'Shithouse' Review

Going off to college can be scary, especially when you're a sensitive kid. For MEL, I reviewed Shithouse, which is about one such guy, who thinks he may have found love. (Not so fast, bub.)

AFI Fest 2020: 'I'm Your Woman' Review

AFI Fest got underway this year with I'm Your Woman, the new film from director Julia Hart, who previously made Miss Stevens and Fast Color. Her latest isn't to the level of those previous movies, but I like how she keeps playing with genres to tell personal stories of characters facing existential crises. My review is up at Screen International.

Bobby Womack - "Across 110th Street"

Of course this song (from the 1972 film of the same name) is used memorably in Jackie Brown, but I was not aware that Bobby Womack used to date Pam Grier back in the day.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'World of Tomorrow Episode Three,' '40-Year-Old Version,' 'Time' and 'Rad'

Sci-fi animated shorts. BMX sports dramas. A documentary about a family held together by a devoted wife and mother. And the charming debut from Radha Blank. Hear us review them all down below.

'David Byrne's American Utopia' Review

Stop Making Sense is one of my favorite films. American Utopia isn't quite as great, but I definitely felt some similarities, and not just because the same man is at the center of both. I raved over at MEL.

Chicago Film Festival 2020: 'Belushi' Review

This year's Chicago Film Festival opens with the portrait of a beloved native son. For Screen International, I reviewed the John Belushi documentary Belushi.

Misleading Men: Dennis Quaid

What does the Innerspace star have to do with Donald Trump? I talk about it over at MEL.

I Had a Long Conversation With Tim Robbins About 'Bob Roberts'

In late March, I did two interviews with Tim Robbins, both lasting over an hour, to dig into his seminal 1992 political satire. Today, my article about Bob Roberts, all 8,500 words of it, is up at MEL. We talked about documentaries, Bob Dylan, Harvey Weinstein, Cannes, Robert Altman, "Addicted to Love," gentrification, Woody Guthrie, Jack Black, Alan Rickman, Gore Vidal, Giancarlo Esposito, Saturday Night Live, voting and why the Republicans are "sociopaths." Also, Robbins thinks it's fine if you bootleg his movie since it's not streaming anywhere. 

This was a real treat. I hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Garrett Bradley, Director of 'Time'

"When we think about America — and we think about the prison system and this particular story — a lot of the challenge is, How does one prove racism? How does one actually explain that? And I felt that to try to actually explain the sentencing would be to try to explain racism — and as a filmmaker, I wanted to put my energy in other places. Because I knew who I was speaking to, and I knew everybody would know what it was."

For MEL, I spoke to Time director Garrett Bradley.

'The Lie' Review

Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos are a divorced couple who must team up for a horrible task: hiding the accidental death caused by their daughter Joey King. For Screen International, I reviewed the "Welcome to the Blumhouse" moral thriller The Lie.

'Black Box' Review

Amazon is streaming an anthology of horror/thriller films, called "Welcome to the Blumhouse," which are all produced by the celebrated horror company. First up: Black Box, a silly movie about grief and memory loss. My review is up at Screen International.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo - "Nansi Imali"

Like just about everyone in America, I learned about Ladysmith Black Mambazo because of Paul Simon and Graceland. The South African choral group started up in 1960, but they received international prominence in 1986 when the Grammy-winning artist included them on the tracks "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "Homeless." (Both songs were co-written by Simon and Ladysmith leader Joseph Shabalala.) As a kid, I'd never heard anything like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and not knowing the language was hardly an obstacle: To untrained ears, they sounded spiritual, soulful and transcendent -- like a hymn to some divine being. But at the same time, there was something rhythmic about their delivery, even though they used no instruments. They created a groove entirely through their mixture of rough and heavenly voices. They're the sound of Graceland but, of course, they're a lot more than that.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo's discography is formidable, and I wouldn't even begin to know where to start. (They've won five Grammys as well.) So I decided to go with their closing track off the seminal compilation The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, which was released in 1985 but didn't hit the States until the following year. What is "Nansi Imali" about? Best I can tell, it's a lament for mine workers who suffered through terrible hardships to do their job. I find it incredibly calming but also joyous and melancholy.

Shabalala died earlier this year at the age of 78. In 2003, he talked about the power of his group's singing style. "It uplifts the spirit. It makes you respect yourself, respect your father, your mother," he said. "It makes you share ideas with your family at home and then it takes you to church also. You get into church like a person who is ready."

