Sunday, March 31, 2024

'Dogman' Review


When Luc Besson's latest premiered at Venice, the reviews were pretty ruff. For the Los Angeles Times, I wrote about Dogman.

My Interview With David Krumholtz, Star of 'Lousy Carter'


You know him from The Santa Clause. Or 10 Things I Hate About You. Or Oppenheimer. I talked to David Krumholtz about going viral, having kids and his wry new comedy Lousy Carter for RogerEbert.com.

Friday, March 29, 2024

Keith Law and I Talk About Baseball Movies


Welcome to a new baseball season. To celebrate the occasion, I had a long Zoom talk with my buddy Keith Law to discuss the best and worst baseball films. We had a blast. (And, seriously, you should see Sugar and Everybody Wants Some!!)

Torres - "Collect"

Happy Easter, everybody. Baseball is back.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Fighting About 'Road House,' Lamenting the New 'Ghostbusters'


This week's podcast featured three new movies, all of which I didn't like. Will and I disagree about Road House, albeit rather mildly, and we also discuss Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Immaculate. Check it all out down below.

'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Review


Monsters punch each other. Then, other monsters punch each other. You won't believe what happens next. For Screen International, I reviewed Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Monday, March 25, 2024

My Interview With Tig Notaro


Tig Notaro's superb new special, Hello Again, hits Prime Video on Tuesday. It was an absolute pleasure to speak with her about motherhood, health issues, music and happiness. You can check out our conversation here.

The Greatest Low-Low-Budget Films


How could a movie be made for less than $50,000? And how could that movie be any good? For RogerEbert.com, I pay tribute to the 10 finest films that were shot on a shoestring. Hope you enjoy.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Doug Liman: Is This Any Way to Conduct a Career?


In January, Doug Liman announced he wasn't going to attend the SXSW premiere of his new movie, the remake of Road House. It was just the latest example of a filmmaker who often causes headaches for studios, producers and his stars. I wrote about an idiosyncratic director for RogerEbert.com.

'Breakfast All Day': Debating 'Immaculate'

Is Immaculate fun or frustrating? I guested on Breakfast All Day to discuss the Sydney Sweeney horror film. Christy Lemire and I had different takes, which you can check out down below. (There are no spoilers.)

Friday, March 22, 2024

My Interview With Karen Gillan, Star of 'Sleeping Dogs'


She's one of the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jumanji. Yet, she's so good at hiding in plain sight, like she does in her new thriller, Sleeping Dogs. I talked to her about growing up as an anxious kid and why she swears she's not a scene-stealer. You can check out our conversation here.

My Interview With David Dastmalchian, Star of 'Late Night With the Devil'


You recognize him from tons of films, but you may not know his name. For RogerEbert.com, I spoke with character actor David Dastmalchian, who's the star of the new horror movie Late Night With the Devil. We talked about anxiety, addiction and being a lifelong horror fan. Hope you enjoy.

Hurray for the Riff Raff - "Hourglass"

Try as I might, I've never fully gotten into any Hurray for the Riff Raff album. Will The Past Is Still Alive turn things around for me? Here's hoping.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

'Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World' Review


The title is a mouthful, but the movie's so damn good. For the Los Angeles Times, I rhapsodized about Radu Jude's latest satire, the superb Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Review


At least it's not as bad as the last one. For Screen International, I reviewed Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Looking Back at Paul Simon's 'One-Trick Pony'

In 1980, Paul Simon wrote and starred in a film that few saw. One-Trick Pony bombed at the time, but in honor of the new documentary about the singer-songwriter, I decided to revisit it. You can read my thoughts here.

Friday, March 15, 2024

My Interview With Jessica Hausner, Director of 'Club Zero'


I have now seen two Jessica Hausner films at Cannes, both of which got poor receptions. Nonetheless, I enjoyed Little Joe and her latest, Club Zero. (And I think her 2009 film Lourdes is really something.) It was a pleasure to talk to her about being a provocateur. Read on.

World Party - "And I Fell Back Alone"

Rest in peace, Karl Wallinger. "How can two souls still eat together / When life has lost its taste?" is a lyric that has stayed with me for more than 30 years.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Robert De Niro and 'Analyze This,' 25 Years Later


Want to pinpoint the moment Robert De Niro pivoted to being a comedy superstar? It's actually not Meet the Parents, it's Analyze This, which came out 25 years ago this month. I talk about the transition here.

'Arthur the King' Review


It's Mark Wahlberg! It's a dog! I reviewed Arthur the King.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About the Oscars (and 'Love Lies Bleeding' and 'Ricky Stanicky')


How was your Oscars? We review the show on this week's episode. Then we dig into the latest from Kristen Stewart and Peter Farrelly. (There are many comments about John Cena as well.) Check it all out down below.

Monday, March 11, 2024

My Review of the 2024 Academy Awards


I will always love the Oscars. And I was generally very happy with what won last night. So why did I find the show so underwhelming? Here are my thoughts.

Friday, March 08, 2024

Thursday, March 07, 2024

'Cabrini' Review


The name Alejandro Monteverde may not be familiar to you, but he was the director of Sound of Freedom, one of the most controversial (and successful) films of last year. Now, he's back with a new movie, Cabrini. Here's my review.

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Glasgow 2024: 'Bucky F*cking Dent' Review


David Duchovny isn't just an actor, of course: He's a musician and a novelist as well. And he also directs. For Screen International, I caught up with Bucky F*cking Dent, which is based on his book. Unfortunately, I think it's a misfire.

Glasgow 2024: 'The Home Game' Review


The Home Game is a lighthearted documentary about a tiny community in Iceland that really wants to host its first home soccer game in the town's history. This underdog story is very pleasant.

'Kung Fu Panda 4' Review


We haven't had a Kung Fu Panda film in eight years. I'm not sure we needed this new one. My review is up at Screen International.

Monday, March 04, 2024

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The New 'Dune,' 'Spaceman' and Our Oscar Predictions


Two outer-space films are reviewed on this week's podcast. But the real excitement comes during our deep dive into the Oscars, where we make our picks in all the major categories. Hope you enjoy.

Friday, March 01, 2024

I Talked to Danny Boyle About Cillian Murphy


The Oppenheimer star is favored to win Best Actor next Sunday at the Oscars. So I decided to talk to a director who worked with him very early in his career. For RogerEbert.com, I had a quick chat with Danny Boyle, the man behind the terrific 28 Days Later and Sunshine. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Talking About 'Dune: Part Two,' 'Shayda' and 'Problemista'


Very happy to be back on KCRW talking new movies. I was joined by Alison Willmore to review the Dune sequel, Adam Sandler's sci-fi drama Spaceman, the underwhelming Problemista and the moving Shayda. Hear our segment down below.

Max Richter (featuring Sparks) - "Don't Go Away"

Here's a pair-up I wasn't expecting.