Roger Ebert reminisces about the early days of his long-running TV show, which will go dark after 33 years.
Is was his (and the late Gene Siskel’s) weekly review program that was my first real introduction to cinema: how we viewed it, talked about it, how it affected and contributed to (for good or ill) culture. From this show I learned about the great filmmakers and the hacks. The masterpieces and flops. More than anything else Siskel and Ebert shared with us how passionate they were about film. And why it fucking mattered.
Sad to see it go. But I’m heartened by Ebert’s brief mention that he plans to keep on doing what he does.
Update: I viewed Ebert’s post from my Blackberry and missed these awesome outtakes of him and Siskel trying to do promo spots. The first clip starts with them bickering like an old married couple before veering off into a rant against WASPs. Bizarre, but funny:
The next one is them busting each other’s balls over their respective ordering styles at McDonalds. No shit:
A Pale Light 
Ill never forget when they gave Booty Call two thumbs up!*Not a joke!*
By: tom on August 1, 2008
at 3:12 am
Oh, man you’re not kidding… Here’s the archived review.
Booty Call got shafted at the Oscars. I blame the Man.
By: daveed on August 1, 2008
at 11:29 am
[…] he was with the written. His old Sneak Previews show on PBS with fellow critic Gene Siskel was my first experience with a love for cinema. And Ebert’s commentary on the Citizen Kane DVD is one of the most informative and engaging […]
By: Speak the word « A Pale Light on February 28, 2010
at 12:46 pm