Some Thoughts on 'Queen & Slim'

The history of the lovers-on-the-lam drama. The freakout that always occurs when people discover that Daniel Kaluuya is British. The scarcity of black female directors. I wrote about all this, and more, while discussing Queen & Slim over at MEL.

Carly Rae Jepsen - "Everything He Needs"

Nice to see Harry Nilsson influencing a new generation of pop stars.

Some Thoughts on 'Knives Out'

How do Rian Johnson's movies deal with family?

What episode of Breaking Bad is considered the worst by fans?

And why is everybody using "Sundown" in their films?

I answer those questions, and more, while writing about Knives Out for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Marriage Story,' 'Beautiful Day,' '21 Bridges' and 'Frozen II'

Will and I both review Marriage Story and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood on this week's podcast. Then I go solo on 21 Bridges and Frozen II. Also, our big Best of the Decade episode is coming soon. (Gulp.) Hear the whole show down below.

My Interview With Ana de Armas

Knives Out is full of big names: Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Micharl Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Don Johnson. But you'll probably leave the theater talking about Ana de Armas. I talked to the rising star for the Los Angeles Times.

My Interview With Alan Alda

Well, this was a treat. For the Los Angeles Times, I spent about an hour talking to Alan Alda, who's terrific in Marriage Story. We chatted about life, love, near-death experiences and Parkinson's. I had a wonderful time. My profile is here.

Some Thoughts on '21 Bridges'

Where do B-movies fit in the modern cinema landscape?

How many Manhattan bridges can you name?

And why do people get so annoyed when politicians eat pizza with a fork?

I answer those questions, and more, while writing about 21 Bridges for MEL.

Michael Jackson - "Just Good Friends"

So, I had reason to revisit Bad this week. This is such a fascinatingly half-great album, pointing to the dark, twisted, tortured music that Michael Jackson would make the rest of his career. "Bad" is still embarrassingly bad. "The Way You Make Me Feel" still smokes. And then there's "Just Good Friends," a duet with Stevie Wonder that was never a single. Of the non-hits, it's easily the strongest. (Dear god, have you listened to "Liberian Girl" or "Speed Demon" lately?) Definitely perked me up during some hellacious traffic. I'm sorry that Quincy Jones doesn't like it.

Alien Ant Farm, Michael Jackson and 'Smooth Criminal'

The folks at MEL asked me if I was interested in writing about the making of Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal." Intrigued, I dove in. What I came back with is a rather sad story. Hope you enjoy.

Some Thoughts on 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'

What do Tom Hanks and Fred Rogers have in common?

What movie should you see next from director Marielle Heller?

And have you heard the Mister Rogers remixes?

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

AFI Fest 2019: 'Richard Jewell' Review

Clint Eastwood does that thing he does with Richard Jewell, a biopic about the security guard who helped save lives during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing ... only to be suspected of the crime. Solid, professional, a little simplistic, but still affecting. You know the drill. My review is up at Screen International.

Emailing With Don Hertzfeldt

So, this was fun. Will and I were presented with an opportunity to interview master animator Don Hertzfeldt in connection with his new book, The End of the World. Of course, we said yes. It was conducted over email, and it's available at Vulture. A real treat.

AFI Fest 2019: 'Queen & Slim' Review

Queen & Slim is a bit uneven, but it definitely leaves an impression. The movie stars Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith as people going out on a first date. It doesn't go well, but then things get even worse when they accidentally kill a cop in self-defense. I reviewed this existential chase picture for Screen International.

Marvel's Best Bad Guys (Who Aren't Thanos)

Thanos is the king of MCU villains. But the franchise's bench is actually pretty deep. Please enjoy the latest Debate Club.

'21 Bridges' Review

Chadwick Boseman needs to find himself some better material. For Screen International, I reviewed the so-so crime thriller 21 Bridges.

My Interview With Pedro Almodovar

I had a 20-minute slot to speak with Pedro Almodovar and knew he'd be communicating through a translator. So time was of the essence. I decided I'd ask him one question and let him go from there. It was a lot of fun. For MEL, here's my chat with the director of Pain and Glory.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Race Cars, Spies, 'The Report' and 'Waves'

On this week's episode, we both review Ford v Ferrari and Charlie's Angels. Then, I go solo on The Report and Waves. And Will talks to me about Jojo Rabbit now that he's seen it. Hear the whole thing down below.

What's Arnold Schwarzenegger's Best Performance?