That's it exactly.

'Wild Card: The Downfall of a Radio Loudmouth' Review

Craig Carton was once one of the stars of sports talk radio, working alongside Boomer Esiason to earn big ratings on their hit New York morning show Boomer and Carton. Then, well, things happened. Does he deserve a second chance? For MEL, I reviewed Wild Card.

Misleading Men: Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner was on top of the world. Then he went backstage to talk to Madonna after one of her concerts. Therein lies my latest MEL piece.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Talking About Bill Murray, Gloria Steinem and Kirsten Johnson

Several disagreements this week on the show. I like The Glorias more than Will does. He likes On the Rocks more than I do. But we're aligned on Dick Johnson Is Dead. You can hear the whole episode down below.

'The Right Stuff' Review

It has been 37 years since the Oscar-winning film came out. Now, a new Disney+ series arrives on Friday. I have some thoughts.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Forty-Year-Old Version,' Sofia Coppola, Dick Johnson and 'Save Yourselves!'

Lots of new movies to review: Katie Walsh and I spent a little time with Madeleine Brand on Friday to talk documentaries, sci-fi comedies and whatnot. Hear the episode down below. 

My Interview With Wayne Coyne, Frontman of the Flaming Lips

I saw the Flaming Lips live for the first time in 1993. Twenty-seven years later, I talked about that (and a lot of other things) with Wayne Coyne for MEL.

IDA: My Conversation With the 'Lance' Team

I had not realized that my interview with the creative team behind Lance was now online. This was conducted a few months ago, and I was very happy to speak with executive producer Mike Hughes, executive producer Libby Geist, editor Allan Duso and director/producer Marina Zenovich. We talked about Lance Armstrong, the "30 for 30" series in general, and the importance of listening as a documentarian.

I hope you enjoy.

'On the Rocks' Review

Frothy comedies from major filmmakers are almost critic-proof. Complain that they're frothy and, the pushback will be, "Well, you see, it's supposed to be a light treat." Still, I found On the Rocks unsatisfying. 

For MEL, I wrote about the movie's most interesting dynamic: its study of infidelity, both in the past and the present, and how it challenges the bond between a daughter and her dad. Hope you enjoy.

Sampa the Great - "Final Form"

"I was born in Zambia, but I was raised in Botswana, which is the country right next to Zambia. My dad got a job offer [as an insurance broker] ... better opportunity, better way of life, better school opportunity for us. At age 18, I decided to get out of Africa and see what the world is like outside of what I have grown up around. It was my best friend who said we should do directing and music at this school in San Francisco [at Academy of the Art University]."

And that's only the beginning of Sampa Tembo's story.

  

Fifteen Years Ago, 'Serenity' Failed to Turn 'Firefly' Into a Franchise

Joss Whedon's short-lived, much beloved sci-fi/Western series got turned into a movie. But it wasn't in the cards for it to become another Star Trek. Over at SyFy, I looked back at Serenity.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Scammers, Assassins and 'Enola Holmes'

On this week's episode, we review three new movies, all about women in different kinds of peril. I liked Kajillionaire and Enola Holmes. As for Ava, eh, what can you do?

Listen to the whole thing down below.

'The Boys in the Band' Review

As a rule, I like to think that I can take on any movie, no matter what it's about. But with the new Netflix adaptation of The Boys in the Band, based on the landmark play about gay men in New York in 1968, I wanted to acknowledge obvious blind spots I might have. My piece is up at MEL.

'American Murder: The Family Next Door' Review

In 2018, Shanann Watts and her two young daughters were killed by her husband Chris. How did such a horrible thing occur? The new Netflix documentary American Murder recounts this sad event entirely through her Facebook posts, police bodycam footage, text messages and other media. I understand the intention, but I found the film ghoulish.

'Kajillionaire' Is a Comedy About Parental Neglect

Head over to MEL, where I make my case.

How 'Paranormal Activity' Ended the 'Saw' Age

Over at SyFy, I wrote about the original Paranormal Activity, which came out this week 11 years ago. Before this found-footage horror movie, torture porn was all the rage. Afterward, things changed. Hope you enjoy.

'The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius' Review

ESPN+ is airing this five-and-a-half-hour series about the disgraced South African sprinter. It's just the latest "30 for 30" portrait of a talented bad man. My review is up at MEL.

'Ava' Review

Jessica Chastain kicks a lot of butt in the action-thriller Ava. But the movie is very not good.

