Movie Madness

This week in physical media, Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress look at new releases from Bela Tarr to Luc Besson. Sony finalizes releases one of the best films from John Sayles and Shout Factory puts out an Oscar winning film from Paul Schrader. They discuss the merits of a classic western now in 4K as well as go through the entire Jack Ryan franchise. Finally, it’s all ball bearings nowadays. And if you don’t know what that means, clearly you need to find out and add it to your collection.   0:00 - Intro 1:16 – Criterion (Werckmeister Harmonies) 8:04 – Shout Factory (Affliction) 16:07 – Paramount (Jack Ryan Collection 4K) 38:49 – Sony (You’ll Never Get Rich, City of Hope) 47:10 – Samuel Goldwyn (Taxi) 52:26 – Kino (High Noon 4K, Fletch, Fletch Lives) 1:18:31 – TV & New Blu-ray Announcements 1:23:07 - Outro

Another seven movies on the docket for Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy and a lot of variations on horror. Not so much with the third film from director Goran Stolevski that Steve suggests a look at (Housekeeping for Beginners). But Larry Fessenden crafts a werewolf metaphor for America (Blackout), there is a new giant spider film (Sting), Nicolas Cage’s sons, at least, fighting hairy snapping creatures (Arcadian) for a few minutes plus Lea Seydoux on the lookout from unimaginable dread for over a century (The Beast) and a new Woody Allen film (Coup de Chance). But the biggest discussion lies with the new film from Alex Garland whose title wants to say it all (Civil War). 0:00 - Intro 1:18 – Housekeeping for Beginners 9:47 – Blackout 22:21 – Coup de Chance 30:27 – Sting 41:34 – Arcadian 50:13 – The Beast 1:03:15 – Civil War 1:23:03 - Outro

This week’s physical media edition has Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress looking at films with people getting lost as well as ones with murderers, looters, variations on classic horror and family fare plus a '70s era Kong. They include films by Peter Weir and the writer of Blade Runner plus a film hammered by MST3K and a dog murdered for their inheritance. Admit it, you’re intrigued. 0:00 - Intro 2:24 - Criterion (Picnic at Hanging Rock) 7:25 - Shout (Lost in Space) 12:11 - Film Masters (Tormented 4K) 20:04 - Kino (The Minus Man/The Looters/You Never Can Tell) 31:29 - Paramount (King Kong (1976) 4K) 42:23 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray 44:36 – New Blu-ray Announcements 47:19 - Outro

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have eight reviews this week that range from one of the best surprises of the year thus far and a film that could be destined to give Tommy Wiseau’s The Room a run for its money. They begin with a pair of documentaries including the natural follow-up to Boys State (Girls State) and how the rise of memes and conspiracy theories came into modern fold (The Antisocial Network). Erik looks at a mystery thriller starring Elizabeth Hurley and directed by her son (Strictly Confidential). The co-star of Sing Street uses music to travel back in time (The Greatest Hits). Across the pond we get a dramatization of the infamous Prince Andrew interview and his association with Jeffrey Epstein (Scoop) while Olivia Colman thinks she is getting vulgar postages from Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters). Then the origins of little devil Damien are fleshed out (The First Omen) and Dev Patel punches his way through his directorial debut (Monkey Man). 0:00 - Intro 1:31 – The Antisocial Network

Do not mistake a light week for physical media as evidence that it is dying. Even they need a break after Easter. Nevertheless Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress are here to tell you about five titles making the rounds this week. They include a debut from a one-time up-and-coming actor/director plus an early effort from George Lucas’ Huyck friends. There’s an Oscar-nominated documentary from last year and a film that is hardly good for post-Easter or post-anything. Finally, there’s a baseball film celebrating its 35th anniversary and is getting the 4K treatment. (Apologies in advance for work being done around the recording domain.) 0:00 - Intro 1:36 - Criterion (La Haine) 7:39 - Radiance (Messiah of Evil) 16:40 - MPI (Stigmata) 21:20 - Kino (Four Daughters) 26:07 - Paramount (Major League 4K) 39:56 - New Blu-ray Announcements 41:48 - Outro

Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy review seven new movies over Easter weekend. They include a documentary about an evil son-of-a-bastard-fuck and his attempt to erase the memory of dead children (The Truth vs. Alex Jones) and another doc about one of the most legendary composers (Ennio). David Krumholtz is dying and just going about his deadpan remaining days (Lousy Carter) while Tessa Thompson oversees a chat line for lonely and troubled people (The Listener). The great Steve Martin gets his own documentary. Two of them in fact (Steve!: A Documentary in 2 Pieces) and Liam Neeson is an assassin on the trail of the IRA led by Kerry Condon (In the Land of Saints and Sinners). Finally, another pair of titans return to free stop an uprising in Hollow Earth (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire)   1:54 – The Truth vs. Alex Jones 9:31 - Ennio 24:44 - Lousy Carter 34:43 – The Listener 43:43 - Steve!: A Documentary in 2 Pieces  1:04:07- In the Land of Saints and Sinners 1:15:47 - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire 1:35:10 -

Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to get you (and Carrie Coon) up to date on the latest in physical media. There are crime stories drenched in noir and including Nicole Kidman as a seductive weather lady and Edward Norton in his screen debut. There are all sorts of bizarre westerns including Jack Nicholson behind the camera, John Wayne babysitting and Clint Eastwood singing. There are inspirational teachers, courtroom dramas and ants. Plus one of the great football movies, John Turturro doing the Marx Bros. in an underrated comedy and one of the most delightful romantic charmers of the last 25 years.   0:00 - Intro 1:25 - Criterion (To Die For, Saint Omer) 9:41 - Paramount (Primal Fear) 15:03 - Vinegar Syndrome (Phase IV, Five Card Stud, Goin' South) 29:31 - Kino (Paint Your Wagon, North Dallas Forty, Brain Donors, Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XVIII) 1:02:32 - Warner Archive (They Drive by Night, 3 Godfathers, The Little Drummer Girl, Stand and Deliver, Money Talks) 1:22:07 - Shout (The Crow:Salv

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review seven new movies this week, a couple of them even good. Which ones could they be? Is it this week’s killer with amnesia thriller starring Russell Crowe (Sleeping Dogs). Maybe the two-hander horror film from Shudder (You’ll Never Find Me)? Regina King plays the first black woman elected to Congress (Shirley) and Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the shoes of Patrick Swayze (Road House). David Dastmalchian is a 70s talk show host dabbling with forces live on-air (Late Night with the Devil) and Sydney Sweeney is a nun who finds herself in a mysterious convent (Immaculate). Finally, the original cast returns with the new generation in a 40 year-old franchise (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). 0:00 – Intro 1:45 - Sleeping Dogs  8:36 - You'll Never Find Me 14:34 - Shirley 28:49 - Road House 42:29 - Late Night with the Devil 53:00 - Immaculate 1:04:04 - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 1:17:29 - Outro

Catching up on a couple weeks of releases, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk westerns from the end of John Wayne’s career to the middle-ish of Tom Selleck’s. There are documentaries about art, filmmaking plus Harrison Ford with a Russian accent. Remakes of Stephen King, American J-Horror and just American remakes leading into political conspiracies and Liza Minnelli as a sex worker. That is all just a warm-up to the 4K releases everyone has been waiting for from James Cameron. 0:00 - Intro 1:54 - Criterion (All That Money Can Buy, All the Beauty and Bloodshed, Lynch/Oz) 13:49 - Arrow (Dark Water, The Shootist) 24:05 – Shout Factory (Quigley Down Under, K-19, The Shining, Carrie, Ring Collection, Child’s Play 4K) 54:43 - Kino: (The Manchurian Candidate (2004) 4K, The Lincoln Conspiracy, The President’s Analyst, Target, Rent-a-Cop, Changing Lanes 4K) 1:31:34 - Fox (Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies) 2:00:33 – New Theatrical Titles On Blu-ray 2:04:13 – New Blu-ray Announcements 2:06:54 - Outro

Erik Childress is back from SXSW and Steve Prokopy joins him to catch up on nine films released this week. They include a pair of documentaries about one of our most beloved comic actors (Remembering Gene Wilder) and one of the 20th century’s most iconic artists (Frida). Mia Wasikowska tries to teach kids how to eat (Club Zero) and Zach Braff tries to marry a chef who may have eaten someone who does agree with him (French Girl). Steve suggests why Focus has basically buried the satire it brought to Sundance this year? (The American Society of Magical Negroes). In the world of true stories, Anthony Hopkins tries to save children from the Nazis (One Life) while Mark Wahlberg befriends a dog in a race (Arthur the King). Finally, Michael Keaton directs himself as a hitman again (Knox Goes Away) and the director of Saint Maud tells her own dirty little noir about the addiction of romance and hate (Love Lies Bleeding). 0:00 - Intro 1:38 - Remembering Gene Wilder 8:29 - Frida 15:09 – The American Society of Magi

