'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Elephants, Stoners, Lawmen, 'Diane' and Agnes Varda

I was very happy to be with TCM's Alicia Malone on Press Play yesterday, especially because we talked a little about the passing of Agnes Varda. (Actually, Alicia took the lead, for obvious reasons.) Then we reviewed Dumbo, The Highwaymen, Diane and The Beach Bum. You can hear the whole thing here.

True/False 2019: The Rankings and the Rundown

My seventh True/False was, by critical consensus, not one of the festival's strongest. But there were still some gems. Here's a quick ranking of everything I saw...

15. Mr. Soul!
14. Home, Sweet Home
13. Mike Wallace Is Here 
12. Untitled Amazing Johnathan Documentary
11. One Child Nation
10. Caballerango
9. Let It Burn
8. Apollo 11 
7. Cold Case Hammarskjöld
6. No Data Plan
5. Midnight Traveler
4. American Factory
3. Amazing Grace
2. Finding Frances
1. The Hottest August

I decided to include Finding Frances, the final episode of Nathan for You's fourth season, for reasons I get into in my annual True/False recap over at Paste. And I hope a smart distributor picks up The Hottest August, which is the strong new film from The Prison in Twelve Landscapes director Brett Story.

Idlewild - "Quiet Crown"

Apparently
You're happy
You've realized
I'm meant to be
Unhappy
I've realized

Idlewild have a new album coming out next month.

What's Tim Burton's Best Movie?

That's the question we wrestle with over at Vulture.

'Dumbo' Review

Like plenty of other Tim Burton protagonists, Dumbo is an outsider in a cruel world in Dumbo. There are a lot of fascinating components to this live-action film -- specifically, how it echoes themes from his earlier work -- but it's still a thumbs-down for me. My review is up at Screen International.

Some Thoughts on 'The Dirt'

I really hated The Dirt, which only exacerbated my feelings about Motley Crue. I wrote about that, "Get in the Ring" and a bunch of other things over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Jordan Peele, 'Dragged Across Country' and 'Rumble Fish'

Much happens in this week's episode. We go long diving into Us. Then we speak up for Dragged Across Country. Will tells me about Roll Red Roll. Then, we try to make heads or tails out of Rumble Fish in our Reboot segment. Enjoy!

Some Thoughts on 'Us'

What did you think of the ending?

Is Jordan Peele the next Hitchcock?

Is "Hands Across America" the worst benefit song ever?

I dig into all those questions over at MEL.

'Shazam!' Review

The DC faithful aren't too happy with me for not liking Shazam! Sorry, folks. My review is up at Screen International.

The Horror Movies That Academy Voters Loved

Horror films tend not to get much attention at the Oscars. But there are some worthy exceptions. For this week's Debate Club, we look at five great examples of horror movies that audiences and Academy members both dug. You can read our write-up over at SyFy.

Peter Gabriel - "Digging in the Dirt"

Let's take a moment to remember the other Us, the album Peter Gabriel released in 1992.

'Us' Review

I thought Get Out was good, if slightly overrated. So where did I land on Us? My review is up at Screen International.

Why I Don't Like Binge-Watching

People love binging their favorite shows. I find myself really torn about the phenomenon. I unpacked my feelings over at MEL in a piece that starts with a Mad Men story I never get tired of telling.

Some Thoughts on 'Triple Frontier'

"[Most Netflix films are] sorta like normal movies, but not exactly. Sure, they have movie stars in them, and they’re part of recognizable genres. But they’re just a little off, as if they were constructed by aliens trying to replicate how human beings make films."

I talk about that, and a few other things about Triple Frontier, over at MEL.

'Penguins' Review

Disneynature movies are always a bit cringe-y: Lots of super-cute animals being forced into very basic storylines. I felt charitable toward Penguins, though, because ... well, they're penguins. My review of the documentary is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Triple Frontier,' 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'High Tension'

On this week's podcast, we differ on Triple Frontier, but we're in complete agreement about the greatness of Zero Dark Thirty in our Reboot section. (But then we're disagreeing again with High Tension.) Hear the whole thing down below.

The Best Horror Movies of the 1990s

Do you like scary movies? The list is over at SyFy.

Cardi B (featuring Chance the Rapper) - "Best Life"

So many great lines:

I'm like Big Pop mixed with Tupac
I'm like Makaveli 
You need some Little Caesars pizza
I be hot and ready

Also:

You don't like money
I can see it your eye
You don't like winnin'
I can see it in your tie

Think about it.

SXSW 2019: 'The Highwaymen' Review

"A movie for dads" was how most at SXSW dismissed The Highwaymen, a film starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the real-life lawmen who tracked down Bonnie and Clyde. The film is well-made, but there's something a little sluggish about the proceedings. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Gregg Araki

On the day I graduated from USC, Gregg Araki (who attended their graduate film program) released Nowhere, which felt like an ominous title for my post-college life. Years later, I interviewed the trailblazing filmmaker on the occasion of his new show, Now Apocalypse. He's in a happy place in his life, which really pleased me. My Q&A is up at MEL.

Some Thoughts on 'Captain Marvel'

Is rooting for Captain Marvel a fundamentally silly thing to do?

How much longer will we be seeing Stan Lee cameos in MCU films?

Remember the Thomas Guide?

And have you seen Mississippi Grind?

I discuss all this over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Marvel Movies, 'Gloria Bell,' 'Apollo 11' and 'The Apartment'

Of course we talked about Captain Marvel on this week's episode. But I went solo to offer my reviews of Gloria Bell and Apollo 11. And then we looked back at the Oscar-winning The Apartment, which I gushed about. Hear the whole show down below.

SXSW 2019: 'The Beach Bum' Review

I'm not at South by Southwest, but Harmony Korine's new movie is. Sadly, The Beach Bum is no Spring Breakers. Not by a long shot. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Christine and the Queens - "Tilted"

Yeah, I'm still thinking about Better Things.

The Best Genre Movies of the 1990s

No horror movies are included on this list. (We'll be tackling that next week.) Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Todd Douglas Miller, Director of 'Apollo 11'

I spoke with Apollo 11 filmmaker Todd Douglas Miller for MEL, but I stayed away from "How did you find all that amazing footage?"-type questions. Instead, I wanted to talk to him about the political and cultural issues at the center of America's mission to the moon. So I asked him, among other things, if America's best days are behind it. You can read my profile here.

'Captain Marvel' Review

At long last, Marvel has its first female-driven superhero movie. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel is just OK. Not bad, just ... OK. I reviewed this good-enough film for Screen International.

Some Thoughts on 'Better Things,' Season Three

I had a lot to say about the new season of Better Things, as well as a couple things about Louis C.K. My essay is over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'Leaving Neverland,' 'Climax' and 'Greta'

Our latest episode was recorded while I was at True/False. We talk about that a little, but we focus on reviews of three new movies. First up is the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which I saw back at Sundance. Then, we dig into Gaspar Noe's Climax. And lastly, we lament Greta. Hear the whole thing below.

Talk Talk - "Life's What You Make It"

Mark Hollis, frontman of Talk Talk, died Monday at the age of 64. Talk Talk were never a major band for me, but "Life's What You Make It" has such a great groove that I now regret not having this song as part of my life. But it's definitely been a highlight of my week.