Roger Ebert

Started by filmcritic, June 18, 2003, 11:33:11 AM

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SoNowThen

Quote from: godardian"Woody reserved special contempt for film critics on television. 'The Chicago morons' was his label for one high-profile pair." - Mia Farrow, What Falls Away.

Way to be diplomatic, Mia!

The nicest thing I can personally think of to say about Ebert's body of work is that it's better than Leonard Maltin's.

I think he was being playful, because he was known to share lunch with Ebert every now and again (post-Moron comment).
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

ProgWRX

i find that i sometimes agree with him...  :oops:  (at least on the TV show reviews)
-Carlos

Pas

Leonard Maltin ...

Batman and Robin : 2.5/4
Shawshank Redemption : 2.5/4

Interview with a Vampire : 1.5/4
Usual Suspects 1.5/4
Waterworld 1.5/4

He's a buff

ono

That's one skewed cross-section of Maltin reviews, Booth.  ;)

I don't get the backlash against The Usual Suspects here.  No, it's not a brilliant movie (not nearly as brilliant as what IMDB users would have you believe), but it's not a horrible one, either.

Waterworld wasn't really that bad, in my opinion, and IMO, The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever.  There's just nothing wrong with it, and there's so much right about it.  It's just like Amelie in that it portrays hope so well.

I find Ebert brilliant in pretty much everything he writes.  There are only a few reviews I've disagreed with him about, and most of the time I can see where he's coming from.  There's no critic like him.  Even if I hated the movie, I always enjoy reading the review, because he writes so well.

Ghostboy

Quote from: OnomatopoeiaEven if I hated the movie, I always enjoy reading the review, because he writes so well.

That's how I feel, too. Plus, you can tell that he really loves movies in pretty much everything he writes.

SHAFTR

I became an Ebert fan after meeting him and hearing him talk (about Hard Days Night).  I have since bought his Book of Film and I have been reading it (although it is just edited by him, not written obviously).
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Ravi

Quote from: Ghostboy
Quote from: OnomatopoeiaEven if I hated the movie, I always enjoy reading the review, because he writes so well.

That's how I feel, too. Plus, you can tell that he really loves movies in pretty much everything he writes.

His reviews of bad films are especially fun to read.  See my sig...

ShanghaiOrange

Last five films (theater)
-The Da Vinci Code: *
-Thank You For Smoking: ***
-Silent Hill: ***1/2 (high)
-Happy Together: ***1/2
-Slither: **

Last five films (video)
-Solaris: ***1/2
-Cobra Verde: ***1/2
-My Best Fiend: **1/2
-Days of Heaven: ****
-The Thin Red Line: ***

©brad

Quote from: ShanghaiOrangeThis thread gets  :yabbse-thumbup:  :yabbse-thumbup: . :(

i remember i saw u smile once. it was a happy day for me. can u smile again?

dufresne

Quote from: filmcriticHis favorite movie is "Citizen Kane".

i could have sworn his favorite film was The Third Man.  

:?
There are shadows in life, baby.

modage

Quote from: SoNowThenI emailed Ebert about it (since it's his fav movie). After a week of silence, he replied that he's heard rumours, but nothing in the near near future.

according to SoNowThen, its La Dolce Vita. :?
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

ShanghaiOrange

Quote from: ©bradi remember i saw u smile once. it was a happy day for me. can u smile again?

:)


:(
Last five films (theater)
-The Da Vinci Code: *
-Thank You For Smoking: ***
-Silent Hill: ***1/2 (high)
-Happy Together: ***1/2
-Slither: **

Last five films (video)
-Solaris: ***1/2
-Cobra Verde: ***1/2
-My Best Fiend: **1/2
-Days of Heaven: ****
-The Thin Red Line: ***

©brad

Quote from: ShanghaiOrange
Quote from: ©bradi remember i saw u smile once. it was a happy day for me. can u smile again?

:)


:(

:yabbse-cheesy:

SoNowThen

Quote from: themodernage02
Quote from: SoNowThenI emailed Ebert about it (since it's his fav movie). After a week of silence, he replied that he's heard rumours, but nothing in the near near future.

according to SoNowThen, its La Dolce Vita. :?

I've tried to read all his classic reviews, as well as interviews, etc. The three movies he seems to talk about with the most enthusiasm are:

La Dolce Vita
2001
Apocalypse Now

Also, in the email I sent him, I did mention how I assumed Dolce Vita was his favorite, and he didn't dispute this...
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

pete

dopiest ebert and roeper exchanges in a while:
(on mean girls)

ebert: I think you need to have your movie-o-meter re-adjusted.
roeper: no, I think it feels very comfortable, thank you.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton