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...

Eli Craig 05/13/2025

Eli Craig As diehard fans of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Leonard and Jessie are always rooting for writer-director Eli Craig, whose latest blood-stained outing is called Clown in a Cornfield. It's very different in tone, and its satiric point is muted until the climax. You can see it now in theaters or rent it at home on VOD. We also spoke to Eli about his unusual upbringing, living mostly with his brother and dad in Oregon, but casting an eye on the fight for success that made his mother, Sally Field, an enduring star. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/36554440

Chris Nichols 05/06/2025

Chris Nichols As the longtime senior editor of Los Angeles magazine, Chris Nichols has accumulated more knowledge about this city than anyone else we know. As an author and frequent tour guide, he loves sharing his discoveries, which is why his newest book BowlaRama (Angel City Press, written with Adriene Biondo) is so much fun. Leonard and Jessie enjoy diving into the fad-like growth of bowling alleys in the Baby Boom years of the 1950s and early 1960s. (Leonard is still mourning the loss of his Pepsi Cola bowling team shirt.) Chris’s enthusiasm for everything he does is positively infectious. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/36448180

Revisiting casting director Avy Kaufman 04/18/2025

Revisiting casting director Avy Kaufman Avy Kaufman’s name should be familiar to anyone who reads credits, as we do. She has cast scores of films and television series, from The Ice Storm to Succession, and launched many a career along the way. You can hear the pride in her voice when she recounts how she brought young Haley Joel Osment to meet the star and director of The Sixth Sense. Recent credits include some of the most talked-about television shows of our time: Mare of Easttown, Under the Banner of Heaven, Billions, and Fellow Travelers, which could earn her a fourth Emmy Award. (She has three: one for Damages and two for Succession). Avy wears her passion on her sleeve and that makes for great conversation. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/36213650

Revisiting Frank Oz 04/11/2025

Revisiting Frank Oz Last year, Leonard and Jessie got a rare opportunity to interview Frank Oz at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas before a live audience. His alter egos are world-renowned, but Leonard and Jessie didn’t focus on Miss Piggy or Yoda in this conversation. The main topic was directing movies, which Oz has done so well for so many years: The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Shop of Horrors, In & Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Bowfinger, and What About Bob? are just a few of his credits. What is the through-line, if any, from puppetry to filmmaking. Listen and hear what the amazing Oz has to say. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/36099670

Harry Medved 03/21/2025

Harry Medved He’s an author, film buff, publicist, and now the host of a web series called Locationland that brings us to the spots around Los Angeles where memorable movies were shot—fromGrease to Plan 9 From Outer Space. Harry is a lifelong cinephile lover who first made his mark writing about the worst movies of all time, which led to the Golden Turkey Awards—now reincarnated as the Razzies. He and Leonard shared the same career-defining book editor ages ago in New York City. They also share a fascination with finding the answers to questions about who shot what and where. You can learn more at or. Harry also works with the National Association of Theater Owners (formerly known as NATO) which, newly dubbed Cinema United, will be staging CinemaCon in Las Vegas the week of March 31. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35795070

Jon Seda 03/14/2025

Jon Seda For Jessie, busy actor Jon Seda will always be Selena’s loving husband Chris Pérez, but he’s had many memorable roles in films and television: The Pacific, Chicago PD, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Treme, and La Brea, to name just a few. If you’re a fan you already know that he was heading for a career in boxing when he was hired to appear in Gladiator, which was literally a life-changing experience. As you will hear, he’s an unpretentious guy who enjoys what he does, appreciates the people he works with, and goes home to his wife and four children knowing he’s earned an honest day’s pay. His latest movie, Into the Deep, also stars Richard Dreyfuss and is available on demand right now. ... /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35623185

Danny Elfman 03/07/2025

Danny Elfman As a boy, Danny Elfman showed no interest in music, but he’s made up for it ever since, earning Grammy and Emmy awards, Oscar nominations, and the roar of the crowd in live concerts around the world. His historic collaboration with director Tim Burton began with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and shows no signs of stopping. His theme music for The Simpsons is just one way he remains in our consciousness between film scoring gigs. Leonard and Jessie love his passion for what he does—and does so well. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35577095

