Siskel & Ebert

They called Dazed and Confused as the cult classic it would become

"He ordered a cone and a sundae" is fatphobic, however true it might have been.

Why were the movie review people back then so skeevy, these two, Gene Shalit and that wicked cunt Pauline Kael? Oddball freaks, all of them, was it all that time spent in the dark?

Reviewing films causes cancer, apparently.

Seriously though, I liked them about half the time, Siskel more than Ebert.

Bald and Fatso.

"Bickering just like your parents do...this week At the Movies!"

R5 LOL!

R6 Double LOL!

Siskel was always unreasonably sour and negative

Ebert was a complete idiot with frau tastes.

Really very embarrassing.

Ebert was a great writer. I didn't always agree with him, but I always read what he had to say first.

I liked watching them but thought At The Movies on PBS was their better show.

Ebert really was a phenomenal writer — he did some thought pieces in his last few years that were deeply moving

I loved slasher movies as a kid in the early ‘80s and this was a great show to catch scenes, but then they both went on their tirade against slasher flicks and became buzzkills.

I liked that their show was filmed in Chicago and they showed city scenes in the openings.

It stood out among everything else filmed on sterile anemic sunblasted studio lots in LA or grimy cramped Manhattan stages

It’s so strange in retrospect that they were a romantic couple. Opposites attract, I guess.

Another classic Chicago themed intro

Perfect Strangers

As Chicago couples go, Bob and Emily were second to none.

I loved it when Vince Gallo called Ebert "a fat pig" for (rightly) criticizing The Brown Bunny. Hysterical.

Ebert was fairly unpretentious and always thought of the audience first. His reviews are fairly inline with the long term reputation of most of the movies he covered. There’s a reason why he was the people’s critic.

Siskel had some bizarre takes on a lot of movies so I always took his praise or criticism with a grain of salt. It was clear he never had the passion for movies the way Ebert did and resented his job a bit.

R15 - I did not know they were gay.

They’re not, R21

r22 Past tense. They weren't gay, but they are definitely dead.

I loved them and still to this day. No critics now were as smart or well informed. Before the internet.

I loved watching them too, although their disdain for slasher movies has soured them on me a bit. There are some great slashers from the early '80s that stand as good films.

Siskel did seem a bit grouchy but I will always respect both of them for championing rising filmmakers. Ebert especially. He championed Carl Franklin's One False Move and Steve James' Hoop Dreams. I watched those films because of Siskel and Ebert. We didn't have the Internet back then to tell us what the buzz films were.

Growing up, this was one of my favorite shows. I loved their banter, brains, and cinematic knowledge. I always used their opinions to guide my film choices and especially loved when they disagreed. I didn't really favor one's assessment over the others. However, I found Siskel more personable. Ebert always seemed very moody but they made a great team. So tragic how their lives ended. Ebert had many more years but he must have suffered greatly during his final years. I was happy he found love

I'm a movie critic and Ebert's perfect tonal balancing act, friendly yet knowledgeable -- but effortless! -- is what 75% of us are striving for. Americans, anyway. The rest want to be Pauline Kael, while one percent strain for Bazin-ishness

Siskel could be surprisingly insightful sometimes, but when he became irritated with Ebert, which was frequently, he always fell back on the fat jokes, which made him seem far less intelligent than he probably was. After a while, you start to wonder why he can't come up with any other kind of comeback. Add in his occasionally inappropriate obsession with actresses breasts and I got the impression that Siskel was in full arrested development.

I was sorry that sikkel died so young

R28 I agree. Siskel always came across to me as a pompous Ivy League educated playboy type who was used to just pointing at fat kids and making the laziest and lamest joke possible because that’s all that was required in his circle. Ebert could be a real bitch who knew how to get under Siskel’s skin with the kind of scrappy cleverness that comes with being a fat working class kid who actually had to earn his place at the table.

Ebert was biased when it came to movies about/for black people. He always seemed to rate them higher and go to bat for them, regardless of their quality.

Siskel’s review for the Silence of the Lambs and his hatred for Jonathan Demme was bizarre. Hard to take him seriously.

R31 He would fit right in with today’s critics.

R21 Siskel was not gay but Ebert may have been lesbian.

Have you seen that documentary on Ebert - Life Itself?+

Siskel was also unusually harsh to Martin Scorsese

I remember that Siskel was a huge SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER fan and had bought John Travolta's iconic white suit at auction. There was even an urban legend that he was buried with it.

Siskel's prized possession of John Travolta's white suit from Saturday Night Fever said a lot about how he perceived himself and how he wanted others to perceive him

I remember them having a debate over which came from a more sophisticated background. Gene thought he was because he came from Chicago while Roger was from Champaign, IL downstate. Roger thought being from a college town was better and pointed out Gene came from the suburbs.

