What's the Best Political Comedy?

Because we all could use a laugh right now, right? I picked 20 classics for Cracked.

My Interview With Sav Rodgers, Director of 'Chasing Chasing Amy'

When he was a kid, Sav Rodgers was battling with questions about himself. Then, he saw Chasing Amy, which was the first time he was exposed to gay characters in a film. Now, years later, this trans filmmaker has put together a documentary examining that 1997 comedy and its controversial legacy. For Cracked, I talked to Rodgers about rom-coms, happy endings and what it was like to interview his hero Kevin Smith about his problematic film. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Reviewing 'Here,' 'A Real Pain,' 'Blitz' and 'Emilia Perez'

Amy Nicholson and I had some big movies to dig into this week on KCRW, including one of my favorite films of the year. You can hear us down below.

Jessica Pratt - "Life Is"

Who feels like swaying slowly back and forth for three minutes? I've got just the song for you.

2024 Gotham Awards Nominees

It has been an annual tradition I am very proud to be a part of. The folks at the Gotham Film & Media Institute invited me to once again join the committee that selects the nominees for the Gothams' acting categories. Alongside Monica Castillo, Robert Daniels, Tomris Laffly and Brian Tallerico, I helped pick this year's best Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough performances. You can see our choices here, along with the nominees in other categories.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Conclaves, Symbiotes and the Presidential Election

Will wanted to try a little something different for this episode, the last one we'll record before the presidential election. We did our usual movie-reviewing thing, discussing Conclave and Venom: The Last Dance, but for the final segment, we had an off-the-cuff conversation about how we're feeling with the election right around the corner. I hadn't planned anything in advance, neither had Will, so we just talked some things out. Will others get anything out of it? I honestly don't know. You can hear the entire episode down below.

AFI Fest 2024: 'Juror #2' Review

Clint Eastwood is 94 years old, and he's still making movies. Good movies. For Screen International, I reviewed Juror #2.

AFI Fest 2024: 'Here' Review

Robert Zemeckis' last two films were abominations. So I'm happy to say that Here is a step up, utilizing an intriguing formal conceit to look at a group of people over centuries who all live on the same spot of land in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the director's worst tendencies betray him. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Colin McEnroe Show': Talking About 'The Sixth Sense'

As you probably know, Halloween is just around the corner. The fine folks at The Colin McEnroe Show invited me to be on this week for an episode devoted to horror. I talked about the 25th anniversary of The Sixth Sense and my piece in the Los Angeles Times. You can hear the whole episode down below. (I come on at about the 35:10 mark.)

Matthew Sweet - "Hide"

Get well soon, Matthew Sweet. Thinking of you while playing a song from your most underappreciated album, In Reverse.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Rumours,' 'Woman of the Hour' and 'Brothers'

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times on the podcast this week. We both really liked Anna Kendrick's directorial debut but, boy oh boy, did we despise the anemic crime comedy from Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage. Somewhere in the middle was Rumours. Hear our reviews down below.

'Venom: The Last Dance' Review

Is this the last Venom film? Sure seems like it. Is it the best of the bunch? My review is live over at Screen International.

The Greatest Political Movies Ever

An election is upon us, so the fine folks at Rolling Stone put together a list of the best political movies, asking different writers to contribute to the final choices. I was very happy to talk a little about Secret Honor, Primary Colors, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... and the movie that ended up at No. 1. Check it out.

IDA: My Conversation With Ibrahim Nash'at, Director of 'Hollywoodgate'

Earlier in the year, I spoke with documentary filmmaker Ibrahim Nash'at, who spent a year embedded with the Taliban in Afghanistan right after U.S. forces left the country. The result of that was Hollywoodgate. I was happy recently to be asked by IDA to do a video chat with Nash'at, which allowed us to expand on that earlier conversation. We talked about war and Wiseman. Hope you enjoy.

Rosie Lowe - "Mood to Make Love"

Want some dreamy indie vibes? I got ya.

