'21 Jump Street' at 10

Technically speaking, this R-rated remake of the 1980s series celebrated its 10th anniversary in the spring. But now that the film is streaming on Netflix, I decided it was worth reminiscing about how 21 Jump Street really shouldn't have worked as well as it did. My appreciation is over at Cracked.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Spielberg's Personal Film, 'Glass Onion' and 'Bones and All'

We're deep into awards season, and this week's episode features three movies hoping for Oscar attention. Our thoughts on The Fabelmans, the Knives Out sequel and the latest from Luca Guadagnino can be heard down below.

'Violent Night' Review

Santa packs a wallop in Violent Night, which proudly mixes Die Hard and Home Alone. It's a fun, nasty little movie enlivened by David Harbour as St. Nick. Head over to Screen International to see my full review.

'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' Review

It's been more than a decade since the last Puss in Boots film. Was it worth the wait? My review is up at Screen International.

The Best Christmas Movies on Amazon Prime

The fine folks at Vulture asked us to pick the Christmas movies on Prime Video that will make your yuletide season complete. We were more than happy to put together this list.

My Interview With Brett Kelly, the Kid in 'Bad Santa'

Brett Kelly was only eight years old when he auditioned to play Thurman Merman in the R-rated Billy Bob Thornton Christmas comedy. For Cracked, I talked to him about what happened after that, and how he almost didn't get the part. Hope you enjoy.

Steve Lacy - "Buttons"

It's been a good year for the Internet. Syd's Broken Hearts Club is terrific. Patrick Paige II worked on Beyonce's Renaissance. And Steve Lacy's "Bad Habit" is one of 2022's biggest singles. But I'd rather focus on another track from Gemini Rights today.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Raving About 'She Said'

On our latest episode, we review three new movies, including The Menu and The Wonder. But the movie I spent extra time discussing was She Said, which I think is fairly wonderful. Hear the whole thing down below.

My Interview With Michael Imperioli

For the Los Angeles Times, I hopped on a Zoom call with Michael Imperioli to talk about his work on the new season of The White Lotus. Our conversation segued across several topics, such as the research he did into sex addiction for his character and his relationship with his father. Hope you enjoy.

'Devotion' Review

Devotion tells the story of the U.S. Navy's first Black aviator. Jonathan Majors is good in this Korean War drama, and so is Glen Powell as his buddy, but the film just never soars. My review is over at Chron.

My Interview With Paul Mescal and Charlotte Wells

Aftersun is one of the year's best films. For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke to its star and its writer-director to try to unravel some of the mysteries of their delicate stunner. I was really pleased with how this turned out. Hope you enjoy.

How "Chippendales Audition" Helped (and Hurt) Chris Farley

It was the Saturday Night Live sketch that made Chris Farley a star. But some of his friends and colleagues also thought it contributed to his low self-esteem. With the Kumail Nanjiani series Welcome to Chippendales about to be released, I looked back at the legacy of "Chippendales Audition" for Cracked.

My Interview With Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Wendy Molyneux, the Writers of 'The People We Hate at the Wedding'

Lizzie and Wendy are sisters from a big family. They're also a writing team on Bob's Burgers who co-created the newish Fox animated series The Great North. For Cracked, I hopped on a Zoom with them to talk about writing with your sibling, and their new movie The People We Hate at the Wedding. Somehow, mouse anuses also came up. You can read our conversation here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'Armageddon Time' and 'Spirited'

I liked two out of the three movies we reviewed this past week. Can you guess which one I didn't care for? You can hear the whole thing down below.

Harry Styles - "Grapejuice"

Harry's House is not going to make my Top 10, but I do really enjoy this song.

 

The Story Behind 'Twins'

In the mid-1980s, two inexperienced British screenwriters got their foot in the door in Hollywood. They met with Ivan Reitman, who told them he wanted to make a comedy with Arnold Schwarznegger. The rest is history. For Cracked, I interviewed some of the creative team behind Twins. Hope you enjoy.

