Episodes
-
Peter Sobczynski returns to catch you up on a couple weeks of physical media releases with Erik Childress. They include one of the great British crime thrillers with Bob Hoskins. They dive into the Friday the 13th and Riddick series while highlighting an even better ‘80s horror film. One of the great stand-up concerts ever filmed gets the 4K upgrade and a new film noir set highlights one of the inspirations for Top Secret. Peter highlights an overlooked Scorsese and goes Doomsday on Neil Marshall. One of the films featured in It Came From Hollywood gets the Blu-ray treatment as does the infamous Caligula whose history is documented this week as well.
0:00 - Intro
1:40 – Criterion (The Long Good Friday 4K)
9:02 - Arrow (Torso 4K, Friday the 13th 4K, The Chronicles of Riddick 4K)
38:01 - Sony (Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip 4K)
47:33 - Shout (The Stepfather 4K, Clockwatchers, Doomsday, The Strangers 4K, Man of the Year)
1:17:33 - Kino (Film Noir XXI, Two Weeks in September, Rolling Vengeance)
1:39:40 – Paramount (Bringing Out the Dead 4K)
1:51:45 - Warner Archive (Black Belt Jones)
1:59:22 – Drafthouse (Caligula 4K)
2:11:16 – New TV & Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray
2:15:20 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
Erik Childress returns to the Toronto Film Festival this week and he has some films worthy of putting on your schedule if you are attending or to keep an eye out for the future. He also has a schedule in place that he walks through letting you know what he plans on seeing day-by-day providing a little preview of both the daily grind of a festival and even more films that caught his eye and may catch yours as well.
0:00 - Intro
1:20 – Shook
3:26 – Shepherds
5:29 – Mr. K
10:19 – Matt and Mara
14:38 - Do I Know You From Somewhere
19:18 – Day-by-Day Schedule Plan
38:10 - Outro
-
Missing episodes?
-
Peter Sobczynski returns to offer up some of this week’s Blu-ray offerings with Erik Childress. They include Alex Cox’s cult classic debut, the role that Gregory Peck was not crazy about and one of the enduring baseball classics getting an upgrade. There is also Brigitte Bardot, Margot Robbie and a Woman from a Lucky McKee film that you do not want to mess with. Speaking of which there is also a ghostly horror film worth rediscovering and the ‘80s ick fest involving Michael Caine and his best friend’s daughter.
0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Criterion (Repo Man 4K)
10:31 - Sony (A League of their Own 4K)
19:11 - WB (Focus 4K)
24:03 – Kino (Naughty Girl)
28:04 – Sandpiper (Blame It on Rio, Moby Dick (1956), Lady in White)
56:29 – Arrow (The Woman/Offspring 4K)
1:06:12 – Shout (The Amityville Horror (2005) 4K, The Boy 4K)
1:19:56 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
The Movie Madness Podcast is celebrating its 500th episode with a conversation 20 years in the making. Erik Childress has had many conversations with his guest over the years, but this one is a look back at where Nick Digilio and him were in their lives in 2004 when they, respectively, named Sideways and Garden State as their favorite films of that year. They talk about why those films were so personal to them, almost exactly ten years apart in their respective ages, at the time and if revisiting them two decades later is the same experience. The conversation veers into personal struggles, “manic pixie dream girls”, lost opportunities and soundtracks.
-
As the summer ends with a bit of a whimper, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy delve into eight films and try to find something worth your time. The director of Backcountry goes back into the woods with Missy Peregrym to face a different threat (Out Come the Wolves) while the filmmakers behind Howards End and The Remains of the Day get a documentary in their honor (Merchant Ivory). Tyrese Gibson gets caught up in a heist during the Rodney King riots (1992) and Lee Daniels takes Andra Day through an exorcism (The Deliverance). Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer plot a murder (The Wasp) and Casey Affleck tries to keep his sanity in space (Slingshot). Finally, John Cho discovers a new AI is dangerous (AfrAId) and Dennis Quaid and the director of 3 Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain give Republicans a greatest hits tale about their God (Reagan).
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Out Come the Wolves
13:10 - Merchant Ivory
21:01 - 1992
32:49 – The Deliverance
43:06 – The Wasp
54:05 - Slingshot
1:07:20 - Afraid
1:16:53 – Reagan
1:34:27 - Outro
-
Pretty 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
-
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight movie reviews for you including two from their fest coverage the past year. Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane star in a Sundance fave (Between the Temples) and a game of cat-and-mouse between a serial killer and their prey that debuted at Fantastic Fest in 2023 (Strange Darling). Also on tap are three lifelong friends and the hardships they endure over a lifetime (The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can Eat) while a small town turns to crime over a pile of money (Greedy People). The Adams Family is back with their latest horror offering (Hell Hole) while John Woo remakes one of his all-time classics (The Killer) and Bill Skarsgard steps into the role made infamous by Brandon Lee (The Crow). Finally, Zoe Kravitz makes her directorial debut with an island party that some will want to forget (Blink Twice).
