A film critic from a major east-coast city wrote this morning about new potential pressures that may be visited upon N.Y. Times critic A.O. Scott in his new capacity as costar (along with Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips) of At The Movies. “Remember the old days when almost every movie ad had a ‘two thumbs…way up’ quote from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert?,” he wrote. He meant that Siskel/Ebert didn’t start out as black-or-white, yes-or-no, positively-inclined thumb critics, but they seemed to lean in that direction after their show took off. “I’m saying this because TV audiences don’t like people who are perceived as ‘negative’ or ‘mean’ or ‘elitist,'” my critic pal said. “i don’t want to be part of this discussion, but i’d like to hear what you and your readers might have to say.”