the two men vying for her affection (The Swearing Jar) and Lena Dunham adapts the story of a 14 year-old in the 13th century trying to fend off her own suitors (Catherine Called Birdy). Two icons are also chronicled by Reginald Hudlin in a documentary about the recently departed Mr. Poitier (Sidney) and Ana De Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s controversial adaptation (Blonde). Finally, Allison Janney gets a chance to be an action hero on Netflix (Lou) and Florence Pugh begins to wake up in a patriarchal society in Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial effort (Don’t Worry Darling).

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy catch-up on two weeks-worth of movies. 13 movies to be precise and many of them have a lot in common. Justin Long is in two films where he should be staying away from a house, one where he is trying to get laid (House of Darkness) and another that he is trying to sell that Erik has some specific thoughts on (Barbarian). Not to mention the smart house that is trying to kill it’s inhabitants (Margaux). There is the true story of sisters who would not talk to anyone but each other (The Silent Twins) and one of the great horror films of the year – and on this episode – about what can happen if you see something but don’t say something (Speak No Evil). There are a pair of mysteries with Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan trying to solve one (See How They Run) and Jon Hamm stepping into Chevy Chase’s to solve the other (Confess, Fletch). Erik and Steve also get saddened by the disappointments delivered by Robert Zemeckis (Pinocchio) and Kevin Smith (Clerks III). But beyond those there i

Theaters are facing a drought this autumn season and over Labor Day Weekend Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movies to review. They include a reimagining from filmmaker Francois Ozon (Peter Von Kant) and a quest to bring Hitler’s remains to Stalin (Burial). The Umbrella Academy’s Tom Hopper and Kat Graham double-book a place in Verona (Love In The Villa) and Javier Bardem seeks an award for his company (The Good Boss). Two documentaries look at the happy friendships of genre filmmakers (The Horror Crowd) and the tortured psyche of a tennis great (McEnroe). Finally, Steve gets a chance to weigh in on a Sundance favorite and reveal whether Erik was on point with its shortcomings (Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul).   0:00 - Intro 3:08 - Peter Von Kant 10:18 - Love In The Villa 18:14 - Burial 24:32 – The Horror Crowd 38:40 - The Good Boss  44:29 - McEnroe 59:36 - Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul 1:12:31 - Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac

When Sergio Mims asked me to program his classical music show for WHPK Radio dedicated to composer John Williams, I knew it was a daunting assignment. How can you sum up the career of a legend in three hours? How can one convey what his compositions have meant to not only me but countless moviegoers (and even TV viewers) over the years? What follows is the journey that I went on highlighting many of the classics but also the range that followed beyond his collaboration with Steven Spielberg. It still only scratches the surface, but what I could not fit into the radio timeslot at the University of Chicago is expanded upon with 38 additional minutes of music and commentary. I hope you enjoy. 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 clear out August with reviews of nine new films starting with an assist from show regular Sergio Mims when they all reviewed the new John Boyega bank robbery tale (Breaking). It’s not Avatar but water plays a big part this week with a Dead Calm-like tale of lies on a boat (Into the Deep), more noir homage from Neil LaBute when a guy trying to stay out of trouble sees Diane Kruger in a lake (Out of the Blue) and the duo try to figure out if the new shark attack film is trying to be bad or just straight is (Maneater). Steve reviews a new film from The Squid and the Whale’s Owen Klein (Funny Pages) and Erik is flat baffled by whatever the hell the new Kevin Hart/Mark Wahlberg film is trying to be (Me Time). Sylvester Stallone is a superhero in isolation (Samaritan), Nathalie Emmanuel discovers some creepy ancestors in her bloodline (The Invitation) and, finally, George Miller returns with his first film in seven years. Is Three Thousand Years of Longing all that they wished for?