'Smile 2' Review

I really liked the first Smile. But this new one? It never finds the right rhythm. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With Sean Baker, Writer-Director of 'Anora'

Sean Baker is such a fan of indie theaters, I had a thought: Why not interview him at one for the Los Angeles Times? That's how I found myself at Gardena Cinema for the first time. He and I chatted about strip clubs, film school, sex workers, panic attacks and winning the Palme d'Or for Anora. (I also talked to three actors who have worked with him -- Mikey Madison, Simon Rex and Brooklynn Prince -- to get a sense of what he's like as a director.) Needless to say, I was very pleased with how this turned out. Hope you enjoy. 

(Photo by Carlin Stiehl.)

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Saturday Night,' 'The Apprentice' and 'La Haine'

How did Saturday Night Live become Saturday Night Live? How did Donald Trump turn into Donald Trump? Two movies try to answer those questions, and we reviewed them both on the podcast this week. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1995's La Haine. Hear the whole thing down below.

No Doubt - "Hella Good"

The only No Doubt song I ever really liked was this Rock Steady single. "Hella Good" has been in my life a lot lately as it's featured prominently in Piece by Piece and it's used in the promos for High Potential. So here you go.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Joker 2,' 'Will & Harper' and 'The Dead'

No surprise that we didn't like the Joker sequel, although it inspired some interesting conversation. On this week's episode, we also discussed the well-intentioned but flawed Netflix documentary Will & Harper and went back to 1987 to assess John Huston's The Dead. Hear the whole thing down below.

'Piece by Piece' Review

Pharrell Williams and Morgan Neville had an unconventional idea for a documentary about the superstar producer: Why not do it all in Lego animation? 

Does that strategy pay off? Here's my review of Piece by Piece.

Hamburg 2024: 'Pooja, Sir' Review

In Pooja, Sir, director Deepak Rauniyar draws from actual events to tell the story of a Nepalese detective (played by his wife Asha Magrati) tasked with finding two missing boys, discovering in the process the deep divisions within the country's different ethnic groups. I reviewed this somber thriller for Screen International.

A History of the Joker Being Funny (or Not)

In honor of Joker: Folie à Deux, I wrote a little something for Cracked about the Clown Prince of Crime. Specifically, I tried to answer this question: Is the Joker actually a funny supervillain? Hope you enjoy.

Kris Kristofferson - "For the Good Times"

There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Megalopolis,' 'A Different Man' and Differing on 'Wolfs'

A supersized episode of the podcast this week, featuring reviews of four new movies. Neither of us liked Francis Ford Coppola's film, but there was much to discuss. Elsewhere, I rave about A Different Man, we debate whether The Wild Robot ends at the right time, and we split on the George Clooney/Brad Pitt action-comedy. Check out this two-hour episode down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Coppola, Clooney and 'Saturday Night'

What a treat to be on with Christy Lemire to talk about movies. We reviewed Megalopolis, Wolfs, The Wild Robot and Saturday Night. Check out our segment down below.

Lyrics Born - "Callin' Out"

Lyrics Born's new album will be his last. Let's enjoy this banger in his honor.

'Saturday Night': What Parts of the Film Are Real? And Which Are Invented?

This Friday, Saturday Night opens in theaters. For Cracked, I did a little fact-checking of this comedy-drama, which looks back at the tense behind-the-scenes preparations before the airing of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Substance,' 'His Three Daughters' and a Sundance Gem

It feels like serious-movie season is finally upon us. On the podcast, we review three awards-buzz films: one that premiered at Cannes (The Substance), one that premiered in Toronto (His Three Daughters), and one that premiered at Sundance (In the Summers). Check out our thoughts down below.

'In the Summers' Review

It was one of my favorite films at Sundance. Now, it's out in select cities. For the Los Angeles Times, I reviewed the wonderful In the Summers.

The Paranoid Style - "Are You Loathsome Tonight?"

