What 'Anchorman' Understood About "Afternoon Delight"

I wrote about nooners and Ron Burgundy for Cracked.

My Interview With Rebecca Miller, Writer-Director of 'She Came to Me'

As part of the Los Angeles Times fall film preview, I spoke with Rebecca Miller, whose new movie is a comedy. This may surprise people who know her most from dramas like Personal Velocity and The Ballad of Jack and Rose. But in recent years, she has found herself thinking more about embracing the lighter side of life. We talked about that, and a lot of other things. You can read my profile here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Our Big Fall Film Festival Preview and 'Dr. Strangelove'

On this week's episode, we select the films playing in Venice, Telluride and Toronto that we're most excited about. Then, we go back to 1964 to discuss Dr. Strangelove. Where does it rank among my favorites of Stanley Kubrick? Listen here:

David Letterman's First 'Late Show,' 30 Years Later

TIME Magazine Cover, August 30, 1993: David Letterman
He's Tanned.
He's Rested.
He's Ready.
Is America? pic.twitter.com/I6Ldftnb3p

— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) August 30, 2021

I vividly remember watching the first episode of Late Show with my new college friends back in 1993. I haven't seen that episode since, so I decided to give it a revisit on its 30th anniversary. Turns out, I had a lot to say about it.

'Fight Club' Jokes Still Pack a Punch

The new comedy Bottoms riffs on Fight Club, telling the story of a female fight club at a high school. Nearly 25 years after that David Fincher film came out, it's still used as a go-to joke in movies and TV shows. Why is that? I offered some thoughts here.

My Interview With Eugene Mirman

Eugene Mirman has gone through a lot in the last few years, including the death of his first wife. We talked about all of it for Cracked.

Unkle - "Rabbit in Your Headlights"

Happy 25th anniversary, Psyence Fiction.

'Breakfast All Day': Sticking Up for 'Blue Beetle'

Blue Beetle isn't going to do very well at the box office. That's too bad. I was on Breakfast All Day to defend the movie, which has a lot of heart.

'Breakfast All Day': Debating 'Strays'

Christy Lemire had me on Breakfast All Day to talk about Strays, which she liked a lot more than I did. Is it because she has a Boston Terrier? We got into that, and other things, in this episode.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Blue Beetles, Talking Dogs and Looking Back at Danny Boyle's 'Sunshine'

Summer movie season is almost over. We review two new movies, Blue Beetle and Strays, and then we go back to the summer of 2007 for a look at Sunshine, a film I still think is pretty damn wonderful. Check out the whole show down below.

My Interview With Alex Timbers, Director of 'John Mulaney: Baby J'

I've long been curious about the process of directing a stand-up special, especially in the modern era when they're so much more cinematic than they used to be. So I was very happy to speak with Alex Timbers, who has directed John Mulaney's last two specials, which couldn't be more different. For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke with him about Kid Gorgeous, Baby J and Mulaney's journey to sobriety. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Maria Bamford

What a treat: Maria Bamford has a new stand-up album (Crowd-Pleaser!) and a new memoir (Sure, I'll Join Your Cult), and so I had a long conversation with her about grief, mental health, sibling rivalry, jealousy and doing comedy that's not for everyone. Check it out here.

The Best and Worst of the 2023 Summer Movie Season (Comedy Edition)

There were funny movies! There were movies that tried to be funny! I looked back at them all for Cracked.

Blondshell - "Sober Together"

I'm enjoying this Sabrina Teitelbaum record.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: We Answer Your Questions (and Look Back at 'The Night of the Hunter')

It was time for a mailbag show, and we got lots of great listener questions. We went through some of those, and we also talked about The Night of the Hunter, which we both had some reservations about. Hear the whole episode down below.

'Strays' Review

Cursing dogs sure do curse a lot. For Screen International, I reviewed Strays.

What Is "Songbird" Doing in 'Gran Turismo'?

I have answers for you over at Cracked.

Picking the Best Performance From Each of Wes Anderson's Frequent Actors

Now that Asteroid City is on Peacock, I decided to do a fun rundown of Wes Anderson's stable of regular performers, selecting each actor's best performance from his movies. Let the debate begin.

What's the Funniest Film Comedy Punchline of All Time?

I spent a lot of time figuring this out for Cracked.

Boygenius - "Emily I'm Sorry"

I have struggled to fully appreciate Phoebe Bridgers, but I didn't have much of an issue getting into this song off the new Boygenius record. (Video directed by Kristen Stewart.)

'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' Review

I was with this period horror film for a while. But then it just gets kinda silly and dumb. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Mutant Mayhem,' 'Passages' and 'Meg 2'

We're reaching the dog days of summer movie season. And yet, there are still good new movies worth checking out. I sing the praises of the new Turtles animated flick and Passages on our new episode. Check it out below.

'Gran Turismo' Review

Vroom vroom! For Screen International, I reviewed the kinetic but very cliched Gran Turismo.

On Randall Park's Directorial Debut, 'Shortcomings'

I quite liked Shortcomings when I saw it at Sundance. Now that it's out in select cities, I wrote about how the movie skewers a certain type of snobby know-it-all. Nowadays, these men are referred to as "film bros," but they've been with us for quite some time. Hope you enjoy.

Arrested Development ‎– "In the Sunshine"

Take it from someone who listened to it again for the first time in forever: Zingalamaduni, Arrested Development's follow-up to 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... that stiffed, is still pretty darn good.

Seth Rogen, King of the August Comedy

Over the last 20 years, Seth Rogen has had a pretty consistent track record putting out hit films in August, which is usually a dumping ground for new movies. What's his secret? I attempt an answer over at Cracked.

'Meg 2: The Trench' Review

Look, it's not even fun junk. Here's my review of Meg 2.

My Interview With Adele Exarchopoulos, the Star of 'Passages'

Passages was among my favorite films at Sundance this year. The movie comes out Friday, and for the Los Angeles Times, I spoke to one of the stars of this explosive romantic-triangle drama, Adele Exarchopoulos. We talked about being vulnerable on screen, the importance of intimacy coordinators, and the legacy of Blue Is the Warmest Color. Hope you enjoy.

(Photo by Karla Hiraldo Voleau.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Haunted Houses, Embalmed Hands and Beanie Babies

Last week's episode covered three big movies. This week's ... is not so major. We reviewed Haunted Mansion, Talk to Me and The Beanie Bubble. Check it out down below.