It is Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, and just before festival and awards season begins, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy serve up 12 films to review and talk about. The wayback machine gets set to 2023 when they first reviewed the absolutely lovely new film with David Strathairn and Jane Levy from Sundance now in theaters (A Little Prayer). The machine goes back even further to reminisce upon Prince’s concert film (Sign O’ The Times) and the 50th anniversary Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece (Jaws) both back in theaters. Can a cycle of revenge be explained to a newborn (The Workout) and can there be another family version of an old tale (Robin and the Hoods)? What happens when a toxic workplace is all about the toxic internet (American Sweatshop) and what happens when a toxic fan worms his way into a singer’s entourage (Lurker)? A gaggle of British retirees team up to solve a crime and save their home (The Thursday Murder Club) and Peter Dinklage takes on Troma’s iconic hero in a new update (The Toxic Avenger). Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman suffer the consequences of marriage in another 1980s remake (The Roses) while the makers of The Climb take on open relationships with Dakota Johnson (Splitsville). Finally, Darren Aronofsky puts Austin Butler through the ringer in a new action comedy (Caught Stealing).

3:53 - A Little Prayer

18:30 - Jaws (50th Anniversary)

29:13 - Prince - Sign O' The Times

36:35 - The Workout

43:53 - Robin and the Hoods

50:41 - American Sweatshop

1:00:53 - The Thursday Murder Club

1:11:33 - The Toxic Avenger

1:21:31 - Lurker

1:31:37 - The Roses

1:46:50 - Splitsville

1:54:15 - Caught Stealing

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Be sure to check out

Erik’s Weekly Box Office Column – At Rotten Tomatoes

Critics’ Classics Series – At Elk Grove Cinema in Elk Grove Village, IL

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

Physical media is serving up a smorgasbord of films with reevaluations and those that have found their audiences over the year. They include a pair of LBGTQ films hovering around their 20th anniversaries. Horror remakes, prequels and sequel adjacent films as well a package of hard-to-find Larry Cohen projects. Martin Scorsese went to bat for a 1952 paranoia that was spoofed on MST3K while Quentin Tarantino found inspiration in the first of Shout Factory’s remastered Asian action releases. Michael Caine is a badass in a classic British crime film and one of the funniest films of all-time celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a new edition.

3:51 - Criterion (Saving Face)

7:51 - Lionsgate (But I’m a Cheerleader)

16:05 - Arrow (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) (4K), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 4K)

25:26 - Vinegar Syndrome (The Rage: Carrie 2 (4K), The Card Player (4K), Mac and Me (4K))

48:29 - Film Masters (Invasion, U.S.A. (1952))

54:03 - Shout (City On Fire (4K), Larry Cohen: Mystery and Misdirection)

1:13:51 - Warner Archive (Get Carter (1971) (4K))

1:19:25 - Kino (Scoop)

1:24:46 - Sony (Monty Python and the Holy Grail (4K Steelbook))

1:36:59 - New Theatrical & TV Titles On Blu-ray (Lilo & Stitch (2025) (4K), Karate Kid: Legends (4K), Ghostlight, The King of Kings, Huckleberry Hound Show (Complete Series), Emergency!: The Complete Series (1972-1979))

1:40:51 - New Blu-ray Announcements

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Erik’s Weekly Box Office Column – At Rotten Tomatoes

Critics’ Classics Series – At Elk Grove Cinema in Elk Grove Village, IL

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

The summer continues to wind down but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy still have eight reviews for you this week. Steve takes a look at one of the most successful films of all-time, outside of the United States (Ne Zha 2) as well as a Sophie Turner thriller the studio apparently wanted nobody to see or even hear about (Trust) while Erik looks at the new romance from Lasse Hallstrom (The Map That Leads To You). Then its time for Samara Weaving as a getaway driver (Eenie Meanie) and Riz Ahmed providing cover for whistleblowers (Relay). A group of college kids try to avoid growing up (Pools) and a bunch of adults escape wartime society in the new film from Ron Howard (Eden). Finally, Ethan Coen gives it another shot without brother Joel (Honey, Don’t).

