'Paint' Isn't About Bob Ross (and Other Movies Very Clearly Based on Real People)

Owen Wilson's new comedy made me think of other films in which we know who the main character is supposed to be, even though the movie itself lightly fictionalizes that person. I did an analysis of these roman a clefs here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Cocaine Bear,' 'Skinamarink' and 'Margin Call'

The listeners demanded we review Skinamarink, a buzzy horror movie that came out earlier this year. We obliged, and we also talked about Cocaine Bear. And then in our Reboot segment, we went back to 2011's Margin Call. That film is still a corker.

Hear the whole thing down below.

Who Played Lex Luthor Best?

This week's Debate Club tries to answer that question. Our findings are over at SyFy.

'Baby Driver' Review

I think I've made peace with the fact that Edgar Wright is a filmmaker for other people. Baby Driver, like many of his movies, is very entertaining and innovative. But there's nothing underneath the whiz-bang exterior. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Elvis, Nixon, Warren Beatty and Lisbeth Salander

Many things to dig into in this week's edition of the Grierson & Leitch podcast. We review Elvis & Nixon. I speak briefly about The Huntsman: Winter's War and A Hologram for the King. And then we feature two films in our Reboot segment: The Parallax View and David Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I was glad to see Tattoo again, by the way -- that movie really is exceptional. You can hear the whole podcast here.

'Elvis & Nixon' Review

Michael Shannon is Elvis Presley, Kevin Spacey is Richard Nixon, and Elvis & Nixon is a comedy-drama that imagines what these two luminaries talked about when they hung out briefly at the White House in 1970. Overly pleased with itself, the film is pretty superficial, as I discuss in my Screen International review.

Kevin Spacey, Before He Was Kevin Spacey

Glengarry Glen Ross is the Movie of the Week over at The Dissolve. Today, I look into Kevin Spacey's crucial performance in that film. Remember, this was back in 1992, before most people knew who he was. That makes a difference. I explain why right here.

Cold as Ice: Sex and 'House of Cards'

For my weekly Playboy column, I turn my attention to House of Cards, which is back on Friday. Specifically, I dig into how the show depicts sex and love. It's a cold, cold world out there, people. Here's my column.

Is 'Superman Returns' Underrated?

Later today, I'm going to be seeing Man of Steel, a movie I'm quite excited to see. (Although I've always preferred Batman to Superman, c'mon, he's still Superman.) I got to thinking about Superman Returns, a movie that (to my mind) doesn't deserve the reputation it's received over the years. Maybe it wasn't a big enough hit, and maybe it has its flaws, but I have a fondness for Bryan Singer's reboot attempt. Over at Deadspin, I defend the film to the best of my abilities.