Is 'The Good Dinosaur' Aimed Chiefly at Kids?

And, more importantly, does that matter? I wrote about Pixar's latest for Deadspin, making the case that it's the studio's most kid-friendly film. However, I do think that it does a fine job of not playing down to its young audience. You can read the piece here.

Let's Rank the 'Rocky' Movies

When Will and I do a ranking piece, we're sometimes blown away by which entry's positioning will drive people crazy on the Internet. (The classic example for us was our Spielberg list: Folks went ballistic because we ranked Hook so low.) Today, we rank the seven Rocky films for Deadspin ... who knew there were so many Rocky IV fans? Check out the list here.

'Saints & Strangers' Review

Hoping to tell the story of the first Thanksgiving with stripped-down realism, the Nat Geo miniseries Saints & Strangers is a worthy attempt at showing the clash of two cultures at the dawn of the United States. But I don't think it's particularly riveting drama. My review is up at The Wrap.

In Praise of 'Shutter Island'

My thanks to Decider, who asked me to contribute to their Scorsese Week. Today, I wrote about my undying love for Shutter Island ... and why the movie has been misjudged in the spoiler-alert era. (Hint: Guessing the twist isn't the point.) Hope you enjoy.

Eagles of Death Metal - "Now I'm a Fool"

It's been a week since the horrific attacks in Paris and Beirut, so it seemed appropriate to play a little Eagles of Death Metal.

Giving a Second Look to 'Carol'

I reviewed Carol at the Cannes Film Festival, but it's been months since then. Has my opinion changed at all? I decided to give the year's most acclaimed movie a second look ... and I have to say I feel about the same. It's a gorgeous, swoon-worthy movie. And yet...... well, I talk about that over at Deadspin.

Is It Time for Seth Rogen to Stop Making Bromances?

That's the question I pose in my piece on The Night Before over at Deadspin. If I'm asking it, that probably means my answer is "yes." And, in fact, that is my answer! You can read the piece here.

'The Man in the High Castle' Review

The reviews for The Man in the High Castle, Amazon's latest original series, have been glowing. I do nothing to diminish that glow over at The Wrap.

'Secret in Their Eyes' Review

When I interviewed Billy Ray for my book Filmcraft: Screenwriting, I was enormously impressed with his work ethic, his competitive fire and the fact that he's a longtime baseball fan. So it pains me to say that his latest film, a remake of the Oscar-winning The Secret in Their Eyes, is a bit of a misfire. The "The" is missing from the title of the remake, but that's not all that's lacking from the original, unfortunately. My review is up at Screen International.

'Creed' Review

The results aren't all in yet, but I seem to be one of the few initial critics who didn't go for Creed, the latest in the Rocky Balboa series. There's a twist to this movie, though: This time, it's not Rocky who's the main character. That would be Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), the secret son of Apollo Creed, who now wants a shot in the ring. I found Creed to be an intriguing but mostly formulaic attempt to breathe new life into this franchise. My review is up at Screen International.

Let's Rank Movies Starring Real Couples

Ali. Cruel Intentions. Eyes Wide Shut. What do they have in common? They're all movies featuring real-life couples. In honor of By the Sea, Will and I ranked the greatest. Enjoy!

'The Night Before' Review

Bah humbug. The merely fitfully hilarious The Night Before isn't a new Christmas comedy classic but, rather, a predictable sex-and-drugs comedy from Seth Rogen's creative team. What once was funny is now just familiar. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

'Into the Badlands' Review

An undemanding martial-arts drama, AMC's Into the Badlands exists in a future world where guns have been outlawed but everybody is awesome with knives and swords. The sort of TV show a bunch of teenage boys would dream up, Badlands is kinda cheesy but also pretty fun. I reviewed the show for The Wrap.

What Great 2015 Movies Are Flying Under the Radar?

Over at Criticwire, I contributed to the latest survey, which asked, "Before we drown in award-season heavyweights, what should you see?" It's a question at the forefront of many critics' minds, as we're all in heavy catch-up mode with movies we missed from earlier in 2015. (I'm particularly panic-stricken this year.) My responses, as of those from my colleagues, can be found right here.

My Interview With the Men Behind 'Entertainment'

A lousy, over-the-hill comic wanders the American Southwest doing his tired bits to uninterested crowds. That's Entertainment? Yup, and for Rolling Stone I spoke with director Rick Alverson and star Gregg Turkington. We discussed cringe comedy, Flipper and why Two-Lane Blacktop means so much to them. Hope you enjoy.

'The Good Dinosaur' Review

I'm of two minds about Pixar's latest endeavor. On the one hand, The Good Dinosaur is very familiar, a coming-of-age story that's geared to younger viewers. But on the other, my goodness, what a visually gorgeous, surprisingly moving experience. I let those two minds duke it out in my review for Screen International.