The summer season may be winding down but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy found 11 movies to talk about this week. They revisit their thoughts on the bizarre Alison Brie/Aubrey Plaza Italy film from SXSW (Spin Me Round). Steve checks out a couple of documentaries about Indigenous leaders trying to take back the Amazon rainforest (The Territory) and one on the career of musical artist, Courtney Barnett (Anonymous Club). Erik looks at a struggling married couple on a yacht to nowhere (Get Away If You Can) and a whole town that experiences the effects of drinking horny water (Love In Kilneery). Steve has Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth isolated for cash prizes (The Immaculate Room) and the pair look at another two-hander involving Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons’ voice through a glory hole and the end of the world (Glorious). Lili Rinehart stars in a gutless Sliding Doors scenario (Look Both Ways) and a mentally challenged Stephan James tries to solve the death of his sister (Delia’s Gone). Isabelle Fuhrmann returns

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at nine new movies this week and not only are most of them only available in theaters at the moment but nearly all of them have women leading the way in front of or behind the camera. One of those is a documentary about the effect pandemic had on theaters – for the better (Back to the Drive-In). There are two very different films about teenage female bonding (Medusa, Summering). Pleasure robots try to take back their rights (Wifelike) and a 30 year-old wishes she was a 70 year-old Diane Keaton (Mack & Rita). Further crimes are created when Aubrey Plaza fights back against student debt with credit card fraud (Emily the Criminal) while Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco team up to battle a female vampire (Day Shift). Finally, two best friends get trapped atop a 2,000 foot radio tower (Fall) and a group of supposed Gen-Z friends get trapped with a murderer during a hurricane (Bodies Bodies Bodies).   0:00 - Intro 1:57 – Medusa 11:15 – Back to the Drive-In 20:01 – Summering 25:39

There are eight movies to talk about this week and Erik Cihldress and Steve Prokopy have seen them all. There is love for two films from this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival including Patton Oswalt catfishing his own son (I Love My Dad) and Dale Dickey looking to kindle an old friendship with Wes Studi (A Love Song). There is a new animated film on Apple+ (Luck) and a documentary about the Father of Claymation (Claydream). Ron Howard turns a story that got the doc treatment last year about the Thailand cave rescue into a feature (Thirteen Lives) and stand-up comic Jo Koy stars in a film based on his life (Easter Sunday). The Predator franchise springs to new life in the 18th century (Prey) and Brad Pitt takes on a locomotive full of assassins (Bullet Train). There’s a lot of love this week but there are some targets as well.   0:00 - Intro 1:03 - I Love My Dad 16:49 – Claydream 32:38 – A Love Song 42:34 – Luck 57:44 – Thirteen Lives 1:15:38 – Easter Sunday 1:34:43 - Prey 1:50:47 – Bullet Train 2:06:26 -

Themes develop within this week’s movie reviews. Funny how that happens without even trying sometimes but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy wade through seven movies this week. It all begins with an emotionally unsettling film they have been championing since Sundance featuring another knockout performance by Rebecca Hall and a never creepier Tim Roth (Resurrection). Steve checks out Juliette Binoche as a trucker who gets involved in child trafficking (Paradise Highway) while Erik covers Angourie Rice as an overachieving high schooler trying to sabotage her competition (Honor Society). Zoey Deutsch is an underachieving photo editor who tries to manipulate a fresh grief hashtag in a new satire (Not Okay) and Katie Holmes and Jim Sturgess are forced to white-people-problem their way through the start of the Covid pandemic (Alone Together). Steve also looks at the new animated effort from the other comic book studio (DC League of Super Pets). Finally, the pair heap praise upon the writing/directing effort from B.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have the weekly movie reviews for you. A light week of just five movies, but the streamers should be happy. Mostly. Whether or not you head out to theaters for the big one is up to you. But they check on a couple films from Shudder including some horror from the Netherlands (Moloch) and a documentary on cult performance metal artists (This is Gwar). Erik weighs in on Ethan Hawke’s six-part docuseries on the careers and marriage of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward on HBO MAX (The Last Movie Stars). The duo review the latest algorithmic concoction from Netflix and the Russo Brothers (The Gray Man). Then, finally, they tell you whether Jordan Peele has gone 3-for-3 with his horror films or if his latest is an overstuffed, undersold bag of ideas (Nope). 0:00 - Intro 2:44 - Moloch 8:40 – The Last Movie Stars 18:50 - This Is Gwar 29:58 - The Gray Man 43:28 - Nope 1:05:56 – Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonu

