'Mother Mary' and Male Filmmakers' Fascination With Female Pop Stars

David Lowery's Mother Mary is just the latest film about a female superstar in peril. Why do male directors love making these movies? I have some theories.

'The Colin McEnroe Show': Talking About 'The Sixth Sense'

As you probably know, Halloween is just around the corner. The fine folks at The Colin McEnroe Show invited me to be on this week for an episode devoted to horror. I talked about the 25th anniversary of The Sixth Sense and my piece in the Los Angeles Times. You can hear the whole episode down below. (I come on at about the 35:10 mark.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Trap,' 'War Game' and 'Cutter's Way'

On this week's episode, we dig into two very different new movies: M. Night Shyamalan's latest and a documentary about the possibilities of another insurrection after this year's presidential election. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1981's superb Cutter's Way. Check it all out down below.

'The Sixth Sense' at 25

There were twist endings before The Sixth Sense. But in the 25 years since that film hit theaters, no twist has been as monumental, discussed or debated. For the Los Angeles Times, I looked back at the twist, and even talked to a couple folks who were working in Hollywood when M. Night Shyamalan's spec script went out on the market. Really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading.

'Trap' Review

In M. Night Shyamalan's latest, Josh Hartnett plays a dad who takes his daughter to a sold-out pop concert. What he doesn't know, though, is that the show is one elaborate trap to catch him. (You see, he's actually a serial killer.) My review of Trap is live over at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: M. Night Shyamalan, 'You People' and Revisiting 'Carlito's Way'

Much to my surprise, we both liked Knock at the Cabin. As for You People, well, it's definitely fascinating, without actually being any good. And then, for our Reboot segment, we go back to 1993's Carlito's Way, which I feel exactly the same about as I did back then. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Knock at the Door' Review

M. Night Shyamalan's best film since Split? That's not saying much, but it's true. For Screen International, here's my review of Knock at the Door.

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.

So, I Finally Saw 'The Village'

For whatever reason, I never got around to watching The Village, the movie that began the downward spiral of one M. Night Shyamalan. Well, with Old out, it seemed like a good time to finally catch up with it, especially since the film came out almost exactly 17 years ago. I had a lot to say over at SyFy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: M. Night, G.I. Joe and 'Tombstone'

Some weeks, it's a bit brutal on the podcast because the movies aren't so hot. But that can be fun, too: It's nice to just really rip something apart on occasion. Which is my way of saying, yeesh, Old and Snake Eyes are bad. (Our Reboot segment is devoted to Tombstone, which kinda stinks, too.) Hear the whole thing down below.

'Old' Review

I had hopes for M. Night Shyamalan's latest, which chronicles a group of people on vacation at a remote beach who suddenly discover that they're ... getting older really quickly. But I think he fumbles the intriguing premise and doesn't do enough exploring the rich themes underneath. My review is here.

Happy 20th Anniversary, 'The Sixth Sense'

For MEL, I wrote about the element of The Sixth Sense that has haunted me for two decades: Bruce Willis' performance. The whole film is a cautionary tale about being obsessed with your work at the expense of everything else. I wrote about this heartbreaking film right here.

Some Thoughts on 'Glass'

Glass really annoyed me, for personal reasons, which I get into over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Glass,' 'Fyre,' Sundance and 'What We Do in the Shadows'

Lots to cover in this week's podcast. We both rip on Glass and praise Fyre. (No, not the Hulu documentary. The other one.) I give a little Sundance preview, and then we look back at What We Do in the Shadows. Hear the whole episode down below.