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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

01:55:39

Episode 237: Pigs & Roadrunners: A New Legacy

Movie Madness ·

2021/07/19

This week’s movie review episode with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy has it all. Sharks, pigs, roadrunners, gunfights, milkshakes and basketball. That would be selling it short though as the guys wade through eight films this week including documentaries featuring Eli Roth (Fin) and Anthony Bourdain (Roadrunner). They close the book on a Netflix trilogy (Fear Street Part 3 – 1666) and try to look past a bump in the road on a filmmaker they have appreciated (Die in a Gunfight). Karen Gillan leads a

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02:36:56

Episode 236: Indiana Jones And The Quest For...

Movie Madness ·

2021/07/16

It has been a while since Erik Childress and Sergio Mims informed you of the latest and greatest in Blu-rays, but they are back with a vengeance. In this episode, they go from Criterion and Tom Noonan’s directorial debut to films that were big parts of their childhood and made their adult selves feel that age again. There are musicals and westerns, Gun Hill and Walter Hill, mad monks, killer cats and big fish. They save plenty of room for big discussions about Joe Dante’s Explorers and Cameron

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01:03:29

Episode 235: You’ve Got To See This, Son

Movie Madness ·

2021/07/09

It may not be the epic review show they just did, but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy still talk about four films you will want to hear before deciding to check out. Steve talks about another whale documentary; the latest from “Cropsey” and “The Sons of Sam” director (The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52). They let you know if the second installment of Netflix’s horror trilogy is any better than last week’s edition (Fear Street Part 2 – 1978) but have just as much to say about Shudder’s latest

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02:23:49

Episode 234: Past, Present & Future Wars

Movie Madness ·

2021/07/07

It was a long July 4th weekend and that meant a lot of movies. Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy may have whittled it down to an even dozen but that was still plenty for this epic review show. There is true crime (The Phantom), horror (Fear Street: Part 1 – 1984, Vicious Fun) and the fight over a heart (The God Committee). Steve looks in on Heidi Ewing’s tender love story (I Carry You With Me) and Erik determines where the latest from Steven Soderbergh fits in his “retirement” resume (No Sudden Move)

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01:38:49

Episode 233: The Black Widow Ledger

Movie Madness ·

2021/07/03

Comic book expert Erik Laws is back in person to record this episode about the latest from Marvel Studios. He joins Erik Childress to talk about their new prequel/fill-in-the-blanks film about Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. They share their thoughts on the film and Laws fills in further blanks about the liberties taken with some of the new introductions here. Though both Florence Pugh and David Harbour should be pleased. Has the film come too late in the Universe or is it just Marvel and

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01:45:33

Episode 232: Returning A Quarter Mile At A Time

Movie Madness ·

2021/06/28

THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCAST RETURNS! After a month’s hiatus, Erik Childress welcomes back Steve Prokopy to get caught up on the films they missed as well as this week’s new releases in theaters and on streaming. They discuss documentaries about whales (Fathom), progressive nuns (Rebel Hearts) as well as art and trauma (Mary J. Blige: My Life). Liam Neeson is a trucker on a mission (The Ice Road), Patrick Fugit is morally compromised to save his brother (My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To) and

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01:23:48

Episode 231: What Will Theaters Look Like This Summer?

Movie Madness ·

2021/06/04

From the WHPK Files of the Bad Mutha Film Show, Sergio Mims and Erik Childress take a look at what the box office could look like this summer. Something that could change for the better after a positive Memorial Day Weekend. But while this conversation occurred before the holiday, Erik offered his perspective on the foolish lowballing of A Quiet Place Part II’s potential, even in a transitioning marketplace. Speaking of which, Sergio gets in his two cents about A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella,

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01:15:31

Episode 230: Shut Up, Cruella! I Mean, Be Quiet.

Movie Madness ·

2021/06/01

It’s a return to theaters for Memorial Day weekend as Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review five new films that you can say at home too. They look at the horror of Funhouse and what happens when you remove Jim Carrey in Skull: The Mask. Potential horror turns into raunchy comedy as two high schoolers hit the road to ward off a potential pregnancy in Plan B. Emma Stone plays the infamous Disney villain as we discover why she may have a grudge against dalmatians in Cruella. Finally, the first movie

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02:09:28

Episode 229: The Need For Speed & Spaceballs

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/26

It’s Blu-ray time again with Erik Childress and Sergio Mims. They marvel at some new 4K releases by reminding how great Speed is and put up a defense for Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs as well. Sergio talks about one of the earlier variations of a Groundhog Day-esque scenarios and a great Criterion title to catch-up on before its remake. Erik talks up one of the best comedies of the year as well as one of the best anthology films in years. There is talk of Bob Hope, more Mel Brooks, the tempestuous

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01:30:03

Episode 228: Is That Justice?

