Movie Madness
Episode 416: Here Come The Pain Big Time
Peter Sobczynski guides you through the latest in physical media. They include a couple music-based films from Criterion. Getting close to October the horror is ramping up with upgrades for Argento, Halloween and even an MST3K favorite. There are 4K upgrades for Godard, Cimino, Frankenheimer, Linklater and even Gregg Araki. Peter and Erik talk about the controversies over Oliver Stone’s attack on media culture and they both love the recent upgrade of one of Brian DePalma’s best films.
Episode 415: The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
Erik Childress flies solo on this one detailing his full experience at this year’s event. He shares his thoughts on over 25 films ranging from new titles from Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne and Kitty Green to even actors getting behind the camera including Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton and Patricia Arquette. There are films with songs, stories with cops, drug dealers, hit men and serial killers plus two of the year’s very best films about teachers. Tales of everything from WWII to Spring Break, apocalyptic combat to Chicago’s Cabrini Green. Not every film is a dream though one certainly has a fun time with them not to mention the emphasis on women’s stories and trying to find peace in a world of bad men and at least one they call their father. Good stuff, great stuff and some really bad stuff in another festival season.
Episode 414: You Want To Love Or Fear?
Peter Sobczynski returns for an epic round of catch-up on the latest and greatest in physical media. They include 4K upgrades of films from Orson Welles and Nicolas Roeg. The strange career of James Foley is discussed around one of his best films. Speaking of best, Lions Gate has one of the best comedies of the year and one of the year’s best period. Right in time for Cassandro this week, the first two Santo films are released. There is excellent television, an all-timer from the late, great William Friedkin as well as the Ghoulies movies and a whole trove of titles from master of disaster, Irwin Allen. Something from all the decades including an ‘80s favorite getting a major upgrade and the directorial debut of Robert DeNiro celebrating its 30th anniversary in 4K.
Episode 413: Who Wants Another Mustache Ride?
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to the review beat with eight new movies this week. They include a horror anthology (Satanic Hispanics), another coming-of-age werewolf love story (My Animal) and the film that reveals the truth about Augusto Pinochet being a vampire (El Conde). Michael Pena stars in the true story of a Mexican immigrant who dreamed of becoming an astronaut (A Million Miles Away) and Michael Jai White and the makers of Black Dynamite take on the western (Outlaw Johnny Black). The great Haley Lu Richardson finds love at the airport (Love At First Sight), a bunch of amateur stock traders game the system in a recent true story (Dumb Money) and Kenneth Branagh brings the latest in his Hercule Poirot Cinematic Universe (A Haunting In Venice).
Episode 412: King Killers And Titillating Thrillers
A half-dozen films highlight this Labor Day weekend with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy who guide you through the spectrum of new films from Juliette Binoche (Between Two Worlds) and Frank Grillo (King of Killers). Hilary Swank is kinda involved in solving her son’s murder (The Good Mother) while Simon Pegg tries to solve the mystery of an unseen but all-knowing entity (Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose). The history of the “erotic thriller” is examined in a nearly three-hour documentary (We Kill For Love) and Denzel Washington is back to provide brutal justice in Italy (The Equalizer 3).
Episode 411: The ‘80s Are Far From Over
Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski get you caught up on the latest in physical media for this week and the next. They include new 4K editions from two of the great directorial runs of the ‘80s and the ‘90s. Comic book movies from this summer are on tap including one that Peter genuinely loves. Though he does disagree with Erik on the latest Jennifer Lawrence vehicle. Music Box Films has a set combining expansive documentaries on the history of film, Arrow has some early Jackie Chan and Magnolia has new Paul Schrader. The pair go down the rabbit hole of Family Ties to introduce a ‘80s romcom/horror oddity and as that decade goes it does not get more ‘80s than Burt Reynolds and the sequel to Saturday Night Fever.
Episode 410: Bottoms Up, Down and Around A Bat Mitzvah
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have nine movies for you to consider this week. They include a powerful documentary about Alzheimer’s (The Eternal Memory) and a less than powerful faith-and-baseball tale (The Hill). A bickering couple goes on the longest hike of their lives (Brightwood) and sisters get into scuba trouble (The Dive). The Yom Kippur War is told through the makeup on Helen Mirren (Golda) and the Sandler family produce a coming-of-age comedy (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah). Liam Neeson goes for a drive while sitting on a bomb (Retribution) and a gamer-turned-racer is a whole other kind of bomb (Gran Turismo). Finally, they put the must-see “R”-rated comedy of the year thus far on your radar (Bottoms).
Episode 409: Turn It Off Or Turn It Up?
This week in physical media with Peter Sobczynski begins with a little argument over the new 4K release of another John Hughes film. There is no disagreement that the new work from Nicole Holofcener is worth grabbing. Horror fans get works from Lucio Fulci, Jean Rollin and Michael Crichton. Ralph Bakshi finally gets a Blu-ray release for his animated musical ode and you can also see Louis Malle’s controversial film with Brooke Shields and where that George C. Scott meme comes from courtesy of Paul Schrader.
Episode 408: Poop, Pee And The Best Horror Film of 2023
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy dig into eight new movies this week. They include revisiting a film from Sundance that they still believe to be the best horror film of the year (Birth/Rebirth). An Irish paramilitary seeks revenge for his wife (Dead Shot), an old Chinese tale gets the animated treatment from Netflix (The Monkey King) and Michael Cera stars in a dysfunctional family drama that the film’s publicist apparently did not want us to see. One of the stars of Glow gets to go all Shining at the hotel she inherits (Bad Things) and the director of Thoroughbreds and Bad Education tries out a capitalist satire with aliens (Landscape With Invisible Hand). Finally, DC comics tries again (Blue Beetle) and talking dogs with the voices of Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx pee, poop and hump their way into laughs (Strays).
Episode 407: Before Gere There Was Shatner
Peter Sobczynski brings us up to date in the world of physical media. They include an early film from Wayne Wang, the latest from Wes Anderson and an anniversary edition of a documentary on David Bowie. There’s a collection of Audie Murphy films and others about World War II not to mention fights against woodland terrorists and staged by the Shaw Brothers. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn get the 4K treatment in one of the great classic romances. But do not count out the recommendations of a spooky British Halloween special and a crazy vehicle for William Shatner back in the ‘70s.