Criticwatch - Skip the trailer AND the movie

In this week's Ben Lyons Quote of the Week from Erik Childress, he writes:

This week’s curveball came when he [Lyons on At the Movies] threw a shoutout to Kate Jennings Grant who plays Diane Sawyer in Frost/Nixon. Now we can’t find any connection between the two, but since Lyons never throws out a left field name he isn’t intrinsically linked to in some way, especially when the actress to my recollection never even has a line of dialogue in the film, the whole thing seems suspicious. So if anyone can produce a photo of the two or come up with a logical explanation why Lyons would single her out instead of ever mentioning the terrific work of Kevin Bacon or Oliver Platt or even Rebecca Hall (if he HAD to mention a woman) it would be greatly appreciated to satisfy our curiosity.

I second that sentiment! After missing the Ed Gathegi reference last week (caught by Erik), Lyons's praise of Grant set off all the alarm bells--a relatively unknown performer in a small role being praised by Lyons? He must have something to gain from this . . . I also searched high and low for a relationship between the two (six degrees of Ben Lyons?) and found nothing. Perhaps Ben wants to show that he can actually praise somebody who is not his friend, although if Erik is correct that she has no dialogue(!) you get the feeling that he just pulled up IMDB and picked somebody at random. Better luck next time, Lyons.

Erik rounds things out by quoting Mank's backhanded slap at Lyons:

“You’re entirely too harsh on this movie. It’s like you were persuaded by what was maybe the worst trailer I’ve ever seen.”

And then continues:

Ben Lyons persuaded by something? Surely you jest.

Read the rest here . . .