Movie Madness

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Episode 376: Angry Marked Men

We take another look at Blu-rays this week with Peter Sobczynski who along with Erik Childress do not have a lot of nice things to say about some recent theatrical offerings coming to physical media. But there are kind words to be found. Just not for William Goldman. However on the positive front there is a terrific everyday kind of thriller about being a working mom and some choice offerings from Kino with Irene Dunne, Buster Crabbe, Lon Chaney and Basil Rathbone. Plus new 4K offerings from Criterion, an overlooked horror film with Mia Farrow and two of Sidney Lumet’s best films including one of the all-time great debuts.

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Episode 375: F For Feeling

Peter Sobczynski returns to get you up to speed on what to add to your physical media collection. You may want to skip some of the bad horror on the show but there are also war movies and westerns featuring Steve McQueen, Gary Cooper and Bob Newhart! There’s a musical from Jacques Revette, a film from Patrice Leconte and a new 4K edition of one of Terry Gilliam’s best. Peter also certainly wants you to know about a film with Lea Seydoux that flew under the radar at the end of last year and that he is certainly a champion for one of the biggest hits of 1983.  

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Episode 374: Plumbers, Pipes and Hot Air

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy cover another dozen films for you this week. Or at least 11 films and one powerful docuseries they revisit from Sundance (Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields). The films include a pair of crime capers (One Day as a Lion, The Innocent), an action film with one of the John Wick henchmen (The Fist of the Condor) and a documentary about the Child’s Play franchise (Living With Chucky). There is also a bizarro Cast Away Lifetime-esque romance (One True Loves), a bizarre comedy featuring Owen Wilson not as Bob Ross (Paint) and another faith-based film where Jesus better take the wheel from Dennis Quaid (On a Wing and a Prayer). There are also films with real-world implications including the plight of young immigrants (Tori and Lokita) and eco-terrorists on a mission to make their world better (How To Blow Up A Pipeline). Finally, Steve weighs in on the blockbuster of the moment (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) and they both appreciate the legacy of Michael Jordan through the eyes of Nike and Ben Affleck (Air).

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Episode 373: It’s a Big Easy Midnight Run

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at this week’s Blu-ray releases including a rather dour but excellent film with Damian Lewis and a flavorful, sexy, pulpy thriller making its debut on Blu. Peter recalls one of the weirder titles in Kino’s new Film Noir collection and they also go through the run of Star Trek’s Next Generation films as well as Jon Hamm as the new Fletch. A trio of new 4K’s from Warner Bros. gives us some of the best from Humphrey Bogart, James Dean and Paul Newman. Finally, a new 4K of one of the great mismatched buddy comedies of the ‘80s is cause for celebration and Erik gets to recount his momentary personal connection to the film.

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Episode 372: (Dis)Honor Among Gamers

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy discuss 13 movies this week. Well, Erik listens a lot as Steve saw a lot this week including a religious documentary (In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis), Bruce Willis in a virtual Possessor remake (Assassin), Thomas Haden Church looking for aliens (Acidman) and horror films based around sound (The Unheard) and as little sound as possible (Enys Men). Steve also tackles the bizarre Casablanca Records biopic (Spinning Gold) and the latest bizarro from Quentin Dupieux (Smoking Causes Coughing) while Erik did double duty on Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston (Murder Mystery 2). Two films from Sundance are revisited including a mother’s tale of gentrification (A Thousand of One) and a marvelously fresh romcom not to be missed on Hulu (Rye Lane). That leaves Kyra Sedgwick’s Lars and the Real Girl-esque drama (Space Oddity), the Cold War origins of the video game that sucked away thousands of hours (Tetris) and the 80s gamers getting their easter eggs on the big screen (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves).

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Episode 371: Leaving You Breathless (And Probably Speechless)

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at this week’s new Blu-ray releases and it is quite the deep dive into eclectic taste. Criterion has one of the early films of a pioneering female director. Terrorists are trying to blow up the Super Bowl, kids battle aliens, a teenager searches for her mom and Natasha Lyonne goes up against Vincent Gallo. There are films with John Barrymore and Van Heflin, Parker Posey’s first starring vehicle, a stylized actioner that could have been The Boys but figured “nah”, and other dummies too. Episode 118 had Peter talking at length about Exorcist II and now the third film gets some time as well. Finally, the esteemed Mr. Sobczynski makes the case that the 1983 remake of a Godard classic may actually be better than the original. Can he convince you?

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Episode 370: John Wick Explodes People. ‘Nuff Said?

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have a shortened week of movie reviews focusing on just five for the time being. They include a dark fable starring Adèle Exarchopoulos (The Five Devils) and a documentary on a European rock tour that had implications back home (What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears). Zach Braff directs Florence Pugh in a tale of addition (A Good Person) and Sally Hawkins goes looking for Richard III (The Lost King). Finally, Keanu Reeves is back in the rare franchise that just keeps getting bigger and better (John Wick: Chapter 4).

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Episode 369: Streets of Dragonfire

Catching you up on the latest in Blu-rays, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at offerings from John Woo, David Lynch, Bob Hope, Laurence Olivier and Dario Argento. That is just for starters. Peter gets to weigh in on some of his least favorite films from 2022 and one that pleasantly surprised him in 2023. They look back on a new edition from softcore master, Zalman King, as well as a barrage of new 4K releases that include a real gem from horror maestro, Wes Craven, working a bit outside his genre. But they most importantly include one of the great, still underappreciated, works from Walter Hill and a release over 20 years in the making that would have absolutely delighted our good friend, Sergio Mims.

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Episode 368: SHAZAM!!! OK, Don’t Scream!

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to catch you up on two weeks of movies including Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche in a disaster film (Supercell) and a new animated film on Netflix (The Magician’s Elephant). One of the Farrelly Bros. reunited with Woody Harrelson coaching an intellectually-challenged basketball team (Champions) and Kiernan Shipka grows up with an intellectually-challenged parent (Wildflower). Adam Driver is stranded on a planet with dinosaurs (65) and Willem Dafoe is an art thief locked in a penthouse apartment (Inside). Kiera Knightley and Carrie Coon show us how to properly do investigative journalism into true crime (Boston Strangle) while Erik & Steve preach how a latest fake crime franchise is not all that (Scream VI). Finally, does the sequel to what one of them considers the best of the DC Universe live up to its name (Shazam! Fury of the Gods).

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Episode 367: The Running Man and the Reverse Cyrano

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are back to get you caught up on your physical media and it runs the gamut from the 1930s up until the Oscars this weekend including one Oscar for Joan Crawford and another hopefully for Sarah Polley. There is also Greta Garbo, Susan Hayward and Shirley Temple. A film about making the perfect man and another teen comedy about hoping to romance the perfect woman. Sony has some 4K editions of late ‘90s action and the pair fondly remember some 1980s Schwarzenegger sci-fi set from just a few years ago.

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