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If you’re into film criticism, Ben Mankiewicz ought to be one of your go-to critics. He is funny, on-point and current without being too technical. Internet-savvy movie fans ought to know him from his appearances on The Young Turks (and its related online programming), while traditional film-goers may recognize him from his appearances on At The Movies – in which he and Ben Lyons briefly replaced Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper – and hosting on the Turner Classic Movies channel.
Related to his work with Turner Classic Movies, Ben has provided commentary, along with fellow TCM host Robert Osborne, for the TCM Big Screen Classics film series. Presented by Fathom Events, the TCM Big Screen Classics series will bring essential films to select theaters — Union Square Stadium 14, AMC Empire 25 and Chelsea Cinemas in New York City – throughout 2016. The first film screened next year will be 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as showing on Jan. 17 and 20. Films screening later in the series include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planet of the Apes, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. More info on the film selections and their screening dates can be found at http://www.tcm.com/fathom.
I had the pleasure of conducting Q&A with Ben over e-mail. Ben kindly answered some questions about TCM Big Screen Classics and plenty more. His assessment of Star Wars alone is worth reading further. For more about Ben, follow him on Twitter via the handle @BenMank77.
Do you remember the first movie you ever saw in a theater?
Ben Mankiewicz: I was sure the answer to this question was the remake of The Champ, with Jon Voight and Ricky Schroder. Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper starred in the original in 1931. Beery won the Oscar for Best Actor. I went with my dad and brother, Josh. We hated it. And it was sad. But it came out in 1979 and I’d seen plenty of movies by then, Star Wars and Smokey and the Bandit in ’77, Rocky in ’76, Jaws in ’75 — I was eight, thanks, mom and dad — and Earthquake in ’74 (What was wrong with my parents? Seriously.) So anyway, the answer is, “I’m not sure.”
What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
B: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I went to a screening last week at Disney, though I’ve seen a bunch of screeners since. This Star Wars is excellent and I’m hardly a serious fan of the franchise. I reviewed all six of the prior movies for a show I co-host, What The Flick?!, and I can describe them this way: One is unwatchable, one is nearly unwatchable, one is bad, one is OK, one is Star Wars and one is good. This is the best of the seven.
Do you have a favorite movie theater?
B: I like the balcony of the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C. I had some great experiences there. I think I watched a couple of movies, too.
Given all of the screenwriters and industry talent in your family lineage, were you encouraged to pursue a career related to entertainment?
B: No, no one pressured me to do anything. I come from the political side of the Mankiewicz family. My father was a Democratic Party insider, serving as Bobby Kennedy’s press secretary and George McGovern’s political director. I was a political junkie early. I still am. But until I was an adult, I felt very little connection to the Hollywood side of the family.
Do you yourself have any screenwriter aspirations?
B: Let’s just say I don’t have none. But until you write something, you’re just some guy who isn’t a writer.
What was the turning point in your career that enabled you to transition from a news anchor to an authoritative voice in the movie world?
B: I got the job at TCM. TCM has done more for me than I’ll ever do for the channel. I wasn’t comfortable in local news but I had become a competent broadcaster. And I liked telling stories. And that’s what I think this job is – telling stories about the great storytellers of the last 100 years.
From the upcoming TCM Big Screen Classics series, are there any films that you’re especially about seeing on a big screen?
B: With Fathom Events, we’re showing three movies that are almost certainly on my personal top 25: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Planet of the Apes, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I’ve seen all of them on the big screen – but I’ll likely be going again.
What sort of commentary are you adding to these presentations? Is it the same sort of that that you do on television?
B: Yes, we’re not re-inventing the TCM wheel. These are basically slightly extended intros and outros — a TV word I’ve come to loathe — but they’re all originals. As are all our scripts. We wrote them especially for the Fathom and the TCM Big Screen Classics series.
Is there a film critic whose voice you know you can always trust when it comes to reviews?
B: I’ve come to realize my colleagues at What The Flick!? are three of the smartest critics in the business. Christy Lemire, Matt Atchity and Alonso Duralde teach me about the movies every time we do a show. That may sound like I’m just promoting our show, but it’s the truth. I like many critics, but I often find myself reading Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle and Lou Lumenick of the New York Post.
Is there anything you haven’t yet accomplished within the entertainment field that you still hope to?
B: Nope, mission accomplished. The battle for my career is over. OK, of course, I want to host a late night show and an hour-long interview show. I’d also like to do ten seasons of radio play-by-play for a major league team. And I’d like to win an Oscar for writing something. Or at least an Emmy. They give those out like participation ribbons. Other than that, I’m good.
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you prefer to spend your free time?
B: I read every political poll that’s released. I’m currently plotting how many times my wife and I can see the E Street Band on Springsteen’s upcoming tour. I watch as much quality television as time permits. I may or may not gamble on sports, depending on who’s reading this. And all of this takes a back seat to helping my wife take care of our two and a half year old daughter, who appears to be under the misconception that I’m awesome.
-by Darren Paltrowitz