The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: We Answer Your Questions and Revisit 'The Abyss'

A big thanks to our listeners, who sent us so many great questions. We tried to answer as many as we could on this week's episode. Then, in our Reboot segment, we look back at 1989's The Abyss. (Yup, we did the director's cut.) Dive in down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About 'Avatar 2'

There's no spoilers in this review of Avatar: The Way of Water. Dive in with us!

'Avatar: The Way of Water' Review

It's been 13 years. Was it worth the wait? For Screen International, I reviewed James Cameron's much-anticipated sequel.

Crunching the Numbers on the 50 Films That Have Made a Billion Dollars

Top Gun: Maverick is the latest film to gross over a billion dollars worldwide. For MEL, I decided to figure out what these movies, if anything, had in common. This was a fun piece.

So, Who Directed the 'Lightyear' Movie Back in the 1990s?

Angus MacLane is the director (and co-writer) of Lightyear. But because the movie is supposed to be something that Toy Story's Andy watched back in the mid-1990s, that means someone else actually made the thing. So which filmmaker of that era would have most likely been the guy? For MEL, I came up with 10 possible choices, but I think my No. 1 pick is correct. Hope you enjoy.

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.

'Titanic' and the Challenge of Finding the Perfect Ending

This week, social media went nuts after the alternate, original ending for Titanic was rediscovered. My take is that bad endings are instructive because of what they suggest about what audiences expect from a "good" ending. (Also: What is a good ending?) My latest is up at MEL.

The Sequels That Destroyed Their Franchises

Hollywood will just keep pumping out sequels until audiences have had enough. For this week's edition of my MEL Ultimate Summer Movie Guide, I paid tribute to the franchise installments that turned viewers off, sometimes for good. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: "Raising Arizona,' 'Tucker and Dale vs Evil' and Looking Back at 1997

On this week's podcast, our Reboot segment is devoted to the Coen brothers' first comedy and a beloved festival favorite. But the majority of the show is dedicated to a discussion of 1997, a year that started with Star Wars (really) and ended with Titanic, a film that was destined to supplant it (at least at the box office). A very fun episode ... and you can hear the whole thing down below.

What's Arnold Schwarzenegger's Best Performance?

I still can't quite get over the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger was our governor. Anyway, for Vulture, we ranked his best performances. Read all about it.

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 Best Terminators (Who Weren't Arnold)

The Terminator franchise was built around the steely presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a killer robot. But when Arnold quit acting to pursue politics, the series had to come up with workarounds. For this week's Debate Club, we look back at the other Terminators. (But let's be honest: The best of the bunch was the one who tangled with the T-800 in T2.) Here's our list.

Some Thoughts on 'Terminator: Dark Fate'

For MEL, I wrote about Terminator: Dark Fate as part of a recent trend: the female-driven action movie. (I also talked a little about "You Could Be Mine" and Harlan Ellison.) Hope you enjoy.

What's the Best Terminator Movie (Not Directed by James Cameron)?

That's the subject of this week's Debate Club. You can find our answer here.

'Terminator: Dark Fate' Review

Dark Fate is the sixth Terminator film. It can't live up to the legacy of the terrific first two installments, but all in all, it's pretty decent. My review is up at Screen International.

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.

Sci-Fi's Best Imaginary Worlds

Oz, Pandora, the Shimmer ... for SyFy, we picked the best worlds in science fiction and fantasy. Hope you enjoy.

The Best Horror Sequels

Sorry, no Scream films. And did we pick the wrong Halloween follow-up? Check out our latest installment of Debate Club.