Leonard Maltin Movies

Everyone loves a good, two-fanged fright flick, and from the silent screen to the 21st Century, vampire films have drawn moviegoers to theaters in droves. Much like the immortal monsters that stalk the night in search of precious blood, it seems that our fascination with these strange and seductive creatures will never die. In this ocumentary, interviews with a wide array of filmmakers, actors, special-effects artists, writers, and critics combine with a hearty collection of memorable film clips to explore the evil and eroticism that abounds in vampiric cinema. Vampires director John Carpenter, Underworld director Len Wiseman, and The Lost Boys director Joel Schumacher all weigh in on what inspired them to craft films featuring vampires, while Kristanna Loken and Stuart Townsend reveal what it was like to assume the persona of a creature that so many viewers fear, yet embrace at the same time. Additional interviews with Stan Winston and Greg Nicotero highlight how creative vampires can be tons of ghoulish fun, while writers Marv Wolfman and David Goyer discuss understanding their motivations and critics Leonard Maltin and Harry Knowls explain just why these monsters are so compelling to watch up on the big screen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

They're called trailers, because originally they trailed the feature presentation. But before long, movie marketers learned there was a better chance of grabbing the audience's attention before the film. Trailers have since gone on to become one of the quintessential elements of movie-going, as illustrated in this documentary from Michael J. Shapiro and Jeff Werner. Featuring interviews with Joe Dante, Leonard Maltin, voice-over artist Don LaFontaine and several others, Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer traces a century of movie previews. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

A look back at Cinerama, the forgotten film production process that utilized three cameras and projectors to create a spectacular wide image capable of completely immersing moviegoers in the action. Filmmaker David Strohmaier introduces contemporary film viewers to the process that flourished from the 1950s through the mid-1960s by creating a completely new cinematic experience. From the sweeping travelogue adventures that helped establish Cinerama to box-office hits like The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and How the West Was Won, no film tin is left unopened in an effort to tell the complete story of the cinema style that flourished for 14 years before it was usurped by other, more convenient forms of widescreen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Though there may have been an unofficial glass ceiling for most women in the motion picture industry of the 1920s and 1930s, for many years the most successful and highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood was a former actress named Frances Marion. Born in 1899, Marion entered the fledgling movie industry in the pre-WWI years. After a few nominal leading-lady roles, she turned to writing rather than appearing in films, her talents nurtured by another female film pioneer, superstar Mary Pickford. Thanks to Marion's example and influence, scores of other women flourished in the production end of the business as writers, editors, producers, and directors. But none did quite so well as Frances Marion, whose long and fruitful association with the mighty MGM studio (whose rise to prominence is attributed primarily to Marion's prolific output), culminating in two Academy Awards, for The Big House (1930) and The Champ (1931). Covering Marion's life and career until her death in 1973, the film also occasionally touches on her private life, notably her marriage to cowboy star Fred Thompson, which ended with his tragic and unexpected death at the tail end of the silent era. Uma Thurman narrates this 52-minute documentary, with Kathy Bates supplying the voice of Marion. Based on Cari Beauchamp's 1998 biography of the same name, Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood first aired August 3, 2000, on the TCM cable service. The film has seen been released in an expanded version on VHS and DVD, bracketed together with a restored print of the 1917 Marion-scripted Mary Pickford vehicle Little Princess. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens - A Life in Animation was originally telecast as a PBS "Great Performances" episode on November 22, 2000. Warner Bros. animator Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones created many cartoon characters, including Pepe Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner. A key member of the team that developed Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, Jones also directed more than 50 Bugs Bunny cartoons. In her paean to Jones, writer-producer-director Margaret Selby features a running interview with the 88-year-old Jones, as well as interviews with famous fans, including Hollywood luminaries Whoopi Goldberg, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Ron Howard, Toy Story director John Lasseter, Steven Spielberg, and Robin Williams. Highlights include clips from such classic Jones cartoons including Rabbit of Seville, What's Opera, Doc?, One Froggy Evening, Duck Amuck, the original television version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Academy Award-winner The Dot and the Line. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi

It is estimated that 80% of all films released during the silent era have been lost forever, with no prints in existence today (a larger percentage of paintings from the Renaissance have survived), while some films from as little as 15 to 20 years ago have suffered color fading so severe they're all but unrecognizable now. The race by film historians to preserve and restore the essential artifacts of movie history is the subject of the documentary Keepers Of The Frame. Featuring interviews with subjects as diverse as Leonard Maltin, Debbie Reynolds and Stan Brakhage, Keepers Of The Frame addresses the need for a more careful preservation of America's cinematic legacy, one of the most important cultural and creative resources of this century, as well as showing how experts are restoring damaged and poorly-stored films -- as well as how much work remains to be done. The film also makes clear that obscure titles are not the only ones at risk, as we're shown severely damaged elements from Frank Capra's Meet John Doe and an early Al Jolson featurette in which the audio track has survived, but not the film itself. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This program, hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin, goes behind the scenes of the Cliffhanger series. There, the viewer gets a close-up look at the production aspect of movie-making, and how the special effects and stunts are created for the popular show. Interviews with the program's stars, crew, director, and producers add human interest to the story. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

Leonard Maltin hosts this tribute to the masterful animation of Max and Dave Fleischer, who brought Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman to cartoon life. ~ Rovi

In this series of home videos, popular film critic Leonard Maltin takes viewers on a guided tour of favorite musical moments from classic Hollywood films. ~ Rovi

This documentary, narrated by respected film critic Leonard Maltin, focuses on the year or so that The Three Stooges spent at MGM studios, from 1933 to 1934. At the time, the trio -- Moe Howard, Larry Fine and newest Stooge Jerry, better known as Curly Howard, were still sidemen to Ted Healy. The footage shown is relatively obscure, compared to the Stooges' Columbia shorts, but most vintage film fans have seen at least a few of the feature film appearances shown here, most notably Hollywood Party and Dancing Lady (there's a great scene in which the boys attempt to serve as musical accompaniment to Joan Crawford's footwork!). But for the most part, the clips from the shorts the Stooges shot with Healy prove that they were better off without either Healy or MGM. Although Nertsery Rhymes has the advantage of being shot in two-color Technicolor, its material is decidedly poor. Perhaps the best short the guys did during their MGM tenure was Beer and Pretzels, and this documentary shows it in full. Overall, this should be left to real Stooges and/or vintage film fanatics -- for pure, unadulterated enjoyment it's better to watch the Columbia shorts. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi