‘THE COMMITMENTS’ STILL GREAT AFTER 25 YEARS
I fell in love with The Commitments when it first came out in 1991 and it’s remained a favorite ever since. When I launched my podcast two years ago I wanted to recommend it to listeners but found, to…
GENE WILDER: FAREWELL TO A GENTLE MAN
I only met Gene Wilder once, more than twenty years ago, but it was a memorable day in my life. He was everything I had hoped he would be: sweet, articulate, and generous of spirit. Although he was ostensibly…
‘THE HOLLARS’ IS WORTH SHOUTING ABOUT
It isn’t typical for really good films to be released at the end of summer, but The Hollars is a happy exception to the rule. What a wonderful movie! John Krasinski has done himself proud as the director and…
Fire up Those Projectors
35mm film is not dead, despite what you may have heard. It has high-profile supporters including Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. For it to survive, however, there must be an infrastructure to support it and people who know how…
MEL BROOKS!!!
There is only one Mel Brooks, and having him as a guest on the current episode of my podcast Maltin on Movies is a source of great pride. My daughter Jessie and I had met him several times before—I…
FOR FAMILIES AND FANBOYS: ‘KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS’
Kubo and the Two Strings is one of the most original animated films to come along in a while. Visually stunning and emotionally rich, it represents a high-water mark for stop-motion animation by artfully blending it with CGI and…
‘BEN-HUR’ LITE
Here’s the truth: I had a good time watching the new Ben-Hur. Will it linger in my thoughts for decades? I don’t think so. Will Jack Huston replace Charlton Heston whenever I think of the title character? Not likely.…
