The 10 Essential Silent Movies

Have a little time and want to bone up on silent movies? For MEL, I put together a list of some essential titles, all available for streaming. (One caveat: I limited myself to one film per star or director.) Hope you enjoy.

The Criterion Channel Gems You Can't Find Anywhere Else

The Criterion Channel has so many great movies. But which ones are only available on the streaming site? I did a deep dive into the catalog for MEL.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Crip Camp,' 'Uncorked,' 'Vivarium' and 'The Hunt'

Well, this was unusual. For this week's Press Play, Katie Walsh and I spoke with Madeleine remotely to discuss the weekend's new releases -- and The Hunt. Enjoy our social-distancing cinematic insights down below.

CPH:DOX 2020: 'Dick Johnson Is Dead' Review

Dick Johnson Is Dead received rave reviews when it premiered at Sundance. I revisited the documentary for Screen International.

'Ozark' Season 3 Review

And so we return to Lake of the Ozarks, where Marty and Wendy's marriage is crumbling and the cartel is becoming more ruthless. For MEL, I reviewed the latest season of Ozark.

Modest Mouse - "Blame It on the Tetons"

How about something soothing? Just don't focus on the lyrics.

CPH:DOX 2020: 'A Shape of Things to Come' Review

An older, bearded gentleman named Sundog lives out in the Arizona desert all by himself. He doesn't want to be a part of society. But does he have a choice? For Screen International, I reviewed the intriguingly minimalist documentary A Shape of Things to Come.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Blue,' 'I'm Not There' and Looking Back at 1994

On this week's podcast, we introduce a new feature, in which we look back at a specific movie year. This week: 1994. Hoop Dreams! Pulp Fiction! Forrest Gump! The Shawshank Redemption!

We also have two Reboots. First is Krzysztof Kieślowski's Blue, the first installment in his Three Colors trilogy. Then, we dig into Todd Haynes' sorta-biopic I'm Not There. Hope you enjoy.

Listening to Steely Dan in the Age of COVID-19

I realized recently that I've never written in any detail about Steely Dan, a band I'm fairly nuts about. So for MEL, I talked about why the group is weirdly perfect music to accompany your time in quarantine. Sign in stranger.

Art House 101: The 10 Essential Foreign-Language Films

Let's say you're someone who always wanted to find time to get into international cinema. Well, what better time than now? For MEL, I put together a list of 10 subtitled films to get you started. It was a daunting task, but also pretty fun. Hope you enjoy.

'Tiger King' Review

Joe Exotic was an eccentric man living in Oklahoma who started an exotic-animal park. Carole Baskin was a big-cat lover in Florida who thought he was doing more harm than good. Eventually, Exotic was arrested as part of an alleged murder-for-hire plot. The Netflix documentary series Tiger King chronicles the whole strange affair. Of course it's very binge-able ... but does it have to be so classist, too? My review is up at MEL.

Five Replacements for 'A Quiet Place Part II'

So, for Vulture, we're going to start doing a regular series called "The Replacements." The idea: Blockbuster season was supposed to begin this weekend, and big movies were set to arrive on a regular basis from here on out. Well, things have changed, so we'll be suggesting alternative flicks for that week's postponed event movie. First up: Our picks for films that scratch that itch if you were wanting to see A Quiet Place Part II. Hope you enjoy.

Cinema's Most Sweeping Films

Wanna get away? Can't say I blame you right now. For MEL, I wrote about the movies I find most "transporting," however you choose to define that word. Up, up and away.

Gordon Lightfoot - "If You Could Read My Mind"

"In some cases the songs are autobiographical; some events and traumas that have to get handled, one way or another, go into the tunes. And it’s easier and cheaper than going to a shrink. 'If You Could Read My Mind' was written about the events that happened when I was getting divorced from my first wife. I’d just moved to the country, to a little farm, and signed with a new label, and the marriage was breaking up. I drank quite a bit too, until 1982, when I gave it up." -- Gordon Lightfoot, 2012.

Mr. Lightfoot has a new album, Solo, out today.

CPH:DOX 2020: 'Caught in the Net' Review

Directors Barbora Chalupova and Vit Klusak wanted to answer a question: Just how rampant is online child abuse in their native Czech Republic? So they came up with a daring experiment to find out. The result is Caught in the Net, which I found riveting. My review is up at Screen International.

John Oliver Is the David Letterman of the COVID-19 Age

I will always be grateful to David Letterman for his first show after 9/11, which helped pull the country together. On Sunday, John Oliver did the same for me as we hunker down in quarantine. I wrote about a remarkable episode of Last Week Tonight for MEL.

'Marc Maron: End Times Fun' Review

Marc Maron recorded his latest Netflix stand-up special in October, building his set around the theme of the end of the world. Cut to March 2020: The world looks very different than the one Maron was lamenting. For MEL, I wrote about End Times Fun.

'Spenser Confidential' Review

Mark Wahlberg's latest collaboration with director Peter Berg is a Netflix action-thriller. Have you seen a Mark Wahlberg movie directed by Peter Berg? Then you've seen Spenser Confidential, which is entirely Netflix's strategy. I review the algorithm, I mean movie, for MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Hunt,' 'Bloodshot,' 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' and 'Moulin Rouge'

The podcast must go on. This week, we both review The Hunt, and then I solo on the new Vin Diesel vehicle and Eliza Hittman's acclaimed Sundance drama. Finally, we flash back to 2001 for Moulin Rouge. We'll keep doing new episodes each week -- we talk about that a little, too.

