My Interview With Christian Friedel, Star of 'The Zone of Interest'

He plays a chillingly banal Nazi in The Zone of Interest. But how did Christian Friedel find his way into the character? I had a chat with the man for the Los Angeles Times.

(Photo by Jennifer McCord.)

'Silent Night' Review

John Woo is back! Kinda! His first U.S. film in 20 years, Silent Night, has a great premise but only so-so execution. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Paul Briganti, Director of 'Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain'

Paul Briganti has worked over at Saturday Night Live for a few years, hooking up with the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy. He's now directed their first film and moved to Los Angeles for the next chapter of his life. I talked to him about all that for Cracked.

My Interview With Jon Glaser

Jon Glaser just released his first album, which is ostensibly about offering guided meditations to skittish dogs while their owners are away. Things don't work out as planned, though. I spoke to the comedian about jokey humor and his anger issues for Cracked.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'May December,' 'Rustin' and 'Next Goal Wins'

On the latest podcast, we review three new movies, one great, one OK, one bad. Please enjoy!

Toni Basil - "Mickey"

"What song should I do for my Friday Video?"

"How about 'Mickey'?"

Easy enough.

A Salute to Some Cinematic Comedy Turkeys

In honor of Thanksgiving, I tried to pick the biggest comedy turkeys of all time. What qualifies? Read on.

On Adam Sandler and 'Leo'

Adam Sandler has made his share of animated kids' movies in his career. He returns with Leo, which is deeply weird in a way only his films are. Is that a good or bad thing? I wrote about it for Cracked.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Talking About 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' 'Fallen Leaves' and 'Saltburn'

Been a busy stretch, so I'm only now posting this from last week. Amy Nicholson and I were on KCRW to review The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Next Goal Wins, Fallen Leaves, May December and Saltburn. Please enjoy.

My Interview With the Directors of 'Testament,' 'The Day After' and 'Threads'

Within the span of 10 months in 1983 and 1984, three films came out that imagined what would happen if a nuclear war broke out. For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke with Lynne Littman (Testament), Nicholas Meyer (The Day After) and Mick Jackson (Threads) to discuss the impact their movies had -- and whether they feel any better about our future now than they did then. Very proud of this piece, and I hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Talking to Matt Singer About 'Opposable Thumbs'

Matt Singer has written a superb book about Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. We had him on the podcast to discuss the late, great movie reviewers and the state of film criticism today. Give it a listen.

'Wish' Review

I wish I hadn't seen it. My review of one of Disney's worst recent animated efforts is up at Screen International.

Barbra Streisand (featuring Barry Gibb) - "Guilty"

Congrats to Babs on her new memoir.

Celebrating 20 Years of People Making Fun of That One Scene from 'Love Actually'

You know the scene. I wrote about the backlash to Love Actually's big romantic gesture over at Cracked.

My Problem With 'Dream Scenario'

Dream Scenario has gotten mostly good reviews, but I found this Nicolas Cage satire to be lacking in one crucial regard. I wrote about that for Cracked.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Brie Larson, Alexander Payne and Albert Brooks

On this week's podcast, the clear winner is The Holdovers, but we also spend a little time discussing The Marvels and Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. There's also the occasional reference to 1980s sitcoms. Hope you enjoy.

'Napoleon' Review

Napoleon, complex: Here's my review of Ridley Scott's latest for Screen International.

Meg Ryan and the Future of the Romantic Comedy

Meg Ryan directs and stars in What Happens Later, which inspired me to think about her legacy and the rut that rom-coms have been in over the last several years. My thoughts are up at Cracked.

'Godzilla Minus One' Review

America makes a lot of great things. But we're not so good at Godzilla movies. Japan's Godzilla Minus One is a real treat. My review is here.

Olivia Rodrigo - "Get Him Back!"

I didn't love Sour, but Guts is growing on me. This song helps. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'Priscilla,' 'Nyad' and 'Fingernails'

We tackle three arthouse/indie/prestige films on this week's episode. I liked all three, Will liked only one. Give it a listen down below.

'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' Review

Do we need a prequel to The Hunger Games? Probably not, but I was surprised that I (mostly) liked The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Marvels' Review

"Worst Marvel movie ever!" I wouldn't go that far, but I do think the franchise is showing serious signs of fatigue. My review of The Marvels is here.

I Finally Watched the 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' Movie

As a girl, my wife watched Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and she's always had a certain fondness for it since. I have never seen it. I rectified that this week, in honor of the Beatles' new song. Is the movie a train wreck? Yes and no, but mostly I found it really interesting. I wrote about it for Cracked.

'Wilco the Podcast': Reviewing 'Cousin' (Part Two)

You may remember that the guys who run Wilco the Podcast asked me to be on to help them do a song-by-song breakdown of the band's new album, Cousin. Part one of that show is here and covers the first side. Here's part two, which contains my favorite track on the record. Give it a listen.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Killer,' 'Anatomy of a Fall' and 'Pain Hustlers'

On this week's episode, we tackle two good new films ... and also a crummy Netflix flick. Which are which? Listen here and find out.

Iris DeMent - "Goin' Down to Sing in Texas"

It's a simple blues shuffle, led by a deceptively lively piano, that starts with Iris DeMent singing about heading down to Texas for a gig, very well aware that people can have guns. But then that lament grows and evolves, turning into a shout-out to the Chicks, an indictment of organized religion, a take-down of hatemongers, and a principled reminder that George W. Bush still sucks. 

The song winds and twists, its jaunty rhythm a mixture of bittersweet, fed-up and resilient, but in the most gentle, life-affirming way. "Goin' Down to Sing in Texas" is the sound of someone who's lived a long life watching things get worse in this country but determined to keep singing. And as she points out near the end, it's not just Texas where people can carry a gun. Its message is powerful, her words strong and plain like a river that just keeps on rolling. She knows you're tired, too, but maybe a comforting melody can give you a little extra strength to fight back against the inequality and injustice we see around us.

I think this might be the best song of 2023. 

My Interview With David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, the Men Behind 'Airplane!'

Well, this was a blast: For Cracked, I talked to the ZAZ team in honor of their new book about the making of Airplane! The idea was that they would help me pick the film's funniest, silliest, stupidest, weirdest and most underrated moments. We laughed a lot: Hope you enjoy.

For One Night Only, the Groundlings Performed 'A Chorus Line'

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Last Thursday, the Groundlings hosted an event called One Night Only. Here was the premise: A cast of alums, friends and current cast members were given about 24 hours to prepare to stage a classic musical for a paying audience. The night was for charity, and those who attended (like me) had no idea what the musical would be until we got there. Turns out, it was A Chorus Line, and it was a magical, emotional, very funny evening. I wrote about it in detail for Cracked.

AFI Fest 2023: 'Freud's Last Session' Review

Anthony Hopkins is Sigmund Freud in Freud's Last Session, a drama that imagines what might have happened if he had met C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) and debated the existence of God. (Freud was an atheist. Lewis was a Christian.) My review is here.

AFI Fest 2023: 'Leave the World Behind' Review

AFI Fest world premieres tend to be so-so affairs, but sometimes you get a gem. Case in point: I quite liked Leave the World Behind, which stars Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as a married couple staying in a vacation rental who are accosted by two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha'la) who say that nearby New York has been hit by a crippling blackout. Are they to be trusted? That's part of the fun.