2023 Gotham Awards Nominees

It is always incredibly flattering to be asked to be part of the Gotham Awards nominating jury. I took part in the acting committee, which was responsible for selecting 10 finalists in both the Lead and Supporting categories. (The Gothams went to non-gendered categories years ago.) I want to thank my fellow jurors Monica Castillo, Robert Daniels, Shawn Edwards and Tomris Laffly for such a fun deliberation; I couldn't be happier with our picks. You can see them here, as well as the other committees' nominations.

'Five Nights at Freddy's' Review

 

Worst movie of the year? It's in the conversation, put it that way.

'All Of It With Alison Stewart': Talking Martin Scorsese

Will and I were on WNYC to discuss Martin Scorsese's career and our Vulture ranking of the man's films. (We also took listener questions.) You can check out the segment down below.

Idles - "Dancer"

Riff of the year.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Digging Into 'Killers of the Flower Moon' and 'The Pigeon Tunnel'

Apple is currently backing two major filmmakers: Martin Scorsese and Errol Morris. On the podcast, we review both of their new movies. And then, we go back to the early 21st century to revisit In America. Check it out below.

What Alexander Payne Does Better Than Anybody Else

With The Holdovers opening in limited release this Friday, I took the opportunity to write about Alexander Payne's ability to walk the line between funny and sad, comedic and melancholy, like no other filmmaker. Hope you enjoy.

The Long Legacy of 'The King of Comedy'

In its time, Martin Scorsese's 1983 picture seemed strange, cruel and off-putting. But now? It's influenced a ton of cringe comedy. I wrote about the film's cultural impact for Cracked.

The Curse of "Monster Mash"

Not my favorite song. I explain why over at Cracked.

'Wilco the Podcast': Reviewing 'Cousin' (Part One)

You may remember earlier this year I was on Wilco the Podcast to discuss my book, Wilco: Sunken Treasure. The guys asked me to come back to review Cousin, the band's new album, which I was thrilled to do. The conversation we had was so long, going track by track, that it's actually being released in two parts. This is Part One, which covers the first side of Cousin. (We also talk a little Taylor Swift and fall awards-season movies.) Check it out.

My Interview With Godfrey Reggio, Director of 'Once Within a Time'

Like many people, I was knocked sideways when I first saw Koyaanisqatsi. The man behind that visionary film, Godfrey Reggio, has slowly but surely kept making movies ever since. His latest is Once Within a Time, and like all his films, it's talking about humanity's unsteady relationship with technology. For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke with Reggio, who's now in his 80s, about death, the future and smoking a pack a day. (I also chatted with his frequent executive producer, Steven Soderbergh, about what makes Reggio so special.) Hope you enjoy.

Wednesday - "What's So Funny"

Still waiting to turn the corner on this Wednesday album. But in the meantime, I'm digging this song.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Taylor Swift, 'The Mission' and 'The Burial'

On this week's podcast, we review the biggest movie in the world (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour) and two much smaller ones. A very fun episode. Check it out down below.

My Interview With Larry Charles

He won an Emmy as a writer on Seinfeld. He directed Borat and Bruno (and also Masked and Anonymous). And now he's back with Dicks: The Musical. I spoke to Larry Charles for Cracked.

Jamie Foxx Has Been on a Roll Lately

Jamie Foxx had to go to the hospital earlier this year for unspecified reasons. It appears he's doing better, thank goodness, but I took the opportunity to talk about the very funny performances he's given in recent months, including in The Burial. You can read my thoughts here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Exorcist: Believer,' 'The Royal Hotel' and 'Fair Play'

Sorry to be a week late on this one -- I've been a bit busy -- but on the podcast we dug into the missteps of David Gordon Green's attempt to revive the Exorcist franchise. Then we looked at the new film from Kitty Green and disagreed about the Sundance sensation Fair Play. Check it all out below.

Taylor Swift - "...Ready for It?"

Still reeling from Wednesday night.

'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' Review

It's 169 minutes long. It's a lot. But it's a lot in a really great way. I reviewed The Eras Tour for Screen International.

Comedies With Twist Endings

We tend to think of dramas having big twist endings. But, every once in a while, a comedy pulls the rug out from under its audience. For Cracked, I looked at some of the most memorable examples, and discussed whether the twists worked.

'Extra Hot Great': Raving About 'The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'

William Friedkin died recently. His final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, is on Showtime and Paramount+. I was very happy to be on Extra Hot Great to sing the movie's praises. (We also talked about Scrubs, Julianne Moore, Netflix stand-up specials and Robert Altman.) Check it out down below.

My Interview With Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard talked a blue streak the other day when I interviewed her. It was pretty dizzying, and also very entertaining. If you read one article this week about Darth Vader, make it this one.

Hamburg 2023: 'The Vanishing Soldier' Review

A few weeks ago, I saw a film called The Vanishing Soldier, about an IDF soldier who decides to flee the military, causing a showdown between Israeli and Palestinian forces. Needless to say, I've been thinking about the film a lot in recent days. My review is at Screen International.

The Best Horror-Comedies

Happy Halloween: Here are the best horror movies filled with laughs. Please enjoy.

The Greatest Erotic Thrillers

Rolling Stone asked me to contribute to its list of the best erotic thrillers ever made. I was very happy to write about Double Lover, Gone Girl, Damage, The Handmaiden and Bad Education. Check it out.

My Interview With Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key

Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key have been married for five years, and they've just put out a book, inspired by their hit podcast, called The History of Sketch Comedy. I wanted to talk to them about being comedy nerds and how their working and romantic relationships coexist. Hope you enjoy.

A History of 'Exorcist' Parodies

It's been 50 years since The Exorcist came out. There have been plenty of spoofs, pop-culture references and parodies that have popped up in its wake: For Cracked, I looked at the film's impressive staying power in the collective consciousness.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Exorcisms, Sexual Harassment and 'Cat Person'

Alison Willmore and I joined Madeleine to review four new films: The Exorcist: Believer, Cat Person, The Royal Hotel and Dicks: The Musical. A very fun time, and you can hear the whole thing down below. 

Badly Drawn Boy - "Everybody's Stalking"

Always enjoyed how The Hour of Bewilderbeast opened with the nice one-two punch of "The Shining" (lovely) and "Everybody's Stalking" (uptempo). I'm more in a rocking mode at the moment, so I'll go with the latter.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'The Creator' and the Wes Anderson Netflix Shorts

Two features and four shorts are the focus of this week's episode. We both liked Dumb Money, both disliked The Creator, and then we spend some time digging into Wes Anderson's Roald Dahl adaptations: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher and Poison. Hope you enjoy.