Cool News
Oh happy day!!! The Bens have been fired from "At the Movies"!!!
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here, happier than I've been in, well, a little over a year. I know this should be over in Coaxial, but fuck it, I'm so giddy, I'm moving this story into the big leagues for at least one day.
Strangely enough, just last night at a screening of A PERFECT GETAWAY, I saw Bens Lyons and Mankiewicz, looking happy and chipper. I wonder if they knew that today, they would be made just a little more douchey than they already were by being unceremoniously dumped by the Disney folks from the "At the Movies" review show that Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel started so many years ago. I feel like I can now close this brief but painful chapter in my life and move on. I was actually the very first critic to review the revamped, post-Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips "At the Movies," and looking back at what I wrote, I don't think I've ever been more dead on about just how bad a movie review show these two demographically inclined clowns put on.
Perhaps even better news than the Bens getting fired is who is replacing them--two actual, respected film critics (no, not me unfortunately, but I'm still young): the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips returns to the fold after being the long-standing fill in for Roger Ebert. He will be joined by A.O. Scott of the New York Times, who also stood in quite nicely for Ebert on occasion. Both men are great writers, are well versed in film history prior to 1990, possess strong on-air personalities, and don't seem quite as obsessed as Lyons was at getting quoted in print and TV ads on opening weekend. The re-revamped syndicated show premieres September 5.
Here's the story from ABC News, with a classy quote from Mankiewicz and no quote from Lyons, although rumor has it he's balled up on the fetal position on his race car bunk bed at home watching a copy of I AM LEGEND.
I feel like throwing a party today. I guess I'll have to settle for our screening of DISTRICT 9 tonight. Please join me in bathing in this glorious news…
-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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Is this show still on?
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I like Roeper, why can't he come back? I also wonder if Ebert is still unable to speak.
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The hosts were only a part of the disaster the show became. There was also the crap sets, the multi critics-on-monitors roundtable... if all that has changed is the hosts the show could still blow.
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Who is Bens Lyons? Oh, wait. Jajajaja. I remember. The guy is a loser. Suck it up, bitch.
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I grew up watching siskel and ebert. These two are icons in the film industry. When they put the two Bens in there it was unwatchable. It hurt my brain and not in a good way. It is always sad to see people lose their jobs but when you come into a show that has a rich history try to show the audience a little respect and not totally ruin it.
Hope all goes well at the screening tonight and that everyone has a good time.
Bryan E. -
TV show critics, print critics, online critics. I don't need 100 critics to tell me GI JOE sucks ass.
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Wow. Finally. I didn't know if this would ever happen. I'm admittedly not too familiar with Ben Ben Mankiewicz, but Ben Lyons is a one-of-a-kind douchebag. Even the word 'douchebag' is being too kind. He is a fucking VILLAIN, of the highest order. His smug shit-eating grin, his shameless photos with any and every celebrity who will acknowledge his presence, oh, and his complete and utter lack in taste in movies. And it's not even lacking in taste. That would actually be a debatable issue. He has no IDEA of what makes movies work. He has no knowledge of movies pre-Independence Day or so. He is just a shill for movie studios to plus their garbage. He is a fucking cocksucker, and I still hope I run into him at some point in my life so I can punch him in the mouth.
Very good news indeed. -
Ben Lyons, however, was just a poser tongue-cleaner looking to hobnob with the stars. He didn't know shit about film and was most undeserving of such a role. Fuck him.
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..are some gangsters. Great replacements. Now I'll actually watch the shit.
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Instead of 'Ben Ben' and 'plus'. Geez, I think I was just a bit excited there.
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what, did he dick-slap your sister, capone?
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I FUCKING LOVE YOU PLANET EARTH.SUCKA FAT COCK you worthless fuckfaced punk! I hope Ben Lyons is forced to sell ice cream(and subsquently give AWFUL ice cream reviews).
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I miss Richard Roper (and Roger... and Gene).
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I am tired of the two white guys speak for everybody reviews. Enough already. Break-up the monotony a little with the an ethnic reviewer and a female reviewer, maybe all in one, for a change???
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in the first place.
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Though I disdain most critics just on general principle, nobody could be worse than the bafoonery of the two Bens. I'm glad that farce is at an end. Still, critics are the pariahs of art and A.O. Scott in particular is a parasite wraped in an ascot. So a step up!
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made my fucking day.Capone if you were here (and if HERE was a bar),I'd buy you 3 rounds JUST for posting this awesome ass story!!! Oh, this is a good day indeed!
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Thank Serling!
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WOOOO-HOOOOOO I cant even come up with funny shit I'm so over-joyed!
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...the show that Ebert was proposing. Phillips was going to co-host it with Roeper and some chick, and it was going to bring back the thumbs format.
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I had figured that by installing the Bens, the network would later be able to cancel the show "because that's what the fans demanded."
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the guy knew his shit. in fact, i would argue that roeper is a much bigger putz than Mankiewicz. its just that no one will ever fill the shoes of the immortal siskel and ebert. that lyons mother fucker on the other hand...
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Ben Lyons quote? "I think the way they handled the firing was well filmed, and the budget....wait...I don't know what I'm saying..i really Don't know anything, I'm a shameless fraud..and a clown...sorry dad"
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I don't even know who he is, it just sounds good
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Is he doesn't have much charisma or spine to really assert his DECENT opinions.He always had a "crazy look" when Ben Lyons would trash his reviews, like a kid who always got picked on.However..I DID like Mankiewicz, just stating WHY they PROBABLY DIDN'T KEEP THE POOR GUY
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I am stoked. I hated this pair from day one. Lyons with his cutesy-poo nickname for Mankiewicz(oh, you're so right about that, Mank) made me want to punch that little fucker in the mouth. Let me know when your balls drop, douchebag. And the other Ben is a snotty, nose-in-the-air idiot. His smug intros on TCM are the lone black mark on that otherwise fine network. Good riddance, dickheads.
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Aug 05, 2009 5:06:32 PM CDT
Good news, but they need to bring Roper back or can the show.
by juansanchez
Phillips and Scott will be good, but there's no point in watching without AT LEAST Roper.
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Now THAT is a review show I'd watch!
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...yes,I also like red wine and cognac...so fuck off.
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Aw, dude. Why am I laughing?
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from inside a cardboard box..on the streets.For 35 cents, he will give you his stupid-assed opinion on the upcoming 2012.
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BTW, I thought Scott was a humorless stick in the mud when he filled in. Bring back Roeper.
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God the Bens were bad. I was in awe of how bad they were, for the 2-3 shows I watched before tuning out for good.
Michael Phillips is solid. A.O. Scott's commentary never grabbed me that much, but he is definitely a thousand-- no, a million-- times better than both Bens combined. And he actually knows his shit.
Happy happy days for people like me, who used to look forward to At The Movies every week. -
Its cause you suck! no one in the city has any clue which rag you write for -- what is it- The Times of Sugar Grove? Just giving ya hell pal---thanks for the great news!
