When they did disagree it seemed that Ebert's take on the film was usually in sync with my own. Not always of course, but more times than not, and certainly more times than Gene Siskel.
So as hard as it was for me to accept the passing of Siskel, I took solace in the fact that Roger Ebert would still be there giving me advice as to which movies were worth my hard earned money, and which were not.
Sadly yesterday he followed the lead of his long time partner and also shuffled off this mortal coil.
You have NO idea how close I came in 2004 to starting a blog dedicated to movies, instead of politics. In fact if I had not been so pissed off about George W. Bush winning that second term you might right now be reading about the new information that has leaked about newly discovered outtakes from the Avengers movie instead of about Sarah Palin giving a speech at the Terri Schiavo fund raising dinner or Republicans freaking out over the possibility of school vouchers being used to open Islamic charter schools.
Like Roger Ebert I also love movies, and in fact see just about every big movie that comes out each year. If I can't make it to the theater I put it in my Netflix's queue and watch it while riding my exercise bike in my office.
I once thought it would be my dream job to get paid to watch movies and then write about them for the newspaper. However the idea of watching a movie in order to critique it later on seemed like a good way to miss out on the magic, and to start dreading the very idea of sitting in a darkened theater.
So I never pursued that dream.
Which is why I have always appreciated Roger Ebert. In many ways he proved my fears wrong, in that it seemed he NEVER got tired of seeing the movies, and he NEVER missed out on the magic while doing so.
Still I think I'll stick to politics.
Goodbye Roger, and let me just give you two thumbs up for all of the GREAT movies I saw that I very well might have missed if you had not insisted that they were movies "not to be missed."
More often than not, you were right.
Roger was a treasure. I have to confess I only read his reviews in the last few years sporadically. The world is changing and now I find myself checking out rotten tomatoes for reviews.
ReplyDeleteI hope Roger had safe passage and enjoys the next stage of his being.....dim the lights cuz the movie is about to start
LouAnne
Poetic LouAnne, but more honest to say "He lived life well and to it's fullest. He left a huge imprint and body of work, so his memories will live for quite sometime."
DeleteMost of my adult movie-going life was spent escorting a horde of young children, so that severely limited my choices. I'm also not into "chick flix".
ReplyDeleteMy first off-the-kiddie list movie was Glory. It was rated R for the violence, but at Roger's recommendation, I took my now older kids to see it because I felt it was such an important historical lesson.
And I can never thank him enough for recommending The Station Agent and the amazing Peter Dinklage. May he rest in peace.
Roger wasn't just a critic - he wrote movies, also.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I saw his magnum opus - Russ Meyer's " Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens" in 1979.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078846/
Good fun, We'll miss him.
While he was a great critic, I think Roger's legacy should be the way that he lived his life after staring death in the face. Despite losing his voice and the operations, he refused to stop doing what he loved and found other ways, social media, to keep going. I had never seen the video of him at Sundance standing up to another audience member who criticized a film maker until I saw it on Chris Hayes last night. It was Roger at his best.
ReplyDeleteBack in the days of yore, when I was a cub and Ebert was a still shy of 10 years as a critic, I edited a column he wrote on the return of advertisements to movie theaters. He explained that many Midwestern theaters had local ads in the 1950s. His fav, and apparently the fav of man of his pals in Champaign-Urbana area was a film for a dairy company that showed a milkman delivering to homes with a horse-drawn wagon. In the scene which was shot live, the milkman whistles as he brings milk bottles to a house. In the background and slightly out of focus, his horse has relieves itself. Ebert said every kid in the theater waited for the moment, which he described as the best few seconds of horse shit in cinema history. RIP, my friend
ReplyDeleteWe’ve Seen This Movie Before
ReplyDeleteBy ROGER EBERT
Published: July 20, 2012
JAMES HOLMES, who opened fire before the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” could not have seen the movie. Like many whose misery is reflected in violence, he may simply have been drawn to a highly publicized event with a big crowd. In cynical terms, he was seeking a publicity tie-in. He was like one of those goofballs waving in the background when a TV reporter does a stand-up at a big story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/weve-seen-this-movie-before.html?hp&_r=2&
The White House just issued a statement from President Barack Obama on the death of film critic Roger Ebert, who lived and worked in the President's hometown of Chicago. President Obama's full statement is below:
ReplyDelete"Michelle and I are saddened to hear about the passing of Roger Ebert. For a generation of Americans - and especially Chicagoans - Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive - capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient - continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won't be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family."
