Ben Lyons
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| Ben Lyons | |
| Born | October 8, 1981  New York, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| Occupation | producer, talk show host, movie reviewer |
Ben Lyons (born October 8, 1981) is an American television film critic. He is the son of the NBC film and theater critic Jeffrey Lyons and current host of At the Movies.
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[edit] Career
Lyons started his own production company in 2002, producing segments for Hip-Hop Nation. In 2004, MTV hired him to co-host Your Movie Show. In 2006, Lyons hosted entertainment segments on The Daily 10, covering red carpet events and festivals. In addition, he began penning the E! Online column "The Lyons Den", whose name refers to the old New York Post newspaper column by his paternal grandfather, Leonard Lyons, as well as his father's radio show on the New York City radio station WCBS, both of the same name. He then became a regular contributor on "Daily 10" as their resident film critic and interviewer, appearing several times a week, in many instances. He also appears on the channel's red carpet coverage of the SAG, Golden Globe, Critics' Choice and Oscar telecasts. Last year he appeared on their red carpet coverage of the BAFTA awards as well from London.
In September 2008, in the Walt Disney Company's rebranding of the long-syndicated program At the Movies, Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz were named co-hosts.[1] The intention was that the new critics would take the show in a new direction, hoping to widen the viewership and appeal to younger audiences as well. Ironically, he now competes with his father's show, Reel Talk, produced by NBC.[citation needed] Since Lyons began his tenure on At the Movies, he has received criticism for his perceived lack of understanding of films and film history, use of positively phrased quotes in reviews which are subsequently used on movie posters[2] , and for conflicts of interest in posing for photographs with actors whose movies he later reviews.[3]
Lyons has been featured on Access Hollywood and has worked as a segment producer on the nationally syndicated Hip-Hop Nation. His "Day in the Life of Russell Simmons" episode followed the music mogul as he prepared for the opening night of Def Poetry on Broadway. Lyons also hosts My Family's Got GUTS, on Nickelodeon, Lyons has also appeared in Disaster Movie and The House Bunny. He is a regular contributor to Good Morning America.
[edit] Criticism
Lyons has received criticism from readers and fellow critics alike. One such incident was in reference to his review description of I Am Legend as one of the "greatest movies ever made", a phrase which was subsequently incorporated into the film's promotional material.[3] Likewise, the film critic and host of Filmspotting, Adam Kempenaar, criticized Lyons for his negative review of Synecdoche, New York, saying Lyons had not actually engaged in what the film was trying to say, rather only offered that the movie was "difficult to understand."[4] Erik Childess, the Vice President of the Chicago Film Critics Association said:
"His integrity's out the window. He has no taste. Everyone thinks he's a joke."[3]
Whilst not specifically mentioning Ben Lyons by name, Roger Ebert has written a general commentary on ethical standards for film critics, which other commentators have interpreted as implicitly critical of Lyons and responding to comparisons of Ebert with Lyons.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Anne Thompson (22 July 2008). "Lyons, Mankiewicz to host 'Movies'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989303.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1. Retrieved on 2009-01-18.
- ^ Rush & Molloy (1 August 2008). "Jeffrey Lyons pans son's critics". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/08/01/2008-08-01_jeffrey_lyons_pans_sons_critics.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-12.
- ^ a b c Chris Lee (28 December 2008). "Critic Ben Lyons gets many thumbs down". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-lyons28-2008dec28,0,3485043.story. Retrieved on 2008-12-27.
- ^ Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson (7 November 2008). "FS #234: Synecdoche, New York / Role Models / David Wain / Top 5 Movies About Mortality". Filmspotting. http://cdn2.libsyn.com/cinecast/filmspot234_110708.mp3?nvb=20090124165825&nva=20090125165825&t=02985808c24722b7fca99. Retrieved on 2009-01-24.
- ^ Roger Ebert (28 October 2008). "Roger Ebert's Journal: Roger's little rule book". Chicago Sun-Times. http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/10/eberts_little_rule_book.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-12.
