Let's Rank Zack Snyder Films

Now that Army of the Dead is out, we have to ask: Where does it rank among Zack Snyder's movies? We have the answer over at Vulture.

Jungle Brothers - "Beyond This World"

First you crawl before you walk
First you think before you talk
I found in life that you wear a hard hat
Protect your mind and bad things will stay back

(Happy Memorial Day weekend, folks.)

'Cruella' Review

Cruella looks great. And Emma Stone is fun in it. Otherwise? It just feels like another needless prequel/reboot. My review is up at Screen International.

Why I Love Bob Dylan's Singing Voice

Bob Dylan turned 80 yesterday. Over at InsideHook, they're spending all week running pieces about the man and his music. My contribution was writing about Dylan's singing voice, which is an underrated weapon in his arsenal. This was a lot of fun.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Fighting About 'New Order'

It was one of my favorite films I saw in 2020. This year, New Order finally had its official release in the U.S. We talked about it on this week's podcast, as well as reviewed Army of the Dead and The Killing of Two Lovers. Hear the whole thing down below.

'In the Heights' Review

I went into In the Heights not knowing a ton about the musical. In terms of movies, it's not as great as Hamilton, but it's still pretty darn strong. My review is here.

Jorja Smith (featuring Shaybo) - "Bussdown"

Have a laid-back weekend, everybody.

'Revenge of the Sith' and the End of George Lucas' Reign

When I was doing research for my piece on the anniversary of Revenge of the Sith's release, I found this quote from an anonymous studio executive back when the prequels were first announced: "Somebody else doing Star Wars means nothing; George Lucas doing it means everything." And then I knew I had my in to talk about Lucas' legacy. My piece is up at SyFy.

'A Quiet Place Part II' Review

Looking at the early reviews of A Quiet Place Part II, I'm apparently on the high side in terms of reactions. I think it's better than the original. You can read my review here.

'F9' Review

F9 is so big and so dumb and so silly and I enjoyed a lot of it. But I'm sorry, it's just so dumb. My review is up at Screen International.

Hot Docs 2021: 'The Sparks Brothers' Review

I can't say I'm the biggest Sparks fan. I know their music, but I'm far from a devotee. But several days of intense listening followed up with Edgar Wright's new documentary about the band helped turn me around. Here's my review of The Sparks Brothers.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Woman in the Window' and Other Stinkers

Three new movies on this week's podcast, and I think they're all bad. First, we differ on Those Who Wish Me Dead. Then, we lament Amy Adams' decision to be in The Woman in the Window. Finally, we try to figure out why Chris Rock is so bad in Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Hear the whole bloody thing down below. 

Sparks - "Music That You Can Dance To"

Let's dance.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'The Killing of Two Lovers' Is the Highlight of This Weekend's Movies

I was on KCRW today to discuss Spiral, Those Who Wish Me Dead and Oxygen. But my colleague Shawn Edwards and I most enjoyed Robert Machoian's minimalist drama. You can hear our segment down below.

'Those Who Wish Me Dead' Review

Hitmen, firefighters, kids in peril, Angelina Jolie: Those Who Wish Me Dead has some interesting elements going for it, but I found the film wanting. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Mummy' Has Held Up Really Well

More than 20 years after it came out, 1999's The Mummy is still silly, goofy, scary fun. How did that happen? I wrote about it over at SyFy.

'Spiral: From The Book Of Saw' Review

Chris Rock came up with an idea for a Saw movie. And so we now have Spiral. The idea isn't bad but Rock, surprisingly, is. You can read my review here.

Let's Rank Guy Ritchie's Movies

Now that Wrath of Man is out, we have a list over at Vulture evaulating all the director's films. Verdict: Many of them are just OK. You can check out the rankings here.

'Army of the Dead' Review

Zack Snyder's Justice League was sprawling, ambitious, fascinating ... and it still didn't entirely work. I found myself less forgiving of Army of the Dead, which feels less inspired and impassioned. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Jason Statham, Billy Crystal and 'Bamboozled'

I wasn't a fan of either of the new movies we reviewed on this week's episode. You can hear us discuss Wrath of Man and Here Today, but the best part of the show is our long talk about Spike Lee's divisive satire from 2000. You can hear the whole thing down below.

'Wrath of Man' Review

I knew I'd forgotten to post something this week, which should tell you how I felt about Wrath of Man. My review is up at Screen International.

Mitski - "Geyser"

Every time the opening track from Be the Cowboy comes on, that droning keyboard makes me think I'm hearing Einstein on the Beach. It's always a bit of a jolt. The rest of "Geyser" sounds nothing like the Philip Glass score, but it's striking in its own way.

The Least-Listened-To Songs on Great Albums

Recently, Spotify changed its layout, allowing you to see the play counts of every song on every album. For InsideHook, I checked out a bunch of classic albums to see which track was played least. Some of these songs are actually great -- I can't believe more folks don't listen to 'em. Here's my tribute to some underloved songs.

'Oxygen' Review

Mélanie Laurent plays a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber, utterly terrified and confused. How did she get there? Where is she? How long has she been out? And, more importantly, who is she? (She can't even remember what her name is.) For Screen International, I reviewed the claustrophobic thriller Oxygen.

'Here Today' Review

There have been some excellent films about dementia recently. And now comes ... a really bad one. Billy Crystal's Here Today tells the story of an aging comic legend who's battling memory issues. Tiffany Haddish is the struggling singer who befriends him. I hated it. I reviewed the movie for Screen International.

'Above Suspicion' Review

Emilia Clarke is fun as a seductress longing to escape her small-town life, but Above Suspicion didn't do much for me. My review of this hillbilly noir is live over at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Michael B. Jordan, Tom Clancy, Killer Robots and 'Things Heard & Seen'

One real good movie, two real not-good movies on this week's episode of the podcast. See The Mitchells vs. the Machines, folks. And hear our reviews and lively banter down below.

Let's Rank All the Tom Clancy Movies

Now that Tom Clancy's Without Remorse is out, let's determine where it ranks among all of the adaptations of the author's work. You can find the answer over at Vulture.