I can't think of another actor who acquired stardom so quickly, who held it for such a short time, and then kept it for such a long time. James Dean became a star in one calendar year, and then he left us. But he's still being talked about, he's still being revered, he's still being iconized forty years later. I don't think there's another example like it in the entire history of movies.
Leonard MaltinMovie theaters still exist in spite of all of the alternatives that are available, video and video-on-demand and DVD and streaming video and all of these things.
Leonard MaltinIt says something about the curious nature of film, that someone can be so alive on screen, when we're all too aware that they've passed. it underscores how we're mortal, and films are immortal (commenting on the death of Heath Ledger)
Leonard MaltinWalt Disney’s Mickey Mouse... by Floyd Gottfredson will be warmly received by comics aficionados but should also intrigue Disney animation buffs who aren’t necessarily plugged into comic strip history... I have a feeling that this book, crafted with such obvious care, will earn Gottfredson a new legion of admirers.
Leonard MaltinI think the people who are making Christmas-themed movies today feel that people are more cynical about Christmas. There's more of an edge.
Leonard MaltinHitchcock's murder set-pieces are so potent, they can galvanize (and frighten) even a viewer who's seen them before!
Leonard MaltinWith massive doses of eye-popping special effects I applaud the visual achievements in 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.'
Leonard MaltinI teach at USC. I have a big class of 360 kids, only about a fifth of whom are film majors. I don't just show the Hollywood blockbusters. I show independent films, foreign films, documentaries.
Leonard MaltinI think people in Hollywood are afraid of sentiment because they think audiences will reject it.
Leonard MaltinLos Angeles has the greatest concentration of surviving movie palaces in the United States, yet most residents have never been inside one of them.
Leonard MaltinTwo remarkable men -- one young, one old -- fuel each other's spirits in the beautiful documentary Keep On Keepin' On.
Leonard MaltinBeauty and the Beast became the first animated feature ever nominated for best picture.
Leonard MaltinJoe Berlinger's documentary 'Whitey' is so hard-hitting and compelling, you can't take your eyes off the screen.
Leonard MaltinWhile it was occasionally done here or there, nobody else had a figurehead like Walt doing it. Jack Warner wasn't on TV. Walt was the boss, but he had a real public profile and he used it to his advantage. And he became a household face.
Leonard MaltinThe last person to stand still and repeat himself was Walt Disney. He refused to repeat himself. So to think that he'd be making the same kind of film in the year 2001 that he made in 1941 is absurd.
Leonard MaltinThe subtle performances of the leads, the remarkable Irrfan Khan and the engaging Nimrat Kaur, make 'The Lunchbox' a pleasure to watch.
Leonard MaltinI had the great good fortune to interview Peggy Lee. Her memories of working with Walt Disney and his team were warm and upbeat.
Leonard MaltinHollywood executives believe that money is both the be-all and end-all to the moviemaking process.
Leonard MaltinIf you're willing to go along for this farcical ride, you'll find 'Dead Snow 2' to be one terrific zombie movie.
Leonard MaltinIf I were less than honest as a critic, I think people would spot that right away, and it would destroy my credibility.
Leonard MaltinDumbo... makes me cry. Every single time and in the exact same spot. I just have a special affection for Dumbo.
Leonard MaltinDocumentarian Laura Poitras has crafted a first-rate Hitchcockian-type thriller telling the story of Edward Snowden.
Leonard MaltinShakespeare wrote great plays that we're still watching all these years later. Charlie Chaplin made great comedies and they are still as funny today as they ever were.
Leonard MaltinNot so much a film as a visual essay, exquisitely directed and photographed (by Sacha Vierny)... Difficult to watch but well worthwhile for those willing to be challenged.
Leonard Maltin