Tokyo 2021: 'Hommage' Review

This was a fun discovery. Hommage concerns a 40-something director (Parasite's Lee Jung-eun) who fears her career has reached an impasse. Desperate for money, she takes a gig restoring a film from the early 1960s. The director feels a kinship to the dead woman who made the 50-year-old movie. It's a lovely, understated drama, and my review is up at Screen International.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Singing the Praises of 'Passing'

I was very happy to be on KCRW alongside Amy Nicholson to review this weekend's new movies, including Last Night in Soho, Antlers and The Souvenir: Part II. But I was especially pleased to get to rhapsodize about Rebecca Hall's feature directorial debut. You can hear our conversation down below.

My Tribute to John Carpenter's "Halloween Theme"

Happy Halloween, everyone: I wrote about the 1978 banger for MEL.

I Love "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah"

So I wrote about it for MEL.

Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La"

We used to be number 10, now we're permanent at one.

Justin Theroux Plays a Great Negative Voice

For MEL, I wrote about Violet, which stars Olivia Munn as an insecure Angeleno tormented by her inner critic ... played by a very convincing Justin Theroux. It's a great voice performance, which I discuss here.

Kristen Stewart Has Made Five Really Good Films. Who Else Has in That Same Time Frame?

 

Inspired by Stewart's recent claim that she thinks she's only made five good films in her career, I started doing some research to determine what other actors have made that many since Twilight came out. Turns out, it's only a handful of folks.

Growing Up With Christian Slater

When Heathers is a defining film from your childhood, you'll probably always have a personal connection to Christian Slater. I wrote about that for MEL.

'Film at Fifty': Going Long on 'The Last Picture Show'

Brian Rowe does a podcast where he talks to a film critic about a different 50-year-old movie. I was very pleased to be asked to be on for The Last Picture Show, which opened October 22, 1971. We talked for nearly two hours about the film and Peter Bogdanovich in general. (We also discussed making out in cars and growing up in small towns.) And in honor of the movie's black-and-white look, Brian had our video the same way. Hope you enjoy the conversation.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Dune,' Wes Anderson and 'Contact'

We had our first Reboot in forever on this week's episode. Unfortunately, that movie was Contact. We also reviewed Dune and The French Dispatch. Hear the whole thing down below.

2021 Gotham Awards Nominees

Kept forgetting to mention that I was part of this year's Gotham Awards acting jury, in which we were tasked with a new responsibility. For the first time, we voted for nominees for Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance and Breakthrough Performer, and all three categories were gender-neutral. What resulted was a four-hour deliberation with fellow jurors Monica Castillo, Robert Daniels, Mark Harris and Tomris Laffly. It was a great conversation, and I was very pleased with our choices, which you can see here, along with the nominees in other categories.

'Breakfast All Day': A Long Talk About 'The French Dispatch'

Christy Lemire had Katie Walsh and me on this week's episode of Breakfast All Day to dig into Wes Anderson's latest. I was the only one of us who liked it, so we had a chat about that. I really enjoyed our conversation, which dealt with (among other things) the question of whether we owe it to filmmakers to revisit their movies if they don't entirely work for us the first time.

Looking Back at "Hungry Like the Wolf"

It's been nearly 40 years since Duran Duran's first major U.S. hit conquered MTV. For MEL, I did some digging into the song ... and its video. Hope you enjoy. (I was especially pleased to get to revisit a Blender interview I did with Simon Le Bon back in ... wow, 2007.)

'The Harder They Fall' Doesn't Ride Off Into the Sunset

Here's an interesting idea: Take several prominent real-life Black cowboys, put them together in a fictionalized drama, and let them shoot it out. Sadly, I wasn't much of a fan of The Harder They Fall.

'Citizen Ashe' Review

Arthur Ashe has been dead for nearly 30 years. But as Citizen Ashe argues, he couldn't be more relevant. I reviewed the thoughtful, moving documentary for Screen International.

'Eternals' Review

Eternals is the first film from Chloe Zhao since Nomadland. Also, it's a Marvel movie. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't get on board. I wrestle with my mixed feelings over at Screen International.

Delta 5 - "Mind Your Own Business"

RIP Julz Sale.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Last Duel,' 'Halloween Kills' and 'Bergman Island'

Period dramas, horror sequels and the latest from Mia Hansen-Løve are all featured on this week's podcast. Lots to discuss with all three films, even the one that's bad. Hear the whole thing below.

Giving 'The French Dispatch' Another Shot

When I saw Wes Anderson's latest at Cannes, I was a little underwhelmed. So what turned it around for me on a second viewing? I get into that here.