Ebert "astonished" at Siskel's thumbs-down review of Scorsese's "Casino"

Gene's wife AND son look like him with hair.

He was biased towards 1) films with black people (because he was married to Chaz) and 2) films about alcoholism and/or addition , since he was a (some say not so recovering ) alcoholic. Both of them were a bit off (and often prudish) in their comedy reviews and sometimes really just “didn’t get it.” Eberle has pretty populist taste at the end of the day but also had a good instinct for what made great filmmaking . And he also was an excellent writer which is why ultimately he’s better remembered than Siskel.

Their talk show appearances were always funny. I remember Letterman’s joke “the balcony is closed but the concession stand is always open.”

Ebert proves he would be more fun since he wrote Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Anybody else find it creepy his website keeps churning out reviews even though he’s dead?

Not at all. I think it's a sign of respect. He loved movies and people associate his name with movies. The reviewers are properly credited.

I can’t bear to read the reviews there, R45. Just more shitty film criticism catering to studios and woke mobs. None of the critics have the integrity of the real Siskel and Ebert.

I am not too worried. I had a colonoscopy once, and they let me watch it on TV. It was more entertaining than "The Brown Bunny.

It is true that I am fat, but one day I will be thin, and he will still be the director of "The Brown Bunny."

Siskel did not find Berkley sexy enough:

I licked the fucking POLE, Gene!

Siskels Son looks just like Spenny.

R8, and inferior.

Very true R46. Roger -- and his vocal cords -- are turning over in his grave.

I miss Ebert, no one has really taken his place.

i remember that if they disagreed on a movie, I wouldn't see it. But if they agreed on a film, it was always a winner!!!

I liked them for disliking the Sting. I don't hate that movie. It's just that I felt a bit freer hating some popular films.

R48, “she’s hard about the face.”

Before Ebert was nationally known, he "discovered" John Prine. Coincidentally, toward the ends of their lives, each later lost a significant amount of their jaws to cancer; Ebert with thyroid cancer and Prine with oral cancer.

Siskel and Ebert debate the 1981 explicit gay classic Taxi Zum Klo (at 18:40). Two thumbs up!

I always liked Siskel’s reviews better than Elbert’s.

Remember when they came onstage for one of the late-night shows (forget which one) holding hands & practically skipping?

The fact that a lot of us remember some of their reviews almost exactly is a testament to….something. I remember their review of Mermaids, and Ebert said something like : the push to make it cutesy and “happy ending” is frustrating, but Cher and Winona Ryder’s performances are interesting and suggestive enough of much more that you end up liking the movie anyway. But you still wish it could have been better. Which is basically how I felt about the movie put into words. A good critic does that.

...the gay classic Taxi Zum Klo,,,

I met Sisley at a taping of his solo (non-movie) show. Seemed like a jerk.

^^^ The painter?

Siskel seemed a bit more personable, yet also strangely a bit harder to please as well. But he his moments that surprised even Ebert. The funniest was Baby's Day Out (1994): "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Siskel and Ebert reveal their 10 best of1998. One of their last shows together.

Siskel is visibly tired in this episode.

You guys are quite stupid about these two. Siskel was from the city, not the suburbs. They both lived on Chicago--Siskel lived on the lakefront in Lakeview. Ebert lived in Old Town and, later, in the Loop. Siskel's preferences changed over time, as began raising a family. He initially was more drawn to dark material than Ebert, by the end of his time, he was more family friendly and Roger had warmed to darker material. Siskel was the more competitive of the two. Siskel rediscovered religion once he had a family. Ebert was the kind of lapsed Catholic who had been an altar boy and still thought about religion. Shortly before Siskel died, they spent an evening debating religion---they both agreed that Protestantism was useless.

Ebert was/is an asshole for the spectacle he made at 2003 Cannes by singing during a press screening of the rough cut of The Brown Bunny. To call it "the worst film in the history of the Cannes film festival" and then turn around, fellate Gallo on Howard Stern, and give the final cut a "thumbs up"… he was a egotistical dick out for attention. I'm glad he's dead because now he's quiet.

I really miss that show. I loved it. Now, I don't even care what's new at the movies.

That would have made a more entertaining format...

I remember Burt Reynolds was pissed that they always panned his movies. He said, " Y'know these guys... the one takes up two chairs... the other one sits in the crack".

Did anyone else find Gene Siskel attractive?

My favorite movie reviewer was Joel Siegel on Channel 7 in NY. If he said the movie was good I wanted to see it.

Also, does anyone remember the guy Sy or Sid something, the guy with the wonky eye? He used to be on WTNH on the noon broadcast. I think he was out of Boston or Springfield.

