2011 Leonard Maltin Guide: Actors and Directors Index Adds

With the new Maltin Guide comes the addition of new names to the star/director index (and axing of others). Last year 21 people were cut and 12 added.  Oddly, this year, no one was cut and there were but 3 additions (all new Oscar nominees)!  I have no idea what this means.  It sounds as if the editors have just thrown in the towel on the index though, knowing the power of such searches online— at this point between smart phones and WiFi I guess the theory is: who really looks at the index.  But in a way it starts to relegate the book itself to a shelf ornament.  This was the first time that I really started to think that the print Maltin may be heading the way of the dodo bird.  Cutting them some slack though— maybe, just maybe, they didn't need to do much in the way of changes because of the wholesale work done last year.  Here are the few "graduates" of the class of 2009/10.

New "Faces" added to the Leonard Maltin Guide 2011 Index:

STARS—

Colin Firth

Woody Harrelson

DIRECTORS—

Kathryn Bigelow

2011 Leonard Maltin Guide Is Out!

Every year I greatly anticipate Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. His capsule reviews and ratings set the standard for how a film will be seen by future generations.   As I've reported each year, the last several Maltin Guides have been VERY sparing in giving out the **** rating— practically unattainable for new releases, last year I noticed but three films were **** rated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, and Slumdog Millionaire; this year I didn't spot ANY **** additions!



Here's how my top ten 2009 stacked up against the Maltin Guide's ratings:

Inglourious Basterds (d. Quentin Tarantino) (** 1/2) [my #1, rest alpha]
Capitalism: A Love Story (d. Michael Moore) (***)
District 9 (d. Neill Blomkamp) (*** 1/2)
The Hurt Locker (d. Kathryn Bigelow) (*** 1/2)
I Love You, Man (d. John Hamburg) (** 1/2)
Julie & Julia (d. Nora Ephron) (***)
Nine (d. Rob Marshall) (***)
Paranormal Activity (d. Oren Peli) (***)
Up (d. Pete Docter, Bob Peterson) (*** 1/2)
World’s Greatest Dad (d. Bobcat Golthwait) (***)

New Classic Maltin

The new classic edition of the Leonard Maltin Guide is out! The fact that Maltin made good on his promise of updating every 5 years makes me happy in our uncertain (publishing and otherwise) world. It's considerably thicker than the first one and I suspect a larger size (width and height) might be required the third time around.

Most people I'm noticing feel the same way I do about this SECOND EDITION... we love the additions... but wish there were more. Ran across this blogger who lists some of the titles she noticed that were added (others that weren't): link to laurasmiscmusings.

As for me, I had hoped to see L'INFERNO (1911) in the new guide as it's (a) the oldest extant feature film and (b) readily available on DVD; but it hasn't made it yet. Films I've noticed that have made it into the new edition include the early Lubitsch titles (such as THE WILDCAT) and one of the four Best Picture nominees that had not previously been in either the classic or regular Maltin Guide: BAD GIRL (also, if I'm not mistaken the only Best Director Oscar-winner that had yet to make the Maltin Guide). So for Best Picture nominees that leaves (baring of course the NEW ones), three titles left: the two "lost" films which cannot be included unless they're found: THE WAY OF ALL FLESH (1927) and THE PATRIOT (1928); and EAST LYNNE (1930)-- which I thought only existed in a slightly incomplete form, but looking at the UCLA Film & Television Archive record it seems complete (and certainly extant, as it was shown in '93).

I'm glad too, that, following his introduction, Maltin has put out a new "25 Vintage Movies" to see list, and that it includes some foreign titles. (Even if THE WHISPERING CHORUS, which I recall as bad [!], is on it.)

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide's Ratings of Last Year's Award Winners

The Leonard Maltin Guide, for better or worse, sets a standard for how movies are ranked in later years. Although there are many examples of aberrations (for example Unforgiven, which frequently lands on best-films-of-all-time lists, is rated just *** out of ****) the guide has had influence in general in accessing films for future generations.






With that in mind, here are the films that received the main awards from critics, guilds, etc. from last year and where they placed in Maltin's rankings.

