Michael Phillips (critic)

Michael Phillips (born 1961) is an American film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Previously he was the drama critic of the Tribune; the Los Angeles Times; the St. Paul Pioneer Press; the San Diego Union-Tribune; and the Dallas Times Herald.

Phillips was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and spent most of his early years in Racine, Wisconsin. He was a childhood friend of Milwaukee serial killerJeffrey Dahmer. From 2006 through August 2008, he appeared frequently on At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper, first as one of numerous guest critics filling in for Roger Ebert while he was on medical leave, and becoming a semipermanent cohost with Richard Roeper in the months before Roeper and Ebert ended their association with the series. On August 5, 2009, Phillips was hired along with New York Times critic A.O. Scott to replace hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz, in an attempt to return the show to its roots after a year-long ratings drop and heavy criticism, particularly of Ben Lyons, who was perceived to lack depth of knowledge about movies. The new show, however, lasted only one season.

Top ten lists

Each year, Phillips prepares a list of the top ten films of the year. In 2009, he also made a list for the decade.