The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Mean Girls,' Sundance and Our Oscar Nominations

We're back after our holiday break, and we've got a big show for you. First, we review the Mean Girls musical. Then, we do a deep dive on Tina Fey's legacy. I give Will a preview of five films I'm really curious to see at Sundance. And, last but not least, we offer our predictions for who's getting nominated for Oscars on January 23. Check it all out down below.

'Mean Girls' Review

Not the old movie, the new musical. My review is up at Screen International.

Tina Fey in 2004 vs. Tina Fey in 2024

When the original Mean Girls came out, Tina Fey was a rising comic star. Twenty years later, the Mean Girls musical is on its way. The world views Fey very differently now. I wrote about what changed over at Cracked.

'A Haunting in Venice' Review

The third of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot films is the best. Here's my review of A Haunting in Venice.

My Interview With James Marsden

I'm not much of a reality-TV guy, but I was surprised by my reaction to Jury Duty, which is amusing but, mostly, very sweet. James Marsden plays an exaggerated version of himself in the series, the latest example of the X-Men star dissecting the hollow appeal of leading men. For Cracked, I had a long talk with him about the show, his career, comedy and his celebrity fantasy football league. (Turns out, the reason why he won last season is the exact same reason I lost my third-place match.) Hope you enjoy.

When 'Saturday Night Live' Stars Get Serious

For Cracked, I picked the finest dramatic work from several high-profile SNL cast members. I imagine some will disagree with my choices, but that's part of the fun, right? Hope you enjoy.

When Stars Reunite ... but the Movie Isn't a Sequel

With Runaway Bride on Netflix, I was thinking about what an anomaly the film is: It reunites the stars of Pretty Woman but has nothing to do with Pretty Woman. For MEL, I wrote about the phenomenon of the non-sequel sequel.

'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' Review

As a colleague pointed out, Paramount can't be super-proud of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot if it's allowing the embargo to lift right before the Oscars start and no one's paying attention. This comedy-drama about a journalist who went to Afghanistan post-9/11 has its intriguing quirks, but ultimately Tina Fey and a good cast can't save this uncertain material. My review is up at Screen International.

'Saturday Night Live' Recap: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Are Funny Enough

Much like their new film Sisters, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's hosting job on Saturday Night Live didn't require much from them and was likable enough. Not amazing, not brilliantly funny -- but, hey, good enough. For Rolling Stone, I recapped last night's episode. (My wife laughed as much as I did over "Meet Your Second Wife.") You can read my thoughts here.

'Sisters' Review

Yay, Tina Fey! Yay, Amy Poehler! Eh, Sisters ... which is barely good enough to recommend, just so long as we all promise not to think about it too much. I reviewed this hit-or-miss comedy for Paste.