'The Trial of the Chicago 7' Review

Aaron Sorkin takes on the 1960s with his latest. The Trial of the Chicago 7 is very, very Sorkin-y, but I think it works pretty well.

Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist (featuring Tyler, the Creator) - "Something to Rap About"

"I think that day, I was listening to The Blueprint or something like that," Freddie Gibbs said of this highlight track from Alfredo. "The beat carried me on that one, man. All I had to do was just talk and make it rhyme. It turned out to be a great song."

He is correct.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Unhappy Families, Gothic Thrillers and 'Antebellum'

On this week's podcast, I rhapsodize about The Nest and lament The Devil All the Time. Then, we figure out what went wrong with Antebellum. Hear the whole thing down below.

Axl Rose, Donald Trump and "November Rain"

Trump believes Guns N' Roses' "November Rain" is the greatest music video of all time pic.twitter.com/g02ylDJKZS

— Nando (@nandorvila) September 14, 2020

OK, let's talk about it.

Paul Newman 101

Where do you start with the career of Paul Newman? I'd like to suggest these 10 films.

'The Devil All the Time' and the Fallacy of the Anti-Violence Thriller

The Devil All the Time is about the fact that violence is bad. It proves this by ... having a fair amount of violence. Can an anti-violent movie ever truly be anti-violent? I pondered the question over at MEL.

'The Nest' and the Fear of Moving Homes

About five years ago, my wife and I moved to a new place. I was very excited, until we actually got to our new home, and then I was convinced we'd made a terrible mistake. Specifically, I was sure we would break up. What was that all about? Well, it's a similar sensation to what seems to have affected the characters in The Nest. I talked about my life (and the life of this remarkable film) over at MEL.

Sault - "Masterpiece"

It's so hard these days for a musical project to be completely clandestine. And yet, that's what we have with Sault. Who are they? No one knows for sure: "[N]o interviews, no photos, no videos, no live appearances, no Wikipedia entry, a perfunctory and entirely non-interactive social media presence," as The Guardian's Alexis Petridis puts it. We know that the artists are Black, but that's about it. 

Sault have a new record out today, called Untitled (Rise), and while I dig into that, let's enjoy this cut from 2019's 5. The mystery only adds to the pleasure.

'Ratched' Review

Another origin story! This time, it's Ratched, which purports to tell us who Nurse Ratched was before we met her in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It didn't work for me.

'The Devil All the Time' Review

I really liked Antonio Campos' Christine. So I was pretty let down by his follow-up. For Screen International, I reviewed The Devil All the Time.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Are Movie Theaters Over?

This week, we have a long chat about the future of movie theaters, which allowed me to go to bat for the theatrical experience. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look at two comedies about kids connecting with the men who may be their fathers: Paper Moon and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Challenger: The Final Flight' Review

Do people remember the Challenger explosion? If you were alive, probably so, although I think that tragedy has now been obscured a bit in our cultural memory because of the more recent 9/11 attacks. But Netflix has devoted a four-part docuseries to exploring what happened, what went wrong and what NASA learned from the disaster. My big takeaway: After we landed on the moon, the space agency thought it could do no wrong. That arrogance proved deadly. My piece is up at MEL.

Toronto 2020: 'Good Joe Bell' Review

Mark Wahlberg stars in this true-life drama as Joe Bell, a man who literally walked across America spreading a message of tolerance to anyone who would listen. (His reason: his gay son, who had been bullied in school.) I found a lot to dislike about Good Joe Bell.

Toronto 2020: '76 Days' Review

What was COVID like for front-line caregivers? The documentary 76 Days takes us inside four Wuhan hospitals. Sobering stuff. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2020: 'Concrete Cowboy' Review

Concrete Cowboy is based on an actual horse-riding club in Philadelphia whose members are predominantly Black. This drama tells the story of a troubled young man (Caleb McLaughlin) who is sent to live with his estranged father (Idris Elba), who's part of the club. The world is interesting, but the script isn't up to snuff. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2020: 'I Care a Lot' Review

I Care a Lot has a great, maddening premise: It's about a legal guardian (Rosamund Pike) who bilks her elderly clients out of all their money and possessions. It's a horrible situation, and a real thing, and I was curious to see where the film would go from there. Alas, that's when the problems start. I reviewed the thriller for Screen International.

'We Are Who We Are' Review

Prefer your Luca Guadagnino more in the vein of Call Me by Your Name than Suspiria? Then you may very much dig We Are Who We Are, his languid new HBO series. My review is up at MEL.

