My Interview With Cate Blanchett

I hung out with Cate Blanchett. For the Los Angeles Times, we talked about work/life balance, coming up with "Apartment for Sale," and letting go of Tar. It was electric to be in her presence. You can read my profile here. 

(Photo by Alex Harper.)

My Interview With Brendan Fraser

We talked about The Whale. We talked about Terrence Malick. We talked about a lot of stuff. For the Los Angeles Times, here's my profile of Brendan Fraser. 

(Photo by Kent Nishimura.)

'Creed III' Review

I know it's a ridiculous thing to say, but I'd like Creed III a lot more if it didn't end up becoming a Rocky movie. My Screen International review is here.

Young Fathers - "I Saw"

Don't mind Los Angeles: We're just reeling from the fact that we've got blizzard warnings.

'Cocaine Bear' Review

I can confirm that the bear in Cocaine Bear does, indeed, ingest a lot of cocaine. That's not a good thing for a bear to do. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Debating 'Quantumania,' Revisiting 'The Tree of Life' and 'Life Is Beautiful'

We disagree about the latest Ant-Man adventure, which opens the door to a larger discussion about the state of the MCU. Also in this episode, we have two Reboot segments. Has The Tree of Life lost a little of its stature over the years? And how would the world react to Life Is Beautiful if it came out today? We've got the answers below.

The Big 2022 Movie Draft on 'The Extra Credits'

This was fun: The hosts of The Extra Credits had Will and me on to participate in a draft of last year's best movies. The rules were that we'd each get five picks, and then we'd let the listeners choose whose slate was the best. You can hear our draft and deliberations down below. If you wanted a decent overview of the 20 most worthwhile/noteworthy movies of 2022, this is a good place to start.

Berlin 2023: 'Reality' Review

Reality tells the story of real-life whistleblower Reality Leigh Winner, who was taken into custody by the FBI in 2017. The movie, starring Sydney Sweeney, is drawn entirely from the transcripts of law enforcement's interactions with Winner. A fascinating conceit, which I think really helps the film. My review is here.

The Mad Lads - "Make This Young Lady Mine"

Part of the musical DNA of De La Soul's "Eye Know" is right here. Rest in peace, Trugoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance,' 'Sharper' and 'Your Place or Mine'

We disagree about the final installment in the Magic Mike trilogy, but we're pretty much aligned on the twisty Sharper. As for Your Place or Mine, well, I got angry. Check out the latest episode of the podcast down below.

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Review

In case you lost track, Quantumania is the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's also the movie that kicks off Phase Five. But never mind all that: Is it any good? My review is up at Screen International.

When 'Saturday Night Live' Stars Get Serious

For Cracked, I picked the finest dramatic work from several high-profile SNL cast members. I imagine some will disagree with my choices, but that's part of the fun, right? Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: M. Night Shyamalan, 'You People' and Revisiting 'Carlito's Way'

Much to my surprise, we both liked Knock at the Cabin. As for You People, well, it's definitely fascinating, without actually being any good. And then, for our Reboot segment, we go back to 1993's Carlito's Way, which I feel exactly the same about as I did back then. Hear the whole thing down below.

Clerel - "Story of a Scar"

Very glad Clerel decided not to pursue science and took a chance on music instead.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Reviewing 'Somebody I Used to Know,' 'The Blue Caftan' and 'Magic Mike's Last Dance'

Christy Lemire and I teamed up to be on KCRW (alongside guest host Michell Eloy) to review this weekend's big releases. You can hear our thoughts on Sharper, Somebody I Used to Know, The Blue Caftan and Magic Mike's Last Dance down below.

The Legacy of 'Hare Jordan'

Nike had been enjoying a lot of success with its Michael Jordan/Spike Lee commercials. But for the 1992 Super Bowl, the company decided to mix things up. And then someone had the bright idea of pairing Jordan with Bugs Bunny. For Cracked, I told the history of those icons' first ad, "Hare Jordan." Hope you enjoy.

'Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark' Review

For Cracked, I wrote about Marc Maron's new standup special, his first in three years. A lot has happened since then, most notably the death of his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, and he digs into it in From Bleak to Dark. You can read my thoughts here.

'Magic Mike's Last Dance' Review

My guess is that Magic Mike's Last Dance is going to throw some folks who just want a sexy good time. It's more melancholy, and more muted, than its predecessors. I reviewed the sequel for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'M3GAN,' 'Infinity Pool,' Sundance and the Oscar Nominations

Whoops, sorry, totally forgot to mention that we were back from hiatus last week. Lots to discuss, from film festivals to the Academy Awards to some new movies. You can check out the whole thing down below.

Which of Troy McClure's Fake Films and TV Shows Sounded the Best?

You might remember him from such great shows as The Simpsons. For Cracked, I ranked Troy McClure's best projects that he mentioned in passing, mostly judging them by their titles. Hope you enjoy.

Public Enemy - "Escapism"

When people talk about Public Enemy, they tend to focus on the band's first four albums. But PE keep putting out records, and there are gems there as well. Like this one, off 2007's How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul?

Tom Brady's Finest Comedic Moment

Tom Brady retired (again) and has a movie coming out on Friday, 80 for Brady. Repeatedly, he's tried to be funny on TV shows and in commercials, usually without much success. But for Cracked, I wrote about the Saturday Night Live sketch that's still pretty great, even if it hits different now than it did back in 2005. Read on.

What 'Groundhog Day' Did to Harold Ramis and Bill Murray

It's been 30 years since the release of Groundhog Day, which was made by two longtime collaborators. So why did the movie torpedo Harold Ramis and Bill Murray's friendship? And did they ever reconcile? I did a deep dive for Cracked.

'Knock at the Door' Review

M. Night Shyamalan's best film since Split? That's not saying much, but it's true. For Screen International, here's my review of Knock at the Door.