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While it's a good thing that the show's quality is likely to improve, I sorta feel bad dancing on Lyons' and Mankiewicz's graves. I mean, they were doing their best. I don't know. For some reason I feel bad for them.
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Aug 05, 2009 5:13:00 PM CDT
Peter Travers is probably my most trusted film critic.
by the_genteel_gentile
And I loathe him too. I gotta say, I miss old Roaper though, but seriously, is there really such a thing as a "good" film critic? Don't you dare say Pauline Kael, JUST DON'T DO IT! DO...NOT!
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go back to his respectable gig at Turner Classic, while Lyons has to go back to E! and ask celebs at red carpet premieres who they're wearing..The beauty of Siskel and Ebert was the fact that were/are PRINT critics giving their viewpoint on television. At least the producers are still respecting that aspect. I think the most print that Lyons has typed is his daily twitter.
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rather than that of the Bens, cause it's Disney who screwed the pooch here.
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I got chubs for you
Big fat chubs for you
Got a firm but soft for you
Gonna go half-way for you
Oh how happy you'll be
When I get this chubby lump outta my jeans
But the shape should let you know
You got a little ways to go
But I gotta get through town
I can do it with a tiny mound
Guess nobody in town will know
Where you got that lumpy chubby stump on the go
When your lady doesn't get you off
At least you can walk around with a package that's semi-soft
Soft
It's like a little mound
It's like a mini-bone
A tiny little tent
It's pulsin' now
Watch it go to half-mass
Come on, girl
Show me what you got
Make me harder now
Turn my chub into a hardon
I got chubs for you
Little bitty chubs for you
I got chubs for you
Tiny, tiny chubs for you
Eeny-meeny chubs for you
I got chubs for you
I got chubs for you
I got chubs for you -
I'd love to see Seth MacFarlane and Seth Green do a show. As my grandmother would say, "what a hoot" that would be.
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Who had to endure looking at ben Lyon's pathetic stoned-looking, eyes half closed face AND listen to his awful rants about the budget, producers and other bullshit he readin entertainment weekly! This asshole NEVER once gave a single,decent review.Never talked about craft or nuances of the film-nothing.Just grinning like a goddamn asshole and chit-chatting about the film's budget.FUCK YOU Ben Lyons! And THE OTHER BEN-you were actually pretty decent.I hope you look back at the shows you 2 made and grow some balls!
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will be when Beaks gets fired from AICN.
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Great replacements! I can't stand the Bens!
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Or at least a podcast.
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Id watch weekly 30 minute segments of Harry splurge about movies on tv.
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Aug 05, 2009 5:31:52 PM CDT
I kinda liked Roaper with the rotating guess each week.
by the_genteel_gentile
Some of those shows where actually interesting, especially when he'd have the occasional filmmaker on offering up a more substantial creative point of view. Unfortunately they wouldn't really take off the kit gloves when discussing the work of their peers. I wish they'd had someone like Oliver Stone come in and give it to 'em staight (no chaser). Michael Bay would likely give an interesting, unfiltered perspective, I bet. I think it would be interesting to get the perspective of a varity of different people within the business each week. I for one would love to hear what James Horner thinks about Michael Mann's latest or what Robert Richardson feels about Aliens in The Attic. How do the Coen Bros. react to the newest Hughes Bros. and vise/versa. Man, I'd record every show and keep 'em forever, 'cause THAT would be a good show.
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Lyons: Oh, Mank. Your review was so insightful. If only your balls could both fit in my mouth at the same time. By the way, did you know that I spent dinner with Cary Elwes? His eyes are divine. Follow me on Twitter, me and Mank."
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Then I gave up and stopped watching cause I stopped caring. Didn't hate, just didn't care. Like the replacements a lot, but will the "thumbs" be coming back, because I figured Phillips and A.O. Scott were on the track for a new Ebert-ish review show with Roper. So are they turning their back on Ebert and his copyrighted thumbs? Anyway, yeah, maybe it'll be better, although I like A.O. Scott Todd Phillips kind of bugs me with a somewhat douche vibe. Speaking of douche-vibe, Capoe taking a shot at I Am Legend is douche-y because that's a solid flick. Check out the rotten tomatoes rating again, Capone you yutz.
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Not to say that you aren't already adding to your douche-y vibe by saying it's in the "big leagues". Douche.
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Daddy Jeffrey Lyons lost his show July 4th. Now baby Lyons is gone too. As for Ben M. he had potential, but when he spoiled "Moon" that was a cardinal sin.
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Aug 05, 2009 5:35:31 PM CDT
THANK FUCK, TWO ASSWIPES RIDING ON THEIR DADDY'S CONNECTIONS....
by carlthormark1978
I know Mankiewicz from the progressive talk show The Young Turks but I also know that his father is a connected, having worked for Robert Kennedy, while being related to Citizen Kane co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz. Suffice to say he has plenty of connections and hasn’t had to work hard to get ahead in life. Ben Lyons is a complete fucking tool who’s daddy, Jeffrey Lyons, is a well known Movie and TV critic which no doubt helped grease the wheels for his retarded son to get co-hosting duties on At The Movie’s where he declared I Am Legend as one of the “greatest movies ever made”. Good fucking riddance to the both of them and hopefully they can just fucking retire the format since Ebert was the only thing that kept me watching.
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Oooh, that burns! I love it!
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They are collectively awesome
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I didn't know much about Lyons, so I decided to look at his Wikipedia page, and I found this at the bottom of the second paragraph under "Career":
"Lyons and Mankiewicz were fired for excessive douchebaggery on August 5, 2009"
I'm sure it'll be gone soon, but I thought it was funny. God bless user-edited encyclopedias! -
this and paula abdul all in one day not a good day for douches or nutjobs
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Aug 05, 2009 5:38:26 PM CDT
AT THE MOVIES WITH A MILITANT BLACK LESBIAN AND A NINJA!!!
by carlthormark1978
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Make it happen!
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"Lyons and Mankiewicz were fired for excessive douchebaggery on August 5, 2009."
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Aug 05, 2009 5:40:05 PM CDT
MANKIEWICZ/LYONS = THE DON MURPHY OF REVIEWERS!!!FACT!!!
by carlthormark1978
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If Scott and Phillips had taken over right away, I would have kept watching. But I've moved on and now I don't really remember why I ever thought a movie review show was all that important in the first place.
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reviewers anyway? I go to press screenings, and some of these people look like they can barely tie their shoes in the moring.
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Ben and Ben may have had the personality of sandpaper but they don't deserve this much vitriol.
I really miss Ebert and Roeper. They really worked well together. -
Both Father and Son are failures!! Muahahahahahahahahahaah.
