'Morbius' Review

The reviews have not been kind to the long-delayed Morbius. So allow me to defend it: My review is up at Screen International.

Saying Goodbye to Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis announced today he's stepping away from acting. It's a sad day, and I tried to encapsulate his importance over at MEL.

'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' Review

Sonic the Hedgehog wasn't expected to be a big hit, but it was. Now, we've been blessed with a sequel, which might be even worse. My Screen International review is here.

'The Contractor' Review

Chris Pine is best known for two franchises: Star Trek and Wonder Woman. But in The Contractor, he plays a more ordinary hero, a former soldier who signs up for a contracting gig that turns out to be more harrowing than expected. My review is up at Screen International. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About the Oscars

On this week's podcast, we reviewed The Lost City and Everything Everywhere All at Once ... but, let's be honest, that really doesn't matter. Last night's Academy Award ceremony sure was something, and we chatted about it ... about 30 minutes after the whole thing went down. Listen below.

Revisiting 'G.I. Jane'

For reasons that should be obvious, I watched G.I. Jane this morning. It inspired a lot of thoughts.

The World "Stan" Wrought

In 2001 at the Grammys, Eminem performed "Stan" with Elton John. This was a big deal, for several reasons. I go into why over at MEL.

Rewatching 'The Tribe'

Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy's 2014 thriller is having a moment, for two reasons: It's a Ukrainian film and it focuses on Deaf characters. I wrote about The Tribe's current relevance over at MEL. 

Keep Daniel Radcliffe Weird

Since saying goodbye to Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has decided to follow his instincts, choosing roles he's described as "weird." I think that's a very good thing. For MEL, I wrote about a fascinating, strangely endearing second act.

The Academy Came Up With Some Fake Movies to Illustrate How Preferential Ballots Work. I Ranked Them.

This was a very silly idea that amused me: The Oscars are on Sunday, and last week the Academy put together a video to explain how Best Picture is determined. In that video, they created 10 made-up movies, consisting of only a poster and a title. So, for MEL, I decided to imagine what those fake films might be about. Hope you enjoy.

Dry Cleaning - "Scratchcard Lanyard"

It's a Tokyo bouncy ball
It's an Oslo bouncy ball
It's a Rio de Janiero bouncy ball

I love how every lyric on "Scratchcard Lanyard" sounds like a veiled threat or a code phrase to signal the launch of the nuclear missiles.

'Ambulance' Review

Sue me, I liked a Michael Bay movie, despite some major reservations. Here's my review of Ambulance.

The Best Picture Nominees Tell a Story About Modern Masculinity

For MEL, I decided to rank the 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture based on just how bad the men in them are. My hope was to discover Hollywood's current thinking about modern masculinity. What I found was pretty interesting.

True/False 2022: The Rankings and the Rundown

I haven't been to True/False since 2019. Where did the time go? (Oh, right, the pandemic.) It was great to be back. Below, here's a quick ranking of every film I saw at the festival, including a few I checked out in advance. (Links lead to my Sundance reviews.)

16. Eventually 
15. Days and Nights of Demetra K.
14. We Met in Virtual Reality
13. Brotherhood
12. Fire of Love
11. The Territory
10. Sirens
9. After Sherman
8. Children of the Mist
7. GES-2
6. I Didn’t See You There
5. Factory to the Workers
4. Riotsville, USA
3. 2nd Chance
2. Dos Estaciones
1. Where Are We Headed?

As opposed to my usual (epic) rundown, I split duties with fellow critic Dom Sinacola for this Paste recap. True/False is still recovering from Covid, as all festivals are, but even at three-fourths strength, it was a fine time. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Our Oscar Predictions, 'Deep Water' and 'Windfall'

Ladies and gentlemen, the Oscars are Sunday. On this week's podcast, we make our picks in the six major categories. (We disagree on what's winning Best Picture.) Before that, though, we review two new films: the erotic thriller Deep Water and the crime drama Windfall. Hear the whole thing down below.

My LAFCA Awards Presentation for 'Petite Maman'

During December's awards-voting meeting, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association decided to change the name of our foreign-language category, which made me very happy. The award is now the Best Film Not in the English Language, and it went to Petite Maman, which I thought was 2021's best movie. Celine Sciamma's latest hits theaters officially on April 22nd (my wedding anniversary), and I was honored to get to write the film's LAFCA essay. Hope you enjoy.

Before Timothee Chalamet Was a Celebrity, He Was the Kid in 'Miss Stevens'

As part of MEL's Internet Boyfriends Week, I looked back at a great pre-fame performance from Timothee Chalamet. If you haven't seen Miss Stevens, you should.

My LAFCA Awards Presentation for Joshua L. Pearson

Four out of the last six years (and three out of the last four), LAFCA's Best Editing prize has gone to a documentary, which I'm very happy about. Joshua L. Pearson, our Best Editing recipient from Summer of Soul, sent us a nice acceptance video. You can read my essay here.

“Most of us weren’t there, but this documentary makes us feel like we were — and still are.” Read @timgrierson’s essay on LAFCA’s Best Film Editing Award winner Joshua L. Pearson for @summerofsoul: https://t.co/NszRYRF1VW #LAFCAAwards #awardsseason pic.twitter.com/trvRmr2MPj

— Los Angeles Film Critics Association (@LAFilmCritics) March 2, 2022

In Praise of "Insane in the Brain"

Cypress Hill thought they were being dissed by some of their peers. And so they wrote a song about losing it. For MEL, I tell the story behind "Insane in the Brain."

SXSW 2022: 'We Feed People' Review

Documentaries can shed light on worthy issues while still being pretty mediocre as films. Take We Feed People, about celebrity chef Jose Andres and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen, which feeds the survivors of natural disasters. Sadly, Ron Howard's movie is bland and timid, more an infomercial than an inquisitive, insightful exploration. My review is up at Screen International.

'Cheaper by the Dozen' Review

Yup, there's a new version of Cheaper by the Dozen, now out on Disney+. I think it's actively terrible. I explain why over at Screen International.

Oscar Isaac and His Facial Hair

At a recent MEL pitch meeting, I made an observation: It seems like the internet really goes wild for Oscar Isaac when he has a beard. My editor asked me to see if that was true. And so began a very special, very hairy investigation. Hope you enjoy.

A Deep Dive Into the Donald Glover Mixtapes

When Donald Glover was making his name writing on 30 Rock and starring in Community, he was also making music. We all know his more recent work as Childish Gambino, but for MEL, I dug into his early mixtapes, which are fascinating.

Ben Affleck Reveals Himself in 'Deep Water'

One of the most interesting elements of Deep Water is how it can be read as a confessional from its star, Ben Affleck. To be clear, I don't think Affleck is actually communicating something about himself or his public persona, but the performance (much like a slightly similar one he gave in Gone Girl) is intriguing precisely because of our long-term relationship with the star. I go into all this more in-depth over at MEL.

SXSW 2022: 'The Lost City' Review

The Lost City features two very likeable stars who give their all to a script that I think lets them down. For Screen International, here's my review.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Turning Red' and 'Joe Versus the Volcano'

Crazy week, so I'm only putting this up now. But here's our latest episode, in which we reviewed Turning Red and The Adam Project. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano, which is not exactly the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan project that jumps to mind first. Hear the whole thing down below.

Nilufer Yanya - "Midnight Sun"

Really enjoyed Nilufer Yanya's interview in The Guardian from earlier this year. She's suspicious of TikTok, doesn't like how the music industry treats her Turkish heritage, and advocates for arts education in school. She seems like a good egg, and obviously I'm digging her music, too.

 

William Hurt's Crucial Roles

William Hurt died this weekend at the age of 71. For Rolling Stone, I helped put together a list of his best performances. Hope you enjoy.

Remember When Everybody Thought Keanu Reeves Was a Bad Actor?

Not that long ago, that was the prevailing thought: This Ted guy is kind of a lightweight. But, somewhere along the way, the world came to appreciate Keanu Reeves. How did it happen? I did a little digging for MEL.