My Review of Bono's 'Surrender'

Bono's memoir is a hefty tome. It's fascinating, frustrating and often quite moving, just like U2's music. I dove into Surrender over at InsideHook.

My Interview With Zack Ward, the Bully in 'A Christmas Story'

Gen-X kids know Scut Farkus, the mean kid who picks on Ralphie in A Christmas Story. I spoke to the actor who played him, Zack Ward, to discuss his own experiences being bullied as a boy, and how that movie has impacted his life and career. My profile is up at Cracked. 

'Poker Face' Review

Rian Johnson will soon be releasing a murder-mystery series called Poker Face. This is not a review of that. This is a review of Russell Crowe's sophomore directorial effort, which is also called Poker Face. It's a thriller that doubles as a moody character study. It isn't very good. My review is up at Screen International.

Low - "All Night"

Rest in peace, Mimi Parker.

My Interview With Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne waited six years to make The Good Nurse. For the Los Angeles Times, I spent some time with the Oscar-winners finding out what they learned along the way. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With Nina Hoss

When the Los Angeles Times asked me if I was interested in talking to Nina Hoss, one of the stars of Tar, I jumped at the chance. I really enjoyed our time together, which led to this profile. 

(Photo by Dania Maxwell.)

When Steven Spielberg Made '1941'

The hotshot young director had just made two era-defining smashes in Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. So what did he decide to do next? A World War II comedy. It didn't go nearly as well. For Cracked, I look back at 1941.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' 'Causeway' and "Weird Al" Yankovic

We're in agreement on all three movies this week, which I wasn't necessarily expecting. You can hear us dig into Oscar-contenders and bizarre biopics down below.

'Spirited' Review

Much to my surprise, Spirited is a fairly earnest, sweet Christmas musical-comedy, with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds largely playing it straight, as well as singing and dancing a lot. My review is up at Screen International.

'The English' Review

For Chron, I took a look at Emily Blunt's new Western series for Amazon. I seem to be in the minority, but I didn't really love The English.

When Jennifer Lawrence Was a Sitcom Star

Before Jennifer Lawrence won Oscars and starred in blockbusters, she did a short-lived TBS show. For Cracked, I looked back at her stint on The Bill Engvall Show. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Talking About 'Bardo' and 'Weird'

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's divisive new film opened in select cities on Friday. I was happy to be on KCRW to discuss Bardo. Elsewhere, Amy Nicholson and I review Next Exit, Causeway and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. You can hear us below.

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review

Wakanda Forever is unlike any Marvel movie, in large part because of the immeasurable loss of Chadwick Boseman. And while I admired much of it, I don't this sequel entirely works. Here's my Screen International review.

Sudan Archives - "Selfish Soul"

The mental listmaking for the year's best albums is already in high gear. A good excuse to revisit Natural Brown Prom Queen.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Triangle of Sadness,' 'Till' and a New 'All Quiet on the Western Front'

Will was able to see Ruben Östlund's latest, so we talked about the Palme d'Or winner. Then, we focus on two very different period pieces. You can hear our whole conversation down below.

The Best Horror Films Ever Made

Rolling Stone asked a group of critics to pen the write-ups for its list of the 101 best horror movies of all time. Very honored to be part of the group. You can see my contributions (and everyone else's) here.

In Praise of 'The Shinning'

It's almost Halloween, so for Cracked I had to write about my favorite segment of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror." Hope you enjoy.

Why Do People Love David S. Pumpkins So Much?

Hint: It has everything to do with our fondness for Tom Hanks' silly side. 

IDA: My Conversation With Sierra Pettengill, Director of 'Riotsville, U.S.A.'

Recently, I interviewed documentary filmmaker Sierra Pettengill, whose Riotsville U.S.A. remains one of my favorite nonfiction movies of the year, as part of IDA's screening series. You can check out our chat down below.

Frank Sinatra - "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"

Good morning.

