Maltin on Movies

Latest Episodes:

The Nelms Brothers Jan 19, 2018

Show notes

The writers and directors of the new sleeper Small Town Crime pay a visit, following their costar Clifton Collins, Jr. last week. Ian and Eshom Nelms have such energy and enthusiasm it's no wonder actors like John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, and Danny Glover are willing to work with them…not to mention Octavia Spencer, who helped pull their new cast together. Leonard and Jessie find it heartening that genuinely nice, un-cynical guys like these can still get movies made. Small Town Crime opens in theaters today and is also available on VOD.

Clifton Collins Jr. Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

Clifton Collins Jr. costars in the new movie Small Town Crime and is featured on HBO's Westworld, but his credits are all many and varied: major features like Traffic, Babel, Capote, and Star Trek, episodes of TV series like Alias and Ballers, and a memorable cameo in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He draws inspiration from his grandfather, Pedro Gonzales Gonzales, a lifelong entertainer who was under personal contract to John Wayne. In this colorful and unpredictable conversation Leonard and Jessie learn how he prepares for a role and makes it his own.

Robert Patrick Jan 05, 2018

Show notes

Robert Patrick had to overcome his first great success as T-1000 in Terminator 2. It's the only way people could picture him, at first. But he beat the stereotype and hasn't stopped working since: in memorable roles like Johnny Cash's father in Walk the Line and on such hit shows as The Sopranos, True Blood, and (currently) Scorpion. He's played opposite Melissa McCarthy and been directed by Clint Eastwood. What hasn'the done? Leonard and Jessie have fun talking with Robert about his prolific career.

Mark Evanier Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

Pop culture guru, comedy and animation writer, Jack Kirby biographer, and all-around good guy Mark Evanier joins Leonard to talk about one of their favorite subjects: Laurel and Hardy. Having grown up watching Stan and Ollie on television every day, they find it hard to imagine a generation that doesn't know and love the great comedy team. Perhaps they will inspire you to revisit, or introduce yourself to, this timeless duo.

Alonso Duralde Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Alonso Duralde, the savvy and articulate film critic for The Wrap, joins Leonard and Jessie for a survey of the movie year 2017. They don't always agree, but Alonso makes his case for some films Jessie and Leonard don't care for, and vice versa. As the author of the book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, our guest also weighs in on some of his favorite films of the season.

Bill Pullman Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

Bill Pullman is one of the most familiar faces in movies and TV—and one of the most welcome. To some, he'll always be the kick-ass President in Independence Day. Others might name While You Were Sleeping or Mel Brooks' Spaceballs. Leonard and Jessie run through his amazing résumé, right up through Sinner, Battle of the Sexes, and his latest movie, which opens today in theaters and Video on Demand: The Ballad of Lefty Brown. It's a rare starring role for an actor who always delivers the goods.

Try Mubi free for 30 days at mubi.com/maltin!

Stephen Chbosky Dec 08, 2017

Show notes

Stephen Chbosky is that rarity: a popular novelist who directed the screen version of his best-selling book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has now followed that success with a beautiful adaptation of R.J. Palacio's Wonder. It won't take long to figure out why he's done so well: his enthusiasm is palpable, whether he's talking about the moviemaking process or naming some of his favorite films for Leonard and Jessie.

Try Mubi free for 30 days at mubi.com/maltin!

Mark Mothersbaugh Dec 01, 2017

Show notes

From the themes for The Rugrats and Pee-wee's Playhouse to the score to Thor Ragnarok, Mark Mothersbaugh has composed the soundtrack of our lives for the past thirty years. The cofounder of Devo is a talented artist who never intended to make music a career. Now he builds his own fanciful instruments! Leonard and Jessie visited his studio to talk about music, movies, and his long collaboration with Wes Anderson, among other things. What fun!

Try Mubi free for 30 days at mubi.com/maltin!

Sean Baker Nov 24, 2017

Show notes

The man behind The Florida Project (one of the year's best movies) joins Leonard and Jessie for a candid look at his career, which began on public-access television in Manhattan. His last feature, Tangerine, caused a stir because it was shot entirely on iPhones…but it's the content, not the cameras, that makes these movies so good. (His latest was photographed on 35mm film.) Sean shares the story of his "overnight" success and explains why he thanks Spanky McFarland and the creators of the Little Rascals at the end of The Florida Project.

Try Mubi free for 30 days at mubi.com/maltin!

Dee Rees Nov 17, 2017

Show notes

Six years ago, a film called Pariah (2011) heralded the arrival of a major new voice in American cinema. Dee Rees has fulfilled that promise with her ambitious new release Mudbound, based on the best-selling novel about two Southern families in the 1940s—one black, one white. It opens in theaters and on Netflix today. Leonard and Jessie spoke with the talented writer-director at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Try Mubi free for 30 days at mubi.com/maltin!