Physical media continues to thrive though it is having a slight week this time around as Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski go over the new releases. Saw fans can grab the whole series in one fell swoop. There is esoteric stuff from Guy Maddin and a western with Vincent Cassel. Traditional Old West fans get a little treat from Walter Hill along with one of Katharine Hepburn’s Oscar-winning roles. Finally, Shout Factory upgrades a cult Jonathan Kaplan teen film starring Matt Dillon in his screen debut. 0:00 - Intro 1:10 - Universal (The 355 4K) 3:50 - Lionsgate (Saw collection) 6:49 - Zeitgeist (Archangel) 9:31 - Kino (Lion in Winter/Death Rides a Horse/the Long Riders) 26:11 - Samuel Goldwyn (Blueberry) 29:45 – Shout! Factory (Over the Edge) 40:41 – New Blu-ray Announcements 42:12 - Outro

Nobody wanted to open against Taylor Swift last fall and since nobody wanted to open against the sandworms, it’s a light week of reviews. Still five movies for Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy to talk about including an animated documentary about a missing pianist (They Shot the Piano Player) and the story of a burn victim seeking love and revenge (Silver Haze). Adam Sandler misses Carey Mulligan and talks to a giant spader (Spaceman). Former SNL writer Julio Torres makes his directorial debut as a toy designer who becomes the assistant to Tilda Swinton’s art-world pariah (Problemista). Finally, the sandworms have awakened and Denis Villeneuve finally completes his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel (Dune: Part Two). 0:00 - Intro 1:02 - They Shot the Piano Player 5:31 - Silver Haze 10:24 - Spaceman 25:25 - Problemista 39:54 - Dune: Part Two 1:04:58 - Oscar Talk 1:26:18 - Outro

This week on the latest and greatest in physical media, Peter Sobczynski joins Erik Childress to talk about a wealth of new titles in 4K. But also a film noir package dedicated to Edward G. Robinson, a restored version of the 1970s French giallo picture and a horror film about a necrophiliac doctor. That is mixed in with new upgrades for Stanley Kubrick’s first feature, a classic western with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and Steven Soderbergh’s all too-prescient thriller about a pandemic. Peter discusses a 1980s teen comedy he believes deserves some reappraisal. There is also the pairing of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart as well as one of the great early films from Walter Hill. 0:00 - Intro 1:42 - Criterion (The Roaring Twenties 4K)) 8:00 - Kino (Film Noir XVII/Fear and Desire 4K/Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 4K) 26:23 - Altered Innocence (The Strangler) 30:10 - Vinegar Syndrome (The Horrible Dr Hichcock, Little Darlings 4K, Southern Comfort 4K) 49:45 - Warner Bros. (Contagion) 56:34  - New Theatri

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy take on seven new films this week. They include a bored millennial trying to solve a pharmacy robbery (Drugstore June) and Orlando Bloom taking on mob boss Andie MacDowell (Red Right Hand). Steve looks at one of this year’s Oscar nominees (IO Capitano) and U2 getting involved in the war in Sarajevo (Kiss the Future). An animator begins to get lost in her art and mind (Stopmotion) while Ethan Coen loses Joel and takes Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan on a nutty road trip. Finally, Hilary Swank helps out the family of Reacher’s Alan Ritchson in a true story about, well, (Ordinary Angels). 0:00 - Intro 1:04 - Drugstore June 6:51 - Red Right Hand 15:32 - Stopmotion 24:02 - IO Capitano 29:05 - Drive-Away Dolls 40:37 - Kiss the Future 46:18 - Ordinary Angels 59:58 - Outro

Keeping your physical media collection up to date? That is what Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski are here to do again this week. The latest and greatest in Blu-rays include a female-led martial arts double feature extravaganza as well as a double bill of films from the Civil Rights era. There’s a new film with Isabelle Huppert along and a collection of short parodies from Ernie Fosselius. Then new upgrades to 4K run the gamut from Australian psychic horror to a goofy underwater monster film. There’s also the final feature from anime director Satoshi Kon as well as the entire Beverly Hills Cop series. Share in their disappointment (and PTSD) of that third film and learn of the film that resulted from a radio blind date contest before both of them agree on the release that may just be Sam Raimi’s finest achievement. 0:00 - Intro 1:19 – Criterion (The Heroic Trio, Nothing But a Man, Afire) 12:06 – Powerhouse (Patrick 4K) 17:20 – Sony (Paprika 4K) 19:22 – Kino (King: A Filmed Odyssey, Leviathan 4K, The L