AFI Fest 2015: 'The Big Short' Review

Sometimes, I walk out of a screening knowing I'm slightly overrating a film, overlooking its flaws, simply because I'm swept away in what's so good about that movie. Such is the case with The Big Short, which I thought was rather fabulous, even though I can recognize the parts that don't quite work. Director Adam McKay has made a ridiculously entertaining and wonderfully angry satire about the 2008 financial crisis. If you're still mad about how that all went down -- or, if you're like me and had forgotten just how mad it made you -- this film is singing your song. I reviewed The Big Short for Screen International.

The Kinks - "Village Green"

This song, nor the album it comes from, has anything to do with the section of Los Angeles where I now live. But I get a kick out of it anyway.

Love and Marriage and 'By the Sea'

I've continued to think about By the Sea since going to its world premiere last week. I'm not convinced the movie is good, but I do keep wrestling with what it's trying to say. I put down some thoughts over at Deadspin.

Mousterpiece Cinema: Discussing 'The Prestige'

I returned to the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast this week to discuss The Prestige. I always have a fun time with hosts Josh Spiegel and Gabe Bucsko, but I was especially pleased to do this episode because it gave me an excuse to rewatch the film, which I'd been meaning to do for a while. Josh and Gabe are a little higher on it than I am, which we get into during the show. You can hear the whole thing here.

AFI Fest 2015: 'Concussion' Review

Will Smith is the best part of Concussion, a good-not-great dramatization of the Nigerian doctor, Bennet Omalu, who uncovered the fact that the NFL was hiding what it knew about head trauma from its players. The movie muckrakes, but it also delivers a pretty sober condemnation of American values. My review is up at Screen International.

'James White' Review

Does anyone need to see another cancer drama or coming-of-age tale? If it's James White, you do: This stubbornly idiosyncratic character study doesn't worm its way into your heart, which is part of what makes it great. I explain why in my Paste review.

AFI Fest 2015: 'By the Sea' Review

Not to be confused with the forthcoming In the Heart of the Sea, By the Sea stars Brad Pitt and writer-director Angelina Jolie Pitt as a married couple on the rocks. This drama's publicity materials mention that "In its style and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is reminiscent of European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s—with its concentrated, lean storytelling style, spare dialogue and intimate, often disquieting atmosphere." Those are my kind of movies but, well, it's not the sort of thing one should actively brag about, especially if you can't quite pull it off. My review is up at Screen International.

Run the Jewels (featuring Gangsta Boo) - "Love Again (Akinyele Back)"

Why this track for Friday Video?

1. Because I was listening to the Weeknd's "The Hills" the other day and thinking about other great recent sex songs.

2. Because for all their acclaim, Run the Jewels aren't just rapping about social/political issues. These dudes can be filthy when they want to be.

3. Because this tweet still makes me laugh:

Which 'Peanuts' Is It, Anyway?

Today over at Deadspin, I go into more of my reservations about The Peanuts Movie. Specifically, I talk about my issue with the notion that the movie should be commended for how faithful it is to Charles Schulz's creation. To me, there have been different iterations of Peanuts over the years -- and I'm not that much of a fan of the one the movie chooses to honor. You can read my piece here.

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' Review

I've never been the biggest fan of the Hunger Games series, so I'm not particularly heartbroken that it's coming to an end. Nevertheless, Mockingjay - Part 2 is, for my money, the best film in the series, wrapping things up confidently and darkly. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

On the Simplicity of 'Spotlight'

I was curious to watch Spotlight a second time after reviewing it back in late August. Seeing it with fresh eyes, I'm less bothered by this movie's limitations: It's clearly a strong, smart, simple piece of storytelling. And I don't mean "simple" as an insult, as I explain in my new Deadspin article.

'W/ Bob & David': My Interview With Bob Odenkirk and David Cross

I've lived in Los Angeles long enough that I remember going to tapings of Mr. Show back in the day. Well, Bob and David are back with their new sketch series, W/ Bob & David, and for Rolling Stone I spoke with the guys about this so-called reunion. (It's not really a reunion: They never went away.)

This piece is a long time coming. Back in April, I went to a W/ Bob & David taping -- made me very nostalgic for the old show -- and have seen two episodes of the new series. Plus, I wrote a shorter profile piece that will appear in the magazine. In the meantime, though, you can read this longer version online.

'The Peanuts Movie' Review

If you've seen (and loved) A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, then you've seen The Peanuts Movie, and that's what bummed me out. Undeniably sweet, the feature-length movie is also practically a Charles Schulz revue, recycling all the familiar tropes, catch phrases and best bits from the old television series. The Peanuts Movie will probably make a mint, but it feels so safe that it's pretty disposable. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

'Ash vs Evil Dead' Review

Does the world need another Evil Dead iteration? Oh, probably not, but Bruce Campbell remains a lovably oafish Ash in Ash vs Evil Dead, the new Starz series that debuts tonight, appropriately, on Halloween. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far, as I explain in my review for The Wrap.

