Fantasia 2020: 'Come True' Review

A young woman with sleep issues volunteers for a study in which college students will monitor her nocturnal brainwaves. What could possibly go wrong? For Screen International, I reviewed the very effective horror film Come True.

How 2020 Became the Summer of "Fast Car"

After all these years, no matter how many times you’ve heard it, “Fast Car” remains a shock. There was nothing like it on the radio in 1988, and there really isn’t anything like it now. Its spare, candid tone — in its musical arrangement, in its lyrics and Chapman’s vocal performance — always catches you off guard. You feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation between two lovers — actually, you’re just listening to the woman’s side of the exchange. But although 1980s pop wasn’t devoid of socially conscious songs, “Fast Car” felt like a bulletin from a world that rarely showed up on the charts. After decades of songs about cars as freedom, Chapman wrote perhaps the saddest. It’s a song about how a car can’t really take you anywhere.

For MEL, I wrote about Tracy Chapman's beautiful song, which reentered my life (and lot of other people's) in a profound way this summer. Hope you enjoy.

Cary Grant 101

Picking only 10 movies to encapsulate Cary Grant is hard. My picks are over at MEL.

My Interview With Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, Directors of 'Love Fraud'

Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing have been making interesting documentaries for a while now, and tonight Showtime debuts their new series, Love Fraud, which is about a group of women with one thing in common: They were all conned by the same man, who married them and then took all their money. Really enjoyed chatting with Grady and Ewing, and because I love their film 12th & Delaware so much, I had to ask them about that, too. Our interview is up at MEL.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Dickens, the Scottish Highlands, Amusement Parks and 'Bill & Ted'

Happy to be back on KCRW, alongside Roth Cornet, to review four new movies:

The Personal History of David Copperfield
Get Duked!
Class Action Park
Bill & Ted Face the Music

You can hear our segment below.

'Bill & Ted Face the Music' Review

Sorry, everybody: I didn't dig the new Bill & Ted movie.

Wesley Snipes Gave the World Blade

This is a sad weekend because of the death of Chadwick Boseman. Several days ago, I wrote about Blade, which helped solidify Wesley Snipes' action-hero credentials, and in the research, I was reminded that he had initially tried to get a Black Panther movie going. So I'd been thinking about Boseman a bit this week. Anyway, for Syfy, I looked back at the legacy of Blade, which come out around this time 22 years ago. Hope you enjoy.

'The New Mutants' Review

After all the bad press, The New Mutants is finally here. How terrible is it? Honestly, it's mostly just kind of feeble.

Spoonie Gee - "Love Rap"

You'll recognize the musical DNA for a certain Moby hit off Play here.

'The Binge' Review

Folks, I really, really hated The Binge. I went off on a rant at MEL.

'Rising Phoenix' Review

Right now, if not for the pandemic, the Paralympic Games would be going on. Instead, why not watch Rising Phoenix, which chronicles several of the sports' champion athletes? I reviewed the documentary for Screen International.

The Sequels That Destroyed Their Franchises

Hollywood will just keep pumping out sequels until audiences have had enough. For this week's edition of my MEL Ultimate Summer Movie Guide, I paid tribute to the franchise installments that turned viewers off, sometimes for good. Hope you enjoy.

'The Personal History of David Copperfield' Review

I didn't get into this in my piece for MEL, but Armando Iannucci's new movie is somewhat similar to the new Little Women, which is a very optimistic movie coming out during a very dark time that's been made by someone smart enough to know just how difficult it is to stay hopeful. Anyway, you can read my thoughts on David Copperfield here.

Fantasia 2020: 'You Cannot Kill David Arquette' Review

David Arquette has had a heart attack and suffers from psychological issues. But he is bound and determined to remake himself as a professional wrestler. For Screen International, I reviewed the new documentary that charts his progress, You Cannot Kill David Arquette.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Unhinged,' 'Tesla' and 'Burn, Witch, Burn!'

Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke have very different new movies out. We talked about them on the podcast, and then we go back to 1962 to discuss Burn, Witch, Burn! You can hear the whole thing down below.

Let's Rank Russell Crowe's Movies

Now that Unhinged is out, let's consider the career of Russell Crowe. For Vulture, we ranked his performances. I think our top pick isn't very controversial.

