The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Crime Comedies, Sci-Fi Debacles and 'Cuckoo'

How can you tell we're reaching the end of summer? Because the movies that are coming out are pretty crummy. On this week's episode, we review The Instigators and Borderlands. Also, we differ on Cuckoo, a horror movie that might be too weird for its own good. Check out our chat down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Reviewing 'Cuckoo,' 'Good One' and 'It Ends With Us'

Katie Walsh and I were on KCRW this morning discussing this weekend's releases. Did we make fun of Borderlands? You better believe it. We also reviewed a German horror film, a lovely American indie drama and It Ends With Us. Hope you enjoy our segment.

'Borderlands' Review

Not a big fan of Eli Roth, I did not have high expectations for Borderlands. But this movie truly stinks, despite Cate Blanchett having a little fun as an ass-kicking action hero. My review is live at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Super-Pets,' 'Resurrection' and 'Sharp Stick'

We didn't see eye-to-eye on DC League of Super-Pets and Resurrection, but we were both fascinated by Lena Dunham's latest, which doesn't quite work but has a lot going on thematically. You can hear the episode down below.

'DC League of Super-Pets' Review

What if Superman had a dog who also had superpowers? And was voiced by Dwayne Johnson? That's the pretty adorable conceit behind DC League of Super-Pets. I wish the movie was funnier, though. My review is up at Screen International.

I Miss the Dwayne Johnson of 'Central Intelligence'

The last comedy from the Rock that I really enjoyed? This one.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Pixar, Bad Sequels, Sparks and 'Fatherhood'

We dig into four new movies on this week's podcast. We both discuss Luca and Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Will asks me about The Sparks Brothers, and I ask him about Kevin Hart's latest, Fatherhood. You can hear the whole thing down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Sandler, Nazis, Bombings and 'Jumanji'

Christy Lemire and I were on KCRW yesterday reviewing some of this weekend's movies. We talk about Uncut Gems, A Hidden Life, Richard Jewell and Jumanji: The Next Level. All the fun can be heard down below.

'Jumanji: The Next Level' Review

In preparation for reviewing Jumanji: The Next Level, I finally caught Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Many people told me that movie was fun. They were right; I was shocked how good (and even moving) it was. All of this is to say I was pretty disappointed with the new film, particularly because the last one was such a pleasant surprise. I wrote about The Next Level for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Upside,' Oscar Nominations and 'Idiocracy'

We're back! On this week's episode, we differ on The Upside, which was a surprise No. 1 hit over the weekend. Then, we make our predictions for the Oscar nominations. And then we confess to each other that we don't really like Idiocracy. Hear the whole thing down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Night School,' 'Hold the Dark' and 'The Old Man & the Gun'

On this week's episode, we set aside Reboots to review three new movies. It was nice to go this long on Hold the Dark in particular. Check out the whole thing down below.

Some Thoughts on 'Night School'

Why is Kevin Hart so funny on stage but so very much less so on screen? I answer that question over at MEL, plus I have some other thoughts about Night School.

Will Ferrell and His Comedy Sidekicks

In many of Will Ferrell's movies, he works off a sidekick: John C. Reilly, Kevin Hart or, in the case of Daddy's Home 2, Mark Wahlberg. For MEL, I decided to rank all of his comedic wingmen. Check out the results here.

'Get Hard' Review

You can probably start officially worrying about Will Ferrell's career. After The Campaign and Anchorman 2 (which I actually liked), he's begun to seem less relevant and fresh as a comic star. (Never mind that Anchorman 2 was a massive hit.) He's back with Get Hard, where he and Kevin Hart throw Molotov cocktails at all sorts of P.C. topics. For their trouble, they've been labeled racist and homophobic. I'm not that down on the movie, but I don't think it works. I reviewed Get Hard for Deadspin.

Update: On Wednesday, I was on Studio 11 LA to discuss whether or not the film was racist. You can see my segment here.