The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Wizarding World, Bayhem and 'Cow'

After taking a week off, we're back with reviews of three new movies. We weren't fans of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, but we both liked Ambulance and Andrea Arnold's latest, which is her first documentary. 

Hear the whole thing down below.

When Franchises Are Canceled in the Middle

 

There's a very real chance that Warner Bros. will decide to kill off Fantastic Beasts if The Secrets of Dumbledore underwhelms at the box office. This would not be the first time an ambitious, multi-film series just ... ends prematurely. I talked about this strange group of woebegone franchises for MEL.

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' Review

The third chapter in the Fantastic Beasts saga is coming soon. I thought the first two were very OK, which qualifies as a rave compared to what most critics think of them. So when I say I liked The Secrets of Dumbledore a little less, that's probably enough of a warning for most people. My review is up at Screen International.

Keep Daniel Radcliffe Weird

Since saying goodbye to Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has decided to follow his instincts, choosing roles he's described as "weird." I think that's a very good thing. For MEL, I wrote about a fascinating, strangely endearing second act.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Heists, Westerns, 'The Crimes of Grindelwald' and 'Green Book'

Lots of new movies to discuss. I rave about Widows. I opine on The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I defend (barely) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. And I talk to Will about Green Book. (He hasn't seen it yet.) You can hear the whole episode down below.

What's the Best Harry Potter Film?

We answer that question over at SyFy.

What's the Best Chris Columbus Film?

Happy Columbus Day, everyone.

A Salute to Cinema's Lovable Losers

The folks at SyFy asked us to select the five most lovable losers in the sci-fi/fantasy world. An interesting challenge, but we were up to it. You can read our latest Debate Club here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Beasts, Animals and 'Children of Men'

Episode 44 of the Grierson & Leitch podcast gets you caught up on last weekend's big releases. That means reviews of Fantastic Beasts, Nocturnal Animals and Manchester by the Sea. And for our Reboot segment, well, what better time to revisit Children of Men? You can hear the whole thing here.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Let's Chat About 'Fantastic Beasts' and 'Manchester by the Sea'

I was back on KCRW today with fellow critic Miri Jedeikin to discuss Fantastic Beasts, Manchester by the Sea and The Edge of Seventeen. I like two of the three movies. You can hear the whole thing here.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' Review

After seven Harry Potter movies, Warner Bros. is back in the wizarding business with Fantastic Beasts. What did I think of it? Read my review over at Screen International. (Mostly, I was just proud of myself for never accidentally typing the title as Fantastic Beats.)

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2' Review

Well, that's it. No more Harry Potter movies ever. I'm not entirely sad about that since I've only really loved two installments of the series, Prisoner of Azkaban and Deathly Hallows - Part 1. How does the new one stack up? I give it some consideration over at Yahoo.

'I am number four' review

I Am Number Four is like Smallville meets Spider-Man meets Twilight meets Harry Potter. Except not as good. My review is up at Yahoo.

harry potter versus el-p

It wouldn't even be a fair fight: El-P would pound that sniveling little wizard. Both reside in this week's Consumables, as do reviews of La Vie en Rose and the abysmal Transformers.

harry potter and the goblet of fire

My review of the new Harry Potter film is up on Screen International.