After a week off, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to bring you their thoughts on the latest in theaters and on streaming and catch up on at least one film from the break. Another catch up is on their review of another great music doc that they recommended from SXSW this year (The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile). The horror anthology series returns (V/H/S/99) and Jessica Chastain has to stop Eddie Redmayne’s reign of hospital terror in a true-life tale (The Good Nurse). Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke are half-brothers reuniting to bury their terrible father (Raymond & Ray) and Harry Styles tries to ruin another woman’s life (My Policeman). Laurie Strode’s life could not possibly be more ruined except by appearing in one more film (Halloween Ends) and Julia Roberts tries to ruin another wedding, this time with George Clooney (Ticket To Paradise). Finally, DC gives it another go but Dwayne Johnson is no hero (Black Adam).

October continues with horror both real and imagined this week as Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review eight new movies. They include a reminder of Andrea Riseborough’s stirring portrayal of the road to alcoholic recovery (To Leslie) and Mila Kunis’ far less stirring turn as a survivor of multiple traumas (Luckiest Girl Alive). Shawn Mendes is the voice of a singing croc (Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile) and Ruben Ostlund skewers the voices of the nouveau riche in his Palme d’or winning satire (Triangle of Sadness). Donald Sutherland and his iPhone grant revenge in a new Stephen King film that is horror adjacent (Mr. Harrigan’s Phone) and Art the Clown is back (yet new to Erik) in a blood-drenched sequel (Terrifier 2). Also returning are the Cenobites in a new reimagining from David Bruckner (Hellraiser) and another David (O. Russell) tries out an ensemble comic mystery to warn of impending worldwide horror (Amsterdam). Erik and Steve also pay tribute to the loss of their friend and Movie Madness regular, Sergio Mims.

The first show of October begins with nine movie reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. Appropriately kicking off with an actor auditioning to be a demonologist (Devil’s Workshop) and a pair of best friends dealing with a demon of their own (My Best Friend’s Exorcism). Kate Hudson befriends an escaped woman with telekinesis (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and a documentary looks at the career of Sinead O’Connor (Nothing Compares). Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline reteam for a third time (The Good House) and Walter Hill returns to the director’s chair for a new western (Dead for a Dollar). Zac Efron delivers warm PBR to his buddies in Vietnam (The Greatest Beer Run Ever), Sosie Bacon discovers that trauma has a new face (Smile) and Billy Eichner co-writes and headlines a sharp, LBGTQ romantic comedy that deserves your attention (Bros).

Another loaded week has Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy looking at nine new movies. They include another guy-joins-shadowy-government-agency film (Section 8) and a tale of another famous (in Canada) bank robber tale with Josh Duhamel (Bandit). The star of The Babadook takes on another rocky tale of motherhood (The Justice of Bunny King), Adelaide Clemens must come to terms with having her first child and the two men vying for her affection (The Swearing Jar) and Lena Dunham adapts the story of a 14 year-old in the 13th century trying to fend off her own suitors (Catherine Called Birdy). Two icons are also chronicled by Reginald Hudlin in a documentary about the recently departed Mr. Poitier (Sidney) and Ana De Armas takes on the role of Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s controversial adaptation (Blonde). Finally, Allison Janney gets a chance to be an action hero on Netflix (Lou) and Florence Pugh begins to wake up in a patriarchal society in Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial effort (Don’t Worry Darling).

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy catch-up on two weeks-worth of movies. 13 movies to be precise and many of them have a lot in common. Justin Long is in two films where he should be staying away from a house, one where he is trying to get laid (House of Darkness) and another that he is trying to sell that Erik has some specific thoughts on (Barbarian). Not to mention the smart house that is trying to kill it’s inhabitants (Margaux). There is the true story of sisters who would not talk to anyone but each other (The Silent Twins) and one of the great horror films of the year – and on this episode – about what can happen if you see something but don’t say something (Speak No Evil). There are a pair of mysteries with Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan trying to solve one (See How They Run) and Jon Hamm stepping into Chevy Chase’s to solve the other (Confess, Fletch). Erik and Steve also get saddened by the disappointments delivered by Robert Zemeckis (Pinocchio) and Kevin Smith (Clerks III). But beyond those there is also Thandiwe Newton in the acclaimed Sundance drama (God’s Country), a documentary about David Bowie (Moonage Daydream), Viola Davis and an army of women kicking ass (The Woman King) and Ti West & Mia Goth’s prequel to this year’s mix of horror and porno (Pearl).

