Major Shuffle At The Movies

At The MoviesAccording to ABC News one of the film critic world’s most vocal fans of Splinter, Ben Mankiewicz and his co-host Ben Lyons are being replaced on their show At The Movies formerly hosted by Siskel & Ebert, Ebert & Roeper, etc. 

The two Bens had some really nice things to say about Splinter during its run at the boxoffic, and again when it hit DVD. Once with a message to Hollywood imploring “…more movies like Splinter, fewer movies like Friday the 13th…” You can watch all three mentions HERE, HERE, and HERE. 

Who will replace them? Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune who has not reviewed Splinter, and The New York Times’ A.O. Scott who had this to say about the film back in October 2008: 

“Working from an efficient, bare-bones script by Ian Shorr and Kai Barry, the director, Toby Wilkins, honors the conventions of the genre with skill and enough wit to keep the scares sharp.”

I wish the two Bens the best, and welcome the new gang to the world of TV. Maybe ABC will go back to naming the show after its hosts since Scott & Phillips rolls off the tongue a little better than Lyons & Mankiewicz?