Comic book expert and host of the AintThisTheFun show on YouTube, Erik Laws, joins Erik Childress to go through Matt Reeves’ The Batman. There is a lot to unpack from the casting to how it distinguishes itself from the other versions of the character. They look at all the casting decisions, is anyone having any fun during this one and, of course, that score from Michael Giacchino. Do Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz bring something new to the Batman/Catwoman dynamic or are they treading over old ideas? Does the film have more in common with the Burtons, the Nolans or even something by Steven Spielberg? They aren’t here to rank, they are here to discuss and Reeves’ three-hour film certainly invites a lot of that.

Sergio Mims joins Erik Childress for another round in the latest and greatest in Blu-rays. Criterion has got the Coens and the Beatles. Paramount has Beavis & Butt-Head and Wayne & Garth. Universal has James Bond and Paul Schrader. Kino has another commentary with Sergio, they agree on a Burt Reynolds gem and whether a certain Billy Wilder classic now available in 4K is even amongst his strongest works. They are also particularly happy to see three of their choices from their Why Is This Not On Blu-ray shows finally get the format they deserve including a mystery from Stephen Sondheim, a 1930s musical and one of the great post-Jaws creature features from Shout Factory.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back to their old ways, reviewing ten new movies on this week’s show including a little early preview. The rest include a tale of obesity and bullying (Butter) and a family hooks up on Zoom to grieve grandma (Family Squares). More pandemic cinema takes Naomi Watts on a jog of social terror (The Desperate Hour) and Havana Rose Liu ends up at the worst rest stop (No Exit). There is also the story about record label head Alan McGee (Creation Stories) and Andy Garcia looking for someone to write his biography (Big Gold Brick). A family of filmmakers write, direct and star in a tale of witchcraft (Hellbender) and the Foo Fighters try to dabble in horror by creating their own movie (Studio 666). Finally released is a film that was on Erik’s top ten list in 2021 (Cyrano) and the guys have an early review of Matt Reeves’ new film which may end up on a few lists in 2022 (The Batman).

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back with seven new movie reviews and if you thought murder was on the table last week, wait until you hear this. Boeing killed a bunch and you can learn all about it in a new Netflix documentary (Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.) The Unabomber killed a few and there is a new movie with Sharlto Copley as that lunatic (Ted K). When rich landowners kill off a group of gypsies they fight back with werewolves (The Cursed). Leatherface is back in a new film that wants to be a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 original (Texas Chainsaw Massacre). But its not all death this week. There is a cooking documentary (Breaking Bread), Channing Tatum on a road trip with a companion (Dog) and another video game adaptation where, yes, some people die but not as fast as good treasure hunting movies (Uncharted).

Movie reviews. Nine of them. We do it every week here on the show with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. It all starts with a little psychological horror (Alone With You) and emotional revenge (Catch the Fair One). Then it’s a whirlwind of grief from director Josephine Decker (The Sky is Everywhere) and the search for love from Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World). Liam Neeson plays another guy with special skills but does the movie have any (Blacklight)? Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are grieving exes with a plan (I Want You Back) and Steven Soderbergh’s IS back again for a crackerjack thriller with Zoe Kravitz (KIMI). Unfortunately, Jennifer Lopez is also back is romcom mode (Marry Me) and Kenneth Branagh puts on the mustache again as Hercule Poirot to solve the final murder from this show (Death On The Nile).

The Movie Madness Podcast goes back to Sundance (virtually) with Erik Childress, Steve Prokopy and Sergio Mims going through what they saw on their weeklong trip through the at-home app for a second straight year. More than 20 titles are discussed including new films from Kogonada, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorehead and Cooper Raiff. There are debuts from Jesse Eisenberg and Tig Notaro, and even a remake of Ikiru will Bill Nighy. Not to mention a group of incredible performances from Emma Thompson, Rebecca Hall, Thandiwe Newton, Aubrey Plaza and Dakota Johnson. The trio goes through most of the good and even some of the bad on a festival that is likely to be giving us something to look forward to the whole year.

The weekly movie reviews return to the podcast with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy talking about eight new movies and the 4K restoration of Dennis Hopper’s 1980 film, Out of the Blue. Flash-forward to 1984 for the new documentary about David Lynch’s sci-fi adaptation (The Sleeper Must Awaken: Making Dune) or back to post-Civil War for a little western horror (Ghosts of the Ozarks). Steve tells you where you can see baby animals (The Wolf and the Lion) or take a train for one of this year’s Best Foreign Language Film contenders (Compartment No. 6). Tim Roth takes an extended vacation from his family (Sundown) and Charlie Hunnam plays detective to try to clear Mel Gibson’s name. From murder (Last Looks). Then we have the latest film from jackass – Roland Emmerich – where he tries to kill the planet with the moon (Moonfall). Finally, of course, we have an actual Jackass movie and the title could not be more apropos (Jackass Forever).

Sergio Mims joins Erik Childress to take a look back on the careers of two men who became legends in their own time. Director Peter Bogdanovich came out of the gate with three films that established a legacy, but whose ego and crave of the spotlight began to take a toll. Though he continued working up until nearly his passing, his films never achieved the level of acclaim he did in the early ‘70s. Sidney Poitier, on the other hand, is one of the few to claim the title of trailblazer and it not be just another word. Erik & Sergio look at a number of films through their careers to hopefully shine a spotlight on a rather tragic beginning to 2022.

On this special episode of the podcast, Erik Childress is joined by Morgan Gire to delve into season four of Netflix’s popular continuation of The Karate Kid saga. After a new high achieved by the third season, does the latest represent a turning point forward, backward or sideways for its characters? Erik & Morgan delve into the constant switching sides and whether this season does justice for its teenage characters? Did the creators write themselves into a corner when its protagonists finally appeared to team up? Is the appearance of Karate Kid 3’s villain Terry Silver a chance for redemption or a reminder of the film series’ regression? Erik & Morgan are both fans of the show, but have a lot of thoughts on where its headed during and after this season.

One last look at the films of 2021 is the focus of this episode with Erik Childress, Steve Prokopy and Collin Souter unveiling their lists of the best 15 films of the year. There may not have been a lot of “fun” movies, they each manage to agree on one that makes their lists. There are also foreign films, documentaries and musicals of all kinds. Films of grief and mortality and the one that Erik thinks is just “fine.” Do not let the subject matter of the films throw you though, this is a lively discussion filled with universal agreement on a few, one big disagreement and a direct match on two of their lists. Take one final trip through an interesting year and put these films on your own lists to watch.