A Book Review by Jonathan Monovich.
Consider Every Movie is a Miracle a heartfelt thank you to movies, the lives they shape, and the friendships they help form.”
Nat Segaloff has had an eclectic life as an author, studio publicist, critic, teacher, broadcaster, and documentary writer/producer, meriting stories of his own experiences to be chronicled in his Screen Saver books. In total, Segaloff has written over thirty books, including monographs on William Friedkin, Arthur Penn, John Milius, Paul Mazursky, and Stirling Silliphant. Segaloff’s impressive catalogue also includes studies of The Exorcist (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974), Mr. North (1988), and the Rambo franchise (1982-2019), historical accounts of Humphrey Bogart/John Huston’s collaborative relationship and Otto Preminger’s battles with censors, and even a World War II novel starring Clark Gable. Sticking Place Books’ Every Movie is a Miracle: A Colloquy Between Leonard Maltin and Nat Segaloff , the newest from Segaloff, turns the spotlight on his longtime friend Leonard Maltin. One of the most recognizable film critics and historians, Maltin’s appeal lies in his ability to remain a fan and a researcher. Rather than approaching Every Movie is a Miracle as a pure interview, Segaloff excels in making the interaction feel conversational. Allan Arkush and Joe Dante’s first film, Hollywood Boulevard (1976), under the moniker Miracle Pictures, proclaimed “if it’s a good picture, it’s a miracle.” Segalofff and Maltin take it one step further, suggesting every movie in itself is a miracle. Having turned fandom into a career, something equally miraculous, Maltin expresses sincere gratitude for his time at Entertainment Tonight, the University of Southern California, Turner Classic Movies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,and beyond. Segaloff holds a similar sense of appreciation for his wide-spanning career. Apart from their undeniable passion for film, what makes Every Movie a Miracle shine is the genuine bond that Maltin and Segaloff share. Through the 250+ page discussion, it can be felt that these two men truly value their friendship and their lives just as much as their admiration for cinema.
Professionalism has steadily become a dying artform, yet Segaloff and Maltin uphold the industry standard of their primes with Every Movie is a Miracle. There is an obvious level of expertise present throughout the book, but both Segaloff and Maltin remain humble and never pretentious. Maltin began his calling as a film writer at the young age of thirteen and created his own fan periodical. Six decades later, Maltin continues to review films on his website. Maltin attributes his fascination with showbusiness to his mother, a nightclub singer, his father, a regular reader of Variety, and his uncle, a pianist. Some of the most enjoyable moments of Every Movie is a Miracle come from Segaloff and Maltin’s adventures in moviegoing at matinees and reminiscing about the importance of Famous Monsters of Filmland. By the time Maltin graduated from New York University, he had published more writing than many of his professors. Even so, ego never got the best of him, and Maltin’s enthusiasm has never wavered. Segaloff’s friendship with Maltin dates back to the 1978 press tour for one of his first books, The Great Movie Comedians, with the former interviewing the latter for Evening Magazine. By that time, Maltin already had several books under his belt. Like many, comedy was Maltin’s first love. This love for laughter eventually led to curating an exhibit at MoMA in New York and his marriage following a fateful screening of a silent film double feature. Maltin’s wife, Alice, also periodically enters the conversation with some amusing anecdotes about their personal and professional partnership.
It’s fun to read about Maltin growing up on the criticism of the New York Times, interactions with radio actors and silent film accompanists, the origins of his Movie Guide books, his thirty plus years at Entertainment Tonight, and rescuing forgotten Disney classics at their home video division. In learning about Maltin’s initial aspirations to be a cartoonist and a newspaper columnist, it’s no surprise that he ended up where he did. Maltin’s many ventures can be considered an amalgamation of his passions. The same goes for Segaloff, who, like Maltin, also moved from the east coast to Hollywood. Unlike other critics turned filmmakers, Every Movie is a Mircale reveals that Maltin’s desire to make films of his own dwindled after inconclusive meetings and a comedically low $1,000 offer by Troma Entertainment for a fourteen installment series. Though Maltin and Segaloff possess an irrefutable affection for film, they both also relate through their mutual frustrations with the business. Examples include studios trying to influence their opinions, disappointment in the apathy of exhibitors, a disdain for being required to award films a score, mandated focus on actors over filmmakers, and disapproval of increasing student disinterest in classic cinema. Maltin remains more optimistic about the film industry’s current state of affairs than Segaloff, but the two film aficionados can’t help but recognize how lucky they were to have lived a fulfilling life doing what they loved. As Maltin and Segaloff are veterans of the industry, one of the most valuable aspects of Every Movie is a Miracle is in hearing their wisdom and observations on changes over time. With that being said, the book could have benefited from greater focus on the duo’s thoughts on the present and how to bring film back to the forefront of culture.
Though Maltin was pressured to either love or hate a movie, he professes that he usually doesn’t have either feeling but rather considers most movies not good enough. Antithetical to Pauline Kael’s belief that one’s first reaction to a film should be the only reaction to preserve truth, Maltin confesses that his opinions of certain films have changed over the years. Notable examples include Alien (1979) and Gremlins (1984). Maltin and Segaloff agree that you simply can’t win as a critic, because you’ll never please everyone. There is also recognition that being a professional requires taking the high road. Burt Reynolds is an example of one of the figures who took offense to Maltin’s reviews, though Maltin prides himself in being friendly with Robert Mitchum and Robert De Niro during interviews. Jokingly, Maltin considers his death in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990; see top image) atonement for his cinematic sins. The scene is also an example of Joe Dante getting the last laugh for Maltin’s poor review of the film’s predecessor. Regardless of those who disagreed with Maltin, he has made friends with many famous figures over the years due to his likeable personality. Several of those friendships, including Werner Herzog and Ken Burns, were formed at the Telluride Film Festival, where Maltin was awarded a Silver Medallion in 2007. Among the many pictures in Every Movie is a Miracle are Maltin receiving his Telluride tribute and getting a book signed by Martin Scorsese. The latter exemplifies how Maltin’s fandom has sustained over the years. Maltin goes so far as to call Scorsese the medium’s best ambassador. More than anything, Maltin too has been a popularizer, inspiring others to seek out films, garnering the phrase “pass me the Maltin” (in reference to his movie guides). Well-respected, Maltin has also been a go to for obituaries in the filmmaking community. Remembrances of relationships he cherished are included in the book’s appendix.
Despite Segaloff and Maltin’s recognition of the decline in the moviegoing experience, both are indebted to the art form. More than anything, Maltin believes the most valuable attribute that moving pictures have to offer is that they provide a means for viewers to escape. Admitting to not being the greatest student, Maltin also professes that it was movies that saved him when his grades needed rescuing. He was able to convince professors that he could write reviews for extra credit when passing a course was in jeopardy. Apart from movies themselves being miracles, this is just one of the many ways movies can also work miracles. Another notable miracle would be Maltin’s intense indifference for an interview with James Spader on the junket for True Colors (1991) becoming one of his most memorable. Despite the undesirable films that Segaloff and Maltin succumbed to sitting through over the years, it’s evident that these two have found much to learn from the silver screen. Consider Every Movie is a Miracle a heartfelt thank you to movies, the lives they shape, and the friendships they help form.
Jonathan Monovich is a Chicago-based writer and a regular contributor for Film International. His writing has also been featured in Film Matters, Bright Lights Film Journal, and PopMatters.