The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Toy Story 5,' 'The Death of Robin Hood' and 'The Last Temptation of Christ'

Animation and death run rampant on this week's episode. Will and I compare notes on Toy Story 5 while wondering what went wrong with Hugh Jackman's dark take on Robin Hood. Then, in our Reboot segment, we go back to 1988 to discuss Martin Scorsese's controversial The Last Temptation of Christ. Lots of good stuff here, which you can hear down below.

'Toy Story 5' Review

Pixar's best franchise is now five-for-five. For Screen International, I reviewed the delightful, moving Toy Story 5. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Bride!' and 'Hoppers' and Our Final Oscar Predictions

We have a big disagreement about The Bride! on this week's episode. Elsewhere, we look at the latest from Pixar. And then we try to figure out what's gonna win what at the Oscars. Lots of tough calls! Hear the whole show down below.

'Hoppers' Review

Hoppers is a nice course correction for Pixar, which hasn't had much luck with its original films in recent years. But I found this one funny, charming and touching. My review is here. 

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 Later, Materialists, Elio and The Life of Chuck down below.

'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. 

Mousterpiece Melodies: Randy Newman and 'Toy Story'

Basically, I will take any opportunity afforded me to talk about Randy Newman. So I was delighted that the guys behind Mousterpiece Cinema brought the podcast back to do a deep dive into the original music featured in Disney movies ... and then asked me to be on for an in-depth conversation about Newman's Toy Story songs. Yup, we got into all four films, and the many covers you can find out there on the web. A total blast, and you can check it out down below.

'All Of It With Alison Stewart': What's the Bext Pixar Film?

Will and I were back on WNYC to talk about Pixar movies and our Vulture rankings. It was a fun chat, and you can hear it down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Inside Out 2,' 'Tuesday,' 'Fruitvale Station'

We agreed on Pixar's latest but differed on the change-of-pace drama from Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Then we went back to 2013 to discuss Ryan Coogler's first film. Hear all of that, and more, down below.

'Inside Out 2' Review

Yeah, it got me. For Screen International, I reviewed the quite moving Inside Out 2.

How Does a Comedy "Age Well"?

For Cracked, I gave myself the task of selecting 25 films from the 20th century that have "aged perfectly." What does that mean? And which films did I pick? Read on.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Flash,' 'Elemental' and 'Asteroid City'

This past weekend was heavy with interesting new releases, both big and small. You can hear our takes on the latest DC spinoff, Pixar's misfire and the new Wes Anderson picture down below.

What "You've Got a Friend in Me" Means to Pixar

An up-and-coming animation company asked Randy Newman to write some music for its first feature film. The rest is history. For Cracked, I wrote about the legacy of his Toy Story songs.

Cannes 2023: 'Elemental' Review

One last Cannes review, and it's for the closing-night film. Here's my take on the so-so Elemental.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Lightyear,' 'Spiderhead,' 'Leo Grande' and 'Cha Cha Real Smooth'

So many movies to go through on this week's episode! We've got animated blockbusters, quirky thrillers, a thoughtful character drama about sex, and Cooper Raiff's followup to Shithouse. Hear the whole thing down below.

So, Who Directed the 'Lightyear' Movie Back in the 1990s?

Angus MacLane is the director (and co-writer) of Lightyear. But because the movie is supposed to be something that Toy Story's Andy watched back in the mid-1990s, that means someone else actually made the thing. So which filmmaker of that era would have most likely been the guy? For MEL, I came up with 10 possible choices, but I think my No. 1 pick is correct. Hope you enjoy.

'Lightyear' Review

Lightyear is so aggressively average that I spent most of the film's runtime arguing with it. "Why aren't you better? Why aren't you more interesting? When is this going to get more exciting?" (The robot cat is adorable, though.) My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Turning Red' and 'Joe Versus the Volcano'

Crazy week, so I'm only putting this up now. But here's our latest episode, in which we reviewed Turning Red and The Adam Project. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano, which is not exactly the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan project that jumps to mind first. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Lucy and Desi' and 'Gold'

Christy Lemire and I dug into four new releases on KCRW last week, including Turning Red and The Adam Project. But let me direct you to the two films that are a little more under-the-radar: Zac Efron plays a guy trying to stay alive in the desert in Gold, while Amy Poehler makes a documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. You can hear our segment down below. 

'Turning Red' Review

A teenager discovers that when she gets very emotional, she transforms into a big red panda. A deft metaphor for puberty (and other things), Turning Red is very charming. I reviewed Pixar's latest for Screen International.