'Violent Night' Review

Santa packs a wallop in Violent Night, which proudly mixes Die Hard and Home Alone. It's a fun, nasty little movie enlivened by David Harbour as St. Nick. Head over to Screen International to see my full review.

'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' Review

It's been more than a decade since the last Puss in Boots film. Was it worth the wait? My review is up at Screen International.

The Best Christmas Movies on Amazon Prime

The fine folks at Vulture asked us to pick the Christmas movies on Prime Video that will make your yuletide season complete. We were more than happy to put together this list.

My Interview With Brett Kelly, the Kid in 'Bad Santa'

Brett Kelly was only eight years old when he auditioned to play Thurman Merman in the R-rated Billy Bob Thornton Christmas comedy. For Cracked, I talked to him about what happened after that, and how he almost didn't get the part. Hope you enjoy.

Steve Lacy - "Buttons"

It's been a good year for the Internet. Syd's Broken Hearts Club is terrific. Patrick Paige II worked on Beyonce's Renaissance. And Steve Lacy's "Bad Habit" is one of 2022's biggest singles. But I'd rather focus on another track from Gemini Rights today.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Raving About 'She Said'

On our latest episode, we review three new movies, including The Menu and The Wonder. But the movie I spent extra time discussing was She Said, which I think is fairly wonderful. Hear the whole thing down below.

My Interview With Michael Imperioli

For the Los Angeles Times, I hopped on a Zoom call with Michael Imperioli to talk about his work on the new season of The White Lotus. Our conversation segued across several topics, such as the research he did into sex addiction for his character and his relationship with his father. Hope you enjoy.

'Devotion' Review

Devotion tells the story of the U.S. Navy's first Black aviator. Jonathan Majors is good in this Korean War drama, and so is Glen Powell as his buddy, but the film just never soars. My review is over at Chron.

My Interview With Paul Mescal and Charlotte Wells

Aftersun is one of the year's best films. For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke to its star and its writer-director to try to unravel some of the mysteries of their delicate stunner. I was really pleased with how this turned out. Hope you enjoy.

How "Chippendales Audition" Helped (and Hurt) Chris Farley

It was the Saturday Night Live sketch that made Chris Farley a star. But some of his friends and colleagues also thought it contributed to his low self-esteem. With the Kumail Nanjiani series Welcome to Chippendales about to be released, I looked back at the legacy of "Chippendales Audition" for Cracked.

My Interview With Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Wendy Molyneux, the Writers of 'The People We Hate at the Wedding'

Lizzie and Wendy are sisters from a big family. They're also a writing team on Bob's Burgers who co-created the newish Fox animated series The Great North. For Cracked, I hopped on a Zoom with them to talk about writing with your sibling, and their new movie The People We Hate at the Wedding. Somehow, mouse anuses also came up. You can read our conversation here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'Armageddon Time' and 'Spirited'

I liked two out of the three movies we reviewed this past week. Can you guess which one I didn't care for? You can hear the whole thing down below.

Harry Styles - "Grapejuice"

Harry's House is not going to make my Top 10, but I do really enjoy this song.

 

The Story Behind 'Twins'

In the mid-1980s, two inexperienced British screenwriters got their foot in the door in Hollywood. They met with Ivan Reitman, who told them he wanted to make a comedy with Arnold Schwarznegger. The rest is history. For Cracked, I interviewed some of the creative team behind Twins. Hope you enjoy.

My Review of Bono's 'Surrender'

Bono's memoir is a hefty tome. It's fascinating, frustrating and often quite moving, just like U2's music. I dove into Surrender over at InsideHook.

My Interview With Zack Ward, the Bully in 'A Christmas Story'

Gen-X kids know Scut Farkus, the mean kid who picks on Ralphie in A Christmas Story. I spoke to the actor who played him, Zack Ward, to discuss his own experiences being bullied as a boy, and how that movie has impacted his life and career. My profile is up at Cracked. 

'Poker Face' Review

Rian Johnson will soon be releasing a murder-mystery series called Poker Face. This is not a review of that. This is a review of Russell Crowe's sophomore directorial effort, which is also called Poker Face. It's a thriller that doubles as a moody character study. It isn't very good. My review is up at Screen International.

Low - "All Night"

Rest in peace, Mimi Parker.

My Interview With Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne waited six years to make The Good Nurse. For the Los Angeles Times, I spent some time with the Oscar-winners finding out what they learned along the way. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Nina Hoss

When the Los Angeles Times asked me if I was interested in talking to Nina Hoss, one of the stars of Tar, I jumped at the chance. I really enjoyed our time together, which led to this profile. 

(Photo by Dania Maxwell.)

When Steven Spielberg Made '1941'

The hotshot young director had just made two era-defining smashes in Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. So what did he decide to do next? A World War II comedy. It didn't go nearly as well. For Cracked, I look back at 1941.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' 'Causeway' and "Weird Al" Yankovic

We're in agreement on all three movies this week, which I wasn't necessarily expecting. You can hear us dig into Oscar-contenders and bizarre biopics down below.

'Spirited' Review

Much to my surprise, Spirited is a fairly earnest, sweet Christmas musical-comedy, with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds largely playing it straight, as well as singing and dancing a lot. My review is up at Screen International.

'The English' Review

For Chron, I took a look at Emily Blunt's new Western series for Amazon. I seem to be in the minority, but I didn't really love The English.

When Jennifer Lawrence Was a Sitcom Star

Before Jennifer Lawrence won Oscars and starred in blockbusters, she did a short-lived TBS show. For Cracked, I looked back at her stint on The Bill Engvall Show. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Talking About 'Bardo' and 'Weird'

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's divisive new film opened in select cities on Friday. I was happy to be on KCRW to discuss Bardo. Elsewhere, Amy Nicholson and I review Next Exit, Causeway and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. You can hear us below.

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review

Wakanda Forever is unlike any Marvel movie, in large part because of the immeasurable loss of Chadwick Boseman. And while I admired much of it, I don't this sequel entirely works. Here's my Screen International review.

Sudan Archives - "Selfish Soul"

The mental listmaking for the year's best albums is already in high gear. A good excuse to revisit Natural Brown Prom Queen.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Triangle of Sadness,' 'Till' and a New 'All Quiet on the Western Front'

Will was able to see Ruben Östlund's latest, so we talked about the Palme d'Or winner. Then, we focus on two very different period pieces. You can hear our whole conversation down below.