Let's have Harry do a show......on second thought he liked Superman Returns. -
Prententious hipster-douche extraodinaire. For the last eight years the guy shoehorned Bush subtext into everything, even Lord of the Rings.
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What, Saturdays at 6am on MyTV?
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Really, what a simpering, conceited wormy little boob. Roeper went on for about fifteen minutes about how Hayden and Natalie were wonderful in AotC, and how the CGI Yoda was so superior to the "Muppet" from the original ESB, and called Burton's "Planet of the Apes" better than the original, but gave FotR a thumbs-down. Back to your Toga parties and threesomes with multiple men, BASTARD!
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http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7666/benlyons.png
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I think that's great. Ben I-Lyons-TERRIBLE. Kid just was in over his head and had ZERO credibility. Who gave a rat's ass what he said? Ben II-Manky-he was good. I think he woulda worked w/ a better more veteran partner. This is GOOD news, by the way.
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I mean, OVERJOYED that the Bens are gone, although I thought Mank at least had some class, and Phillips was always strong on the air, but Scott is definitely better in print. Oh well. Can't wait to see if they strike up some sort of chemistry.
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The Lyons win!!!!! I hate them, but it is true! At least the Lyons are not bought and paid for!
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installed, that reads Ebert's reviews, as one of the hosts.
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He's a funny guy and we often agree. A.O. Scott is alright with me too.
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Is there software that speaks from text?
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Aug 05, 2009 6:06:10 PM CDT
MEXICAN DAY LABORER AND HAM SANDWICH AT THE MOVIES!!!
by carlthormark1978
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I'd watch that!
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"What the fuck you talkin about you silly bitches, GI Joe sucked my left nut and sucked it hard. Then I slapped it across the face and made it pay me twenty bucks."
Silent Bob crosses arms in front of chest and nods in agreement. -
to the hosts. I would catch it now and again and wonder why they were reviewing a film that had opened the week before. Plus, as someone above mentioned, the roundtable discussion was a useless waste of time.
Also, I hope they drop the "Rent It" rating. 99.9% of the time when a film is released in theaters I have 2 options - See It or Skip It. I do not have the option to rent, and will not have it, for at least 3 months. Seeing as how there is a DVD segment on the show, that should be the place, and the only place, where renting the film should be mentioned. If they really want to give a third option that sits somewhere between spending money to go to the movies and not seeing the movie at all, might I suggest a new rating: "Illegally Download It". -
Like anybody knows who the fuck you're talking about...
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MARTIN SHORT IN SPLIT SCREEN!
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We need 2 smart guys who review just because they love movies.
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that is the only way to take them seriously
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AT THE MOVIES!!!!
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Bring back Glick! Oh wait, he's just lost weight and is on CNN going by "Anderson Cooper".
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He told me he would tell me if crank 2 sucked, but that review never came.
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At the movies!!!!!!!
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NEW YORK TIMES 4LIFE
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Aug 05, 2009 6:34:55 PM CDT
George W Bush and a cerebal palsy japanese chick at the movies
by starchildad
Make it happen. In this dojo. Let all the ad wizards know. This is a game changer.
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It feeds itself popcorn with the drop of a hookers fedora.
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Pairing Mank with a better partner might have made for a better show.
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Because Star Trek has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, which means it was awesome and the 5% of the people who saw and didn't like it it should be chemically sterilized and not allowed to breed due their extreme lack of good taste in films.
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I really enjoy him. I'd like to see Roeper return although I did lose some respect for him when he praised the hell out of the Star Wars prequel.
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I watched At the Movies for the first time in months last week and I was still appalled at what I was seeing. I never even hated Ben Mankiewicz so much, but the fact that he was paired with Lyons cut him down big time in my book. I love watching a good film critic show and the past year has been poison for that. AO Scott was my favorite guest critic to come on At the Movies for the few years Ebert was off. He's a great writer and I generally share similar tastes with him. He also doesn't scoff at foreign films or compare every British film to come out these days to "Shaun of the Dead" and "The Office." I'm looking at you, Lyons.
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...is celebrating someone getting fired, especially in this economy. Being glad they're no longer on the show is one thing if you're not a fan--but Capone's post is entirely out of control. How unprofessional and assholish.
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i liked this movie a little bit. -just a little bit.
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Lyons' dad is a douchebaggy critic.
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That guy is almost as good as Ebert and Siskel as far as I'm concerned. I like him even better than roeper.
Great to see him back.
(And fuck Ben Lyons, that talentless schill) -
its funny that people can crap on these two reviewers with such hate, but then happily read the horrible crap that is dished up here on a daily basis by knowles and co... they're all as bad as each other, no need to vilify
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That's all you need for a movie review show.
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This is amazing news. Lyons totally threw the legacy that Siskel and Ebert built into the trash can. I simply cannot believe that he got the job at E! or on At the Movies on his own merit. Good riddance.
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Al: I fffuckin' LOOOOOOOOVED....this movie.
Bob: Ya did? ....ya did? ....YOU did? ...ya did? -
Throwing a party and bathing in the glorious news of two people getting fired from their jobs. What the fuck kind of person are you? Oh yeah, the guy who did the first review of a fucking movie review show. Wow. Have a nice party.
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FUCKING AWESOME. Except it doesn't apply to the Mank.
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I'm not happy the Mank has been let go because he was classy and knowledgable. However, I will *completely* take issue with your argument that Capone is a dick and unprofessional for celebrating someone being fired, especially in today's "economy". Baloney, dude. What's unprofessional is hiring an unqualified idiot to do a job he constantly fails at, while people more qualified and more deserving than him sit on the sidelines without said job. How's that work? Especially in "today's economy"?
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I meant to add: Why shouldn't we be happy that someone who can do the job better will now have the job? That's how society works efficiently.
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And it's not because we "disagreed" with his opinions. It's because some of us never ONCE appreciated the way he REACHED those opinions. His lack of knowledge and poorly thought out "reviews" were the epitome of a man riding on someone else's coattails.
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seems kind of pointless now...
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Still has Backstreet Boy money to fall back on. He'll be fine.
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...these people are. I'm a little surprised so many of you have strong feelings about this...I thought the cool kids don't even have TVs anymore.
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The guy was a shill hoping to get paid for having his quotes on movie posters and commercials while also going to parties and looking to get photos with celebrities. The man has no knowledge of film or film history or how the filmmaking process works- and his dad is a freaking critic! Its obvious the guy has never really worked in his life and has just been riding the coattails of others. And if he HAS actually studied, well then the conclusion must be that boy is a moron because none of it seemed to stick. He is an EXTREMELY POOR critic. And he doesn't deserve the show.
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Who ARE these people?!
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You just described Headgeek himself. Am I the only one who has been seeing those fucking G I Joe commercials with Harry's glorious quotes all over them?
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Hate him.