'The Stepford Wives,' Reconsidered

The Stepford Wives is a movie that gets referenced a lot, most recently in comparison to the so-so Don't Worry Darling. But it feels more like an idea than a film in our culture -- an amorphous thing whose themes everybody knows, even if they haven't actually seen the film. I wrote about this strange phenomenon for Decider.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Tar,' 'Black Adam,' 'Descendant'

This week's episode features three very different movies, but I liked all of 'em, especially Margaret Brown's wonderful documentary Descendant. You can hear our conversation down below.

Paul Simon, Chevy Chase and "You Can Call Me Al"

Taylor Swift's video for "Anti-Hero" features several comics. But she's hardly the first musician to hang out with funny people: For Cracked, I wrote about how "You Can Call Me Al" came together.

'The Bad News Bears' Is the Best Unromantic Baseball Movie

The World Series is about to get underway. What better time to celebrate the original Bad News Bears, which stars a bunch of kids but isn't necessarily a family film.

2022 Gotham Awards Nominees

I never stop being thrilled to be asked to serve on the Gotham Awards nominating juries. This year, I was once again part of the Acting committee, selecting the finalists for Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance, and Breakthrough Performer. I was joined by Robert Daniels, Jon Frosch, Tomris Laffly and Brian Tallerico, and we had a fine time meeting and debating. You can see our picks here, as well as those in the other film and television categories. 

How 'Scary Movie' Resuscitated the Hollywood Parody

Airplane! and The Naked Gun helped popularize the spoof film. But the genre felt out of fashion in the 1990s. Then came a comedy that took aim at Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. For Cracked, I looked back at 2000's Scary Movie.

'Breakfast All Day': What Went Wrong With 'The School for Good and Evil'?

I was very happy to be on Breakfast All Day with Christy Lemire to talk about Paul Feig's deeply disappointing Netflix fantasy film. You can watch the segment below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Stars at Noon' and 'Decision to Leave'

This week, we talked about Halloween Ends, but who cares about that? The real interesting conversations are around the two art-house films directed by Claire Denis and Park Chan-wook. You can hear the whole episode down below.

Kimya Dawson - "It's Been Raining"

The Moldy Peaches never did a ton for me. But this Kimya Dawson solo album brightened my mid-2000s plenty.

What Paul Feig Pulled Off With 'Bridesmaids'

In light of the release of The School for Good and Evil, I wanted to look back at a much better Paul Feig film, one that helped changed Hollywood. For Cracked, I wrote about the groundbreaking Bridesmaids.

My Interview With Steven Hyden, Author of 'Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation'

Steven Hyden is a music critic I really enjoying reading, so I was happy to spend some time chatting with him about his latest book, which investigates why Pearl Jam still matters. Over at InsideHook, we had a long talk about nostalgia, bands that aren't cool, and what it says about both of us that we love No Code. Hope you enjoy.

'The School for Good and Evil' Review

Paul Feig has a new movie out today on Netflix. You probably didn't know that. Don't feel bad: It's terrible. For Screen International, I reviewed The School for Good and Evil.

'Black Adam' Review

My verdict on Dwayne Johnson's superhero movie? It's ... fine. You can read more in-depth thoughts over at Screen International.

The Beths - "Silence Is Golden"

We are all a product of the specific era in which we grew up. And while my musical taste has greatly expanded since my teenage years, there is still a part of me that geeks out about a guitar-based band playing their instruments and just rocking out.

Happy 20th Anniversary, 'Punch-Drunk Love'

I saw Punch-Drunk Love opening night, if I recall. Certainly opening weekend. I was blown away. I still am. For Cracked, I wrote about the significance of the film, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this week.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Blonde' and 'Bros'

We took a week off, so we're back with reviews of four new movies: Amsterdam, Blonde, Bros and The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Two we liked, two we didn't. Which were which? Find out below.

'Halloween Ends' Review

Well, at least it's better than the last one. Here's my dismayed review of Halloween Ends.

