Movie Madness

It’s 4K Day on the podcast with Erik Childress and Sergio Mims going over some very memorable modern action films going the way of the latest and greatest format. They shared their complicated feelings for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator along with their unshakable love for Mel Gibson’s Braveheart as well as the everlasting power that makes Die Hard one of the all-time greats. Then Sergio takes us back i...

It’s the movie event of the summer. The third one at least. And just like with The Last Jedi, Erik Laws and Sergio Mims join Erik Childress to take you all the way through the latest “Star Wars Story.” They talk about its troubled production history, how Sergio was once at a studio when a director was fired and how the film measures up to Rogue One and true fan expectations. This is a public episo...

Catching up on Blu-ray releases, Erik Childress and Sergio Mims go over popular musicals forty years apart and why The Greatest Showman ultimately fails. They also dig into some classic exploitation releases from their youth courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome, Shout Factory and MVD. They also discuss the resume of Jean Claude Van-Damme and what made Cary Grant so great.   Paramount (Grease) Fox (The Gre...

Erik Childress is not only a podcast host, he also produces a film festival every year. Now in its sixth year at the Music Box Theatre, the Chicago Critics Film Festival brings some of the best films on the festival circuit – handpicked by the city’s film critics – to a local audience. Sundance, SXSW, Toronto and more are all represented here during the week of May 4-10 and Erik discusses with Ser...

Blu-ray time continues as Erik Childress and Sergio Mims take you from the height of giant creature cheesiness over to films for kids that will either make them smile or traumatize them. They also reminisce about those other kids. The ones in the hall and revisit a film that adults are now likely sharing with their own kids. Then they can’t help but knocking down the babies out there somehow upset...

Likely the biggest summer blockbuster of 2018, Avengers: Infinity War has been the subject of great speculation by fans. Who will live? Who will die? Comic expert Erik Laws and Erik Childress will tell you. Don’t worry though, because you will be warned within this epic discussion when the spoilers will kick in. Before and after though, the Eriks delve into the history of Thanos and breakdown how...

It’s Blu-ray time again as Sergio Mims joins Erik to take you on a sprawling arc (even the Joan kind) through recent titles you will want to check out. From a pair of watered-down true stories about bad men down to the everyday concerns of the suburbs from paying for college to weird neighbors. They put another woefully-mishandled small town mystery on your radar as well as a couple action films t...

It’s the annual Summer Box Office show! Erik Childress breaks down his predictions for the 20 films he believes will be the tops in theaters this summer and then goes beyond just as a bonus. Sergio Mims is on hand to challenge some of those thoughts. They certainly agree what will be the champion of the summer, but can it be the biggest film of the year? It’s all here as they discuss Infinity War,...

Back to the new Blu-rays we go with Sergio Mims as they discuss horror, true stories and a number of comedies that just never worked. They talk both the new restoration of Dario Argento’s Suspiria but also the making of a Stephen King adaptation. They preview some upcoming Shout Factory titles and express their disappointment with films from Alexander Payne and Aaron Sorkin. But wrap it up with th...

Last month, Erik Childress attended his 16 th SXSW Film Festival and it was one of the best ones in years. It opened with A Quiet Place which has gone on to become one of the biggest success stories of the year. There were some wonderful surprises by a number of films still waiting for distribution deals. But greatest of all was the host being in the same room with his cinematic idol during a spec...

We turn back to catch everyone up on Blu-rays and DVDs you may have missed. Thought it seems everyone Erik turns with Sergio Mims they are discussing someone who did something that may not be cool today. In related that was then, this is now they discuss the morality class favorite, The Incident, and other films from Twilight Time, discuss a trio of Disney favorites. They delve into HBO’s The Deuc...

Sergio Mims joins Erik Childress to continue their catch-up on an array of new Blu-ray editions including many from Shout Factory, a couple courtroom dramas, some solid fare from Warner Bros. and the film where Sergio watched an entire audience boo it upon its initial release three years before Sam Elliott nearly caused 9/11.   Shout Factory (Drag Me To Hell, Hell Night, The Strangers, Gate II, Wa...

