What's new

Roger Ebert reviewing again in 2007 (Passed Away: See Post #158) (1 Viewer)

Ocean Phoenix

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 10, 2004
Messages
591
Ebert is a big fan and close friend of Scorsese. As a result, he has a tendency to get carried away praising and analyzing Scorsese's career and philosophies when he reviews the guy's work since he is so intruigued by the man and his movies. Doing that took up space in the review that could have been otherwise spent discussing characters like Wahlberg's. I don't think the lack of attention to that character is much of an oversight, though. While Wahlberg did give a great performance, he really wasn't as powerful of a presence in the movie as the three main characters. He seemed to be out of the movie for long stretches before reappearing at the end. I enjoyed his performance, but I was surprised by his nomination. After all, I don't remember him doing much besides making sarcastic or condescending remarks and getting into shouting matchs throughout the movie. :)
 

Tino

Taken As Ballast
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 19, 1999
Messages
23,574
Location
Metro NYC
Real Name
Valentino
While Wahlberg did give a great performance, he really wasn't as powerful of a presence in the movie as the three main characters.
Hmm..and I thought he gave the BEST performance out of all the actors. They were all terrific, but Wahlberg was tremendous and his scenes were the best in the film. He stole the film from some real heavyweights!

He deserved that Oscar nomination and I was sad to not see him win.
 

Holadem

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2000
Messages
8,967
Ocean Phoenix said:
.
That's it. Heck, it's not even about his character, it's more about the setting of the movie. The name Wahlberg doesn't show up once. Ya got to admit, that's pretty strange. Maybe his text editor somehow swallowed a paragraph :)
--
H
 
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
33
yes using his favorable review of transformers as a template. this could be one of the better harry potter films. at least for those of us who arent aghast at the idea of seriousness in a potter film.
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Messages
26,972
Location
Albany, NY
He's been back to full speed for a few weeks, reviewing all of the given Friday's big new releases.
The following quote from his Rush Hour 3 serves as a potent reminder why losing him even temporarily has been such a loss:
"The cops go there and have a battle with the world's tallest man (Sun Ming Ming). I think he's the same man who got married recently and was about twice as tall as his bride. Or maybe he's another tall guy -- naw, it has to be the same guy. Yao Ming, the basketball player, is only 7 feet, 6 inches, and Sun Ming Ming is 7 feet, 9 inches. A guy that tall, on his wedding night he could be making love and solving a Rubik's Cube at the same time"
 

Ocean Phoenix

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 10, 2004
Messages
591
Shawn.F said:
I would love to read what he thought about Casino Royale (if he has seen it, that is). Perhaps you could email Ebert at the newspaper and just ask him? He might just give you a quick summary, but at least we would have an idea of his thoughts. :)
It's very good to see him back reviewing.
Casino Royale review
Well how about that? He ended up reviewing Casino Royale after all and I didn't even have to e-mail him! :)
 

teapot2001

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 20, 1999
Messages
3,649
Real Name
Thi
Anyone else finding the show to be a lot more entertaining with Roeper and the bald guy with the goatee?

~T
 

Paul McElligott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2002
Messages
2,598
Real Name
Paul McElligott
Thi Them said:
Anyone else finding the show to be a lot more entertaining with Roeper and the bald guy with the goatee?
Robert Wilonsky.
I agree that he and Roeper have a great chemistry together. Apparently, they've signed Wilonsky on Ebert's fill-in for the rest of 2007.
 

Claire Panke

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 5, 2002
Messages
412
I wish they'd keep Wilonsky and fire Roeper when Ebert comes back - the guy is just a philistine. One of the worst reviewers (he's no film critic) on air or print IMO.

I don't always agree with Ebert but he is knowledgable, passionate and informed, and moreover he writes greacefully and well. Roeper should stick to writing about a subject where his lack of taste and knowledge isn't such a liability.

Sigh...a girl can dream...
 

Chris Gerhard

Screenwriter
Joined
Nov 8, 2002
Messages
1,293
Real Name
Chris Gerhard
Claire Panke said:
I wish they'd keep Wilonsky and fire Roeper when Ebert comes back - the guy is just a philistine. One of the worst reviewers (he's no film critic) on air or print IMO.
I don't always agree with Ebert but he is knowledgable, passionate and informed, and moreover he writes greacefully and well. Roeper should stick to writing about a subject where his lack of taste and knowledge isn't such a liability.
Sigh...a girl can dream...
That won't happen but I am sure hoping Mr. Ebert can make it back, it appears the show is dead without him. I didn't read about what caused the use of "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" to disappear but I am sure it is some silly rights issue.
Chris
 

Cees Alons

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 31, 1997
Messages
19,789
Real Name
Cees Alons
But, if I understand it well, the main reason NOT to appear on TV would be that he currently has no voice.

I wish him the very best. I have been buying several of his books, lately, to show some support as I feel I should (and because I highly like his writing, of course!).

Cees
 

Paul McElligott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2002
Messages
2,598
Real Name
Paul McElligott
Chris Gerhard said:
I didn't read about what caused the use of "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" to disappear but I am sure it is some silly rights issue.
Ebert is currently negotiating a new contract with Disney, who claims that he is withholding permission to use his "thumbs up/down" trademark. Ebert says this isn't true, but Disney isn't letting Roeper and Wilonsky use it.
 

Holadem

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2000
Messages
8,967
More Ebert goodness, from his (positive) review of Transformers:

" That's what the director of "Transformers" told Simon Ang during an interview in Seoul. He could have been speaking for me. I think Michael Bay sometimes sucks ("Pearl Harbor," "Armageddon," "Bad Boys II") but I find it possible to love him for a movie like "Transformers." It's goofy fun with a lot of stuff that blows up real good, and it has the grace not only to realize how preposterous it is, but to make that into an asset.

The movie is inspired by the Transformer toys that twist and fold and double in upon themselves, like a Rubik's Cube crossed with a contortionist. A yellow Camaro unfolds into a hulking robot, helicopters become walking death monsters, and an enemy named Megatron rumbles onto the screen and, in a voice that resembles the sound effects in "Earthquake," introduces himself: "I--AM--MEGATRON!!!"

I think that's the first time I've used three exclamation points. But Megatron is a three-exclamation-point kinda robot. He is the most fearsome warrior of the evil Decepticons, enemies of the benevolent Transformers. Both races (or maybe they're brands) of robots fled the doomed planet Cybertron and have been drawn to Earth because Megatron crash-landed near the North Pole a century ago and possesses the Allspark, which is the key to something, I'm not sure what, but since it's basically an alien MacGuffin it doesn't much matter. (Note to fanboys about to send me an e-mail explaining the Allspark: Look up "MacGuffin" in Wikipedia.)

[...]

 

DavidJ

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
4,365
Real Name
David
I have always enjoyed his writing even when I disagree with his conclusions (not referencing above). I think I enjoy his one star reviews the most.
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Messages
26,972
Location
Albany, NY
TonyD said:
wow a surprise is Bubble is that far up on his list
Yeah definitely.
Can we all agree to start a seperate thread if Ebert's health takes a turn for the worse in the future? Everytime this thread pops to the top I'm afraid something's happened to him...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,842
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top