Movie Madness

Keeping your physical media collection up to date? That is what Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to do again this week. The latest and greatest in Blu-rays include a female-led martial arts double feature extravaganza as well as a double bill of films from the Civil Rights era. There’s a new film with Isabelle Huppert along and a collection of short parodies from Ernie Fosselius. Then new upgrades to 4K run the gamut from Australian psychic horror to a goofy underwater monster film. There’s also the final feature from anime director Satoshi Kon as well as the entire Beverly Hills Cop series. Share in their disappointment (and PTSD) of that third film and learn of the film that resulted from a radio blind date contest before both of them agree on the release that may just be Sam Raimi’s finest achievement.

0:00 - Intro

1:19 – Criterion (The Heroic Trio, Nothing But a Man, Afire)

12:06 – Powerhouse (Patrick 4K)

17:20 – Sony (Paprika 4K)

19:22 – Kino (King: A Filmed Odyssey, Leviathan 4K, The Last Castle 4K, La Syndicaliste

38:12 – Paramount (Beverly Hills Cop 1-3 4K)

56:45 – MVD (Hardware Wars)

1:04:30 – Shout Factory (Darkman)

1:15:26 – New Blu-ray Announcements

1:16:42 - Outro

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Eight reviews this week from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy run the gamut from good documentaries to surprisingly-not-so-bad to shockingly awful. Where do all of these films fit in? How do you feel about an action film from the director of Underwater with this name (Land of Bad) or the rookie secret service agent trying to save the President with this one (Air Force One Down)? Ewan McGregor takes a road trip with his addicted daughter (Bleeding Love) and Lily Sullivan stumbles upon an alien conspiracy (Monolith). Those documentaries include a scary one about Christian Nationalism (God & Country) and a more inspiring one about the history of black astronauts (The Space Race). Finally in theaters this weekend comes another musical biopic (Bob Marley: One Love) and another Sony Spider-Man adjacent comic book tale (Madame Web) that have their own set of problems.

0:00 - Intro

1:37 - Land of Bad

9:20 - Air Force One Down

16:28 - Bleeding Love

22:48 - God & Country

29:35 - Monolith

36:25 – The Space Race

46:30 - Bob Marley: One Love

1:00:47 - Madame Web

1:23:36 - Outro

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Peter Sobczynski again joins Erik Childress to tell you what’s available in physical media this week. You can stock up on your French auteurs, Eric Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard. There are lions and Cagneys and Willy’s, oh my! They go through the good and mediocre in the pricey new 4K set from Sony and Peter offers his two cents on his choice for the best film of 2023. Plus nobody puts Kevin Bacon in the corner as both recall their experiences with the film that tried to stop him from dancing.

0:00 - Intro

0:59 – Criterion (Eric Rohmer’s Tales of Four Seasons)

6:39 – Kino (Godard Cinema and Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars, Madame DuBarry, Blood on the Sun, Man-Eater of Kumaon, Let's Dance)

22:20 – Paramount (Footloose 4K)

32:01 – Shout! Factory (Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, Willy’s Wonderland)

40:56 – Sony (Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4)

54:30 - New Theatrical Titles & TV on Blu-ray

1:02:39 – New Blu-ray Announcements

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Seven new films get reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include a new mistaken identity rom-com with Camila Mendes (Upgraded) and another story of a novelist plunged into a murderous plot (Ghostwritten). A teenage girl comes of age in the time of Terry Schiavo (Suncoast) while a trio of friends discover the harsher realities of growing up while on vacation in an award-winner from Cannes (How To Have Sex). Also for the second week in a row there is a Wim Wenders film, this time up for an Oscar (Perfect Days). A group of ancient nomads encounter an evil force (Out of Darkness) while our reviews are forced to encounter the latest and, perhaps, worst screenplay from Oscar-winner Diablo Cody (Lisa Frankenstein).

0:00 - Intro

1:49 - Upgraded

14:40 - Ghostwritten

19:48 - Suncoast

30:30 - Perfect Days

39:33 - How To Have Sex

49:46 - Out of Darkness

55:23 - Lisa Frankenstein

1:08:41 - Outro

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Getting you caught up on the latest and greatest (and sometimes not-so-great) in blu-rays, Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress run the gamut this week. They include Billy Wilder doing Agatha Christie and George Segal doing Michael Crichton. A film from the late Norman Jewison and a reimagining of the late Adrienne Shelley’s final film. Plus in maybe the biggest swing, going over arguably Robert Altman’s finest film and then diving into the career of Uwe Boll.

0:00 - Intro

1:15 – Criterion (McCabe and Mrs Miller)

8:55 – Kino (The Big Country, Witness for the Prosecution, The Thomas Crown Affair, Burnt Offerings)

29:10 - Massacre Video (Bloodrayne 4K)

41:12 – Shout Factory (Funeral Home, The Terminal Man)

47:29 – Decal (Waitress: The Musical)

54:18 – New Blu-ray Announcements

56:56 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to the weekly beat of reviews with seven new titles this week. They include a new 3-D documentary from Wim Wenders (Anselm) and another with the master of giallo (Dario Argento Panico). Leah McKendrick writes, directs and freezes her eggs (Scrambled) plus you can learn all about the making of We Are The World (The Greatest Night In Pop). A pair of streamers serve up animation with an all-Asian cast (The Tiger’s Apprentice) and Charlie Kaufman adapts an anxiety-driven children’s book (Orion and the Dark). Finally, it is time to learn who the real agent….shhhh….we’re not supposed to say (Argylle).

