Review: Kanye West - 'Donda'

Greatest artist of the 21st century? Yup. Greatest album of his career? Eh, no so fast. I wrote about Donda for MEL.

'Shang-Chi' Is the Latest Avenger With Daddy Issues

For MEL, I wrote about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Specifically, I'm interested in its portrait of a reluctant hero and his domineering/evil dad. Hope you enjoy.

So, Is 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' Bad or a Masterpiece?

When it came out in 1992, this feature-length Twin Peaks prequel was derided. How things have changed. Over at SyFy, I looked back at Fire Walk With Me.

'Three Amigos' and the Steve Martin-Martin Short Friendship

Three Amigos came out 35 years ago. It's how Steve Martin and Martin Short met. All this time later, they're still good friends. People seem to really like the fact that they're such buddies. I wrote about that, and the movie, over at MEL.

'Candyman' and the Exploitation of Black Artists

As a white man, I found the new Candyman especially cutting in its depiction of how white society exploits Black artists. In fact, the film is almost a companion piece to Ma Rainey's Black Bottom in that way. I wrote about this over at MEL.

'Restrepo' and America's Departure From Afghanistan

Restrepo came out in 2010, chronicling a group of soldiers serving in Afghanistan in one of the country's deadliest areas. For obvious reasons, the documentary was on my mind recently, and I wrote about it for MEL.

Cleo Sol - "Don't Let Me Fall"

Dumb of me that it took so long to place Cleo Sol's voice: Of course, she collaborates with Sault. And, damn, this song is lovely.

'Candyman' Review

I don't remember liking the original Candyman all that much. But I quite dug the sequel. My review is up at Screen International.

'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' Review

I wasn't familiar with Shang-Chi before watching his movie, and for the first half of Ten Rings, I was pretty happy: It starts off really, really well. After that? Well, then it becomes just another Marvel flick. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'Reminiscence' and 'The Night House'

It's a tale of two Rebeccas on this week's podcast. First up, we talk about Hugh Jackman's new film, which costars Rebecca Ferguson. Then, we praise Rebecca Hall for her work in the psychological horror movie The Night House. After that, our Reboot segment is dedicated to Adventureland, which was requested by a listener who gave us one of the nicest reviews we've ever received.

Hope you enjoy.

Hugh Jackman's Long Love Affair With Wolverine

Hugh Jackman played Logan for about 17 years. That's a long run, and he never seemed to get sick of it, which is rare for actors and their most popular roles. But, even more impressively, he also didn't let Wolverine define him. With Reminiscence now out, I wrote about the beloved Australian actor for MEL.

Skip 'Flag Day.' See 'The Pledge.'

Sean Penn's latest directorial effort is bad. For MEL, I suggest seeing another of his movies instead, one that does everything right that Flag Day does wrong. (Also, it's got a terrific Jack Nicholson performance in it.) Here's my salute to The Pledge.

In Praise of MLB HR Videos

Paul Goldschmidt - St. Louis Cardinals (19) pic.twitter.com/ZbgeU53zId

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 22, 2021

This summer, I've found one Twitter account that brings me endless joy, MLB HR Videos, which compiles footage of every home run hit during the season. For MEL, I spoke to its creators.

Chromatics - "Tick of the Clock"

After a 20-year run, Chromatics is calling it a day. I'll always remember them for this song, which was used so well in Drive.

What Is a "Male Savior" Movie?

You know those films where a guy has to protect someone: a boy, a pop star, the president? Well, I'm dubbing them "male savior" movies, and with a new one coming out this weekend (Sweet Girl), I thought I'd do a rundown of the many variations of the trope. Check it out over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About 'Beckett' and John David Washington

On this week's episode, we review Free Guy and Respect. But I was especially jazzed about discussing Beckett, which I think is a really interesting movie, as opposed to a good one. Hear our conversation down below.

Fantasia 2021: 'The Last Thing Mary Saw' Review

It's rural New York in the 1840s. A young woman from a conservative religious family is having a secret affair with the maid. Will that cause problems? Of course it will. For Screen International, I reviewed the spooky, atmospheric horror-drama The Last Thing Mary Saw.

'Breakfast All Day': Digging Into 'Free Guy,' 'Respect' and 'CODA'

I always love guesting on Breakfast All Day, especially during a pandemic when I'm not able to see the co-hosts at screenings. But what's also so nice is that their audience will often say how much they enjoy having me on. Makes me feel very welcome all around.

I joined the crew on Friday to discuss the weekend's new releases. Lots of fun discussion, particularly about Apple and its odd lack of promotion for its movies. (And I don't even love CODA that much but c'mon, that's a movie that seems like an obvious crowd-pleaser.)

You can watch the segments down below.

My Interview With Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn has had a long career, but The White Lotus is a first for him: It's a show that's been an instant hit. (So often, he's been part of projects that took a while to find their audience. Not this time.) We had a long conversation, right before the finale, about staying naive, being open and (funny enough) Who Am I This Time? It's live over at MEL.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Aretha Franklin, Video Games and 'CODA'

I didn't catch Don't Breathe 2, so I couldn't discuss that on Press Play this week. I'll leave that to Katie Walsh, who joined me on the show to review Respect, Free Guy and CODA. You can check out our segment below.