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I agree that the Bens were at best the fast food of reviewers. But let's not go overboard. I went to see that boring, unfunny piece of shit called "funny people" because of all the man-juice that was splattered over Apatow's efforts. Some of the reviews here may/may not be more insightful and sophisticated than the Bens, but for fucks sake, you guys owe me $16 for going overboard on that movie, which drew silence from the crowd. Fanboys don't necessarily make better critics. I hear the distinct sound of glass shattering and rocks hitting the ground.
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on the Oz 'At The Movies' can now move for world domination. Best film critics/reviewers ever!! Look them up, non-Aussies...
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So I wanted to see the "excessive douchebaggery" quote on Lyons' wiki page for myself, and noticed a link to a blog post that Ebert made (apparently in response to comparisons of his work to Lyons' reviews) where he outlines his rules for film criticism... http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/10/eberts_little_rule_book.html ...and holy shit, someone needs to forward a copy of this to Harry right away, because while he's nowhere NEAR the sort of stool sample that Ben Lyons is (you know we love ya, Harry), it's almost a checklist/template for one of Harry's more "questionable" reviews. That list is solid evidence that, once we lose Ebert, film criticism loses a huge swath of it's grace and class. Oh, and fuck Ben Lyons, fuck him up his stupid punk ass.
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Aug 05, 2009 7:29:09 PM CDT
BEN LYONS IS THE GEORGE W. BUSH OF MOVIE CRITICS....
by carlthormark1978
A smirking, retarded fucking moron who is handed a job, with the help of his Daddy's connections, that he's completely unqualified for and runs everything into the fucking shitter.
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For fuck's sake. No wonder the studio doesn't want to screen the movie for critics when they can get Harry the occasional lapdog to put out a quote.
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too bad :(
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I'd give you fisting rights but Choclate Woman took them with her.
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This show is like print media, the internet is gradually killing its reason for existing in the first place. If Siskel and Ebert were both alive and healthy (respectively) people would still watch out of nostalgia and affection for the hosts. But you can get 60 reviews at the click of a mouse these days. Who wants to wait a week and sit around for half an hour to watch two old white fucks give their opinion? Let this show die already.
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glurbgikadqsw!
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"Employers are eager to replace us with Celeb Info-Nuggets that will pimp to the mouth-breathers, who underline the words with their index fingers whilst they watch television. Any editor who thinks drugged insta-stars and the tragic Amy Winehouse are headline news ought to be editing the graffiti on playground walls. "
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Leah Rozen from People Magazine is an excellent critic. She should have her own show. I agree with her more then anyone. A.O. Scott is not a good move.
I like Philips. What happened to Roeper? Where is his show? Ben Lyons and that face you just want to take a cheese grater to, and I could tolerate Ben Mankiewicz until he revealed a MAJOR SPOILER in the movie the MOON. More like Ben "Thankyoubitch". He violated the number one rule among critics. He molested the "At the Movies" audience with that review.
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they should give him his own reality show, but at the end of the season, it is revealed to him that he is going to be launched on the first manned mission to Mercury.
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They could end the show with some Thai kickboxing.
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Now if Joan Rivers would just die- All would be perfect.
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Since we're just throwing out names.
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Mank was good on TCM, but his ranking of Indy4 as the worst movie of 2008 was the top draw of douchery and fanboy pettiness. Of all the shit that year---Nigga, please!
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It has to be said.
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THAT I would watch.
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Of Ben Lyons' ignorance was when he referred to Harold Ramis as the director of "Groundhog Day" and "Animal House". And you know if you called him on it, he'd just say, "Dude...that was before I was born, how was I supposed to know?". And then flash that same dopey-ass fucking grin of his. I laughed out loud when someone above said "call me when your balls drop". If there has ever been a worse case of nepotism I don't know what it is. His FATHER was and is a douchebag, so Ben is a second-generation genetically perfected douchebag! He's like the uber-douchebag, the douchebag of tomorrow. Good riddance, motherfucker - don't let the theme music hit you in the ass on the way out. Mankiewicz at least had the good grace to look like he was fucking miserable and couldn't believe the idiot they paired him with. Anyway...good news. Maybe film criticism will not entirely disappear from this earth.
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this is a good day for anyone who really loves cinema. sweet, sweet justice.
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I liked Roeper, he would often take down Ebert's arthouse pretentiousness would it would occasionally run amok and bless his little heart for his love of the "Star Wars" prequels. Can't hate a nigga for that.
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And they often disagreed which was fun. Still, Ropeper is sorely missed.
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...I'm serious. Bring him back.
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He's just dreamy.
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Cahm ahn! Be cool! Help a nigga out!
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rats ass about movie critics' opinions anyhow. The only opinion here that counts is mine and I vote with my debit card!
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Here is the link...
http://tinyurl.com/naeght
Go Harry! I'm sure this makes Ben Lyons proud. -
AL: I liked this movie...and I'm sticking my thuMB ALL THE WAY UP!!!!
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...Anthony Lane's NEW YORKER review of REVENGE OF THE SITH......"No, the one who gets me is Yoda. May I take the opportunity to enter a brief plea in favor of his extermination? Any educated moviegoer would know what to do, having watched that helpful sequence in “Gremlins” when a small, sage-colored beastie is fed into an electric blender. A fittingly frantic end, I feel, for the faux-pensive stillness on which the Yoda legend has hung. At one point in the new film, he assumes the role of cosmic shrink—squatting opposite Anakin in a noirish room, where the light bleeds sideways through slatted blinds. Anakin keeps having problems with his dark side, in the way that you or I might suffer from tennis elbow, but Yoda, whose reptilian smugness we have been encouraged to mistake for wisdom, has the answer. “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose,” he says. Hold on, Kermit, run that past me one more time. If you ever got laid (admittedly a long shot, unless we can dig you up some undiscerning alien hottie with a name like Jar Jar Gabor), and spawned a brood of Yodettes, are you saying that you’d leave them behind at the first sniff of danger? Also, while we’re here, what’s with the screwy syntax? Deepest mind in the galaxy, apparently, and you still express yourself like a day-tripper with a dog-eared phrase book. “I hope right you are.” Break me a fucking give."
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Nobody took that douche seriously. But they need Roeper and the rotating guest back with the old theater. That was when the show was at it's post-Ebert prime.
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I wish Roeper would come back, but whatever, this is great news.
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They'd probably have have to air it on HBO, but it would certainly kick ass.
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Did anyone really like them?
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Just watch the movie "Murderball" with The volume down and the audio to "Waynes World" dubbed over it. That should give you your fix of cripples getting the shit beat out of them set to asinine dialogue. (Not to knock WW. Shit's a classic)
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not that i give a shit, but I just watched part of the most recent show, and it didn't seem so bad. WTF?
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"Excellent News" - Paul T Ryan. "Two Less Quote Whores To Pollute Film Criticism" - Paul T Ryan. "A Triumph of Corporate Decision Making!" - Paul T Ryan. "Where's My Burrito?" - Paul T Ryan.