Sergio Mims returns to the show to look at what is new out there in Blu-ray land. Along with Erik Childress they discuss some tremendous new 4K titles from Sony and Criterion. Erik makes the case for two other great crime tales on 4K that Sergio has just been so-so on. Sergio goes to bat for a new restoration of a film that was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and clearly believes was unfair. They also talk a new release of an early Richard Donner film and run through a cadre of new-to-Blu-ray titles from the ever expanding Imprint that they believe is becoming one of the great companies delivering special edition physical media. 1:40 - Deaf Crocodile (The Sword and the Dragon) 10:49 - IFC (We Need To Do Something) 15:14 - Arrow (True Romance) 22:25 - Criterion (Raging Bull, Devil in a Blue Dress) 36:59 - Sony (Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai) 56:38 - Kino (Salt & Pepper, The Killing, Out of Sight, Native Son) 1:27:49 - Imprint (The President’s Analyst, Man on a Swing, Barabbas, T

Real life trumps fiction this week on the movie review edition of the podcast. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy discuss seven new movies including revisiting two of the best documentaries from the festival circuit this year. One involves the continued struggles of gun control after another tragedy (Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down) and another chronicles the relationship of two volcano researchers up close and personal (Fire of Love). Steve looks at the horrors of healing with Alice Krige (She Will) and Erik finds another kind of horror in concealing a life-threatening diagnosis (Don’t Make Me Go). Lesley Manville goes off in search of a Dior dress she desperately wants (Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris) and Dakota Johnson goes to Jane Austen land hoping to reclaim the love of her life while talking to us (Persuasion). Finally, the duo looks to find an answer to Where The Crawdads Sing and discover that they could not care less. 0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down 17:01 – Fire of Love 28:08 – She Will 3

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival contained a number of noteworthy documentaries and some new features by rising filmmakers. Erik Childress is joined by Peter Sobczynski to discuss 16 of these films. They include real-life tales about embattled journalists, the effect of COVID on family businesses, historical heroes and modern-day athletes. There are also the latest films from filmmakers such as Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife), Alex Thompson (Saint Frances), Alexandre O. Philippe (Memory: The Origins of Alien) and Robert Machoian (The Killing of Two Lovers) as well as upcoming talents like Daniel Antebi, Sophie Gilbert and Alexandria Trewhitt. Erik also sets up a little preview of the upcoming month-long Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal taking place in July and into August. 0:00 - Intro 1:38 – Turn Any Page 4:08 – Liquor Store Dreams 6:27 – Cherry 10:34 – Lynch/Oz 14:57 – The Wild One 17:26 - Rounding 22:02 - Battleground 23:48 - Endangered 24:33 – American Pain 27:20 – Official Competition 33:06 – The Rebell

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy bring you the weekly movie reviews. Seven new films including a pair of music documentaries focused on a pair of Nick Cave albums (This Much I Know To Be True) and one of the most singular songs ever recorded – in many different ways (Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song). A couple goes off on a self-help retreat in the woods in a new horror film (The Summoned) and Claire Denis put another couple played by Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon through the ringer when a lusty ex is thrown into the equation (Both Sides of the Blade). Abducted In Plain Sight director Skye Borgman documents another tale of an evil predator and the people who were destroyed by him (Girl in the Picture). The co-director of Moana and Big Hero 6 delivers a Moby Dick-like tale that helps restores one of our duo’s faith in recent animated films (The Sea Beast). Finally all faith is destroyed in the latest Marvel entry as Erik and Steve agree it to be one of the worst, if not THE worst, in their Ci