Toronto 2020: 'MLK/FBI' Review

I imagine a lot of people will be angry after seeing MLK/FBI, which chronicles the agency's attempts to spy on Martin Luther King Jr. I found the documentary compelling, if also a bit dry. My review is live at Screen International.

Misleading Men: Kevin Bacon

You know how some bands come to hate their early hits? That's sorta similar to the relationship Kevin Bacon has had with Footloose over the years, although I don't think he ever outright hated the 1984 film. I dig into his career, and that movie's place in it, over at MEL.

'The Comey Rule' Review

The Comey Rule is a two-night event over at Showtime that looks back at James Comey's very difficult 2016. I had a lot to say at MEL about this series, which I think is very uneven but also a fitting reminder of what Trump's ascendance has felt like. It was good to get some of this off my chest.

'Coastal Elites' Review

Five members of the so-called coastal elite tell their stories right into the camera in this HBO comedy-drama. It is ... a very mixed bag, which I get into in my MEL review.

Toronto 2020: 'Get the Hell Out' Review

Taiwan's legislative body is known for getting into huge, public fights during the middle of sessions. But what would happen if a zombie outbreak happened at the same time? That's the premise of the silly, amusing, gonzo Get the Hell Out, which I enjoyed.

Toronto 2020: 'Penguin Bloom' Review

Toronto didn't allow Americans to attend the festival this year, understandably, but that doesn't keep up from covering the films premiering there. First up for me is Penguin Bloom, a drama based on the true friendship between a woman with a broken back ... and a bird. Yes, this really happened. My review is up at Screen International.

FKA twigs - "Two Weeks"

One day, Tahliah Debrett Barnett's music will finally fully click with me. For now, though, I'll stick with "Two Weeks."

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Tenet,' 'Mulan' and 'Ending Things'

I have yet to see Christopher Nolan's latest because L.A. theaters are still closed. So Will soloed on Tenet for this week's episode. We both talked about the latest Disney live-action remake and Charlie Kaufman's dazzling whatsit. Hear the whole thing below.

A Salute to Bad Labor Day Movies

Normally, summer movie season ends with a whimper. Labor Day weekend is when studios dump their bad films. For MEL, I paid tribute to some memorable stinkers.

'#Alive' Review

The zombies are coming! The zombies are coming! For MEL, I reviewed #Alive, which stars Burning's Yoo Ah-in as a young man facing down a bunch of the undead in Seoul. I get into the grisly details here.

Charlie Kaufman Is in Your Head

For MEL, I wrote about the Oscar-winning writer-director, whose movies are often about people trapped inside their own heads. His latest, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, is no different. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Week We Went Back to the Movie Theater

Will and I both ended up seeing The New Mutants on the big screen, but in very different ways. We talked about that on this past week's episode. We also reviewed Bill & Ted Face the Music and The Personal History of David Copperfield. Then I spoke briefly about Get Duked! and Class Action Park. The episode is down below.

An Exceedingly Mild Defense of 'The Wicker Man'

Neil LaBute and Nicolas Cage's Wicker Man remake is often mocked because ... well, you know. But it's actually more interesting than your run-of-the-mill stinker. I wrote about the film for SyFy.

Eddie Murphy - "Party All the Time"

Maybe don't party all the time. But have a good Labor Day weekend.

'Away' Review

Away, which stars Hilary Swank as an astronaut leading a mission to Mars, is awfully sappy. But, sometimes, sappy is good. My review is live over at MEL.

'Raised by Wolves' Review

In the future, humanity has been all but destroyed, and two androids must raise the last remaining children. I reviewed Raised by Wolves for MEL.

When 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Was a Blockbuster

In the summer of 2004, Michael Moore was the king of the box office. For MEL, I looked back at Fahrenheit 9/11, which set out to ensure that George W. Bush didn't get a second term. Hope you enjoy.

Bill & Ted and Rock 'n' Roll

Bill and Ted are all grown up in Bill & Ted Face the Music, but their musical taste hasn't changed. I wrote about that for MEL.

'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' Review

Charlie Kaufman's latest is a dazzling puzzle you'll never be able to solve. My review is up at Screen International.

'Mulan' Review

Here's a review six months in the making. Back in March, I went to the Mulan premiere and filed my review. And then the pandemic happened. Now, the movie finally comes to Disney+. I can't wait to read what I wrote since I barely remember. Join me over at Screen International.