Ben Mankiewicz Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I can't say that I got as much of a chance to grow up on "Siskel & Ebert" as much as most of my colleagues -- and not a whole lot of "Ebert & Roeper" either, for that matter -- but I recognize and appreciate the value of two film critics trying to encourage a more popular dialogue about movies. However, ratings and quality both took a dive once Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper took their leave and were promptly replaced by Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz.

Well, since that pairing wasn't exactly cutting it, the show's producers have (wisely) opted to swap out the duo for the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips and the New York Times' A.O. Scott, who both have previously appeared in lieu of Ebert when he had taken ill and proved their own considerable intelligence and mutual respect for one another, the medium, and their audience.

How many of you still tuned in for the show's latest incarnation? And how many of you are as considerably relieved as many of us that things should take a turn for the better with proper print critics in the seats again come September 5th?

Truth be told, I sort of skimmed through one episode of the new youth-skewed At The Movies, featuring Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz -- and since there wasn't a segment in which viewers were allowed to throw hard, pointy objects at NY Post critic Lou Lumenick, I turned my attention elsewhere. In her blog today, Variety's Anne Thompson points out a fact we all saw coming from two thumbs away: That, well, no one seems to like the new show. Thompson looks to the many evil emails she's received since this new version of At The Movies aired, and she's not alone. In our post announcing the critic switch, Cinematical readers have been rather harsh. Here are a few comments:

Debbie: "Two thumbs down for the new replacements, they have much to learn and very large shoes to fill"
Orlando: "Horrible! The quality and style one could expect from the crap you see in a supermarket checkstand line."
Johnny: "And the new guys are basically pathetic imitations of what actual critics are."

Yikes! [He says as he scrambles to cancel the new Cinematical video podcast featuring Rocchi and Weinberg discussing movies whilst drinking Coors Light with their shirts off.]

On my end, I guess it's worth giving another shot ... even though the younger Lyons feels like a cross between Ryan Reynolds and the kid who stole your girlfriend in high school and then spammed your Facebook page with pictures of them in bed together, naked. But what about you? Have you watched the new show? Does it need to change? What would you like to see happen?

Yesterday, we learned that At the Movies was changing in a big way. Richard Roeper had decided to leave the show to pursue a new reviewing program, while Roger Ebert sent out a statement saying that he was out as well, that other projects were in the works, and that Disney was taking the show in a new direction.

Banking on the buzz whipped up by both of their exits, Variety reports that Disney has announced Roeper and Ebert's replacements -- the much younger Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz. If you happen to follow any other on-screen critics, Lyons (on the right) has been a big part of E!, while also popping up in shows like MSNBC at the Movies and Access Hollywood, while Mankiewicz has been the host for Turner Classic Movies, and has an alt pop culture show on Sirius called "The Young Turks."

Of course, new, young blood also means an update to the format, and Disney says that the show will get a new look and new segments when the new incarnation kicks off on September 6. These changes will include a "Critics Round-Up" that will have the two Bens discussing films with other critics via satellite. I dig the simplicity of the past, so hopefully this whole deal won't get too flashy.

What say you, Cinematical readers? Can Ben and Ben fill the big shoes left by Siskel, Ebert, and Roeper, and do you want to see At the Movies get updated?