3:10 - Ne Zha 2

11:13 - The Map That Leads To You

19:46 - Trust

29:14 - Eenie Meanie

40:22 - Pools

54:26 - Relay

1:07:55 - Eden

1:18:07 - Honey, Don't

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Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski they look at everything from Italian neo-realism to blaxploitation. There is also James Stewart and his invisible rabbit, Jane Austen and her lovelorn sisters plus a little Jess Franco. One of Leslie Nielsen’s lesser known parodies is discussed along with the Coneheads feature and one of Adam Sandler’s most beloved characters. Erik goes to bat for what he feels is an underappreciated Ron Howard film and Peter goes into the bizarro world of Xanadu.

3:41 - Criterion (Shoeshine (4K))

7:43 - Universal (Harvey 4K)

17:25 - Sony (Sense and Sensibility 4K)

24:57 - Shout (Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 2 (4K))

41:07 - Arrow (Perpetrator)

44:33 - Kino (The Vengeance of Doctor Mabuse, Gung Ho, Repossessed, Coneheads (4K), Happy Gilmore (4K), Xanadu (4K))

1:42:36 - New Blu-ray Announcements

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

It is another epic review week on the show with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy tackling 11 films. They range from a documentary about comedians navigating their worst condition (Anxiety Club) to an animated film about horny dogs (Fixed). A black family deals with the aftermath of an intruder in their home (The Knife) while a toxic dead mother intrudes on the bodies of her wife and son (Went Up The Hill) not to mention the widowed rancher trying to keep her family and business together (East of Wall). Two friends fight against being abducted by aliens in an apartment (Jimmy & Stiggs) while two infamous cable staples from 1985 get reimagined without imagination (Witchboard, Red Sonja). Bob Odenkirk returns as a man of action (Nobody 2). Vanessa Kirby spends all night trying to gather money to save her home (Night Always Comes) and Spike Lee reteams with Denzel Washington in the best remake of the week; let alone one from Akira Kurosawa (Highest 2 Lowest).

3:06 - Anxiety Club

10:22 - Fixed

17:13 - The Knife

24:55 - Went Up the Hill

32:34 - East of Wall

40:17 - Witchboard

51:28 - Red Sonja

1:02:38 - Jimmy and Stiggs

1:12:47 - Night Always Comes

1:25:47 - Nobody 2

1:37:42 - Highest 2 Lowest

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Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski they look at a staple of Egyptian film noir as well as a noir box that features an early version of Gatsby. There’s a double feature with Sylvia Sidney and a double dip of Sleepaway Camp. Hear about the horror film that Peter despises as well as the better one also getting the 4K upgrade. The Poseidon Adventure gets a modern remake and Oliver Stone does his 9/11 film. Erik also proves to be a bit fonder of the trio of anniversaries being released, particularly the one he considers to be one of the absolute best of modern comedies and kicked off an era that many wish would return to the big screen.

3:16 - Criterion (Cairo Station)

6:55 - Kino (Confessions of a Co-Ed/Ladies of the Big House, The Farmer's Daughter, Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXVI)

22:58 – Shout Factory (World Trade Center (4K), Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (4K), Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (4K))

35:08 – Lions Gate (High Tension 4K, It Follows 4K)

50:21 - Arrow (Poseidon (4K))

54:59 - Universal (Meet the Parents (2000) (4K), Casper (4K), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (4K))

1:22:35 - New Theatrical Titles & TV on Blu-ray (The Accountant 2 (4K), How to Train Your Dragon (2025) (4K), 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story: Season Two, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season One)

1:24:39 - New Blu-ray Announcements

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

Lots of movies this week on the show. 11 of them to be precise with full reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. Steve flies solo with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan back in the wrong bodies (Freakier Friday) plus a new serial killer thriller (Strange Harvest) and a documentary focusing on the fandom of Eminem (Stans). Erik looks at a story of young sisters trying to avoid being separated after their mom dies (What We Hide). There’s an actual music documentary about an artist taken too soon (It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley) and another pending paternal anxiety with a sci-fi twist (Descendent). An all-star cast forms Kristen Scott-Thomas’ personal directorial debut (My Mother’s Wedding) and Eddie Murphy teams up with Pete Davidson for some armored truck action (The Pickup). A young girl’s drawings come to life causing havoc around town (Sketch). The pair catch up on the new reboot of a comedy classic (The Naked Gun) and finish off with the mysterious disappearance of children from the director of Barbarian (Weapons).