On this first of what we hope to be many special episodes of the podcast, we begin a new segment of the show dedicated to varying Top 10 lists. Only this one is not a countdown but a count-up. Erik Childress and Sergio Mims choose ten films from their childhood which helped form their appreciation of cinema and may have also contributed to who they became as human beings. It’s a funny, emotional e...

While Erik Childress prepares to head to Austin for South by Southwest, he takes you back to this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A surprisingly solid list of films goes from documentaries about some of our most beloved entertainers, tales of youth and revenge of the women. Plus you will hear about what could be Carey Mulligan’s finest work to date and what may be THE horror film of 2018!   This is...

Back to the Blu-rays we go as Erik and Sergio talk the 50 th Anniversary of Night of the Living Dead along with a number of wonderful new gems from Criterion. Sergio gets to talk about being in the minority of a film he loved in 2017 and then joins along with Erik in their love of the holiday’s surprise hit, Wonder. They get into the weeds a little talking about the first post-scandal Woody Allen...

The anticipation level was through the roof and it audiences have turned it into an all-timer at the box office. Now Sergio Mims and comic book expert Erik Laws join Erik Childress to put Ryan Coogler’s film in greater context. What led up to it and can it take its historic status to the next cultural level. Spoilers are few but the discussion is multi-faceted. Is this a movie of the moment or a s...

Erik Childress is joined by Sergio Mims to do their first official Blu-ray show of the year. They are hoping to catch everyone up on some recent releases from Twilight Time, some favorites of Sergio’s from Indicator, mutual favorites of theirs from Shout Factory and Arrow and then conclude talking about a Blu-ray Erik has been waiting 35 years for.   Twilight Time (Forever Amber, Wuthering Heights...

Two films expected for a number of Oscar nominations are Call Me By Your Name and The Post. Erik Childress and Sergio Mims dig in on both of them and discuss their various issues with both of them. After that, Erik digs in on his annual Oscar predictions. What is getting nominated? Who is getting snubbed? He breaks down the big eight categories and then reveals his choices for all of the technical...

Erik Childress and Sergio Mims kick off 2018 with a variation on their regular segment. This time instead of talking about the latest in Blu-rays they are wondering when they will actually get a chance to say that certain films are even on Blu-ray. You may be shocked at the vast array of titles that have yet to receive the upgrade. While titles are now being converted into the next evolution with...

Not only is Sergio Mims back to dish on another round of Blu-rays but he takes some extra special time on some extra special releases. Erik Childress was also ecstatic to catch up on some overdue releases that range from Superman to zombies to Miyazaki. Plus one of the most entertaining films of the year (or mostly according to one) and an agreement on one of the best and too often overlooked film...

Erik Childress is joined by regular guests Sergio Mims and Erik Laws on this very special show to examine the lasting impact of the Star Wars franchise from its skeptical beginnings to its current Episode. They discuss The Last Jedi at length from their initial thoughts to its overriding themes and everything down to sound design and the bittersweet impact of Carrie Fisher’s final appearance. They...

DC is at it again. Interpret that anyway you want, but comic book expert, Erik Laws, is back to discuss the new Justice League film with Erik Childress. Together they go deep from the cartoon incarnation down to every nook and cranny of getting the team together, how Joss Whedon’s influence may have affected the final product. Not to mention Danny Elfman’s score, what Zack Snyder may have against...

Not only is Sergio Mims back to dish on another round of Blu-rays but he bookends this episode with talk of a pair of forthcoming worthwhile documentaries on PBS. First he interviews Samuel D. Pollard, the director of Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me and then concludes with his admiration for Frederick Wiseman’s latest film, Ex Libris. In-between Erik Childress and Sergio discuss some new Criteri...

The final movie season of the year is here and with that Erik Childress takes you through his predictions for the big hits and potential misses at the box office. Only this time he is joined by Sergio Mims to offer his two cents on Erik’s predictions as well as his thoughts on what he believes could be a very lackluster season for the wide release – in quality, if not bucks. They cover it all from...

It may sound like just another Blu-ray show. That’s because it is. But it’s one that takes you into the archives to circle back on titles Erik Childress and Sergio Mims did not get to talk about in the moment. So many titles. Only so many minutes. But in this first volume of the Throwback, Erik & Sergio talk about some golden oldies from the likes of Twilight Time, Olive and Kino, three studios wh...