Hell Yeah, Go See 'Dune'

Pretentious, grandiose, self-important: Denis Villeneuve's Dune is all those things. That's partly why I dig it so much. I defend the film over at MEL.

IDA: My Conversation With Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Director of 'Flee'

I haven't moderated a Q&A in person since early 2020. (Stupid pandemic.) So it was especially nice to speak to Jonas Poher Rasmussen about his superb documentary Flee, which comes out in December.

When Coldplay Gave the World "Yellow"

I still remember distinctly the first time I heard "Yellow." I wrote about that, and a lot of other things, for MEL.

Going Back to David Lynch's 'Dune'

The 1984 film was deemed a fiasco at the time. But is that Dune better than its reputation suggests? My thoughts are over at MEL.

My Interview With Todd Haynes, Director of 'The Velvet Underground'

The Velvet Underground is in theaters and on Apple TV+, looking back at the influential New York band. For MEL, I spoke with Todd Haynes about rock 'n' roll, sexual fluidity and why the Velvets hated the West Coast hippies. Hope you enjoy.

Norman Connors - "The Creator Has a Master Plan"

Everybody, just chill out.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Bond, 'Lamb' and 'Mass'

Of this week's three new releases, I liked No Time to Die the least. You can hear us rap about intimate dramas and supernatural Icelandic whatsits down below.

'Halloween Kills' and Trump's America

David Gordon Green's 2018 Halloween was a happy surprise. But the follow-up is a bummer, largely because it introduces a political critique that's really badly done. I wrote about Halloween Kills for MEL.

'The Last Duel' Takes on Men in the #MeToo Era

There was a lot of uncertainty in the media and on social media when it was announced that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had co-written a medieval drama about a knight who challenges another knight to a duel after his wife accuses the other man of raping her. This sounded like pretty sensitive material -- could those two do it justice? For MEL, I went long digging into The Last Duel.

London 2021: 'The Tender Bar' Review

What was the last really good movie George Clooney directed? It's been a while, right? His latest doesn't break that losing streak. For Screen International, I reviewed The Tender Bar.

Drugs, Death and "Under the Bridge"

For MEL, I did a deep dive into the Red Hot Chili Peppers song that broke them into the mainstream, and has kept them there ever since. I had a lot of thoughts about "Under the Bridge."

'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' Review

I ain't afraid of no ghost. I also ain't afraid to say that the latest Ghostbusters sequel is no good. For Screen International, here's my review of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Eva Green Was the MVP of the Daniel Craig James Bond Films

With No Time to Die now out, the debate will reignite: Which Daniel Craig 007 movie was the best? Casino Royale or Skyfall? For me, it's an easy answer: Casino Royale. After all, it's the one with Eva Green in it. For MEL, I make my case for my favorite character of the Craig years.

My Interview With Fran Kranz, Director of 'Mass'

Four adults enter a room. They're two married couples. One set are the parents of a school shooter. The other are the parents of one of his victims. Mass is what happens when they sit and talk. For MEL, I spoke with writer-director Fran Kranz about bullying, forgiveness and young men. Hope you enjoy our conversation. 

Too Short - "Blow the Whistle"

Looks like I won't have to worry about following the baseball playoffs that closely this month after all.

That comment has nothing to do with today's song. Just wanted to say it.

The Problem With Being the Target Audience for 'Fauci'

I liked Fauci, but I don't like that I liked Fauci. The reason: I feel like the movie is pandering to my political persuasion. I wrestled with that over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Sopranos' Prequels, French Provocations and the New 'Venom'

 

We were split on The Many Saints of Newark.

One of us was bowled over by Titane.

And we both had to admit we fell for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Hear the whole episode below.

What Is Tom Hardy Trying to Tell Us About Himself by Playing Venom?

Tom Hardy plays dual roles in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, as he did in the first film, but it's clear that Venom is the character he more relates to. Why is that? For MEL, I wrote about the actor's connection to the gnarly alien, which feels like an extension of his feelings about celebrity and good guys in general.

Ray Liotta and the Long Shadow of 'Goodfellas'

Ray Liotta is in The Many Saints of Newark. He plays a gangster. (Actually, he plays two.) Of course, that will only draw comparisons to his work in Goodfellas. For MEL, I wrote about how Henry Hill has haunted every role he's done since.

In Praise of Tim Blake Nelson in 'Old Henry'

Tim Blake Nelson is a veteran character actor, the consummate supporting player. So what's he doing as the star of a Western? For MEL, I wrote about the very specific qualities he brings to the low-key gem Old Henry.

Branford Marsalis Quartet - "Mo' Better Blues"

All these years, and I never knew what the signature song from the Mo' Better Blues soundtrack was called. Duh, it's "Mo' Better Blues."