Thursday, July 31, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Marvel's First Family, 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Tampopo'


Great episode, but not necessarily because of the new movies we reviewed. We start by discussing The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Happy Gilmore 2. But the real fun comes during our Reboot segment, when we look back at 1985's Tampopo, which is a wonderful film. Check it out down below.

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

'The Naked Gun' Review


Liam Neeson is no Leslie Nielsen. But I found the new Naked Gun to be pretty darn enjoyable. My review is up at Screen International

Monday, July 28, 2025

What's Adam Sandler's Best Film?


The gang at Rolling Stone asked me to write some of the capsules for its big ranking of every Adam Sandler movie. As always, here's this caveat: I had no say over how the list played out. But if you want to read me on Uncut GemsPunch-Drunk Love and others, check it out here

A Salute to the Sports Comedy


In honor of Happy Gilmore 2Vulture asked us to pick 25 great sports comedies, which was a pleasure. You can check out our list here

Friday, July 25, 2025

Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears"

Growing up in the Midwest at the time I did, it was impossible not to be aware of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. I can't pretend Ozzy's work with his iconic band or as a solo artist was foundational for me. (Wasn't the whole point of Nirvana that it was an antidote to that sort of theatricality in hard rock?) But the orchestral bombast, killer riffs and suite-like sweep of "No More Tears" remains as cheesy/silly good as ever. Rest in peace to an artist who impacted so many lives. Also, this is worth remembering: 

If you’re looking for hope in the world, just remember that Jimmy Swaggart died a disgrace while Ozzy Osbourne died universally beloved.

— Ponsonby Britt (@hockeenight.bsky.social) Jul 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

'Oh, Hi!' Review


In Oh, Hi!, Molly Gordon plays a woman who really digs her new boyfriend (Logan Lerman), until he shocks her during a weekend getaway by admitting he doesn't want a serious relationship. She does not take the news too well, resulting in this dark romantic comedy. There are great ideas in here, but I don't think the movie entirely works. My review is up at the A.V. Club

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ari Aster, Eva Victor and 'The Muppet Movie'


Will was in town but we did not record this episode in person. We talked about that, as well as reviewed two A24 films: Eddington and Sorry, Baby. Then, in our Reboot segment, we looked back at 1979's The Muppet Movie. Check it out down below.

'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Review


First Steps
 starts off so promisingly. So what happened? My review is up at Screen International

Monday, July 21, 2025

Fantasia 2025: 'Terrestrial' Review


In Terrestrial, a struggling screenwriter (Jermaine Fowler) is visited by his college buddies, who discover that he's now a hotshot Hollywood mover-and-shaker. What's he hiding? My review of this dark comedy is here

Friday, July 18, 2025

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Lamenting 'Smurfs,' Debating 'Eddington'


Katie Walsh and I were at the KCRW studios yesterday to talk about this weekend's major movie releases. My big takeaway? Lots of stinkers! 

You can hear our reviews of Eddington, Smurfs and I Know What You Did Last Summer down below. (We also discuss an upcoming 70mm screening of 1984's Streets of Fire.)

Lord Huron (featuring Kristen Stewart) - "Who Laughs Last"

After not loving Kristen Stewart's directorial debut or Love Lies Bleeding, it's very nice to report that she absolutely slays in this Lord Huron song. Video's cool, too.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Review


The 1997 movie is not good. Is the 2025 sequel any better? My review is up at Screen International

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: James Gunn's 'Superman' and Mailbag Questions


On this week's episode, we go long on Superman. Then, we dive into our listeners' questions, which covered theater etiquette, unlikely trilogies, seeing movies twice in the span of 24 hours, Woody Allen and more. Give it a listen.

Monday, July 14, 2025

My Review of Paul Simon's 'A Quiet Celebration' Tour


The first concert I ever attended was for Paul Simon. On Saturday, I saw him for the fourth time, and perhaps the last time. Over at InsideHook, I wrote about an emotional evening filled with thoughts about death, God and the afterlife. (It also gave me a chance to muse on his 2023 album Seven Psalms.) Hope you enjoy

Friday, July 11, 2025

Galway 2025: 'The Negotiator' Review

George Mitchell has had a long life in public service, but the documentary The Negotiator mostly focuses on his work bringing peace to Northern Ireland. I reviewed this admiring (if a bit shallow) film for Screen International.

Cerrone - "Supernature (Instrumental 'Climax' Edit)"

There are several versions of this 1977 disco track floating around. But I chose the one used in Gaspar Noe's Climax. (Thanks to Christine and the Queens for reminding me of it.)

