Movie Madness

A lot of great titles for your physical media library and Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to guide you through it. They include the debut films from the Wachowskis and Jeff Nichols. Plenty of noir to go around this week courtesy of Kino, Paul Schrader and a look at the new 4K Chinatown package. They discuss some of the Robocop follow-ups, some early Hitchcock, disagree on The Karate Kid, talk James Woods and cocaine. And speaking of controversy and weirdness, Peter tells you all about the big Bo Derek debacle of the 1980s.

0:00 - Intro

1:19 - Criterion (Bound)

11:08 - Arrow (American Gigolo)

22:11 - MGM (Bolero, The Boost)

43:41 - Warner Archive (Mr and Mrs Smith)

48:47 - Shout (Robocop 2, Robocop (2014))

57:30 - Sony: (Cat Ballou, The Karate Kid, Beverly Hills Ninja, Shotgun Stories)

1:17:07 - Kino (Film Noir XIX)

1:26:49 - Paramount: (Chinatown 4K, The Two Jakes 4K)

1:45:19 – New Theatrical & TV Titles

1:50:34 – New Blu-ray Announcements

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have no anxiety reviewing eight movies this week. Especially when one is a replay of a movie they raved about at Sundance and won the Audience Award at their Chicago Critics Film Festival this year (Ghostlight). But Steve also talks about Jude Law and Alicia Vikander in a story about Henry VIII (Firebrand) as well as Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham as a father and daughter revisiting Poland (Treasure). Erik checks out David Duchovny adapting his own novel (Reverse the Curse) and an animated version of a decades-old Japanese superhero (Ultraman Rising). They look at Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a fantastical story about confronting death (Tuesday) while Andrew McCarthy confronts the reality of the group labeled the “Brat Pack” (Brats). Finally the old emotions meet some new ones in Disney-Pixar’s sequel to one of their very best (Inside Out 2).

0:00 - Intro

1:27 - Firebrand

8:49 - Reverse the Curse

15:27 - Treasure

23:20 - Ultraman Rising

30:10 - Tuesday

44:17 - Brats

1:00:23 - Ghostlight

1:09:50 - Inside Out 2

1:25:02 - Outro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is a bit on the lackluster side of physical media releases this week but there are a few gems to get your wallets involved. Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress talk about the final film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder and the final appearance of Alec Guinness. As series with four entries goes there is more love for Shrek than Species. The T&A teen comedy of the ‘80s gets a double feature and there are also stellar early efforts from Luc Besson and Denzel Washington.

0:00 - Intro

2:00 - Criterion (Querelle)

9:26 - Arrow (Mute Witness 4K)

15:17 – Shout Factory (Species II 4K)

22:30 - Universal (Shrek 4K collection)

25:34 - Unearthed (Homework)

32:15 - MGM (Class, Betrayed, The Mighty Quinn)

56:04 - Sony (La Femme Nikita 4K)

1:05:18 – New Theatrical Titles on Blu-ray

1:09:21 -  New Blu-ray Announcements

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this six-movie week, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy go back two years to revisit a Dakota Johnson comedy that debuted at Sundance in 2022 (Am I OK?). Erik goes back a couple of weeks to look at the true story of a Chinese immigrant turned eye surgeon (Sight). There are sharks in the Siene (Under Paris) and young women are getting whacked around a weed farm (Trim Season). The daughter of M. Night Shayamalan makes her feature directorial debut (The Watchers) and Martin Lawrence reteams with Will Smith for a fourth time (Bad Boys: Ride or Die).

0:00 - Intro

1:23 - Am I OK?

13:04 - Sight

22:47 - Under Paris

35:21 - Trim Season

42:33 – The Watchers

54:28 - Bad Boys: Ride or Die

1:08:53 - Outro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It may be a light week on the physical media front but that’s also less money to spend and there is some choice stuff discussed by Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. They include Terry Gilliam’s seemingly impossible adaptation of a Hunter S. Thompson novel, more Johnny Depp in animated form, the tale of the first black regiment in the Civil War and Harvey Keitel in his most disturbing role. All available in 4K. There’s also a great Robert Mitchum western and an opportunity to remember Chicago’s attempt at a new martial arts hero.

0:00 - Intro

1:45 - Criterion (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K)

11:55 - Paramount (Rango 4K)

17:54 - Sony (Glory 4K)

29:01 - Kino: (Pursued, Saigon, The Chase, The Perfect Weapon, Bad Lieutenant 4K)

1:00:07 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray & Announcements

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy get back into their reviewing ways with 10 new films this week. They include documentaries about an infamous movie app (Moviepass, Moviecrash), a filmmaker and his unfinished projects (Flipside) and the career of a bonafide genius (Jim Henson: Idea Man). Steve looks at a story of a 19th century Jewish boy raised as a Catholic (Kidnapped) and Daisy Ridley as the first woman to swim the English Channel (Young Woman and the Sea). Apart from Flipside, there are three more films chosen as part of this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival. They include a new western by Viggo Mortensen (The Dead Don’t Hurt), Nick Stahl as a chef on the run (What You Wish For) and you may have heard of (or at least part of) the “what if Gus Van Sant or Terrence Malick made a Friday the 13th film” (In a Violent Nature). Then its all downhill from there with looks at Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard revisiting their childhood (Summer Camp) and Tony Goldwyn trying to do Rain Man (Ezra).