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - Between the Temples
11:00 - Strange Darling
21:28 – The Supremes At Earl's All-You-Can Eat
31:48 - Greedy People
44:01 - Hell Hole
53:49 – The Killer
1:05:42 – The Crow
1:19:00 - Blink Twice
1:33:30 - Outro
-
Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress again to talk physical media. This week you can go an early, personal work from Martha Coolidge and the debut western from Robert Benton. They talk thrillers that were ultimately remade with Amber Heard and Josh Hartnett plus the baffling dark comedy from Danny DeVito. Generational favorites range from an animated film from the ‘80s and a teen comedy from the ‘90s, but also don’t forget one of the great conspiracy films of the ’70s with some timely real-world publicity. Wes Craven delivers one of his leanest thrillers and Michael Ritchie has, arguably, the most messed up film of his career with Lee Marvin up against Gene Hackman.
0:00 - Intro
2:30 – Criterion (Not a Pretty Picture)
8:18 - Fun City (Bad Company 4K)
20:50 – Shout Factory (The Last Unicorn 4K, Death to Smoochy)
39:11 – Sony (The China Syndrome, Can’t Hardly Wait 4K)
1:01:26 – Universal (Let Him Go, Tremors 7-Film collection)
1:10:29 - Paramount (Red Eye)
1:19:02 - Kino (And Soon the Darkness/Sudden Terror, The Apartment (1996), Prime Cut 4K)
1:39:20 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have ten reviews this week including going back into the archive to check out a new version of an infamous epic (Caligula: The Ultimate Cut). Jean Reno gets a special visitor (My Penguin Friend) and a mother must protect her child from a creature and Devon Sawa (Consumed). Eliot Page is reluctant to return home after embracing his identity (Close to You) and Neil Marshall keeps making movies with Charlotte Kirk (Duchess). Elizabeth Banks has internet problems in Hollywood (Skincare) while Halle Berry montages Mark Wahlberg into being a secret agent (The Union). One of the best documentaries of the year from Sundance debuts on Netflix (Daughters) while Awkwafina and John Cena are hunted – but in a funny way – after winning the lottery (Jackpot). Finally, has a 45 year old franchise delivered its best film in decades (Alien: Romulus)? Erik and Steve weigh in with their thoughts.
0:00 - Intro
1:16 - Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
11:05 - My Penguin Friend
18:04 - Consumed
25:44 - Close to You
36:59 - Duchess
46:57 - Skincare
56:01 - Daughters
1:07:29 - Jackpot
1:23:18 – The Union
1:36:31 - Alien: Romulus
1:51:48 - Outro
-
Lots on the Blu-ray front this week and Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk you through it. Criterion has a clean sweep nine-time Oscar winner in 4K and Arrow has something for the Sam Worthington fans out there. They talk fondly of a dark Seth Rogen effort and a much lighter comedy with violence that has given Rachel McAdams a line delivery for the ages. They’ve got some Mellville, Bava and Elvis. Peter has an early ‘90s horror film you may want to look at again. Dick Tracy gets a collection and they are all-in on a new Stooges collection. (Find out who their favorite Stooges are.) Plus, another week, another Chuck Norris. And this time one of the better ones.
0:00 - Intro
1:12 – Criterion (The Last Emperor 4K)
8:33 – Arrow (When Titans Ruled The Earth 4K)
19:49 – Sony (Three Stooges Collection)
29:15 – Shout Factory (The Delta Force 4K, Observe and Report)
51:20 – VCI (Dick Tracy RKO Pictures Collection)
57:10 – Kino (99 River St., Bob le Flambeur, Le Dolous)
1:08:32 - Warner Archive (Harum Scarum)
1:14:46 – Warner (Game Night 4K)
1:17:48 – Synapse (Demons 4K, Demons 2 4K)
1:23:32 - Dark Force: Mirror Mirror 4K
1:32:01 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray
1:36:24 – New Blu-ray Announcements & Outro
-
After a three-week hiatus involving vacations and other commitments, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back on the weekly movie review stint. Naturally they begin with a film they reviewed at Sundance eight months ago but with good reason for reminder cause the title says it all (Good One). Steve looks at a film about Samuel Beckett (Dance First) and Erik handles a biopic of Milli Vanilli (Girl You Know It’s True). Matt Damon and Casey Affleck try to rob a corrupt politician (The Instigators) and Hunter Schafer tries to solve the weird goings-on at a secluded resort (Cuckoo). Erik offers his thoughts on Blake Lively and the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel about abuse (It Ends With Us) and the pair get their eyes on Eli Roth’s three-year-old video game adaptation (Borderlands).
