Roger Ebert and Partner

[Tweetie]

I really admire and respect Roger Ebert. I find that I almost always agree with his opinion of films.

But I have little respect for the movie opinions his partner. This includes both Gene Siskel when he was alive and Richard Roeper.

I found that Gene Siskel always seemed to be swayed by beautiful young actresses and would laud tremendous praise on them - even if they were terrible.

I'd be interested to hear any of your opinions on Ebert and his partners. I'm guessing many of you will disagree with me. But I'd like to hear of any films that you thought one of them (Ebert, Siskel or Roper) were way off base.

One criticism I do have of Ebert et all is that they tend to go way overboard over any film that deals with Americana - Hoffa for example. I thought it was a mediocre film but they both loved it. Same for Bugsy. That film didn't really hang together very well. But it had to do with American history. So they both thought it was a great film. I seem to recall there were many other examples but I can't think of any now.

[don4life]

I met him at the film festival a few times over the last few years. He seems like a really nice guy. He's always gold when he comes on the Howard Stern show and talks about stuff that non-stern listeners would never get to hear.

[Mouse]

Ebert is like any other film reviewer you can name, if you like his selections, he's gold.

If you don't, to bad.

[eddyk]

Roger Ebert and (the late) Gene Siskel are at their best and funniest when they reviewed bad movies.

Ex. Siskel reviewing Un indien dans la ville (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111543/)(1994) : "If the missing reel had been footage from Orson Welles 'The Magnificent Ambersons,' this whole experience would still have sucked."

Ebert reviewing The Longest Yard (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398165/)(2005): "There is a sense in which attacking this movie is like kicking a dog for not being better at calculus."

As a result, their TV show was at its best when they disagreed on a movie with the one who liked the film playing the straight man for the one who disliked it.

However, when it came to quality films they tended to agree more often then not.

Both had a similar films aesthetic(1) (http://www.obkb.com/dcljr/sebestxt.html). They both prefered quirky auteur films although Ebert seemed to prefer older classic Hollywood productions. When David Letterman asked each of them what movie they would want to be marooned on a desert island with, Siskel said 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/) and Ebert said Citizen Kane (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/)(1941).

Both agrred that Hoop Dreams (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110057/), and [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/]Fargo (]Goodfellas[/url) were among the best films of the nineties.

At the same time, Siskel said he proudly walked out of the theatre before the ending of Tommy Boy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114694/). Ebert said he wished he had done the same thing.

They may not have been comfortable with each other when they first started their TV show on PBS but they developed a chemistry that I believe will be hard (if not impossible) for Ebert to duplicate with any other partner.

[morkys]

I look at it like this. If I watch their show and they point out some potentially (thats the important part) interesting movies, then I use a combination of what I sense the movie may be like, and a little bit of their opinions. Together, it just makes it less risky when choosing movies to watch. I honestly cannot remember Gene enough to recall what his opinions were like for any movies in particular. The next guy Ebert had on there was ok, but I think this guy Ropert is fine. I find he dislikes a fair number of movies that Ebert likes, and he is very staunch when he really hates something.

I respect their opinions, but I never agree 100% with either of them anyways, so its all just guidance towards what to look at, rather than absolute advice.

One thing that surprises me is that they have not become sick of movies. I mean, like most reviewers, they have probably seen way more movies in their lives than regular movie goers do. They have to see movies that stink too. I wonder what they do in their lives that is not movie related anyhow?

[Mouse]

I miss Gene. :mbx:

[Mandy]

[QUOTE=MouseMeat]I miss Gene. QUOTE]

I do too. Been watching them regularly for years, and was so sorry when he became ill, then passed away shortly. But also like his replacement.

Most times I agree with their reviews, but other times I notice that some movies that all reviewers have gave high praise do not appeal to me at all. So maybe it comes down to a matter of taste.

[Mouse]

Agreed.

People get into such huge arguments over something this is totally subjective.