We’re back with an all-new season of Guide for the Film Fanatic! In each episode, Jason Bailey and Mike Hull invite a guest from the world of film (including filmmakers, authors, critics, actors, and more) to select one of the 1600+ “must-see movies” collected in Danny Peary’s seminal 1986 book, Guide for the Film Fanatic. Bailey, Hull, and their guests deep dive on each film, discussing its history, themes, style, performances, initial reception, and legacy, taking a fresh look at some of the most beloved titles in cinema history.

The legendary film critic and historian Leonard Maltin and his “Maltin on Movies” co-host (and daughter!) Jessie Maltin join us this week to discuss their wonderful new book Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes and Films for Unforgettable Times Together, and one of their very favorite movies, Billy Wilder’s acidic media commentary Ace in the Hole.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’ve partnered up with One Heat Minute Productions on this show, so we’ve migrated over to their feed; subscribe now if you haven’t already. 

We’re also putting our new episodes up on YouTube! Watch the show on our YouTube channel, @guideforthefilmfanatic, for visual accompaniment and bonus stuff and who knows what else:

Ace in the Hole is streaming on YouTube and Plex (with ads) and available for digital rental or purchase; it’s also on a beautiful Criterion Blu-ray. You can read the New York Times review here, the Chicago Tribune review here, and the Los Angeles Times review here.

For further reading and listening, here’s Mr. Maltin’s 2020 obituary for KirK Douglas, Roger Ebert’s 2007 appraisal, here is the Floyd Collins cast recording Jessie mentioned, and here is Leonard’s appearance on our podcast A Very Good Year.

You can buy Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes and Films for Unforgettable Times Together here, and check out Leonard’s website here. If you’d like to check out the YouTube page for Mike’s other podcast, “Black Diplomats,” it’s here. And Jason’s book Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend is OUT NOW, and you can order it from MZS Press, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your hardbacks, ebooks, and/or audiobooks. OR you can pre-order the paperback (out Tuesday) here. 

Last but not least, if you’d like to make a little donation to support us and the show, you can do that at Ko-fi!