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:

Kris Bowers Apr 17, 2021

Show notes

A onetime piano prodigy is now an Oscar nominee. Having won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition in 2011, Kris Bowers has spread his wings and achieved his goal of becoming a composer for film and television. Among his credits: Green Book, Bridgerton, When They See Us, and the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy. What's more, his charming short subject, A Concerto is a Conversation, which he directed with Ben Proudfoot, is an Academy Award nominee. (watch it at www.concertodoc.com) As you will hear, Kris is engaging, articulate, and equally comfortable talking about Bach and Bugs Bunny.

Scott Frank Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

He's enjoying the success and acclaim he rightly deserves for The Queen's Gambit (Netflix's most-watched scripted miniseries), but Scott Frank is not just a flavor of the month. He's written movies like Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Minority Report, Logan, and our favorite sleeper The Lookout, which marked his directing debut. Scott has a wealth of observations about screenwriting and moviemaking which he shares with Leonard and Jessie, who have belatedly discovered Godless, the exceptional Western miniseries he made for Netflix in 2017. It's another must-see.

Mark Harris Apr 02, 2021

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His new biography Mike Nichols: A Life is garnering rave reviews, but that's no surprise. Mark Harris's other two books, Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back are required reading for anyone who loves films. A native New Yorker, Mark spent many years writing for Entertainment Weekly, which put him on the front lines of pop culture. He continues to cover the film scene for New York magazine. A diligent researcher as well as a fan, Mark has much to say about digging deep in order to tell a good (and accurate) story, as you will hear.

Revisiting Quincy Jones Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

Listen up! When Quincy Jones speaks he may be imparting Yoda-like wisdom or talking about his collaborations with Steven Spielberg, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, or Hal Ashby, to name just a few. His film credits range from The Pawnbroker and In Cold Blood to The Color Purpleand the must-see documentary Keep on Keepin' On. As a musician, arranger, film composer, and entrepreneur he is without peer, and arguably the coolest guy on the planet. It's been four years since Leonard and Jessie spent a lively hour with him and they still marvel at the experience. Keep On Keepin' On, is now streaming on Amazon Prime, iTunes and other platforms.

Thomas Nicholas Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

If you're in your 30s like Jessie, you grew up with Thomas Nicholas onscreen. He starred in Rookie of the Year and A Kid in King Arthur's Court, then—a little older—he appeared the hugely popular American Pie series. He's led a band for many years and has never forsaken acting, but with the release of Adverse on VOD he officially joins the ranks of producers. Leonard and Jessie enjoyed meeting him and recalling some of the highlights of an enduring career.

Revisiting Norman Lear Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Whatever you may think of the Golden Globes, their voters hit a bull's-eye when they gave a special award to Norman Lear, the youngest 98-year-old in Hollywood. He could easily coast along on his many accomplishments as a writer, producer, director, and political activist; instead he is engaged in new projects on a daily basis. He also penned a candid, entertaining autobiography called Even This I Get to Experience.

Jessie and I were privileged to spend an hour with him as he was just settling into his new office suite on the Sony Pictures lot two and a half years ago. He gave birth to such TV series as All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons and was then busily involved in a reboot of One Day at a Time. He's worked in television since 1950, but no one seems to talk to him about the movies he wrote, produced, and/or directed, like Cold Turkey, or those for which he was a midwife (like The Princess Bride). We relished spending time with this highly amusing, soft-spoken giant—even when he fielded a cell phone call from a political fundraiser in the midst of our interview!

Dave Karger Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

A familiar and welcome face as one of the hosts on Turner Classic Movies, Dave Karger has paid his dues as a working journalist for many years. He spent 17 of those years as a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, and has made frequent appearances on The Today Show, E! and Access Hollywood. Chronicling celebrity culture requires diplomacy and savvy in equal measures, and Dave is more than up to the task. Jessie and Leonard are admirers and welcomed this opportunity to talk to him.

Revisiting Angela Lansbury Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

Hi, it's Leonard Maltin. Jessie and I are taking some time off but we want to share another of our favorite episodes of Maltin on Movies. Whether you know her best as Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, Jessica Fletcher on Murder She Wrote, or the scheming mother from hell in The Manchurian Candidate, you'll be glad to know that the real Angela Lansbury is alive and well at age 95. She was merely 93 when we recorded this conversation in her lovely Los Angeles home. Enjoy.

Mel Brooks Encore Feb 05, 2021

Show notes

Leonard and Jessie spend quality time with the one and only Mel Brooks, who's as spry as ever and bursting with great stories. He reveals the name of the funniest comedy he ever saw, talks about Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and The Producers, and explains how he and his pal Carl Reiner screen movies together almost every night. You don't want to miss this one.

Jon Burlingame and Steven Smith Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

Two of the world's foremost authorities on movie music—whom we also count as good friends—join in a buoyant conversation filled with insight and laughter. Jon Burlingame writes for Variety and teaches film scoring at USC; his books include The Music of James Bond. Steven Smith's latest book is Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood's Most Influential Composer. Together they represent an unbeatable storehouse of knowledge which they are eager to share with all of us.

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