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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

117:40

Episode 647: If You Believe, Clap Your Hands!

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/24

There’s no slowing down this week on the show as Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have nine reviews for you. They include a documentary on a female punk band (Pretty Ugly: The Story of the Lunachicks) and the Tourettes film that the BAFTAs just loved (I Swear). A woman on holiday decides if she wants to hook up with Charli XCX again (Erupcja), Anthony Mackie fights for the women of Arabia (Desert Warrior) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson must deal with a WWII bomb found in London (Fuze). Charlize Theron is

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105:34

Episode 646: Makin’ Stone Cold Whoopee For $93,000

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/20

It’s another week of physical media and Erik Childress is joined again by Peter Sobczynski to take you through a selection of Universal classics featuring W.C. Fields. There is also an all-star cast crime-and-court film, Johnny Depp as a book detective and even some original J-horror. There is also Lee Marvin defining the role of Donald Westlake’s anti-hero Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, the Bridges brothers and a couple pianos and, of all things, the signature Brian Bosworth action film.5:02 -

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106:05

Episode 645: Well It’s No Ally Sheedy’s Frankenstein

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/17

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy fly solo on most of the movies this week, but they still have nine titles to talk about. Lena Headey discovers she may have created the bullet that killed her son (Ballistic). A strange friendship develops between two disparate young men when one tries to maybe stop the other from committing a school shooting (Our Hero, Balthazar). Barbie Ferreira plays a music critic who gets involved with the band she is covering (Mile End Kicks). The latest comedy from Peter

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104:44

Episode 644: Blessed Are The Cheesemakers, We Used To...

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/13

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have a lot to say about this week’s batch of physical media. Maybe not as much as the most successful franchise entry amongst them, but certainly about Ernst Lubitsch’s romantic comedy about thieves in love. Most definitely about Monty Python’s religious-skewering masterpiece. But there is also the troubled transports carrying George Kennedy and the out-of-control one that ranks as one of the great action films of the 1980s. An obscure, hard-to-find comedy about

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48:54

Episode 643: Tell Me About The Birds And The Cats

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/06

It’s a light week for physical media but that doesn’t mean that Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski don’t have you covered. There is one of the great film noirs, particularly for fans of The Shawshank Redemption. A magnificent wonder in fantasy filmmaking from over a century ago that looks better than many films today. Meiko Kaji’s martial arts double feature gets the Arrow treatment. Finally, exploitation fans will have a field day this week with the essential Russ Meyer film as well as the film

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67:58

Episode 642: Do You Want Pizza Or Drama?

Movie Madness ·

2026/04/03

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy review six movies this week. Erik looks at a Netflix true crime documentary about the murder of a rising cyclist (The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson) as well as a couple trying to re-ignite a passion they moved on from (A Love Like This). There is a comedy about the friendship that develops between an aging actress and the unemployed neurotic who becomes her nanny (Fantasy Life). Two roommates sample a synthetic drug and only food can save them from the wacky

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120:01

Episode 641: Your Body is A WonderWeapon

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/30

Leading a very classic and cult-like week in physical media, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski have got you covered. Unlike Madonna. It’s a week filled Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Bob Hope (including one of our Why-Is-This-Not-On-Blu-Ray titles). There is also James Caan at his best, Jamie Foxx winning an Oscar and some cool martial arts titles. Dustin Hoffman trying to stop a virus, Ernest Borgnine trying to summon Satan and Adam Sandler as the son of said Satan. You also have an upgrade for

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112:15

Episode 640: DANCE You Rich Disease-Ridden A.I....

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/27

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have a busy, if not a great week, with 11 movie reviews for you. If documentaries are what you crave Steve has a trio for you with a potentially soon-to-be-outdated tale of how we’re all going to die (The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptomist), one about a legendary rocker of the ‘80s (Billy Idol Should Be Dead) and another about a famed fashion designer by a Coppola or (Marc by Sofia). He also looks at the latest animated work from the creator of The Triplets of

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146:44

Episode 639: Red Sonja and the Talisman Of Lunacy

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/23

After a week off, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski return to catch you all up on the world of physical media. This week there are war films and after-war films, both with Gene Hackman. There are movies with dogs and giant insects, Looney Tunes, Loony Porno and the lunacy of Antonio Margheriti. They discuss another underrated Coen Bros. film as well as a film that is not far removed from another of their loony classics. Criterion adds the latest Scorsese to their collection and Nirvanna the Band

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63:19

Episode 638: Pathetic Earthlings Hurling Your Bodies...