How Ewan McGregor Made Obi-Wan Kenobi His Own

The Scottish actor will be reprising his role from the Star Wars prequels for a new Disney+ series. Does Obi-Wan define his career? Here's my latest for MEL.

Listening to "MMMBop"

Three brothers from Tulsa wrote a song about appreciating what you have and focusing on what really matters. But everybody just thought they were adorable kids with a catchy tune. For MEL, I looked back at "MMMBop"

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Lucy and Desi' and 'Gold'

Christy Lemire and I dug into four new releases on KCRW last week, including Turning Red and The Adam Project. But let me direct you to the two films that are a little more under-the-radar: Zac Efron plays a guy trying to stay alive in the desert in Gold, while Amy Poehler makes a documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. You can hear our segment down below. 

SXSW 2022: 'The Cow' Review

In The Cow, Winona Ryder and John Gallagher Jr. play a couple who go away for the weekend, only to discover that the cabin they've rented in the middle of nowhere is already being occupied by another couple (Owen Teague, Brianne Tju). Things only get weirder from there. My review is live over at Screen International.

SXSW 2022: 'Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood’ Review

As a big fan of Richard Linklater, I found his latest to be affecting but also a little slight. It tells the story of the Apollo 11 landing through the eyes of a young man living in Houston at the time. My review of Apollo 10 1/2 is right here.

My Interview With Britt Daniel, Frontman of Spoon

Britt Daniel has been making excellent music with Spoon for decades. This past week, I sat down with the man (over Zoom) to talk about dads, silence, song tempos, meditation and making fun of Garden State. Our conversation is live over at MEL.

SXSW 2022: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review

This year's South by Southwest opened with a very South by Southwest film. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a comedy/family drama/martial-arts action flick. Yup, it's a bit all over the place. My review is live over at Screen International.

RAMP - "Daylight"

Have a good weekend. Baseball is back. That's something nice.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Batman,' 'After Yang,' 'Fresh'

 

Direct from True/False, I recorded this week's episode, where we both discussed the latest Batman and After Yang. Then, I asked Will some questions about Fresh. A good time was had by all. Check it out down below.

My Interview With Oliver Stone

When I started my interview with Oliver Stone, I told him what an impact JFK made on me when I was 16. "You make me feel ancient," he replied. It went from there. You can read our conversation over at MEL.

What It Was Like When 'OK Computer' Came Out

For MEL, I looked back at what was swimming in the zeitgeist that helped inspire Radiohead's best album. (That's right, their best, I said it.) Hope you enjoy.

'Turning Red' Review

A teenager discovers that when she gets very emotional, she transforms into a big red panda. A deft metaphor for puberty (and other things), Turning Red is very charming. I reviewed Pixar's latest for Screen International.

Courtney Barnett - "Before You Gotta Go"

A highlight from Things Take Time, Take Time, this Courtney Barnett song ended up being slightly controversial because its video is eerily reminiscent of a video from another Australian act, Quivers. (“I thought I had come up with a beautiful, original idea for a video, but it seems like I was wrong!” Barnett wrote in September. “I’d like to introduce you to Melbourne band Quivers and director, Nina Renee, who had the same idea way before me.”)

I was a big fan of "You're Not Always on My Mind," and I really love "Before You Gotta Go." It must have been strange for Quivers to see her video.

The Greatest Movies of the 1980s

This has been a while in the making. Over at Rolling Stone, I worked with a group of talented writers and editors to put together a list of the 100 best films of the 1980s. I didn't have a say in the final rankings, but you can read me on Testament, Stop Making Sense, Reds, The Thing and plenty of others right here.

What Kind of Batman Is Robert Pattinson?

There have been so many Batmen over the years. But I think Pattinson's a pretty good one. How did he get from Twilight to here? I talk about that over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Godfather' and 'Brewster McCloud'

Two very different 1970s movies, but both so good. We talked about each of them on this week's episode. Plus, we discuss the future of theaters. Check out the whole thing down below.

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Is About Whatever You Want It to Be About

Not my favorite Tears for Fears song, but perhaps the most Tears for Fears song, even if the man who wrote it would disagree. Here's my latest Song History for MEL.