Along with Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel and Gene Shalit, Leonard Maltin was one of my favorite critics to read and watch when I was younger. I’ve always appreciated his work and his contribution to his craft and for how he has shined a light on several films I might not have seen or given a chance otherwise. Also, he gets brownie points for hosting those George Lucas interviews on the VHS re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy in 1995.
In Maltin’s 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, he gives us a list and a personal summary and account of 151 films that flew under the radar. These are Maltin’s favorites that never seemed to be big hits with the masses. Granted, despite the title, I had already seen about twenty of them and heard of at least half. I am a obsessive compulsive film watching freak, though.
In any event, Maltin gives his readers a big list of movies to check out. These are the films he is most passionate about that out of the thousands he’s seen, deserve to be recognized and enjoyed despite their lack of notoriety.
As with everything that Leonard Maltin writes, his passion for the subjects he discusses really shines through. Maltin has a keen way of sharing his enthusiasm and getting you just as excited about something as he is.
151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen is a pretty strong piece of work that sells these motion pictures quite well and I plan to use this book as a guide, as I work my way through the films I can get a hold of from this list.
This book also makes me appreciate Leonard Maltin, as a critic, even more. Additionally, it makes me want to delve into his other titles that I’ve missed over the years.
Rating: 7/10
Talking Pulp 