The Smiths - "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"

The major advantage of not growing up a big Smiths fan is that now as an adult I can enjoy them without any residual guilt about holding on to my angst-filled youth. To me, they're just pretty pop songwriters who tend toward the mopey. Their misery is their problem -- I'll just enjoy the tunes.

In Defense of 'Love'

3D sex dramas don't come around too often. The latest from writer-director Gaspar Noe, Love isn't quite as wondrous as Enter the Void, but I think it deserves better than the raspberries it's received since Cannes. The movie opens tomorrow -- I defend it today over at Deadspin.

Yeah, You Can Skip 'Our Brand Is Crisis'

I find Our Brand Is Crisis to be the sort of cynical political satire that does almost nothing for me. I have a feeling that general audiences are going to feel the same way: The movie seems to have almost no buzz around it. I examine the corpse over at Deadspin.

What's the Greatest Horror Movie Sequel?

I had no control over the rankings, but I contributed to Rolling Stone's list of the best horror movie sequels. Read them ... if you dare. (It's just a list. Really, there's nothing scary about it.)

What Non-Horror Movies Scare You the Most?

For this week's Criticwire survey, we were asked to name the movie that scares us the most -- that isn't a horror movie. I'm down with all the people that picked Safe, but I decided to cheat and name a music video from my youth that still gives me the willies. Read the whole survey here.

'Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension' Review

That's it, gang: The Paranormal Activity series draws to a close with The Ghost Dimension. Most people, I imagine, are more than happy to see these found-footage horror movies go away. Me, I've always had a soft spot for them. Which probably explains why my review of the final chapter is as much as a tribute to the whole series as it is a discussion of what does (and what doesn't) work in this sequel. You can read all about it over at Screen International.

My Morning Jacket - "Compound Fracture"

I feel pretty confident this waterfall starts to do all types of trippy things if you're on certain substances.

'Burnt' Review

It was named Adam Jones and Chef at different times. Now, though, it's called Burnt, which only makes me think of 30 Rock. Bradley Cooper is perfectly fine as a disgraced superstar chef looking for redemption, but this movie never stops feeling aggressively movie-ish in the worst ways. I reviewed Burnt for Screen International.

My Interview With Bob Gale About 'Back to the Future Part II'

Today is the day that Marty and Doc Brown arrive in "the future" in Back to the Future Part II. The media is all over that fact, and for Popular Mechanics I spoke with writer-producer Bob Gale to talk about how 2015 ended up looking. I was also really interested in getting his thoughts about how Part II sorta envisioned the future of Hollywood franchises. Our whole chat can be read here.

'Rock the Kasbah' Review

Sometimes, I'm aware that I'm not as awed by Bill Murray as others are. I think he can be a great actor, but I also think that the culture at large kinda gives him a pass on everything, simply because "Hey, it's Bill." Rock the Kasbah may change that for some people: It's a terrible comedy about a music manager trying to jump-start his stalled career in Afghanistan. Did I mention it's terrible? My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview with James Vanderbilt for 'Truth'

In select theaters today, Truth opens. It tells the story of how 60 Minutes II tried to break the George W. Bush/Texas Air National Guard story back in 2004 -- and how it all went pear-shaped. Starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford as, respectively, Mary Mapes and Robert Redford, Truth got very mixed reviews out of Toronto, but I appreciated much of what writer-director James Vanderbilt was trying to do here. Much like his script for Zodiac, Truth is about subverting audience expectations and leaving things unresolved, open to interpretation. So, for Biography, I sat down with the guy to talk about all this. Hope you enjoy.

Drake - "Hotline Bling"

It's been a very good year for Drake. Guesting on "Truffle Butter" and "Blessings," having hits on his own with "Back to Back" and "Energy" ... hey, and the Toronto Blue Jays are in the ALCS. Here's a little "Hotline Bling" for you.

Survival, Motherhood and 'Room'

I went to see Room a second time in order to see how it played. I had reservations after catching it in Toronto, and some of them still remain, but on the whole this is a pretty darn affecting drama. A lot of it has to do with Brie Larson, who's great as the selfless, imploding mother. (The movie could almost be called The Mom Who Wasn't There.) My review is up at Deadspin.

SAG Foundation: My Conversation With Elizabeth Banks and Paul Dano

Over the weekend, I chatted with two of the stars of Love & Mercy, discussing Brian Wilson, playing real people and why actors don't have master plans. I was happy to have the opportunity to tell Elizabeth Banks how good she was in W. And I hope Paul Dano didn't mind the joke I cracked at his expense.