Roger Ebert’s Love Of Writing Started At A Young Age
ReplyDeleteLegendary, Pultizer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert passed away today after a long battle with cancer. Ebert remained active writing on his website, Twitter and in the pages of the Chicago Sun Times right up until his death. TPM came across something we thought Ebert's fans might appreciate seeing as they react to the news of his passing. Apparently, Ebert's love of letters started at a very young age and his profile photo on Facebook was a vintage photo showing him as a toddler curled up with a good book. Take a look at the picture below.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/roger-eberts-love-of-writing-started-at-young
Roger Ebert loved movies.
ReplyDeleteExcept for those he hated.
For a film with a daring director, a talented cast, a captivating plot or, ideally, all three, there could be no better advocate than Roger Ebert, who passionately celebrated and promoted excellence in film while deflating the awful, the derivative or the merely mediocre with an observant eye, a sharp wit and a depth of knowledge that delighted his millions of readers and viewers.
“No good film is too long,” he once wrote, a sentiment he felt strongly enough about to have engraved on pens. “No bad movie is short enough.”
Ebert, 70, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, and who was without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic, died Thursday in Chicago.
“We were getting ready to go home today for hospice care, when he looked at us, smiled, and passed away,” said his wife, Chaz Ebert. “No struggle, no pain, just a quiet, dignified transition.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17320958-418/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html
I grew up in the Flint area and the movie Roger & Me made a huge impact on me/my life. I became more aware of the inequities in the world...and it was in my front yard. I am a huge Michael Moore fan and Roger did that.
ReplyDeleteThank you Roger
LouAnne
‘Daily Show’ Pays Tribute To Ebert With ‘Moment Of Zen’ (VIDEO)
ReplyDeletehttp://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/daily-show-pays-tribute-to-ebert-with-moment
Gryph, as a film major (you want fries with that?) "Gene and Roger" was one of the shows I watched with absolute devotion every week. So many excellent films I've seen based on their recommendations -- Birdy, Unforgiven, A Room With A View.
ReplyDeleteOne of Roger's best...How I believe in God
ReplyDeletehttp://web.archive.org/web/20130207214425/http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/04/how_i_believe_in_g.html
Roger Ebert on politics
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/rogert-ebert-politics-quotes-89644.html
“Palin showin’ her vote-gettin’ genius by stickin’ up for the little fatsos. Patriots have a right to pig out.” — Twitter, Dec. 30, 2010
“Facebook’s 420-character limit proves doable with @SarahPalinUSA’s policy statements.” — Twitter, Dec. 25, 2010
“.@SarahPalinUSA tweets: “Follow Me There… to Afognak Island!” Doesn’t that sound like an Astaire and Rogers musical?” — Twitter, Dec. 26, 2010
“Sarah Palin lacked the preparation or temperament to be one heartbeat away from the presidency, but what she possessed in abundance was the ability to inflame political passions and energize the John McCain campaign with star quality,” Ebert wrote in his review of “Game Change.” “That much we already knew. What I didn’t expect to discover after viewing “Game Change,” a new HBO film about the 2008 McCain campaign, was how much sympathy I would feel for Palin, and even more for John McCain.”
Gryphen, thanks for making note of Roger Ebert's passing. I've been reading his reviews since the mid 70s. This day has been imminent and inevitable for some time but incredibly sad to have it actually occur. His powerful blog entries are equally as powerful as his film reviews. I predict his stature - already high - will continue to rise over the years as people discover and appreciate what he had to say about a wide range of subjects. We've lost a wise observer of culture and human existence.
ReplyDeleteHi Gryphen! I was saddened to hear of Mr. Ebert's passing; his views of classic and modern cinema will always be greatly admired and respected. Two movies he reviewed and ranked as his all-time favourites; "Unforgiven", and "The Shawshank Redemption", are my all-time favourites as well. Rest in peace Mr. Ebert, you will always be well-respected. To quote his immortal words, "the balcony is now closed".
ReplyDeleteI admired this man for his passion and not sugar coating his critiques if a movie sucked swamp water through a straw. He and Siskel were a pleasure to watch as they defended their thumbs up and thumbs down, though I tended to rely more on Roger Ebert's reviews for my "real movie theater" entertainment expenditures, and it was his advice that helped me invest in good movie craft.
ReplyDeleteI love his turn of phrase in his last post. "I'll be taking a leave of presence" and "See you at the movies"
Rest in Peace, Mr Ebert, you're irreplaceable.