Movie Madness

Marvel’s latest entry, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is here to introduce a new character into their universe. Which is not to say he does not have his own history and comic book expert, Erik Laws, joins Erik Childress for another adaptation breakdown. They discuss the problematic history of his primary antagonist, The Mandarin, and what changes have been made for modern audiences. Th...

The weekly movie review edition of the show is here with Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy reviewing ten new films. They remind you of a ‘80s music documentary from SXSW (Under the Volcano) as well as docs about noted activists (Unapologetic, Not Going Quietly). Steve covers a dyslexia drama (Confetti) and the new film by Sean Penn starring his daughter (Flag Day) while Erik settles for Jason Momoa...

In their ongoing bi-annual series, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims once again hope to reach out to studios and rights holders over titles that are still only out there in the DVD format. As always they each choose ten titles to highlights and it’s a variety ranging from directors David Lean to Robert Benton. Comedies going from the political to downright silly to even more relevant 25 years later....

Four new theatrical exclusive titles, a pair from Netflix and another on Apple TV highlight this week’s review edition of the show. Erik Childress handles the first of Netflix’s sports documentary series Untold with the most infamous event in NBA history ( Malice at the Palace ) and the latest talke from Pablo Larrain about a woman taking back control of her life in the most dramatic fashion ( Ema...

We are getting into festival season and this episode takes us back a few weeks to when Erik Childress and Sergio Mims checked out some of the films that played at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Sergio handles a number of documentaries involving conductors, paintings, Rick James and Dick Gregory. Erik offers his thoughts on one of the festival award winners, another film about Ted Bundy, anothe...

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy return with reviews of seven new movies including three documentaries of various outrage including ISIS sex slaves (Sabaya), aerial journalism (Whirlybird) and the epidemic of wildfires (Bring Your Own Brigade). Udo Kier gets a chance to shine in a leading role (Swan Song) and two very different musicals from Leo Carax (Annette) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Vivo) deligh...

Erik Childress and Sergio Mims began a conversation on their WHPK radio show about the summer box office last month and have been continuing that discussion from week-to-week. On this episode you will hear the evolution of that talk as they offer perspective on behavior during the pandemic, trends that began to form in attendance, how HBO MAX and streaming have messed with the dynamics and some th...

Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy are back with this week’s movie review show. Not as many movies as last week but they have a lot to say nevertheless. From a documentary about legendary Second City master Del Close (For Madmen Only) to a twisting true tale of a hacker’s battle with the government (Enemies of the State), that is only the beginning. There is also a parkour-laden modern adaptation of...

Continuing the bestow the virtues of physical media, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims go another round with some great Blu-ray and 4K titles that you may want to put into your collection or at least check out for the first time. They include one of the best Stephen King adaptations and one of the more troubled Sam Peckinpah productions. A new blu-ray about the fascinatingly crazy Australian genre hi...

Erik Childress is joined by comic book expert, Erik Laws, who had one of the worst comic book experiences watching what DC and Warner Bros. put in theaters with David Ayer’s Suicide Squad in 2016. (You can hear that on Episode 21 right here .) Not one to give up, Mr. Laws is back to check out James Gunn’s new reboot of the series. The pair discuss their thoughts on the film, whether or not Gunn ha...

Episode 238: What’s Old Is Still Old Fondly we joke about not being able to do this on the radio like we used to, but find another show that offers up 13 movie reviews in a single episode. Cause that is what you get from Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy here including documentaries ranging from sharks to Woodstock ’99 and Alvin Ailey to Val Kilmer. There are vampires on a plane ( Blood Red Sky ),...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 )...

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...

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 R...

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 m...

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 v...

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...

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...

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 fo...

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 als...

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 remak...

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 Ar...