I've always been a huge fan of At the Movies, whether it was Siskel and Ebert, Ebert & Roeper, or Roeper and a Cast of Thousands. What movie fanatic wasn't? It was the perfect idea. Get two dudes, sit 'em down, and provide bite sized nuggets of information on practically every movie under the sun. All of the previous hosts had phenomenally strong personalities, rapier wit, and a fountain of film knowledge that I could only marvel at.
Then the unthinkable happened.
When Disney decided to go in a different direction after Ebert's extended illness and Roeper not really diggin' the subtle changes to the show(no Thumbs Up/Down), I was just hoping the show would go away. Instead they decided that trampling over the show's corpse was a better idea, so they hired two of my least favorite critics on the planet to host the show, the smarmy Ben Lyons who always looks like he just got out of a gym locker some bully shoved him into; and Ben Mankiewicz, who I think sold me my last used car. Can't confirm that. Anyway, the two took the term "intellectual curiosity" and wiped their butts with it. They never actually gave you a lick of analysis on any film, paricularly if it required even a moment's thought. They were snotty and repugnant on screen, and everyone could see it. Which is why they are gonzo from the show now. Hip hip hooray! Disney finally gave the two the boot, no doubt deciding that the douchebag viewership is much smaller than they anticipated.
So now things are looking up. Beginning September 5th it will be safe to watch At the Movies again. Why? No, Disney did not make the right call and hire John and myself to take over, although I'm sure we were on their short list. Instead they are brining in two of my favorites, A.O. Scott of the New York Times and Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips. Both are smart, funny, and deeply knowledgeable on movies without coming across as jaded know-it-alls. This should be a lot of fun.
