Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy do not skimp this week serving up 11 new reviews for you. Erik looks at Paul Raci as a spiritual guru who may have achieved a new kind of grief transcendence (The Secret Art of Human Flight) while Emma Roberts does Legally Blonde Goes To NASA (Space Cadet). Steve has a film about the Eichmann trial (June Zero) and that of a different kind of bloodsucker (Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person) which also partially sums up his review of Despicable Me 4. They look at different sides of altruism in the true story of a community and their collective adoptions (Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot) and the fantastic documentarian Penny Lane on her personal journey of donating a kidney (Confessions of a Good Samaritan). Yorgos Lanthimos takes on a three-pronged tale of abusive relationships (Kinds of Kindness) and Eddie Murphy returns to his most iconic role (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F). Finally, choose your warrior – the commando at the center of a bandit-filled train (Kill) or Mia Goth’s survivor in the conclusion of Ti West’s horror trilogy (MaXXXine).

There is not a lot to add to your physical media collection this week. But what there is you will want to get your hands on. Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about the tortured history of one of Sam Peckinpah’s greatest westerns. Music stars in movies gets a little sillier with Weird Al Yankovic and Madonna. Silliness gets raised to an artform with the first of the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay collaborations. Though maybe not as silly as the accents from Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones in the second of 1994’s summer bomber movies. Peter Hyams gets another shout-out and one of Martin Scorsese’s masterpieces finally gets a standalone release in 4K.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight movie reviews for you this week. They include a new film about religious fanaticism from the filmmakers behind Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge (The Devil’s Bath) plus a documentary about the horrific legacy of a questionable John Wayne film (The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout). A Sundance film from 2023 with Lily Gladstone finally sees the light (Fancy Dance) and we get the second younger man/older woman rom-com in just a few months now with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron (A Family Affair). A pre-Dracula vampire is revealed in a new horror film (The Vourdalak) and Dakota Johnson has a long cab ride conversation with driver Sean Penn (Daddio). Then we watch the blind aliens attack New York (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Kevin Costner directs the first of his four-part epic western (Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1)

A pretty solid week for new Blu-ray and 4K arrivals that Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski talk you through. They include, arguably, David Lynch’s best film and the consequences if you choose an ice dancing show over it. Orson Welles’ first foray into cinematic Shakespeare as well as a special collection of the cavalcade of films released in the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely passing. Joe Dante’s loving tribute to the movies of our youth gets the 4K upgrade as do the works of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Finally, is the film that truly launched Prince one of the best bad movies ever made or one of the worst great movies? You make the call, now in 4K!

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven films for you to hear about this week. Two you heard about before when June Squibb went into action mode on a phishing scam at Sundance (Thelma) and Rachel Sennott nannies a teenage girl (I Used To Be Funny). Still funny are the queer comedians featured in a new Netflix doc (Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution). Less funny is seeing Abbie Cornish in a twisty con game (Detained). Maybe a but funnier is Jessica Alba as a ”skilled special forces commando” (Trigger Warning) and certainly less funny is watching Russell Crowe in a second possession film in two years from the son of the star Jason Miller (The Exorcism). Finally Jeff Nichols puts Tom Hardy and Austin Butler on motorcycles and Jodie Comer tells us all about it. (The Bikeriders).

A lot of great titles for your physical media library and Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to guide you through it. They include the debut films from the Wachowskis and Jeff Nichols. Plenty of noir to go around this week courtesy of Kino, Paul Schrader and a look at the new 4K Chinatown package. They discuss some of the Robocop follow-ups, some early Hitchcock, disagree on The Karate Kid, talk James Woods and cocaine. And speaking of controversy and weirdness, Peter tells you all about the big Bo Derek debacle of the 1980s.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have no anxiety reviewing eight movies this week. Especially when one is a replay of a movie they raved about at Sundance and won the Audience Award at their Chicago Critics Film Festival this year (Ghostlight). But Steve also talks about Jude Law and Alicia Vikander in a story about Henry VIII (Firebrand) as well as Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham as a father and daughter revisiting Poland (Treasure). Erik checks out David Duchovny adapting his own novel (Reverse the Curse) and an animated version of a decades-old Japanese superhero (Ultraman Rising). They look at Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a fantastical story about confronting death (Tuesday) while Andrew McCarthy confronts the reality of the group labeled the “Brat Pack” (Brats). Finally the old emotions meet some new ones in Disney-Pixar’s sequel to one of their very best (Inside Out 2).

It is a bit on the lackluster side of physical media releases this week but there are a few gems to get your wallets involved. Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress talk about the final film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder and the final appearance of Alec Guinness. As series with four entries goes there is more love for Shrek than Species. The T&A teen comedy of the ‘80s gets a double feature and there are also stellar early efforts from Luc Besson and Denzel Washington.

On this six-movie week, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy go back two years to revisit a Dakota Johnson comedy that debuted at Sundance in 2022 (Am I OK?). Erik goes back a couple of weeks to look at the true story of a Chinese immigrant turned eye surgeon (Sight). There are sharks in the Siene (Under Paris) and young women are getting whacked around a weed farm (Trim Season). The daughter of M. Night Shayamalan makes her feature directorial debut (The Watchers) and Martin Lawrence reteams with Will Smith for a fourth time (Bad Boys: Ride or Die).

It may be a light week on the physical media front but that’s also less money to spend and there is some choice stuff discussed by Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. They include Terry Gilliam’s seemingly impossible adaptation of a Hunter S. Thompson novel, more Johnny Depp in animated form, the tale of the first black regiment in the Civil War and Harvey Keitel in his most disturbing role. All available in 4K. There’s also a great Robert Mitchum western and an opportunity to remember Chicago’s attempt at a new martial arts hero.