Theaters are facing a drought this autumn season and over Labor Day Weekend Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movies to review. They include a reimagining from filmmaker Francois Ozon (Peter Von Kant) and a quest to bring Hitler’s remains to Stalin (Burial). The Umbrella Academy’s Tom Hopper and Kat Graham double-book a place in Verona (Love In The Villa) and Javier Bardem seeks an award for his company (The Good Boss). Two documentaries look at the happy friendships of genre filmmakers (The Horror Crowd) and the tortured psyche of a tennis great (McEnroe). Finally, Steve gets a chance to weigh in on a Sundance favorite and reveal whether Erik was on point with its shortcomings (Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul).

When Sergio Mims asked me to program his classical music show for WHPK RADIO dedicated to composer John Williams, I knew it was a daunting assignment. How can you sum up the career of a legend in three hours? How can one convey what his compositions have meant to not only me but countless moviegoers (and even TV viewers) over the years? What follows is the journey that I went on highlighting many of the classics but also the range that followed beyond his collaboration with Steven Spielberg. It still only scratches the surface, but what I could not fit into the radio timeslot at the University of Chicago is expanded upon with 36 additional minutes of music and commentary. I hope you enjoy.

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy clear out August with reviews of nine new films starting with an assist from show regular Sergio Mims when they all reviewed the new John Boyega bank robbery tale (Breaking). It’s not Avatar but water plays a big part this week with a Dead Calm-like tale of lies on a boat (Into the Deep), more noir homage from Neil LaBute when a guy trying to stay out of trouble sees Diane Kruger in a lake (Out of the Blue) and the duo try to figure out if the new shark attack film is trying to be bad or just straight is (Maneater). Steve reviews a new film from The Squid and the Whale’s Owen Klein (Funny Pages) and Erik is flat baffled by whatever the hell the new Kevin Hart/Mark Wahlberg film is trying to be (Me Time). Sylvester Stallone is a superhero in isolation (Samaritan), Nathalie Emmanuel discovers some creepy ancestors in her bloodline (The Invitation) and, finally, George Miller returns with his first film in seven years. Is Three Thousand Years of Longing all that they wished for?

The summer season may be winding down but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy found 11 movies to talk about this week. They revisit their thoughts on the bizarre Alison Brie/Aubrey Plaza Italy film from SXSW (Spin Me Round). Steve checks out a couple of documentaries about Indigenous leaders trying to take back the Amazon rainforest (The Territory) and one on the career of musical artist, Courtney Barnett (Anonymous Club). Erik looks at a struggling married couple on a yacht to nowhere (Get Away If You Can) and a whole town that experiences the effects of drinking horny water (Love In Kilneery). Steve has Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth isolated for cash prizes (The Immaculate Room) and the pair look at another two-hander involving Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons’ voice through a glory hole and the end of the world (Glorious). Lili Rinehart stars in a gutless Sliding Doors scenario (Look Both Ways) and a mentally challenged Stephan James tries to solve the death of his sister (Delia’s Gone). Isabelle Fuhrmann returns to the role of the con artist who looks like a child (Orphan: First Kill) and Idris Elba tries to protect his daughters in the Cujo for Lions tale (Beast).

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at nine new movies this week and not only are most of them only available in theaters at the moment but nearly all of them have women leading the way in front of or behind the camera. One of those is a documentary about the effect pandemic had on theaters – for the better (Back to the Drive-In). There are two very different films about teenage female bonding (Medusa, Summering). Pleasure robots try to take back their rights (Wifelike) and a 30 year-old wishes she was a 70 year-old Diane Keaton (Mack & Rita). Further crimes are created when Aubrey Plaza fights back against student debt with credit card fraud (Emily the Criminal) while Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco team up to battle a female vampire (Day Shift). Finally, two best friends get trapped atop a 2,000 foot radio tower (Fall) and a group of supposed Gen-Z friends get trapped with a murderer during a hurricane (Bodies Bodies Bodies).