Roger Ebert

[Sgt Sunshine]

Roger Ebert, the Chicago Sun-Times film critic, is usually my first port of call, when checking "external reviews" via IMDB......

I find his reviews both entertaining and perceptive, and tend to use him as a "benchmark" for other reviews I read.....

Do you have a similar opinion of him as a competent film critic

I was a bit disappointed recently, that I couldn't find a review of "Fahrenheit 451" by him??

Cheers

Sgt S

PS Any other film critics you find interesting?

[narabdela]

name='Sgt Sunshine'] Any other film critics you find interesting?

It depends what you mean by 'interesting'.



I find Chris Tookey's reviews in "The Daily Mail" interesting. Really terrible, but interesting nonetheless.

[Sgt Sunshine]

name='narabdela']It depends what you mean by 'interesting'.



I find Chris Tookey's reviews in "The Daily Mail" interesting. Really terrible, but interesting nonetheless.

I don't buy or read newspapers, and haven't done for over 25 years

Most news is either boring to me (politics/ religion/celebrity crap/economics/ etc) or is slanted to one wing or the other

I know I'm rather strange that way.....but I don't like to follow everyone else, but go my own way.....if you know what i mean

If you could pick one other film critic who would it be and why

Cheers

Sgt S

[WarFilmBuff]

I like Roger Ebert's reviews, his and my tastes in film are not exactly the same, but I agree with him probably 8 out of 10 times.

[James Fox]

I'm not the biggest fan of Ebert the critic, but I'm a huge fan of Ebert the screenwriter.



"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" is one of the best parodies I've ever seen. Ebert's script is hysterical.

[Sgt Sunshine]

Happy 67th birthday Mr Ebert.............may your "ink" never dry up.....and your PC never "falter"..............

I always enjoy your reviews... even if I don't always agree with them....

Sgt S

[Reeldigger]

Ebert's subjective opinions are as valid as anyone's but I never found him to be particularly interesting or insightful; he's quite a middle-brow writer. Considering his staggering output (his collected reviews and commentaries could probably fill a fair-sized room), I'd be hard-pressed to cite a single really memorable line. No one was more surprised than I was when he was awarded a Pulitizer Prize. So it's Thumbs Down for me, I'm afraid.

[thatllbetheday]

name='Sgt Sunshine']I don't buy or read newspapers, and haven't done for over 25 years

Most news is either boring to me (politics/ religion/celebrity crap/economics/ etc) or is slanted to one wing or the other

I know I'm rather strange that way.....but I don't like to follow everyone else, but go my own way.....if you know what i mean

If you could pick one other film critic who would it be and why

Cheers

Sgt S

I will always be grateful to Pauline Kael for introducing me to serious considerations of films. I discovered a collection of her movie reviews called "I Left It At the Movies" published in the late 1960's. I was delighted to find out that many of the films I enjoyed were 'good' movies in the same sense as the 'art' movies emanating from Europe.

[billy bentley]

For those interested in the Pre-Kael flicks I can recommend "Graham Greene on Film- collected film criticism 1935-1939". I don't agree with many of Mr Greene's reviews, but obviously the man not only has a head on his shoulders, but he can write too.

[TimR]

name='billy bentley']For those interested in the Pre-Kael flicks I can recommend "Graham Greene on Film- collected film criticism 1935-1939". I don't agree with many of Mr Greene's reviews, but obviously the man not only has a head on his shoulders, but he can write too.

Absolutely.



Also, the two volume set of James Agee's reviews are indispensible. His review of The Rake's Progress with Rex Harrison ( The Notorious Gentleman ) (generally negative, but carefully thought out) is one of the most perceptive and well written reviews I have read. His analysis of Noel Coward's appeal is remarkable.

[TimR]

name='Reeldigger']Ebert's subjective opinions are as valid as anyone's but I never found him to be particularly interesting or insightful; he's quite a middle-brow writer. Considering his staggering output (his collected reviews and commentaries could probably fill a fair-sized room), I'd be hard-pressed to cite a single really memorable line. No one was more surprised than I was when he was awarded a Pulitizer Prize. So it's Thumbs Down for me, I'm afraid.

Well, I take your general point and I'm probably in agreement - but a bit harsh, don't you think?



Ebert is a solid, readable critic and he loves film. Also, some of his reviews are very, very funny - nothing to sneeze at.



He has a large personal following because of his long television career and his battles with illness, but also because of his thorough enjoyment of film, which is contagious.

[batman]

name='Sgt Sunshine']



I don't buy or read newspapers ...



Most news is either boring to me (politics/ religion/celebrity crap/economics/ etc) or is slanted to one wing or the other ...



I know I'm rather strange that way...



But I don't like to follow everyone else, but go my own way...



If you know what i mean ...

I do indeed. I don't buy newspapers for mostly the same reasons (plus a personal one).

[Sgt Sunshine]

name='batman']I do indeed. I don't buy newspapers for mostly the same reasons (plus a personal one).

Cheers Bats......

I think we're probably very alike.........

Sgt S

[Reeldigger]

name='TimR']Well, I take your general point and I'm probably in agreement - but a bit harsh, don't you think?

Perhaps. Actually I find Ebert's star rating system is a pretty reliable barometer of a film's quality although I'm inclined to skip the actual review.