Leonard Maltin: The Martian As a Comedy Makes No Sense
Famed film critic Leonard Maltin may list “Casablanca” as his all-time favorite movie (with “Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla” serving has his all-time guilty pleasure), but he nonetheless has plenty of respect for comedy films. In fact, the one thing he likes about the Golden Globe Awards – which will be held this Sunday – is that they have separate categories for drama and comedy/musical films, thus ensuring that those who provide laughter at the multiplex also get respect each year.
Yet he’s more baffled than usual by a couple of Globe nominations this year. Specifically, he’s annoyed by the ones listing the sci-fi drama “The Martian” as a nominee for Best Picture, Comedy/Musical and Matt Damon as a Best Actor candidate in the same genre category. “I have no idea how ‘The Martian’ winds up there, it’s just silly,” says Maltin. “I can’t predict the category if it makes no sense.”
Maltin made his opinions loud and clear on this week’s edition of the Radio Titans podcast “Kozversations,” in an interview with host Carl Kozlowski that also touched on broader problems with the Globes in addition to detailing the unusual start to his nearly 40-year career, discussed his favorite and most hated movies and directors, and much more.
“I think ‘Spy’ and ‘Trainwreck’ are great comedies, and those are my favorite comedies of the year,” Maltin said, when asked about his favorite laughers of the year. “But it’s hard to put them in the same mouthful as ‘The Martian’. That’s my second favorite film of the year, but it’s absurd to have it compete against movies with Melissa McCarthy and Amy Schumer.”
Leonard Maltin’s official website is Leonardmaltin.com. He has the iTunes podcast ‘Maltin on Movies,’ which he cohosts with comedian Baron Vaughn on Wednesdays.
To hear the rest of this interview, click here. And for hundreds more interviews with the biggest names in comedy, film, music, writing and TV, visit www.radiotitans.com.
