The Beach Boys - "In My Room"

When Susan was a kid, she fell in love with "In My Room." She still loves it. In honor of Brian Wilson's passing, let's give it a listen.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Phoenician Scheme,' 'Ballerina' and 'All That Money Can Buy'

On this week's episode, well, we're a little let down by both of the new movies we review. So it's good we went back to 1941's All That Money Can Buy, which is probably better known as The Devil and Daniel Webster. Check out all our wise insights down below.

'Materialists' Review

Past Lives was one of the best films of 2023. Celine Song returns with Materialists. How does it stack up? My review is live at Screen International. 

'Dangerous Animals' Review

I quite liked Sean Byrne's first two films, The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy. But his first movie in 10 years, Dangerous Animals, left me underwhelmed. I explain why over at the Los Angeles Times. 

The Folk Implosion - "Nothing Gonna Stop"

Let's just ride that groove for four minutes, OK?

What Makes an HBO Documentary Film an HBO Documentary Film?

To get the answer, I spoke separately to five directors who have recently worked with the studio: Nanette Burstein (Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes), Alex Gibney (Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos), Eric Goode (Chimp Crazy), Lance Oppenheim (Ren Faire) and Matt Wolf (Pee-wee as Himself). These are very different kinds of documentaries, all under the same roof. The results of my conversations can be read over at the Los Angeles Times.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Evil Foster Moms and Tech Bros, and 'Pi'

Two reviews of new movies in this episode. We got creeped out, in different ways, from watching Bring Her Back and Mountainhead. Then, in our Reboot segment, we revisit Darren Aronofsky's 1998 debut. Check it all out down below.

'Ballerina' Review

Ballerina convinced me Ana de Armas has the goods as an action star. I just wish she was in a better movie. My review is up at Screen International.

What 'Dogma' Did to Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith's controversial 1999 comedy Dogma returns to theaters tomorrow. For Cracked, I looked back at the film's legacy, and why he never made as interesting a movie afterward. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With the Cast of 'Severance'

This was fun. For the Los Angeles Times, I chatted with seven members of the Severance ensemble. (From left to right, that's Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Adam Scott, Dichen Lachman, Tramell Tillman and Patricia Arquette.) The interesting wrinkle? I talked to them all separately and at different times over the span of a few weeks. What this created was a fascinating experiment in seeing how each of them, on their own, reacted to the challenges of living up to the show's first season. I found them to be candid, even confessional, about the anxieties and issues they faced while filming Season Two. The result is this very satisfying piece, which I hope you enjoy.

(Photos by Jason Armond.)