Movie Madness
Episode 670: Oh, So I’m The Bad Guy?
Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski take you through another week of physical media. Criterion has you covered from Mike Mills to Nagisa Ôshima. Butch and Sundance make na early appearance alongside Barbara Stanwyck. Giancarlo Giannini tries to solve some giallo murders, Ray Harryhausen takes you to an island of monsters or you can travel to one with Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. Ray Liotta is a bad cop after Kurt Russell’s wife and Michael Douglas is an ordinary guy looking to bring some sense to society. Or is he? We certainly know where he would end up in Gary Ross’ wondrous debut fantasy. It’s all part of a show with films that may be even more relevant today than when they premiered.
Episode 669: Remaking The Odyssey & Sherman’s March
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy only have three movie reviews for you this week. But in their own rights they are all massive accomplishments. They begin with a new 4K Restoration of Ross McElwee’s landmark “Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love In the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation” (Sherman’s March). Fast-forward 40 years and they also discuss McElwee’s new documentary exploring the loss of his son (Remake). Finally, Christopher Nolan’s returns after winning his Oscar by adapting the basis for modern storytelling and maybe even a bit of his own (The Odyssey). You may be surprised by how the discussion plays out.
Episode 668: Is That A Duck In Your Pocket?
Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski take you through another week of physical media that includes three bangers from Criterion including Paul Newman at his baddest, early Scorsese and the Neil Jordan twist that rocked the world. There are gunslingers and hit men, William Wyler and Marlene Dietrich and one of the great modern sitcoms in a new set. Plus it is the 40th anniversary of one of the most infamous flops of the 1980s. Time for a reappraisal or is it still as baffling as ever?
Episode 667: No One Knows How Far Disney Will Go
Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have six movie reviews for you this week. They include documentaries about a Pulitizer-winning poet (Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World) an an eager filmmaker hired to create shlock (Mockbuster). There’s a family on the run from an alien presence (The Outer Threat) while a teenage girl goes searching for info about her parents (Romeria). A retirement community deals with scam calls and an odd patient (Night Nurse). Zoey Deutsch looks to get even with her cheating fiancé (Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass). The Deadites are back and nastier than ever (Evil Dead Burn). Finally, another live-action Disney remake arrives just ten years after the original. Did we need it? (Moana).
Episode 666: Surprise! No Sony Discs This Week
Despite the news that Sony is no longer producing physical discs for its Playstation consoles, Blu-rays are not going anywhere. That despite this being one of the smallest tallies of titles that Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have ever covered. (Cause we don’t like to repeat ourselves.) That being said you have David Lynch’s Oscar-nominated biopic and Tim Burton adapting a wacky soap opera. Besides the Criterion sale is on at Barnes & Noble so it’s a good week for your budget.
Episode 665: RSVP For One Wilde Dinner Party
Eight movies are on tap for the weekend that America celebrates its 250th birthday. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy check out Angel Studios’ attempt at part of that history (Young Washington). There are also documentaries about a legendary music producer (Peter Asher: Everywhere Man) and a public access legend in her own right (Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story). Carla Gugino tries to protect a family member from a demon (Lockbox) and Millie Bobbie Brown is back solving a mystery in Malta (Enola Holmes 3). John Early attempts to satirize message movies in earnest by playing a woman (Maddie’s Secret). Those gibberish-speaking assistants to evildoers take a trip through Hollywood history (Minions & Monsters). Finally, Olivia Wilde directs and stars with Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz in a comedy worth your RSVP (The Invite).
Episode 664: Then You Punch ‘Em In The Head Emotionally
Given the big collection announced this week for October, Erik Childress & Peter Sobczynski got you covered with a bunch of collections this week as well on physical media. They include the Hammer works of Jimmy Sangster and French filmmaker Lucie Hadzihaliovic. Last year’s Jafar Panahi gets the Criterion treatment. A pre-code Joan Crawford film held up by the courts is finally available in a new restoration. The teens are not alright in films by Frank Perry and Roger Vadim, nor are the kids of Robin Hardy. You can lighten things up by watching Tom Hanks’ house demolish around him. Then you can go back for Arrow’s releases of the original Mortal Kombat films and six of Jackie Chan’s joyful action films.
Episode 663: Up, Up And Go Away
Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy have nine movies to review, though Steve ups that in this week’s review round-up with a look at a music legend (Gregg Allman: The Music Of My Soul). From there Erik looks at a faux true crime documentary about murders on a movie set (Chapter 51) and a new WWII film from Rod Lurie (Lucky Strike). Steve checks out Angelina Jolie as a filmmaker during fashion week in Paris (Couture). There is also an Elmore Leonard-ish crime tale with Russell Crowe (The Get Out) and a historical tale of writers and mobsters from Julian Schnabel (In the Hand of Dante). Smalltown fishermen find themselves on a time traveling boat (Rose of Nevada).John Cena goes through a What About Bob scenario with Eric Andre (Little Brother). The crazy stunts and pranks of Johnny Knoxville and crew take one last bow (Jackass: Best and Last). Finally, the DC Universe presents their sophomore effort (Supergirl) and is it better or worse than Superman? Depends on who you ask.
Episode 662: Heaven, Hell and John Waters
This week in physical media, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look at John Waters getting the Criterion treatment. There are a pair of middle-of-the-road (at best) upgrades for Adam Sandler as well as a film with his Bulletproof co-star. James Garner and Bruce Willis in a Hollywood western murder mystery misfire but thankfully Clint Eastwood is also here to save the day. There is the Takashi Miike film that makes good use of the term “not for the squeamish.” And while the subject matter of one death after another did not bode well for a Robin Williams film about heaven and hell, the duo make the case that it was worth a revisit.
Episode 661: Legends & Memories To Infinity and Beyond
There is no shortage of movies to talk about this week so Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy take on 12 of them for you. They include a pair of documentaries ranging from missing Disney memorabilia (Stolen Kingdom) to an Icelandic memory piece connected to the melting of the glaciers (Time and Water). Grief and travel intersect between a mother and a daughter (Honeyjoon) as well as in the new Edward Burns golf film (Finnegan’s Foursome). A mom’s mysterious illness doesn’t bode well for another family (The Voices of Our Mother) and the loss of her sister through cancer finds Zoey Deutsch romance (Voicemails for Isabelle)? Hayley Kiyoko turns her song into a book and now into a movie (Girls Like Girls) but young gay men must confront their own demon in more brutal ways (Leviticus). A murder in Saudi Arabia prompts a true crime enthusiast into action (Unidentified). Hugh Jackman and the director of Pig shows us the end of a legend (The Death of Robin Hood). Last, but certainly not least, the original Pixar gang is back for another timely comic adventure (Toy Story 5) and we hope it is not the last.