Podcast
Maltin on Movies
Hosted by Leonard Maltin & Jessie Maltin · EN
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...
23episodes
Episodes
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Jim Bissell
3d ago00:59:05Tap to summarizeIf he had don't nothing beyond production design for E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Jim Bissell's name would shine in movie history. Happily for us he has no intention of changing careers or slowing down. His other credits include Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, 300, Good Night and Good Luck, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. He was also a founding member of the Art Directors Guild, which subsequently presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is one of the unsung heroes of Hollywood and doesn't have to brag: his resume speaks for itself.
Transcribe →Brian d'Arcy James
2w ago00:43:14Tap to summarizeA five-time nominee for the Tony Award, Brian is a young Broadway veteran who has performed in every imaginable kind of show, from Macbeth to Hamilton. He also played the leading character in Shrek the Musical for one full year. Filmmaker Edward Burns has just cast him as a sibling in Finnegan's Foursome, which you can watch now on Video on Demand; it marks their fifth film together. Brian is the kind of actor other actors and directors want to work with, and our lighthearted look behind the curtain will tell you why.
Transcribe →Drew Goddard
3w ago00:52:20Tap to summarizeDrew Goddard is having an exceptionally good year. He wrote the screenplay for the hit movie Project Hail Mary and is in production for a third season of the TV series High Potential. But he is the first to say that "good luck" is often the a result of hard work. This has been true from the beginning of his multifaceted career, writing shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and movies like Cloverfield. He has directed for both media, as well, but gives Ridley Scott credit for taking his script for The Martian and making it come alive. Goddard is a role model for any novice who's paying attention: work with people you like on projects you love.
Transcribe →Kevin Nealon
4w ago00:48:52Tap to summarizeIf you still associate Kevin Nealon with Saturday Night Live, it's no wonder: he was a vital cast member for nine years. But he's also an author, video producer, banjoist, savvy second banana (on such series as Weeds and Man With a Plan), dedicated standup comic, and member of Adam Sandler's comedic stock company. And if you haven't seen his spectacular caricatures, you're missing out: his book is called I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame. He talks about the adventure of playing supporting roles in indie films of all kinds. His latest, Mermaid, drops on digital platforms May 26.
Transcribe →John Pyper-Ferguson
May 1500:30:42Tap to summarizeAs admirers of "working actors" who bring their experience to each new assignment, Leonard and Jessie are pleased to share their chat with John Pyper-Ferguson, who is now on theater screens in Casa Grande, a feature based on a popular miniseries starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Jon has made a vivid impression in shows like The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and Suits as well as features including Unforgiven, where he was directed by Clint Eastwood. You've seen him in Agents of SHIELD, The 100, and The Last Ship. Now meet the man who fills those roles so well.
Transcribe →Bruce Davison
May 800:41:18Tap to summarizeIt's been a long time since we caught up with Bruce Davison, a lifelong actor whose latest film, Casa Grande, is now available on digital platforms. He talks about the pride and perils of guiding a career that incorporates theater, films and television—and how he keeps that fire burning within. From Ozark and The Lincoln Lawyer all the way back to Willard (where he worked with a rat named Ben, sung about by Michael Jackson) to X-Men, he continues to distinguish himself as a performer of enormous skill and range. He also shares the career-defining advice he got early on from Robert Aldrich, who observed him trying to compete with the charismatic Burt Lancaster.
Transcribe →Corbin Bernsen
Apr 1300:44:19Tap to summarizeHe's spent a lifetime in front of the camera, but Corbin Bernsen is still ready to perform when the proverbial red light goes on. His latest release. The Yeti, is now on demand digitally, or you can channel-surf and find him on Your Friends and Neighbors, Duster, The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, and such vintage hits as L.A. Law and Psych. He's produced, directed and written (even a novel) and has re-energized his life by moving to the Hudson River Valley. Leonard and Jessie enjoyed catching up with this enthusiastic "working actor" who has never lost his love of performing and storytelling—even passing it along to his children.
Transcribe →Lou Taylor Pucci
Mar 3100:31:40Tap to summarizeIt's hard to believe that more than twenty years have passed since Leonard and Jessie became aware of Lou Taylor Pucci, who starred in two Sundance features called Thumbsucker and Chumscrubber that launched a career that's still going strong. The still-youthful actor is forever taking on challenges, none wilder than the bug-eyed alien he plays in Touch Me, which is now ON DEMAND AND ON DIGITAL April 7, 2026
Transcribe →Stephanie Laing
Mar 1900:34:31Tap to summarizeIf you can judge a person by the company they keep, you'll know why Leonard and Jessie were eager to talk to Stephanie Laing. She has worked with Tracey Ullman, Julia Louis Dreyfuss and other comedy luminaries as a producer and director and has a new movie opening in theaters today: Tow starring Rose Byrne. Stephanie spoke to us from a shuttered hospital in Jersey City, which is the set of her next film.
Transcribe →Caroline Goodall
Mar 1300:54:26Tap to summarizeHer career has taken her from Shakespeare to Stallone and she has wonderful stories to tell. Caroline Goodall has worked for Steven Spielberg twice—in Hook and Schindler's List. Now she's playing a military leader who cuts quite a figure in the science-fiction fantasy Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead, which is only in theaters March 13. Leonard and Jessie hit it off with Caroline, who zoomed with us from her home on a barge resting in the Thames River! Tune in for an especially lively conversation.
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