By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 6/26/25
Released in April by Running Press, “TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema” takes movie fans to new heights as it highlights a variety of films from all over the world showcasing various cultures, languages, and film production. Written by Turner Classic Movies own Alicia Malone, fans will take delight in discovering hidden gems in the world of cinema and appreciate the historical narratives behind each film. Originally from Canberra, Australia, Malone discovered her love of film at a young age and reflects back at first seeing classic Hollywood on screen, “So I grew up in the capital of Australia in a pretty rural town and grew up horse riding and out on farms and that kind of thing. My family was always into movies, especially classic movies,” she said. Adding, “I remember my dad pulling me out of bed to show me an Alfred Hitchcock film, and I remember me and my sisters trying to learn the dance at the beginning of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and fighting over who gets to be Marilyn Monroe. It was so much a part of my life.” 
Growing up overseas also gave Malone a different approach and view on international films as she further explains, “I grew up not having much distinction between Hollywood and foreign films because growing up in Australia, all the films felt foreign to me,” she said. Adding, “So American films were foreign as much as French and German films. And Australians, we have a lot of British and American content on television and in the movie theaters and I didn’t realize it was a separate entity until I came to the U.S.” Officially moving to LA in 2010, Malone’s career took off in the states after re-locating and began working in the film and media industry in Hollywood, “ I had been working in Australia at a similar place. It was a group of movie cable channels and I was an editor, director, host, writer, and did everything because you have to in Australia. Plus I had always wanted to move to LA. Growing up and loving classic Hollywood, I had this very romantic view of what Hollywood would be like. So, I decided to quit all my jobs and pack everything into two suitcases and move over to LA, and I didn’t know anyone.” she explained. 
With a self-taught film education, Malone started working fulltime with Turner Classic Movies in 2018 and currently hosts TCM Imports on Sunday nights. Having previously authored 3 other books pertaining to women in film, Malone was then approached to write a book specifically for Turner Classic Movies as she explains. ”I always had the secret desire to write a TCM book,” she said. Adding, “They’re really beautifully done from the photos to the design and the content. And I often would interview the authors when they would come on TCM to talk about their books, and I thought one book I really like to write is something around foreign film.” Since Malone already hosts TCM Imports it made much sense for her to author a book pertaining to the subject which she has beautifully done. The book features high quality photos of around 50 films in both color and black and white. Capturing the essence of each film accompanied by background narratives with descriptions on the actors, actresses, and film production, the book is well researched and presented. “It was a challenge because I wanted to try to represent as many countries as I could, but they all have to be seasonal in some way. And I only wanted to choose one film per filmmaker. For instance, there’s filmmakers like Éric Rohmer , who’s a French filmmaker, and he has made many films based in seasons. And then you have Yasujiro Ozu, a Japanese filmmaker who has many films in late autumn, early spring, and late summer. So that was a hard challenge in choosing one film but also trying to be as diverse as possible.But it was fun and I enjoyed the list that I ended up with because they’re not all my favorites and they were really interesting to write about,” Malone explained. 
Some films readers can expect to learn more about include “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” a French film from 1928, “La Dolce Vita,” an Italian film from 1960, and “Black Christmas,” a Canadian film from 1974. Incorporating a variety of genres and from various decades there’s a bit of everything for film lovers. “I think takeaways for people who read this book is to have a different experience with films than they might have if they are on the streaming services and the algorithm suggesting films to watch. These will be films that they’ve never heard of, some that they have, or some they’ve never seen. It’s a whole mix of movies,” Malone explained. Malone also wants to reiterate the importance of why TCM is so special, and how the channel comforts people through hard times, “It’s preserving culture, preserving history, and it feels very pure in terms of what its mission is. The people that work at TCM are also wonderful. Every single person who works at the channel believes in the channel and loves classic films with all their heart and work very hard to get it right and to deliver what our viewers want. The most rewarding part is getting to meet people who watch TCM because you hear how important TCM is in their own lives and the deep connection they have with the channel,” Malone explained.
An impressive author and host, Malone has interviewed notable and iconic celebrities through the years including film directors Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and actress Drew Barrymore. She also has enjoyed meeting classic film stars, “The thing that I love about interviewing these celebrities is especially the older stars who think that everyone has forgotten them, which is not the case at all,” she added. Advice for other women out there? Malone says, “You really have to be strong and be prepared to stand your ground and to advocate for yourself. Also trust yourself and maintain self-confidence.”
Catch Alicia Malone on TCM Tuesday and Sunday nights.
Published by Running Press, find TCM Imports here.
Also available on Amazon.
