The 101 Best Los Angeles Movies

This has been in the works for a little while, so I'm glad it's finally out there in the world. The Los Angeles Times has put together a list of the all-time best L.A. movies. I didn't have a say in the final rankings, although I contributed a ballot alongside my fellow critics and journalists, but I did write several of the capsules. I was very happy to heap praise on Barton Fink, Devil in a Blue Dress, Die Hard, Inherent Vice, Killer of Sheep, Safe and A Woman Under the Influence. Check the whole list out here. 

'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.)

'The Sixth Sense' at 25

There were twist endings before The Sixth Sense. But in the 25 years since that film hit theaters, no twist has been as monumental, discussed or debated. For the Los Angeles Times, I looked back at the twist, and even talked to a couple folks who were working in Hollywood when M. Night Shyamalan's spec script went out on the market. Really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading.

A Salute to Some Cinematic Comedy Turkeys

In honor of Thanksgiving, I tried to pick the biggest comedy turkeys of all time. What qualifies? Read on.

Tom Hanks Hates 'The Bonfire of the Vanities'

Recently, Tom Hanks gave an interview where he discussed his disdain for people who actively hate particular movies. That said, he admitted that he hates some of his own movies. He wouldn't say which ones, but I know for a fact he's not a fan of The Bonfire of the Vanities. I went into that historic debacle here.

Saying Goodbye to Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis announced today he's stepping away from acting. It's a sad day, and I tried to encapsulate his importance over at MEL.

Super Bowl Weekend Isn't for the Fellas at the Multiplex

Traditionally, romantic comedies and horror movies open on the Friday before the Super Bowl. The thinking is that men tend to be too focused on the game to care about films. But that's been changing lately. I wrote about this shift for MEL.

The Four Kinds of Christmas Movies You See During the Summer

It's rare, but Hollywood sometimes releases Christmas-themed films at the multiplex during the warm weather months. I did a taxonomy over at MEL.

John McClane's Most Famous Line

This week, MEL is featuring stories about cowboys: the archetype, the myth, the symbol of a certain kind of rugged masculinity. My contribution was to write about how Die Hard made John McClane into a modern cowboy. (You know his catchphrase.) My piece is here.

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.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Your Fall Festival Preview, Plus 'Ready or Not' and 'The Fifth Element'

Greetings from Venice, Italy. On this week's podcast, Will and I discuss the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, with me listing a bunch of intriguing titles. Then, we differ on Ready or Not. And, for our closing number, we try to decipher Luc Besson's zany sci-fi epic The Fifth Element. The whole thing is down below.

Happy 20th Anniversary, 'The Sixth Sense'

For MEL, I wrote about the element of The Sixth Sense that has haunted me for two decades: Bruce Willis' performance. The whole film is a cautionary tale about being obsessed with your work at the expense of everything else. I wrote about this heartbreaking film right here.

Movies and Time Travel

Put aside Back the the Future for a second: What's the best film about time travel? That's the topic of this week's Debate Club.

The Best Twists (in Genre Films)

For Debate Club, Will and I picked the five best twist endings. Keep in mind, though, these had to be sci-fi, horror or cult films. You can read the list here.

Some Thoughts on 'Glass'

Glass really annoyed me, for personal reasons, which I get into over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Glass,' 'Fyre,' Sundance and 'What We Do in the Shadows'

Lots to cover in this week's podcast. We both rip on Glass and praise Fyre. (No, not the Hulu documentary. The other one.) I give a little Sundance preview, and then we look back at What We Do in the Shadows. Hear the whole episode down below.

The Worst Genre Films of 2018

Sorry, bad movies, but you were bad. Our list of the worst is up at SyFy.

The Best Christmas Scenes in Genre Movies

Ho ho ho. We had fun with this list over at SyFy.

Some Thoughts on 'Skyscraper'

The latest from Dwayne Johnson ended up being a commercial disappointment. You'd think a film that pays homage to Die Hard and features one of the planet's most charismatic actors would do better. For MEL, I talked about how that Bruce Willis film ushered in a new era of action flick -- and how Skyscraper represents the end of that era. Plus, I riff on duct tape and asthma. You can read it all here.

The History of 'Death Wish'

For MEL, I wanted to look back at the cultural climate that gave birth to the original Death Wish. Pretty fascinating, and also sort of depressing. You can read my piece here.