Anson Williams and Sharon Scott Williams 03/02/2025

Anson Williams and Sharon Scott Williams He will be forever known as Potsie from Happy Days, but his memories of that much-loved TV series are all positive, especially his relationship with the show’s creator Garry Marshall. Having begun in the theater and turned director (with dozens of TV shows to his credit) he is now piloting his wife’s new play Crazy Mama: A True Story of Love and Madness at the celebrated Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California. It’s based on her own experience living with a mother who suffered from severe mental illness. Linda Purl plays 16 roles in this provocative one-woman show. Details are at Anson also shares some of his earliest show-business encounters with Leonard and Jessie. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35503265

Patrick Wilson 02/21/2025

Patrick Wilson Patrick Wilson wears many show-business hats. Fans of his Tony-nominated work on Broadway may not know of his involvement in the spooky Insidious and The Conjuring movies. (He even made his directorial debut on Insidious: The Red Door.) And horror/supernatural fans might have missed his star performances in the celebrated arthouse hit Little Children and the Mike Nichols-directed miniseries version of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for HBO. Leonard and Jessie are longtime fans of his—even more so after this congenial conversation. See him in Edward Burns’ new movie Millers in Marriage now in theaters and on digital platforms /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35373855

Revisiting Al Pacino 02/14/2025

Revisiting Al Pacino AL PACINO needs no introduction. In 2018 he joined us for a relaxed conversation that centered on his documentary “Wilde/Salome,” about his stage production of an Oscar Wilde play featuring a newcomer named Jessica Chastain. But without much prompting he also discussed his career at large, from The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon onward. His recently published autobiography taps into his way of thinking…but you’ll get a taste of that here, as Leonard and Jessie chat up one of the greatest actors of our time. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35285655

Revisiting Sean Baker 01/31/2025

Revisiting Sean Baker The man whose latest film, Anora, is an awards-season favorite and an Oscar candidate, first joined us in 2017 to discuss his unpredictable career, which began on public-access television in Manhattan. He caused a stir when he shot his feature, Tangerine, on iPhones, and he won new fans with The Florida Project, which featured Willem Dafoe. He has a big heart, which is evident in every one of his films (including Red Rocket and Anora, which were still in the future when this interview took place). /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/35092605

Revisiting Billy Bob Thornton 01/24/2025

Revisiting Billy Bob Thornton Billy Bob Thornton is in a class by himself. If you haven’t seen Season 1 of his new show Landman on Paramount Plus, you’re missing out. It’s a perfect follow-up to his earlier seriesGoliath and his unforgettable turn on the first season of Fargo. Leonard and Jessie are longtime fans and delight in talking to him about finding his place in Hollywood, working with the Coen Brothers, playing the President of the United States in Love, Actually, and much, much more. This 2017 conversation doesn’t cover his most recent work but it’s a pleasure to listen to. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34986990

Revisiting Vince Vaughn 01/17/2025

Revisiting Vince Vaughn On the heels of a terrific new Apple+ TV series, BAD MONKEY (which will film its second season in the near future), let’s revisit our last chat with him, recorded in front of a live audience at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas in September of 2017. Vince was at the festival with his then-brand-new movie Brawl in Cell Block 99, but had no hesitation in reviewing his career and the film that launched it, Swingers. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34896855

Doug Jones 01/03/2025

Doug Jones Doug Jones’s face is often hidden behind elaborate makeup, yet somehow, through his eyes and body language he always create memorable characters. A favorite of filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, he was the sea creature inThe Shape of Water and had key roles in Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Pan’s Labyrinth. He spent five seasons on Star Trek: Discovery and is currently having a ball making the last season of What We Do in the Shadows. He is also proud of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, now streaming and available on Blu-ray—and not to be confused with the other current remake of the German silent classic. Doug is as nice as he is talented, and Leonard and Jessie are delighted to have him on the podcast. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33789447

David Krumholtz 12/27/2024

David Krumholtz In recent times, David Krumholtz has appeared in Oppenheimer onscreen and Leopoldstadt on Broadway…but Jessie and Leonard first became fans watching him in films like The Santa Clause, Liberty Heights, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Slums of Beverly Hills. He is the very definition of a working actor—on stage, film and television (where he spent five years as the star of NUMB3RZ), with a healthy outlook on his profession and its peccadilloes. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34626280