Erik Laws of the AintThisTheFun podcast on YouTube returns to talk the latest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Erik Childress and, boy, are neither of them happy. Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder gets the full business from the Eriks talking about the waste of two of the best actors working today and a most embarrassing turn by a third. Where does Gor, the God Butcher fit in with MCU villainy – or where should he have fit in. Can any of the deadly serious plotlines find room to breathe in a screenplay that is too busy bee-bop and scattin’ around to warrant any genuine conflict? Childress and Laws go scorched earth for over two hours and ask if this is an inflection point for Marvel fans. Is their loyalty endless or will what may be the worst film in their Universe give them pause the next time they are asked to defend it. 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

Eight new movie reviews this episode, at least from Steve Prokopy who saw all of them. Erik Childress saw half of them. Half of those even great. But which ones? There are two Antonio Banderas films this week with him in action mode (Code Name Banshee) and another as an egotistical actor being directed by Penelope Cruz (Official Competition). Scout Taylor-Compton tries to survive an evening in a house again (The Long Night) and Ralph Fiennes tries to survive in the Moroccan desert away from Jessica Chastain after they accidentally kill a local boy in the latest from John Michael McDonaugh (The Forgiven). Love is afoot in 19th century England (Mr. Malcolm’s List) and Joey King literally fights back against marriage in some time period (The Princess). Finally two films vie for family attention (Minions: The Rise of Gru, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On). Which one are you a bad parent for not taking your kids to? Also for an added bonus, Erik & Steve make their choices for the Best of the First Half of 2022,

Six new movies get six new reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include one about a group of friends playing adult Jumanji (Gatlopp) and a documentary about the government playing games after a disaster (Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes). Kevin Hart gets mistaken for hitman Woody Harrelson (The Man From Toronto) while two old friends return to bring out the best in stupid (Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe). A boy has to escape the clutches of a kidnapper played by Ethan Hawke (The Black House) and Baz Luhrmann tries to tell the story of the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Badly! (Elvis) 0:00 - Intro 0:43 - Gatlopp 5:41 - Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes 16:09 – The Man from Toronto 25:48 - Beavis and Butthead Do The Universe 37:20 – The Black Phone 53:13 – Elvis 1:17:13 - 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

The two big sellers at this year’s Sundance film festival come home for everyone this week. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy revisit both Good Luck To You, Leo Grande and Cha Cha Real Smooth along with six other fresh reviews this week. They include another Sundance film about a man and his robot (Brian and Charles) as well as Phil Tippett’s thirty-year journey to bring his stop-motion feature to life (Mad God). Jennifer Lopez has a film about her and some Super Bowl thing she did while chasing an Oscar (Halftime) while Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening are retirees in search of a shared jackpot (Jerry and Marge Go Large). Chris Hemsworth is testing a new drug on Miles Teller in one future (Spiderhead) and in another – set in the past – we discover the story of where Buzz the toy came from (Lightyear). 0:00 - Intro 2:17 - Good Luck To You, Leo Grande 10:55 - Cha Cha Real Smooth 24:18 - Brian and Charles 31:33 - Halftime 43:25 - Mad God 49:37 - Jerry and Marge Go Large 1:05:59 - Spiderhead 1:17:43 - Lightyear

Never say die when it comes to physical media! Erik Childress and Sergio Mims have the latest and greatest here from jackasses to ordinary people. Jekylls, Hydes, Frankensteins, Werewolves and W.C. Fields. In particular there are a lot of great titles coming out in 4K including a John Landis classic and even an argument for an underrated Kenneth Branagh film. One of the greatest musicals of all time gets the treatment as does one of the greatest westerns of all time. If that’s not fact, its legend. Erik talks about the glory of the first time he saw a newly minted The Untouchables on VHS and Sergio recounts his experience of seeing John McNaughton’s Wild Things in the theater the first time. A lot of great titles this episode so get your wallets ready. 0:00 – Intro 0:49 – Imprint (The Counterfeit Traitor, Across 110th Street) 13:16 – Arrow (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein 4K, An American Werewolf In London 4K, Wild Things 4K) 40:55 – Warner Archive (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1942, Singin’ In The Rain 4K) 57:27 – Pa