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PODCAST

Movie Madness

Movie Madness is a weekly podcast hosted by Chicago film critic Erik Childress presenting movie reviews, interviews, film festival coverage, DVDs, awards, box office and much more! erikthemovieman.substack.com

tv & film visual arts

All Episodes

02:01:27

Episode 337: Black Panther: Wakanda For Too Long

Movie Madness ·

2022/11/12

Comic book expert Erik Laws is back with Erik Childress to discuss the bittersweet return to the land of Wakanda. Unfortunately, that return is more bitter than sweet as they talk about the numerous missed opportunities in trying to eulogize its fallen star, Chadwick Boseman, and the scurry of Shuri to ultimately replace him. Marvel may have finally found themselves with the opportunity to elevate its female heroes to the forefront only to see them pulling their gut-punches and losing ground to its

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02:16:02

Episode 336: Friends, Trauma and Weird Al

Movie Madness ·

2022/11/06

The weekly movie reviews hit the dozen mark again with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. They remind you of this year’s Sundance entry from indie sci-fi masters Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Something In The Dirt). Eva Green is either going nuts or has a very bad nanny (Nocebo) and Andrea Riseborough stars in a film that may get itself compared to Rocky Horror (Please Baby Please). The pair wade through a couple of thrillers that reset themselves including a noir wannabe (The Minute You Wake Up

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01:53:25

Episode 335: Sergio Mims’ Song Of The South Commentary

Movie Madness ·

2022/11/02

Sergio Mims, our noted film scholar and friend, was well on his way to becoming “King Commentary” with all his official contributions to Blu-rays for Kino, Vinegar Syndrome and others. During the pandemic at the peak of lockdown, Collin Souter of Christmas Movies Actually, suggested that our good friend record one for Disney’s controversial 1940 film, Song of the South. Sergio did not hesitate and delivered something for his friends. Some of them are here to again pay brief tribute to the man who

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01:34:49

Episode 334: Just Get Away From Me Already

Movie Madness ·

2022/10/30

Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy play a little catch-up this week on some films that have been playing in limited release. One film they suggest you don’t catch up on from Sundance (Call Jane) still gives rise to another that you absolutely should. Among the rest Steve looks at a new documentary on the famous trumpeter (Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues) and the focus on the mother of an infamously murdered child in Chicago (Till). On Netflix they look at Henry Selick’s stop-motion underworld and his

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01:57:50

Episode 333: Rocks & Ruins

Movie Madness ·

2022/10/25

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)

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02:20:54

Episode 332: The Horror Of Sadness (And Art The Clown)

Movie Madness ·

2022/10/10

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

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01:48:18

Episode 331: Women With Power(s) And Some Bros Too

Movie Madness ·

2022/10/03

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

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01:43:10

Episode 330: Don’t Worry, It Will All Be Over Soon

Movie Madness ·

2022/09/24

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

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02:47:04

Episode 329: Home Is Where The Dead Bodies Are

Movie Madness ·

2022/09/20

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

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01:17:37

Episode 328: You Cannot Be Serious! Or Satirical...

Movie Madness ·

2022/09/03

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

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03:38:23

Episode 327: The Music of John Williams (Extended...

Movie Madness ·

2022/09/02

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

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02:07:04

Episode 326: The Way Of Water And Storytelling

Movie Madness ·

2022/08/28

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

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02:02:36

Episode 325: Lions & Orphans & Glory Holes, Oh My!

Movie Madness ·

2022/08/21

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

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01:44:58

Episode 324: Women Taking Names And Charge (Cards)

Movie Madness ·

2022/08/14

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

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02:10:06

Episode 323: Prey For Love And Luck

Movie Madness ·

2022/08/07

There are eight movies to talk about this week and Erik Cihldress and Steve Prokopy have seen them all. There is love for two films from this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival including Patton Oswalt catfishing his own son (I Love My Dad) and Dale Dickey looking to kindle an old friendship with Wes Studi (A Love Song). There is a new animated film on Apple+ (Luck) and a documentary about the Father of Claymation (Claydream). Ron Howard turns a story that got the doc treatment last year about the

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01:35:14

Episode 322: Resurrection With A Vengeance

Movie Madness ·

2022/07/31

Themes develop within this week’s movie reviews. Funny how that happens without even trying sometimes but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy wade through seven movies this week. It all begins with an emotionally unsettling film they have been championing since Sundance featuring another knockout performance by Rebecca Hall and a never creepier Tim Roth (Resurrection). Steve checks out Juliette Binoche as a trucker who gets involved in child trafficking (Paradise Highway) while Erik covers Angourie

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01:09:35

Episode 321: Gray Men – Little, Big & Legendary

Movie Madness ·

2022/07/24

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have the weekly movie reviews for you. A light week of just five movies, but the streamers should be happy. Mostly. Whether or not you head out to theaters for the big one is up to you. But they check on a couple films from Shudder including some horror from the Netherlands (Moloch) and a documentary on cult performance metal artists (This is Gwar). Erik weighs in on Ethan Hawke’s six-part docuseries on the careers and marriage of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward on

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02:14:57

Episode 320: Why Do You Like 4K? Because It’s Clean

Movie Madness ·

2022/07/20

Sergio Mims returns to the show to look at what is new out there in Blu-ray land. Along with Erik Childress they discuss some tremendous new 4K titles from Sony and Criterion. Erik makes the case for two other great crime tales on 4K that Sergio has just been so-so on. Sergio goes to bat for a new restoration of a film that was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and clearly believes was unfair. They also talk a new release of an early Richard Donner film and run through a cadre of

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01:36:46

Episode 319: Don’t Make Me Hear The Crawdads Sing

Movie Madness ·

2022/07/17

Real life trumps fiction this week on the movie review edition of the podcast. Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy discuss seven new movies including revisiting two of the best documentaries from the festival circuit this year. One involves the continued struggles of gun control after another tragedy (Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down) and another chronicles the relationship of two volcano researchers up close and personal (Fire of Love). Steve looks at the horrors of healing with Alice Krige (She Will)

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01:01:36

Episode 318: The 2022 Tribeca Film Festival

Movie Madness ·

2022/07/13

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival contained a number of noteworthy documentaries and some new features by rising filmmakers. Erik Childress is joined by Peter Sobczynski to discuss 16 of these films. They include real-life tales about embattled journalists, the effect of COVID on family businesses, historical heroes and modern-day athletes. There are also the latest films from filmmakers such as Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife), Alex Thompson (Saint Frances), Alexandre O. Philippe (Memory: The Origins

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