The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Deadpool and Wolverine, Curtis and Samantha, Mikey and Nicky

Three unforgettable duos are the highlight of this week's podcast. First, we review Deadpool & Wolverine. Then, we dig into two great Reboot suggestions. There's Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain in Take Shelter. And there's Peter Falk and John Cassavetes in Mikey and Nicky. Check it out down below.

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' and Hollywood's Spin-Off Era

In 2009, Fox wanted to extend its lucrative X-Men franchise by doing a spin-off film for Wolverine. The resulting movie wasn't that good, but it did help show the studios what they could do with their hit properties, unfortunately. For RogerEbert.com, I wrote about X-Men: Origins: Wolverine's legacy.

'Deadpool & Wolverine' Review

One has claws. One has an attitude. Now, these two Marvel heroes are finally teaming up. For Screen International, I reviewed the much-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine.

What's the Funniest Christmas Movie?

I have the answer over at Cracked.

What's the Greatest Action-Comedy Ever?

And what even is an action-comedy? I answer both questions over at Cracked.

Enough With the Dumb Comedy Cameos

Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Ryan Reynolds cameo in #Ghosted

WE WON! pic.twitter.com/nRxmN6516L

— Mark Ridge Lobo (@MR___LOBO) April 21, 2023

You may have heard that Ghosted has a few celebrity cameos in it. They're so dumb, and I'm sick of the trend. I wrote about it for Cracked.

The Sad Fate of 'Green Lantern'

Long before DC tried going for more lighthearted superhero films with Shazam!, the studio gave us a funny Green Lantern. It didn't turn out well, but for Cracked, I make the argument that there was solid logic behind the strategy. My essay is here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'Armageddon Time' and 'Spirited'

I liked two out of the three movies we reviewed this past week. Can you guess which one I didn't care for? You can hear the whole thing down below.

'Spirited' Review

Much to my surprise, Spirited is a fairly earnest, sweet Christmas musical-comedy, with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds largely playing it straight, as well as singing and dancing a lot. 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. 

Channing Tatum Does a Lot of Cameos

And I ranked them all for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Raving About 'Passing,' Meh on 'Belfast'

Completely forgot to post this week's episode of the podcast. And it's a good one, too, tackling three very different films: Passing, Red Notice and Belfast.

Hear the whole thing down below.

'Red Notice' Review

Three big stars, very few sparks: That's the short review of Red Notice. My longer one is over at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About 'Beckett' and John David Washington

On this week's episode, we review Free Guy and Respect. But I was especially jazzed about discussing Beckett, which I think is a really interesting movie, as opposed to a good one. Hear our conversation down below.

'Breakfast All Day': Digging Into 'Free Guy,' 'Respect' and 'CODA'

I always love guesting on Breakfast All Day, especially during a pandemic when I'm not able to see the co-hosts at screenings. But what's also so nice is that their audience will often say how much they enjoy having me on. Makes me feel very welcome all around.

I joined the crew on Friday to discuss the weekend's new releases. Lots of fun discussion, particularly about Apple and its odd lack of promotion for its movies. (And I don't even love CODA that much but c'mon, that's a movie that seems like an obvious crowd-pleaser.)

You can watch the segments down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Aretha Franklin, Video Games and 'CODA'

I didn't catch Don't Breathe 2, so I couldn't discuss that on Press Play this week. I'll leave that to Katie Walsh, who joined me on the show to review Respect, Free Guy and CODA. You can check out our segment below.

Ryan Reynolds Is Trying My Patience With 'Free Guy'

I was so happy when he found success with Deadpool. Now? I'm starting to lose interest. I wrote about my Ryan Reynolds concerns over at MEL.

Locarno 2021: 'Free Guy' Review

A little The Truman Show, a little Groundhog Day, and also a little Edge of Tomorrow, Free Guy ends up being a bunch of bits and pieces from other, better movies. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Pixar, Bad Sequels, Sparks and 'Fatherhood'

We dig into four new movies on this week's podcast. We both discuss Luca and Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Will asks me about The Sparks Brothers, and I ask him about Kevin Hart's latest, Fatherhood. You can hear the whole thing down below.