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/20

Fresh from returning from this year’s SXSW Film Festival, Erik Childress returns to review six movies with Steve Prokopy. They range from Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Bathory (Vampires of the Velvet Lounge) to a documentary on feminine representation in genre films (1000 Women In Horror). Rose Byrne is a homeless woman who loses her car (Tow) while Samara Weaving plays another deadly game of hide and seek (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come) and podcasters get some horrific audio problems (Undertone). Finally,

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83:47

Episode 637: Sometimes Dead IS Better

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/09

This week in physical media, Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski guide you through a week that includes a pair of lesser Peter Sellers efforts as well as a Southern melodrama known more for the way Marlon Brando is beaten up. There is also some Billy Dee Williams and River Phoenix and a little Bunuel. Cult audiences have a lot to cheer this week from the horror of the late 70s to romance of the early 80s. Keanu Reeves squares off against Al Pacino’s devil and there is a lot of love for Kenneth

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74:07

Episode 636: Everybody’s Taken By The Brain Attack

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/06

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy have seven movie reviews for you this week including a remake of a 40-year old hockey film (Youngblood). A reckless young man is held captive like a dog (Heel) and a woman is held captive like a child (Dolly) while Milla Jovovich goes on the offensive to rescue her daughter from sex traffickers (Protector). Alan Ritchson faces off against an alien presence (War Machine). Pixar’s latest has a girl who becomes a beaver (Hoppers) and Maggie Gyllenhaal offers her brand

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77:13

Episode 635: Blast Off With Christopher Lee & Asia...

Movie Madness ·

2026/03/02

This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski they look at one of the rarely talked about Coen Bros. films, John Ford basically doing Red Dust again and Herschell Gordon Lewis’ film about a Chicago garage band. There’s also the Karate Kid series continuation, a Sundance short that became a Sundance film plus a whole bunch of Christopher Lee and Asia Argento.1:52 - Criterion (The Man Who Wasn’t There)13:15 - Warner Archive (Mogambo)20:58 - AGFA (Blast-Off Girls)29:40 - Sony

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83:04

Episode 634: What’s Your Favorite…Oh Never Mind

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/27

It is a pretty substandard week for movies. Even moreso than usual. But Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy power through and may find at least one worth your time. Could it be the story of a serial killer and possession (The Mannequin)? Or how about the one with Ving Rhames training a wannabe female boxer to become…a manager (Uppercut)? There’s a documentary about Paul McCartney after leaving The Beatles (Man on the Run) and Jessica Chastain in a toxic relationship with an immigrant (Dreams). Priyana

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134:21

Episode 633: I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Going To T.A.G. You

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/23

Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski take you through another week in physical media and it’s a pretty great week. You can get one of Scorsese’s first, Richard Pryor’s last concert film and even some early Matt LeBlanc. Peter shows some fondness for Lori Petty’s bizarre comic book adaptation and even a little Troma. One of Erik’s “Why is this not on blu-ray” choices gets its debut courtesy of Synapse. 20 years before Jurassic Park there was the original Michael Crichton amusement park. The pair

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68:06

Episode 632: All You Need Is A Little Kill And A Lot...

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/20

Disney & 20th Century Studios did not want them to see Psycho Killer this week, but Erik Childress & Steve Prokopy still have six films to talk about. Steve delves into Baz Luhrmann’s lost footage film (EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert). A woman seeks to constantly avenge her daughter (Redux Redux), two Game of Thrones stars reunite for some folk horror (The Dreadful) and would you believe there’s another zombie outbreak (This Is Not A Test). Harry Melling enters into a domme relationship with

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99:14

Episode 631: When The Legend Becomes Fact…

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/16

A trend certainly develops along this week’s path of physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski. It is a week that offers musicals from Ernst Lubitsch, a double (or, actually, triple) dose of Van Damme and one of the craziest sci-fi horror films you will ever see. But it is also a week about truth and liberties. They go from the music side of the aisle in biopics about Benny Goodman and Jim Morrison. Diane Keaton takes you into the various depictions and mysteries of the afterlife

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87:52

Episode 630: You’ve Got Red On You

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/13

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back on the review beat with eight new titles this week. They include another video game adaptation (The Mortuary Assistant), Juliette Lewis becomes a chair (By Design) while an actual goat tries to become one (GOAT). The world is in trouble with green alien fungus (Cold Storage) as well as AI in Gore Verbinski’s first film in nine years (Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die). Chris Hemsworth is feeling the heat as a thief from Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry (Crime 101)

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49:00

Episode 629: Sunday Is For Lovers…And Yakuza?

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/09

A lot of rescheduling leaves not a lot to talk about this week in physical media but Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski still power through. They include one of the most inventive (and expensive) comedies of all-time, a Johnnie To action film, Viggo Mortensen in one of his first starring roles. Finally, you have the cable staple that was the first pairing of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner that in more ways than one led to the title of this week’s episode.3:10 - Criterion (Playtime (4K))17:06 -

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113:54

Episode 628: The Sundance Film Festival 2026 (aka...

Movie Madness ·

2026/02/05

Sundance is leaving Park City and after attending since 2003, Erik Childress looks ahead to the festival’s move to Boulder in 2027. But before then its; one last dance in Utah as Steve Prokopy and him countdown over 30 films they saw at the festival. New films from Olivia Wilde, Gregg Araki and Macon Blair. Ethan Hawke continues his roll with one of the best and biggest films while John Turturro gets one of the great roles of his career. Some of the best documentaries about Salman Rushdie, Marianne

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