I still can't quite get over the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger was our governor. Anyway, for Vulture, we ranked his best performances. Read all about it.

Some Thoughts on 'Charlie's Angels'

Can you have Charlie's Angels without the sexism?

Why is Michael Strahan in the new movie?

And what Kristen Stewart film should you see instead?

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

Some Thoughts on 'Ford v Ferrari'

Ford v Ferrari is part of a proud sports-movie tradition that depicts the owners as the bad guys. I talked about that, and Josh Lucas' strange career and James Burton's killer cover tune, over at MEL.

Nada Surf - "What Is Your Secret"

Our movies don't play much anymore.

What's Matt Damon's Best Performance?

That's the questions we answer over at Vulture, where we rank all of his performances. (No. 1 was never in doubt for me.)

My Interview With Trey Edward Shults, Writer-Director of 'Waves'

Trey Edward Shults has made three films. They're all about complicated families. He didn't plan it that way -- it's just how the movies worked out. For MEL, I spoke to the filmmaker about the act of autobiography and his latest, Waves.

'Charlie's Angels' Review

It is weird to see Kristen Stewart in a mainstream Hollywood movie. That's not the only problem with the new Charlie's Angels, but it's certainly one of them. I reviewed this so-so sequel/reboot for Screen International.

Best Old-School Disney Sci-Fi Films

For this week's Debate Club, we looked back at Disney's finest sci-fi films from before 1990. Funny how many of them have been rebooted or remade. Dive in.

'Frozen II' Review

Frozen II! It's fine! My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Horror, Christmas and World War II

On this week's episode, we both review Doctor Sleep and Last Christmas. Then Will asks me some questions about Midway. Check out the whole podcast down below.

Some Thoughts on 'Midway'

This piece was written before Midway ended up being the surprise No. 1 movie of the weekend. For MEL, I wrote about the poignantly passe Roland Emmerich. Hope you enjoy.

Disney's Scariest Movies

You don't necessarily think of Disney as a company that produces horror movies. And yet, the studio has put out a few disturbing films -- sometimes, more disturbing than the execs were expecting. Over at SyFy, we spotlight five of the most infamous.

George Michael - "Heal the Pain"

Let me tell you a secret.

Some Thoughts on 'Doctor Sleep'

How does Doctor Sleep critique The Shining?

Is it fun to watch Kubrick's movie forwards and backwards simultaneously?

Remember when Stephen King had a column at Entertainment Weekly?

I get into those topics, and others, over at MEL.

'The Good Liar' Review

Classy but pretty empty, The Good Liar boasts Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen in a conman thriller that has some style to it. My review is here.

'Midway' Review

The Battle of Midway! Directed by Roland Emmerich! No thanks!

My review of Midway is up at Screen International.

The Strange Cultural Legacy of 'Deliverance'

I wrote a pretty epic piece for MEL this week. It's about Deliverance's most notorious scene, which involves Ned Beatty's character being raped. Almost 50 years later, we still rarely see depictions of male rape on screen. How as our society confronted this scene? Mostly by making jokes about it. My essay is here.

Some Thoughts on 'Marriage Story'

For MEL, I wrote about the very good Marriage Story, which examines how the institution of divorce is designed to make people fall out of love with one another. Hope you enjoy.

'Last Christmas' Review

Sue me, I liked Last Christmas. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Irishman,' 'The King' and 'Motherless Brooklyn'

Sure, we review Terminator: Dark Fate on this week's podcast, but it's actually more interesting to dig into The King and Motherless Brooklyn. But the majority of the show is given over to The Irishman, for obvious reasons. Hear the whole thing down below.

The Best Terminators (Who Weren't Arnold)

The Terminator franchise was built around the steely presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a killer robot. But when Arnold quit acting to pursue politics, the series had to come up with workarounds. For this week's Debate Club, we look back at the other Terminators. (But let's be honest: The best of the bunch was the one who tangled with the T-800 in T2.) Here's our list.

Some Thoughts on 'Terminator: Dark Fate'

For MEL, I wrote about Terminator: Dark Fate as part of a recent trend: the female-driven action movie. (I also talked a little about "You Could Be Mine" and Harlan Ellison.) Hope you enjoy.

Some Thoughts on 'The Irishman'

I think The Irishman is terrific. I tried to explain why over at MEL.

Squeeze - "Black Coffee in Bed"

If you're gonna write a sad song, it seems essential that somewhere in it you include the line "Now she's gone." Squeeze's "Black Coffee in Bed" does that very well.