Toronto 2016: 'The Promise' Review

There is a movie that premiered in Toronto that stars Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, and I'm betting you've heard nothing about it. That's a bad sign, and indeed The Promise is a dud. The period war drama focuses on the atrocities of the Armenian genocide, and although Isaac is pretty good in the film, I found it painfully old-fashioned. You can read my review at Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'Abacus: Small Enough to Jail' Review

I've heard some grumblings here in Toronto that the latest from Steve James is a little too slight or dry. I grant that Abacus is a pretty conventional documentary, but it's nicely observed and emotional, recounting the tale of the only bank that was charged in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse. I reviewed Abacus for Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'Daguerrotype' Review

Folks, I did not like Daguerrotype. It is not creepy or suspenseful enough. It's not sufficiently compelling as a portrait of romantic obsession. It's just a dud. I reviewed director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest for Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea' Review

The title explains the premise. In the feature debut of writer-director Dash Shaw, two teen buddies must battle to stay alive after an earthquake sends their school into the ocean. My Entire High School has a great voice cast, including Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts, and the movie is slight but fun. Plus, the animation is cool, which will count for something with its target audience. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'The Bad Batch' Review

Ana Lily Amirpour's sophomore effort has all the hallmarks of a sophomore effort. Biting off more than it can chew, The Bad Batch has a grand vision but some silly ideas. And, yes, it's another film about a post-apocalyptic hellscape. I'm very curious where she goes from here. I reviewed The Bad Batch for Paste.

Toronto 2016: 'Things to Come' Review

I love Mia Hansen-Love's last film, Eden. Now I have to decide if I prefer her latest. Things to Come has a more conventional premise -- it's about an older woman navigating some difficult life crises -- but it's a beaut. And Isabelle Huppert absolutely rules in it. I reviewed the film for Paste.

Toronto 2016: 'Queen of Katwe' Review

Queen of Katwe is very much a Disney movie. Telling the true story of a young Ugandan chess prodigy, director Mira Nair's drama is such a by-the-numbers underdog sports film that I found myself disheartened. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'Barry' Review

We've already had Southside With You this year. Do we need another Obama biopic? Barry visits the future president while he's still a college student in the early 1980s. I admired the attempt to explain the roots of what would become a great man, but I think the execution gets it wrong. You can read my review at Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'Mascots' Review

It's been a while since Christopher Guest made a film. For better and for worse, Mascots is very much like his other movies. Did I laugh? Yeah. Did I laugh really hard? Maybe a couple times. Was I happy to have the old gang back together? Of course. Is the novelty wearing off? Sadly, yes. I reviewed the mockumentary for Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'Snowden' Review

Snowden has the makings of a classic Oliver Stone film: a man against the system, an attack on government hypocrisy, etc. etc. So what happened? Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a decent impression of the whistle-blower, but this biopic is surprisingly conventional and uninspired. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2016: 'American Pastoral' Review

American Pastoral is a book I read on my honeymoon, which some might consider an odd choice. (Keep in mind, I also read The Road.) Now, Philip Roth's fine novel has been turned into, well, a just-OK movie. The directorial debut of Ewan McGregor is simplistic in some ways but emotional enough to suggest the power of Roth's words. My review is up at Screen International.

Happy 40th Anniversary, 'Ramones'

Hey ho, let's go and celebrate Ramones, which was re-released today in a fancy new deluxe edition. My appreciation of this eternal classic -- and the one album I think might be "perfect" -- is up at MEL.

Let's Rank All Tom Hanks' Movies

For Vulture, Will and I are mixing up our usual ranking system. Now, we're dividing an actor or director's work into specific categories. First up, is Mr. Tom Hanks. This was a lot of fun -- dive in.

Toronto 2016: 'Wakefield' Review

It's close but no cigar with Wakefield, an intriguing but ultimately unsuccessful study of a lawyer (Bryan Cranston) who decides to hide out from his family ... by living in the garage. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Peter Gabriel - "Intruder"

An excerpt from a 2011 interview in The Quietus with Peter Gabriel about this 1980 track:

How was it received at the time? Critics and audiences alike have never really had a problem with novelists and film makers using characters to tell a story but often do with popular music for some reason. I mean, ostensibly it's about home invasion but there's also some much darker stuff being hinted at as well.  

