Maltin on Movies

Legendary film critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter Jessie are the ultimate movie fans. They love talking about movies, especially with people who share their enthusiasm—from living legends like Mel Brooks, Al Pacino, Angela Lansbury and Quincy Jones to such contemporary artists as Amy Adams, Tim Burton, Laura Dern, and Jordan Peele. You’ll meet all kinds of interesting people and hear their recommendations of unsung movies you ought to know…

Latest Episodes:

Elizabeth Daley Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Elizabeth Daley has served as the Dean of the USC School for Cinematic Arts for 30 years, which means she's been Leonard's boss for 25 of those years. Leonard and Jessie realized that they'd never sat and just talked to her for an hour—until now. Elizabeth studied theater and migrated to television early in her career, then answered the call from academia for what she thought would be a temporary assignment. Now she consults worldwide based on her vast experience dealing with students, teachers, and such alumni as George Lucas, who laid the foundation (literally) to rebuild the school in downtown Los Angeles. You'll hear other names appropriately dropped, from Hitchcock to Zemeckis in the course of this wide-ranging conversation.

John Landis Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

Just in time for Halloween, we reconnected with director and film aficionado John Landis for a wide-ranging, clearly spontaneous conversation about horror films past and present. John's Halloween bona fides: he directed An American Werewolf in London, the underappreciated Innocent Blood, and Michael Jackson's Thriller, about which Jessie was particularly curious. Leonard is always impressed with John's vast knowledge of film history, especially in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy genres. Jessie's nearly two-year-old daughter Daisy make a cameo appearance near the end of this episode.

Revisiting Bruce Campbell Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

The actor you know and love from the Evil Dead movies was an animated guest when Leonard and Jessie spoke to him in front of a lively audience at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas back in 2016.

Revisiting Gilbert Gottfried Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Having just wrapped Fantastic Fest 2023, Leonard and Jessie are thinking about past experiences at this unique gathering in Austin, Texas. Step back six years to enjoy an episode recorded at the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar's lively Highball Lounge with the late, great comedian Gilbert Gottfried. He was one of a kind, and so is this raucous hour-long interview.

Greg Nava Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

Writer-director Greg Nava made his reputation with the unforgettable 1983 film El Norte, and then gave the world an exceptional musical biopic, Selena. He is happy to recount the stories behind those memorable films for Leonard, who witnessed El Norte's breakout screening at the Telluride Film Festival, and Jessie, who has committed Selena to memory. This long-overdue conversation follows a happy reunion at this year's Telluride fest.

Bonus: SAFETY LAST AT 100 Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a clock on the side of a building is arguably the most famous single image from the silent-film era. The movie in which that scene appears, Safety Last, was made in 1923 and is being screened Sunday at 2pm at the Academy Museum, with a 27-piece orchestra playing the late Carl Davis's original score. Leonard and Jessie are delighted to welcome back Suzanne Lloyd, who was raised by her grandfather and grandmother, and her longtime friend Rich Correll, who as a teenager began the process of preserving Harold Lloyd's film collection. We owe them both a debt of thanks for keeping these movies safe for current and future generations to enjoy.

Behind the Scenes: Emmy nominees 4 Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Gifted and versatile are two adjectives that describe the women responsible for creating costumes for Netflix's Emily in Paris (Marylin Fitoussi, who spoke to us from Paris), Queen Charlotte (Lyn Paolo and Laura Frecon) and the esteemed Colleen Atwood (Wednesday), who with this show continues her long partnership with filmmaker Tim Burton.

Behind the Scenes: Emmy nominees 3 Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Several contributors to the Netflix series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities discuss their collaboration: prosthetic makeup designers Sean Sansom and Mike Hill, production designer Tamara Deverell, and cinematographer Anastas Michos.

Behind the Scenes: Emmy nominees 2 Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Two talented women talk about working on the long-running Netflix series The Crown: costume designer Amy Roberts and hair and makeup specialist Cate Hall. How does the challenge of replicating well-known figures from recent history affect their approach? Listen and find out.

Behind the Scenes: Emmy nominees 1 Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Today we talk to some of the talented people who worked on the Netflix series Beef: costume designer Helen Huang, casting directors Charlene Lee and Claire Koonce, and editors Laura Zempel and Nat Fuller. You don't have to be familiar with the show to enjoy hearing them describe their work and the passion they bring to each new project.

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