0:00 - Intro

1:44 - Anselm

7:51 - The Tiger's Apprentice

13:44 - Dario Argento Panico

19:55 – The Greatest Night in Pop

37:21 - Scrambled
46:01 - Orion and the Dark

57:25 – Argylle

1:13:09 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy returned to Park City in-person for the first time since 2020 and they brought back a lot of reviews. 18 films are discussed on the show including the latest works from Steven Soderbergh, the Zellner Bros. and the makers of Saint Frances. Jesse Eisenberg delivers his sophomore Sundance effort and it resulted in one of the bigger deals of the fest, though Erik offers his thoughts on the biggest sale. There is praise for Saoirse Ronan, Andre Holland, Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman and less so for a title that speaks for itself. Documentaries that make you cry were in full effect as were ones that will raise your anxiety. There was something for everyone this fest and hopefully you will get to see them soon.

0:00 - Intro

4:38 - Ghostlight

9:40 - Sasquatch Sunset

16:19 - My Old Ass

22:40 - It’s What’s Inside

26:18 - The Outrun

32:46 - A Real Pain

40:38 - Presence

47:36 - Exhibiting Forgiveness

54:17 – Between the Temples

1:00:44 - Daughters

1:04:11 – Ibelin

1:11:42 – Super/Man: The Chrsitopher Reev Story

1:21:34 - Skywalkers: A Love Story

1:31:35 – War Game

1:38:28 – Good One

1:45:07 -  A Different Man

1:52:21 – Handling the Undead

1:57:56 – Thelma

2:07:43 - Outro

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Peter Sobczynski helps Erik Childress get caught up with a few weeks of Blu-ray releases. They include what may be John Sayles’ finest film along with one of the better Nicolas Cage movies that nearly got buried. There are movies with submarines and others with serial killers and stalkers plus a genuine animated gem you may have missed. One of the best film noirs musicals, post-Vietnam films are available this week along with the Marx Bros. and Rodney Dangerfield as an animated dog. (It’s not the gem.) Peter takes you into the world of Chantal Akerman and Coffin Joe while Arnold Schwarzenegger gets the 4K upgrade for both his comedy and one of his most iconic roles.

0:00 - Intro

2:25 – Criterion (Lone Star, Chantal Akerman Masterpieces 1968-1978, Trainspotting)

18:21 – Vinegar Syndrome (Red Rock West)

27:19 – Kino (Scarlet Street, The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming, Run Silent Run Deep, Coming Home, Kindergarten Cop)

51:48 – Arrow (The Conan Chronicles, Murphy’s War, Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe)

1:15:15 – Severin (The Psychic)

1:19:32 – MVD (Cutting Class)

1:26:29 – Shout Factory (Thinner, Jennifer 8, Unlawful Entry)

1:46:51 – Warner Archive (A Day at the Races, Cabin in the Sky, Rover Dangerfield)

1:59:27 – Sony (The Triplets of Belleville)

2:02:45 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray

2:04:06 – New Blu-ray Announcements

2:06:14 - Outro

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A tradition that has gone absent for too long on the podcast has been this show that began with Sergio Mims and Erik Childress on WHPK Radio Chicago and continued on here. Films that has still yet to get the upgrade treatment on physical media and every time a new one emerges you can hear Sergio screaming down “WE GOT ONE!”  We are finally continuing what we started, Sergio, with Peter Sobczynski stepping in to offer his half of 20 titles that still remain dormant on DVD or no physical media whatsoever. Erik and Peter serve up their choices which include films about baseball, politics, journalism and murder. There’s a sci-fi musical and a concert film, true-life tragedies and even farces, satires and other films to laugh at. There is truly something here for everyone and it is time these films receive the upgrade they deserve.

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The first new reviews of 2024 are here, even as a few late 2023 titles sneak into the mix. 13 in all starting with Anthony Hopkins, this time not as C.S. Lewis (Freud’s Last Session) and Renny Harlin dialing up some action with Aaron Eckhart (The Bricklayer). An Elvis, a Spock and a monkey go on a strange journey (He Went That Way) while Kaley Cuoco goes on a familiar one as another domesticated assassin (Role Play). MST3K’s Jonah Ray tries to get ahead of his neighbor (Destroy All Neighbors) and Kevin Hart leads a team through the air on a gold heist (Lift). Steve checks out the scary swimming pool (Night Swim) while J.A. Bayona revisits the real life horror of the Andes plane crash (Society of the Snow). Director Steve McQueen connects WWII to the pandemic (Occupied City) and Jake Johnson is forced to connect with someone or die (Self Reliance). Jason Statham burns phishing scammers (The Beekeeper), LaKeith Stanfield tries to one-up Jesus as the Messiah (The Book of Clarence) and a 20-year-old teen classic gets the musical treatment (Mean Girls)

0:00 - Intro

1:36 - Freud’s Last Session

7:56 - The Bricklayer

13:22 - He Went That Way

21:20 - Role Play

27:41 - Destroy All Neighbors

38:23 - Lift

49:10 - Night Swim

56:28 - Society of the Snow

1:12:35 - Occupied City

1:17:26 – The Beekeeper

1:30:40 - Self Reliance

1:39:39 - Mean Girls

1:55:18 – The Book of Clarence

2:11:00 - Outro

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