'The Batman' Review

Yeah, I think it's great. My review is up at Screen International.

What Was Up With All Those Volcano Movies in 1997?

It's true: In 1997, Dante's Peak and Volcano battled it out for the hearts and minds of moviegoers. Why so many volcano movies? I looked back for MEL.

Welcome to the John Turturro Appreciation Society

The other day, I noticed that social media was getting excited about the idea of John Turturro being in The Batman. So I wrote about that online love affair, and why the veteran character actor is underappreciated. My piece is live over at MEL.

Some Thoughts on 'Strawberry Mansion'

Set in the year 2035, this low-budget indie is about a future in which you're taxed for what you dream about. (Oh, and there's product placement inserted into your unconscious.) For MEL, I took a look at Strawberry Mansion.

Donald Byrd - "Flight Time"

I dunno, how about some jazz?

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Uncharted,' 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Ted K'

Three new movies, three thumbs-down. Some weeks are like that. You can hear the whole episode down below.

'Studio 666' Review

Foo Fighters make funny videos. So how come their horror-comedy spoof Studio 666 isn't better? I dive into that question over at Screen International.

I Love Jack McCoy

On Thursday, Law & Order returns after being off the air for 12 years. Why do I care? Because Sam Waterston is back. For MEL, I wrote about the iconic character he brought to life for 16 seasons.

Channing Tatum Does a Lot of Cameos

And I ranked them all for MEL.

Who Is Mark Wahlberg's Best (Cinematic) Friend?

In Uncharted, Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland are kinda/sorta buddies (but not really) as they go on a quest together to find some lost gold. That inspired Will and me to rank all of Wahlberg's movie buddies. You can read the results here.

My Interview With Moses Storm

Moses Storm's HBO Max special Trash White is pretty great. In it, he talks about growing up homeless, being confused for a girl, and living in a family that tried to make money by winning American's Funniest Home Videos. For MEL, I had a long conversation with Storm, who's incredibly candid about how much he still needs to improve as a comedian. Our conversation is here.

Al Pacino Is the MVP of 'The Godfather'

The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary by being re-released this upcoming weekend. For MEL, I rhapsodize about Al Pacino, who gives the trilogy its soul. Hope you enjoy.

Shira Small - "My Life's All Right"

Late last year, I finally subscribed to Spotify. I have lots of misgivings about that, but I've decided for now to see if I like it. Recently, I've been digging into the service's Discover Weekly section, "Your weekly mixtape of fresh music," and was stopped short by a song I'd never heard before, from an artist I'd never heard before.

There isn't much about Shira Small online. Best as I can tell, she made only one album, The Line of Time and the Plane of Now, around 1974. There's no Wikipedia page for her or the record. But it's on Spotify, and its calm, soulful resonance is awfully lovely. So I guess the algorithm is good for something.

The Enduring Power of 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'

Netflix is releasing a sequel to the 1974 horror classic on Friday. For MEL, I explain what makes Texas Chain Saw Massacre a queasy classic.

My Interview With Ciaran Hinds

A few days before he received his first Oscar nomination, Ciaran Hinds talked to me about Belfast and Belfast. A lovely man, to be sure. Hope you enjoy our conversation.

(Photo by Tom Jamieson.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Kimi,' 'Death on the Nile' and 'Testament'

This week was an in-person episode. (Will was in Los Angeles for the Super Bowl.) So we enjoyed recording face-to-face, with both of us tackling Kimi. Then, Will asked me about Death on the Nile and Marry Me. Finally, in our Reboot segment, we talked about Testament, a film that impacted us as teenagers. Does it hold up? You can hear the whole thing down below.

What 'Con Air' Taught Us About Nicolas Cage

For MEL's look back at 1997, I wrote about Con Air, which inspired a riff on the concept of selling out. (That was a thing back then.) Hope you enjoy.

'Uncharted' Review

Back when I was writing for Yahoo! in 2011, Mark Wahlberg was trying to turn Uncharted into a movie. At that point, David O. Russell was attached to direct. That never panned out, but now finally the film is coming to theaters. I suggest you skip it.

Ivan Reitman, 1946-2022

For MEL, I wrote about the director who gave us Ghostbusters and Stripes.

"Jeremy," School Shootings and Suicide

For MEL, I took a look back at one of Pearl Jam's defining songs. This ended up being a deeper dive than I was expecting. Hope you enjoy.

Why Is Verizon Aligning Itself With 'The Cable Guy'?

For the Super Bowl, Verizon is doing a commercial featuring Jim Carrey in his Cable Guy role. I don't think they understand what that movie's about. Here's my latest for MEL.

Betty Davis - "They Say I'm Different"

It was the 1970s and you’re a Black woman. How much of that was a factor in the resistance that you faced at the time? 

I don’t think it hindered me any. I really don’t. I was ahead of my time because I was writing about sex and love and things like that, and sex wasn’t really a topic in those days. 

-- Betty Davis, 2018 interview

Super Bowl Weekend Isn't for the Fellas at the Multiplex

Traditionally, romantic comedies and horror movies open on the Friday before the Super Bowl. The thinking is that men tend to be too focused on the game to care about films. But that's been changing lately. I wrote about this shift for MEL.

'Marry Me' Review

Jennifer Lopez plays a pop singer. Owen Wilson plays a math teacher. In Marry Me, they fall in love, but can it last? My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Our Oscar Nomination Predictions

Dang, I'm late in posting this, but this past weekend, we made our predictions for Tuesday's Oscar nominations. We did ... OK in our guesses? We also reviewed Moonfall and Jackass Forever. Hear the whole thing down below.

What Classic Movies Couldn't Be Made Today? And Is That the Right Question to Ask?

I’m watching pulp fiction right now and wondering, 28 years later, if you could make this movie today

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 7, 2022

This tweet made the rounds the other day. You see this kind of thing online fairly frequently, and it always drives me a little nuts. I explain why over at MEL.

Sundance 2022: 'Descendant' Review

One more Sundance review, and it's for the best film I saw at this year's festival. Margaret Brown's Descendant sure is something.

Denzel Washington as the GOAT

On Tuesday, Denzel Washington could receive his 10th Oscar nomination. For MEL, I examined one heck of a career, one that's far from over.

'Jackass' Is Men's Love Language

By that headline, I don't mean to suggest that women don't like the Jackass movies. (Believe me, I know plenty that do.) But for MEL, I examined the male bonding rituals that go on in these films, specifically how they deal with the giving and receiving of physical pain. My piece is here.

David Letterman's YouTube Channel Rules

May I suggest you check out the early, early Late Show interviews first? I explain why over at MEL.

The Internet Loves Anders Danielsen Lie

For MEL, I wrote about one of the stars of the lovely The Worst Person in the World, and how his character personifies the ideal ex-boyfriend. Hope you enjoy.

Earl Sweatshirt - "2010"

Thebe Neruda Kgositsile is probably still best known for his work on Frank Ocean's "Super Rich Kids." But I've really been enjoying his latest, Sick!, which is all stoner-y vibes and dense rhymes.

'Moonfall' Review

The moon! Is falling! For Screen International, I reviewed the jolly sci-fi disaster film Moonfall.

'Jackass Forever' Review

Is Jackass Forever the best of the franchise? I don't think so. But I laughed a bunch. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Doors' and the Bygone Rock 'n' Roll Era

Oliver Stone's tribute to Jim Morrison is now on Hulu. I've never stopped thinking about The Doors since I saw it opening night back in 1991. For MEL, I wrote about how it remains a ridiculous, visionary film. Hope you enjoy.