While Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy prepare for the upcoming Chicago Critics Film Festival, they got in a little time for a short show of reviews. This week the discussion steers to just four titles including a horror film involving an island and supernatural elements (Shepherd) and a documentary takes a shot at redemption for the man who clubbed Nancy Kerrigan’s knee (My Hero the Hitman). To go along with the discussion with Erik Laws on episode 305, Steve gets his chance to weigh in on Sam Raimi’s new Marvel film (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). But the timeliness of a new film dealing with the illegality of abortion in 1960s France really strikes home this week and the duo want you to know about it…so you can know (Happening).

Sam Raimi returns to the world of Marvel for his first directorial effort since 2013 and comic book expert Erik Laws returns to join Erik Childress to breakdown this sequel to Doctor Strange. Or sequel to Wandavision? Whatever it is it is a lot and the Eriks may recognize the very specific Raimi touches he brings to the Cinematic Universe, but is it enough to overcome what Childress believes is a big problem for Marvel going forward. Does their own multiverse interfere with the storytelling especially if they were unwilling to truly dive into the new one they have opened up? Is the film a manic ride that fulfills the horror quota of their expanding genres or is its screenplay the equivalent of notes on a whiteboard with no lines drawn between them? Childress and Laws address it all and more (including spoilers) so are they on to something or just gone a little mad themselves?

It is that time of year again. Actually the first time since 2019 that the Chicago Critics Film Festival has hosted an entire week at the Music Box Theatre. Their return for a weekend in 2021 was a success but the festival co-produced by Erik Childress returns to full glory May 13-19 and along with Sergio Mims they breakdown, day by day, every film selected for the event. Two very special film festival events are discussed during this episode. Along with the CCFF which remains in its 9th year the only film festival entirely curated by working film critics, the duo talk about Sergio’s experience as a presenter at this year’s Turner Classic Movies Festival. Visit www.musicboxtheatre.com for tickets & passes.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at eight movies this week including a couple festival titles, some streaming and some new titles in theaters. Steve looks at people trying to put a cult behind them (The Aviary) and a gay romance during Communist Russia (Firebird). Erik looks at a documentary about an additional horror of the Michigan water crisis (Flint: Who Can You Trust?) and Barry Levinson’s film about Holocaust-era boxer Harry Haft (The Survivor). Then both of them see if there’s anything new about an age-old mystery (The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes). A young Finnish girl see what manifests out of the giant egg she found (Hatching). Jim Broadbent stars in the true story of an art theft (The Duke) and Liam Neeson continues his decline below action movie mediocrity – and then some (Memory).

One of the best movies of the year…2021…may just come around to one of the best movies of 2022 on this episode. At least according to one of the Movie Madness critics during the round of seven reviews on this episode. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy do indeed agree on Celine Sciamma’s tale of childhood grief (Petite Maman). The kids in that movie certainly have it better than the documentary of a ‘90s clothing giant (White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch) and even they may have it better than the one at the center of a Lena Headey thriller (9 Bullets). Erik looks at the latest from DisneyNature (Polar Bear) while Steve handles the animated animals looking to pull off a heist (The Bad Guys). The pair have a lot to say about the wannabe-meta look at Nicolas Cage’s career (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) and then they get to the latest from Robert Eggers, the director of The Witch and The Lighthouse (The Northman.)

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seen six movies for the show this week. All six of them and they are here to share their thoughts on films from Sundance, SXSW and in theaters. Elisha Cuthbert tries to save her family from the wrong house (The Cellar). A pair of evil online games take center stage on Netflix (Choose or Die) and from the perspective of internet isolation (We’re All Going To The World’s Fair). Karen Gillan takes on a dual role in a black comic sci-fi tale with a double meaning (Dual). Mark Wahlberg brings us the true story of a boxer and wannabe actor who turned to the priesthood instead (Father Stu) and the third chapter of the Harry Potter prequel series may be the last one, but is it any better than the others? (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.)

For the Movie Madness’ 300th episode, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims decided to undertake something they have talked about for some time. Matthew Robbins’ 1981 film, Dragonslayer, is a film they have preached and pleaded for years to finally get a Blu-ray release (hell, let’s go 4K at this point!) Sergio has turned into quite the commentary machine in recent years and Erik even still has one out there climbing the charts. And for this episode all you will need is your own copy of Dragonslayer and you can sync up the duo doing a full commentary track for the film. You can listen to the opening for instructions on when and where to press play after they discuss Sergio’s great honor in being selected as a presenter at this year’s Turner Classic Movies’ Film Festival.

No rest for Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy who take on nine new films this week. They include a trio of documentaries ranging from skateboarding (Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off) to SpaceX (Return to Space) to a bovine with her own movie (Cow). Steve looks at a comedy about wannabe high school metalheads (Metal Lords) and Erik looks at an unintentional comedy based on the life of Celine Dion (Aline). Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton are former CIA partners on a mole hunt (All the Old Knives) and a video game adaptation gets a sequel (Sonic the Hedgehog 2). Michael Bay is up to his old tricks with the mayhem of a heist gone wrong (Ambulance) and, finally, the creators of Swiss Army Man have a few new tricks in a fantastical multiverse action comedy (Everything Everywhere All At Once).

After a short week, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy double-up on the movie reviews this week with eight titles. They include a documentary about a “ballhawk” (Zack Hample vs. the World) and one about a type of restaurant that does not exist anymore (The Automat). Justin Kurzel’s new film gets to the root of mental illness in a real-life Australian tragedy (Nitram) and a witch learns about life wearing the skins of different people (You Won’t Be Alone). Richard Linklater explores life (notably his) around the space program in 1969 (Apollo 10 ½: A Spade Age Childhood) and Judd Apatow takes a satiric stab at making an action franchise at the height of the pandemic (The Bubble). Finally then there is a Chris Pine thriller that was completed back in 2019 (The Contractor) and the five-time delayed Sony Marvel tale that added at least one more critic to the lambast pile (Morbius).

Sergio Mims is back with the latest and greatest in Blu-rays and he focuses on three different studios with Erik Childress. Kino has a pair of great thrillers newly available in 4K as well as one from the ‘80s that may be more memorable for a promise of a single shot. Warner Archive puts James Cagney in an early version of Top Gun, one of the original versions of A Star Is Born and a stunning upgrade of a Cinerama cult classic. Finally, is the new 4K set of The Godfather Trilogy live up to the hype on the 50th Anniversary of the original? Listen in and get your wallets ready for some physical media.