Roger Ebert (1942 - 2013)

Well... today was a very sad day. Roger Ebert, the legendary film critic, has died at the age of 70 after an 11 year battle with cancer. This sucks... plain and simple. That may not be the most innovative, creative, or even appropriate to say in a situation like this, but honestly, it's what been running through my head all day. I've been a long time fan of Ebert's works, from his reviews for the Chicago Sun Times, his blog, and of course his long running show with fellow film critic, the equally legendary Gene Siskel. After all, this is the man most directly responsible for making film criticism what it is today, namely how it's become a form of entertainment or even an art unto itself. The pairing of Siskel and Ebert was a stroke of genius, putting together very intelligent yet very different individuals who share an incredible passion for movies and letting them simply discuss the movies they watched. It was a simple concept, no doubt, but very effective letting the two guys reflect, debate, and insult each other over the films of the week. When Siskel died, film critic Richard Roeper took his place. While the chemistry between Ebert and his former partner could never be replaced, Roeper was a worthy successor, mainly thanks to a passion for film and a great respect for both Siskel and Ebert. I think most film critics, either established or just starting, were in some way inspired by Ebert to pursue their passion/hobby... I know I was. 

I had hoped that Roger Ebert would make an appearance in either Seattle or Vancouver so that I could get the chance to meet him, sadly that opportunity never presented itself (or if it did, I blew it). I won't say that I agreed with all of Roger's reviews (that said, you're eventually bound to disagree with a critic at least once) or his stances on certain topics. Namely, I was eluded by his constant dismissal of David Lynch's films, plus his positive review of Speed 2 (one of the worst movies I've seen), and his stance that video games being unlikely to grow as a legitimate art form seemed a bit short sighted. Still, I often agreed with opinions, and even when I didn't, I could always appreciate that his stances came from intelligent and well-defended arguments stemming from his extreme passion for film and the arts. This was a guy who pretty much lived, ate, and breathed movies... they weren't just a passion to him, movies were his life. He was an outspoken opponent of censorship, praised audacious and risky films, and was full force in support of the New Hollywood era (which take place in the late 1960s to the early 1980s), resulting in some of cinema's greatest achievements. Even after that, he never stopped defending the pop culture and was always on the lookout for the next great creative achievements. You would think a man who spent every day of his adult life relentlessly pursuing his passion would eventually slow down as he got older... but not Ebert! Not only he did refuse to let his age slow him down, but nothing could... not even life-threatening diseases. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, which eventually worsened lead to the removal of his jaw in 2006. Even without a voice, Ebert refused to slow down, taking advantage of social media and his blog to continue his work. Even just two days ago, Ebert posted on his website plans to continue his creative work through new means and websites despite a recurrence of his cancer. Tragically, those efforts were cut short, but just the fact that he never let up until the day he died is nothing short of incredible. 

As a long time fan of Ebert's written reviews, there are tons of great quotes attributed to him that I could list here, but since space is factor, here's a small selection... 

"This is a film without a shred of artistic distinction. It lacks even simple craftsmanship. There is no possible motive for exhibiting it, other than the totally cynical hope that it might make money."
- Review of "I Spit on Your Grave" (1977)
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19800716/REVIEWS/7160301/1023
Ebert often called this the worst movie he had ever seen. Can't say I totally agree with this review, but the quote is still of my favorites. 

"If you, under any circumstances, see Little Indian, Big City, I will never let you read one of my reviews again."
- Review of "Little Indian, Big City" (1994)
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960322/REVIEWS/603220306/1023
I didn't want to be banned from Roger's reviews, so I never saw this movie ;)

"This movie doesn't scrape the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't below the bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels."
- Review of "Freddy Got Fingered" (2000)
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010420/REVIEWS/104200304/1023
Some have said his review of this movie was too harsh... I'd say he was being too nice. 

"I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it."
- Review of "North" (1994)
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940722/REVIEWS/407220302/1023
Somehow, I get the feeling he hated this movie. Can't say I disagree. Honestly though, for a critic known for his sharp wit and piercing though sensibly written criticism, this is pretty hilarious. 

"No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough."
Don't know where this one came from, but it makes perfect sense to me. 

"So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."
- "A Leave of Presence" by Roger Ebert
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2013/04/a_leave_of_presense.html
This was the last thing Ebert wrote for his blog and the Chicago Sun Times. If there's ever been a perfect quote on which to leave, that's it right there!

I don't intend to do these tributes or insights too often, but given the influence Roger made on film criticism and the industry in general, I felt like it was something I needed to do. A world without Ebert's movie reviews just doesn't seem right... but we'll move on. 

RIP Roger Ebert. 

But because I don't like ending things on a sad note, here's some great clips and videos from Siskel and Ebert plus some other stuff.