The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Inside Out 2,' 'Tuesday,' 'Fruitvale Station'

We agreed on Pixar's latest but differed on the change-of-pace drama from Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Then we went back to 2013 to discuss Ryan Coogler's first film. Hear all of that, and more, down below.

'Inside Out 2' Review

Yeah, it got me. For Screen International, I reviewed the quite moving Inside Out 2.

My Interview With Ben Schwartz

For Cracked, I got to speak to the one and only Jean-Ralphio. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Ben Schwartz, which touched on improv, anxiety, rejection, family, gray hair and Nicolas Cage.

What Happened With 'The House'?

It's been five years since the Will Ferrell bomb hit theaters. For MEL, I make the case for why the film could have been good, even though it most certainly isn't.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Lucy and Desi' and 'Gold'

Christy Lemire and I dug into four new releases on KCRW last week, including Turning Red and The Adam Project. But let me direct you to the two films that are a little more under-the-radar: Zac Efron plays a guy trying to stay alive in the desert in Gold, while Amy Poehler makes a documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. You can hear our segment down below. 

When Stars Reunite ... but the Movie Isn't a Sequel

With Runaway Bride on Netflix, I was thinking about what an anomaly the film is: It reunites the stars of Pretty Woman but has nothing to do with Pretty Woman. For MEL, I wrote about the phenomenon of the non-sequel sequel.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wine Country,' 'Detective Pikachu' and My Cannes Preview

Man, Wine Country should be better than it is. We talk about it on this week's episode. Plus, I review Pokemon Detective Pikachu and then discuss the films at this year's Cannes that I'm most excited to see. The whole thing is down below.

Pop Culture and Politicians

For MEL, I spent a little time scouring through movies, TV and music to find some of the best/weirdest/funniest political ephemera. The Simpsons! Spitting Image! Mermaid Avenue! The Candidate! It's all here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Movies of 2017 (So Far)

On this week's podcast, we review Okja and The House. But the majority of the episode is devoted to our lists of the best films of the first half of 2017.

Let me say that these are the films I still need to see and will be dutifully catching up on over the next several months: Beatriz at Dinner, Contemporary Color, Dark Night, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, Heal the Living, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Kedi, Land of Mine, Last Man in Aleppo, The Lovers, My Journey Through French Cinema, A Quiet Passion and A Woman’s Life. So, yeah, I've got some work to do.

Listen to the whole thing here:



(Pssst..... my picks, in alphabetical order, are Casting JonBenet, Graduation, Hermia & Helena, It Comes at Night, The Lost City of Z and Personal Shopper.)

'The House' Review

Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler and Jason Mantzoukas are all really funny people. They're all in The House, which is a stunningly unfunny movie. Seriously, what happened? I gaze at the wreckage in my Paste review.

'Saturday Night Live' Recap: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Are Funny Enough

Much like their new film Sisters, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's hosting job on Saturday Night Live didn't require much from them and was likable enough. Not amazing, not brilliantly funny -- but, hey, good enough. For Rolling Stone, I recapped last night's episode. (My wife laughed as much as I did over "Meet Your Second Wife.") You can read my thoughts here.

'Sisters' Review

Yay, Tina Fey! Yay, Amy Poehler! Eh, Sisters ... which is barely good enough to recommend, just so long as we all promise not to think about it too much. I reviewed this hit-or-miss comedy for Paste.

Cannes 2015: 'Inside Out' Review

Whoever said Cannes only plays movies about the Holocaust and repressed 1950s lesbian lovers? This year, the festival also showed Inside Out, the latest from Pixar. It's darn good -- my only lament is that it's not even better. My review is up at Paste. (The film opens June 19.)

What Happened With 'Admission'?

We've had back-to-back weeks with comedy bombs at the box office. First, it was The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Now, it's Admission, which I think is underrated. Regardless, for IFC Fix, I did another of my Bomb Squad columns, figuring out why people weren't interested in this Tina Fey film. You can read my conclusions here.

'Admission' Review

I wish Admission was better than it is, but judging from other people's reviews, I still think I like it more than most folks do. This comedy-drama starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd really feels like a latter-day James L. Brooks film, which, I realize, isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. I wrestled with the movie's strengths and weaknesses in my review at Deadspin.

Sundance 2013 Review: 'A.C.O.D.'

Adam Scott is in danger of becoming the new Anna Faris. By this, I mean that he's an actor we all like whom we think should be a much bigger star than he is. But like Faris, he can't seem to make good choices. A.C.O.D. starts off with a funny premise but goes nowhere, unfortunately. For you Parks & Recreation fans, Amy Poehler is in this, too. She also is wasted in the movie. Really, everybody is. My review is up at Screen International.