Gene Hackman's Finest Films

I was flattered to be asked to help contribute to this Rolling Stone piece that provides a primer on Gene Hackman's best performances. These 20 films constitute a hall-of-fame career.

What Are the Best Films of the 1970s?

Rolling Stone asked me and others to send in ballots for the best 1970s movies. Then, the editors put together a list of the top 100 and had us write up capsules. You can read me on Harlan County U.S.A., Carnal Knowledge, A Woman Under the Influence, Stalker, Scenes From a Marriage, The Last Waltz and The Godfather here.

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.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Going Back to 'Collateral' and 'Dog Day Afternoon'

This week's episode only features one new review, the so-so Beast. But the real fun comes from our two Reboot movies, a classic Los Angeles crime film and a classic New York crime film. You can hear the whole thing down below.

What James Caan Brought to 'The Godfather'

In honor of James Caan's passing, Rolling Stone asked me to write about his impact on The Godfather, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was my honor to do so.

Talking About Film Festivals and Scouting (and 'The Godfather') With Keith Law

Recently, I was thinking about how Keith Law's job isn't that different than mine when I go to a film festival. Weirdly enough, completely independently he was thinking the same thing. So we had a talk about it. (Plus, he and his wife just watched all three Godfather movies for the first time, and he wanted to discuss that trilogy and Al Pacino's role in it.) Very happy to be back on The Keith Law Show. You can hear my episode below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Godfather' and 'Brewster McCloud'

Two very different 1970s movies, but both so good. We talked about each of them on this week's episode. Plus, we discuss the future of theaters. Check out the whole thing down below.

Al Pacino Is the MVP of 'The Godfather'

The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary by being re-released this upcoming weekend. For MEL, I rhapsodize about Al Pacino, who gives the trilogy its soul. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Three Films About Families

I only now realized that this week's episode covered three films that deal with difficult families: House of Gucci, Encanto and The Humans. Guess which one I liked best.

Or you could just listen and find out.

'House of Gucci' Puts the Rich on Blast

There's no shortage of popular entertainment about how awful the wealthy are. But there's always room for one more. For MEL, I indulged in the seductive, tacky pleasures of House of Gucci.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Here's Your Sundance 2021 Preview

No new movies this week. Instead, I give a preview of this year's surreal Sundance Film Festival. And then we dig into two Reboots: The Insider and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Get it while it's hot.

Let's Rank Russell Crowe's Movies

Now that Unhinged is out, let's consider the career of Russell Crowe. For Vulture, we ranked his performances. I think our top pick isn't very controversial.

Five Replacements for 'Tenet'

Folks, Tenet is probably not coming out this summer. The Christopher Nolan thriller was set to open yesterday, so for Vulture, we offered five streaming alternatives. Hope you enjoy.

'Hunters' Review

The Amazon series Hunters has the soul of a graphic novel as it tells the story of a group of Nazi-hunters in 1977. Five episodes in, I'm underwhelmed.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Irishman,' 'The King' and 'Motherless Brooklyn'

Sure, we review Terminator: Dark Fate on this week's podcast, but it's actually more interesting to dig into The King and Motherless Brooklyn. But the majority of the show is given over to The Irishman, for obvious reasons. Hear the whole thing down below.

Some Thoughts on 'The Irishman'

I think The Irishman is terrific. I tried to explain why over at MEL.

What's the Best Heist Film?

In honor of Ocean's 8, Will and I wrote about the 25 greatest heist movies. Will yours make the list? Probably not: Feel free to yell at us on social media. The piece is up at Vulture.

What's Al Pacino's Best Performance?

That's the question Will and I try to answer over at Vulture. Lots and lots movies, people. But I think we got No. 1 right.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: We've Got Answers

For our first podcast of the new year, Will and I respond to a bunch of listener questions. This is one of my favorite episodes we've done so far -- it's a good FAQ for our philosophy on movies and criticism. (Plus, you get to hear a little of our backstory.) Later, for our Reboot segment, we tackle Michael Mann's Heat. I thought it was overrated then -- and I still do. Hear Episode 50 here.

'Manglehorn' Review

Oh, Al. Over the last couple decades, Mr. Pacino has found himself in one misfire after another, with the notable exception of something like Heat or The Insider. His latest, Manglehorn, is an indie character piece in which he plays the titular locksmith struggling to make sense of a life that's passed him by. There are surface pleasures to be found here, but not enough to recommend. I reviewed Manglehorn for Paste.