Who was the better film critic, Siskel or Ebert?

One of us won a Pulitzer.

When their show was on, I thought Siskel had better taste in films than Ebert. But as the years went on I began to appreciate Ebert's wide-ranging knowledge and taste in cinema. His list of "The Great Movies" is amazing collection; I think it's 379 films. There are some clunkers scattered through it that don't belong on a list of great films but there are also classics and many little-known or forgotten gems. I appreciate his using his fame to help popularize those.

I think Ebert was a better writer.

They brought out the best in each other - very passionate. Miss this format. Is there any equivalent on TV or internet anymore? Or their reruns owned by Disney? I’d watch

Since Ebert was an AA-head, I'll go with Siskel.

Wow, r5. You have a small mind.

I remember agreeing with Siskel more. But, I think as the years went on Ebert gained a wisdom about film, that Siskel never really got the chance to acquire.

Sad that they are both gone. Grew up watching them every week. 😥

I tended to like what Ebert liked, so I usually followed his advice on what movies to see. At least for me, Ebert in particular had better taste in comedies. The comedies Siskel liked usually sucked. I remember Siskel thinking Funny Farm with Chevy Chase was some brilliant comedy. It sucked.

Ebert. But I never really read Siskel.

They got a lot of shit for "dumbing down" film criticism with the thumbs up/down stuff but honestly - I learned a lot about movies from watching their show every week as a kid. For people in the sticks it was a good introduction to non-mainstream figures like Cassavetes. I still remember their fight over Full Metal Jacket years later. Siskel couldn't believe Ebert gave it a thumbs down.

I used to side with Ebert when I watched the show. And once Gene got sick, he would give the oddest movies good reviews. I remember he listed John Carpenter's Vampires as one of the best of the year and Roger looked at him like he was on drugs. What we didn't know was that the brain tumor that took his life was already too far gone.

Once Gene died, Ebert became a massive whore and would give 4 star reviews to the worst fucking movies. I think he ruined his legacy in the last 15 years of his life. At least Gene had an excuse.

Siskel gave a bad review to "Chinatown." 'Nuff said.

Please, read actual film critics like Jonathan Rosenbaum.

They complemented each other. I did like Ebert better, Siskel was too condescending.

They were a good team for TV but neither of them came remotely close to Pauline Kael's insight or eloquence.

On the other hand, the imitators made it clear how strong S&E were, dumb thumbs up schtick aside. Who was that hideous woman from Boston, I think, that did a short stint with Leonard Maltin or some other forgettable bought critic? She got things wrong all the time and I would scream at the TV after she would rant about how unfair it was that Matt Damon had never been nominated for an acting Oscar (seriously, on national TV): "He WAS nominated, you clueless bitch! You don't even need a Research department to know that!" It -- and hopefully she-- didn't last long.

Ebert was much more biased. He had an especial affinity for black made films and and always gave them a thumbs up even if they were poorly produced.

This thread was great until r16 showed up.

But R16 is right. Ebert did do that. The thing is, when he first did it, he was actually spotlighting some very good, unseen gems. But over the years it morphed into a 4-star review for Mr. 3000 starring Bernie Mac and became about more than championing talented black filmmakers.

I will say that S&E did more for me in terms of instilling in me a love of cinema than any one filmmaker did. When I'd watch Sneak Previews on PBS, they really gave me a curiosity and a desire to seek out indie films of the early 1980s even at age 10, and really began my love of those sorts of films.

Ebert could be an ass. My friend worked at the Toronto Film Festival when Far From Heaven was playing. The cinema was at capacity and Ebert wanted in. He threw a tantrum and played the Reese Witherspoon card. I was a huge fan until I heard about this.

Siskel was the intellectual.

Ebert would always praise any actress, hoping if he ever met her she'd fuck him. He also used immature phrases like 'cheesoid'. I also felt he would sell-out and rave about a movie if they gave him money (Siskel would never do that).

Still, they played well off each other, and other pairings were never able to recapture the chemistry.

Siskel was a massive Saturday Night Fever fan. He actually bought the white disco suit Travolta wore in the movie at an auction. Ebert said many years later that Siskel had such an affinity for the movie as it made him nostalgic for his younger years. I thought they played off each other really well in the early days.

Wtf is an AA head?

In this case, I think Ebert got it right.

I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.

R15 Are you referring to Joyce Kulhawik and HOT TICKET, which ran in the early 2000s?

R16 I noticed that, too. It go to be predictable. I remember he really went all out for MONSTER'S BALL and Halle Berry. More so than usual. He became her biggest cheerleader for the Oscar, like Julia Roberts was Denzel Washington's biggest advocate that same year.