Becky Ann Baker 12/20/2024

Becky Ann Baker Becky Ann Baker has played moms—on popular shows like Girls, Ted Lasso and Freaks and Geeks. But pigeonholing her is foolish given her theatrical training and can-do approach to life and career (alongside her equally talented husband, Dylan Baker). She’s worked for everyone from Sam Raimi to Steven Spielberg to You can see her right now with Rob Huebel in All Hapy Families on VOD, but if you just wait a bit she’ll turn up in another high-profile movie or TV show. What a delight for Leonard and Jessie to spend time in her company. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34543135

Rob Huebel 12/06/2024

Rob Huebel Rob Huebel can currently be seen in the comedy feature film All Happy Families (costarring Josh Radnor and Becky Ann Baker) on VOD, but he is never out of sight for long. An improv comedian and actor par excellence who honed his chops at Upright Citizens Brigade, he frequently works with such pals as Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer, and Will Arnett. His movie credits include I Love You, Man, The Descendants and Keanu and his TV resume is packed with shows like Transparent, Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Leonard and Jessie found Rob to be whip-smart, warm and funny…in short, a perfect guest. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34312595

Lucy Lawless 11/29/2024

Lucy Lawless It’s been decades since Lucy Lawless became world-famous as Xena, the Warrior Princess. Since then she’s done everything from appearing on Broadway in Grease to starring in an eye-opening Spartacus TV series. Now she’s made her directorial debut with a compelling documentary called Never Look Away, about videographer Margaret Moth, who thrived on the adrenaline of shooting in war zones. It played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest and is now opening in theaters and on many streaming services. Lawless is justifiably proud of her achievement and Leonard and Jessie were impressed with her—as an interviewee and as a filmmaker. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/34185030

Lou Diamond Phillips 11/15/2024

Lou Diamond Phillips Lou Diamond Phillips has an old-school, theater-based work ethic, which is why there’s almost nothing he can’t or won’t do—from appearing on The Masked Singer to imitating the look of Buffalo Bill Cody for his newest film Get Fast, now available on VOD. He doesn’t mind that people still talk to him about playing Ritchie Valens in La Bamba because he’s (justly) proud of the film and his performance in it, as you will hear. Leonard and Jessie also have a personal connection to this gracious and talented man. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33948487

Liam Neeson 11/08/2024

Liam Neeson Liam Neeson needs no introduction; his work over the past five decades speaks for itself. What you may not know is what a charming man he is…or how dedicated to his craft he remains after all this time. He says he still finds acting a source of wonder and discovery. His latest film, an action thriller called Absolution, opens today. Is it a great movie? Not in the same class as Schindler’s List, or even Taken, but worth seeing if only to watch the man at work. Leonard and Jessie feel lucky to have spent some time with him. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33819854

Danny Trejo 10/18/2024

Danny Trejo The meanest-looking man on screen, the star of Robert Rodriguez’s Machete and its sequels, is perhaps better known Trejo’s Cantina and other food emporiums have revealed the truth: despite his violent background he has reinvented himself as a good guy and plays that role extremely well, onscreen and off. (He also headlines a new streaming movie, Seven Cemeteries.) Leonard and Jessie enjoyed meeting him (via Zoom) and hearing the story of how he accidentally broke into movies and wound up working with some of the biggest names in the business. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33502742

David Stenn 10/11/2024

David Stenn David Stenn has a good “day job,” writing scripts for television (like The L Word and Boardwalk Empire) but his passion is film history. He has funded restoration of films long thought lost or unavailable, including a recent “find” featuring Clara Bow. He is also the author of two definitive biographies, Clara Bow: Running Wild, first published in 1988 and Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow. They are both “must-read” recommendations, along with his passion project, a documentary called Girl 27 that is now available free of charge on YouTube. And if his face or voice seem familiar, it’s because he appears regularly on Turner Classic Movies. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33399272

Revisiting J.K. Simmons 10/04/2024

Revisiting J.K. Simmons Can it really be ten years since Whiplash put filmmaker Damien Chazelle on the map and earned J.K. Simmons his Best Supporting Actor Oscar? We interviewed the versatile actor in 2017 and his stories are worth hearing again. By the way, he remains a good luck charm for writer-director Jason Reitman, with a juicy role in his new movie Saturday Night. And Whiplash is also back on theater screens. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33323932

