JeffTheAlpaca

I was one of the few people who liked this show

Lyons was kind of cheesy but watching Bailes was a treat and they reviewed smaller films that don't get a lot of pub.


will this provide an opening for Ebert & Roeper?



http://www.observer.com/2009/politic...leagues-let-go

Giantrobo

Heh, nothing else is on and I just saw the last ep not knowing it was their last until the end of the show.

marty888

This impending cancellation was in NYC media several weeks ago. Yes, Jeffrey was "cheesy", but compared to son Ben he was bright light in the world of movie criticism.

calhoun07

I don't understand the massive hatred towards Ben Lyons. I was prepared to hate him on At the Movies just based on all the negative feedback surrounding him before he ever was on the show, but he comes across as sincere in his reviews, and he reviews each movie on the basis of what it is. Most critics are just complete assholes and would trash a movie for kids because it wasn't on par with some art house movie, for example. At least Ben makes an attempt to review each movie on the premise how will this work for the target audience. So I think that's actually a bit more respectable and fair.

Tracer Bullet

I doubt it... I was under the impression that Ebert was now pretty much unable to go on television.

JuryDuty

I don't think Ebert's ready for TV again--I'm not sure if he's able to talk much yet (though his reviews on his web site are still great). However, Roeper said before that he wants to do another show. Maybe this will create an opening for that...

kristina

I used to LOVE that entertainment show on MSNBC that had both Jeffrey and Ben Llyons reviewing movies. That was waaayy more interesting than either of their two current review shows.
Whatever happened to Sunday Morning Shootout? haven't seen that on AMC in awhile.

William Fuld

Good riddance.

dx23

Ben Lyons has always been a quote whore, giving mediocre films good reviews just to get his blurb on the movie poster/dvd cover. That is the reason why he is so hated.

MrSmearkase

Check out this site for some pearls of cinematic wisdom from Ben Lyons;

Ben Lyons Quote of the Week

JeffTheAlpaca

Shootout was canceled too but the hosts said they would return again with a new show on another network but I have not seen it or even know what network carries if that new show exist.

Bailes was great eye candy and she was smart too.

jandatec

Hey Everyone,

I am a newbie here so please be patient with me.

I feel I need to point out one thing however.

I believe that Jeffrey and Alison did a great job, but once again. The Moron patrol over at NBC/Universal don't quite get it. It's just like canceling Stargate and Atlantis. WTF were they thinking?

I am getting to the point where I believe the only thing they are good for is to test out HIV and other deadly vaccines on and maybe spare body parts, I don't know who put these dim whits in charge, but what can anyone of us do about it. They are still going to make the same dumb mistakes and the same dart board tactics. These guy belong running NBC like George W. Bush belonged being the president of the United States and we know were that got us, 1929 looked better than this.

Live I said, HIV Vaccines and spare body parts, nothing more.

Thanks,

J

calhoun07

Shawn Edwards is certainly the quote whore and wins over Ben Lyons any day of the week. And I really don't feel Shawn gives fair and balanced reviews.

I am not saying Ben is a movie scholar I'd look to for indepth reviews, but if a parent wants to know if a new kids movie is good for their kid to watch, I am willing to bet that Ben will give it a more fair and balanced review where as other critics will tear it apart because they are trying to compare a kids movie to the Reader.

And he's admitted as much on At the Movies. He's not acting above these movies like some critics do. Maybe his quotes get on the posters because he's able to find a good review in something that actually does it's job in hitting the target audience while other critics trash it for whatever reason. You're the movie producer, you need a quote. Ben gave a positive review with a good quote, other critics were too ignorant to realize why the kid's movie they just reviewed actually would appeal to kids and tore it apart. Gee, which quote do you choose for your DVD cover/poster?

dx23

Well, Lyons said that I Am Legend is one of the greatest movies ever made. I liked I Am Legend, but anyone that says that comment, is just looking for attention and losing credibility.

Sanjuro37

Like how Siskel named Beauty and the Beast one of the best movies of its year, or even something childish and fun like Wayne's World, for that matter? How both he and Ebert put Babe: Pig in the City on their lists (Siskel at number fucking one)? The near universal love for Chicken Run, or Shrek?

The idea that every critic is like Anthony Lane and that Ben Lyons at least "likes teh moobies liek me" is fucking dumb. Any good critic views each film in a vacuum, only mentioning other films if they're part of a franchise or if its similar in tone and the critic feels like echoing or contrasting that older opinion and why. That's precisely what Ben Lyons doesn't do when he watches Observe and Report (a film I didn't even gel with, so it's not fanboyism) and says "Didn't we already see Paul Blart, Mank?!" The reason critics and people striving to be critics hate him is because he makes the reviews entirely about whether the actors take a photo with him or if they give him an interview.

He was perfect for E! where things are all about schmoozing, but him making At the Movies just shows that real film criticism is dead, at least in terms of making a living off of it and not trashy Hollywood reporting. Ben Lyons fucking texts during movies. Does that make him more like the young audience? Sure, if you want your critics to reflect uninformed opinions that care less for the film and more for the spectacle (and no, contrary to your opinion, critics do actually enjoy blockbusters provided they're well-made). I'm not asking that he break down each shot on-air or even that he do it in private and write about it (God forbid he write something longer than 140 characters), because that robs films of all their entertainment IMO. But for fuck's sake, he's not sticking up for films that appease the lowest common denominator who prove time and again that they don't read criticism (or much at all); he's just trying to get on the poster or play up his sad fantasy that the stars will actually be his friends if they take a photo with him and he praises them.

mdc3000

I'm not sure what the point is you're making here, because Beauty and the Beast WAS easily one of the best movies of its year... (or are you saying this was a good thing?)

calhoun07

I think Beauty and the Beast was one of the best movies as well, and it's still great after all these years.

I am not a fan of Wayne's World, never really cared for the style of Chicken Run, loved Shrek, never saw Babe Pig in the City but appreciated the work put into it from the little I saw of it from clips here and there. And if they or any critic wants to give them good reviews or even put them on a top ten list, or even list it as number one, then who the hell cares? It's one person's opinion over so many more.

I think people take critics way too seriously if they get mad over choices of what they put in their top lists or reviews they give for movies they don't agree with. I am glad critics are around to give me an idea of if I will like a movie or not, but they aren't the beginning and ending of opinions on movies for me.

Sanjuro37

His point was that critics try to compare kid's films to high art like "The Reader" with the implication that any non-Pixar film they recommend comes with the caveat that it's meant for children. But Siskel, Ebert and others have always been willing to highlight good family films with selling points beyond "you four-year-old who likes everything will like this."

FoferX

Found this via Googling, can't post the link because I'm a new member here.

Trelach24

Alison Bailes is unbelievably hot. I am going to miss seeing her on TV every week.