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Fuck me, that's professional right there.
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... a version of the show was still being broadcast in some markets, and I don't think I'm familiar with Mr. Lyons, but I am surprised at the level of dislike for Ben Mankiewicz. Admittedly I am only know him from his weekend TCM hosting duties, but I enjoy Mr. Mankiewicz' presentations of the movies. Good luck to both of them.
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Glad also Roeper is still out--Lock him and Ryan Seacrest in a cargo container, fill with concrete, drop in ocean--seacrest...OUT, and Roeper too.
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surely it'll make the show watchable again
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I really liked Richard Roeper, but Like both Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott as well. Big upgrade from the Bens.
Hated the Bens in the beginning, kinda got used to them (liked Mank much better than dorky Lyons), but looking forward to true professionals like Phillips and Scott.
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I think it would be funny to see me and Neil talk shit every week. It would be like a contest to see who could sink further into the depths of depravity. Sounds fun.
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They had the best (and worst) so far of the year.The think that pissed me off was the two worst pics was Bruno and I Love You Beth Cooper, both of which incidently was playing in the theatres the week the had their show.I can't take anyone seriuos if they fail to mention shit like Dance Flick, but think Bruno is the worst b/c they had high expectations.
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That douche would steal lines from internet forums for his reviews. I hear enough of your asshole opinions as it is.
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He had a classy air about him and I found myself very much in line with his sensibilities. I respected him when he called "Indy 4" the worst film of 2008 (given the talent involved), and "The Wrestler" the best of '08. I also appreciated the fact that he didn't exactly foam at the mouth over "The Dark Knight," either. I really wish they had kept him and paired him up with another more competent host.
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They might love movies but they have minimal knowledge of film; had zero charisma; no heated arguments; no real passion for the art form. Especially Lyons, who basically got in because of nepotism (his daddy also sucked as a movie critic). Mankiewicz wasn't as bad, he had some chops but I find it hard to take recommendations from some asswipe that's younger than me. Thank the cinematic gods that they are gone.
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But he seemed pretty conceited as an "At the Movies" co-host. Lyons is a projection of Harry ("Lookit, I'm posing with a celebrity...he talked to me, I'm bad...they're my best friend, we swap emails...").
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...that any one of us would've taken. You can't fault the guys for that.
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It was like Michael Bay grabbed my asshole and ripped it open before pouring a pound of broken glass into my rectum and dousing it with rubbing alcohol before sewing it up with steel wire and shoving me into a barrel with nails hammered into it from the out side and then rolled down a hill covered with burning napalm with an industrial shredder waiting for me at the bottom that will spew my remains into a piranha infested septic tank. Thumbs down.
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I actually watched the show for the first time last week expecting the worst. It was fine.
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THATS RIIIIIIIIIGHT BITCHHHHHES
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FUCK YES! I hate Lyons so much I watched the show to laugh at the Bens and their horrible reviews. They actually barely reviewed movies if you paid attention. Two dogs would have made fine replacements but they actually got two serious film critics. If they keep them for a couple years it could be a respected spot for movie reviews instead of a comedy show which the Bens made it.
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but it was the executives who gave Ebert the boot who deserve derision.
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*boogies*
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Their opinions don't truly matter to me- good or bad. These opinions don't change how I choose make my works or what subject matters are covered/exploited. I never give them a passing thought beyond the worship some of them receive for shitting out an opinion on something they'll never have the ability to make themselves. If it's shit- it's still something deeply personal or interest enough for me to have placed my time into making it, therefore the collective opinions of those who care to judge it are empty uninvolved opinions. They can't make it beyond judgment, and yet some people think they have talent. It's usually the wordy fucks who use dead dictionary speak to describe their opinion. Very strange. that said- I do however favor the opinions of other artist. Gifted ones any ways. I want to say I feel the same way about film critics. I like/hate watching the internet ones whore it up for handouts. Honeslty though it's more about the early information- images/plot/pictures/people involved. I've found myself agreeing with these internet critis sometimes, but I hate it when they make good with someone and become incapable of truly judging that persons work as they would any others. It't hard not to fall into that hole. I've had a taste. Very hard to be impersonal when those people are so nice to you.
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Douchebaggery is a hobby
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It is okay to cheer this firing/hiring because the posts were occupied by people unqualified to hold them. Now they are filling the positions with qualified people who were previously blocked. In the end they are finally rewarding talent. There is nothing admirable about digging in your heels and refusing to change course after you know you made a wrong decision. There is no reason to be loyal to incompetents when it means denying both talented candidates and the customers they are supposed to serve.
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Two thumbs up.
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...the words Petty and Cash together, I get a boner.
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it played out something like this:
"God, I just really enjoyed this movie! The special effects were all I could ask for, it was great! What did you think, Ben?"
"Well, Ben, I disagree, I really thought the movie was more 'awesome' than great, but I'm with you on the special effects. I could really feel the Hollywood suit calling the shots skull fucking my ocular cavities and I enjoyed every minute of it. This film is why people go to the movies." I honestly could not tell them or their opinions apart, but I wish them both the best of luck in all their future endeavors. -
I wish that he would have been paired up with Roeper. I'm not kidding- you could really tell how much those two disliked each other and it was VERY remniscent of the old Ebert/Siskel shows. I don't know how he will be against A.O. Schwartz, but perhaps there will be a rivalry because he's based in New York.
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I miss the bickering to the point of near violence between Siskel and Ebert. Roger is the only critic worth his salt. Even when I disagree with him, he still makes me consider his viewpoints.
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some things. Then, when the sequel comes out, he slams it for the exact same things he liked the first time.
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I think there is a certain irony to the failure of Mankiewicz & Lyons. I think there is something to be said pairing a critic who is into the art with a critic who has an appreciation for show business. Sadly, those two were not up to the task.
I think Mankiewicz had his moments and that he was the victim of bad timing. Too bad he did not have a chance to serve with Ebert and then earn his bones. Based on his TCM moments I think he has a genuine respect for the cinema.
That glitzy, hip set has to go. The format and the set coupled with that insipid critic's roundtable drove me from the show after a month.
I am good with Scott and Phillips. Scott is most like Ebert in his appreciation of independent and foreign films. It is important that they make room in the show to spotlight those films and, most of all, explain why it is important for their viewers to find and see those films. With luck, Phillips and Scott will keep each other honest.
I am optimistic. I look forward to reinstating my season pass of "At the Movies." -
That one show about movies with Byron Allen. *drum roll (please)*
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I can't remember the last time I saw a movie critic show. (Actually, I do. It had a guy and a girl and they reviewed DVDs, too. I was not impressed.) But I really like A.O. Scott, so if I ever happen to catch the show, I'll be pleased. Pretty much I rely on him and Vern to tell it to me straight. And what's with all the Roper love? That was was such a nit-wit douche-nozzle. I remember standing in a cheap hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant waiting for my take out, reading the guy's review of "Jackass: the Movie." And it was clear to me, he did not get it. But instead of just saying, "I don't get it," he resorted to using juvenile insults to describe the film. Now, I know "Jackass" was not made to be art, but I enjoyed it at the time, and I did not go into that movie thinking it would be more than a bunch of morons puking and punching and hurting each other. Ach...I don't even know why his negative review bothered me so much. Maybe I secretly have a crush on "Jackass". But, he's a total dickhole.
