This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski features films for its rabid fanbases as well as a string of live-action big screen failures and Schwarzenegger battling for the devil. Jennifer Lopez tries to get an Oscar and the world is introduced to Mario Bava. Westerns got a bit of a revival 40 years ago and this week features an upgrade to the best of them as well as Sam Raimi’s attempt ten years later to try to have his own fun with the genre. There is an incredible Peanuts set for all ages and a bookend that includes David Lynch’s derided and reappraised big-screen prequel to his legendary TV show and the film that has been bringing together audiences for 50 years.

It is a packed week of reviews on the show with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy, an even dozen in fact. They include one of the best documentaries of the year (Predators) and a film as bad as The Substance is good (Shell). Steve looks at Daniel Day-Lewis’ return to the big screen (Anemone) while Erik looks at a charming family film about competitive pumpkin gardening (Grow). It’s also October so that must mean horror. So there’s another terror-filled tale about double-booking (Bone Lake) as well as the family that must barricade at home for the terror outside (Coyotes). There’s a scary film from the POV of a canine (Good Boy) and another in the long-running anthology series (V/H/S Halloween). Cillian Murphy works at a home for trouble youth (Steve) and Matthew McConaughey tries to save children from one of the worst wildfires in history (The Lost Bus). Mark Wahlberg takes on a character played by the likes of Lee Marvin, Mel Gibson and Jason Statham in the latest from Shane Black (Play Dirty) and Wahlberg’s Pain and Gain co-star, Dwayne Johnson, plays one of the early stars of MMA fighting (The Smashing Machine).

Collections are the thing in this week’s look at physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. Criterion has nearly the entire oeuvre of Wes Anderson. Vinegar Syndrome has a pair of Larry Fessenden works while Universal has packaged up a bunch of Draculas in 4K. Kino has a bunch of Dan Curtis and the Airport films while Warner Bros. has Freddy Krueger in a new 4K set. There is also the shorts of Creepshow, the beginning of American Pie and Yorgo Lanthimos plus one of the great action films of the new millennium that you may have missed.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy play a little catch-up this week but also replay their early review of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, opening this week in case any of you missed it. Before that though they talk about a tribute to an iconic cult film celebrating its 50^th anniversary (Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror). Gabriel Byrne reexamines his troubled life (Death of a Ladies Man) while Renny Harlin delivers the sequel to his horror reboot (The Strangers: Chapter Two) and Jordan Peele produces a very confused horror film about football (Him). If Emma Thompson with a Fargo accent trying to thwart a kidnapping on a frozen lake is more your speed they have you covered (Dead of Winter). Or maybe its about June Squibb lying about being a Holocaust survivor in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut (Eleanor the Great). Finally there are also a pair of romantic fantasies involving tests that lead you to your soulmate (All of You) and the latest from filmmaker Kogonada with Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in a title that speaks for itself (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey).

This week in physical media definitely has a type and Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to let you know what to buy (or choose not to buy) this week. They include a trio of titles from Criterion including a recent Oscar winner. There is everything from Tsui Hark to Dolly Parton plus a dive into the creation of a sequel to one of the best and most successful comedies ever. Variations of zombies are created by Tom Savini, Danny Boyle and Tim Burton. Plus it is a helluva week for a capitulating studio to release a film about escaping the persecution from fascists.

No one is being silenced on this podcast and we are keeping free speech going by reviewing 11 films this week. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy go back to last year’s Fantastic Fest to revisit Alexandre O. Phillippe’s latest essay on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Chain Reactions). Mike Figgis goes behind the scenes of Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project (Megadoc) and there’s another documentary on a filmmaker who would probably be making ones for the Trump Administration today (Riefenstahl). In lighter fare, a virginal Lily Singh becomes a sex-ed professor (Doin’ It) and Josh Duhamel trains a LARPer to become a hitman (London Calling). Someone is killing babysitters again (Night of the Reaper) and Neil Marshall makes his funniest film (it’s not a comedy) (Compulsion). Billy Zane morphs into an iconic actor living in Tahiti (Waltzing with Brando), Lily James plays one of the founders of Tinder (Swiped) and Michael Chiklis plays a 59 year-old college football player (The Senior). Finally, we have an early review of the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson which is the timeliest film to ever deserve that term (One Battle After Another).

This week in physical media certainly plays to the cult audiences that embraced them. That may not include an inspirational Ron Howard sports movie or the unnecessary remakes on the pile but Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski talk you through an early Lizzie Borden film and one of the craziest near-lost crime films of the ‘70s. There is fun stuff too from the film that launched the film careers of Bill Murray and Ivan Reitman to one of the greatest comedies and mockumentaries of all-time. Even Peter is down with this week’s geek offerings from Disney’s revolutionary move to computer animated effects in 1982 to the goofy sci-fi/fantasy from the director of Breaking Away.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back on the review beat with seven new films this week. Steve looks at a documentary about model and photographer Bunny Yeager (Naked Ambition) as well as the conclusion of everyone’s beloved big house (Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale). Corey Hawkins deals with a mysterious offer from Willem Dafoe (The Man In My Basement) and Dev Patel gets put through the folk horror wringer (Rabbit Trap). The film which opened this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival is one of the best you will see this year (The Baltimorons). Stephen King’s Vietnam-era novel finally gets its adaptation from the director of The Hunger Games sequels (The Long Walk). Finally, 41 years in the making itself, everyone’s favorite dysfunctional rock trio returns (Spinal Tap II: The End Continues)

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look ahead in the world of physical media and reveal what you can add to your library this week and next. For those who have seen Spike Lee’s remake, Highest 2 Lowest, Crtierion offers up the Kurosawa original in OK. You may have been issued it when you first bought your DVD player but now you can get the TV sci-fi adaptation with a unique stake in box office history. Universal has upgraded a pair of Best Actress-winning biopics and Warner upgrades a horror original in time for its final sequel. Oliver Stone has James Woods in one of his very best performances. Dwayne Johnson gets 4K’d in one of his few good movies. There are a pair of detective stories including the unfairly maligned sequel to Chinatown. Plus Walter Hill’s prison boxing film is also worth another look.

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 50^th 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).