0:00 - Intro

1:32 - Kidnapped

7:56 - Moviepass, Moviecrash

22:42 - Flipside

36:25 - Jim Henson Idea Man

51:03 - Young Woman and the Sea

59:30 - What You Wish For

1:08:02 – The Dead Don't Hurt

1:17:53 - In a Violent Nature

1:28:54 - Summer Camp

1:41:32 - Ezra

1:58:53 - Outro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peter Sobczynski returns to talk new Blu-rays with Erik Childress. This week includes the debut feature from Karyn Kusama and one of last year’s Oscar winners from Criterion. Arrow has some Guillermo Del Toro in 4K and Severin has a whole slew of Italian horror being upgraded. They talk about one of the films to get the rare “F” from Cinemascore and the film that Kevin Smith turned into a punchline. There are a pair of titles from Abel Ferrara and one of John Waters’ more mainstream efforts. Finally, it is time to rank some Star Trek and discuss the one celebrating its 40th Anniversary this summer.

0:00 - Intro

0:39 - Criterion (Girlfight, Anatomy of a Fall)

7:00 - Arrow (Pandemonium, Crimson Peak 4K)

15:52 - Severin (The Great Alligator 4K, The Devil’s Honey 4K, Cemetery Man 4K)

27:44 - Shout Factory (Darkness/Fear City)

37:09 - Vinegar Syndrome (Dangerous Game 4K, Navy Seals 4K)

45:19 – MPI (Into the Blue)

49:29 - Kino (Revenge of the Ninja, Cry Baby 4K, Sci Fi Chillers)

1:03:30 - Paramount (Star Trek III 4K)

1:13:00 - New Theatrical Titles on Blu-ray

1:15:30 - New Blu-ray Announcements

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Six movies in theaters and on streaming are reviewed by Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include a pair of documentaries about one of the greatest bands of all-time (The Beach Boys) and the death-defying pilots of the Air Force (The Blue Angels). The Monday-hating cat who loves lasagna gets the animated treatment (The Garfield Movie) and Jennifer Lopez tries to navigate both sides of the A.I. debate (Atlas). Then, quite simply, two of the best most enjoyable films begin their runs this week. In some theaters before it hits Netflix, Glen Powell stars in one of Richard Linklater’s best films (Hit Man) and George Miller returns to the apocalyptic wasteland to provide backstory to one of the greatest heroines of cinema (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga). Tune in to hear why they are so worthy of your attention.

0:00 - Intro

1:55 - The Blue Angels

7:02 - The Beach Boys

26:04 - The Garfield Movie

35:33 - Atlas

48:22 - Hit Man

59:55 - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

1:22:11 - Outro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest and greatest of Blu-rays this week have Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski disagreeing on the films of Joe Carnahan. There are two Val Kilmer projects; one certainly better than the other (though it did produce a great John Frankenheimer story) as well as some early horror from Bob Clark and a more recent one from Osgood Perkins getting an upgrade. One of David O. Russell’s best films gets the same 4K upgrade plus Peter talks all about Philo Vance, Bettie Page and Peter Bogdanovich reteaming with Cybill Shepherd.

0:00 - Intro

0:56 - Arrow (Narc)

10:09 – Blue Underground (Deathdream)

18:09 – Shout Factory (Gretel & Hansel, The Island of Dr Moreau)

28:32 - Sony (Thunderheart, American Hustle)

35:12 - Kino: (Philo Vance Collection, Republic Horror Collection, Teaserama, Daisy Miller)

58:31 – MPI (Coup de Chance)

1:05:12 – New Blu-ray Announcements

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at seven films this week. They include the latest directorial effort from Ethan Hawke (Wildcat) and the hilarious feature debut from Pamela Adlon (Babes). Horror gets a Danish sequel 30 years later (Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever) and Renny Harlin starts a new trilogy in the home invasion series (The Strangers: Chapter 1). Amy Winehouse gets the biopic treatment from the director of Fifty Shades of Grey (Back to Black). The duo catch up on the latest in the Apes franchise (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) and finally have a lot to say about John Krasinski’s baffling family film (IF).

0:00 - Intro

1:19 - Wildcat

9:58 - Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever

21:21 – The Strangers: Chapter 1

31:44 - Babes

42:42 - Back to Black

58:50 - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

1:16:01 - IF

1:35:25 - Outro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.