Is Ben Lyons "the most hated film critic" alive?

A Los Angeles Times article on Sunday suggested that Ben Lyons, the current co-host of the syndicated movie-review show At the Movies, has become "the most hated film critic in America" among film bloggers, columnists, professional movie critics and even longtime fans of the show. (The article observed that viewership this season is down 21 percent from a year ago.) Scott Johnson, who started the StopBenLyons.com blog, told the Times: "I don't expect to agree with a critic all the time. But his approach is to throw out blurbs just so he can get on a poster" for the movie he's reviewing. Erik Childress, vice president of the Chicago Film Critics Assn., remarked, "His integrity's out the window. He has no taste." Variety.com deputy editor Anne Thompson said that with Lyons providing the reviews, At the Movies has become "a train wreck." But Brian Frons, an executive with Disney-ABC Television Group, defended Lyons saying, "This is a guy who, if you sit and talk with him, he really does have an enormous love and knowledge base of movies. ... Did he spend 20 years as critic for a major newspaper? No. He's very much of the TV generation who don't [sic] spend time reading newspapers."

Jon Stewart schools Mike Huckabee

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

AFI Top 10 of 2008

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Frost/Nixon
• Frozen River
• Gran Torino
• Iron Man
• Milk
• WALL•E
• Wendy and Lucy
• The Wrestler

No big surprises here except maybe "Wendy and Lucy".

Golden Globe nominations announced

Okay, so they never get the nominees right.

BEST PICTURE (DRAMA)

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• The Reader
  
• Revolutionary Road
  
• Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

• Burn After Reading
  
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• In Bruges
  
• Mamma Mia!
  
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona
  

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Sean Penn, Milk
• Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)

• Angelina Jolie, Changeling
• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Meryl Streep, Doubt
• Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long
• Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

• Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Colin Farrell, In Bruges
• James Franco, Pineapple Express
• Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey
• Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges

BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

• Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
• Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
• Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
• Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey
• Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
• Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Amy Adams, Doubt
• Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
• Kate Winslet, The Reader

DIRECTOR

• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Stephen Daldry, The Reader
• Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
• Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

ANIMATED FILM

• WALL-E
• Bolt
• Kung Fu Panda

SCREENPLAY

• Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
• David Hare, The Reader
• Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
• Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

• Gomorrah
• I’ve Loved You So Long
• Waltz with Bashir
• The Baader Meinhof Complex
• Everlasting Moments

ORIGINAL SCORE

• James Newton Howard, Defiance
• Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• A. R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
• Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon
• Clint Eastwood, Changeling

ORIGINAL SONG

• “Down to Earth” from WALL-E
• “Gran Torino” from Gran Torino
• “I Thought I’d Lost You” from Bolt
• “Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records
• “The Wrestler” from The Wrestler

Who's the Boss?

The National Board of Review reveal their winners

Today the National Board of Review released their winners of 2008. From their site:

Best Film: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best Foreign Film: “Mongol”
Best Documentary: “Man on Wire”
Best Animated Feature: “WALL-E”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Doubt”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, “Frozer River”
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, “Gran Torino”
Best Adapted Screenplay (tie): Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire” and Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

The Top Ten (in alphabetical order):
“Burn After Reading”
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Defiance”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Gran Torino”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
“The Wrestler”

Top Five Foreign Films (in alphabetical order):
“Edge of Heaven”
“Let the Right One In”
“Roman de Gare”
“A Secret”
“Waltz with Bashir”

Top Five Documentary Films (in alphabetical order):
“American Teen”
“The Betrayal”
“Dear Zachary”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”

Top Ten Independent Films
“Frozen River”
“In Bruges”
“In Search of a Midnight Kiss”
“Mr. Foe”
“Rachel Getting Married”
“Snow Angels”
“Son of Rambow”
“Wendy and Lucy”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
“The Visitor”

William K. Everson Film History Award: Molly Haskell, Andrew Sarris
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River,” Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
The BVLGARI Award for NPR Freedom of Expression: “Trumbo”

I can't say I'm surprised at the unfortunate snub of Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor. I still believe him to be the frontrunner, as the winners in the acting categories here usually never go on to win the Oscar. Penelope Cruz and Anne Hathaway are good signs. Slumdog Millionaire and David Fincher were givens. I'll probably be eaten alive for this, but the NBR really sucked up to Clint Eastwood this year, naming him Best Actor over Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke and Frank Langella. "Changeling" was also named one of the Top 10 Films over "Revolutionary Road", "The Reader" and "Doubt". "Gran Torino" also took Best Original Screenplay over "Milk". More will become clear when the critics' circles begin to unfold this coming week along with the Golden Globe nominations.

