Roger Ebert dead at 70.  One of my favorites since Sneak Previews.  Even when I disagreed with his assessment of a movie, his review always geve me some food for thought.  His love of movies was undeniable.  Pulitzer prize, successful tv show, wrote a ton of books, worked with Russ Meyer ( I don't consider that a minus in the least), the list just goes on and on.  His kicked alcohol and cancer in the ass more than once.  This man was a warrior in every sense of the word.  http://news.moviefone.com/2013/04/04/roger-ebert-dead-film-critic_n_3016785.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D293826

Well, put.

I have a confession to make.

From the time it began airing on Channel 2/PBS as SNEAK PREVIEWS and all during its time in variations as Siskel & Ebert, I watched the vast majority of episodes and had my various VCRS, DVD-R's and DVRs set to record each and every episode.

Whatever you thought of his individual reviews, Ebert and Gene Siskel did more than any duo in spreading the word about the Movies.

R.I.P. indeed.

And, one last thumbs up for the road......


http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2013/4-4-13-roger-ebert/15460529-1-eng-US/4-4-13-Roger-Ebert_full_380.jpg

Those of us who saw "Demonlover" probably think it was the worst thing ever to come out of Cannes. Roger Ebert had a different candidate:


Quote:

The Brown Bunny BY ROGER EBERT / September 3, 2004 In May of 2003 I walked out of the press screening of Vincent Gallo's "The Brown Bunny" at the Cannes Film Festival and was asked by a camera crew what I thought of the film. I said I thought it was the worst film in the history of the festival. That was hyperbole -- I hadn't seen every film in the history of the festival -- but I was still vibrating from one of the most disastrous screenings I had ever attended. The audience was loud and scornful in its dislike for the movie; hundreds walked out, and many of those who remained only stayed because they wanted to boo. Imagine, I wrote, a film so unendurably boring that when the hero changes into a clean shirt, there is applause. The panel of critics convened by Screen International, the British trade paper, gave the movie the lowest rating in the history of their annual voting.

Director Vincent Gallo responded by calling Ebert "a fat pig."


Quote:

Roger Ebert: "I will one day be thin but Vincent Gallo will always be the director of 'The Brown Bunny." and... "since I made that statement I have lost 86 pounds and Gallo is indeed still the director of "The Brown Bunny."

:D :D :D

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040903/REVIEWS/409020301/1023

To Gallo's credit, he took the negative reviews to heart and significantly reedited the film and, to the late Roger Ebert's credit, he gave the revised version a second look and a positive review. Some films really can be fixed on the bench.