"Yeah, there's a transvestite element, a clothes fetish. There's part of me in that but there's also a rape metaphor. It's definitely dark but real. I always used to enjoy performing it."

I confess that I've never noticed the "transvestite element." I was too busy focusing on those drums and that wail.

Toronto 2016: 'The Magnificent Seven' Review

Welcome to this year's Toronto Film Festival. The opening night film, The Magnificent Seven, kicks us off on a sluggish note. I didn't think it was possible, but Denzel Washington actually delivers a less-than-impressive performance. And I'm not sure what's up with Chris Pratt. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Talking Toronto

Episode 33 of the Grierson & Leitch podcast focuses on the Toronto Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday. Also, in our reboot section, we discuss 12 Monkeys and Escape From New York, two movies that are more thematically linked than I realized. You can hear the whole thing here.

'Atlanta' Review

Atlanta is the brainchild of actor and rapper Donald Glover. I was taken by this show from the start: It stars him as a directionless young man trying to get his life together. Atlanta is about Southern life, hip-hop, racism and other worthy topics, but it's light on its feet. I reviewed the series for The Wrap.

Telluride 2016: 'Sully' Review

In its own modest way, Sully is the best thing Clint Eastwood has made in a while. Forced to choose, I'd say it's his strongest since Letters From Iwo Jima, and the two films have certain similarities, both depicting the horror of actual events with a movingly subdued approach. This story of Sully Sullenberger has its creaky, awkward moments, but it earns its sentimentality. And Tom Hanks is great. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Telluride 2016: 'Moonlight' Review

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins' first movie, Medicine for Melancholy, showed plenty of promise. Moonlight, his second, builds on it. I loved this drama about a young life told in three segments. It's insightful about race, sexuality, identity, poverty and many other things. I hope it finds an audience. My review is live at Screen International.

Telluride 2016: 'Maudie' Review

If you know me, or read my reviews, you're probably not surprised that I'm susceptible to love stories about impossible characters or scenarios -- especially if they're based on true stories. I have no idea how others will respond to Maudie, but I was willing to get on its wavelength.

It stars Sally Hawkins as Maud Lewis, an arthritic painter who fell in love with an ornery fishmonger (Ethan Hawke), becoming a celebrated Nova Scotian artist in the process. As the movie portrays them, they were difficult, socially awkward people who stumbled toward some version of romantic bliss together. Deeply imperfect, Maudie still worked for me. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Max Linsky, Host of 'With Her'

I was really curious to talk to Max Linsky, who hosts With Her, the official Hillary Clinton podcast. Thus far, he's interviewed the candidate and her running mate, Tim Kaine. So what are they like in person? We talked about that, criticisms people have about the show, and the nature of interviewing celebrities -- something he and I have some experience with. I'm very happy how this piece turned out. You can read it over at MEL.

XTC - "Grass"

Summer is over, so why not listen to a track from a quintessential summer album? Plus, my wife loves this song.

My Interview With Michiel Huisman

Slowly but surely, I'm working my way through the cast of The Invitation, interviewing each of them one by one. I spoke with Emayatzy Corinealdi in March, and now I've talked to Michiel Huisman, who's one of the stars of the forthcoming miniseries Harley and the Davidsons. We chatted about music, luck and fortune tellers. I had a fun time, and you can read my profile in Backstage.

Venice 2016: 'The Light Between Oceans' Review

And now ... fall film festival season begins. We start with The Light Between Oceans, the latest from Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance. It stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander as lovers who find an abandoned baby and decide to pretend it's theirs. As you might imagine, things don't go well. My review is live at Screen International.

The Inside Story on 'White Girl'

Over at Rolling Stone, I spoke with White Girl writer-director Elizabeth Wood and star Morgan Saylor about the gritty New York coming-of-age tale. When I sat down with Wood, she told me that the last two people to interview her had accidentally erased their recording, losing everything. This is not the sort of thing one likes to hear but, thankfully, I had no disasters -- plus, I found her to be a very fun conversationalist. You can read my profile here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Talking 'Almost Famous' and 'Garden State'

On Episode No. 32 of the Grierson & Leitch podcast, Will and I look back at the summer movie season. We also look ahead to next summer. (Uh, oh.) And then there's this week's Reboot section. We dig into two music-heavy, much beloved coming-of-age films: Almost Famous and Garden State. It's all happening. You can hear the whole thing here.

