The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Stunt Performers, Outcasts and a Movie About Pop-Tarts

Our latest episode ... was in person! Will and I sat at my dinner table to discuss The Fall Guy, I Saw the TV Glow and Unfrosted. Hear the whole thing down below.

What 'The Fall Guy' Gets Right About "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"

 

Think you can resist Phil Collins' emotional power ballad? Think again.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller > "The Fall Guy"

Underwhelmed by The Fall Guy, I tried to pinpoint my big problem with the film. And then it hit me: I would have liked it a lot more if Phil Lord and Chris Miller had made it. I explain why here.

The Comedies I'm Curious to See in 2024

Will IF stink? What's this movie about a unicorn? I have the answers for you.

What Was the Funniest Film of 2023?

I have the answer over at Cracked.

2023 Gotham Awards Nominees

It is always incredibly flattering to be asked to be part of the Gotham Awards nominating jury. I took part in the acting committee, which was responsible for selecting 10 finalists in both the Lead and Supporting categories. (The Gothams went to non-gendered categories years ago.) I want to thank my fellow jurors Monica Castillo, Robert Daniels, Shawn Edwards and Tomris Laffly for such a fun deliberation; I couldn't be happier with our picks. You can see them here, as well as the other committees' nominations.

The Best and Worst of the 2023 Summer Movie Season (Comedy Edition)

There were funny movies! There were movies that tried to be funny! I looked back at them all for Cracked.

Let's Talk About That "Push" Joke in 'Barbie'

For Cracked, I went long digging into the history of the Matchbox Twenty song that's integral to one of Barbie's best jokes. Hope you enjoy.

My 2023 Comedy Preview

What funny TV shows, movies and live events are worth getting excited about this year? Over at Cracked, I highlighted 10 intriguing possibilities. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Nope,' 'The Gray Man' and 'Where the Crawdads Sing'

Somehow, I completely forgot to post the recent episodes of the podcast on here. Whoops! So let me rectify that by first putting this one up. I liked Jordan Peele's latest a little more than Will did, but we're pretty much aligned on The Gray Man and Where the Crawdads Sing. You can hear our chat down below.

I'm Already Dreading the 'Barbie'/'Oppenheimer' Showdown

On July 21, 2023, two highly anticipated films will be coming out. That should be exciting, but for MEL, I wrote about why the battle between Barbie and Oppenheimer fans is going to be the death of me. Hope you enjoy.

(Thanks for the artwork, Bryan Jones.)

Ryan Gosling, Action Hero?

It wasn't until I watched The Gray Man that I realized the La La Land star had never done a proper action movie before. For MEL, I explain why it works against his strengths.

'The Gray Man' Review

Ryan Gosling gets his Jason Bourne on with his new Netflix action-thriller. I thought it was pretty so-so. For Screen International, here's my review of The Gray Man.

Chromatics - "Tick of the Clock"

After a 20-year run, Chromatics is calling it a day. I'll always remember them for this song, which was used so well in Drive.

Movies About Love That Goes Bad

Who wants happily ever after? Sometimes the best movies about love are the ones starring couples that shouldn't stay together. I highlight 10 personal favorites over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Astronauts, Bad Times, Kindergarten Teachers, '22 July' and 'Beautiful Boy'

Five new movies are reviewed on this week's podcast, and I'm pretty lukewarm on most of them. I explain why First Man is just OK, Bad Times at the El Royale is superficially entertaining, The Kindergarten Teacher is merely modest and Beautiful Boy is minor. Of the lot, 22 July is my favorite. Hear the whole thing down below.

Some Thoughts on 'First Man'

How much better would First Man have been if Tig Notaro was in it?

How many American flags show up in the film?

And why are we fascinated by old-school American stoicism?

I answer those questions, and others, over at MEL.

When CinemaScore Gets It Wrong

CinemaScore is a polling service that gauges audiences' reactions to new movies. Most films get decent grades, but occasionally a movie really angers viewers. For this week's Debate Club, we shine a light on five great films that got terrible CinemaScore grades. Sometimes, you just can't trust people, I guess. (The piece is right here.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Blade Runners, Mountains and 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'

On this week's podcast, Will and I have several new movies to discuss. We rap about Blade Runner 2049 and The Mountain Between Us, and then I go solo for The Florida Project. Finally, in our Reboot segment, we take a look back at Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which is sweeter and sunnier than you might remember. You can listen to the whole thing here.

'Blade Runner 2049' Review

So, Roger Deakins is finally going to win his Oscar, right? For Screen International, I reviewed Blade Runner 2049, which I (overcome by hyperbole) referred to on Twitter as "the most gorgeous film I've ever seen." And a lot of that has to do with Deakins, the renowned cinematographer who has been nominated 13 times. My review is right here.