As she describes herself on her website, Elizabeth Nelson is a journalist, copywriter and songwriter. She's the frontwoman for the Paranoid Style, releasing a series of albums that have received little radio play but have been lauded by all the right critics. The band's most recent album, The Interrogator, is described by Nelson as "sounds something like Elvis Costello's mid-career masterpiece Blood & Chocolate as reimagined by Eliminator-era ZZ Top. Laced with malign landlords, nighttime debauchery, tedious group chats, banana splits and felony murder, no single album of 2024 will better capture the hectic, nervous, dislocating, end-of-Democracy-precipice that is our exhilarating brief. Glam rock for the end times." 

A bit much? Sure, and probably more than a bit tongue-in-cheek. I'm not as jubilant about the record as other critics are, but "Are You Loathsome Tonight?" is my kind of bitter, sad and resigned.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,' 'Rebel Ridge' and My Fall Film Festival Report

We're back! It's been several weeks, but on this week's episode, we reunite to discuss Tim Burton's smash sequel and Jeremy Saulnier's quietly great Netflix thriller. Also, I talk a bit about Venice and Toronto. Check it all out below.
 

Venice/Telluride/Toronto 2024: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

"How long were you out of the country?"

When I went through customs in Toronto on the way back to Los Angeles, I actually had to think about that question for a minute. For the first time since 2019, I did the fall festival double-shot of Venice and Toronto, which I very much enjoyed. Nonetheless, when it was all over, I could feel that I'd been away from home for quite some time. While I'd been gone, I'd ridden water buses and suffered through some pretty bad humidity. Then I got to Toronto and battled rain and chilly evenings. At some point along the way, I may have pulled a leg muscle. You never know what festivals are going to throw at you, but that's the fun -- you're just grateful to be part of the experience.

All told, I was gone about 17 days, seeing a ton of movies at both Venice and Toronto. Not that you can catch everything, of course: Conflicting screenings and other logistics kept me from April, Diciannove, Hard Truths, The Life of Chuck, Vermiglio and others. (Plus: Nickel Boys only screened in Telluride.) But I'll get to them all in due time. What matters is the amount I did catch, and the memories I now have of seeing so many of these films at their first screenings. That communal spirit -- that shared moment of discovery -- is incredibly special. I missed Susan, and I'm glad to be home, but those memories keep replaying in my head.

The below rankings are a list of everything I've seen that played at the three festivals, either over the last few weeks or at some point earlier this year. (You'll recognize several Cannes titles, not to mention a few Sundance films.) Links lead to individual reviews...

53. Megalopolis
52. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
51. William Tell
50. Nutcrackers
49. Joker: Folie à Deux
48. King Ivory
47. The Assessment
46. Eden
45. Oh, Canada
44. Emilia Perez
43. Heretic
42. Rumours 
41. Babygirl
40. We Live in Time
39. The Shrouds
38. The Outrun
37. Will & Harper
36. Bring Them Down
35. Nightbitch
34. Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass
33. Misericordia
32. I, the Executioner
31. Conclave
30. The Substance
29. Sudan, Remember Us
28. Chain Reactions
27. The Girl With the Needle
26. Paul & Paulette Take A Bath
25. The Order
24. Better Man
23. Sharp Corner
22. Separated
21. Wolfs
20. Bird
19. September 5
18. Presence
17. I’m Still Here
16. Queer
15. Maria
14. The Wild Robot
13. Flow
12. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
11. Homegrown
10. Pavements
9. All We Imagine as Light
8. The Room Next Door
7. The End
6. Anora
5. Grand Tour
4. Caught by the Tides
3. The Brutalist
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig
1. A Real Pain

I imagine some folks will look at my rankings and exclaim, "Really? Megalopolis is really the worst movie you saw?" I'm looking forward to revisiting the Francis Ford Coppola film, and I've told anyone in earshot that they really do owe it to themselves to see it, just so they can make up their own mind about this ambitious swing. But, yes, I do find it a crushing disappointment. Likewise, I am working on gut instinct when I say that Jesse Eisenberg's beautifully intimate character study A Real Pain is slightly greater than the far more imposing works by Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) and Brady Corbet (The Brutalist). They all demand a rewatch, so we'll see how the end-of-the-year list-making shakes out.