Toronto 2016: The Preview

The Toronto Film Festival is just around the corner. What am I excited to see? Take a look.

The Perils of Loving Jason Statham

Mechanic: Resurrection came out on Friday. Not screened in advance for critics, it got bad reviews and then proceeded to underperform at the box office. I love its star, Jason Statham, and I'm still tempted to see it. Am I crazy? Why do I do this to myself? I wrote about my ridiculous relationship with the actor for MEL.

Movies About First Dates

In honor of Southside With You, a drama about Barack and Michelle Obama's first date, I put together a list for MEL of the best movies about characters going on first dates. Everything from Certified Copy to Sunday to In Search of a Midnight Kiss made the cut. Hope you enjoy.

Grimes - "Kill V. Maim"

"One song on the album, 'Kill V. Maim,' is written from the perspective of Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part II. Except he’s a vampire who can switch gender and travel throughout space."

That's how Grimes described this utterly nutty dance track from last year's terrific Art Angels. The video is what would happen if you mixed Sion Sono and Law & Order.

Summer 2016: The Best and the Worst

Summer movie season is over. Thank god. What a terrible summer this has been. Just one bad big movie after another. Over at The New Republic, Will and I go back to salute the highs and lows of the last few months. Check it out.

Exploring De La Soul's Best Non-Hits

Tomorrow, De La Soul release And the Anonymous Nobody..., their first disc in 12 years. Today for MEL, I explore the trio's back catalogue to find their greatest deep album cuts. Oh man, was this fun. Check out the list here.

'Gomorrah' Review

My memory of the film Gomorrah is fuzzy, but I was sucked in by the Italian TV series that is adapted from the same source material as the movie. Sundance TV is showing the first season starting tonight -- we don't need any more mob dramas but, man, this one's real good. My review is up at The Wrap.

Frank Ocean, 'Blonde' and the State of the Modern Album

Remember how Spotify, YouTube and their ilk were going to destroy the album as an art form? How individual songs would become more valuable than the LP? Well, forget that nonsense. As Frank Ocean's new album, Blonde, demonstrates, a crop of musicians are resisting this mindset, producing challenging work in our internet age that only really works as a unified album. My essay is up at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Debating 'War Dogs,' 'Lo and Behold' and 'Breaking Away'

This week's installment of the Grierson & Leitch podcast finds me and my buddy disagreeing on two films: the Iraq War satire War Dogs and Werner Herzog's latest documentary, Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World. Then, in our Reboot section, we discuss the 1979 coming-of-age drama Breaking Away. Hope you enjoy.

Misleading Men: Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant has starred in many beloved romantic comedies. And yet, his 1995 scandal in which he received oral sex from a prostitute remains one of his most indelible public performances. His appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno suggested another side of her persona -- and in a small but meaningful way, it's informed our relationship with his films ever since. My piece is up at MEL.

'War Dogs' Review

I wanted to like War Dogs. Miles Teller and Jonah Hill play Miami bros who make a bundle during the Iraq War selling guns. It's based on a true story. So what went wrong? That's where I come in. My review is up at The New Republic.

Eric Church - "Kill a Word"

Eric Church's most recent album, Mr. Misunderstood, came out last year. A song from it that I keep returning to is "Kill a Word," in which he lists all the negative words he wishes he could eradicate: regret, fear, lies, hate, you get the idea. Always setting his sights on the arena, Church is a country guy with strong pop and (in the case of this song) gospel instincts. A simple sentiment effectively and melodically conveyed.

'Ben-Hur' Review

Two things I should admit: I don't necessarily love the Charlton Heston Ben-Hur, and I didn't hate Timur Bekmambetov's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. So, his version of Ben-Hur wasn't a proposition I was dreading. And yet, the remake is just kinda so-so. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Movie Review Lightning Round

In this week's episode of the Grierson & Leitch podcast, Will and I go through a ton of movies in a short time. So, if you'd like reviews of Pete's Dragon, Sausage Party, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hell or High Water, Blood Father and Spaceman, you've come to the right place. And in our Reboot section, we go back to 1954 and Rear Window. Check it all out here.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Meryl, Dragons, Animated Food and 'Hell or High Water'

The lovely Barbara Bogaev filled in for Madeleine yesterday on Press Play, and Grae Drake and I had a fine time discussing Sausage Party, Florence Foster Jenkins, Pete's Dragon and Hell or High Water. You can hear our segment here.

