'Hobbs & Shaw' Review

I like Dwayne Johnson. I like Jason Statham. I didn't like Hobbs & Shaw. My review is up at Screen International.

Happy 10th Anniversary, 'Funny People'

When I saw Funny People 10 years ago, I wondered if it might be Judd Apatow's best movie. I no longer think that, but it's still plenty fascinating. I wrote about the film, and how comedy has changed in the last decade, for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Quentin Tarantino and 'The Shining'

This week's episode only has two films, but they're biggies. First up, we go long on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, followed by a general conversation about Tarantino's work to this point. Then, in our Reboot segment, we tackle The Shining and I rhapsodize about Shelley Duvall. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' Review

I think I have an allergy to Eugenio Derbez. Or maybe Dora just stinks. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Sci-Fi's Best Imaginary Worlds

Oz, Pandora, the Shimmer ... for SyFy, we picked the best worlds in science fiction and fantasy. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, Directors of 'The Great Hack'

How scared should we be about stories like Cambridge Analytica? Should we all get off Facebook? The filmmakers behind the Netflix documentary The Great Hack have a lot to say about our digital identities. I talked with them for MEL.

Some Thoughts on 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'

Is Quentin Tarantino getting sentimental in his (relative) old age?

How easy is it to own a flamethrower?

And what's Tarantino's worst movie?

I answer those questions, and more, over at MEL.

Joe Cocker - "The Letter"

Growing up, I knew "The Letter" as a Joe Cocker song. (My dad had Joe Cocker's Greatest Hits.) Only later did I realize it was a cover. I haven't thought about the Cocker version in years, but it's used strikingly in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. So let's give it a spin right now.

My Interview With Nick Hillary, the Subject of 'Who Killed Garrett Phillips?'

I've interviewed lots of different people. But until last week, I don't think I ever spoke to someone who had been on trial for murder. Nick Hillary was charged with killing a 12-year-old boy; he was eventually found innocent, but that doesn't mean his life has returned to normal since. The new HBO documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips? is about his ordeal. I spoke to Hillary for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Lions, Princess Brides and 'Cache'

This week at Grierson & Leitch, we differ on the new Lion King. But we dig deep into our two Reboot films: 1987's The Princess Bride and 2005's Cache. Talk about a tonally jarring double feature. You can hear the whole episode down below.

The Best Sci-Fi Planets

Wanna get away? For this week's Debate Club, we wrote about five of science fiction's most indelible planets. (People hoping to see Pandora on this list: Sorry, that's a moon.) Hope you enjoy.

Some Thoughts on 'The Lion King'

Join me as I discuss what a San Francisco Giants' Top Gun-themed game has to do with the new "live-action" Disney remake.

Next - "Too Close"

Because how many other great songs are there about having a boner on the dance floor?

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Farewell,' 'Poetry' and Some July Marginalia

Do you need reviews of Stuber or Crawl? Oh, probably not. But we discuss those two movies on this week's episode. But the good stuff comes during our conversation about The Farewell -- and, in our Reboot segment, where we look back at Poetry. The whole thing is down below.

My Interview With Riley Stearns, Writer-Director of 'The Art of Self-Defense'

For MEL, I talked to Riley Stearns, a big jiu-jitsu guy who turned his passion into the subject matter (kinda) of his new movie, the karate comedy/satire The Art of Self-Defense. Like me, he's not a manly guy, so it was fun to chat about sparring, dealing with one's lack of macho, sports movies, and that one time he bullied a classmate. My Q&A is right here.

Anthrax - "Crawl"

Not to be confused with the alligator movie that comes out today.

'The Lion King' Review

I think The Lion King is the best of the recent Disney remakes. But that's not a very high bar, is it? And it's most certainly the best Disneynature documentary. My review is live at Screen International.

The Horror Hits That Were Complete Surprises

For this week's Debate Club, we wrote about hit horror films that were hardly sure-things at the time. It's important to remember that, say, The Exorcist was something of a risk. Our piece is up at SyFy.

'Stuber' Review

Wow, Stuber stinks. I reviewed the action-comedy for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Spider-Man, Sweden and 'Ocean's 11'

On this week's podcast, we agree that Spider-Man: Far From Home is one of the weakest of the MCU entries. Then, we dig into Midsommar and look back at 2001's Ocean's 11, which remains a delight. Hear the whole thing down below.

Who's the Best Spider-Man Villain?

That's the question we tried to answer over at Vulture. (Sorry, Paul Giamatti, it isn't you.)

Who's the Best Spider-Man?

Lots of Spider-Man content coming your way recently from yours truly. For SyFy, Will and I looked back at the different Spidey actors. Check out our piece here.

Some Thoughts on 'Spider-Man: Far From Home'

How much trouble will Marvel be in now that Thanos is gone?

What's your favorite version of the original Spider-Man theme song?

And remember when Spider-Man married Mary Jane at a Mets game?

I get into all that, and more, over at MEL.

Sleater-Kinney - "Hurry on Home"

When Janet Weiss announced she was leaving Sleater-Kinney, saying, "The band is heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on," I immediately wondered if she wasn't entirely down with the sound of the group's forthcoming record, The Center Won't Hold. The first two songs off the album definitely are a different S-K than we've heard before, which I partly contribute to St. Vincent, who's working as their producer for the first time. Weiss has been the group's drummer since 1997's Dig Me Out, so it's big news. Still, I have to say: "Hurry on Home" rocks.

Wes Craven's Best Films

Wes Craven would have been 80 this summer. For SyFy, we wrote about his finest films, which all happen to be horror movies. Dig in.

Some Thoughts on 'Yesterday'

What does Yesterday get right about imposter syndrome?

Remember the Sgt. Pepper's movie?

And how expensive is it to license Beatles songs for your film?

I answer those questions, and more, over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Movies of 2019 (So Far)

We've reached the halfway point of 2019, so it's time to look back at the first six months of the year. Will and I each select our six favorite films -- there's only one overlap -- and then we debate the relative merits of Yesterday. Finally, we look back at That Thing You Do! A very fun episode: You can hear the whole thing down below.