Chris Tucker's Post-'Rush Hour' Career

Sometimes, people will wonder if Chris Tucker retired because he's so rarely in movies anymore. What exactly happened? For Cracked, I look back at the man who became a superstar after Rush Hour ... and then decided to downshift.

'Oh, God!' at 45

For Cracked, I looked back at the movie that made George Burns one of the biggest (and oldest) stars of the big screen at the time. You can read my thoughts on Oh, God! here.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'Tar,' 'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile' and 'Triangle of Sadness'

I was on KCRW yesterday with fellow critic Shawn Edwards to review this weekend's new movies. We disagreed about Tar, but other than that we're pretty simpatico on Amsterdam, Triangle of Sadness and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Hear our segment down below.

Loretta Lynn - "Fist City"

Growing up with an aversion to honky-tonk has left me with a permanent blind spot when it comes to several musical legends. So I'm only really now catching up with Loretta Lynn. Anyone with ears can feel this song, though.

Hamburg 2022: 'We Are Next of Kin' Review

In 1996, a prominent German scholar, Jan Philipp Reemtsma, was kidnapped. We Are Next of Kin chronicles the aftermath. You can read my Screen International review here.

'Eternal Spring' Review

Canada's submission for the Best International Film Oscar is an animated documentary about a group of Falun Gong practitioners in China who decided to push back against the government's crackdown on their beliefs. How did they do that? By hijacking the airwaves and broadcasting positive propaganda. For Screen International, I reviewed Eternal Spring.

The 'Lord of the Rings' Movie That's Been Forgotten

It was 1978. Tolkien wasn't yet the subject of big-budget Hollywood movies. And, yet, Ralph Bakshi decided he wanted to make an animated version of The Lord of the Rings. For Decider, I look back at the film in light of the new Amazon series. Hope you enjoy.

New York 2022: 'Till' Review

It was one of the worst racial crimes in America's history. Now Till tells the story of Emmett Till's killing, but from the perspective of his mother. I reviewed this earnest drama for Screen International.

'Nothing Compares' Knows the World Owes Sinead O'Connor an Apology

For Slate, I wrote about a new documentary that looks back at Sinead O'Connor's troubled stardom, and how terribly the media treated her. Here are my thoughts on Nothing Compares.

Gorillaz (featuring Thundercat) - "Cracker Island"

The other day, I went down a Gorillaz rabbit hole on YouTube, realizing how much I've sorta taken Damon Albarn's "cartoon band" for granted. Just a ton of great songs over the last 20 years, not to mention a bunch of terrific videos. And they're still cranking them out: I've been grooving to "Cracker Island" for weeks now.

Hamburg 2022: 'Viking' Review

I saw Viking on the last day of my trip to Toronto, where I was quite taken by it. Now this deadpan, melancholy sci-fi comedy has made its way to Filmfest Hamburg, which was as good a reason as any to rave about it for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Moonage Daydream' and Disagreeing About 'Athena'

Three new movies on this week's podcast. Not a surprise, we both disliked Don't Worry Darling (although we have lots nice to say about Florence Pugh). But the more interesting conversations revolved around the new David Bowie documentary and the divisive Athena. Hear the whole episode down below.

'Amsterdam' Review

When David O. Russell's latest wasn't featured at any of the fall film festivals, there was concern that it was a stinker. To be fair, 20th Century Studios is in such a weird limbo with its new parent company Disney that it's hard to know exactly what's going on with any of its movies. Still, I'm here to say that Amsterdam is a misfire.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Lodi"

Do I have a favorite Creedence song? Probably not. But at the moment, this is the one I want to hear.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Confess, Fletch,' 'Barbarian' and Recapping Toronto

After a week off for Toronto, I'm back on the podcast, and we're reviewing four new movies: The Woman King, Barbarian, Pinocchio and Confess, Fletch. Plus, I offer some observations about the festival. Hear the whole thing down below.