3:25 - Freakier Friday

12:13 - What We Hide

18:29 - Strange Harvest

23:20 - Stans

29:20 - Descendent

39:09 - It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley

47:23 - My Mother's Wedding

57:52 – The Pickup

1:07:50 - Sketch

1:19:09 - The Naked Gun

1:33:58 - Weapons

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

It is a light week for physical media but that does not mean there aren’t some heavy hitters. Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to catch you up including a pair of grim anti-war films from Kon Ichikawa. There is a whole new batch of martial arts films from the Shaw Brothers. Peter Weir’s dad-movie maritime epic gets an upgrade as does a great starring vehicle for David Dastmalchian. They talk about Sam Peckinpah’s song-inspired Hal Needham film and the 40th anniversary of a John Cusack teen classic. Though few films will compare to the majesty of a masterpiece among masterpieces from Billy Wilder that belongs on every movie lover’s shelf.

3:45 - Criterion (Fires on the Plain 4K, The Burmese Harp 4K)

10:23 – Shout Factory (Shaw Brothers Classics: Volume Seven)

13:32 - Disney (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (4K Steelbook))

23:55 - Paramount (Sunset Boulevard (4K), Better Off Dead (4K))

51:06 - IFC (Late Night with the Devil (4K Steelbook))

1:13:57 - Kino (Convoy (4K))

1:13:57 – New Theatrical Title On Blu-ray (Friendship)

1:15:09 - New Blu-ray Announcements

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski guide you through a wacky week of physical media. It includes the breakthrough comedies from Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. Eddie Murphy makes his first foray into fantasy and Norm MacDonald gets three versions of his first starring role. A cinephile incel turns to murder. Meanwhile, Pulp Fiction gets a spinoff and Diabolik gets three. There is blaxploitation, Elaine May, Jon Cryer going back to school and Fu Manchu. Find out who Cliff Twemlow is and what William Conrad directed. Another William (Friedkin) directs his reported favorite movie that got the How Did This Get Made treatment while a pair of titles also got the MST3K stamp. We also got one from our Why Is This Not On Blu-Rays shows making the leap from DVD to 4K

3:12 - Shout! Factory (Fade to Black, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (4K Steelbook))

21:55 - Kino (Billy Madison (4K), Hiding Out (4K), Curdled (4K), The Diabolik Trilogy)

45:21 - Severin (Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection)

54:49 - Warner Archive (Brainstorm (1965), Melinda)

1:03:52 - Blue Underground (The Blood of Fu Manchu (4K), The Castle of Fu Manchu (4K))

1:09:00 - Vinegar Syndrome (Fire Maidens from Outer Space 4K, A New Leaf (4K), Let’s Scare Jessica to Death 4K, The Golden Child 4K, Dirty Work (4K), Jade (4K), We're No Angels (1989))

2:14:19 - New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray (The Phoenician Scheme, Rust, Thunderbolts* (4K))

2:16:16 – New Blu-ray Announcements

CLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review seven movies for you this week. They include a documentary about one of the most famous journalists of her time (Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything). Erik check out Hell in the Pacific meets the Creature from the Black Lagoon (Monster Island) while Steve looks at a new romantic thriller from Michael Winterbottom (Shoshana). They catch up on a quirky relationship comedy they saw at Sundance (Oh, Hi!). Pete Davidson goes the horror route with a mysterious elderly facility (The Home) while another SNL veteran returns to maybe his most popular character after 30 years (Happy Gilmore 2). Finally, Steve gets to check in on his thoughts on the latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (The Fantastic Four: First Steps).

3:08 - Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything

17:29 - Monster Island

23:16 - Shoshana

29:19 - Oh, Hi!

41:14 - The Home

52:14 - Happy Gilmore 2

1:07:38 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Be sure to check out

Chicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streaming

Physical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.

(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)

Erik’s Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.

The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations.