Roger Ebert

[Johnny Carwash]

No link yet, but NBC news running an alert saying he has died.

This sucks. He wrote an article just a few days ago saying he was scaling back his involvement, so was concerned things may have taken a turn for the worse, but didn't expect so soon.

[howard]

Both Chicago papers reporting it.

Tribune

Sun-Times

[Giff]

Bummer.

[Rex]

You ever sit down and try to write a movie review that isn't piss poor? Even in your head? It's incredibly hard.

[brian]

Damn, that sucks. He was a great WRITER. Period.

[Johnny Carwash]

You ever sit down and try to write a movie review that isn't piss poor? Even in your head? It's incredibly hard.

Rex Reed is still waiting for that milestone.

The list of critics who can legitimately be said to have made a greater contribution to an art form than the majority of people creating the actual art is very, very short. Roger Ebert is on it.

[Steve of phpBB]

Damn, that sucks. He was a great WRITER. Period.

Great writer, Illinois alum, and flaming asshole, according to various stories over the years.

[brian]

Damn, that sucks. He was a great WRITER. Period.

Great writer, Illinois alum, and flaming asshole, according to various stories over the years.

Where are you getting the asshole part? Every story I've ever heard about him seems to indicate he was a great guy. Even Will Leitch likes him and he hates everybody.

[Scottie]

The list of critics who can legitimately be said to have made a greater contribution to an art form than the majority of people creating the actual art is very, very short. Roger Ebert is on it.

A critic is not an artist.

[Jerloma]

Damn, that sucks. He was a great WRITER. Period.

Great writer, Illinois alum, and flaming asshole, according to various stories over the years.

Where are you getting the asshole part? Every story I've ever heard about him seems to indicate he was a great guy. Even Will Leitch likes him and he hates everybody.

Right, every account I've ever read about him has painted him to be a wonderful, respected humanist.

[Jerloma]

Check that...he sounds horrible.

“Kindness” covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.

[ZMan]

Yeah, Siskel had the asshole reputation.

Damn, just read the article about him scaling back during lunch. Was shocking to see this headline so soon after.

Got to give the man props for making movie reviews something you actually wanted to see. Up until their show, the movie review was relegated to a 3 min spot on the evening news, and who really gave a fuck?

I've also been following his twitter feed, and he had some good ones. Always linked to an article or story that made you think. so i appreciated that.

RIP Roger.

[degenerasian]

I always like his reviews because he said he would review it with the intended audience in mind. If it was a Summer Blockbuster action flick he would review it as how he thought those people would enjoy it. If it was a chick flick, that would be different.

Expecialy foreign movies, his understanding of them was amazing.

[BSF21]

A shame. Man was an excellent writer. I challenge anyone to make a review of an academy award winning film, a slapstick comedy, or a shitty vampire movie all sound intelligent and thoughtful regardless of how much they are liked. RIP.

[Square Rob]

I highly recommend watching his TED talk on YouTube from a couple of years ago. It is extremely poignant. Mainly focuses on the loss of his ability to speak.

[The Sybian]

I highly recommend watching his TED talk on YouTube from a couple of years ago. It is extremely poignant. Mainly focuses on the loss of his ability to speak.

Some of the stuff he wrote after his cancer was was mind blowing. Incredibly heartfelt, touching and intelligent. Plus he dated Oprah and essentially talked her into doing her first show that made her what she is today. Oprah has admitted that without Ebert's pep talk, she probably wouldn't have capitalized on her big break. So what I am trying to say is, fuck you, Roger!

[DaveInSeattle]

There was nothing quite so delightful as an Ebert review of a really bad movie. I think he got a perverse kick out of dreaming up new ways to say "this movie sucks".

For example, from his review of the movie "North":

"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."

That's quality stuff right there....

[Giff]

There was nothing quite so delightful as an Ebert review of a really bad movie. I think he got a perverse kick out of dreaming up new ways to say "this movie sucks".

For example, from his review of the movie "North":

"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."

That's quality stuff right there....

Jesus_M_Christ had a funny tweet referencing this review.

[brian]

There was nothing quite so delightful as an Ebert review of a really bad movie. I think he got a perverse kick out of dreaming up new ways to say "this movie sucks".

For example, from his review of the movie "North":

"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."

That's quality stuff right there....

He put out a book of his reviews from movies he hated (titled aptly, "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" (referencing the North review of course). Highly recommended reading.

[Johnnie]

I think he got a perverse kick out of dreaming up new ways to say "this movie sucks".

I just learned that he did write Your Movie Sucks, I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie, & A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length: More Movies That Suck. So yea. You could say that.

Buzzfeed links to his 20 Most Epic Movie Pans.

Time has a write up from 2007 that has an anecdote where he unloads on Rob Schneider. That was funny.

And there's this most excellent photo of him: (too large to link)

http://www.mandagroup.com/wp-content/up ... ge-6-1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And that just scrapes the surface of awesome that this dude did. Man, it sucks when great people die.