Movie Madness

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at this week’s new Blu-ray releases and it is quite the deep dive into eclectic taste. Criterion has one of the early films of a pioneering female director. Terrorists are trying to blow up the Super Bowl, kids battle aliens, a teenager searches for her mom and Natasha Lyonne goes up against Vincent Gallo. There are films with John Barrymore and Van Heflin, Parker Posey’s first starring vehicle, a stylized actioner that could have been The Boys but figured “nah”, and other dummies too. Episode 118 had Peter talking at length about Exorcist II and now the third film gets some time as well. Finally, the esteemed Mr. Sobczynski makes the case that the 1983 remake of a Godard classic may actually be better than the original. Can he convince you?

 0:00 - Intro

1:00 - Criterion (Chilly Scenes of Winter)

6:12 - Altered Innocence (Wild Reeds)

7:40 - Vinegar Syndrome (Freeway II)

12:03 - Arrow Films (Knockabout, Black Sunday)

24:09 - Kino (Border River, Counsellor at Law, If I Had a Million, Tomahawk)

34:22 - MPI (All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) (4K))

37:53 - RLJE Films (Kids vs. Aliens)

41:36 - Sony (Missing (2023))

43:26 - Shout! Factory (Dead Silence, Wanted (4K), The Exorcist III (4K))

58:58 - Fun City Editions (Party Girl, Breathless)

1:19:33 – New Blu-ray Announcements

1:22:47 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have a shortened week of movie reviews focusing on just five for the time being. They include a dark fable starring Adèle Exarchopoulos (The Five Devils) and a documentary on a European rock tour that had implications back home (What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears). Zach Braff directs Florence Pugh in a tale of addition (A Good Person) and Sally Hawkins goes looking for Richard III (The Lost King). Finally, Keanu Reeves is back in the rare franchise that just keeps getting bigger and better (John Wick: Chapter 4).

0:00 - Intro

1:20 - The Five Devils

9:39 – What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears

17:03 - A Good Person

26:20 - The Lost King

37:37 - John Wick: Chapter 4

53:31 - Outro

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Catching you up on the latest in Blu-rays, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at offerings from John Woo, David Lynch, Bob Hope, Laurence Olivier and Dario Argento. That is just for starters. Peter gets to weigh in on some of his least favorite films from 2022 and one that pleasantly surprised him in 2023. They look back on a new edition from softcore master, Zalman King, as well as a barrage of new 4K releases that include a real gem from horror maestro, Wes Craven, working a bit outside his genre. But they most importantly include one of the great, still underappreciated, works from Walter Hill and a release over 20 years in the making that would have absolutely delighted our good friend, Sergio Mims.

0:00 - Intro

1:02 - Criterion (Last Hurrah For Chivalry, Inland Empire)

9:49 - Kino (Never Say Die, Thanks for the Memory)

13:06 - Warner Archive (The Prince and the Showgirl, Flamingo Road)

19:15 - Music Box (Leonor Will Never Die)

20:49 - Synapse (Phenomena (4K))

28:09 - Ronin Flix (Wild Orchid 2)

35:18 - Lions Gate (Seriously Red, Alice, Darling, The Whale)

43:37 - Sony (A Man Called Otto)

46:27 - Universal (M3GAN, The Prince of Egypt (4K))

53:50 - Shout! Factory (Crazy People, Critical Condition, Dr. Giggles, Sorry, Wrong Number, Streets of Fire (4K)  

1:10:57 - Paramount (Babylon (4K), The Core (4K), Red Eye (4K), Dragonslayer (4K))

1:31:41 – New Blu-ray Announcements

1:34:34 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to catch you up on two weeks of movies including Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche in a disaster film (Supercell) and a new animated film on Netflix (The Magician’s Elephant). One of the Farrelly Bros. reunited with Woody Harrelson coaching an intellectually-challenged basketball team (Champions) and Kiernan Shipka grows up with an intellectually-challenged parent (Wildflower). Adam Driver is stranded on a planet with dinosaurs (65) and Willem Dafoe is an art thief locked in a penthouse apartment (Inside). Kiera Knightley and Carrie Coon show us how to properly do investigative journalism into true crime (Boston Strangle) while Erik & Steve preach how a latest fake crime franchise is not all that (Scream VI). Finally, does the sequel to what one of them considers the best of the DC Universe live up to its name (Shazam! Fury of the Gods).

 0:00 - Intro

1:57 - Wildflower

8:28 - 65

24:40 - Supercell

31:39 - Champions

42:52 – The Magician's Elephant

48:53 - Inside 

59:11 - Boston Strangler 

1:10:17 - Scream VI

1:26:31 - Shazam! Fury of the Gods

1:39:51 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are back to get you caught up on your physical media and it runs the gamut from the 1930s up until the Oscars this weekend including one Oscar for Joan Crawford and another hopefully for Sarah Polley. There is also Greta Garbo, Susan Hayward and Shirley Temple. A film about making the perfect man and another teen comedy about hoping to romance the perfect woman. Sony has some 4K editions of late ‘90s action and the pair fondly remember some 1980s Schwarzenegger sci-fi set from just a few years ago.

