Leonard Maltin

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Maltin in 2005

Maltin in 1990

Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is a widely known American film critic and film historian, even though he has no degree in the field, having only received a B.A. in journalism from New York University in 1972. Maltin has authored numerous mainstream books on the cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives that will be popular with the masses rather than writing academic or analytical works.

Maltin was born in New York City. He began his writing career at age 15, writing for Classic Images and editing and publishing his own fanzine, Film Fan Monthly, dedicated to films from the golden age of Hollywood. After receiving a journalism degree at New York University, Maltin went on to publish articles in a variety of film journals, national newspapers, and magazines, including Variety, TV Guide and Good Times.

As an author, Maltin is best known for Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide, a compendium of synopses and reviews that first appeared in September 1969 and has been annually updated since October 1987. (It was published under the title TV Movies until the 1990s.)

He has also written several other works, including Behind the Camera, a study of the art of cinematography, The Whole Film Sourcebook, Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia, Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals, and Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons.

Since the 1980s, Maltin has had a regular spot on the syndicated television series Entertainment Tonight. He also appears on the Starz cable network and hosted his own syndicated radio program, Leonard Maltin on Video, as well as the syndicated TV show Hot Ticket with Boston film critic Joyce Kulhawik (originally E! personality and game show host Todd Newton). He also spearheaded the creation of the Walt Disney Treasures collectible DVD line in 2001, and continues to provide creative imput and host the various sets.

In the mid-1990s, he became the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is on the Advisory Board of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. For nearly a decade, Maltin was also on the faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York City. He currently teaches in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.

In 1998, Maltin settled a libel suit brought on by former child star Billy Gray, of Father Knows Best fame, whom Maltin identified as a drug user and dealer when reviewing Gray's performance in an entry review for Dusty and Sweets McGee in the movie guide book. The alleged libelous statement appeared in print for nearly 25 years before Maltin made a public apology for the error. Since then, all movie guide book entries for Dusty and Sweets McGee, which Maltin gives three-and-a-half stars, contain no listing of the actors in the film.

[edit] Popular culture appearances

Leonard Maltin was portrayed in an episode of the animated comedy South Park called Mecha-Streisand where Maltin, along with actor Sidney Poitier and singer Robert Smith, fought and defeated Barbra Streisand, who had assumed the form of Mecha-Streisand.

He also appeared as himself in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In a short segment, he gives a bad review of the first film (Gremlins) as several of the creatures creep up on him and strangle him to death. (In his guide, Maltin's three-star review of the movie noted that it contained "gratuitous cameo appearances.") He also made an appearance on the cartoon show Freakazoid where he voiced himself, only to be abducted by monsters.

Maltin had starred on an episode of Entertainment Tonight, where he was presenting a time machine akin to one in the H.G. Wells novel and film The Time Machine. He sits in the machine and then vanishes, as did the character in the story.

Maltin is one of the few people to appear as a "guest star" on Mystery Science Theater 3000; during a Season Nine episode, he was forced by Pearl Forrester to retract his endorsement of the film Gorgo. In an earlier episode featuring The Undead, Mike Nelson impersonates Maltin and apologizes to viewers for his good review, saying he must have been on drugs. Additionally, his curious rating of two-and-a-half stars to the film Laserblast is the source of much debate in the MST3K episode featuring that film.

In The Simpsons episode A Star is Burns Marge says "Did you know there are over 600 critics on TV and Leonard Maltin is the best looking of them all?". Lisa replies "Ewwww!" [1]

In the 1995 video release of the Star Wars trilogy, there was an interview with Leonard Maltin included at the start of the movies.

Maltin is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the world's shortest movie review. His review of the 1948 musical Isn't It Romantic? consists of the word "No." In 1985 he delivered a three-word movie review on Entertainment Tonight for that year's horror film spoof, Transylvania 6-5000. The review begins with a silent Maltin swaying to a recording of the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing "Pennsylvania 6-5000"; in the song the instrumental melody is interrupted by the sound of a telephone ringing after which the band chants the title of the song. In his review, Maltin timed it so that his review began with the phone ringing: "Transylvania 6-5000 ... stinks!"