AMPAS Best Picture Nominees:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
FROST/NIXON (****)
MILK (*** 1/2)
THE READER (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE [winner] (****)

Best Actor: Sean Penn for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet for THE READER (*** 1/2)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Best Director: Danny Boyle for SLUMDIG MILIONAIRE (****)
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Best Foreign Film: DEPARTURES(***)
Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

Multiple Oscar winners (features):
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE— 8 (****)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON— 3 (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT— 2 (**)
MILK— 2 (*** 1/2)

Golden Globes Best Motion Picture Drama: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Golden Globes Best Musical or Comedy Film: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

BAFTA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BAFTA Best British Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BAFTA Best Foreign-Language Film: I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (***)
BAFTA Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

PGA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
PGA Best Animated Motion Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2):
PGA Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

SAG Ensemble Award: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

DGA Award: Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

WGA Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
WGA Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
WGA Documentary Screenplay: Ari Folman for WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Online Film Critics Society Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
OFCS Best Foreign-Language Film: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

Broadcast Film Critics Best Picture: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BFCA Best Action Movie: THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
BFCA Comedy Movie: TROPIC THUNDER (** 1/2)
BFCA Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BFCA Animated Movie: WALL•E (** 1/2)
BFCA Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Nat’l Society of Film Critics Best Picture: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
NSFC Foreign-Language Film: n/a
NSFC Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture: MILK (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Animated Film: WALL•E (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Foreign-Language Film: 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (*** 1/2)

Los Angeles Film Critics Assn Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Animated Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Foreign Language Film: STILL LIFE (n/a)

National Board of Review Top Ten Films:
BURN AFTER READING (** 1/2)
THE CHANGELING (***)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
DEFIANCE (** 1/2)
FROST/NIXON (****)
GRAN TORINO (***)
MILK (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE [Best Film] (****)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

NBR Best Foreign Film: MONGOL (***)
NBR Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
NBR Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

AFI Top Ten
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
FROST/NIXON (****)
FROZEN RIVER (***)
GRAN TORINO (***)
IRON MAN (** 1/2)
MILK (*** 1/2)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
WENDY AND LUCY (***)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

Indiewire Top Ten
1. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
2. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
3. WALL•E (** 1/2)
4. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
5. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
6. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
7. STILL LIFE (n/a)
8. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
9. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
10. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Village Voice Top Ten
1. WALL•E (** 1/2)
2. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
3. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
4. STILL LIFE (n/a)
5. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
6. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
7. MILK (*** 1/2)
8. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
9. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
10. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)


2008 additions to They Shoot Pictures…. website Top 250 Films of the 21st Century:

30. FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
54. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
55. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
68. WALL-E (** 1/2)
73. STILL LIFE (n/a)
78. MY WINNIPEG (*** 1/2)
79. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
84. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
86. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
116. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
117. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
118. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
123. IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA (n/a)
127. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (*** 1/2)
141. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (***)
144. HUNGER (*** 1/2)
153. MILK (*** 1/2)
159. THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)
172. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004) (*** 1/2)
176. THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (***)
186. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (n/a)
196. MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
197. BALLAST (***)
219. WOMAN ON BEACH (n/a)
220. REPRISE (** 1/2)
223. CHE (**)
231. CHUNHYANG (2000) (**)

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide: Actors and Directors Index Adds

With the new Maltin Guide comes the addition of new names to the star/director index (plus the inevitable axing of others). Since putting the guide together every year and making editorial decisions is no easy task, let's not be too harsh on the deletions (although considerable this year: 21), including: Ann-Margret, John Barrymore, John Belushi, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks, Laurence Fishburne, Lillian Gish, Jeff Goldblum, Helen Hunt, Anjelica Huston, Al Jolson, Ashley Judd, Kevin Kline, Hayley Mills, Mary Pickford, Eleanor Powell, Kurt Russell, Winona Ryder, Rudolph Valentino. Instead, let's take a look at the "graduating class" of 2008/09.


New "Faces" added to the Leonard Maltin Guide 2010 Index:

STARS—

Penelope Cruz

Robert Downey, Jr.

Ed Harris

Anne Hathaway

Viggo Mortensen

Seth Rogen

Mickey Rourke

DIRECTORS—

Guillermo del Toro

Baz Luhrmann

Sam Mendes

Christopher Nolan

Gus Van Sant

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide Is Out!

Every year I greatly anticipate Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (as usual, out at the bookstores way before its Amazon street date). His capsule reviews and ratings set the standard for how a film will be seen by future generations. Of late, the **** rating was practically unattainable for new releases, but last year, both the Iraq War doc No End In Sight and the Apollo space program doc In the Shadow of the Moon received the coveted ****; this year I noticed at least three films were **** rated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, and Slumdog Millionaire.

