Hey all you Halloween fanatics, it’s time once again for us at the Movie Madness Podcast to give you our Top 5 Must Watch Movies For Halloween. These are the films we love to watch for that night of all nights: All Hallow’s Eve.

Some of our picks are scary, some disturbing and some may even be truly outrageous! So, get your crosses, holy water, stakes (great for Zombies and Vampires) silver bullets and maybe a chainsaw or two and get ready; this is one of our favorite episodes. Oh, and don’t forget the popcorn and frosty beverages.

As always we need your help. We are awesome, but not even we can think of every Halloween movie that needs watching. Please send your chilling picks to moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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Fury is a foul smelling, diesel guzzling, steel death trap. It’s also a new movie written and directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt. The film is a rolling snapshot of the European theater in World War II and the men that fought there. What it is not is a war picture with a lofty purpose, like Saving Private Ryan, or one with a political motive, like The Hurt Locker. Fury is a gritty, gory story of five guys in a Sherman tank trying to survive the Great War. It’s simple.

Brad Pitt is Top Sergeant Don “War Daddy” Collier, a hard driving taskmaster who’s managed to keep his tank crew alive for years.  His crew: Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Grady “Coon-Ass”Travis (Jon Bernthal) and Trini ‘Gordo’ Garcia (Michael Peña) are trapped with him in a WWII hell not of their own making. They are crawling through Germany in a tank that’s nearly helpless against the much more powerful German Tigers. They are crawling because Germany, at the order of Adolph Hitler, is fighting the allies for every foot of ground.  Enter Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), a fumbling stenographer and typist, to fill out their tank crew. He is just as green as you might expect.

These characters are what makes Fury so special. There is very little character development, instead Ayer depends on archetypes. Look at nearly any WWII movie with Alan Ladd, John Wayne or Audie Murphy and you’ll see the same. My father was so good he could tell you in five minutes which character would be the hero, which the coward and which one would die. He was never wrong.

Yep, I could have told you what would happen with each member of the tank crew after I met them. Fury is so uncompromising in telling a good story that the background of the characters became secondary. This film is a journey from beginning to end, does it really matter what happened before? If you think so, demand a prequel!

Fury gave me the feeling I was an intimate…a member of the tank crew family, joining in as the group played, fought and even got drunk and obnoxious. That’s the importance of archetypal characters: it’s easy to match them to ones you’ve seen before and match them up.

This is not a movie about “guts and glory,” as some may suggest, but a movie about getting the hell back home in one piece. There is one exceptional moment when Don Collier sees a woman looking at the troops letting off steam in the town square. He takes the green tank driver, Norman, up to a pleasant apartment where they are greeted, not too pleasantly, by a woman and her cousin. Instead of what they expected, the Sargeant is just looking for a little hint of home. He finds it-an island of peace in an ocean of war.

The mistake is in making Fury more (or less) than it is. It’s a really good film, but it’s not about some grandiose scheme to win a war or destroy some foreign ideology. Fury is about squeezing as much out of life in a war and not getting dead. It’s also about killing so many Nazis that there are none left to kill you. George S. Patton once said, “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” I never got a sense in the movie that anyone gloried in taking life. It was only expedient to kill the “other bastard.”

Ayer’s direction and Brad Pitt’s acting certainly headlined the piece, but everything in the film was top notch. Even the now familiar, “This is the best job I’ve ever had,” from the tank crew, fits. I would strongly suggest seeing Fury in the theater. The action and explosions are just too good to miss on the big screen.

Rating 4 Stars out of 5!

Have you ever been shocked by a surprising hero choice in a movie? Well we at the Movie Madness Podcast sure have. Imagine Nick Frost or Don Knotts as heroes. It boggles the mind, but there you go. We have even more in store for you in our Top 5 Unlikely Movie Heroes. Join Doug, Mr. Jeremy and me, the Movie Maniac, as we pick our favorite and most unlikely movie heroes.You’re going to have to join us and find out, because I’m not saying any more.

Remember, if you’d like to include your own list be sure and let us know. Don’t be shy just email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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Dysfunctonal family dramas  are not my favourite genre of movie. They often recycle plots and tropes  from other classics, such as Terms of Endearment, which is the gold standard. There is always a black sheep of the family that comes back home after a long absence to help with a family crisis. There is usually an old girlfiend that still lives in the same town and is surprisingly, not married . What elevates a drama for me is the casting choices, chemistry between the actors , and the acting range shown,  A satisfying family drama has to make me both laugh and cry . This is Where I Leave You , a similar  movie where a son had unresolved father -son issues was  well acted, but the script was average, I did laugh but was never moved enough o cry .

Downey and Duvall did make me cry, as well most of the female audience members in the theater!  Downey still has the cocky confidence of Tony Stark , but without the smartass quips, gadgets, or Pepper Potts to back him up. This is the most range he has shown since being nominated for Chaplin 15 years ago , and his first drama since 2009’s The Soloist , which I also enjoyed.

Ever since Robert Duvall’s  breakthrough role in To Kill a Mockingbird as Boo Radley, he hasn’t given a bad performance. Initially unlikable, his humanity and core decency shines through making him a very sympathetic character by the end.

I thought the casting of Billy Bob Thornton as the opposing counsel, was perfect , as well as Vera Farmigia  ( Up in the Air)  who was his first serious girlfriend , but after a bad car accident  and a big fight with his father , Hank decides to leave town for good after a rock concert.