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I used to watch that show on mushrooms. Better than sex. Fact.
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Seriously, you're going overboard here with trashing them, like they personally screwed you over. It was Disney's decision to put them in and they were just doing their best. For every time they expressed a lowbrow, "normal guy" opinion I could cite one of Roeper's "horny guy" comments because he was ALWAYS pointing out which chick was hot in a movie. Yeah, we can see, Roeper, thanks, and how does your wife feel about those comments? Anyway, Michael Phillips rocks so I'm looking forward to the new team, but still not willing to flush Lyons and Mankiewicz down the toilet.
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I could swear I remember Roeper more than once saying he liked Jackass. Are you sure it was his review you were reading?
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Smoking black-tar opium and looking at a blank wall is better than.... pretty much everything.Doesn't mean that it is a good thing to do.
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Never saw the Bens show, but weren't they not allowed to use the thumbs up because it belongs to Ebert? Can the new guys use thumbs? It`s not exactly the same as reading a full review, but a simple yay or nay can be nice- better than stars a lot of the time
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It's true.
Yeah!!! I was angry when suddenly these guys slimed into the seats of
Roeper and guest reviewer. Ben and Ben were horrible. This is good news. -
has written some pretty interesting stuff about literature too if I'm not mistaken.
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That is my recollection, too. Roeper gave Jackass thumbs up. In fact:
http://tinyurl.com/l983gk
Roeper did trash it but said it was hilarious and so gave it a thumbs up. Ebert sympathized with Roeper but could not bring himself to recommend the film.
So there. -
he sure as shit isnt going to replace Osbourne.
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I cannot recall what the deal is, but after Ebert disassociated himself with the show the thumbs rating was stopped. I do not know if Disney stopped it as part of their (lame!) rebranding or if it is because of the close association with Ebert. Can somebody clarify this?
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Good to see you still hit the "refresh" button over and over, waiting for me to post so you can type contradictory bullshit right below mine.
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That was Siskel's and Ebert's show before "Siskel & Ebert At the Movies". So here is more irony. When Siskel and Ebert left WTTW's "Sneak Preview" they were replaced by Jeffrey Lyons and Neal Gabler.
How weird is that? Granted Ebert was effectively gone by the time Ben Lyons and Ben Mankeiewicz put on the mantle, but he was still part of the show. It was the failure of Disney, Ebert, et. al. to come to terms that lead to the reorganization of At the Movies. -
They sucked--good riddance!
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that's not irony. Lyons got the gig the same way he got his E! gig and his father got the sneak previews gig... nepotism. mankowitz and Lyons can both drown their sorrows over a bowl of matzo ball soup. these 2 were fucking douchebags and no way were they qualified to sit in 2 of america's most famous movie theater seats. Mankiewicz is particularly horrid... who can fuck up introducing movies on TCM? but douchebag manages to do just that reading from the teleprompter
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He gave the disapointing sequel Escape from LA a "thumbs up" saying how it was a go for broke extrangvaganza..yet he game EFNY a thumbs down. I guess in some ways he is like Harry.,p>Then again, everyone is entitled to making a mistake. :P
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Aug 06, 2009 5:36:07 AM CDT
Please give Scott and Phillips the thumbs and we will once again
by incandenza
a good At The Movies show.
Seriously, watching those two complete asshats take a shit week after week on what has been one of my lifelong favorite shows has been absolutely painful. I stuck with it like a few others here for a little while, hoping something would magically change to make the Ben's tolerable but alas I could no longer take it and have instead been watching my favorite S&E reviews on the wonderful atthemovies.tv website. -
Gives violent disagreements a whole new meaning!
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Fuck him and fuck his retarded, shoplifting fuck of a father.
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Him and AO Scott would make it the greatest show ever. Not sure how family friendly Vern looks though.
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Now that would be some Koolaid I'd love to drink!
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Just imagine...the show starts with Liza putting back two long island iced teas followed by Ryan snorting 4 lines of coke off her sagging tits. Then they debate a film neither has clearly seen (or at minimum remembers) and end it with a slap-fest after Ryan confesses he'd fuck his own daughter before pounding Liza's shitpipe. The awesomeness of it is almost too much to comprehend.
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I know I read a review yesterday from one of the reviewers on this site (rhymes with Hassa), about a movie that opens this very weekend (rhymes with Shmerfek Shmetahay) and which now seems to have mysteriously vanished, without comment. Or am I insane? Isn't this the kind of thing that puts the 'mighty virtuous' on this site's panties all in knots?
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they weren't my favorite, but I've watched several episodes and the "Mank" was okay, and Lyons isn't anywhere near as bad as most critics of At the Movies say he is.
All said I still prefer Ebert and Roeper. -
or C&C Movie Factory
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"I feel like throwing a party today. Please join me in bathing in this glorious news…"
If you would have asked me about "At the Movies", I wouldn't have know whether or not it was still on and I would have thought that Ebert and Roeper were still doing it if it was still on. This is so far off my radar. -
Ebert & Siskel (his estate) own the rights to the "thumbs". Disney did not renew their agreement to use them. So for a while, on Ebert & Roeper at the Movies, it was basically "I liked it", "I liked it too" until they came up with the "See It", "Skip It", and (the ridiculously idiotic and useless wuss-out of a negative review) "Rent It". I guess the decision of Disney to drop the "thumbs" was their first move in their complete overhaul of the show which eventually resulted in Ebert's name coming off it and Roeper and guest host being replaced by the Bens.
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Nobody could have salvaged a gig on that show with an intellectual creampuff like Ben Lyons. If they really wanted an interesting contrast to a class act like Mankiewicz, they should've paired him with Neil Cumpston in a straightjacket. That, I would have watched.
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I have a problem with anyone at aintitcool calling out other critics when Harry and Moriarty were specially chosen for early screenings of GI Joe -- and, surprise, gave positive reviews! -- when that expected pile of Sommers-crap is being withheld from respected critics.
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Aug 06, 2009 9:06:17 AM CDT
You really shouldn't take such glee in people losing their job
by juemad
Just sayin'.
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Well, maybe it wasn't his review I was reading and for years now I've hated him for the wrong reasons. I know the Trib guy gave it a bad review, too. But I'm sure it was the Sun-Times I was reading and Roeper panned it. I never saw the episode where he gave it a thumbs up. Well, whatever. If this point of fact is all my life boils down to, I'm the dickhole.