0:00 - Intro
3:53 - Good One
14:17 - Girl You Know It's True
25:42 - Dance First
35:20 – The Instigators
48:11 - Cuckoo
57:16 - It Ends With Us
1:09:37 – Borderlands
1:25:59 - Outro
-
Films are getting the 4K upgrade this week on the physical media show. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about why Orson Welles made his fourth film along with the great fun of Run Lola Run. Perhaps the craziest tales are reserved for what became and almost became of one of Chuck Norris’ mid-80s Cannon fodder. There’s also a little Gucci, a little Lasso, some Babes and a breakdown of one of the most unlikeliest trilogies ever from its subject matter, its sweet endurance and ingenuity and how all of them seem to have barely gotten released.
0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Sony (The Lady from Shanghai 4K, Run Lola Run 4K)
22:50 - Vinegar Syndrome (Invasion USA 4K)
42:10 - Shout (House of Gucci 4K, Bill and Ted’s Most Triumphant Trilogy 4K)
1:07-12 – New TV & Theatrical Titles
1:10:02 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
On a special episode of the podcast, comic book expert Erik Laws returns to join Erik Childress to discuss the much ballyhooed release of Marvel’s team-up of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman meant to correct past sins and hopefully plug the creative and success leak of their recent output. Does the film live up to its promise? Are the stakes there or is it just a service for the fans? How does its cameos and surprises measure up and is it weird to take shots at what is supposed to be an ally now? They also weigh in on the latest news of Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, what his appearance as Victor Von Doom could mean and is it just an act of desperation to combat the comic book fatigue which may finally be real?
-
This week in physical media expands the gauntlet between masterpieces, greatness, exploitation and outright garbage. In other words, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have a little something for everyone. They include a film from the ‘60s that was lost until the ‘90s, one of the first films from Jonathan Demme, one of the last films of Howard Hawks and hopefully not the last from Philip Kaufmann. There’s a box set of the works of Nico Mastorakis and a director’s cut featuring David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette. Two films from the great runs of Frank Oz and Kevin Costner get 4K upgrades and Peter tells you about one of the sexiest scenes he’s ever seen. Spoiler that it involves neither an infamous 1980 musical with The Village People or any of the Jaws sequels; both of which practically get their own episodes here.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 – Arrow (Red Line 7000, The Nico Mastorakis Collection, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 4K)
16:09 - The Film Desk (The Plot Against Harry)
24:07 - Media Book (Last Embrace 4K)
29:07 – MVD (The Linguini Incident)
38:07 – Kino (Bwana Devil, Can’t Stop the Music 4K, No Way Out 4K, In and Out 4K, Girl on the Bridge, Twisted)
1:35:15 – Universal (Jaws 3-Film Collection 4K)
2:00:19 – New Theatrical Titles on Blu-ray
2:07:25 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
Some great titles to put into your physical media library this week and Peter Sobczynski is here with Erik Childress to help guide you through them. It all begins with one of the great films of the 1980s that put Tom Cruise on the path to stardom. Tom Hanks missed an Oscar nom but delivered one of his best performances for Paul Greengrass and Ang Lee did get the Oscar but the Academy went for another film in 2005. There are also vehicles for Burt Reynolds, Dirk Benedict and the film that Ben Affleck was the bomb in. Other underground dwellers can be found at bikini bottom and Criterion also has a pair of Wim Wenders films. Finally there are new 4K editions of one of the great sci-fi classics and the entire series that carries the name of the beloved character created by Sylvester Stallone.
0:00 - Intro
1:07 - Criterion (Risky Business, Perfect Days, Anselm)
24:52 – Kino (Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 4K, Underground Aces, Paternity, Columbo: The Return, Brokeback Mountain 4K)
1:03:39 – Paramount (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 4K)
1:07:46 – Sony (Captain Philips 4K)
1:12:39 – Shout Factory (Phantoms 4K)
1:18:15 – Warner Bros. (The Rocky Collection 4K)
1:33:40 – New Blu-ray Announcements
-
Before each of them take their respective vacations, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have nine movies for you to check out or throw away. They include Guy Pearce in a Lee Tamahori film about warring Maori tribes (The Convert) and Baltasar Kormákur decades-spanning romantic saga (Touch). Documentaries cover the range of the career of one of our great actresses (Faye) and the horrible behavior that derailed Louis C.K.’s, at least temporarily (Sorry/Not Sorry). Things get strange when Ewan McGregor’s mother won’t leave a furniture store (Mother, Couch) and things get even stranger in a film so baffling it may become a midnight staple (Lumina). KiKi Layn is a musician trying to be heard (Dandelion). Scarlett Johansson tries to sell America’s space race with Channing Tatum (Fly Me to the Moon) and Ozgood Perkins tries to have Nicolas Cage freak us out (Longlegs).