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/24

This week’s movie review edition of the show features eight new films discussed by Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy. They each handle a documentary including a new mid-career music tale (Pink: All I Know So Far) and the bizarre mystery of a stamp collection that passes between neighbors (The Penny Black). Steve minces no words of his love for Mads Mikkelsen (Riders of Justice) and Erik catches up on a SXSW title that could be an alternative to the Saw reboot (Sound of Violence). Two more mysteries

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01:57:12

Episode 227: The Quick Djinn and the Dead

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/16

This week’s movie review edition of the podcast features Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy looking at eight new titles this week. We have mysteries, killers and zombies up and down the show including more long-delayed films such as Timur Bekmambetov’s computer screen thriller, Profile, which premiered on the festival circuit in 2018 and Joe Wright’s The Woman in the Window which was first slated for release in October 2019. There is more terror from a young boy trying to survive an hour with The

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01:33:46

Episode 226: Guy Ritchie – Still Here Today

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/08

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy open May 2021 with eight (mostly) new movie reviews. There’s a racially-charged Sundance drama that premiered in 2018 (Monster), the true story of an FBI informant played by Emilia Clarke who got too close to her handler that was made in 2019 (Above Suspicion) the same year when 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot premiered at the Austin Film Festival. They also look at a documentary about Sean Penn’s philanthropic efforts (Citizen Penn), Mena Suvari forced to

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02:28:11

Episode 225: All Creature Features Great And Small

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/06

Considering their lack of enthusiasm for the recent Godzilla vs. Kong, Sergio Mims and Erik Childress decided to list some of their favorite monster movies. This extended segment from their Bad Mutha Film Show on WHPK Radio in Chicago offers 20 alternatives to the weak titan sauce in theaters. They include from the world of Ray Harryhausen, inspirations for the current versus, not to mention remakes (and sequels) that outdo the originals. It’s a two-plus hour celebration of giants and tiny things

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01:56:36

Episode 224: We End April Without Remorse

Movie Madness ·

2021/05/02

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at another ten movies this week to close out April. Steve checks in on a documentary about Alan Ladd Jr. (Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies), Brian Tyree Henry is an introvert locked out of his apartment (The Outside Story) and the tale of an Syrian immigrant waiting for asylum in Scotland (Limbo) while Erik talks about a female arm-wrestling comedy (Golden Arm). The pair also discuss Anson Mount as an egocentric assassin (The Virtuoso), jerky teenagers in

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01:48:03

Episode 223: 2…4…6…8…Who Do We Appreciate?

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/30

Sergio Mims returns with another look at the latest and greatest in Blu-rays. Along with Erik Childress they catch up on Arrow’s release of Kevin Smith’s Mallrats and Sergio’s lingering love for sword-and-sandal films with Film Detective’s Hercules and the Captive Women. They look at a pair of overseas releases of Paramount thrillers Black Sunday and Breakdown and express their great love for the studio’s long-overdue release of Michael Ritchie’s The Bad News Bears. They still have enough time to

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02:11:57

Episode 222: GET OVER HERE (and listen to our movie...

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/25

There are a couple of great battles in the films reviewed on this episode, but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy leave no film behind this week before debating their merits. Ten films on the docket including films about pigs with no dialogue (Gunda), werewolves with some songwriting (Bloodthirsty) and Lovecraftian fish people who want to spawn with a couple (The Deep Ones). Ed Helms wants Patti Harrison to carry his baby (Together Together) and William Jackson Harper wants to know why Aya Cash won’t

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01:17:18

Episode 221: Cruise and the Dune

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/23

From their WHPK radio show out of the University of Chicago, The Bad Mutha Film Show, Sergio Mims and Erik Childress do another round on the current state of theaters. Where are we headed after Godzilla vs. Kong and is it really the blockbuster titles that we should be looking at to pave the way? Did Paramount make a colossal blunder in moving the Top Gun sequel off the summer schedule and what studio could take advantage of that? They also discuss the closing of the Navy Pier IMAX theater in

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01:43:42

Episode 220: Join the Chosen Few, Barbara Crampton!

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/17

We’re only halfway through April 2021 and the good movies are few and far between. But Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy may actually have a few recommendations for you this week and it arrives with horror in all its manifestations. There is a haunted house (The Banishing), backwoods farmers (Honeydew) and the woods themselves (In the Earth). But there are also toxic relationships (Monday, Slalom), shadow organizations (Trigger Point, The Rookies) and Ruby Rose running down jobs for a

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02:14:09

Episode 219: Critics In The Movies

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/15

After the recent film, Malcolm & Marie, went off on a diatribe against film critics, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims decided to look at the way films (and even television) have treated critics of all times. Sometimes satirically, but often as a reaction or a way for filmmakers to enact revenge on those who have taken shots at their work. Are film critics influenced negatively – or even positively – when they are acknowledged in unflattering (or even unfair) terms but those holding a grudge? Can we

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01:06:22

Episode 218: Blast Off, Falcone!

Movie Madness ·

2021/04/11

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy look at six movies on this week’s show. They review a story of the brutal military service of South Africa (Moffie), what a refugee will do to flee civil war (The Man Who Sold His Skin), a visual landscape brought to you by one of Terrence Malick’s cinematographers (Awaken) and how one survives the night shift at a haunted hospital (The Power). Most of their discussion this week is reserved for how Ben Falcone is failing Melissa McCarthy in their fifth collaboration

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