The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ping-Pong, Movie Stars and Stand-Up Comics

This week's episode features three pretty-darn-good movies. You can hear us riff on Marty Supreme, Jay Kelly and Is This Thing On? down below.

'Is This Thing On?' Review

There is a contingent of people I know who just can't stand Bradley Cooper's films. (Apparently, he's too much of a try-hard or something.) Well, maybe they'll be sated by Is This Thing On?, which is a more modest, melancholy affair than his previous two movies. I found it rather lovely. My review is up at Screen International. 

My Interview With Matthew Libatique, Cinematographer of 'Maestro'

Years ago, when I co-wrote a book of career-spanning interviews with cinematographers, I met Matthew Libatique. He's a smart guy, so I was glad to have the opportunity to chat with him again. This time, our focus was just one film: Maestro. Read all about it here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Napoleon, Leonard Bernstein, Felicia Montealegre and 'Saltburn'

Three big prestige movies are reviewed on this episode. You can hear our takes on Napoleon, Maestro and Saltburn down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Final Chapter of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' My Cannes Preview, and 'Short Cuts'

Big episode! We spent a lot of time talking about Vol. 3. Then, I previewed the five films I'm most intrigued to see at Cannes. And then we went back to 1993 to discuss Robert Altman's sweeping portrait of Los Angeles. Hear it all down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': What's Opening This Weekend Other Than the New 'Guardians'?

Amy Nicholson and I have the answers for you! We were on KCRW to review One Ranger, What's Love Got to Do With It? and The Eight Mountains. (Of course, we also talked about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.) Hear our segment down below.

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Review

This series is three for three in my book. I reviewed the latest Guardians of the Galaxy for Screen International.

Super Bowl Weekend Isn't for the Fellas at the Multiplex

Traditionally, romantic comedies and horror movies open on the Friday before the Super Bowl. The thinking is that men tend to be too focused on the game to care about films. But that's been changing lately. I wrote about this shift for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The End-of-the-Year Lightning Round

Totally forgot to post our second-to-last podcast of 2021, our annual quick-hit rundown of December films. We reviewed Licorice Pizza, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Nightmare Alley, Cyrano and Being the Ricardos. You can hear the whole thing down below.

'Nightmare Alley' Review

I confess I am not the biggest Guillermo del Toro guy. Did his latest turn it around for me? Not really. For Screen International, here's my review of Nightmare Alley.

A Salute to Bad Labor Day Movies

Normally, summer movie season ends with a whimper. Labor Day weekend is when studios dump their bad films. For MEL, I paid tribute to some memorable stinkers.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Oscar Predictions, 'Alita: Battle Angel' and 'Interview With the Vampire'

Interview With the Vampire is as bad as I remember. That's the bad news on this week's podcast; much more fun is our lengthy breakdown of the Oscars. (I hope my Best Picture prediction is wrong.) We also reviewed Alita: Battle Angel. Hear the whole thing down below.

The Guys Who Always Get Dumped in Romantic Comedies

Happy Valentine's Day: For MEL, I wrote about the characters in romantic triangles who never get the happy ending. Some of them deserve to be kicked to the curb. Some of them are just nice guys. Others were wronged by the film they were in. Hope you enjoy.

Some Thoughts on 'The Mule'

I wrote about The Mule for MEL, focusing on Clint Eastwood's obsession with characters who want to ride off into the sunset. (Also, I looked back at the man's musical career.) You can read it right here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About 'The Mule,' 'Beale Street,' Spider-Man and 'Vice'

We're nearly at the end of the year, but before we do our special Top 10 show, we have two more episodes for your enjoyment.

In the first, we review The Mule, If Beale Street Could Talk and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Then, we recorded a special show for Vice that would air after the film's embargo lifted. (It's a long story.) Lots to dig into below.

'The Mule' Review

When Warner Bros. didn't show The Mule to critics in time for end-of-the-year voting, it was assumed the movie was a stinker. Turns out, it's totally fine. Not great, but good. I reviewed the true-life drama for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Blockbusters, Oscar Contenders, 'Private Life' and 'Major League'

Lots of movies to discuss on this week's podcast. We dutifully review Venom and A Star Is Born. But the real action is with the indie releases. We enthuse about Private Life, and I solo on The Hate U Give. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at Major League. Check out the whole show down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Parasites, Rock Stars and Police Shootings

I was on KCRW (alongside Roth Cornet) to review Venom, A Star Is Born and The Hate U Give. We were joined by guest host Duarte Geraldino. You can hear the whole thing here.

'A Star Is Born' Review

Is the new A Star Is Born good? Yes. Is it great? Uh.... (My review is up at Paste.)

Bradley Cooper's New Form of Antihero

For MEL, I did a deep dive into Bradley Cooper's career, looking for connections. And what I noticed is that, although he's long been a leading man, he rarely plays straight-up heroic men. That got me wondering why that is. You can read my thoughts here.