'Godzilla vs. Kong' Review

One of 'em is a lizard. The other is an ape. They don't get along. Also, they're freakin' huge. For Screen International, I reviewed Godzilla vs. Kong.

'A Film and a Movie': Talking About 'Safe' and 'She Dies Tomorrow'

I really enjoyed being on A Film and a Movie, a podcast (co-hosted by my old pal Alonso Duralde) in which the guest is invited to suggest two films (one older, one more recent) that have thematic similarities. I started with one of my all-time favorites, Safe, and then thought about what would be a good companion piece. And then it hit me: Amy Seimetz's terrific psychological horror film from last year. Lots of great analysis of both movies here. (And Alonso's story about the Safe premiere blew my mind.) Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Bob Odenkirk, 'Shoplifters of the World' and 'Six Minutes to Midnight'

I was on KCRW on Thursday, as opposed to the usual Friday, to review this weekend's new movies, alongside my pal Katie Walsh. Listen to our wise words down below.

SXSW 2021: 'Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free' Review

Since Tom Petty died a few years ago, I've noticed that he's been judged far more glowingly than he did when he was alive. Likewise, his 1994 solo album Wildflowers has grown in stature. The new documentary Somewhere You Feel Free pays tribute to both. It's a warm film, although it also feels a bit like an ad for the new expanded edition of the record, which came out last year. My review is up at Screen International.

Tina Turner - "Better Be Good to Me"

Years ago when I interviewed Carter -- just Carter -- for my Eels book, I didn't have time to get into this, but I really wanted to ask him about working with Tina Turner for Private Dancer. Alas, he died soon after. 

In other news, I'm very curious to check out Tina.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Going Back to the 1980s for 'Arthur' and 'Cobra'

We spent a lot of time talking about Zack Snyder's Justice League on this week's episode, but what was perhaps more interesting was our discussion of Arthur and Cobra in our Reboot segment. Hear the whole thing down below.

We Still Need "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)"

For MEL, I looked back at Tina Turner's big hit from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome ... and ended up learning a lot about the song's legacy in the process. Hope you enjoy.

Emilio Estevez and the Hell of Being Part of the Brat Pack

The Mighty Ducks star is returning to the franchise for the new Disney+ series. For MEL, that inspired some thoughts about his heyday in the Brat Pack, a label he hated, understandably. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With the Authors of 'Nothin' But a Good Time'

Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock are music journalists who have compiled an oral history of the 1980s hard rock scene. The book is a doozy, and for MEL, I spoke with them about sexism, male beauty, power ballads and AIDS. You can read our interview here.

'Nobody' Review

Bob Odenkirk gets his John Wick on with Nobody. I think the movie is ... good enough. My review is up at Screen International.

'Breakfast All Day': Talking About 'Operation Varsity Blues' and 'This Is How You Make a Movie'

I always enjoyed joining the What the Flick?! crew to talk movies. Now, they're doing a new podcast, Breakfast All Day, and they were nice enough to invite me on this week. We discussed the Snyder Cut, movie news and Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal. Plus, I chatted about my book This Is How You Make a Movie. You can hear the whole thing down below.

SXSW 2021: 'The Fallout' Review

The Fallout won the jury dramatic prize at SXSW this year, and it tells the story of two teenagers (Jenny Ortega, Maddie Ziegler) grappling with the aftermath of a school shooting. I like how filmmaker Megan Park avoided straining for greater societal commentary and, instead, just watched these characters try to process what they went through. You can read my review here.

SXSW 2021: 'Swan Song' Review

Udo Kier is known for playing outlandish, often evil characters. But in Swan Song, he takes on a very different role, that of an aging hairdresser who decides he's going to make a former client (who's died) look beautiful for her funeral. But this last job will force him to take a trip down memory lane. My review is up at Screen International.

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Review

Who's ready for the Chief Wiggum, P.I. of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? For MEL, I reviewed The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Minnie Riperton - "Inside My Love"

"Minnie Riperton wrote 'Inside My Love' with Leon Ware and her husband Richard Rudolph. The soul-deep intimacy that Riperton was singing about was always interpreted as lust because of her earthy delivery. But in the liner notes from the posthumous Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection Rudolph explains the emotional intentions of the song and Ware describes how hearing a preacher talk about 'coming inside the Lord' influenced the lyrics. Some radio programmers would not play 'Inside My Love' because of the carnal interpretation." -- Kickmag

SXSW 2021: 'Violet' Review

Olivia Munn is quite touching in Violet, which is about a Hollywood executive who can't shut off the negative voice in her head -- and we can't either, because we hear it on the soundtrack. (In addition, we see her thoughts written on the screen.) My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Apocalypse Now: Final Cut,' 'Bend It Like Beckham' and 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'

No new movies this week, so we did three Reboot requests: one from 1979 (kinda), one from 2002, and one from 2019. You can hear the whole thing down below.

Keith Law Interviews Me About 'This Is How You Make a Movie'

I'll get into it more later, but my latest book, This Is How You Make a Movie, is out now. (You can order it at Amazon or Bookshop.) In the meantime, I'm very happy to say that my friend Keith Law invited me to be on his podcast to talk about the book, the Oscar nominations and, yes, the St. Louis Cardinals. You can hear my episode of The Keith Law Show down below.

Zack Snyder Is Trying to Save Superhero Cinema

My strongest feeling while watching Zack Snyder's Justice League was just how ... old-fashioned it is. Redoing a four-year-old movie in a genre that's constantly reinventing itself seems ill-advised, but Snyder has personal reasons to do it. I get into all this over at MEL.

'City of Lies' Review

City of Lies has been sitting on the shelf for a while. It's a long story, but suffice it to say, the movie isn't very good. My review is up at Screen International.