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.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': The Most-Anticipated Movies at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

This year's Cannes is now underway. Before the storm, I jumped on a call with Madeleine Brand to preview four films to keep an eye out for, including Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love. You can hear our conversation down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Remembering Val Kilmer

 

Val Kilmer died on Tuesday at the age of 65. I went on Press Play to talk about his career and legacy, spending extra time focusing on his best performance, as Jim Morrison in The Doors. You can listen to my segment down below.

Gene Hackman's Finest Films

I was flattered to be asked to help contribute to this Rolling Stone piece that provides a primer on Gene Hackman's best performances. These 20 films constitute a hall-of-fame career.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Previewing the 2025 Movie Year

It's a new year, which means it's time to start thinking about the films worth getting excited about in 2025. I was on Press Play alongside Shawn Edwards to discuss everything from Wicked: For Good to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning to Sentimental Value. Listen below.

What's the Best Movie From 1999?

Rolling Stone created a list of the 99 best movies from 1999. Then, the editors asked regular contributors to write capsules for the films. I got to write about Eyes Wide Shut, Three Kings, The Wind Will Carry Us and others. Check out the whole list here.

What's the Best Fourth of July Release This Century?

I offer a Top 10 here.

A History of Hit Men at the Movies

In honor of Hit Man, which comes to Netflix on Friday, I wrote about cinematic hit men. We think of them as impervious and super-cool, but very often these characters fail to live up to our lofty impression of them. Why is that? My thoughts are here.

What's the Best Film to Launch Its Summer Movie Season This Century?

I provide my rankings here.

Cary Elwes Breaks Down His Best Comedic Roles

Cary Elwes costars in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. I used that opportunity to ask him about his funniest characters. This was very fun.

Doug Liman: Is This Any Way to Conduct a Career?

In January, Doug Liman announced he wasn't going to attend the SXSW premiere of his new movie, the remake of Road House. It was just the latest example of a filmmaker who often causes headaches for studios, producers and his stars. I wrote about an idiosyncratic director for RogerEbert.com.

My Interview With Edward Zwick

Edward Zwick has won an Oscar, directed epic dramas and created indelible television. And now, he's written a memoir. For RogerEbert.com, I had a long talk with him about Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Oppenheimer,' 'Barbie' and the New 'Mission: Impossible'

We were off last week, so there's a lot to discuss in our latest episode. Three big movies, and we tackle them all in depth. Have a listen.

'Mission: Impossible,' 'Jerry Maguire' and Tom Cruise at the Crossroads

In 1996, Tom Cruise put out two movies that suggested different career trajectories he could follow. For Cracked, I wrote about where he went from there.

What's the Greatest Sex Comedy Ever?

I tried to answer that question for Cracked.

'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Review

He's back: For Screen International, I reviewed the latest film in the Ethan Hunt saga.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Going Back to 'Collateral' and 'Dog Day Afternoon'

This week's episode only features one new review, the so-so Beast. But the real fun comes from our two Reboot movies, a classic Los Angeles crime film and a classic New York crime film. You can hear the whole thing down below.

Crunching the Numbers on the 50 Films That Have Made a Billion Dollars

Top Gun: Maverick is the latest film to gross over a billion dollars worldwide. For MEL, I decided to figure out what these movies, if anything, had in common. This was a fun piece.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: My Cannes Recap and 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Well, this is embarrassing: I completely forgot to post last week's podcast, which was our first after me being away at Cannes for two weeks. I talked a bit about my festival experience, including my favorite films I saw there, and we also reviewed Tom Cruise's massive hit. Check out the episode below.

How 'Val' Informs 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Top Gun: Maverick's most emotional scene, involving Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, hits a little harder if you seen Kilmer's 2021 documentary. For MEL, I wrote about the poignancy of Val.