Movie Madness

The first show of October begins with nine movie reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. Appropriately kicking off with an actor auditioning to be a demonologist (Devil’s Workshop) and a pair of best friends dealing with a demon of their own (My Best Friend’s Exorcism). Kate Hudson befriends an escaped woman with telekinesis (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and a documentary looks at the career of Sinead O’Connor (Nothing Compares). Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline reteam for a third time (The Good House) and Walter Hill returns to the director’s chair for a new western (Dead for a Dollar). Zac Efron delivers warm PBR to his buddies in Vietnam (The Greatest Beer Run Ever), Sosie Bacon discovers that trauma has a new face (Smile) and Billy Eichner co-writes and headlines a sharp, LBGTQ romantic comedy that deserves your attention (Bros).

0:00 - Intro

1:37 – Devil’s Workshop

8:08 – My Best Friend’s Exorcism

18:45 – Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

28:45 – Nothing Compares

40:14 – Dead for a Dollar

50:07 – The Good House

59:44 – The Greatest Beer Run Ever

1:12:45 - Smile

1:24:51 – Bros

1:44:05 - Outro

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Another loaded week has Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy looking at nine new movies. They include another guy-joins-shadowy-government-agency film (Section 8) and a tale of another famous (in Canada) bank robber tale with Josh Duhamel (Bandit). The star of The Babadook takes on another rocky tale of motherhood (The Justice of Bunny King), Adelaide Clemens must come to terms with having her first child and the two men vying for her affection (The Swearing Jar) and Lena Dunham adapts the story of a 14 year-old in the 13th century trying to fend off her own suitors (Catherine Called Birdy). Two icons are also chronicled by Reginald Hudlin in a documentary about the recently departed Mr. Poitier (Sidney) and Ana De Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s controversial adaptation (Blonde). Finally, Allison Janney gets a chance to be an action hero on Netflix (Lou) and Florence Pugh begins to wake up in a patriarchal society in Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial effort (Don’t Worry Darling).

0:00 - Intro

1:55 - Section 8

8:47 – The Justice of Bunny King

16:43 – The Swearing Jar

23:00 - Catherine Called Birdy

29:51 - Bandit

37:21 - Sidney

50:29 - Lou

1:03:25 - Blonde

1:18:39 - Don't Worry Darling

1:38:29 - Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy catch-up on two weeks-worth of movies. 13 movies to be precise and many of them have a lot in common. Justin Long is in two films where he should be staying away from a house, one where he is trying to get laid (House of Darkness) and another that he is trying to sell that Erik has some specific thoughts on (Barbarian). Not to mention the smart house that is trying to kill it’s inhabitants (Margaux). There is the true story of sisters who would not talk to anyone but each other (The Silent Twins) and one of the great horror films of the year – and on this episode – about what can happen if you see something but don’t say something (Speak No Evil). There are a pair of mysteries with Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan trying to solve one (See How They Run) and Jon Hamm stepping into Chevy Chase’s to solve the other (Confess, Fletch). Erik and Steve also get saddened by the disappointments delivered by Robert Zemeckis (Pinocchio) and Kevin Smith (Clerks III). But beyond those there is also Thandiwe Newton in the acclaimed Sundance drama (God’s Country), a documentary about David Bowie (Moonage Daydream), Viola Davis and an army of women kicking ass (The Woman King) and Ti West & Mia Goth’s prequel to this year’s mix of horror and porno (Pearl).

