Podcast Portal: Maltin on Movies

Welcome to Podcast Portal: a spontaneous column that will highlight podcasts of all genres that are lesser known or new shows that are worth giving a listen. With the medium continuing to grow, it is hard to acknowledge all of them. However, I am going to try and find as many noteworthy titles as possible to share and hopefully expand your mind to the greatest growing medium out there. If you have any podcast that you feel is worth adding to the Podcast Portal, please make sure to inform me whether through the comments or through an e-mail (information in sidebar). 

SHOW: Maltin on Movies
HOSTS: Leonard Maltin, Baron Vaughn
NETWORK: Wolfpop Network
EPISODE BEING DISCUSSED: "Biopics"

*Note: For the next week (or until completion), I will be covering every single NEW podcast on the Wolfpop Network. I will not be covering older shows such as U Talkin' U2 to Me or How Did This Get Made. 

For many, there's an invaluable resource in having movie critics adapt to the world of podcasts. For starters, it has allowed them to discuss film in landscapes that range from minutes to hours and has given them a new found respect from unlikely audiences. Of the batch, few have become as reverential as Leonard Maltin. For starters, the highly successful Doug Loves Movies comes equipped with The Leonard Maltin Game, which involves guessing films based on his reviews. With a lot of acclaim and being one of the few notable critics in the pop culture zeitgeist outside of the late Roger Ebert, it is a wonder why he has only been reduced to guest spots on random comedy shows. Why isn't he providing weekly doses of his opinions? Honestly, he appeared on Freakazoid!, so his standards cannot be too high.

Of the new Wolfpop shows, this is likely the one to get the highest amount of attention, if just because of Maltin's reputation. It definitely makes sense, even if he has selected a rather strange choice of co-host: Baron Vaughn. There is nothing wrong with him, but considering that the comedian is not known for his film opinions, it does make the dynamic a little more perplexing. However, the results are rather fluid and Vaughn brings his a-game. He isn't out to play the dumb guy. He genuinely loves movies enough to hold his own against Maltin. That is a relief, and something that makes the first episode a successful entry.

Based on the outline presented at the start of the episode, Maltin and Vaughn will be discussing films based on a topic ranging from actor to genre. In this case, they use The Theory of Everything to launch into a discussion on biopics in grand sense. They separate the show into three sections, which involves a great one (Capote), a bad one (J. Edgar) and an obscure one (The Runaways). From there, it opens up a wider discussion and the information comes spewing. Maltin reminds us why he is one of the most knowledgeable forces in movie criticism. He is an engaging force and even manages to make the information fly flawlessly through the brief running time.

While it isn't necessarily a format that is encouraging to modern news, it is nice to see him sharing his opinions on great films. In this case, it didn't hurt that I agreed with him on all three points. It was informative and serves as a great entryway into older films and gives the audience a chance to explore. I do hope that they continue to explore more modern releases in the fold, but for a premiere episode, he comes with the game that he has always played. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, Maltin's expertise is enough to make this a necessary listen to anyone interested in broadening their view of film culture. I'll definitely be back.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

WORTH A SECOND GO?: It may have taken a new network to finally give him his own show, but let's all be thankful that Maltin finally has a platform. He is a voice that is important to film culture and now can be checked out on a weekly dose. It also helps that Vaughn is an intelligent conversationalist and doesn't tamper the quality of its main attraction. Together, they actually dive into some interesting ground that I hope will continue to be explored in the episodes to come.