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

My Interview With Embeth Davidtz, Director of 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight'


Embeth Davidtz has been acting in movies since the late 1980s. (Of all her great work, I'll always be partial to her in Junebug.) But until she read Alexandra Fuller's memoir of growing up in what is now Zimbabwe, she had never thought about directing. Why did the book resonate with Davidtz so much? Because it stirred up unresolved feelings about her fraught childhood in South Africa and the racism she encountered there. 

She invited me into her home to talk about her film, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, which opens Friday. Hope you enjoy.

(Photo by Matt Seidel.) 

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

'Superman' Review


I was very curious what James Gunn would do with Superman. Now we know: My review is up at Screen International

Friday, July 04, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Jurassic World Rebirth' and the Best Films of 2025 (So Far)


Welcome to the end of the first half of the movie year. On this episode, Will and I both reveal our favorite six films so far in 2025. Oh, and we also rip on Jurassic World Rebirth. Check it out below.

The Tubs - "One More Day"

When I first heard the Tubs, I thought, "Wait, is this Bob Mould's new solo album?" Owen Williams does sound a little like the former Husker Du frontman, but the more I listened to Cotton Crown, the more this Welsh band started to establish its own personality. Any similarities to the college rock you loved in your younger years is, I'm sure, purely coincidental.

 

Wednesday, July 02, 2025

'Heads of State' Review


John Cena plays the U.S. president. Idris Elba is the U.K. prime minister. Together, they barely survive an assassination attempt and then have to go on the run. Does hilarity ensue? You can read my review here.

Tuesday, July 01, 2025

What's the Funniest Moment in 'This Is Spinal Tap'?


This Is Spinal Tap
 returns to theaters this weekend in a remastered, restored version. For Cracked, I ranked this all-time comedy's 50 best moments. Enjoy! 

The Best Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)


Rolling Stone
 asked a bunch of its contributors to work on a massive list of the best films of the 21st century. Remarkably, we're already 25 years into this new century, which means a lot of good movies. As always, I didn't have any say in the final rankings, but I did some of the write-ups, including Y Tu Mama TambienInside Llewyn DavisDogvilleBurningUncut GemsI Am Not Your NegroThe Souvenir and others. Dive in

Monday, June 30, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Two Very Different Sports Movies and 'M3GAN 2.0'


On the podcast, we review F1 and M3GAN 2.0. (We disagree about one of them.) Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1978's Heaven Can Wait. You can check out the episode down below. (And next episode, Will and I will reveal our best films from the first half of this year.)

'Jurassic World Rebirth' Review


The latest Jurassic picture has Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali in it. And it's still bad bad bad. My review of Rebirth is up at Screen International

Friday, June 27, 2025

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Raving About 'Sorry, Baby' and 'Familiar Touch'


Christy Lemire and I were on KCRW this week to talk about new movies. We reviewed F1 and M3GAN 2.0, but the more interesting conversations regard the Sundance hit Sorry, Baby and the touching drama Familiar Touch. You can hear our segment down below.

'Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore' Review

 
Celebrity documentaries can be fawning puff pieces. But that's not the case with the affectionate, probing Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, which is candid about her struggles with addiction and sexual abuse. Of course, the film also talks about her deafness, and how she became a trailblazer for a community that still struggles for visibility. My review is up at the Los Angeles Times.

HAIM - "Relationships"

This song has been out for months, but it sounds so much better now that it's summer.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: '28 Years Later' and 'The Life of Chuck'


Because we unexpectedly weren't able to do an episode last week, this episode is super-sized, featuring reviews of four new movies. Going into the show, I wondered how many of the films we'd disagree on, and it turns out we saw two of them very differently. You can check out our thoughts on 28 Years LaterMaterialistsElio and The Life of Chuck down below.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

What Is Danny Boyle's Best Film?


For the fine folks at Vulture, Will and I put together our ranking of all of Danny Boyle's films, including 28 Years Later. You can check them out here

'Caught by the Tides' Review


I'm not claiming it's any kind of blockbuster, but the fact that Jia Zhangke’s Caught by the Tides is still playing in and around Los Angeles more than a month after it opened is damn heartening. For the Los Angeles Times, I extol its virtues, and explain why it's actually a decent primer for someone just getting into Jia. Hope you enjoy

Friday, June 20, 2025

The Clash - "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A."

I hadn't heard this in a while. Brought a smile to my face.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

My Interview With Rowan Haber and Julia Sweeney for 'We Are Pat'


Perhaps you remember "It's Pat," a series of popular Saturday Night Live sketches Julia Sweeney did back in the early 1990s, in which she played the androgynous, awkward Pat, who constantly provoked confusion: Was Pat a he or a she?  

We Are Pat is a new documentary that examines the character's legacy, and how Pat has impacted the LGBTQ+ community. For Cracked, I had a long conversation with We Are Pat director Rowan Haber (as well as Sweeney) as we discussed "problematic" comedy, trans humor, and Sweeney's SNL memories. We got into a lot of topics: Hope you enjoy.

'The Damned' Review


Roberto Minervini's The Other Side remains one of the great pre-MAGA artifacts of our time. But with The Damned, the nonfiction filmmaker tries his hand at narrative. Sorta. I reviewed this muted, mysterious antiwar movie for the Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

My Interview With Jonathan Gould, Author of 'Burning Down the House'


Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene That Transformed Rock 
is an exhaustive biography of the seminal band and the city that shaped them. For Paste, I talked to author Jonathan Gould (himself a musician) to discuss many things: David Byrne's autism, Stop Making Sense's greatness, and why the band is never ever getting back together. You can read my Q&A here.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

'F1' Review


Brad Pitt plays an over-the-hill race car driver looking for a shot at redemption in F1, which is incredible on the track but a lot messier when no one's behind the wheel. You can read my review here

'Elio' Review


Elio
 is one of several recent Pixar films that's not part of the studio's big franchises. I'm glad the company keeps making original movies. I just wish they were better. Here's my review for Screen International

Friday, June 13, 2025

The Beach Boys - "In My Room"

When Susan was a kid, she fell in love with "In My Room." She still loves it. In honor of Brian Wilson's passing, let's give it a listen.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Phoenician Scheme,' 'Ballerina' and 'All That Money Can Buy'


On this week's episode, well, we're a little let down by both of the new movies we review. So it's good we went back to 1941's All That Money Can Buy, which is probably better known as The Devil and Daniel Webster. Check out all our wise insights down below.

Monday, June 09, 2025

'Materialists' Review


Past Lives
 was one of the best films of 2023. Celine Song returns with Materialists. How does it stack up? My review is live at Screen International

Friday, June 06, 2025

'Dangerous Animals' Review


I quite liked Sean Byrne's first two films, The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy. But his first movie in 10 years, Dangerous Animals, left me underwhelmed. I explain why over at the Los Angeles Times

The Folk Implosion - "Nothing Gonna Stop"

Let's just ride that groove for four minutes, OK?

Thursday, June 05, 2025

What Makes an HBO Documentary Film an HBO Documentary Film?


To get the answer, I spoke separately to five directors who have recently worked with the studio: Nanette Burstein (Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes), Alex Gibney (Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos), Eric Goode (Chimp Crazy), Lance Oppenheim (Ren Faire) and Matt Wolf (Pee-wee as Himself). These are very different kinds of documentaries, all under the same roof. The results of my conversations can be read over at the Los Angeles Times.

Wednesday, June 04, 2025

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Evil Foster Moms and Tech Bros, and 'Pi'


Two reviews of new movies in this episode. We got creeped out, in different ways, from watching Bring Her Back and Mountainhead. Then, in our Reboot segment, we revisit Darren Aronofsky's 1998 debut. Check it all out down below.

'Ballerina' Review


Ballerina convinced me Ana de Armas has the goods as an action star. I just wish she was in a better movie. My review is up at Screen International.

What 'Dogma' Did to Kevin Smith


Kevin Smith's controversial 1999 comedy Dogma returns to theaters tomorrow. For Cracked, I looked back at the film's legacy, and why he never made as interesting a movie afterward. Hope you enjoy.

Monday, June 02, 2025

My Interview With the Cast of 'Severance'


This was fun. For the Los Angeles Times, I chatted with seven members of the Severance ensemble. (From left to right, that's Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Adam Scott, Dichen Lachman, Tramell Tillman and Patricia Arquette.) The interesting wrinkle? I talked to them all separately and at different times over the span of a few weeks. What this created was a fascinating experiment in seeing how each of them, on their own, reacted to the challenges of living up to the show's first season. I found them to be candid, even confessional, about the anxieties and issues they faced while filming Season Two. The result is this very satisfying piece, which I hope you enjoy.

(Photos by Jason Armond.)

