First Peek at New, Improved 'At the Movies'
They're serious. They're grown-ups. They wear black jackets and they use big words. If you missed the Sept. 5 debut of its post Lyons/Mankiewicz resurrection, Buena Vista Entertainment has rolled out an online look at the updated, No Bens At the Movies reboot.The sentiment expressed by At the Movies' official website is clearly, You know those two boneheads we hired to replace Ebert and Roeper? Don't worry, we canned 'em. The site's main page now features a dauntingly somber photo of critics A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, alongside a video preview trumpeting "serious reviews, by serious journalists." It's a big ol' slap in the face to Ben and Mank, but it gets the point across -- Buena Vista screwed up by hiring The Legacy and the Chucklehead, and now they desperately hope to repair the damage by replacing them with, well, actual film critics.
The clips of new reviews are like a big, frosty glass of water after enduring the Bens' desert of stupid. In one clip, Phillips and Scott actually engage in -- gasp! -- thoughtful deliberation about the tone of Big Fan, with Phillips telling the unimpressed Scott that he misreads the black comedy as a naturalistic drama. Watching smart critics say smart things, on subjects in which they're actually knowledgeable makes one nostalgic for the days when Siskel and Ebert were a weekly must-see.
Judging from these first reviews, there's still a little too much plot overview compared to actual criticism, but that's the nature of the art form these days; audiences seem to want the full Cliff's Notes of the plot before they see a movie anymore. But the level of discussion is so far above what Lyons and Mankiewicz offered (Phillips notes that Extract doesn't offer "any big polemical point" and calls director Mike Judge an "observant humorist") that it feels petty to quibble with the show's established format.
And hopefully we'll get more of Scott's wry, conceptual humor, as evidenced by his introduction to the pair's review of The Burning Plain. If this is the sort of thing to which we can look forward, then At the Movies may indeed be back on track, once again raising the level of discourse on cinema instead of catering to the lowest common denominator:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-08-2009 @ 10:18PM
Adam Lipkin said...
Honestly, Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather would make better TV critics than the Two Bens. But I'm pretty happy with the new combo so far. They clearly understand movies, and they seem to assume that their viewers are actually intelligent. I like that.
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9-09-2009 @ 1:11AM
CParis said...
Two snaps for Men on Film!!!
9-16-2009 @ 5:44PM
Abe said...
NEW AND IMPROVED? YOU GUYS MUST BE KIDDING!
So far no one has, and it's likely that no one ever will have the passion, knowledge, wisdom and charisma as the ground-breaking team of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. It took quite awhile to get used to Roper, but with Ebert at his side, the team worked. Ben and Ben started out a little nervous, but finally settled in their niche. They are both knowledgeable and likable. We always dreaded when Michael Phillips or A.O. Scott filled in as quests, and now having them as the regular critics is shameful. Granted they are both knowledgeable, but these two guys combined have about as much personality and likability as a pesky housefly. We have tried to give them a chance, but it is too painful. Sorry guys, we will get our reviews elsewhere.
9-09-2009 @ 12:35AM
Garrett said...
I was so excited for a reboot of this show that I saw the premiere episode twice. And while I think there is still too much time wasted on plot overview, the shear wit and fun of Scott and Phillips interacting. And three days later I still can't get over how wonderfully unique Scott's take on The Burning Plain. He explained exactly why not to see it that both an insider and a baboon could understand.
I can't wait for the next episode!!
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9-09-2009 @ 1:03AM
Timothy said...
I've been watching this show for as long as I can remember... I hated the Ben's... though still, out of habit mostly, I watched every single episode.
I'm so refreshed after watching the new hosts - two insightful, down to earth men who actually know what the hell they're talking about. If I have any complaints (I was critiquing as I watched seeing as it was their first episode) it would be Scott's talking with his hands a little too often. It's a minor thing, but I do hope he looks back on the episode and gets it under control.
Other than that, all I can say is that I look forward to the next episode... and I haven't said that in a long time.
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9-09-2009 @ 12:31PM
IanP said...
I stopped watching early into the Ebert & Roeper incarnation, after having been a fan of Siskel & Ebert from the 'Sneak Previews' PBS show. For me, this format was played out long ago, and the clip above doesn't lead me to believe I'm going to miss much of anything. These guys come off to me as a little too smug and snarky. Siskel & Ebert always struck me as guys who loved movies and had accumulated a wealth of knowledge on the subject, not as if they were too smart for the room
Besides, I saw 'The Burning Plain' at the Phoenix Film Festival last Spring, and thought it was O.K. Some of the stones thrown at the director in this review aren't particularly original or insightful, such as: "...the same narrative tricks again, and again, and again...". I can't think of any directors that don't do this to some degree. Perhaps Mr. Scott relies on the same critiquing tricks again, and again, and again?
Yep, I think I'm completely over these shows.
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