'Beasts of No Nation' Review

Most of the time while watching Beasts of No Nation, I was struck by the same thought: "Gee, I sure wish I was enjoying this more." Gripping, thoughtful, meaningful, this tale of war in West Africa waged by child soldiers can't fully escape a certain familiarity. Is it good? Yes. Is it terrific? Not quite. I reviewed the film for Deadspin.

'Crimson Peak' Review

Never the biggest Guillermo del Toro fan, I report with delight that I enjoyed his latest, the Gothic horror throwback Crimson Peak. It's very much an homage to bygone horror flicks, and I found it quite pleasing in the regard. You can read my review over at Screen International.

'Experimenter' Review

I had been hearing good things about Experimenter since Sundance, but I wasn't quite prepared for how moving and bracing I'd find the latest film from writer-director Michael Almereyda. It stars Peter Sarsgaard as Stanley Milgram, the man who conducted the obedience study in the early 1960s in which a subject would administer shocks to another person, upping the voltage each time, even though the second person (who was actually working with Milgram) would beg him to stop. This is a biopic done right: endlessly curious, intellectually stirring, wonderfully ambiguous. My glowing review is up at Paste.

Let's Rank Danny Boyle's Movies

The first film review I ever wrote for my college paper was on Shallow Grave from some new director named Danny Boyle. Whatever happened to that guy? An Oscar, for one thing. In honor of today's release of Steve Jobs, Will Leitch and I rank the man's oeuvre from worst to best. We didn't have any disagreement about what should be No. 1. Here's the list.

'Steve Jobs' Vs. Steve Jobs

For Biography, I examined Steve Jobs to see what its big takeaways are about Jobs himself. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin took some creative license, of course -- all filmmakers do -- and so I thought it would be fun to dig into Jobs' life story to see how accurate certain moments from the film are. (To be clear, this is not one of those "What this biopic gets wrong" pieces: I just wanted to compare and contrast between the film and the man.) My piece is up now.

Dawes - "Things Happen"

With Jeb Bush's "stuff happens" comment in the news, I'm constantly thinking of "Things Happen," the lead single from the latest Dawes record, All Your Favorite Bands. Yes, the video is dippy, and some of the lyrics are kinda dumb. ("Like an honest signature on a fake ID"? Oof.) But the melody works like gangbusters, and the chorus gets at an essential truth: If you want to choose to be angry about everything, hey, that's on you.

My Interview With the 'Victoria' Team

Over at Rolling Stone, I have an interview with Sebastian Schipper and Laia Costa, the director and star of Victoria, who had much to say about their nervy real-time thriller, how the movie reminds one of them of A Love Supreme and whether they'd ever do it again. (And, yeah, this photo of them from this year's Berlin Film Festival sums up their personalities pretty perfectly.) Hope you enjoy.

'Victoria' Review

One movie, one shot: That's the conceit behind Victoria, which tells its story in real time without cuts. Part love story, part thriller, it's an exciting, uneven, rewarding viewing experience. My review is up at Paste.

'Steve Jobs' Review

What did I think of Steve Jobs? I think it's fairly consistently entertaining. I also think it's faintly ridiculous. But, mostly, really entertaining. I reviewed this unconventional biopic for Deadspin.

'Casual' Review

Over on Hulu, Jason Reitman is executive producing a new comedy, Casual, about adult siblings living together under one roof. (The sister also has a teen daughter.) That's a prescription for a pretty familiar sitcom, but Casual is often smarter and wiser than its premise might suggest. (Plus, the show ends up becoming an unexpected do-over for Reitman, who explored similar themes in his 2014 misfire, Men, Women & Children.) I reviewed Casual for The Wrap.

(No, they don't all live in a tub.)

'Goosebumps' Review

I'm genuinely shocked how much people seem to enjoy Goosebumps, which I thought was mighty lame. (I guess I'm just being becoming a curmudgeon in my old age.) I reviewed the film for Screen International.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Martians, Tightrope Walkers and Malala

I was on KCRW today (alongside Miri Jedeikin) to talk about this weekend's releases: The Martian, The Walk, Freeheld and He Named Me Malala. You can hear the whole thing here.

'Jafar Panahi's Taxi' Review

Jafar Panahi has been banned from making films by the Iranian government -- and he just keeps on making 'em, anyway. His latest, Jafar Panahi's Taxi, comes across as a documentary, but it's actually scripted, the director playing himself as he drives around Tehran in a cab picking up passengers. A simple concept, but a pretty rich execution. I reviewed the film for Paste.

Rhett Miller - "Come Around"

Are you ready for the most action-packed video of 2002? Here's my favorite song off The Instigator, the second solo album from Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller. If this track speaks to you, seek medical attention immediately.