0:00 - Intro

God's Country

18:13 - House of Darkness

30:49 - Margaux

37:52 - Pinocchio

54:33 – The Silent Twins

1:01:39 - Barbarian

1:20:13 - Moonage Daydream

1:27:07 - Speak No Evil

1:38:24 - See How They Run

1:44:42 - Clerks III

2:01:24 - Confess, Fletch

2:15:49 - Pearl

2:30:56 - The Woman King

2:43:45 - Outro

AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD THIS WEEK

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection

The Automat

Cursed Films: Season Two (2021-2022)

The Equalizer: Season Two

Exotica

The Lost Boys (4K)

Outlander (Season 6)

Poltergeist (1982) (4K)

Universal Noir #1 (1947-1954)

Vengeance

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Theaters are facing a drought this autumn season and over Labor Day Weekend Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movies to review. They include a reimagining from filmmaker Francois Ozon (Peter Von Kant) and a quest to bring Hitler’s remains to Stalin (Burial). The Umbrella Academy’s Tom Hopper and Kat Graham double-book a place in Verona (Love In The Villa) and Javier Bardem seeks an award for his company (The Good Boss). Two documentaries look at the happy friendships of genre filmmakers (The Horror Crowd) and the tortured psyche of a tennis great (McEnroe). Finally, Steve gets a chance to weigh in on a Sundance favorite and reveal whether Erik was on point with its shortcomings (Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul).

0:00 - Intro

3:08 - Peter Von Kant

10:18 - Love In The Villa

18:14 - Burial

24:32 – The Horror Crowd

38:40 - The Good Boss 

44:29 - McEnroe

59:36 - Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul

1:12:31 - Outro

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When Sergio Mims asked me to program his classical music show for WHPK Radio dedicated to composer John Williams, I knew it was a daunting assignment. How can you sum up the career of a legend in three hours? How can one convey what his compositions have meant to not only me but countless moviegoers (and even TV viewers) over the years? What follows is the journey that I went on highlighting many of the classics but also the range that followed beyond his collaboration with Steven Spielberg. It still only scratches the surface, but what I could not fit into the radio timeslot at the University of Chicago is expanded upon with 38 additional minutes of music and commentary. I hope you enjoy.

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy clear out August with reviews of nine new films starting with an assist from show regular Sergio Mims when they all reviewed the new John Boyega bank robbery tale (Breaking). It’s not Avatar but water plays a big part this week with a Dead Calm-like tale of lies on a boat (Into the Deep), more noir homage from Neil LaBute when a guy trying to stay out of trouble sees Diane Kruger in a lake (Out of the Blue) and the duo try to figure out if the new shark attack film is trying to be bad or just straight is (Maneater). Steve reviews a new film from The Squid and the Whale’s Owen Klein (Funny Pages) and Erik is flat baffled by whatever the hell the new Kevin Hart/Mark Wahlberg film is trying to be (Me Time). Sylvester Stallone is a superhero in isolation (Samaritan), Nathalie Emmanuel discovers some creepy ancestors in her bloodline (The Invitation) and, finally, George Miller returns with his first film in seven years. Is Three Thousand Years of Longing all that they wished for?

0:00 - Intro

2:03 - Breaking

14:35 - Into the Deep

24:06 - Maneater

38:45 - Funny Pages

49:23 - Out of the Blue 

1:00:30 - Me Time  

1:14:29 - Samaritan

1:27:27 – The Invitation

1:42:23 - Three Thousand Years of Longing  

2:01:04 - Outro

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The summer season may be winding down but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy found 11 movies to talk about this week. They revisit their thoughts on the bizarre Alison Brie/Aubrey Plaza Italy film from SXSW (Spin Me Round). Steve checks out a couple of documentaries about Indigenous leaders trying to take back the Amazon rainforest (The Territory) and one on the career of musical artist, Courtney Barnett (Anonymous Club). Erik looks at a struggling married couple on a yacht to nowhere (Get Away If You Can) and a whole town that experiences the effects of drinking horny water (Love In Kilneery). Steve has Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth isolated for cash prizes (The Immaculate Room) and the pair look at another two-hander involving Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons’ voice through a glory hole and the end of the world (Glorious). Lili Rinehart stars in a gutless Sliding Doors scenario (Look Both Ways) and a mentally challenged Stephan James tries to solve the death of his sister (Delia’s Gone). Isabelle Fuhrmann returns to the role of the con artist who looks like a child (Orphan: First Kill) and Idris Elba tries to protect his daughters in the Cujo for Lions tale (Beast).