Forty years ago, Siskel & Ebert did a special on gay people in the movies:

What did they both die of?

Siskel was unexpectedly funny though. Anyone else here see that episode of Larry Sanders with John Ritter? It’s not on YouTube anymore but was so freaking good.

Ebert was fairly lenient and became even more lenient in the 21st century. He got to where he was giving thumbs up! to almost anything.

They were cute together. When Siskel was sick with cancer and took a leave of absence, his press statement included the following line: "I'm in a hurry to get well because I don't want Roger to get more screen time than I."

Why has no one spun off a Tv show about them as children on the south side of Chicago reviewing movies like all those celebrity when I was a child series? It could be called Little Siskel and Ebert? It might work best as animated show.

I really liked them but their show was always on at a weird time where I lived ((Boston and Philadelphia) so it was hard to catch.

They used to get excited when a movie was topical and would name drop. Now, some complain that movies are trying too hard to feel relevant with topical I-Phones and social media references. Unless it's a period piece, you have to have I-Phones. Any other complains are just from right-wingers or people trying to appeal to them for attention and/or money.

I was looking for some clips of The Coca Cola Kid the other night and the review of it by Siskel & Ebert popped up.

I loved that movie. The review is the last film they review on the video. From 1985.

I love that they focused attention on the low-budget "Clockwatchers" which they could have easily overlooked

[quote]Siskel's prized possession of John Travolta's white suit from Saturday Night Fever said a lot about how he perceived himself and how he wanted others to perceive him

Saturday Night Fever was his favorite movie of all time.

In the early 80's, they were notorious for their hatred of slasher movies. They even did a special episode on how offensive they thought the whole "women in peril" situation was. (Halloween being the rare exception). When they reviewed "Silent Night Deadly Night", they actually called out the producer/directors by name.

But Ebert would give something like "Last House on the Left" four stars.

1985 was possibly their most entertaining year. A lot of cult-y, junky B movies that year.

All reviews are suspect these days. Rotten Tomatoes will have 90-100 percent ratings a week before a movie opens and then adjusted twenty-fifty points lower once regular people see it

Met them both socially in another lifelime. Siskel was very interested in the business of filmmaking. Ebert on the artistry. Ebert became much nicer after he met and married his wife. I'd say both were entertaining and decent people,

Ebert was the better writer, certainly. He was about as good a writer as I have ever seen in the mainstream of film criticism. Even when I thought he was all wrong about a movie, such as Blue Velvet (he gave it one star, and it really seemed to get under his skin that not only a lot of his critic peers but also directors he admired, such as Allen and Scorsese, loved it), I enjoyed reading what he had to say.

But on television, they had great chemistry, and although there were many attempts at cloning their formula, there was never another show to match it. Even when Ebert paired with other critics, it wasn't as good.

We remember the Siskel and Ebert slugfests when they disagreed (Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, etc.), but they both gave thumbs up or thumbs down a lot of the time too.

As far as Siskel's comments about Ebert's weight go ("Of course you liked [Free] Willy. You probably IDENTIFIED with Willy"), I don't make much of it. Ebert had a thick skin, and he made more than his share of quips about Siskel's baldness.

Siskel and Ebert flipping expected opinions on "Dirty Dancing" with Siskel defending it with Ebert calling it predictable

They should do a biopic with Daniel Radcliffe as Ebert and Eddie Redmayne as Siskel.

I find Siskel from that period very fuckable.

Siskel went to Yale, but Ebert had a Pulitzer.

In the Roger Ebert documentary LIFE ITSELF, his widow Chaz talks about how when Siskel was dying, Roger wanted very badly to come and see him, which he refused. She said it hurt Ebert very deeply. They did their last show together only 3 weeks before Siskel's death.

Siskel & Ebert get "negative feelings" from Rosie in "Exit to Eden" (9:00 minutes):

I worked in downtown Chicago for years. One day, I was walking down Wabash and was in lockstep with a chubby guy for a few moments. I glanced at him and knew I recognized him from somewhere. But couldn’t think of where.

I quickly outpaced him and it suddenly dawned on me who he was.

I turned around and exclaimed: You’re Roger Ebert!

He looked stunned and clearly didn’t want to engage with a lunatic.

But I laughed and said I didn’t mean to embarrass him. But was racking my brain on how I knew him and it suddenly dawned on me, which is why I exclaimed because I was thrilled I connected the dots.

He laughed and we walked together for a block. I had just read his review on Boyz in the Hood and we talked about that.

I always liked him better than Siskel. He was a much better writer.

"I always liked him better than Siskel. He was a much better writer."

He sure wasn't cuter, R91.