Cinema's History of Isolation

With so many people dealing with quarantine, I started thinking about movies that explore isolation -- whether it's physical or spiritual. That inspired this list for MEL. (And because I'm me, of course I had to include a little love for Jeanne Dielman.)

SXSW 2020: 'Critical Thinking' Review

John Leguizamo makes his feature directorial debut with Critical Thinking, which is based on the true story of an unlikely championship chess team. Lots of heart, but also a fair amount of predictability. My review is live at Screen International.

A Salute to the Best X-Men Actors

This piece was written when The New Mutants was set to arrive at the beginning of next month. Well, that's not happening now. Regardless, here's a look at the franchise's finest performances.

SXSW 2020: 'She Dies Tomorrow' Review

So, funny story. Right now, I should be in Austin to cover South by Southwest. Then, coronavirus happened. But a few of the films are nonetheless screening to critics. I was very glad to see Amy Seimetz's new drama, which I think is pretty darn great. Also, it's weirdly perfect for our uncertain current moment. My review is up at Screen International.

Vin Diesel Is a Mystery to Me

For MEL, I spent a little time thinking about Vin Diesel. Off camera, he's a smart, interesting guy. In front of the camera, well, he's a lot less interesting. Why is that? Read on.

Alanis Morissette - "Head Over Feet"

As you've perhaps heard, this year is the 25th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill, the album that put Alanis Morissette on the map and allowed a lot of people to learn what "ironic" meant. She'll be playing the record in its entirety on tour, so I'd like today to spotlight my favorite track off it.

I Want to Talk About Pete Davidson

For MEL, I spent some time thinking (and writing) about Pete Davidson, who recently released his first Netflix stand-up special and is one of the stars of Friday's Big Time Adolescence. Is his arrested development permanent? Read on.

My Interview With the Filmmakers of 'The Most Dangerous Animal of All'

I've seen a fair amount of true-crime documentary series. So when I started The Most Dangerous Animal of All, about a man who believes that his father is the Zodiac Killer, I figured I knew where it was going. And then it went another direction. For MEL, I spoke with Kief Davidson and Ross M. Dinerstein about truth, denial and family. Hope you enjoy.

'The Hunt' Review

I've been a Craig Zobel defender for a while, but I couldn't get with The Hunt, which is a pretty drab political satire disguised as an exploitation film. My Screen International review is here.

'Bloodshot' Review

I'm not sure if I ever learned exactly why Vin Diesel's character is eventually called Bloodshot. This is not the sort of movie where such particulars are all that important. I reviewed this sci-fi/action flick for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Onward,' 'The Way Back' and 'First Cow'

On this week's episode, we differ on Pixar's latest and spend a lot of time thinking about Ben Affleck. Then I go solo for First Cow. (Also, we chat briefly about the news I made this week with my Kelly Reichardt interview.) Hear the whole thing below.

The Strange Second Life of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”

In The Way Back, the opposing team's fans serenade Ben Affleck with “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” after he's ejected from a game. I have a nostalgic fondness for that song, which I heard constantly during sporting events as a kid. So, for MEL, I dug into its odd history -- first, as an unlikely No. 1 hit and, then, as a sports anthem. Hope you enjoy.

'The Way Back' and Hollywood's History of Fading Stars in Inspirational Sports Dramas

A down-on-his-luck star gets one last shot at redemption when he leads/coaches his team to victory. Is that the plot to The Way Back? Or The Natural? Maybe Miracle? Yup, it's a familiar trope. So why are we such suckers for it? I provide some answers over at MEL.

My Interview With Kelly Reichardt

I've been very lucky to interview some of my filmmaking heroes for MEL: Steve James, Frederick Wiseman ... and now Kelly Reichardt. We talked about her excellent new movie, First Cow. Hope you enjoy.

Chastity Belt - "The Process"

You try hard to go easy on yourself
But you think they expect you to do better
It's in your head that you're not good enough
And you know it, but it doesn't make it better

Just about everyone I know can relate.

Vin Diesel, Actor

With Bloodshot on the way, we looked at Vin Diesel's best non-Fast/Furious roles. He may have a narrow range, but he knows how to exploit it. Read all about it over at SyFy.

'The Way Back' Review

Ben Affleck plays an alcoholic looking for a shot at redemption in The Way Back -- and if that sounds similar to Affleck himself, well, you've got the idea. My review of the film (which is called Finding the Way Back in the U.K.) is up at Screen International.

'Dave' Review

Some of the initial reviews for Dave have been pretty dismissive. I disagree.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Elisabeth Moss, 'The Graduate' and Jeff Spicoli

On this week's episode, we have only one new review: the hit horror film The Invisible Man. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at two very different generational portraits of young people. First up, The Graduate. And then, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Guess which one I loathed. The whole episode is down below.

'Breeders' Review

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard make a fun pair in FX's new series, but do we really need another show about how hard being a parent is? For MEL, I reviewed Breeders.