Friday, May 30, 2025

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Dissing 'Karate Kid: Legends,' Lamenting 'The Phoenician Scheme'

 
Alison Willmore and I were on KCRW yesterday to talk about this weekend's movie offerings. Check out our reviews of Karate Kid: Legends, The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back and Mountainhead down below.

Queens of the Stone Age - "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire"

In retrospect, this is the song Queens should have titled "Feel Good Hit of the Summer."

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

'Karate Kid: Legends' Review


For the first time in 15 years, there's a Karate Kid movie on the big screen. Unfortunately, I wasn't too keen on Legends.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Mission: Impossible,' 'Friendship' and My Cannes Recap


I'm back from Cannes, which means it's time to get the podcast back up and running. We reviewed Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (and I told the funny story of why I didn't end up reviewing it for Screen International). Then, we disagreed about the new Tim Robinson comedy Friendship. Last but not least, I offered some takeaways from this year's Cannes. Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

'People Still Read Books': Talking to Will About 'Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride'

Will's new book, Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride, came out last week while I was in Cannes. Before I left for the festival, we had a long talk about the novel, which included conversations about death, optimism, cops and parenthood. You can hear the entire exchange down below.

Monday, May 26, 2025

The Film Comment Podcast: Talking about 'Resurrection,' 'The Mastermind' and 'Young Mothers'


My last day at Cannes, I was on the Film Comment podcast, hosted by Devika Girish. I was joined by my buddies Justin Chang and Alison Willmore, and we had a blast talking about a bunch of films we'd seen at the festival. Also: We were pretty loopy from exhaustion, so it was a loose and lively conversation. But I made sure I was focused while singing the praises of Kelly Reichardt's The Mastermind. It was the first time I had discussed the film with anyone and, well, I was pretty effusive. Hear the whole thing down below.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Cannes 2025: 'The Six Billion Dollar Man' Review


Such is the weirdness of a film festival that you can go to a premiere of a documentary and then the subject of the film will be there. Like when I saw The Six Billion Dollar Man and Julian Assange was in attendance. The movie traces the history of WikiLeaks and Assange's later imprisonment. You can read my review here.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

'Mountainhead' Review


Jesse Armstrong, the man behind Succession, has a new HBO movie about four billionaire tech bros hanging out at one of the dude's swanky Utah pad for a guys' weekend. It's a satire that works best when it's angry, not funny. My review is here.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Cannes 2025: 'Honey Don't!' Review


Honey Don't! is the second solo narrative feature from Ethan Coen, who previously made Drive-Away Dolls. I wasn't a fan of that film, but this one works better. And Margaret Qualley is a big reason why. I reviewed Honey Don't! for Screen International.

Cannes 2025: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings


About halfway through this year's Cannes, I received some bad news that I had been expecting: A good friend succumbed to cancer. Within 30 minutes of hearing of her passing that morning, I was off to a movie, which featured a father dying of cancer. The movie after that featured a mother dying of cancer. Death was on my mind anyway, but over the next several days it kept popping up in the films I was watching, almost as if they were channeling my inner monologue, projecting my new reality up there on the screen.

I should not have been surprised. After all, movies tackle dramatic subjects, and few are more dramatic than mortality. I pride myself on being able to block out the world's distractions when I go to review a film. (I consider that a crucial part of my job.) But I felt the occasional jolt of recognition when death came creeping into a film's plot: "Oh, right, that. There it is again." Repeatedly, I was reminded that I existed in a new world, one without that person I just lost.

At the same time, it was extraordinarily surreal to be here at Cannes while processing my friend's passing. The place is just so damn beautiful, and the movies are so rich and rewarding. All festivals are a bubble from the real world -- that's one reason why people love attending them -- but a big part of me was able to shut out my sorrow simply because of my stimulating environment. Death may have followed me from screen to screen, but Cannes is so alive that you can trick yourself into forgetting. Still, I'm smart enough to recognize that my sorrow will be waiting for me when I return to Los Angeles. Bubbles have a nasty habit of bursting.

