Maltin on Movies

After some years in the business world, Jim Curtis decided to become a writer and specialize in biographies. Since then he has turned out superior, often definitive books about Spencer Tracy, W.C. Fields, and Preston Sturges, among others. His latest book is the biography of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, charting the colorful tale of how this "comedy to end all comedies" came to be. It's called Comedy is a Grim Business and Leonard, for one, likes it better than the film itself!

The same man who directed such cherished films as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (his feature debut), October Sky, Hidalgo, andThe Rocketeer started out as an artist and designer. His creations include the Millennium Falcon and…wait for it… Yoda!  Joe Johnston has had a remarkable career in many phases of movie production and has stories to go with all of them. Leonard and Jessie listened in rapt attention, and we suspect you will, too.

If he had don't nothing beyond production design for E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Jim Bissell's name would shine in movie history. Happily for us he has no intention of changing careers or slowing down. His other credits include Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, 300, Good Night and Good Luck, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. He was also a founding member of the Art Directors Guild, which subsequently presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is one of the unsung heroes of Hollywood and doesn't have to brag: his resume speaks for itself.

A five-time nominee for the Tony Award, Brian is a young Broadway veteran who has performed in every imaginable kind of show, from Macbeth to Hamilton. He also played the leading character in Shrek the Musical for one full year. Filmmaker Edward Burns has just cast him as a sibling in Finnegan's Foursome, which you can watch now on Video on Demand; it marks their fifth film together. Brian is the kind of actor other actors and directors want to work with, and our lighthearted look behind the curtain will tell you why.

Drew Goddard is having an exceptionally good year. He wrote the screenplay for the hit movie Project Hail Mary and is in production for a third season of the TV series High Potential. But he is the first to say that "good luck" is often the a result of hard work. This has been true from the beginning of his multifaceted career, writing shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and movies like Cloverfield. He has directed for both media, as well, but gives Ridley Scott credit for taking his script for The Martian and making it come alive. Goddard is a role model for any novice who's paying attention: work with people you like on projects you love.