Billy Idol Is 60 Years Old

On November 30, 1955, the man who would become Billy Idol was born. Over at Biography, I look back at a career filled with memorable videos. Was there anything behind the image, though? Sort of. You can read my appreciation of the man here.

On 'The Danish Girl' and the Art of the Well-Meaning Movie

The Danish Girl, I imagine, will be the sort of film a lot of folks will feel like they "should" see. It's about a worthy subject, it's based on a true story ... you know the drill. The movie is very, very well-meaning, but does that mean it can't be good as well? I explore all that in my review over at Deadspin.

'What the Flick?!': Dinosaurs, Boxers and 'The Danish Girl'

My thanks to Christy Lemire for having me back on What the Flick?! alongside special guest Scott Mantz from Access Hollywood. Below, we review The Good Dinosaur, Creed and The Danish Girl.

James McMurtry - "Copper Canteen"

Finally catching up with Complicated Game, James McMurtry's very fine album from February. He's got lots of stories tell, each of them buttressed with beautiful guitar melodies of the country/folk variety. A little bit Tunnel of Love, a little bit John Prine, it's all kinds of lovely. Here's a live version of "Copper Canteen," an utterly wonderful portrait of a long marriage with all the aches and pains included.

My Interview With Will Smith

I tend not to bore you with my personal life, but I wanted to share this tidbit. On the day I was set to interview Will Smith, I was in the midst of a profound funk: nothing major, just the usual accumulation of nonsense that can leave one feeling generally bummed. Within a minute of sitting down with Smith, that all evaporated -- and it triggered a thought that I knew was going to be the opening sentence in my profile of him. For Backstage, I chatted with the ebullient star of Concussion about his hiatus from acting, how his life has changed since returning, and why he loves being famous. (Smith is, by the way, the first celebrity I've ever met who actually told me, "I love being famous." And why not? He wears it well.) You can read my piece here.

Is 'The Good Dinosaur' Aimed Chiefly at Kids?

And, more importantly, does that matter? I wrote about Pixar's latest for Deadspin, making the case that it's the studio's most kid-friendly film. However, I do think that it does a fine job of not playing down to its young audience. You can read the piece here.

Let's Rank the 'Rocky' Movies

When Will and I do a ranking piece, we're sometimes blown away by which entry's positioning will drive people crazy on the Internet. (The classic example for us was our Spielberg list: Folks went ballistic because we ranked Hook so low.) Today, we rank the seven Rocky films for Deadspin ... who knew there were so many Rocky IV fans? Check out the list here.

'Saints & Strangers' Review

Hoping to tell the story of the first Thanksgiving with stripped-down realism, the Nat Geo miniseries Saints & Strangers is a worthy attempt at showing the clash of two cultures at the dawn of the United States. But I don't think it's particularly riveting drama. My review is up at The Wrap.

In Praise of 'Shutter Island'

My thanks to Decider, who asked me to contribute to their Scorsese Week. Today, I wrote about my undying love for Shutter Island ... and why the movie has been misjudged in the spoiler-alert era. (Hint: Guessing the twist isn't the point.) Hope you enjoy.

Eagles of Death Metal - "Now I'm a Fool"

It's been a week since the horrific attacks in Paris and Beirut, so it seemed appropriate to play a little Eagles of Death Metal.

Giving a Second Look to 'Carol'

I reviewed Carol at the Cannes Film Festival, but it's been months since then. Has my opinion changed at all? I decided to give the year's most acclaimed movie a second look ... and I have to say I feel about the same. It's a gorgeous, swoon-worthy movie. And yet...... well, I talk about that over at Deadspin.

Is It Time for Seth Rogen to Stop Making Bromances?

That's the question I pose in my piece on The Night Before over at Deadspin. If I'm asking it, that probably means my answer is "yes." And, in fact, that is my answer! You can read the piece here.

'The Man in the High Castle' Review

The reviews for The Man in the High Castle, Amazon's latest original series, have been glowing. I do nothing to diminish that glow over at The Wrap.

'Secret in Their Eyes' Review

When I interviewed Billy Ray for my book Filmcraft: Screenwriting, I was enormously impressed with his work ethic, his competitive fire and the fact that he's a longtime baseball fan. So it pains me to say that his latest film, a remake of the Oscar-winning The Secret in Their Eyes, is a bit of a misfire. The "The" is missing from the title of the remake, but that's not all that's lacking from the original, unfortunately. My review is up at Screen International.

'Creed' Review

The results aren't all in yet, but I seem to be one of the few initial critics who didn't go for Creed, the latest in the Rocky Balboa series. There's a twist to this movie, though: This time, it's not Rocky who's the main character. That would be Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), the secret son of Apollo Creed, who now wants a shot in the ring. I found Creed to be an intriguing but mostly formulaic attempt to breathe new life into this franchise. My review is up at Screen International.

Let's Rank Movies Starring Real Couples

Ali. Cruel Intentions. Eyes Wide Shut. What do they have in common? They're all movies featuring real-life couples. In honor of By the Sea, Will and I ranked the greatest. Enjoy!

'The Night Before' Review

Bah humbug. The merely fitfully hilarious The Night Before isn't a new Christmas comedy classic but, rather, a predictable sex-and-drugs comedy from Seth Rogen's creative team. What once was funny is now just familiar. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

'Into the Badlands' Review

An undemanding martial-arts drama, AMC's Into the Badlands exists in a future world where guns have been outlawed but everybody is awesome with knives and swords. The sort of TV show a bunch of teenage boys would dream up, Badlands is kinda cheesy but also pretty fun. I reviewed the show for The Wrap.

What Great 2015 Movies Are Flying Under the Radar?