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That show became a brain-dead travesty when those two useless fucks took over, and I'm glad to see two real film critics taking the reins.
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and once was enough.
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I frankly liked having people of my generation reviewing films and who could understand modern sensabilities unlike Ebert who called the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre one of the worst films of all time and who originally slammed Star Wars. I don't know why that guy gets so much hero worship around here. Maybe because he has commented on the site before, proving he has at times actually read it? Gene Siskel was always the FAR better reviewer on that show. When he died, the show died.
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He must be overrun with joy. Great news, however. Back to the old days of reputable, capable critics doing the show. Being from Chicago, I read Phillips reviews every Friday along with Eberts. Phillips is like the Ebert of old. A little more tough than roger is now. It seems Ebert has softened in his age, considering he gives about two movies a week four stars.
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Roeper liked it.
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And they could have changed the name of the show to Fat and Dumb & Fatter and Dumber.
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I love when justice comes to the over-privileged!
I'm sure that their daddy's (and grand-daddy's) can get them some more high profile jobs on TV that won't actually require them to do anything.
Also, ever notice how a mediocre movie becomes passionately hated after an incomputerate critic overly praises it.
example...
movie: I am Legend
critic: Ben Lyons
quote: "...one of the greatest movies ever made..."
i thought the movie was just fine, nothing special, just fine.
now, every time it's on HBO I find myself mumbling angry complaints throughout.
I also feel that the only thing that keeps him from becoming a completely incompetent critic would be if he were deprived of spell check.
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I voted with my channel changer every time they were on.
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Mankiewiks was great but the overgrown, obnoxious, frat-boy'ish, doouchebag was annoying as hell. His certification of the latest Adam Sandler lamefest of a movie made me cringe. What the hell was Disney thinking when they let these two oddly paired guys together? They seemed to be from two different worlds. They both seemed uncomfortable around each other. Lyons had this Ryan Seacrest/douchebag quality to him.
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this awesome news. Fuck these guys. I agree that Mank was the less sufferable of the duo, but that show failed on many levels. I'm willing to bet that these firings were a direct result of the Bens shitting where they eat. They dumped all over the new disney hampster movie. (title eludes me) Disney owns at the movies. Now they're shit canned.
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with all the "shits" in my last post. That makes me smile. "I am the liquor"
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Cause I only like everyone's 'earlier' stuff.
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Capone, can you take a few moments to explain why you're happy Mank was fired?
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Absolutely. I too find it hard to believe that only white men are qualified to review movies on these shows. Like you said, mix it up a bit. Christ
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So you didn't like Funny People?
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not i,thats for sure.
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Ben Lyons is a douchebag.
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A BILLION STARS OUT OF 5-further confusing people.Then, when approached about his "firing", Ben Lyons commented that "Well, although the location used during filming was rather beautiful, I felt the acting was strong and the direction superb...I'm going to go out on a small limb and say THIS IS THE BEST FILM EVER..", MOMENTS LATER a confused journalist slapped Ben upside his MONSTER HEAD w cheesey bread, and drenched him jobless ass in marinara sauce.
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Aug 06, 2009 11:45:42 AM CDT
Im SURPRISED NO ONE mentioned THIS as a good replacement...
by idrinkyourmilkshake
JAY SHERMAN! IT STIIIIIINKS!
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THANKS FOR THE SOUT-OUT-I WAS DYING TO WRITE MORE YESTERDAY, but I had some shit to do..but I started the post off, and came today! I AM SOOOOOO HAPPY this day came.
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... thats not michael phillps, Im pretty sure its theo ther trib reviewer, caro (who is coincidentally, the worst, most incompetent reviewer I have EVER read).
Phillips is very good, a close approximation to ebert, with slightly more sophisticated tastes. I lived in chicago my whole childhood, and much moreso than ebert or siskel, if Phillips gave a good review, I could count on liking it.
I do think AO scott is fairly high-minded as well, and I fear they dont have anyone to appease the masses a la ebert and his 90 percent thumbs up ratio... but nonetheless, clearly a huge step in the right direction. -
They didn't send you any money from the time when your house was damaged? They snub you in some form? Once again Capone proves his class act mettle on this website.
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I wonder if Robert Wilonsky would hold up on a review show. I like his Ultimate Trailer Show on HDNet, and I like reading his reviews. He seems to be able to voice his own opinions, but I'd be interested to see if Disney would change that. Wilonsky and Phillips would be an interesting pair, in my opinion, althought the show may indeed suck. Who am I kidding, I just want to take over the Ultimate Trailer Show.
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Bitching about a show nobody should watch or actually watching it. Think about it...
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I always felt there wasn't some bullshit agenda with him. He was giving it to you straight. Even with Ebert, sometimes his opinions seem to come from somewhere else, either a political bent that we're unaware of or some odd fixation that he has but doesn't admit to. And Siskel could shit all over him and then laugh when Ebert took a shot back. He was also doing Ebert a favor by giving him shit, because I think Siskel was aware of exactly what I'm talking about and would call him out on shit. Man... those two were truly great together. And I'm not saying I always agreed with him, but I respected his opinion and could always see where he was coming from.
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Imagine the awesomeness of Steven Seagal droning on about the week's new releases..then Ebert responds "Mmmffoormmgllump" and Seagal, growing frustrated with not understanding what that meant, punches Ebert right in the throat. Wacky Hijinx. Hilarity ensues. Priceless.
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Siskel, Ebert, and Roeper have slammed Disney films in the past. The real reason is the ratings and that Ben Lyons has no respect in the business. Capone is saying aloud what most working critics have been saying "off the record" about Lyons. Ebert's post on "Rules for Critics" is a diplomatic way for him to blast Lyons for ruining the show.-----later-----m
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When his hair went white, half his reviews seemed informed by some weird background bullshit that he was implying he brought to the table, being so smart, but screw us if we didn't know what it was.
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I thought I was the only one utterly embarrassed by the Bens. Ben M. at least has some history to offer. But Ben L was so bad I couldn't believe it. The new critics are wonderfully experienced, whether I agree with them or not. But no one can replace Siskel and Ebert - they were the best.
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Check out the video link. He trashed the film, but he recommended it anyway. Which is fine; more on this in a moment. And, again, Ebert agreed with Roeper but could not bring himself to recommend it.
It seems like Roeper is trying to eat his cake and then have it, too. Yet I can respect Roeper's review in the same way that I respect Ebert's review of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor". Both films deliver what they promise. In Ebert's words (well, I paraphrase), it is all a film like that can be.
I confess I cannot bring myself to watch Jackass all the way through. But when I did chance upon it on cable I laughed out loud at what I saw then switched the channel. I could not bring myself to watch a movie about deeply stupid people putting their lives and limbs and/or property in jeopardy. -
heres why
http://web.me.com/kellyman/Site_74/Kelly_Christensens_Blog/Entries/2009/8/6_FYERD!.html
also, wheres Yokos album reviews? -
Also, it's Roeper, not Ropert.
