The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: James Gunn's 'Superman' and Mailbag Questions

On this week's episode, we go long on Superman. Then, we dive into our listeners' questions, which covered theater etiquette, unlikely trilogies, seeing movies twice in the span of 24 hours, Woody Allen and more. Give it a listen.

What's the Best Political Comedy?

Because we all could use a laugh right now, right? I picked 20 classics for Cracked.

What's the Best Comedy of the 1990s?

I provide the answer over at Cracked.

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

I offer my rankings over at Cracked.

How Does a Comedy "Age Well"?

For Cracked, I gave myself the task of selecting 25 films from the 20th century that have "aged perfectly." What does that mean? And which films did I pick? Read on.

Which Best Picture Winner Is the Funniest?

I spent way too long trying to figure out the answer for Cracked.

When Directors Try Their Hand at Musicals

Steven Spielberg has made his first musical with West Side Story. For MEL, I looked at the track record of other major filmmakers and their one musical: Did they ace the assignment? Read on.

Breaking Down the Different Types Jeff Daniels Plays on Screen

The Monster.

The Sidekick.

The Normal-Guy Hero. 

The Goofball.

Jeff Daniels is a man of many different talents. For MEL, I explore his wide-ranging film career.

Let's Rank Jodie Foster's Movies

In honor of The Mauritanian, her first film in several years, we take a look back at Jodie Foster's acting career. What's her best performance? Our pick is over at Vulture.

Movies About Love That Goes Bad

Who wants happily ever after? Sometimes the best movies about love are the ones starring couples that shouldn't stay together. I highlight 10 personal favorites over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Good Bye, Lenin!' and Looking Back at 1977

There were many great films in 1977, but our conversation inevitably focuses on two -- Star Wars and Annie Hall -- and how the culture's impression of them has shifted over time. Then, we segue to our Reboot section. We rhapsodize about Raiders of the Lost Ark and Daniel Bruhl's breakout hit, the German-language Good Bye, Lenin! The whole thing is down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Crip Camp,' 'Margaret' and Looking Back at 1989

On this week's podcast, we review one new movie, the Sundance opener Crip Camp, and then discuss the extended cut of Kenneth Lonergan's divisive Margaret.

But first, as part of our new series, we do a deep dive on one movie year. Welcome to 1989, a time of Do the Right Thing, Roger & Me and Driving Miss Daisy. Hear the whole thing down below.

What's Scarlett Johansson's Best Performance?

Will and I look back at the actor's career over at Vulture.

What's the Best Best-Picture Winner?

"This seems like a thankless task. And one that will only leave people angry." -- Philip Allcott

Undeterred, for Vulture, Will and I ranked every Best Picture winner. Dig in here.

What's the Best Romantic Comedy of All Time?

Rolling Stone asked me and a bunch of other fine writers to contribute to its list of the 50 best romantic comedies. (As always, I have to point out that I had nothing to do with the rankings.) Read me on Tootsie, Pillow Talk, The Philadelphia Story, Broadcast News and, yep, Annie Hall right here.

On the Use of Architecture in 'Manhattan'

Somehow, I had forgotten to mention this: Late last year, I was asked to contribute an audio essay on Manhattan to The Cinema Show, focusing on how architecture is incorporated into the movie. This was fun -- you can hear my take right here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Review 'Disaster Artist,' 'Shape of Water' and 'Wonder Wheel'

As luck would have it, all three movies we talk about on this week's podcast are ones I haven't written about elsewhere. So I have much to say about James Franco's film about the making of The Room, Guillermo del Toro's fantasy romance, and the latest from Woody Allen that everybody hates. You can hear the whole thing down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Dark Tower,' 'Columbus' and 'Anything Else'

We fit five movies into this week's episode. Will and I talk a bit about The Dark Tower, while I riff on Kidnap and Columbus. Then, in our Reboot section, we own up to the fact that we don't think Superbad is as fantastic as a lot of folks do. But much of the podcast is given over to Woody Allen's Anything Else. Back in 2003, we were both big defenders of the film. Has it held up? Listen below.

The Legacy of "The Next Woody Allen" Actors

For decades, different actors and auteurs have been dubbed (or have sought to be dubbed) the next Woody Allen. In honor of Paul Rust, the star and co-creator of Love, I took a look back at nine such individuals (including Jesse Eisenberg, pictured). The story of these artists is also sort of the story of how Allen's stature has shifted over the years. My piece is over at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'American Honey' and 'Barry Lyndon'

Do you like discussions about lengthy movies? Then this week's Grierson & Leitch podcast is for you. I sing the praises of American Honey, and in our Reboot section we tackle the mighty Barry Lyndon. Also, we've got reviews of Deepwater Horizon and Crisis in Six Scenes. You can hear the whole thing here.