Eight reviews this week from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy run the gamut from good documentaries to surprisingly-not-so-bad to shockingly awful. Where do all of these films fit in? How do you feel about an action film from the director of Underwater with this name (Land of Bad) or the rookie secret service agent trying to save the President with this one (Air Force One Down)? Ewan McGregor takes a road trip with his addicted daughter (Bleeding Love) and Lily Sullivan stumbles upon an alien conspiracy (Monolith). Those documentaries include a scary one about Christian Nationalism (God & Country) and a more inspiring one about the history of black astronauts (The Space Race). Finally in theaters this weekend comes another musical biopic (Bob Marley: One Love) and another Sony Spider-Man adjacent comic book tale (Madame Web) that have their own set of problems. 0:00 - Intro 1:37 - Land of Bad 9:20 - Air Force One Down 16:28 - Bleeding Love 22:48 - God & Country 29:35 - Monolith 36:25 – The Spa

Peter Sobczynski again joins Erik Childress to tell you what’s available in physical media this week. You can stock up on your French auteurs, Eric Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard. There are lions and Cagneys and Willy’s, oh my! They go through the good and mediocre in the pricey new 4K set from Sony and Peter offers his two cents on his choice for the best film of 2023. Plus nobody puts Kevin Bacon in the corner as both recall their experiences with the film that tried to stop him from dancing. 0:00 - Intro 0:59 – Criterion (Eric Rohmer’s Tales of Four Seasons) 6:39 – Kino (Godard Cinema and Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars, Madame DuBarry, Blood on the Sun, Man-Eater of Kumaon, Let's Dance) 22:20 – Paramount (Footloose 4K) 32:01 – Shout! Factory (Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, Willy’s Wonderland) 40:56 – Sony (Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4) 54:30 - New Theatrical Titles & TV on Blu-ray 1:02:39 – New Blu-ray Announcements

Seven new films get reviews from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy this week. They include a new mistaken identity rom-com with Camila Mendes (Upgraded) and another story of a novelist plunged into a murderous plot (Ghostwritten). A teenage girl comes of age in the time of Terry Schiavo (Suncoast) while a trio of friends discover the harsher realities of growing up while on vacation in an award-winner from Cannes (How To Have Sex). Also for the second week in a row there is a Wim Wenders film, this time up for an Oscar (Perfect Days). A group of ancient nomads encounter an evil force (Out of Darkness) while our reviews are forced to encounter the latest and, perhaps, worst screenplay from Oscar-winner Diablo Cody (Lisa Frankenstein).   0:00 - Intro 1:49 - Upgraded 14:40 - Ghostwritten 19:48 - Suncoast 30:30 - Perfect Days 39:33 - How To Have Sex 49:46 - Out of Darkness 55:23 - Lisa Frankenstein 1:08:41 - Outro

Getting you caught up on the latest and greatest (and sometimes not-so-great) in blu-rays, Peter Sobczynski and Erik Childress run the gamut this week. They include Billy Wilder doing Agatha Christie and George Segal doing Michael Crichton. A film from the late Norman Jewison and a reimagining of the late Adrienne Shelley’s final film. Plus in maybe the biggest swing, going over arguably Robert Altman’s finest film and then diving into the career of Uwe Boll. 0:00 - Intro 1:15 – Criterion (McCabe and Mrs Miller) 8:55 – Kino (The Big Country, Witness for the Prosecution, The Thomas Crown Affair, Burnt Offerings) 29:10 - Massacre Video (Bloodrayne 4K) 41:12 – Shout Factory (Funeral Home, The Terminal Man) 47:29 – Decal (Waitress: The Musical) 54:18 – New Blu-ray Announcements 56:56 - Outro

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return to the weekly beat of reviews with seven new titles this week. They include a new 3-D documentary from Wim Wenders (Anselm) and another with the master of giallo (Dario Argento Panico). Leah McKendrick writes, directs and freezes her eggs (Scrambled) plus you can learn all about the making of We Are The World (The Greatest Night In Pop). A pair of streamers serve up animation with an all-Asian cast (The Tiger’s Apprentice) and Charlie Kaufman adapts an anxiety-driven children’s book (Orion and the Dark). Finally, it is time to learn who the real agent….shhhh….we’re not supposed to say (Argylle). 0:00 - Intro 1:44 - Anselm 7:51 - The Tiger's Apprentice 13:44 - Dario Argento Panico 19:55 – The Greatest Night in Pop 37:21 - Scrambled 46:01 - Orion and the Dark 57:25 – Argylle 1:13:09 - Outro