The courtroom scenes were phenomenal , and although the movie is 142 minutes long, it never dragged once and I could have watch another hour. My dad liked it so much he stayed until all the end credits were done .

It is a 4.5 out of 5, my Top Movie of 2014, and I really think  1 or both of the lead actors will receive Oscar nominations .

Gone Girl is a bestseller that has been on the bestseller lists for 121 weeks, starting at number 7 and moving to Number 2 so it was a foregone conclusion that there would be a movie. The best adaptations in my opinion are when the original author does the screenplay, so I was pleased when Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay. Then I was worried would they get the casting right? I am pleased to report they did,

I have always been a fan of Ben Affleck,ever since I saw him in Good Will Hunting , and everyone admits he is a good director.  I think he will be a great Batman as well. Rosamond Pike was perfectly cast as the icy blonde wife straight out of a Hitchcock movie ,and the whole movie felt distinctly Hitchcockian but with the  David Fincher touch. I have never seen a movie of his I didn’t like. Zodiac and The Social Network were masterpieces.

The supporting cast  was perfect,most notably I was surprised by how fun Tyler Perry was as  a  celebrity lawyer who was subdued but charismatic, and  Carrie Coon, who played Margo Dunne, Nick’s sister. I found her to be the most likable,

I thought Neil Patrick  Harris showed dramatic range, worlds away from his Barney Stinson character

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and was only disappointed in 1 area, but that was in the book, so can’t blame the director.

I honestly think this will have Actor and Actress nominations for Ben Affleck and Rosamond Pike  I give it a thumbs up and  a 4 out of 5.

Revenge drama and Sci-Fi, two of my favorite things! Denzel Washington is back with a vengeance in The Equalizer and there’s a surprisingly interesting new film called The Maze Runner: A young adult Sci-Fi thriller with some nice horror elements.

Doug and I both managed to see The Equalizer and have some definite agreements (and maybe a few disagreements). You’ll never know if we’re at each other’s throats if you don’t get right to listening and find out.

I’m also going to tell you about The Maze Runner; a surprising film and quite engaging. It may not be what you think. I was rather surprised. Check us out before you go and then come back and tell us what you think after at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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In the great desert of late summer/early fall films there are a few small movie oases that show up to quench the thirst. Trust me, by this time of the year I’m parched.

Join Doug and me while we take a look at When the Game Stands Tall and This is Where I Leave You to see if they provide a little moisture on the way to the holiday tsunami. Yes, I know, but corny metaphors are the little islands in the sea of writer’s block. If ya can’t think of anything clever a little cheese never hurts.

Okay. I promise. I’ll stop. But seriously, we do have a little fun and a nice balance between sports drama and light comedy this week: Football and Jane Fonda’s character’s new boobs. How can that be bad?

Hey, let us know what you think at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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Hi there. This is your Movie Maniac saying that we’ve done it again. Doug, Mr. Jeremy and I picked the movies that are just begging for someone to step up and redo them. In fact, for most of the movies, we are begging the studios to remake them. I’m telling you, we dug deep. We looked at miscasting, recasting and even rethinking to come up with those movies that are badly in need of a new iteration. Just like Howard Beale (Peter Finch) from Network, “I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Make the movies right the first time or you must remake them. We are the ones that pay for the tickets and buy the snacks AND THIS IS OUR TIME! Oops, sorry everyone I got carried away.

Seriously my friends listen in and find out what films are ripe for a remake. Even more important…you need to come with your own remakes and show us up. We can take it. Send your own picks to moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 you can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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Some of the best movies that elicit a wide range of emotion from us are Disaster Movies. You get the full gambit from terror, hopelessness, hope, joy and so many others its impossible to name them all! They put you on the edge of your seat then drive you back all in a matter of seconds. They make you question how can anyone survive? Then give you hope that someone will! When their done right and the credits roll you feel like you’ve been on a roller coaster or put through a wringer. That’s what makes them so great! We’d like you to join us as we discuss our Top 5 Disaster Movies. We want to know your picks for the Top 5 Disaster Movies so send them to moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 you can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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I  have always been  in awe of Robin Williams versatility. He can go  from playing broad physical comedy  ( in drag, no less!)  to the serious drama of Fisher King or Insomnia and make them both look effortless. I have seen 90% of his movies and loved all except  Death to Smoochy ! (what was that?)

So I decided to watch  a drama  I hadn’t seen that was available on Netflix entitled World’s Greatest Dad .  I had heard a critic say this would be unwatchable in light of  Robin’s unfortunate death and I was curious to see why.

Now I was disappointed in this movie overall .   Williams is a struggling writer and teacher at a high school whose poetry class is always in danger of being dropped from the curriculum . His son is doing badly both in studies and in his social life.The plot was stunningly formulaic and a little manipulative of the viewer’s emotions.  The characters were so predictable and the female love interest , a fellow school teacher who is dating Williams  but drops him for a younger, more popular teacher , makes women look very fickle.

What makes the movie still very watchable  is the portrait of a quietly desperate, depressed father watching his world fall apart  . What makes this eerie is I don’t think Robin was acting at all . He was just drawing on his inner well of depression. He has never been farther away from being Mork than he has in this movie. He doesn’t even crack a smile once .Some reviews say it was hilarious but it is too disturbing to ever be funny

After you watch  it let me know as I would like to talk about further things but don’t want to spoil it!

I would give this a 3/5 would be 2.5 out of 5 if anyone but Robin Williams was in the lead!