Here's how my top ten 2008 stacked up against the Maltin Guide's ratings:

Synecdoche, New York (**) [My #1, rest alpha]
Cloverfield (***)
Frost/Nixon (****)
In Bruges (***)
JCVD (***)
The Mother of Tears (* 1/2)
My Winnipeg (*** 1/2)
Rachel Getting Married (***)
Religulous (** 1/2)
The Wrestler (*** 1/2)

The Leonard Maltin Guide's Worst-Rated Best Picture Nominees

I was thinking over the Maltin Guide's ** rating of 2007 Best Picture nominee Atonement and wondering if there was a worse-rated nominee. It turns out that one Best Picture nominee got a * 1/2 rating from the Maltin Guide— 1967's Doctor Dolittle: making it the sole worst-rated Best Picture nominee in the history of the Oscars in the Guide. The ** rating is also quite rare for Best Picture nominees (see below). Only 4 Best Picture nominees do not appear in the Guide— lost films The Way of All Flesh (1927) and The Patriot (1928), plus obscure titles East Lynne (1931) and Bad Girl (1932).

Lowest-Rated Best Picture Nominees in Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide:
Alibi (1929) **
The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929) **
In Old Arizona (1929) **
Cleopatra (1963) **
Doctor Dolittle (1967) * 1/2
A Touch of Class (1973) **
Taxi Driver (1976) **
Chocolat (2000) **
Moulin Rouge! (2001) **
Atonement (2007) **


None of the above films actually won Best Picture. The lowest rating for a Best Picture winner in the Maltin Guide is ** 1/2, bestowed to: Wings (1927), The Broadway Melody (1929), Cimarron (1931), Amadeus (1984), and Forrest Gump (1994). NOTE: Unforgiven (1992) was initially given a ** 1/2 rating but was later upgraded to ***.

2009 Leonard Maltin Guide and the Slate of Award Winners from Last Year

The Leonard Maltin Guide, for better or worse, sets a standard for how movies are ranked in later years. Although there are many examples of aberrations (for example Unforgiven, which frequently lands on best-films-of-all-time lists, is rated just *** out of ****) the guide has had influence in general in accessing films for future generations.






So, with that in mind, I thought I'd look up the films which received the main awards from critics, guilds, etc. from last year to see where they placed in Maltin's rankings. (Note: After a movie's rating is listed once, I won't repeat the rating):

AMPAS Best Picture Nominees:
Atonement (**)
Juno (*** 1/2)
Michael Clayton (***)
No Country For Old Men (winner) (*** 1/2)
There Will Be Blood (*** 1/2)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose (rating for film: ***)
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton
Best Original Screenplay: Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
Best Foreign Film: The Counterfeiters (*** 1/2)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille (*** 1/2)
Best Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side (*** 1/2)

Multiple Oscar winners (features):
No Country for Old Men (4 Oscars)
The Bourne Ultimatum (3 Oscars) (***)
La Vie en Rose (2 Oscars)
There Will Be Blood (2 Oscars)

Most Oscar nominations (eight): No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood (tie at 8 each)

Golden Globes Best Drama Film: Atonement
Golden Globes Best Musical or Comedy Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (***)
Golden Globes Foreign-Language Film:The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Animated Film: Ratatouille

BAFTA Best Film: Atonement
BAFTA Best British Film: This Is England (*** 1/2)
BAFTA Best Foreign Language Film: The Lives of Others (*** 1/2)
BAFTA Best Animated Film: Ratatouille

PGA Best Film: No Country For Old Men
PGA Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
PGA Best Documentary Film: Sicko (*** 1/2)

SAG Ensemble Award: No Country For Old Men

DGA Award: No Country for Old Men

WGA Original Screenplay: Juno
WGA Adapted Screenplay: No Country For Old Men
WGA Documentary Screenplay: Taxi to the Dark Side

Online Film Critics Society Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
Online Film Critics Society Best Foreign-Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Online Film Critics Society Best Documentary: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (*** 1/2)
Online Film Critics Society Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille

Broadcast Film Critics Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
Broadcast Film Critics Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Broadcast Film Critics Comedy Film: Juno
Broadcast Film Critics Foreign Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

National Society of Film Critics Best Picture: There Will Be Blood
National Society of Film Critics Foreign-Language Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (*** 1/2)
National Society of Film Critics Non-Fiction Film: No End in Sight (****)

