Maltin On Movies

This week Leonard and Baron discuss three films with interesting women in them: Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, and Minnie Driver in An Ideal Husband, Charlize Theron in a film they both can’t stand, and Passion Fish, a sleeper starring Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard.

Leonard and Baron are back to discuss three films revolving around the world of stand-up comedy: Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, a great comedian’s semi-autobiographical saga that doesn’t quite add up, and a sleeper with a hell of a Punchline.

This week, Leonard and Baron discuss the inimitable Morgan Freeman and focus on three films from his long career: Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone, another film that even this great actor couldn’t salvage, and a sleeper worth checking out called The Magic of Belle Isle.

This week Leonard and Baron recognize the great Nicole Kidman by discussing 2010’s Rabbit Hole, which earned her an Oscar nomination, another movie with a great cast that didn’t come together (for many reasons), and 2004’s Birth, a most unusual sleeper worth checking out.

Inspired by the release of Chappie, Leonard and Baron discuss three films based around robots. The original sharp and pointed Robocop, a remake worth forgetting, and a striking sleeper called Robot & Frank that you should seek out.

In celebration of Black History Month, Leonard and Baron discuss three significant films. Spike Lee’s monumental film Malcolm X, a turkey about the Tuskegee Airmen that was made with all good intentions, and a sleeper that dates back just over 30 years called The Brother from Another Planet.

Continuing with the Oscar theme, Leonard and Baron discuss the movies of past Oscar winners: Emma Thompson’s knockout performance in Primary Colors, Matthew McConaughey and Nicole Kidman in a very strange movie they don’t recommend, and Denzel Washington in truly inspiring story you should seek out.

Leonard and Baron discuss three worthy individuals who were not nominated for an Oscar this year:  David Oyelowo of Selma, who’s equally good in another film about the Civil Rights movement, Ralph Fiennes of The Grand Budapest Hotel in an unfortunate turkey, and a sleeper from the great writer/director Mike Leigh, who brought us Mr. Turner this past year.

In part two of their 2015 Oscar nominees conversation, Leonard and Baron discuss three more films from this year’s contenders: Keira Knightley in the charming musical Begin Again, a movie about magic that sadly dropped the ball, and a sleeper from Norwegian director Morten Tyldum, who gave us The Imitation Game.

Inspired by this year’s Oscar Nominees, Leonard and Baron discuss the movies of two actors and one filmmaker: the movie that put Eddie Redmayne on the map, Reese Witherspoon in a sequel that probably shouldn’t have been made, and a sleeper from filmmaker Richard Linklater’s catalog. Tune in next week for part two!

Inspired by the release of Taken 3, Leonard and Baron praise the versatile Liam Neeson by discussing A Walk Among the Tombstones, another high-profile film that turned out to be a dud, and a sleeper that means a lot to them both.

Inspired by her brilliant performance in Still Alice, Leonard and Baron pay tribute to the fearless Julianne Moore by discussing The Kids Are All Right, along with a rare clunker and a sleeper that no fan of this actress should miss.

In part two of their Movie Musicals conversation, Leonard and Baron discuss three more interesting choices:  the Irish musical Once, with its Oscar-winning song, a historically bad sequel that shouldn’t have happened, and a student film from the creators of South Park that’s well worth seeking out.

Inspired by the year-end release of Annie & Into the Woods, Leonard and Baron discuss three movie musicals: the cult classic Hedwig and the Angry Inch, another film that made the transition from Broadway to the big screen in a most unfortunate way, and a sleeper about a singing group that is close to Baron’s heart. Tune in next week for part two!

In celebration of the New Year, Leonard and Baron tackle three enjoyable Food movies: the incredible animated Pixar film Ratatouille, a romantic comedy revolving around two chefs in New York, and a sweet movie about two Italian brothers who own a restaurant in the 1950s.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Leonard and Baron discuss three Holiday films: the classic Black and White film Miracle on 34th Street, a Christmas movie that doesn’t hit the bullseye, and a continental sleeper that you must put on your list. Along the way, they’ll spread some holiday cheer as they talk about other Christmas classics.

Triggered by the release of the new DreamWorks animated feature Penguins of Madagascar, this week Leonard and Baron discuss three other feature-length cartoons: a Disney classic that will make you cry, a big CGI movie that looks great but doesn’t do a good job of storytelling, and a unique, wonderfully wacky sleeper called A Town Called Panic.

Inspired by the release of Horrible Bosses 2, Leonard and Baron return this week to talk about sequels: the good, the bad, and the ugly. They’ll explain why they don’t like the idea of sequels in general, before citing a notable exception, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. They also discuss a terrible sequel (complete with a bad subtitle), and a horror/slasher sequel that’s improbably good given its pedigree.

Inspired by Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, this week Leonard and Baron look back at the breakthrough performances of three remarkable actors: Jennifer Lawrence's performance in a stark film that is compelling to watch, a stellar career that had an interesting start on the big screen, and one film that made a star overnight. Along the way, they discuss the promised breakthroughs for actors that didn’t happen.

Inspired by Steve Carell in Foxcatcher, this week Leonard and Baron look at serious roles tackled by three other funnymen: a brilliant character that Robin Williams brought to life, Jim Carrey in a miscast dramatic lead, and a likable, believable turn by Will Ferrell. Their conversation takes in other examples of comedic talents who turned serious from time to time.