Over at Criticwire, I contributed to the latest survey, which asked, "Before we drown in award-season heavyweights, what should you see?" It's a question at the forefront of many critics' minds, as we're all in heavy catch-up mode with movies we missed from earlier in 2015. (I'm particularly panic-stricken this year.) My responses, as of those from my colleagues, can be found right here.

My Interview With the Men Behind 'Entertainment'

A lousy, over-the-hill comic wanders the American Southwest doing his tired bits to uninterested crowds. That's Entertainment? Yup, and for Rolling Stone I spoke with director Rick Alverson and star Gregg Turkington. We discussed cringe comedy, Flipper and why Two-Lane Blacktop means so much to them. Hope you enjoy.

'The Good Dinosaur' Review

I'm of two minds about Pixar's latest endeavor. On the one hand, The Good Dinosaur is very familiar, a coming-of-age story that's geared to younger viewers. But on the other, my goodness, what a visually gorgeous, surprisingly moving experience. I let those two minds duke it out in my review for Screen International.

AFI Fest 2015: 'The Big Short' Review

Sometimes, I walk out of a screening knowing I'm slightly overrating a film, overlooking its flaws, simply because I'm swept away in what's so good about that movie. Such is the case with The Big Short, which I thought was rather fabulous, even though I can recognize the parts that don't quite work. Director Adam McKay has made a ridiculously entertaining and wonderfully angry satire about the 2008 financial crisis. If you're still mad about how that all went down -- or, if you're like me and had forgotten just how mad it made you -- this film is singing your song. I reviewed The Big Short for Screen International.

The Kinks - "Village Green"

This song, nor the album it comes from, has anything to do with the section of Los Angeles where I now live. But I get a kick out of it anyway.

Love and Marriage and 'By the Sea'

I've continued to think about By the Sea since going to its world premiere last week. I'm not convinced the movie is good, but I do keep wrestling with what it's trying to say. I put down some thoughts over at Deadspin.

Mousterpiece Cinema: Discussing 'The Prestige'

I returned to the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast this week to discuss The Prestige. I always have a fun time with hosts Josh Spiegel and Gabe Bucsko, but I was especially pleased to do this episode because it gave me an excuse to rewatch the film, which I'd been meaning to do for a while. Josh and Gabe are a little higher on it than I am, which we get into during the show. You can hear the whole thing here.

AFI Fest 2015: 'Concussion' Review

Will Smith is the best part of Concussion, a good-not-great dramatization of the Nigerian doctor, Bennet Omalu, who uncovered the fact that the NFL was hiding what it knew about head trauma from its players. The movie muckrakes, but it also delivers a pretty sober condemnation of American values. My review is up at Screen International.

'James White' Review

Does anyone need to see another cancer drama or coming-of-age tale? If it's James White, you do: This stubbornly idiosyncratic character study doesn't worm its way into your heart, which is part of what makes it great. I explain why in my Paste review.

AFI Fest 2015: 'By the Sea' Review

Not to be confused with the forthcoming In the Heart of the Sea, By the Sea stars Brad Pitt and writer-director Angelina Jolie Pitt as a married couple on the rocks. This drama's publicity materials mention that "In its style and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is reminiscent of European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s—with its concentrated, lean storytelling style, spare dialogue and intimate, often disquieting atmosphere." Those are my kind of movies but, well, it's not the sort of thing one should actively brag about, especially if you can't quite pull it off. My review is up at Screen International.

Run the Jewels (featuring Gangsta Boo) - "Love Again (Akinyele Back)"

Why this track for Friday Video?

1. Because I was listening to the Weeknd's "The Hills" the other day and thinking about other great recent sex songs.

2. Because for all their acclaim, Run the Jewels aren't just rapping about social/political issues. These dudes can be filthy when they want to be.

3. Because this tweet still makes me laugh:

Which 'Peanuts' Is It, Anyway?

Today over at Deadspin, I go into more of my reservations about The Peanuts Movie. Specifically, I talk about my issue with the notion that the movie should be commended for how faithful it is to Charles Schulz's creation. To me, there have been different iterations of Peanuts over the years -- and I'm not that much of a fan of the one the movie chooses to honor. You can read my piece here.

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' Review

I've never been the biggest fan of the Hunger Games series, so I'm not particularly heartbroken that it's coming to an end. Nevertheless, Mockingjay - Part 2 is, for my money, the best film in the series, wrapping things up confidently and darkly. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

On the Simplicity of 'Spotlight'

I was curious to watch Spotlight a second time after reviewing it back in late August. Seeing it with fresh eyes, I'm less bothered by this movie's limitations: It's clearly a strong, smart, simple piece of storytelling. And I don't mean "simple" as an insult, as I explain in my new Deadspin article.

'W/ Bob & David': My Interview With Bob Odenkirk and David Cross

I've lived in Los Angeles long enough that I remember going to tapings of Mr. Show back in the day. Well, Bob and David are back with their new sketch series, W/ Bob & David, and for Rolling Stone I spoke with the guys about this so-called reunion. (It's not really a reunion: They never went away.)

This piece is a long time coming. Back in April, I went to a W/ Bob & David taping -- made me very nostalgic for the old show -- and have seen two episodes of the new series. Plus, I wrote a shorter profile piece that will appear in the magazine. In the meantime, though, you can read this longer version online.

'The Peanuts Movie' Review

If you've seen (and loved) A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, then you've seen The Peanuts Movie, and that's what bummed me out. Undeniably sweet, the feature-length movie is also practically a Charles Schulz revue, recycling all the familiar tropes, catch phrases and best bits from the old television series. The Peanuts Movie will probably make a mint, but it feels so safe that it's pretty disposable. I reviewed the film for Screen International.