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RICHARD LINKLATER: DREAM IS DESTINY

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin
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I can’t think of another contemporary filmmaker who compares to Richard Linklater. He is the living definition of an independent director, but he’s also made mainstream Hollywood movies. His films reflect his unique sensibilities whether they take place in Europe or his home base of Austin, Texas, where he has made a major contribution to the culture through his founding and nurturing of the Austin Film Society. Think about it: Dazed and Confused, Slacker, Before Sunrise, School of Rock, Me and Orson Welles, Bernie, Boyhood and this year’s delightful Everybody Wants Some! are just a few highlights of a unique thirty-year career. It’s quite a résumé…and there’s much more to come, I’m sure. My lifelong friend Louis Black has coproduced and codirected (with Karen Bernstein)…

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REMEMBERING GLORIA DeHAVEN

Exclusive Featured Interviews Journal Leonard Maltin
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I was saddened to hear of Gloria DeHaven’s passing this week, because I had a small connection with the performer that meant a lot to me. When I was 18 years old I got to interview her for my magazine Film Fan Monthly. I didn’t have access to many stars of Hollywood’s golden age at the time and although I was a kid she treated me like a bona fide journalist. Raised in a show-business family, it was only natural that she follow her parents’ path. Flora Parker and Carter DeHaven (billed as Mr. and Mrs. Carter DeHaven) were headliners on stage and screen. Gloria’s father later became a valued associate of Charlie Chaplin, which led to the youngster’s first appearance on screen. Her brother,…

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LAUREL & HARDY: THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MOVIES by Randy Skretvedt — A Closer Look

Journal Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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[by Leonard Maltin] Labeled “The Ultimate Edition,” this massive volume represents the third time L&H devotee Skretvedt has published the results of his decades-long research on Laurel and Hardy—and it is magnificent. I know a fair amount about this team, having watched and written about them for many years, but I got lost in the pages of this book the other night and couldn’t put it down. I also had trouble picking it up again: it’s incredibly heavy, and well worth its price, not only in content but in sheer heft. There is 50% more text than there was in its second incarnation. Of the one thousand photos here (800 new to this printing), I would venture to say only dozens have been published before.…

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BOURNE. JASON BOURNE. AGAIN.

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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You know his name. You know his moves. You even know he can ride a motorcycle up and down ancient city steps, because we’ve seen him do it before. It’s not just a sense of déjà vu that makes the newest Bourne movie a yawn, but it doesn’t help. Director Paul Greengrass’ return to the series is another problem, at least for me. Greengrass is a highly talented filmmaker, but in his previous Bourne movies he sought new ways to heighten the excitement of his action scenes to a point of kinetic absurdity. Now, as in his last effort (2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum) he adopts what I call a “chaos-cam” approach. You don’t actually see anything happen: every blow, every crash, every bullet hit is…

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HOW TO SEE THE YEAR’S BEST MOVIE

Film Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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It’s easy: buy, rent, or stream it. As of this week, it’s available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD. How could a film this fresh and original elude so many moviegoers? First, it has no recognizable stars. Its distributor didn’t promote it well or nurture it during its theatrical run. And its title is both confusing and off-putting; whenever I recommended it I was asked, “Are you saying Sin Street?” No, it’s Sing Street. Everyone I know who has seen this movie loves it. It has a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So stop complaining that there are no good movies to see this summer and watch Sing Street. (That is, after you’ve gone out to a theater to see my other favorite, Don’t Think…

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ADVENTURES AT COMIC-CON 2016

Featured Journal Leonard Maltin Podcasts
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It’s impossible to take in everything the San Diego Comic-Con has to offer, as I learned again this weekend. Some fans come to see movie stars and major studio previews, while others zip from one specialized panel to another. My favorite thing to do is cruise the exhibition floor, meeting people, reuniting with old friends and acquaintances, and looking for interesting collectibles—even though my shelves are full and I have no more wall space. I did participate in several panels, including a tribute to Walt Kelly’s Pogo hosted by my pal Mark Evanier, a warm and often-hilarious tribute to longtime Disney animator and story-man Floyd Norman, and the annual edition of Rotten Tomatoes’ audience-participation gathering called “Your Opinion Sucks.” My fellow opinion-makers were Donna Dickens,…

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ONE OF THE SUMMER’S BEST: ‘DON’T THINK TWICE’

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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It’s rare to find a movie with heart and humor in equal measure: Don’t Think Twice is that rare bird, and it’s one of my favorite films of the summer. It also represents a major leap for comedian, actor and storyteller Mike Birbiglia, who made his debut film Sleepwalk With Me, just a few years ago. It was enjoyable in a quiet way, but this new endeavor is equivalent to his Annie Hall—a coming-of-age for him as a true cinematic storyteller. Don’t Think Twice is all about a somewhat impoverished New York City improv troupe. Each performer is talented, and has his or her own dreams of fame and success, but when one of them gets that big break—a spot on a network TV series…

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