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and called Videodrome the most unenjoyable time he's had at the movies. I like when I read some comments that state "I like so-and-so because they like the same movies I do". The purpose of a critic is not to validate your opinion of a movie. Ebert has given some questionable reviews over his career, but what is not questionable is his love of cinema. Read any of his books, and you'll find that. Hell, even read his old Home Video review series from the eighties and you'll get better informed reviews than what apsses nowadays.
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... I can just see it now "I haven't seen this yet but am really looking forward to watching it when I get back from(celebrity name)'s (party, festival,etc) because this movie wouldn't have happened if I hadn't given them the idea. Now tune in next week and my cohost may(or may not) give her cd reviews." Shit, you guys would be begging for Lyons to come back. For the record, liked Mankiewicz, hated Lyons.
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Aug 06, 2009 2:49:34 PM CDT
Lyons and Mank were always bobbing on each other's cocks
by takingscorpioscalls
I was AMAZED how disgustingly they agreed with one another so much. They should gone to a room to make out or something.
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This two Ben guys loved Jar Jar Abram's Dawson Trek, didn't they?
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"THE budget was INCREDIBLE, the action, the pacing, and I LOVE that this was filmed in New Mexico-frnakly this is the dest dick ever, bar none.And don't get me started on the director, who had a string of hit films recenty"
Then, sadly...Ben Lyons was eaten by a lion in front of a group of apathetic film reviwers. -
There was a time in his lifwe when Ebert detested extreme depiction of violence in the movies,a nd he specially hated if a movie showed no moral edification. He though The Thing was needlessly brutal and had an extreme cynical view of mankind. Bascially for The Thing Ebert had the same reaction as he did for Romero's Nigth Of The Living Dead.The good thing about Ebert, though, is that he is not affraid to change his mind and revise his opinion on movies, and make it public, as he did for Blade Runner, for instance.
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asimov....STAR TREK was pretty dang great.Back off with the TREK,but please...continue with the Ben Lyons trashing.
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It doesn't matter if one agrees with him or not. His writing is always quality, and betrays intelligence and culture. His writings are enough reading pleasures in themselves, which is more then can be said about most critics.I think that Ebert's opinions on indie and foreign movies are impecable. It's his appreciation of blockbusters that can be a bit askew sometimes, when he forgives the kind of shit that's unexcusable just because that week he was in a good mood and got himself satisfied with an otherwise shit movie. I love to read his reviewws, but i don't trust the great man 100% when he reviews blockbusters, specially if he's positive and gives them a good review.
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Dawson Trek was one of the msot stupid, dumb, retard, mentaly defficient piece of shit abortion maskarading as a movie that has shat on th silver screen for the last 15 years that has not been directed by Michael Bay. There is a new Kool-Aid flavour, The Jar Jar Abram's Dawson Trek Kool-Aid flavour, and it tastes of bullshit.I bet the two Benas loved that piece of shit, specially the Lyons guy.
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transformers 2 was what you said.Seriously,Star Trek was good.Not GREEEEAT,but I deifntiely enjoyed it, and sadly-that was the BEST film I SAW this summer
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Wishing that these guys no longer presented At The Movies? FineRevelling in the fact they've been fired? LOW.
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Richard Roeper & Michael Phillips in the first place? Their chemistry almost evoked the glory days of Siskel & Ebert! Then they got shit-canned for Ben & Ben?!! Now only Phillips is returning? That's more like Ain't it Half-Cool News.
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Will be destroyed! All HAIL cAPONE!
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Sounds like I'm not missing much.
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Ican't say anything for Transformers 2 because i haven't seen it, but since it's a Michael Bay movie, i cna't expect anythign remotly competent or good from that.But no, i'm not mistaking movies here. Dawson Rrek is retard, stupid, dumb, idiotic and shit. And the kool-aid drinkage that has been going on about that piece of shit movie is the most hysterically funny (and sadly depressing as well) thing i have seen for ages.
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The new Harry Potter movie. A kids movie where an adult can watch it and not get his intelligence insulted. The irony of that is too funny for words.
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Anyhow,I really dug it.EVERY film I looked forward to this summer BOMBED(and No, I'm not Ben Lyoninng you and talking budget here)-I meant they all stunk to high hell! Except The TREK in the STARS! That film was just fun to me.And, the pacing was great-no slack, no shitty parts.Sorry you hated it, but then again-I HATE BEN LYONS,so I know what it is to hate somthing with passion.
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Aug 06, 2009 4:10:12 PM CDT
UHM, ACTUALLY I DIDN'T SEE FUNNY PEOPLE , BUT SANDLER IS THE ANT
by gambit7025
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Plus, Apatow's formulaic man/boy comedies are getting tiresome and predictable.
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006975.html
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John Hughes died. :(
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does anyone remember the week that Harry guest hosted with roger. This was before Roeper became the permanent replacement for siskel. It had to be around the year 2000 because I remember Harry praising Fantasia 2000. I just remember Harry being giddy like a school-girl and giving positive reviews to every movie on the show. It was pretty funny. Harry does not exactly = eye candy.
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They are going to use a NY Times film critic, and that's supposed to make it less douche-baggery? Sure....
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Aug 06, 2009 8:04:32 PM CDT
I remember their first show together, when the Bens reviewed
by rectalblowout
Cloverfield. Things didn't go so well. This is where it all started when Ben said:
"He said, It's a Lyon."
Mank said "Get the fuck outta here pretty boy, he's saying It's alive."
"No Mank, he says It's huge (like my ego), it's a Lyon."
"Listen you waste of cum fucktard. He doesn't say It's a Lyon. You need to go home and suck your mom's dick."
"Mank, the only reason you have that goatee is because you know it tickles my balls when you're down there sucking them dry."
"Ben Lyons, what kind of gay-ass name is that? You're not even a real critic you fuck! You shouldn't even be here. You have the word Ly in your name anyways. No one takes you seriously. You look like you're going into the tenth fucking grade. You're one load your mom should of swallowed."
"Whatever, Wankiewicz."
Not a good opener for a show. Something didn't seem right.
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Aug 07, 2009 12:45:46 AM CDT
The Bens wouldn't try to tell us with a straight face that GI JO
by verdoux
I can say at least that much for them
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You are right man, I thought it was Ropert. I am an idiot for that. Ill admit it. I am a fucking dum dum.
Either way, I liked Ropers style. Thanks for reading my site. -
...he declared, "thank the fuck christ." Rejoice this weekend in celebration of Disney's pinching of these two Joel McHale-wannabe terds. I don't know what makes me more excited, the removal of these guys or the replacement of Michael Philips and A. fucking O. "I recommended Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny" Scott. Sweet awesome.
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HuZhJw iSePgowR
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HohDjAV UrBLrnI
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