My Interview With Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong

Cheech & Chong have a new movie, a documentary called Cheech & Chong's Last Movie, which chronicles their legacy and their history of fighting. For Cracked, I talked to the guys about spirituality, drugs, Robert Altman, prison, the priesthood, the Palisades fires, and the things they still disagree about. Check it out here.

The Greatest Political Movies Ever

An election is upon us, so the fine folks at Rolling Stone put together a list of the best political movies, asking different writers to contribute to the final choices. I was very happy to talk a little about Secret Honor, Primary Colors, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ... and the movie that ended up at No. 1. Check it out.

Shelley Duvall's Greatest Performances

In honor of her passing, I highlighted five must-see films from Shelley Duvall. You can check out my list here.

Donald Sutherland's Finest Performances

In honor of Donald Sutherland's passing, I highlighted the actor's best films. Some are obvious choices, some a little less so. All are worth checking out.

Donald Sutherland, 1935-2024

I wrote about the man's life, career and legacy for Rolling Stone.

The Comeback of Robert Downey Jr.

For RogerEbert.com, I took a moment to appreciate that, 25 years ago, Robert Downey Jr. was at his lowest point, battling drug addiction and facing a prison sentence. Much has changed since, happily. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: My Sundance Recap and 'The Man in the Moon'

I am so behind on posting about the podcast. When I got back from Sundance, Will and I discussed my favorites from the festival. Plus, Will had actually seen one of the films, A Real Pain, so we reviewed it together. Then, in our Reboot segment, we looked back at California Split and The Man in the Moon. Check it all out down below.

What's the Funniest Movie to Win the Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy?

I offer my rankings over at Cracked.

'Extra Hot Great': Raving About 'The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'

William Friedkin died recently. His final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, is on Showtime and Paramount+. I was very happy to be on Extra Hot Great to sing the movie's praises. (We also talked about Scrubs, Julianne Moore, Netflix stand-up specials and Robert Altman.) Check it out down below.

'Barbie,' 'Popeye' and the Challenges of Adapting Beloved Characters for the Big Screen

Recently, director Greta Gerwig unveiled a list of movies that inspired her Barbie. One she didn't mention, though, was Popeye. For Cracked, I explained how that Robert Altman film's DNA is embedded in her movie. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Final Chapter of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' My Cannes Preview, and 'Short Cuts'

Big episode! We spent a lot of time talking about Vol. 3. Then, I previewed the five films I'm most intrigued to see at Cannes. And then we went back to 1993 to discuss Robert Altman's sweeping portrait of Los Angeles. Hear it all down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Godfather' and 'Brewster McCloud'

Two very different 1970s movies, but both so good. We talked about each of them on this week's episode. Plus, we discuss the future of theaters. Check out the whole thing down below.

Warren Beatty: His Love Stories

For MEL, I wrote about Warren Beatty's filmography through the prism of his onscreen romances. (Spoiler Alert: Not many of them end up happy.) Hope you enjoy.

The Never-Nominated

For MEL, I paid tribute to 10 all-time terrific films that didn't get any nominations -- no Oscar nods, no Golden Globes attention, not even a BAFTA. These are the great unloved of awards-season. Hope you enjoy.

The Best Films About Gambling

For the Super Bowl, Vulture asked us to pick 25 great movies about gambling. Pretty pleased with this list.

Some Thoughts on 'Uncut Gems'

For MEL, I talked about colon cancer, the Weeknd, California Split and Adam Sandler. In other words, I had a lot to say about Uncut Gems.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Mailbag Show, 'The House That Jack Built' and 'The Player'

We answer your questions on this week's episode, which leads to conversations about Netflix and what makes for a great movie. Then, we review Lars von Trier's latest provocation. Finally, in our Reboot segment, we take a look back at The Player. Enjoy.

An Ode to 'Short Cuts'

The Robert Altman classic hit theaters almost exactly 25 years ago. In honor (dishonor?) of Life Itself, I wrote about why Short Cuts remains the gold standard of movies about how we're all connected. You can read it over at Rolling Stone.

My Interview With Lily Tomlin

Yeah, I talked to Lily Tomlin. I actually hung out with her. It was kind of amazing. I made her cry -- not on purpose -- and I just let her tell me a bunch of stories. It was terrific. The reason for our meeting was to interview her for Backstage because she's getting the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She made me laugh a lot. She told me about working with Robert Altman. She's the best. Here's the piece.

Leonard Cohen & Robert Altman & 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller'

For Rolling Stone, I did a little digging into the history of McCabe & Mrs. Miller -- specifically, how its terrific Leonard Cohen soundtrack came together. It was all a bit of a happy accident, as it turns out. What a movie, and what two great artists. You can read my essay here.