Back-to-back movie review episodes. The last one had a dozen reviews. This one has a dozen reviews courtesy of Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy including Christmas offerings featuring Kurt Russell (“The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two”) and a galaxy far, far away (“The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special”). They look at five documentaries ranging from facial recognition tech (“Coded Bias”), the psychology of murder (“Crazy, Not Insane”), the making of a horror masterpiece (“Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist”) a healthcare mystery (“Collective”) and the one involving John F. Kennedy (“Truth is the Only Client”). They also talk about the beginning of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series (“Mangrove”), Guy Pearce as a real-life art forger (“The Last Vermeer”), a pair of shuttered theatrical releases finding their home on Hulu (“Happiest Season”, “Run”) and they see if they can survive the Predator/Mortal Kombat mash-up featuring Nicolas Cage (“Jiu Jitsu”)

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back for over two hours of uninterrupted conversation on new movies being released in theaters and on streaming this week. They cover documentaries about meteors (“Fireball”), deep sea diving (“Dave Not Coming Back”), climate change activism (“I Am Greta”) and the mystery of a woman searching for her dead child (“Where She Lies”). They go from “Jungleland” to “Dreamland” to Never Never Land (“Come Away”). Things get a little “Freaky” with Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton and a lot with Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan (“Ammonite”). Finally they listen to the grievances of “Echo Boomers” and those from Ron Howard’s “Hillbilly Elegy” but also delve into David Fincher’s prologue to one of the finest motion pictures ever made in “Mank.”

The film world lost one of its greatest moviestars last week and we have dedicated an entire episode to his career. Erik Childress and Sergio Mims each focus on five films that either cemented his legacy amongst generations or ones that all of them may want to revisit. From James Bond to Marko Ramius as well as Indiana Jones’ father and the iconic Chicago role that won him the Oscar, this is a fun trip down memory lane and will likely have you reaching for the nearest Blu-ray or streaming service searching for the name – Sean Connery.

It is movie review time once again and Steve Prokopy is back to join Erik Childress to talk about five new movies together and throws in a couple extra for you. They will discuss the latest theatrical release with Diane Lane and Kevin Costner (Let Him Go), a potential date with awards season for Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead), an emotional astronaut drama starring Eva Green (Proxima) and a pair of horror releases (Kindred, The Dark and the Wicked). Steve also lets you know about the latest from the director of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Mortal) and doubles down on the love for Frederick Wiseman’s four-and-a-half-hour Boston documentary, City Hall.

In the midst of film festivals shifting to online presentations this year, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims delve into Chicago’s addition of their annual October festival. While there are frustrations abound they turn to a good number of documentaries focusing on John Belushi and Stanley Kubrick as well as new ones from Spike Lee and Steve James’ latest on the city itself. Sergio also talks about City Hall, the new epic documentary from Frederick Wiseman, which has played a number of fests this season.

Another week of new movies are upon us and Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy reunite once again to bring you the latest for Halloween week. There’s a sequel to a 90’s cult classic and a documentary about one from the ‘80s. Is horror best in theaters this weekend with Come Play or available on streaming with His House and Spell? Then they turn to a couple of documentaries about the strength of school shooting survivors and one about a donut entrepreneur.

For over 20 years, Erik Childress joined Nick Digilio on WGN Radio to talk and review movies. After his show was unceremoniously canceled this September, the movie review segment that was a staple on Chicago radio went as well. But now, following up on requests from fans, Erik and Steve Prokopy return to keep its memory alive; a segment once populated with the likes of Christmas Movies Actually host, Collin Souter, for nearly two decades and even the Now Playing Network founder, Jim Laczkowski. It’s a longstanding tradition that the Movie Madness Podcast now hopes to resurrect and they have picked a week that includes the latest from Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Robert Zemeckis, Sofia Coppola and, of course, they talk the return of Borat and get into Rudy Giuliani’s pants. Some great recommendations on this show and we hope to continue to bring you more.

Erik Childress & Sergio Mims continue to catch up on Blu-rays both domestic and international, though also find some time to talk about the effect of COVID on the box office. Sergio continues to celebrate Peppard-tober and digs into a collection of Christopher Lee’s Fu Manchu. Erik discusses why he was worried about revisiting Reversal of Fortune but no worries at all for watching Lynda Carter finally in Blu-ray. Then they wrap things up by going into the history of the Chinatown sequel and how it plays today.

When the podcast is coming back its going to make time for the latest on Blu-ray and this show has some choice stuff. First, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims begin what is the start of a virtual George Peppard-tober. Some remastered Agatha Christie from Kino gets to the various adaptations of Ten Little Indians. Then there is plenty of new 4K releases including the love/hate relationship with a childhood favorite, one of Tim Burton’s first films and one of Stanley Kubrick’s last. But its all a windup for an extended discussion over Arrow’s incredible new 4K package of the one and only Flash Gordon.

The world may have stopped but film festivals continue to go on. For the first time since 2004, Erik Childress did not travel into Canada for the Toronto Film Festival, but he did attend at home – virtually. Just one of many festivals he is currently coveing, but as always him and Sergio Mims put this into audio for you discussing the highlights and lowlights of this year’s stay-at-home festival. Hear all about a couple potential award players (Nomadland, One Night in Miami), some interesting documentaries (MLK/FBI, Enemies of the State, The Way I See It) and what happens when Mark Wahlberg makes “a departure.”