My Interview With Barbara Kopple, Director of 'Desert One'

Two-time Oscar-winner Barbara Kopple loves Jimmy Carter and thinks his presidency needs to be reevaluated. She has a new documentary, Desert One, about the Iran hostage crisis, so it seemed like a good time to talk to her about that. Our interview is live at MEL.

Fantasia 2020: '12 Hour Shift' Review

I wish 12 Hour Shift was sharper than it is. A horror/dark comedy about an overworked E.R. nurse (Angela Bettis) who's part of a black-market organ trafficking scheme, the movie is set over one crazy, grisly, bloody night. My review is up at Screen International.

Fantasia 2020: 'Hunted' Review

A woman is abducted after meeting a handsome stranger in a bar. But after their car gets into an accident, she makes a run for it, with her pursuer (and his henchman) in hot pursuit. And so a battle for survival begins. For Screen International, I reviewed Hunted.

'Unhinged' Review

Russell Crowe wants his apology! And if he doesn't get it, he'll go on a murderous rampage!

For MEL, I reviewed Unhinged.

Run-DMC - "It's Tricky"

Right before Halloween 2002, I flew into New York. When I landed, I found out that Jam Master Jay had just been murdered while working in a Queens studio. Needless to say, it cast a pall over the trip.

Eighteen years later, two men have been arrested for the crime.

Misleading Men: Michael Keaton

I don't think people properly appreciate Michael Keaton's career in the 1980s, when he was primarily focused on being a comedic actor. I took a look back for MEL, including talking about his stand-up a little.

Fantasia 2020: 'Perdida' Review

A man's wife leaves him. Distraught, he goes to a bar, where he meets a pretty waitress. They start an affair. The waitress moves into the man's house. She starts to wonder if the place is haunted. Could it be the ex-wife, who has gone missing? For Screen International, I reviewed the thriller/ghost story/romantic melodrama Perdida.

Sarajevo 2020: 'Small Town Wisconsin' Review

A fun-loving alcoholic wants one last weekend with his son before his ex-wife moves the boy across the country. The road movie Small Town Wisconsin is likeable, but it's sure modest, and not very insightful. (And it's executive produced by Alexander Payne, who would have done a lot more with the material.) My review is up at Screen International.

'Hoops' Review

Animated sitcoms with lots of swearing. Oh boy.

'The One and Only Ivan' Review

I was greatly surprised by The One and Only Ivan, which is far more thoughtful and touching than I was expecting. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Kyle MacLachlan

What a treat to chat (twice) with Kyle MacLachlan. Very happy with this latest MEL Conversation.

What's the Difference Between a Stupid-Dumb Action Movie and a Smart-Dumb Action Movie?

And what does Project Power have to do with it? I explain all over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Boys State, Power Pills and 'The Scarlet Letter'

Two new movies on this week's episode: One is good (Boys State), one is not (Project Power). Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1995's mega-bomb The Scarlet Letter. (Our Reboot requester's note to us made it all worthwhile.) Hear the whole thing down below.

Nikola Tesla Had Some Crazy Ideas

In honor of Tesla, which opens Friday, I wrote a piece about Nikola Tesla and some of his stranger inventions and innovations. (Yes, he thought he communicated with Martians.) It's over at Popular Mechanics, but you need to sign up for an account first.

'Project Power' Review

Superpowers! Political commentary! Rapping! I wasn't too enthused by Project Power.

My Interview With Muta’Ali, Director of 'Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn'

In August 1989, Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins was killed in Bensonhurst by a white mob. Now, a new HBO documentary looks back at his murder and its aftershocks. I spoke with director Muta'Ali about how to keep victims from becoming mere symbols. Our talk is over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The End of the World, Pickles and 'La Llorona'

Been a busy week over here, so I'm just now posting Sunday's episode, which actually felt like a normal, pre-COVID movie weekend. We reviewed the psychological horror movie She Dies Tomorrow, the Seth Rogen comedy An American Pickle and the Guatemalan horror-drama La Llorona. Hear the whole thing down below.

So, Who Really Did Direct 'Poltergeist'?

