The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Scary Movie,' 'Masters of the Universe' and 'Power Ballad'

Folks, I'm not gonna soft-pedal it: We review three duds on this week's episode. Hey, it happens. You can hear the full episode down below.

'Power Ballad' Review

John Carney is the man behind music-related movies like Once and Sing Street. His latest involves a wedding singer (Paul Rudd) and a faded pop star (Nick Jonas) who cross paths, changing each other in the process. Here's my review of the so-so Power Ballad. 

'Anaconda' Review

 
Jack Black and Paul Rudd star in this horror-comedy in which two failures decide to follow their dream of remaking Anaconda. It's a potentially funny idea, but it fizzles out pretty quickly. My review is up at Screen International. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Mission: Impossible,' 'Friendship' and My Cannes Recap

I'm back from Cannes, which means it's time to get the podcast back up and running. We reviewed Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (and I told the funny story of why I didn't end up reviewing it for Screen International). Then, we disagreed about the new Tim Robinson comedy Friendship. Last but not least, I offered some takeaways from this year's Cannes. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Dead Unicorns, Jason Statham and 'Enemy of the State'

Two dud new movies lead off this week's episode: Death of a Unicorn and A Walking Man. But things brighten up a bit when we go back to the 1990s for a Reboot request: Tony Scott's Enemy of the State. Check it all out down below.

SXSW 2025: 'Death of a Unicorn' Review

Is it a horror movie? A dark comedy? A twisted fairy tale? A social commentary? A story about grief? All of the above: For Screen International, I reviewed the very uneven Death of a Unicorn.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Fighting About 'Road House,' Lamenting the New 'Ghostbusters'

This week's podcast featured three new movies, all of which I didn't like. Will and I disagree about Road House, albeit rather mildly, and we also discuss Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Immaculate. Check it all out down below.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Review

At least it's not as bad as the last one. For Screen International, I reviewed Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

The Comedies I'm Curious to See in 2024

Will IF stink? What's this movie about a unicorn? I have the answers for you.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Debating 'Quantumania,' Revisiting 'The Tree of Life' and 'Life Is Beautiful'

We disagree about the latest Ant-Man adventure, which opens the door to a larger discussion about the state of the MCU. Also in this episode, we have two Reboot segments. Has The Tree of Life lost a little of its stature over the years? And how would the world react to Life Is Beautiful if it came out today? We've got the answers below.

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Review

In case you lost track, Quantumania is the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's also the movie that kicks off Phase Five. But never mind all that: Is it any good? My review is up at Screen International.

The Legacy of the Frat Pack

There's a new Apple TV+ series, The Shrink Next Door, that stars Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell, two actors who were part of what was known as the Frat Pack. Remember that? For MEL, I looked back at the early Aughts to determine what the big deal was.

Some Thoughts on 'Living With Yourself'

I wrote about Paul Rudd, clones, regret, "Give It to Me Baby" and Living With Yourself for MEL.

The Worst Genre Films of 2018

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

Mousterpiece Cinema: 'Ant-Man and the Wasp'

Yours truly appeared on the 359th episode of Mousterpiece Cinema to go long on Ant-Man and the Wasp. I talked about what Marvel's doing right that Lucasfilm could learn from. You can hear the whole thing down below.

Some Thoughts on 'Ant-Man and the Wasp'

Is Paul Rudd smug?

Is truth serum a real thing?

What is Michelle Pfeiffer's best film of 2018?

I answer those questions, and explain why I want more small-stakes blockbusters like Ant-Man and the Wasp, over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ant-Men, 'Sorry to Bother You' and 'Ikiru'

On this week's episode, we discuss Ant-Man and the Wasp. (I liked it better than Will did.) Then we review Sorry to Bother You. (I liked it less than Will did.) And then, in our Reboot segment, we look back to Ikiru. You can hear the whole thing down below.

'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Review

I wasn't much of a fan of the first Ant-Man. So I was pleased by how much more I enjoyed Ant-Man and the Wasp. The trick, it seems to me, is that this sequel is relatively modest by the standards of Marvel blockbusters. It's winningly small-scaled, you might say. My review is up at Screen International.

'Ant-Man' Review

No great fan of Edgar Wright, I didn't burst into tears when it was announced that he was stepping aside from Marvel's Ant-Man project. Replaced by Peyton Reed, the film stars Paul Rudd but never has much comedic momentum. To be fair, its third act goes a long way toward making for an exciting theatrical experience, but it's not enough. All in all, I just feel very blah about Ant-Man: I prefer the studio's other heroes far more. I reviewed Ant-Man for Screen International.

'All Is Bright' Review

One of the films I was most curious about from this year's Tribeca Film Festival was Almost Christmas, the long-awaited follow-up film from director Phil Morrison, who last made the impeccable Junebug. The reviews out of Tribeca were disappointing, and this Friday the film comes to theaters with a new name, All Is Bright. Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd are somewhat enjoyable in this decidedly melancholy holiday comedy, but All Is Bright is definitely no Junebug. My review is up at Paste.