Maltin On Movies

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.

This week Leonard and Baron discuss the films of Matthew McConaughey. They’ll talk about the film that established him as a star, a romantic comedy dud, and the sleeper that paved the way for the McConaissance. Plus, they share their affection for one other unsung McConaughey movie.

Welcome to the first episode of Maltin On Movies with Baron Vaughn. This week Leonard and Baron will focus their conversation on one biopic that’s really good, one that isn’t, and one sleeper that you need to see. Plus, they figure out who they would cast in their respective Biopics.