It's been nearly 40 years since that horror classic came out, and ever since people have been debating if Steven Spielberg or Tobe Hooper is its true auteur. For MEL, I looked back at the strange history of this film's directorial controversy.

My Interview With Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, Directors of 'Boys State'

I went to Boys State as a teenager, but my experience was nothing like what we see in Boys State, which chronicles the Texas chapter in the summer of 2018. I spoke with directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, who previously made the amazing The Overnighters, to talk about modern boyhood, electoral politics and bringing your teenage self into your work. Hope you enjoy.

Terence Trent D'Arby - "Wishing Well"

Happy Friday to Sananda Maitreya.

What Does "The Way It Is" Have to Do With Black Lives Matter?

Bruce Hornsby's song inspired Tupac, which inspired the next generation of hip-hop activists. I get into all that over at MEL.

Looking Back at 'The Clone Wars,' the Movie That Ruined and Saved 'Star Wars'

In the summer of 2008, Lucasfilm put out an animated Star Wars movie that no one was particularly enthused about. But it turns out, The Clone Wars was massively important to a new generation of fans. I reconsider the film for MEL.

Jamila Woods - "Betty"

For her 2019 album Legacy! Legacy!, Jamila Woods put together a song cycle, with each track dedicated to a person who inspired her. The opening cut, "Betty," focuses on Betty Davis.

"I’ve always been fascinated by women artists in relationships with more prominent male artists, and how that affected their careers," said Woods, a reference to the fact that Betty was at one point married to Miles Davis. Woods goes on to say, "She was really sensual, and people couldn’t handle it. I always admired that. But that actually closed a lot of doors for her, with men in the music industry feeling like she was going to be too much. The second verse of this song questions the tension that exists when women want to step outside of the box that’s prescribed for them, and how men sometimes see that as a threat as opposed to us just expressing ourselves."

By the way, I prefer this version to the more danceable remix that closes out the record.

The Ineffable Everyday Horror of 'She Dies Tomorrow'

As I've told anyone who will listen, She Dies Tomorrow is the last film I saw at a screening before the pandemic took hold. Did that affect my experience? You'd better believe it. For MEL, I wrote about a remarkable film.

'The Descent' and the Horror of Grief

For "This Week in Genre History" over at SyFy, I wrote about The Descent, which hit U.S. theaters back in early August of 2006. It's a horror movie, but an incredibly emotional and psychologically layered one. Hope you enjoy.

Spencer Tracy 101

Spencer Tracy played priests and dads, judges and romantic foils. For MEL, I did a tour of his filmography, picking out the gems amidst a body of work that could be very uneven. Read it here.

'Red Penguins' Review

In the early 1990s, after the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet national hockey team was in bad financial shape. So American investors decided to help bail them out. What resulted was an excellent example of American exceptionalism strutting its stuff, and then crashing and burning. For MEL, I reviewed the documentary Red Penguins, which chronicles the train wreck.

'An American Pickle' Review

Seth Rogen plays two characters in An American Pickle, a comedy about the American Dream, immigration and family. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Fugitive' Review

You know that streaming platform Quibi? Well, they're unveiling a new version of The Fugitive. I wanted to try out Quibi, and this seemed like a good way to do it. What did I learn? Well, I wrote a very dispiriting essay about the future of endless, pointless content over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Our Latest Mailbag Show and 'Blue Ruin'

You sent us questions, we have answers. I always enjoy our mailbag shows ... although we also make time to do one Reboot request: Jeremy Saulnier's neo-noir thriller Blue Ruin. Hear the whole thing down below.

Let's Talk About 'Batdance'

The summer of 1989 was all about Batman. It was also about Prince's soundtrack to the smash film. For MEL, I wrote a lot about the legacy of one weird No. 1 hit, "Batdance."

Misleading Men: Vince Vaughn

Vince Vaughn is 50. A lifetime ago, he became a star thanks to Swingers, where he played Trent. Ever since, he's been essaying variations of that swaggering character -- and inadvertently charting the course of a certain kind of bro-y dude into middle age. I wrote about all that over at MEL.

'Black Is King' Review

It's Queen Bey's world, we just live in it. For Screen International, I reviewed Beyonce's new visual album, Black Is King.