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^ True, which is why Siskel & Ebert "At The Movies" was always one of my favorite programs.
J.
J.
Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz fired from "At the Movies"
- Thread starter Aragorn
- Start date
Oh I've read plenty of written reviews where the reviewer got their emotional content across sufficiently, usually due to the amount of ranting involved.
The reason for a movie review show on TV is a little because of the interaction between the two critics, which I suppose can provide some additional insight, but not much, since they rarely influence each others' opinions. Mostly, it's to watch them fight. All the rest - reviews and trailers - are easily found elsewhere.
Actually I enjoyed when Siskel & Ebert were in total agreement about a film as much if not more than when they disagreed.
--Ted
--Ted
Didn't now they were even in ratings trouble. I watch ATM on reels channel everyweek, but these two guys never seamed to have that "fire in the belly" passion for movies like Ebert & Roeper seamed to have.
"Film critics are in the same boat as evening news anchors -- their core audience is people 50 and over, and getting older by the day. You could hire Jessica Alba to read the evening news -- or review 'G.I. Joe' for that matter -- and younger audiences still wouldn't care." -- Patrick Goldstein
Like a number of younger sitcom writers these days, most movie critics are now third or fourth generation.
Rather than having an actual passion for doing what they do, they just perform diluted versions of everything that's come before them.
Or else they go to the other extreme and fire off French cinema terms as often as they can.
Siskel & Ebert loved the movies. They knew more about the movies than just the ones they were reviewing. And they weren't doing it to impress anyone.
That's why they were so impressive.
--Ted
Rather than having an actual passion for doing what they do, they just perform diluted versions of everything that's come before them.
Or else they go to the other extreme and fire off French cinema terms as often as they can.
Siskel & Ebert loved the movies. They knew more about the movies than just the ones they were reviewing. And they weren't doing it to impress anyone.
That's why they were so impressive.
--Ted
The new hosts take over this weekend. If you go to the At the Movies web site, the ad for Phillips and Scott sure bends over backward to point out how they're nothing like Ben Lyons. 
I wonder if there's actually anyone who's sad that Ben Lyons was given the boot. Besides Jeffrey Lyons.
I wonder if there's actually anyone who's sad that Ben Lyons was given the boot. Besides Jeffrey Lyons.
I'm anxious to see Phillips & Scott. The promo at the above link looks good.
Except the opening 45 seconds with the announcer. I fully expected at the end of the first section for the announcer to say: "And only one of them will come out alive each week."
--Ted
Except the opening 45 seconds with the announcer. I fully expected at the end of the first section for the announcer to say: "And only one of them will come out alive each week."
--Ted
Ditto here. I really like Ben Mankiewicz as TCM's weekend host. He is quite competent and is a good balance to Robert Osbourne, who is extremely interesting and knowledgeable but more conservative in his approach.
I don't watch At the Movies because truthfully, I don't really care what critics think of most movies I'm interested in. However, I'll continue to enjoy Ben at the place I know him from - TCM.
I'll watch just because it's a convenient way to find out what movies exist. I tend to forget em by the time the DVDs drop.
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Guest
On the At the Movies web site is a conversation between Scott and Phillips where they discuss when they first discovered that movies could be more than entertainment. Could you imagine Ben Lyons attempting this?
OK, now I really can't wait for A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips. And I'm warming up to Scott now. He seems really passionate and knowledgible and a bit less pretentious and than when I remember seeing him on "At the Movies" last. I'm sold.
The funny part was when they agreed it was often for different reasons.
Maybe Ben Lyons should get a new show co-hosting with one of these "critics."
At the Movies with Ben Lyons and Jeff Craig?
At the Movies with Ben Lyons and Jeff Craig?