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