0:00 – Intro

3:41 – Spin Me Round

16:31 – The Territory

22:02 – Love In Kilneery

31:29 – Anonymous Club

39:26 – Get Away If You Can

46:41 – The Immaculate Room

54:03 – Glorious

1:02:32 – Look Both Ways

1:16:13 – Delia’s Gone

1:29:13 – Orphan: First Kill

1:41:19 – Beast

1:57:55 – Outro

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Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at nine new movies this week and not only are most of them only available in theaters at the moment but nearly all of them have women leading the way in front of or behind the camera. One of those is a documentary about the effect pandemic had on theaters – for the better (Back to the Drive-In). There are two very different films about teenage female bonding (Medusa, Summering). Pleasure robots try to take back their rights (Wifelike) and a 30 year-old wishes she was a 70 year-old Diane Keaton (Mack & Rita). Further crimes are created when Aubrey Plaza fights back against student debt with credit card fraud (Emily the Criminal) while Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco team up to battle a female vampire (Day Shift). Finally, two best friends get trapped atop a 2,000 foot radio tower (Fall) and a group of supposed Gen-Z friends get trapped with a murderer during a hurricane (Bodies Bodies Bodies).

0:00 - Intro

1:57 – Medusa

11:15 – Back to the Drive-In

20:01 – Summering

25:39 – Wifelike

31:50 – Mack & Rita

45:40 – Emily the Criminal

57:22 – Day Shift

1:13:03 – Fall

1:26:47 – Bodies Bodies Bodies

1:40:22 – Outro

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There are eight movies to talk about this week and Erik Cihldress and Steve Prokopy have seen them all. There is love for two films from this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival including Patton Oswalt catfishing his own son (I Love My Dad) and Dale Dickey looking to kindle an old friendship with Wes Studi (A Love Song). There is a new animated film on Apple+ (Luck) and a documentary about the Father of Claymation (Claydream). Ron Howard turns a story that got the doc treatment last year about the Thailand cave rescue into a feature (Thirteen Lives) and stand-up comic Jo Koy stars in a film based on his life (Easter Sunday). The Predator franchise springs to new life in the 18th century (Prey) and Brad Pitt takes on a locomotive full of assassins (Bullet Train). There’s a lot of love this week but there are some targets as well.

0:00 - Intro

1:03 - I Love My Dad

16:49 – Claydream

32:38 – A Love Song

42:34 – Luck

57:44 – Thirteen Lives

1:15:38 – Easter Sunday

1:34:43 - Prey

1:50:47 – Bullet Train

2:06:26 - Outro

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Themes develop within this week’s movie reviews. Funny how that happens without even trying sometimes but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy wade through seven movies this week. It all begins with an emotionally unsettling film they have been championing since Sundance featuring another knockout performance by Rebecca Hall and a never creepier Tim Roth (Resurrection). Steve checks out Juliette Binoche as a trucker who gets involved in child trafficking (Paradise Highway) while Erik covers Angourie Rice as an overachieving high schooler trying to sabotage her competition (Honor Society). Zoey Deutsch is an underachieving photo editor who tries to manipulate a fresh grief hashtag in a new satire (Not Okay) and Katie Holmes and Jim Sturgess are forced to white-people-problem their way through the start of the Covid pandemic (Alone Together). Steve also looks at the new animated effort from the other comic book studio (DC League of Super Pets). Finally, the pair heap praise upon the writing/directing effort from B.J. Novak that is certainly one of the strongest surprises of the year.

0:00 - Intro

2:35 - Resurrection

15:23 – Paradise Highway

23:55 - Honor Society

33:04 - Alone Together

44:16 – Not Okay

1:00:47 - DC League of Super Pets

1:09:42 - Vengeance

1:29:10 - Outro

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