Movie Madness
Episode 637: Sometimes Dead IS Better
This week in physical media, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski guide you through a week that includes a pair of lesser Peter Sellers efforts as well as a Southern melodrama known more for the way Marlon Brando is beaten up. There is also some Billy Dee Williams and River Phoenix and a little Bunuel. Cult audiences have a lot to cheer this week from the horror of the late 70s to romance of the early 80s. Keanu Reeves squares off against Al Pacino’s devil and there is a lot of love for Kenneth Branagh’s Hitchcockian mystery that may still remain his best and most entertaining film.
Episode 636: Everybody’s Taken By The Brain Attack
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movie reviews for you this week including a remake of a 40-year old hockey film (Youngblood). A reckless young man is held captive like a dog (Heel) and a woman is held captive like a child (Dolly) while Milla Jovovich goes on the offensive to rescue her daughter from sex traffickers (Protector). Alan Ritchson faces off against an alien presence (War Machine). Pixar’s latest has a girl who becomes a beaver (Hoppers) and Maggie Gyllenhaal offers her brand new take on an even older classic (The Bride!)
Episode 635: Blast Off With Christopher Lee & Asia Argento
This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski they look at one of the rarely talked about Coen Bros. films, John Ford basically doing Red Dust again and Herschell Gordon Lewis’ film about a Chicago garage band. There’s also the Karate Kid series continuation, a Sundance short that became a Sundance film plus a whole bunch of Christopher Lee and Asia Argento.
Episode 634: What’s Your Favorite…Oh Never Mind
It is a pretty substandard week for movies. Even moreso than usual. But Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy power through and may find at least one worth your time. Could it be the story of a serial killer and possession (The Mannequin)? Or how about the one with Ving Rhames training a wannabe female boxer to become…a manager (Uppercut)? There’s a documentary about Paul McCartney after leaving The Beatles (Man on the Run) and Jessica Chastain in a toxic relationship with an immigrant (Dreams). Priyana Chopra has to fight off pirate Karl Urban (The Bluff) and the director of WALL-E explores death and aging over tens of thousands of years (In the Blink of an Eye). Finally, Ghostface AND Neve Campbell return in the horror franchise celebrating its 30th Anniversary (Scream 7).
Episode 633: I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Going To T.A.G. You
Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski take you through another week in physical media and it’s a pretty great week. You can get one of Scorsese’s first, Richard Pryor’s last concert film and even some early Matt LeBlanc. Peter shows some fondness for Lori Petty’s bizarre comic book adaptation and even a little Troma. One of Erik’s “Why is this not on blu-ray” choices gets its debut courtesy of Synapse. 20 years before Jurassic Park there was the original Michael Crichton amusement park. The pair debate the legacy of a “prescient” media satire with the late, great Robert Duvall. Finally, not only can you get perhaps the best Tarzan film ever made but John Boorman’s incredible telling of the King Arthur legend gets what will be amongst the great upgrades of the year.
Episode 632: All You Need Is A Little Kill And A Lot Of Skarsgard
Disney & 20th Century Studios did not want them to see Psycho Killer this week, but Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy still have six films to talk about. Steve delves into Baz Luhrmann’s lost footage film (EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert). A woman seeks to constantly avenge her daughter (Redux Redux), two Game of Thrones stars reunite for some folk horror (The Dreadful) and would you believe there’s another zombie outbreak (This Is Not A Test). Harry Melling enters into a domme relationship with Alexander Skarsgard (Pillion) while Glen Powell tries to eliminate a family tree in order to receive his inheritance (How To Make a Killing).
Episode 631: When The Legend Becomes Fact…
A trend certainly develops along this week’s path of physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. It is a week that offers musicals from Ernst Lubitsch, a double (or, actually, triple) dose of Van Damme and one of the craziest sci-fi horror films you will ever see. But it is also a week about truth and liberties. They go from the music side of the aisle in biopics about Benny Goodman and Jim Morrison. Diane Keaton takes you into the various depictions and mysteries of the afterlife. There is also another Tale of the Christ setting the record for the most Oscars for over 40 years as well as Ron Howard’s Oscar-winning Best Picture. Finally there is the journalism of today with Jake Gyllenhaal and perhaps the greatest film about the profession celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Episode 630: You’ve Got Red On You
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back on the review beat with eight new titles this week. They include another video game adaptation (The Mortuary Assistant), Juliette Lewis becomes a chair (By Design) while an actual goat tries to become one (GOAT). The world is in trouble with green alien fungus (Cold Storage) as well as AI in Gore Verbinski’s first film in nine years (Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die). Chris Hemsworth is feeling the heat as a thief from Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry (Crime 101). The director of Blackberry returns what possibly could be the funniest film of 2026 (Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie) while Emerald Fennell returns with what definitely won’t be. Depending on your definition of “funny.” (“Wuthering Heights”)
Episode 629: Sunday Is For Lovers…And Yakuza?
A lot of rescheduling leaves not a lot to talk about this week in physical media but Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski still power through. They include one of the most inventive (and expensive) comedies of all-time, a Johnnie To action film, Viggo Mortensen in one of his first starring roles. Finally, you have the cable staple that was the first pairing of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner that in more ways than one led to the title of this week’s episode.
Episode 628: The Sundance Film Festival 2026 (aka Adios Park City)
Sundance is leaving Park City and after attending since 2003, Erik Childress looks ahead to the festival’s move to Boulder in 2027. But before then its; one last dance in Utah as Steve Prokopy and him countdown over 30 films they saw at the festival. New films from Olivia Wilde, Gregg Araki and Macon Blair. Ethan Hawke continues his roll with one of the best and biggest films while John Turturro gets one of the great roles of his career. Some of the best documentaries about Salman Rushdie, Marianne Faithfull, rescues, justice and girl scout cookies plus the first from John Wilson. All this and more in their wrap-up of this year’s festival.