The Best Horror Films Ever Made

Rolling Stone asked a group of critics to pen the write-ups for its list of the 101 best horror movies of all time. Very honored to be part of the group. You can see my contributions (and everyone else's) here.

In Praise of 'The Shinning'

It's almost Halloween, so for Cracked I had to write about my favorite segment of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror." Hope you enjoy.

Why Do People Love David S. Pumpkins So Much?

Hint: It has everything to do with our fondness for Tom Hanks' silly side. 

IDA: My Conversation With Sierra Pettengill, Director of 'Riotsville, U.S.A.'

Recently, I interviewed documentary filmmaker Sierra Pettengill, whose Riotsville U.S.A. remains one of my favorite nonfiction movies of the year, as part of IDA's screening series. You can check out our chat down below.

Frank Sinatra - "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"

Good morning.

'The Stepford Wives,' Reconsidered

The Stepford Wives is a movie that gets referenced a lot, most recently in comparison to the so-so Don't Worry Darling. But it feels more like an idea than a film in our culture -- an amorphous thing whose themes everybody knows, even if they haven't actually seen the film. I wrote about this strange phenomenon for Decider.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Tar,' 'Black Adam,' 'Descendant'

This week's episode features three very different movies, but I liked all of 'em, especially Margaret Brown's wonderful documentary Descendant. You can hear our conversation down below.

Paul Simon, Chevy Chase and "You Can Call Me Al"

Taylor Swift's video for "Anti-Hero" features several comics. But she's hardly the first musician to hang out with funny people: For Cracked, I wrote about how "You Can Call Me Al" came together.

'The Bad News Bears' Is the Best Unromantic Baseball Movie

The World Series is about to get underway. What better time to celebrate the original Bad News Bears, which stars a bunch of kids but isn't necessarily a family film.

2022 Gotham Awards Nominees

I never stop being thrilled to be asked to serve on the Gotham Awards nominating juries. This year, I was once again part of the Acting committee, selecting the finalists for Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance, and Breakthrough Performer. I was joined by Robert Daniels, Jon Frosch, Tomris Laffly and Brian Tallerico, and we had a fine time meeting and debating. You can see our picks here, as well as those in the other film and television categories. 

How 'Scary Movie' Resuscitated the Hollywood Parody

Airplane! and The Naked Gun helped popularize the spoof film. But the genre felt out of fashion in the 1990s. Then came a comedy that took aim at Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. For Cracked, I looked back at 2000's Scary Movie.

'Breakfast All Day': What Went Wrong With 'The School for Good and Evil'?

I was very happy to be on Breakfast All Day with Christy Lemire to talk about Paul Feig's deeply disappointing Netflix fantasy film. You can watch the segment below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Stars at Noon' and 'Decision to Leave'

This week, we talked about Halloween Ends, but who cares about that? The real interesting conversations are around the two art-house films directed by Claire Denis and Park Chan-wook. You can hear the whole episode down below.

Kimya Dawson - "It's Been Raining"

The Moldy Peaches never did a ton for me. But this Kimya Dawson solo album brightened my mid-2000s plenty.

What Paul Feig Pulled Off With 'Bridesmaids'

In light of the release of The School for Good and Evil, I wanted to look back at a much better Paul Feig film, one that helped changed Hollywood. For Cracked, I wrote about the groundbreaking Bridesmaids.

My Interview With Steven Hyden, Author of 'Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation'

Steven Hyden is a music critic I really enjoying reading, so I was happy to spend some time chatting with him about his latest book, which investigates why Pearl Jam still matters. Over at InsideHook, we had a long talk about nostalgia, bands that aren't cool, and what it says about both of us that we love No Code. Hope you enjoy.

'The School for Good and Evil' Review

Paul Feig has a new movie out today on Netflix. You probably didn't know that. Don't feel bad: It's terrible. For Screen International, I reviewed The School for Good and Evil.

'Black Adam' Review

My verdict on Dwayne Johnson's superhero movie? It's ... fine. You can read more in-depth thoughts over at Screen International.

The Beths - "Silence Is Golden"

We are all a product of the specific era in which we grew up. And while my musical taste has greatly expanded since my teenage years, there is still a part of me that geeks out about a guitar-based band playing their instruments and just rocking out.

Happy 20th Anniversary, 'Punch-Drunk Love'

I saw Punch-Drunk Love opening night, if I recall. Certainly opening weekend. I was blown away. I still am. For Cracked, I wrote about the significance of the film, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this week.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Blonde' and 'Bros'

We took a week off, so we're back with reviews of four new movies: Amsterdam, Blonde, Bros and The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Two we liked, two we didn't. Which were which? Find out below.

'Halloween Ends' Review

Well, at least it's better than the last one. Here's my dismayed review of Halloween Ends.

Chris Tucker's Post-'Rush Hour' Career

Sometimes, people will wonder if Chris Tucker retired because he's so rarely in movies anymore. What exactly happened? For Cracked, I look back at the man who became a superstar after Rush Hour ... and then decided to downshift.

'Oh, God!' at 45

For Cracked, I looked back at the movie that made George Burns one of the biggest (and oldest) stars of the big screen at the time. You can read my thoughts on Oh, God! here.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Tar,' 'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile' and 'Triangle of Sadness'

I was on KCRW yesterday with fellow critic Shawn Edwards to review this weekend's new movies. We disagreed about Tar, but other than that we're pretty simpatico on Amsterdam, Triangle of Sadness and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Hear our segment down below.

Loretta Lynn - "Fist City"

Growing up with an aversion to honky-tonk has left me with a permanent blind spot when it comes to several musical legends. So I'm only really now catching up with Loretta Lynn. Anyone with ears can feel this song, though.

Hamburg 2022: 'We Are Next of Kin' Review

In 1996, a prominent German scholar, Jan Philipp Reemtsma, was kidnapped. We Are Next of Kin chronicles the aftermath. You can read my Screen International review here.

'Eternal Spring' Review

Canada's submission for the Best International Film Oscar is an animated documentary about a group of Falun Gong practitioners in China who decided to push back against the government's crackdown on their beliefs. How did they do that? By hijacking the airwaves and broadcasting positive propaganda. For Screen International, I reviewed Eternal Spring.

The 'Lord of the Rings' Movie That's Been Forgotten

It was 1978. Tolkien wasn't yet the subject of big-budget Hollywood movies. And, yet, Ralph Bakshi decided he wanted to make an animated version of The Lord of the Rings. For Decider, I look back at the film in light of the new Amazon series. Hope you enjoy.

New York 2022: 'Till' Review

It was one of the worst racial crimes in America's history. Now Till tells the story of Emmett Till's killing, but from the perspective of his mother. I reviewed this earnest drama for Screen International.