'Florence Foster Jenkins' Review

Meryl Streep returns with Florence Foster Jenkins, based on the true story of a 1940s New York socialite who was famous for her terrible singing voice. So why was she such a sensation? This very enjoyable film doesn't dig deeply enough into that question. My review is up at The New Republic.

A Salute to Dirty Cartoons

In honor of Sausage Party, I put together a little movie marathon at MEL of notable R-rated cartoons. (Actually, some of them are even more extreme than R.) Happy viewing.

Midnight Star - "No Parking on the Dance Floor"

Today is my wonderful wife's birthday. I love her for many reasons, not least of which is that she introduced me to this song.

'The Get Down' Review

Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down streams on Netflix starting tomorrow. People know that it's been a troubled production, but is the show any good? I've seen the first three episodes, and thus far I think it's a soap opera-y mess. When the show traces the early days of hip-hop in New York City, it can be fun. But too much of the time, the series tries to be something else. My review is up at The Wrap.

'Sausage Party' Review

As most everyone knows, Sausage Party is an animated movie for adults. And, boy, does it take full advantage of that fact -- not since South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut has a mainstream animated film been this shocking. Plus, it's really funny. And it actually has some heart. But mostly, it's just filthy and funny. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Talking 'Suicide Squad,' 'Shallow Grave,' 'Brick'

On this week's episode, Will and I try to explain what happens in Suicide Squad. (It's such a bad movie.) But we have more fun in our Reboot segment, which focuses on two stylish debuts: Danny Boyle's Shallow Grave and Rian Johnson's Brick. You can hear the whole thing here.

What's the Greatest Punk Rock Movie of All Time?

I wrote about We Are the Best! for this Rolling Stone survey of the greatest punk rock movies ever. "Hate the Sport"! And enjoy the whole list here.

'Little Men' and Why We Can't All Get Along

Director Ira Sachs makes intimate little movies that I really enjoy. Keep the Lights On, Love Is Strange and now Little Men constitute what he calls his New York trilogy -- they're all set there -- and the new one is about two families who will get ensnared in a rent dispute. Sachs has much to say about the ways that good people do unkind things to each other. I reviewed the film for The New Republic.

Frank Ocean - "When I'm Done"

Today, Frank Ocean's much-anticipated, long-delayed new album, Boys Don't Cry, finally drops. To mark that occasion, I'm bumping an Ocean song not everyone knows.

Who's the Greatest Supervillain?

The team at Rolling Stone came up with a list of the best bad guys from superhero movies. Yours truly had things to say about Lex Luthor, General Zod and Elijah Price. (Don't know who Elijah Price is? For shame.) You can check out the list here.

What Listening Has Over Talking

About a year ago, I was researching a piece for MEL that tried to determine if there was such a thing as the perfect speaking voice. During that process, I interviewed a voice coach, who said that, really, the sign of a good speaker is being able to convey the sense that he's listening -- the quality of the voice didn't much matter. I found that fascinating. The piece ended up being shelved, but that remark stayed with me.

A few weeks ago, Vox's Ezra Klein wrote a piece about Hillary Clinton, in which he asked her friends and colleagues to explain what they know about her that the general public doesn't. The answer, over and over again, was that she's a great listener, which is why they thought she'd make a great president.

Klein's article made me think back to my interview with the voice coach. And out came this MEL piece about the value of listening over talking. I'm pretty pleased with this one -- hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Jason Bourne,' 'Quiz Show' and Chevy Chase

On this week's Grierson & Leitch podcast, Will and I disagree about Jason Bourne. But in our Reboot segment, we're closely aligned on the very fine Quiz Show. And, boy oh boy, do we both hate Fletch. Or do we both just hate Chevy Chase? You can check it out right here.

'Suicide Squad' Review

In an ordinary summer, Suicide Squad might be considered one of the worst films of the season. But this year? Eh, it's merely another disappointment -- I've been so beaten down I almost can't summon up the energy to care about all the things that don't work in this supervillain action movie. But for Screen International, I do my best to tell you precisely why this film stinks.

Happy 35th Birthday, MTV

MTV launched August 1, 1981. For Rolling Stone, I pitched in with some other smart writers to chronicle the artists, performers, trends, TV shows and strange happenings that entered the culture thanks to the music-video channel. Hope you enjoy.