0:00 - Intro

1:18 - Criterion (Mildred Pierce (4K))

7:01 - Warner Archive (Camille, I'll Cry Tomorrow)

16:57 - Cohen Media (Let it Be Morning)

19:06 - Arrow Films (The House That Screamed)

24:36 - Kino (Asphalt, The Crusades, Little Miss Marker, Making Mr. Right, Secret Admirer)

42:13 - Greenwich (Dear Mr. Brody)

48:29 - Mill Creek (The Fan, Fear 1996, Problem Child)

58:45 - Sony (Air Force One (4K), The Mask of Zorro (4K))

1:05:13 - Paramount (The Running Man)

1:12:11 - Universal (Women Talking)

1:21:42 – New Blu-ray Announcements

1:26:10 - Outro

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For the better part of the last 20 years covering film festivals, I used to do a preview piece for eFilmCritic about South by Southwest called “10 Films To See.” Now that the site is no more I am bringing it to the Movie Madness podcast and offering those attending my suggestions to get on their schedule. They include a number of terrific documentaries about television and music, films where women take control, scary (and hopeful) films about technology and THE horror film to see where one of our great character actors gets to take center stage. Literally. But if you are attending Austin, all of these films should be highlighted on your schedule. And if you are not, be on the lookout for them in the future.

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The weekly movie reviews come at you quick this week with five new titles. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have opinions on all five including an uncomfortable tale of grooming that was chosen for the Chicago Critics Film Festival in 2022 (Palm Trees and Power Lines). Michael Shannon pretends to be an infamous author (A Little White Lie) and Stephen King’s evil kids get a prequel of sorts (Children of the Corn). Guy Ritchie is is inexplicably back with another action comedy (Operation Fortune: Ruse Du Guerre) and Michael B. Jordan is back as Adonis in front of and behind the camera to battle Jonathan Majors in and out of the boxing ring (Creed III).

0:00 - Intro

1:20 – Palm Trees and Power Lines

11:01 – A Little White Lie

23:25 – Children of the Corn

37:36 – Operation Fortune: Ruse du Guerre

51:43 – Creed III

1:08:32 - Outro

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Some great new blu-rays this week to bulk up your physical media collections, especially in 4K. Criterion delivers one of the seminal comedies of the 1980s, Denzel Washington wins another Oscar and Peter Sobczynski reveals which film he would be happy to see win an Oscar this year. Francis Ford Coppola finally puts out an authentic cut, Indiana Jones gets an origin story and Dustin Hoffman has an awful time in the dentist chair. A pair of horror classics get their due in 4K and if you missing Rocky Balboa in Creed III, you can now see him a Knockout Collection. For years though, one film has eluded Peter’s grasp and Erik Childress is ready to hear all about his experience with a talking dragon.

1:03 - Criterion (Two Films By Marguerite Duras, Hollywood Shuffle)

12:06 - Sony (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody)

16:30 - Paramount (Devotion (4K))

18:56 - Universal (Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (4K))

22:38 - IFC (God's Country)

24:29 - Lions Gate (B'Twixt Now and Sunrise, John Wick Stash Book Collection (4K))

36:31 - Kino (The Bliss of Miss Blossom, The Secret of the Incas, Marathon Man (4K))

46:39 - Shout Factory (The Boxtrolls 4K, Kubo and the Two Strings 4K, Dragonheart 4K)

1:03:48 - Dark Sky (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4K)

1:11:02 - Vinegar Syndrome (From Beyond (4K))

1:18:04 - Warner Bros. (Training Day (4K), Rocky: The Knockout Collection (4K))

1:30:40 – New Blu-ray Announcements

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at six new movies this week. They include an acclaimed film from Ireland you may have heard about on our best-of-2022 show (The Quiet Girl) and a feature version of Idris Elba’s BBC series (Luther: The Fallen Sun). The star of Sex Education brings the author of Wuthering Heights to life (Emily) and hippies become Jesus freaks (Jesus Revolution). Finally, David Harbour is a silent apparition in a new family’s home (We Have a Ghost) and you may have heard the one about the bear that did cocaine.

0:00 - Intro

2:39 - Luther: The Fallen Sun

11:08 – The Quiet Girl

21:24 - Jesus Revolution

30:47 - Emily 

39:27 - We Have a Ghost

50:47 - Cocaine Bear

1:07:08 - Outro

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Find out what you can get on Blu-ray this week with an update from Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. They take a remembrance on the first time each of them saw Dazed and Confused, now in a new edition from Criterion. Blue Underground has a pair of Jess Franco titles newly minted in 4K. Jean Reno hunts a serial killer, Dean Stockwell is a werewolf and Steve McQueen magnificently fights Eli Wallach and throws a car from the Marina Towers in Chicago. There is also Catherine Deneuve’s only Oscar nomination, a feminist horror film from the ’80s more interesting than you may remember and the tortured anguish of keeping your feelings to yourself when fascism is on the rise and you’re in love with Emma Thompson.

0:00 - Intro

2:08 - Criterion (Dazed and Confused (4K))

10:40 - Blue Underground (Eugenie 4K, Justine 4K)

16:20 - Paramount (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (4K))

19:23 - Lions Gate (The Old Way, The Inspection)

23:25 - Disney (Empire of Light)

25:14 - Kino (The Werewolf of Washington, The Crimson Rivers, The Hunter)

37:38 - Shout! Factory (The Magnificent Seven 4K, Giovanni's Island / Slumber Party Massacre / Slumber Party Massacre II (1982-1987))

50:21 - Sony (Indochine, Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams , The Remains of the Day 4K)

1:01:20 – New Blu-ray Announcements

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