I think it was in 1988 when I first started getting into Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert who took great pleasure in ripping into films and each another. If tonight’s announcement tells us anything, it’s that, when everyone is chummy, and agreeing to agree or disagree, it makes for boring television and what I imagine was a ratings falloff for several post-Ebert years now. There are other factors as to why the show is being shut down: No Ebert, no resources for film criticism, and way too many channels to choose from.
I would never have gotten serious about cinema if it wasn’t for Siskel highlighting why docu films are important with his glowing review for The Thin Blue Line, or for Ebert championing Hoop Dreams. I would have never seen Do the Right Thing, One False Move, Crumb or early Coen bros. films from the 80’s if they hadn’t strong-armed me into thinking I might be missing out on something. In 1989, I was on the same page as them with their praise for Drugstore Cowboy. I was sold on At the Movies ever since.
The train wreck began with the horrible seat fillers taking over for Ebert and when the show switched to the two Bens aiming for the Rotten Tomatoes demo, I would cringe and started contemplating who I’d magically replace them by. Now that the show is kaput, actually its only going off the air in August, its time for some young hip producer to go with my idea.
Along with a 52-show supply of funky of top hats and funky eyeglasses, I’d put West Coast critics and former Cinematical writers James Rocchi and Karina Longworth in a studio/balcony, good manners aside, let these two duke it out.
Which critics would you like to see fill these seats?
