Here's the Ask Leonard archive. Check out Leonard's Secret's Out show page for show clips and episode information.
10/24/08
Q: Hi Leonard, this is Jan from Toronto, Ontario. You've reviewed thousands of movies. Have you ever been in one?
Well, Jan, I've been interviewed in documentaries, like our next one, Trying To Get Good, but my only real screen role has been playing myself in Gremlins 2, in which the little critters murder me after I give their first movie a bad review.
09/12/08
Q: Hey Leonard, my name is Martin, I'm from New York. I know you're a movie critic and you watch movies all year-round -- what's the question that moviegoers always ask you most often?
Well, Martin, usually the greeting I get from people is, "Seen any good movies lately?" and that's when I try to tout something I've enjoyed that's off the beaten bath. There are some awfully good movies still playing in theaters right now, like Frozen River, Elegy, and Vicki Cristina Barcelona. And if you haven't seen them, you're missing out on a lot of great entertainment.
08/29/08
Q: Hi Leonard. I'm Elisa from Missouri and I want to know, how did you become a movie critic?
Well, Elisa, I never set out to be a critic. What got me hooked when I was a kid were old movies that I first saw on television...silent comedies, in fact. I wanted to learn more about their history, and that fed my obsession with movies, which eventually led to my working as a film critic.
07/25/08
Q: Hey Leonard. Big fan of yours - Brian from Canada. I attend a lot of film festivals. I'm wondering how many you attend and what's your favorite film festival?
Hi Brian. I don't get to as many as I'd like, perhaps half a dozen every year, including specialized ones like The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which just took place earlier this month. But my favorite event is the Telluride Film Festival on Labor Day weekend, a unique gathering of moviemakers and movie lovers in a beautiful rocky mountain town.
07/11/08
Q: Hi Leonard, I'm Jeff from West Hollywood, California and I've got a question for you. Which of the Batman movies is your favorite and why?
Well Jeff, I must say I was awfully impressed with the way filmmaker Christopher Nolan reinvented the character for Batman Begins and surrounded leading man Christian Bale with so many outstanding actors. I think he breathed new life into the series while respecting its traditions...and I like that a lot.
07/04/08
Q: Hi Leonard. It's Stephanie from Diamond Bar, California, and I want to know, what patriotic movie is your favorite?
Stephanie, being the traditionalist that I am, I've got to name two flag-waving classics: Yankee Doodle Dandy, starring James Cagney as George M. Cohan, and the screen version of the historical Broadway musical 1776, a witty look at how the founding fathers created The Declaration of Independence. Two wonderful movies.
06/27/08
Q: Hi Leonard, I'm Kent Walls from Phoenix, Arizona and I'm really curious, what's your favorite modern Western?
Well Kent, it's hard to pick just one. I'm very fond of two films Kevin Costner has made: Dances with Wolves, and more recently, Open Range, which benefits greatly from the presence of Robert Duvall, who also starred in that great TV miniseries, Lonesome Dove.
06/20/08
Q: Hey Leonard, this is Joel and Teresa, and we were wondering: what's your favorite movie genre?
Well Joel and Teresa, I'd have to say it's comedy...although when I was growing up and getting hooked on movies, we didn't have the raunchy, gross-out brand of humor that's overtaken the genre in recent years. But I like all kinds of movies: thrillers, westerns, musicals, film noir, science fiction, and fantasy.
06/06/08
Q: Hey Leonard, this is Jennifer from Atlanta, Georgia and I was wondering what your favorite movie of 2008 was so far?
Well Jennifer, no offense to Iron Man or Indiana Jones, but as you may know, Hollywood saves its best movies for the latter part of the year, so they'll be fresh in the minds of people who vote for the Oscars® and other awards. The one 2008 movie that stands out in my mind is The Visitor, Tom McCarthy's moving story about a man whose life is opened up by his unusual relationship with two young immigrants. There are no stars here, but I think you'll recognize character actor Richard Jenkins, who plays the leading role.
05/23/08
Q: Hey Leonard, this is A.J. from Tennessee. Hey Leonard, this is Tiffany from Tennessee. Everyone always says that the book is better than the movie. Have you ever seen a movie that was actually better than the book?
Good question. Our next hidden gem is actually based on a novel. I don't usually like to make direct comparisons between a book and a movie since reading a book is such a personal internal experience that few movies can duplicate. Having said that, I will say that I never read a book if I find out it's going to be made in to a movie, so I can go into the film with an open mind. And no, I can't think of any movie that's actually better than a book I've read.