New York Film Critics Picture: No Country For Old Men
New York Film Critics Best Animated Film: Persepolis (*** 1/2)
New York Film Critics Non-Fiction Film: No End in Sight
New York Film Critics Best Foreign Language Film: The Lives of Others

Los Angeles Film Critics Picture: There Will Be Blood
Los Angeles Film Ciritics Best Animated Film: Persepolis and Ratatouille (tie)
Los Angeles Film Critics Non-Fiction Film: No End in Sight
Los Angeles Film Critics Best Foreign Language Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

National Board of Review Top Ten Films:
The Assassination of Jesse James... (** 1/2)
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bucket List (** 1/2)
Into the Wild (*** 1/2)
Juno
The Kite Runner (***)
Lars and the Real Girl (***)
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men (#1)
Sweeney Todd

National Board of Review Foreign Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
National Board of Review Animated Film: Ratatouille
National Board of Review Documentary: Body of War (n/a)

AFI Top Ten 2007:
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (** 1/2)
Into the Wild
Juno
Knocked Up (***)
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
The Savages (*** 1/2)
There Will Be Blood

Indiewire and Village Voice Top Tens (listed side by side)
1 There Will Be Blood/ There Will Be Blood
2 Zodiac (*** 1/2)/ No Country for Old Men
3 No Country for Old Men/ Zodiac
4 Syndromes and a Century (n/a)/ 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
5 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days/ I'm Not There (** 1/2)
6 I'm Not There/ Syndromes and a Century
7 The Assassination of Jesse James/ The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 Colossol Youth (n/a)/ Killer of Sheep (*** 1/2)
9 Killer of Sheep/ Ratatouille
10 Offside (*** 1/2)/ Colossal Youth

2007 additions to Theyshootpictures top 250 films of the 21st Century [here I'll repeat the ratings]:

17. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (*** 1/2)
21. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (*** 1/2)
25. ZODIAC (*** 1/2)
51. I'M NOT THERE (** 1/2)
52. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (*** 1/2)
65. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES... (** 1/2)
111. EASTERN PROMISES (***)
128. ONCE (***)
154. THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (*** 1/2)
156. INTO THE WILD (*** 1/2)
165. PERSEPOLIS (*** 1/2)
177. RATATOUILLE (*** 1/2)
188. ATONEMENT (**)
190. AWAY FROM HER (***)
192. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (** 1/2)
221. MICHAEL CLAYTON (***)
235. THE DARJEELING LIMITED (** 1/2)
236. THE SAVAGES (*** 1/2)

2009 Leonard Maltin Guide: Actors and Directors Index Adds

With the new Maltin Guide comes the addition of new names to the star/director index (plus the inevitable axing of others). Since putting the guide together every year and making editorial decisions is no easy task, let's not be too harsh on the deletions, which this year included: George Burns/Gracie Allen, Danny DeVito, Deanna Durbin, John Goodman, Michael Keaton, John Malkovich, Sharon Stone, and Debra Winger. Instead, let's take a look at the "graduating class" of 2007/08.


New "Faces" added to the Leonard Maltin Guide 2009 Index:

Javier Bardem

Ben Kingsley

Heath Ledger

Queen Latifah

Rob Reiner 

(the only director add)

Forest Whitaker

2009 Leonard Maltin Guide Is Out!

Every year I greatly anticipate Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (as usual, out at the bookstores way before its Amazon street date). His capsule reviews and ratings set the standard for how a film will be seen by future generations. The one thing I have noticed of late however, is that the **** rating is practically unattainable for new releases, and the *** 1/2 rating is more like a **** these days [for example, the acclaimed No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood both rated *** 1/2]. When the new guide comes out it's a game of find the one movie that Maltin gave ****. In years past it's been The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), don't think there was one for 2005, and Little Children (2006). This year, both the Iraq War doc No End In Sight and the Apollo space program doc In the Shadow of the Moon received the coveted ****. You could probably search ratings-wise on the online version-- if anyone knows of other **** films in his guide from the last three years, I'd like to know about it.

Here's how my top ten 2007 stacked up against the Maltin Guide's ratings:

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (*** 1/2)
300 (***)
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (*** 1/2)
Away From Her (***)
The Darjeeling Limited (** 1/2)
Into the Wild (*** 1/2)
Juno (*** 1/2)
Paris je t’aime (** 1/2)
Ratatouille (*** 1/2)
Sicko (*** 1/2)