Chapin Cutler 09/20/2024

Chapin Cutler As the cofounder of Boston Light and Sound, Chapin Cutler has built movie theaters from the ground up and transformed unlikely spaces into pop-up cinemas. He’s been responsible for 70mm showings of new films by Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino and so much more. He and his wife Deborah run a family-oriented operation and populate their staff with diehard movie nerds who truly care about how a film looks and sounds. Leonard and Jessie are longtime friends and admirers of their work and welcomed this opportunity to ask him questions they never posed before. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/33147297

Jon Burlingame 09/06/2024

Jon Burlingame Jon Burlingame knows everything worth knowing about music for film and television. He teaches the subject at USC’s Thornton School of Music, keeps up with current events and newcomers to the field for Variety, and has just published his seventh book, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir (BearManor Media). Like all of his work it is authoritative, well-written, and fun to read. Leonard and Jessie are longtime fans and friends and couldn’t think of a nicer way to spend an hour. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32926597

Haley Joel Osment 08/30/2024

Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment should need no introduction to moviegoers of any age. He made an indelible impression in The Sixth Sense 25 years ago and became an overnight star, working with the likes of Michael Caine and Robert Duvall in Secondhand Lions and Steven Spielberg on A.I. Articifial Intelligence. After a break from filmmaking he returned to the scene as a versatile young character actor, appearing in such shows as The Boys, The Kominskey Method, and What We Do in the Shadows. He’s currently part of the ensemble in Blink Twice and hopes to do what Zoë Kravitz did: write and direct. As bright as he is unpretentious, Haley seems to have what it takes: Leonard and Jessie are rooting for him to succeed. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32771667

Heather Graham 08/24/2024

Heather Graham Our guest has been acting for most of her life and her credits include such memorable movies as Swingers, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Boogie Nights, Bowfinger, and The Hangover. In her latest film (which debuts today on demand), Place of Bone, she plays a tough, implacable frontier woman who wields a rifle with authority and intends to protect her teenage daughter at any cost. In October we’ll see her second effort as writer, director and star, the romantic comedy Chosen Family. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32726002

Emmy Nominees Michael Minkler and Jack Whittaker 08/16/2024

Emmy Nominees Michael Minkler and Jack Whittaker If you don’t think sound editing and mixing is a creative process, think again! Our guests are both nominated for Emmy Awards for their work on the Apple+ miniseries Masters of the Air—and they might be identified as Masters of the Ear. They have created a soundscape that is the equal of a major Hollywood feature, as you’d expect in a high-profile show executive produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Steven Spielberg. Mike Minkler is also a third-generation soundman with three Oscars to his credit—so far—and was Leonard’s first guest when he started teaching at USC twenty-six years ago. Jessie is as impressed with our guests as her Dad. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32616282

Colm Meaney 08/09/2024

Colm Meaney Colm Meaney makes a vivid impression whenever he appears on stage, screen, or television. (His latest, Duchess, debuts on digital today, August 9.) More people probably know him from the two Star Trek series in which he appeared—The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine—but we remember him best as the father in The Commitments and its follow-ups The Van and The Snapper. Leonard and Jessie were pleased to find that he shares our fondness for that trilogy from Irish writer Roddy Doyle as well. But there’s little he hasn’t done, from John Huston’s final film The Dead to Con Air and an episode of The Simpsons where he played (what else?) a quintessential Irish bartender. He spoke to us from his getaway home in Majorca, Spain! /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32507322

Jim Cummings 08/03/2024

Jim Cummings You’ve been entertained by Jim Cummings at some point over the last forty years whether you know it or not: he is the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, the Tasmanian Devil, and countless other cartoon characters. And like his hero Mel Blanc, he is not merely “doing” voices—he’s acting and singing his heart out. Leonard and Jessie are especially fond of his vocalizing as Ray the Cajun firefly, who croons “Ma Belle Angeline” in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. It was a pleasure meeting and chatting with someone we’ve both admired for years. /episode/index/show/maltinonmovies/id/32421807

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