* * * * *   

With that acknowledged, let me now add that I found this to be a deeply great edition of the festival. Some of the movies I was most anticipating let me down -- the Spike Lee, the Wes Anderson, most certainly the Ari Aster -- but there was ample compensation from the expected heavy-hitters who did deliver the goods. And, of course, there were the revelatory discoveries, like Oliver Laxe's Sirat and Mascha Schilinski's Sound of Falling, easily the best movie I saw in Cannes. God bless Mubi, who took a chance on her ambitious, kaleidoscopic drama that spans roughly 100 years and four generations of different families living in the same home. The esteemed distributor is actually behind my Top Two from the festival, which also includes Kelly Reichardt's The Mastermind, one of the finest films this very fine filmmaker has ever produced. From the dazzling execution of Bi Gan's Resurrection to the formal rigor of Sergei Loznitsa's merciless Two Prosecutors, the major auteurs came out swinging. And that's not even mentioning two movies beloved by many here and merely really, really liked by me: Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident and Kleber Mendonca Filho's The Secret Agent

Before I reveal my rankings, let's now take a moment to mention the films I wasn't able to get to, like Adam's Interest, The Love That Remains, Mirrors No. 3, My Father's Shadow, Urchin, A Useful Ghost and Yes!, to name just a few. (Some may notice that I didn't review Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. I was set to do so, but my L.A. screening got canceled midway through because of a fire. It's a long story, but everyone's fine, so don't worry.)

From worst to best, here's a list of everything I saw, with links leading to individual reviews: 

37. Eddington
36. Eleanor the Great
35. The Wave
34. Fuori
33. The Richest Woman in the World
32. Leave One Day
31. Splitsville
30. The Chronology of Water
29. Alpha
28. The Phoenician Scheme
27. Romeria
26. Highest 2 Lowest
25. Honey Don't!
24. The Little Sister
23. The History of Sound
22. The Six Billion Dollar Man
21. The Plague
20. Woman and Child
19. Case 137
18. Pillion
17. Eagles of the Republic
16. Arco
15. Young Mothers
14. Enzo
13. Nouvelle Vague
12. The Secret Agent
11. It Was Just an Accident
10. Renoir
9. Die, My Love
8. Orwell: 2+2=5
7. Sentimental Value
6. Resurrection
5. Sirat
4. Sorry, Baby
3. Two Prosecutors
2. The Mastermind
1. Sound of Falling

For the first time since I started going to Cannes in 2013, I saw every film in Competition, all 22 of them. What that means is that when the jury, headed by Juliette Binoche, announces its awards, I won't have the usual FOMO feeling of "Oh shoot, I didn't see the Best Screenplay winner" or whatever. 

However, that doesn't mean I'm any more confident about what will take home the Palme d'Or than I was in previous years. Remember: I have never correctly guessed the winner, and I'm just as uncertain this year. Part of the problem is that the jury is made up of new people every year, and unless you're hanging out with them, you're just speculating on where their head is at. That said, here's my thinking. I could see It Was Just an Accident, Resurrection, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value or Sound of Falling winning. Forced to narrow down the field further, I'll go with the movies that are perceived as the front-runners: It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent and Sentimental Value. (Why are they "perceived" to be the front-runners? Oh, because the people who like to make predictions about this stuff have said they are.)

My gut tells me it's either going to be It Was Just an Accident or Sentimental Value. In one corner, you have Jafar Panahi, one of cinema's giants, who has recently been freed from prison, enjoying a hero's welcome here at the festival when his film premiered. In the other, you have Joachim Trier, whose last Cannes film, The Worst Person in the World, took home Best Actress for Renate Reinsve. Sentimental Value seems to be the most beloved film, but while it's dangerous to make predictions based on the temperament of the jury president, I just feel like Binoche would be more inclined to go with a more challenging, politically incisive film for the Palme. So I'm picking It Was Just an Accident. If Sound of Falling or The Mastermind win, I would be ecstatic. 

Regardless how the awards shape up, readers should be excited about a bunch of great movies coming their way soon. Now, off to sleep for me, and an exit from the bubble into whatever awaits me on the other side.

Cannes 2025: 'The Mastermind' Review


Kelly Reichardt's phenomenal hit streak continues. For Screen International, I reviewed The Mastermind.

Eels - "Last Stop: This Town"

Are you missing the dearly bereft?

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Cannes 2025: 'Eagles of the Republic' Review


Eagles of the Republic concludes filmmaker Tarik Saleh's Cairo trilogy, three movies that (in their own ways) examine the corruption and tyranny of the Egyptian government. This final installment is the funniest, looking at a fading movie star recruited by the regime to make a propaganda film. But it eventually becomes a despairing thriller. My review is up at Screen International.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Cannes 2025: 'Sentimental Value' Review


Renate Reinsve reunites with Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value. It's not quite to the level of The Worst Person in the World, but it's a very touching family drama. My review is here.