Traffic - "Feelin' Alright?"

Joe Cocker made the song a hit. But Traffic recorded the original. Rest in peace, Dave Mason.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Christophers,' Another 'Mummy' and 'Normal'

Susan and I were away this past weekend, but that did not stop Will and me from recording our podcast. (We taped some segments beforehand and some during the trip.) You can hear us discuss Steven Soderbergh's latest, as well as Lee Cronin's The Mummy and Normal, both of which stink. Oh, and I talk about Citizen Kane a little as well. Hope you enjoy.  

'Michael' Review

Sight unseen, there were reasons to dread Michael. And, indeed, the movie is a stinker, both in terms of what it shows and what it leaves out about Michael Jackson's life. My review is up at Screen International. 

The Legacy of 'Leaving Neverland'

It has now been seven years since I saw Leaving Neverland. I've never forgotten it. Sadly, curious viewers will be unable to track the film down. For the A.V. Club, I wrote about a stunning documentary that has been buried. 

Massive Attack and Tom Waits - "Boots on the Ground"

I've thus far been mostly unmoved by the well-meaning but strained protest songs that have been written this year in response to Trump's myriad crimes and indecencies. But this Massive Attack and Tom Waits collaboration is just the right amount of snarling and sour. Maybe it works so well because it was actually written a while ago.

'Lee Cronin's The Mummy' Review

I liked Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise. But I did not care for Lee Cronin's The Mummy. I explain why over at Screen International. 

'Lorne' Review

Does the world need another movie about Saturday Night Live? Lorne, a documentary about SNL creator Lorne Michaels, thinks so. I disagree: My review is up at the A.V. Club. 

My Interview With Werner Herzog, Director of 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is back in theaters, now in IMAX. It seemed like the perfect time to talk to Werner Herzog, who gave me his thoughts on art, 3D, ghosts and albino mutant crocodiles. Always enjoy speaking with him: You can read our conversation here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Drama,' 'Outcome' and 'Exit 8'

After a week off, we're back! And we're here to talk about how terrible Outcome is. Also, we differ on The Drama and get lost in Exit 8. You can hear all our thoughts down below.

Albert Hammond - "It Never Rains in Southern California"

Anybody who lives in Los Angeles knows it rains here. In fact, it's supposed to rain a decent amount this weekend. Invariably, when we get precipitation, someone will mention Albert Hammond's 1972 hit. So let's give it a listen. 

(Also felt appropriate to post this song the weekend that his son, Albert Hammond, Jr., plays Coachella with his reunited band the Strokes.)

'Outcome' Review

So much talent in front of and behind the camera is wasted in Outcome, Jonah Hill's unfunny dark comedy about cancel culture in Hollywood. I dissect the corpse over at the A.V. Club. 

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Mario & Luigi & Zendaya & Robert Pattinson & 'Yes' & 'Kontinental '25'

Provocateurs dominate my segment of Press Play, where Shawn Edwards and I reviewed the button-pushing The Drama, Yes and Kontinental '25. As for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it mostly provoked me to despair for society at large. You can hear our conversation down below.

My Interview With Shira Small

This article is a long time coming. In fact, I didn't know if it would ever happen. Four years ago, I devoted a Friday Video to an artist I had just discovered: Shira Small. As I explained back then, I had recently stumbled upon her song "My Life's All Right" while going through Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist. The track bewitched me, even more so when I realized it was from 1974. How had I never heard it before? Soon, I was digging into the album that included the song, The Line of Time and the Plane of Now. I instantly became a fan.

Then, a funny thing happened, Small's sister Beverly reached out after seeing my post. Would I want to write an article about Shira? I was very intrigued. She was only a teenager when she made her album, and then never recorded another. But I didn't have a good hook for the piece. Still, I never stopped thinking about The Line of Time and the Plane of Now, which I listen to constantly.

Cut to March 2026. I'm at a screening of The Drama. Early on in the film, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's characters are practicing their first dance for their wedding. Suddenly, a song comes on that knocks me sideways. It's "I Want to Lay With You," from The Line of Time and the Plane of Now. I thought I was one of the few people who had heard the record. How did this A24 movie find it? At last, I had the hook I'd been looking for.

With much thanks to my Los Angeles Times editor Josh Rothkopf, who loved the idea instantly, I reached out to Small, who turns 70 in June, to interview her about her short-lived music career and learn what she's been up to since. It was a pleasure to finally meet her and talk about an album that means a lot to me. (I also spoke to, among others, The Drama's music supervisor, who was also a fan of Small.) 

Sometimes, you have ideas that just sit inside you for years. You think they'll be something you never get to write. I am so very glad this dream piece finally happened.

You can read my profile of Shira Small here. I hope you enjoy. 

Mclusky - "To Hell With Good Intentions"

How about a sunny message for Easter weekend? 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'They Will Kill You,' 'Alpha' and 'Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice'

It's an 0-for-3 week for me on the podcast: I didn't like any of the films we discussed. You can hear our discussion down below.