"Frost/Nixon" screenplay available for download at Universal Awards

It's 4:46 a.m.. I've just spent the remainder of the night and most of the early morning reading the screenplay to "Frost/Nixon", the adaptation of the hit play by Peter Morgan. It is to be directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Atonement).

In the early months of Oscar season, I tend to single out one film in particular that I believe will be my favorite for that year and a serious awards contender. In 2005, I picked "Brokeback Mountain". In 2006, it was "Babel", and previously in 2007, "Atonement". Ironically, all of my picks ended up taking home the Best Picture (Drama) prize at the Golden Globes, but none succeeded in winning Best Picture at the Oscars. I would never be so bold as to add "Frost/Nixon" to this strange mix of irony so early in the game. However, I can say that it has now become my most anticipated film of 2008.

The screenplay is excellent, as all Peter Morgan screenplays tend to be. The pacing is pitch perfect and the dialogue is exhilarating. I'm eager to see how Ron Howard handles Morgan's crisp and thrilling material. Frank Langella and Michael Sheen are obviously excellent choices as Frost and Nixon. They reprise their roles from the original play.

Langella took home a Tony award for his portrayal of Richard Nixon. I wouldn't be surprised if he picked up an Oscar come February (or March, depending on when ABC decides to air the live broadcast), as well.

I won't attempt to give away any spoilers; I'll let you read on on your own.

You can read the screenplay here. There, I've provided you with two links already.

Enjoy. You're in for what I predict to be one of the best films of the year.

Youtube: From "MadTV" to "American Express"

Here are some great Youtube videos I found over the weekend.

Roger Ebert doesn't like John McCain

This isn't the first time I've called Roger Ebert a genius. On September 28, Ebert posted this sharp, brilliantly written opinion piece on the first presidential debate that was covered at the University of Mississippi. For the record, I agree with everything he said.

"I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest.

What was your problem? Do you hold this man in such contempt that you cannot bear to gaze upon him? Will you not even speak to him directly?
Do you think he doesn't have the right to be running for President?
Were you angry because after you said you wouldn't attend the debate, he said a President should be able to concern himself with two things at the same time? He was right. The proof is, you were there. Were you angry with him because he called your bluff?

During the debate, Jim Lehrer repeatedly called upon both candidates to speak directly to each other. Obama looked at you. He addressed you as "John," which as a fellow senator is his privilege. His body language was open. You stared straight ahead, or at Lehrer, or into space. Your jaw was clinched. You had a tight little smile, or a grimace, or a little shake of your head.

I had to do two things at once while watching the debate. I had to listen to what was being said. And I had to process your rigid and contemptuous behavior. If you were at a wedding and the father of the groom refused to look at or speak to the bride, how would that make you feel? Especially if you were the father of the bride?

You made a TV commercial showing the moments Obama agreed with you.
Everybody knows he did. Did his agreement show honesty, or weakness?
It is significant that you said it proved he was not ready to lead.
What is the better leadership quality: (1) Willingness to listen to your opponent, and keep an open mind? (2) Rigidly ignoring him? Which of the two of you better demonstrated the bipartisan spirit you say you represent? Was there anything he said that you agreed with? Could you have brought yourself to say so?

I'm not the only one who noticed your odd, hostile behavior. Just about everybody did. I'm sure many of your supporters must have sensed the tension. Before the debate, pundits were wondering if you might explode in a display of your famous temper. I think we saw that happen, all right, but it was an implosion. I have instructed my wife to exclude you from any future dinner parties."