The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ben Affleck, Puppets and Tom Hardy

On this week's episode, we agree on two of the three movies. Which one did we differ on? I won't say. But if you'd like to hear our thoughts on The Accountant 2, The Legend of Ochi and Havoc, click on the box below.

'Thunderbolts*' Review

How is the new Marvel movie? And why does the title have an asterisk in it? I answer all your questions over at Screen International.

My Day at the Criterion Mobile Closet

This weekend, the Criterion Mobile Closet was at Vidiots. For the Los Angeles Times, I spent some time on Saturday with fans in line. I also talked to some of the Criterion brain trust to figure out exactly how the company's tiny closet became the biggest thing in cinema. Hope you enjoy.

(Photo by Etienne Laurent.)

'Killer of Sheep' Review

Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep got its first proper release in 2007. (The film was shot in the early 1970s, receiving its premiere in the late 1970s.) But the 2007 release was not the complete, complete version of the movie. Now back in theaters, Killer of Sheep has been fully restored. And it's still a wonder. I wrote about it for the Los Angeles Times.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Sinners,' 'The Shrouds' and 'The Wedding Banquet'

Listeners of the podcast who love when we disagree will be pleased by this latest episode. Will and I are pretty much aligned on Sinners, although there are some areas in which we differ on that movie. But we're really split on the latest films from David Cronenberg and Andrew Ahn. Hear it all down below.

'Cheech & Chong's Last Movie' Review

Last week, I spoke with Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. This week, I'm reviewing their documentary. For Screen International, I shared some thoughts about Cheech & Chong's Last Movie.

Dinah Washington - "This Bitter Earth"

Hope you have a good weekend. Let's take it back to 1960.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': On 'Havoc' and 'On Swift Horses'

Alison Willmore and I were on KCRW today to review this weekend's big releases, including The Accountant 2. But we also dug into some of the smaller offerings, like the romantic drama On Swift Horses and Netflix's Havoc, the latest from The Raid filmmaker Gareth Evans. Check out our thoughts down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Warfare' and Looking Back at 'Inside Llewyn Davis'

Apologies: I'm behind on posting last week's podcast. Will was in town! So we recorded in my dining room. We reviewed two new movies, Warfare and The Amateur, and then took our time while revisiting Inside Llewyn Davis. Check out the whole thing down below.

My Interview With Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong

Cheech & Chong have a new movie, a documentary called Cheech & Chong's Last Movie, which chronicles their legacy and their history of fighting. For Cracked, I talked to the guys about spirituality, drugs, Robert Altman, prison, the priesthood, the Palisades fires, and the things they still disagree about. Check it out here.

Cindy Lee - "Dracula"

In an age in which you seemingly can find every song ever online, Cindy Lee's 2024 record Diamond Jubilee was like a cool secret. Not available on your typical streaming services, the album was put on YouTube and that was about it. (You could buy it as well, of course. Imagine that!)  

As a result, Diamond Jubilee felt like something that had been found in an old vault, especially because of the songs' retro-indie, lo-fi vibe. I would have definitely used "Dracula" as the soundtrack to my early-1990s student films.

My Interview With Pam Brady

You may not know her name, but you know her credits: Pam Brady has been a writer on everything from South Park to Hot Rod. For Cracked, I talked to the Emmy winner about her animated series she co-created, #1 Happy Family USA, but we also discussed filthy jokes, her upcoming Smurfs movie and why she thinks real life is overrated. Hope you enjoy.

'One to One: John & Yoko' Review

In the early 1970s, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were living in New York City, their creativity, advocacy and marriage all in full bloom. Kevin Macdonald's documentary One to One: John & Yoko seeks to encapsulate this era, including the benefit concert they performed at Madison Square Garden in 1972. My review of the film is here.

LL Cool J (featuring Eminem) - "Murdergram Deux"

This single off The Force came out late last summer, but it only invaded my life early this year. It's my favorite thing at the moment.

'Sinners' Review

An ambitious vampire film, Sinners wants to meld kills with social commentary. It has its missteps, but I was pretty darn impressed. My review is here.

'G20' Review

I was so intrigued by G20, a Prime Video action flick that stars Viola Davis as the U.S. president who gets trapped in a Die Hard-like situation in which she has to rescue her family and save the day. The very nice folks at the A.V. Club let me review this algorithm-driven curiosity, which inspired some thoughts about how streaming-service movies are like fantasy camps for respected actors. You can read my piece here. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Friend,' 'The Luckiest Man in America' and 'North by Northwest'

On this week's episode, we review two new movies. One we liked; one we didn't. Then, in our Reboot segment, we go back to 1959's North by Northwest, which is just so damn wonderful. Check out the whole thing down below.

'The Amateur' Review

In The Amateur, Rami Malek plays a nerdy CIA analyst who has to go out in the field to avenge his wife, who was killed by terrorists. Will he succeed? Will I like the movie? My review is up at Screen International.

I Talked to OK Go

This past Wednesday, I moderated a Q&A for an event celebrating the power-pop band OK Go. Titled "From Treadmills to Industrial Robots — A Retrospective + Premiere," the evening consisted of a screening at the Fine Arts in Beverly Hills of a bunch of their iconic videos, following by a conversation with some of the band and one of their co-directors, Aaron Duffy. It was a fun night, and The Hollywood Reporter was there to cover what went down. You can read all about it here. 

(Photo by Danielle Directo-Meston.)

'Eric LaRue' Review

 
Michael Shannon has finally directed his first film. For the Los Angeles Times, I reviewed Eric LaRue, which stars Judy Greer as a mother reeling from the fact that her teen son shot three classmates dead at school. You can read my thoughts here.

Anohni and the Johnsons - "It Must Change"

March 31 was International Transgender Day of Visibility, and in honor of that I wanted to put up a song from Anohni and the Johnsons' soulful 2023 album My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross, which I think is their best record. The opening track, "It Must Change," has a video that features transgender model Munroe Bergdorf. The song is pure old-school silky.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Remembering Val Kilmer

 

Val Kilmer died on Tuesday at the age of 65. I went on Press Play to talk about his career and legacy, spending extra time focusing on his best performance, as Jim Morrison in The Doors. You can listen to my segment down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Dead Unicorns, Jason Statham and 'Enemy of the State'

Two dud new movies lead off this week's episode: Death of a Unicorn and A Walking Man. But things brighten up a bit when we go back to the 1990s for a Reboot request: Tony Scott's Enemy of the State. Check it all out down below.