Otis Redding and "Respect"

Not everyone knows that Otis Redding wrote Aretha Franklin's most iconic hit. Now that the Franklin biopic is out, I wanted to spend some time talking about him. It was a very good excuse to listen to a lot of Otis Redding this week. Hope you enjoy.

Outfest 2021: 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' Review

I wasn't familiar with the musical that the new film Everybody's Talking About Jamie is based on. But I liked the songs immediately, and the story (while a little slight) is pretty touching. I reviewed the Outfest opener for Screen International.

Horror Movies About Science Going Wrong

OK, so, this week, I Am Legend was in the news because of a New York Times piece in which someone who doesn't want to get vaccinated cited the Will Smith movie as her reason for not doing so. (She mistakenly believed that everybody gets turned into zombies in the film because of a vaccine that goes wrong.) This got me thinking about Hollywood's history of horror movies in which a scientific discovery leads to disaster. It's rich subject matter, which you'll see in my MEL piece.

My Interview With Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker, Directors of 'The Meaning of Hitler'

Adolf Hitler has been dead for more than 75 years. And yet, we're still obsessed with him. Documentary filmmakers Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker wanted to understand why. For MEL, I spoke to the married couple to discuss their new film, The Meaning of Hitler.

'Days' Review

I saw Days last year and loved it. But when I saw it again this week, I realized I had misunderstood an important plot point/detail. So now I love it in a different way. I explain why over at MEL.

The Replacements - "Sixteen Blue"

For whatever reason, I've had this song on a loop for days. The way Paul Westerberg snarls, "Everything drags and drags" is just getting to me, I suppose.

My Interview With Andreas Koefoed, Director of 'The Lost Leonardo'

What if there was a painting found out of nowhere that people thought was a long-lost work from Leonardo da Vinci? And then what if it sold for $450 million? And then what if people weren't even sure if it was real? Filmmaker Andreas Koefoed chronicles the incredible true story in his documentary The Lost Leonardo. I talked to him about art and money over at MEL.

Ryan Reynolds Is Trying My Patience With 'Free Guy'

I was so happy when he found success with Deadpool. Now? I'm starting to lose interest. I wrote about my Ryan Reynolds concerns over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Suicide Squad,' 'Annette' and 'John and the Hole'

We reviewed three new movies on this week's episode. We disagreed about two of them. (And even the one we both gave thumbs-up to, only one of us is pretty ecstatic about it.) Hear the whole thing down below.

Locarno 2021: 'Respect' Review

Can anyone capture the power and complexity of Aretha Franklin? Jennifer Hudson gives it a shot. Here's my review of Respect.

When a Great Actor's Final Film Isn't So Great

This week, Gene Hackman went viral because of a photo taken of him from a couple years ago. This made me think about the fact that the last movie he'll ever do is Welcome to Mooseport, which is not a good film. He's actually in good company: Lots of terrific performers had so-so swan songs. I looked at some of the most glaring examples over at MEL.

Looking Back at Kanye West's "Through the Wire"

We were so close to not having Kanye West in our lives as this century's most dynamic, essential artist. A car crash nearly killed him just as his solo career was about to take off. For MEL, I went back to the early 2000s to talk about the song he wrote after the incident, "Through the Wire." You can read that piece here.

My Interview With Pascual Sisto, Director of 'John and the Hole'

John and the Hole tells the story of a 13-year-old who, for reasons unexplained, drugs his family and drops them into an abandoned bunker nearby their home. What is John up to? For MEL, I spoke to filmmaker Pascual Sisto about the motivations behind his unsettling, enigmatic feature debut. Hope you enjoy.

Fantasia 2021: 'The Devil's Deal' Review

The Devil's Deal is a complicated thriller in which an aspiring politician gets screwed out of his party's nomination and decides to get revenge on the people pulling the strings. What follows is a series of double-crosses and shifting allegiances. But if you get on its wavelength, it's also a pretty grim portrait of power. My review is up at Screen International.

Dolly Parton - "Two Doors Down"

Wasn't Tig Notaro's latest special great?

Was 'Spawn' the Worst Movie of the 1990s?

Twenty-four years ago, one of the first Black superhero movies came out. For SyFy, I looked back at Spawn and talked about why it was ahead of its time ... but also absolutely horrendous. Hope you enjoy.

Locarno 2021: 'Free Guy' Review

A little The Truman Show, a little Groundhog Day, and also a little Edge of Tomorrow, Free Guy ends up being a bunch of bits and pieces from other, better movies. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Ben Mekler

 
Whenever the review embargo lifts for a new blockbuster, critics like me tweet our reactions. But you know who else does? Ben Mekler, a television writer who hasn't seen the film but pretends to be a critic and writes in the same authoritative tone, except he adds nonsensical plot points and other deranged weirdness that isn't in the movie at all. And, amazingly, people fall for this. Again and again. It's never not hilarious.

For the relaunch of MEL, I spoke with Ben about fan-boy culture, being known for one really good ongoing joke, and the state of online film criticism. It was a great chat, which you can read here. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Green Knight,' 'Stillwater' and 'Jungle Cruise'

Going into this week's episode, I wondered if we would differ on the new movies from Matt Damon and Dwayne Johnson. Turns out, we are exactly aligned. In fact, we see eye-to-eye on all three films. Enjoy us being right down below.