0:00 - Intro
1:50 – The Convert
7:51 - Faye
16:32 - Touch
23:59 - Sorry/Not Sorry
39:29 - Mother, Couch
46:30 - Lumina
1:00:09 - Dandelion
1:08:18 - Fly Me to the Moon
1:21:00 - Longlegs
-
Peter Sobczynski has the rundown on this week’s physical media with Erik Childress. Leading the way are French classics by Jean-Pierre Melville and Patrice Leconte. They talk about the controversies surrounding Todd Solondz third feature and the strange hiatus of director Robert Butler. 4K tries to clean-up a second helping of the Ghoulies and a Thailand based creature feature “not to be confused with Alligator.” Finally they go back and forth on the 1996 mega-hit that finally spawned a sequel 28 years later.
0:00 - Intro
0:55 – Criterion (Le Samourai 4K)
7:44 – Shout Factory (Storytelling)
20:29 – Synapse (Crocodile 4K)
29:05 – MVD (Ghoulies II 4K)
35:22 – Kino (The Hairdresser’s Husband, Turbulence 4K)
51:56 – Warner Bros. (Twister 4K)
1:05:03 – New TV & Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray
1:14:22 – New Blu-ray Announcements & Outro
-
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy do not skimp this week serving up 11 new reviews for you. Erik looks at Paul Raci as a spiritual guru who may have achieved a new kind of grief transcendence (The Secret Art of Human Flight) while Emma Roberts does Legally Blonde Goes To NASA (Space Cadet). Steve has a film about the Eichmann trial (June Zero) and that of a different kind of bloodsucker (Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person) which also partially sums up his review of Despicable Me 4. They look at different sides of altruism in the true story of a community and their collective adoptions (Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot) and the fantastic documentarian Penny Lane on her personal journey of donating a kidney (Confessions of a Good Samaritan). Yorgos Lanthimos takes on a three-pronged tale of abusive relationships (Kinds of Kindness) and Eddie Murphy returns to his most iconic role (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F). Finally, choose your warrior – the commando at the center of a bandit-filled train (Kill) or Mia Goth’s survivor in the conclusion of Ti West’s horror trilogy (MaXXXine).
0:00 - Intro
1:37 – The Secret Art of Human Flight
9:45 - Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
15:27 - Space Cadet
25:29 - June Zero
35:20 - Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
45:41 - Despicable Me 4
54:26 - Confessions of a Good Samaritan
1:04:56 - Kinds of Kindness
1:17:51 - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
1:29:28 - Kill
1:39:04 - MaXXXine
1:54:50 - Outro
-
There is not a lot to add to your physical media collection this week. But what there is you will want to get your hands on. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about the tortured history of one of Sam Peckinpah’s greatest westerns. Music stars in movies gets a little sillier with Weird Al Yankovic and Madonna. Silliness gets raised to an artform with the first of the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay collaborations. Though maybe not as silly as the accents from Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones in the second of 1994’s summer bomber movies. Peter Hyams gets another shout-out and one of Martin Scorsese’s masterpieces finally gets a standalone release in 4K.
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Criterion (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid 4K)
23:13 - Shout Factory (Who’s That Girl, UHF 4K)
54:36 - Paramount (Anchorman 4K)
1:04:03 - Kino (Narrow Margin 4K, Blown Away 4K)
1:22:28 - Sony (Taxi Driver 4K)
1:35:44 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray & Announcements
-
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight movie reviews for you this week. They include a new film about religious fanaticism from the filmmakers behind Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge (The Devil’s Bath) plus a documentary about the horrific legacy of a questionable John Wayne film (The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout). A Sundance film from 2023 with Lily Gladstone finally sees the light (Fancy Dance) and we get the second younger man/older woman rom-com in just a few months now with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron (A Family Affair). A pre-Dracula vampire is revealed in a new horror film (The Vourdalak) and Dakota Johnson has a long cab ride conversation with driver Sean Penn (Daddio). Then we watch the blind aliens attack New York (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Kevin Costner directs the first of his four-part epic western (Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1)
0:00 - Intro
1:10 - The Devil's Bath
9:31 - The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
17:06 - Fancy Dance
26:04 - A Family Affair
39:41 - The Vourdalek
48:01 - Daddio
1:00:23 - A Quiet Place: Day One
1:14:41 - Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
1:36:33 - Outro
- Show more