But for now, I'll say that Venice and Toronto provided me with some excellent movies and a few cases where I'm very much out of the consensus. I know many who loathe The End, whereas plenty think I'm wrong for being lukewarm on Babygirl. But these are my rankings. Consider this post a preview of coming attractions of the movies worth putting on your radar, even if you end up liking some of them more or less than I do.

Toronto 2024: 'The Assessment' Review

The Assessment is set in a near future where society has gone to hell. How bad is it? Couples have to be "assessed" to determine if they are allowed to have children. Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel play one such couple, with Alicia Vikander as their assessor. Things get weird from there, as I describe in my Screen International review.

James Earl Jones' Essential Performances

In memory of the legendary stage and screen actor, we highlighted nine of his most memorable films. Hope you enjoy.

Robbie Williams - "Rock DJ"

My most euphoric moment at this year's Toronto Film Festival? This scene in Better Man.

Toronto 2024: 'Bring Them Down' Review

The familiar anguish of emotionally stunted young men inflicting their misery on one another is the focus of Bring Them Down, which takes place in a small Irish community that's consumed with old feuds and buried secrets. So what makes this pitiless drama work? Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'Sharp Corner' Review

In Sharp Corner, Ben Foster plays a husband and father who has moved his family into what they think is a great new house. It's the darnedest thing, though: Because of a dangerous turn on the road in front of their place, car accidents happen with alarming frequency. The Foster character responds to this in the most intriguing of ways. My review of this psychological drama is here.

Toronto 2024: 'Nutcrackers' Review

David Gordon Green has spent the last several years making Halloween films (and an Exorcist movie that tanked). But with Nutcrackers, he switches gears, casting Ben Stiller as a workaholic who has to take care of his dead sister's kids. Will tears be jerked? My review is here.

Toronto 2024: 'William Tell' Review

Is this moment included in William Tell? You know it! I reviewed the mediocre drama about the legendary folk hero for Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'Better Man' Review

At the Toronto premiere of his biopic Better Man, Robbie Williams came out before the movie and cheekily reminded the audience that, in the U.K., he was a pretty big deal. It is amusing that the film is playing here (and, previously, in Telluride) since he was never the sensation in North America that he was in his homeland. Nonetheless, I found plenty to enjoy in this candid, snarky, surprisingly audacious and moving film. My review is up over at Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'The Wild Robot' Review

 

Beautifully animated and touchingly told, The Wild Robot will open later this month. But I saw it early at the Toronto Film Festival. You can read my review here.

Toronto 2024: 'Eden' Review

In Eden, Ron Howard explores humanity's dark side in a way he really never has in his career. Based on a true story, this psychological thriller looks at a group of disparate individuals who all move to an isolated island in the Galapagos, unhappy about the presence of the others. I reviewed this uneven but fascinating film for Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'Conclave' Review

The Pope has died, which means the Catholic Church must vote for a new pontiff. For Screen International, I reviewed a thriller some think could be a major awards contender, Conclave.

Toronto 2024: 'We Live in Time' Review

We Live in Time stars Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield as a couple dealing with a cancer diagnosis. That's not a novel idea for a romantic drama, but the film's narrative structure is ... kind of. I explain more in my Screen International review.

Toronto 2024: 'Heretic' Review

In recent years, Hugh Grant has gravitated toward playing heels. But in the horror-thriller Heretic, he really embraces his inner creep in the story of a seemingly kindly homeowner who may talk two female missionaries to death. I reviewed this salute to cinema's evilest mansplainer over at Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'Nightbitch' Review

In Marielle Heller's latest, Amy Adams plays a beleaguered stay-at-home mom who thinks she might be turning into a dog. And maybe that's a good thing? My review of Nightbitch is here.