A friend of mine worked at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002. Far from Heaven was playing at the Varsity and apparently Ebert wanted in and my friend had to tell him that it was at capacity. According to my friend, he started to make a scene and threw a Reese Witherspoon by barking "Don't you know who I am?"

The Varsity was at capacity and so were Ebert's pants.

I once saw Roger and Chaz at the old Blockbuster on Clark St. south of Diversey. It struck me as strange to see Roger actually renting movies at a Blockbuster like the rest of us.

And they're dead.

I ran into him in Chicago walking by himself down Southport, having just come out of the Music Box in the middle of the afternoon. I just said, "How was the movie?" and he just smiled and said, "Not bad." This was about '96 or so -

r66

Never gets old.

Siskel overused a line when he liked an actor's performance. He said that the actor played the character smart. It should have been parodied on SNL. It was a nonsensical line that was a complete throwaway. I preferred Ebert who wrote the cult film,Beyond The Valley of The Dolls.

Siskel and Ebert on movie cliches. They start with the "fruit cart":

Fatso and Baldy were both jealous of my popularity, so they fired me unceremoniously!

It's a good thing they're both dead. If they were still alive, I'd shit in their shoes!!!

Siskel seems drunk on OP's video. Ebert's digs at Siskel's inability to enunciate seemed like a dig at Siskel's drunkenness.

On another thread, I posted an anecdote about serving Ebert and his date (a young, black woman, not one of his wives) gin and tonics. (I was working in a restaurant.) Ebert had a sour disposition. Another poster said that Ebert was supposedly a recovered alcoholic. I did some research and, when I served him & his date the G&Ts, it was after he pronounced he had quit drinking.

Siskel just seems mean in that clip. Yes, Ebert is overweight, but to go on and on and on like that. Just unnecessarily cruel.

I saw Taxi zum Klo when it came out, and that review when it aired R58. A blast from the past!

I used to love At the Movies. Even when I wasn't particularly interested in the movies themselves, I wanted to see what Siskel and Ebert said about them.

Now I read reviews from time to time but I don't have a reviewer I check before I see something. That was Ebert for me.

Everyone has off days. Ebert became much nicer after he found Chas. Siskel was a mensch.

They both experienced horrible deaths.

I thought Siskel was in the armed forces but actually he was in the reserves and took to wearing a fatigue jacket, I remember seeing them at a press screening also attended by Bruce Villanch and a 90-lb. platinum blond twink.

After he found "Chas" what does that mean?

R108, Elbert’s wife.

Thank you, R108, I didn't know his wife's name.

They were always great on the Stern show and had a good rapport with Howard.

In this appearance they weigh Ebert and have a lengthy discussion about the McDonald's menu.

The Career and Films of Barbra Streisand

"She even takes up prostitution. A frequent Streisand role. She's done it three times. I think she plays so many prostitutes because it's a role in which she can legitimately dominate a man." - Gene Siskel R112

I liked those guys. Their debates were interesting.

I relied on Roger Ebert like a friend. I wanted to know what he thought and 98% of the time we agreed. I looked forward to buying his annual volume of reviews and curling up to read the whole thing.

I tried to watch the two of them on TV a couple times and couldn’t stand it. Neither was willing to listen. They just waited for the other to pause for breath so they could drive their own train of thought on through. I was tense the whole time at how genuine their dislike of one another appeared to be.

But seeing movies in theaters and renting DVDs of the ones Roger had liked that I had missed — I would have that time again.

Lifestyles and Rich and Famous / It's a Living / Fashion Television / Siskel and Ebert / 120 Minutes

They didn't like each other. The show was about money and influence.

R117, They were rival critics for rival Chicago newspapers, thrown together by PBS.

Relax op

R117: They both were very competitive, but could discuss things outside of film with less competition---they both had upbringings that made them think about existence----Ebert was a onetime altar boy turned agnostic, Siskel was Jewish and re-engaged with Judaism after he had children. Their wives bonded which seemed to help their personal relationship.

Yeah, their personal relationship after decades of doing a television show together, and after their spouses got to know each other, was much better than it had been when they were young film critics for rival Chicago papers in the late '60s and early '70s. I don't think Ebert's emotional tributes to Siskel in interviews and in his memoir were just for appearances.

121 comments and not one has mentioned their replacements yet? Roeper, Lyons, Mankiewicz?

They all sucked, particularly Roeper.

I really enjoyed watching those two.

One of my hookups told me Siskel "steps out on his wife" so some bi activity there.

Siskel became predicably cranky the last few years he was on

[quote]Siskel and Ebert debate the 1981 explicit gay classic Taxi Zum Klo (at 18:40). Two thumbs up!

Just their thumbs?