Venice 2024: 'Paul & Paulette Take a Bath' Review

In Paul & Paulette Take a Bath, Jeremie Galiana and Marie Benati star as the titular lovers who have a whirlwind affair. But is their relationship built to last? My final Venice review of this year is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2024: 'The End' Review

Decorated documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer has made his first feature. It's a musical about the end of the world. I think it's pretty terrific. Here's my review of The End.

La Bionda - "One for You, One for Me"

My favorite musical discovery at this year's Venice Film Festival? This 1978 disco track. Appropriately, it's from an Italian duo.

Venice 2024: 'Joker: Folie a Deux' Review

I loved Joker. Sadly, I did not love the sequel. For Screen International, I reviewed Joker: Folie a Deux.

Venice 2024: 'King Ivory' Review

Filmmaker John Swab was addicted to opiates for about 10 years. So his latest action-thriller, King Ivory, which is about the War on Drugs, would seem to be something he understood passionately. And yet, the film is oddly generic. My review is live over at Screen International. 

Venice 2024: 'The Order' Review

In 1983, the FBI went after a white supremacist group causing havoc in the Pacific Northwest. In 2024, that story has been adapted for the big screen. For Screen International, I reviewed The Order.

Venice 2024: 'Babygirl' Review

Venice has its first critically-acclaimed sensation: Babygirl, the new film from the writer-director of Bodies Bodies Bodies. I have to admit: I was pretty mixed on it. My review is here.

Venice 2024: 'Homegrown' Review

Three far-right Americans are chronicled in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election in the documentary Homegrown. Among the things I really like about this upsetting film, there is zero attempt to "humanize" these people. My review is here.

Mannequin Pussy - "I Don't Know You"

Happy Labor Day Weekend. Turn this one up loud.

Venice 2024: 'Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass' Review

It's been nearly 20 years since the Quay Brothers made a film. They return with a movie that has a mouthful of a title. I reviewed Sanatorium for Screen International.

Venice 2024: 'September 5' Review

At the 1972 Summer Olympics, a tragedy occurred. You probably know what I'm referring to, but the new movie September 5 takes a unique perspective on the events, focusing on the team at ABC Sports who covered the crisis in real time. My review is here.

Venice 2024: 'Separated' Review

Errol Morris wanted to make a film about the Trump administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy, which cruelly ripped children away from their parents. The result is Separated, which I reviewed for Screen International.

Remembering Brandon Lee, Who Made 'The Crow' Fly

I was there opening weekend 30 years ago when The Crow debuted in theaters. Like most everyone, I was aware that the film's rising star, Brandon Lee, had died tragically during an accidental shooting in the midst of production. I haven't seen the film since, so now that there's a new version of the film out this weekend, it seemed like a good time to revisit the original, which still holds up. My appreciation of Lee is up at Rolling Stone.

'The Crow' Review

Back in 2011, when I was working at Yahoo, I must have written a thousand posts about a potential remake of The Crow. Seemed like, every other day, there was news that this actor or that director was "circling" the project, only for it to fall apart, again and again. I seriously assumed it would just never happen. Well, I was wrong: Today, a new Crow hits theaters. It's very bland, as I explain in my Screen International review.

The Marvelettes - "Too Many Fish in the Sea"

It's been almost exactly 60 years since this song was recorded. I haven't heard it in forever, and it jumped out of the speakers. Just 148 perfect seconds.

My Interview With Dave and John Chernin, Writer-Directors of 'Incoming'

Dave and John are brothers who grew up in Los Angeles around the film business. (Their dad is Peter Chernin.) The brothers are comedy writers who worked on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and created The Mick. And now they've made the sort of foul-mouthed, super-crass, R-rated comedy they grew up loving. But is there a world for those movies anymore? For Cracked, I talked to them about Incoming.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Alien: Romulus' and Your 2024 Fall Film Festival Preview

I'll be leaving shortly for Venice and Toronto. So, there's a lot to talk about on this week's episode. First, we review Alien: Romulus, which we differed on. Then, we list 10 movies we're excited about that will be premiering at festivals over the next couple weeks. Looking for an early awards-season preview? Here you go.