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Richard Roeper no longer at the movies

July 21st, 2008 by Scott Marks

It’s a beautiful day in Filmland!

Richard Roeper, the Chicago Sun-Times columnist turned film reviewer said that the eighth season of Ebert and Roeper At the Movies will be his last. Roeper says that he and the show’s producer were unable to reach an agreement. Roeper said in a statement Sunday that he had failed to agree on a contract extension with Disney-ABC Domestic Television. His last appearance on the show will air the weekend of Aug. 16-17.

Roger Ebert and his late partner Gene Siskel helped to sink film criticism to an all-time low in September of 1975 when they pioneered their now famous television movie review format. Sneak Previews first aired on Chicago’s PBS affiliate WTTW and almost instantly film writing as an art form was knocked for a loop by a pair of thumbs. Siskbert transformed film reviewing into a form of televised tip sheet journalism. Why stop to savor nuance when it’s so much easier to giggle out one-liners, show a clip, and position your thumbs accordingly?

The show initially aired on a monthly basis under the name Opening Soon at a Theatre Near You and was retitled Sneak Previews when it went weekly in 1977. Two years later, the show was nationally syndicated and became the highest rated weekly entertainment series in the history of public broadcasting.

In 1982, after coming to blows with WTTW, the boys jumped ship to Tribune Entertainment. WTTW was allowed to keep the name so Rog and Gene began a new life At the Movies. This lasted until Disney decided to open their deep pockets in 1986. Siskel’s parent compant The Chicago Tribune, owners and operators of Tribune Entertainment, was none too pleased. The retooled Siskel and Ebert at the Movies went on while Siskel remained under contract to the newspaper. By way of punishment the Trib hired rival Reader critic Dave Kehr as their main reviewer, allowing Gene a small box on the front page of the Friday section for “Siskel’s Flick Pick of the Week.”

Dave Kehr’s first review for the Reader was a double disembowelment of Bergman’s Cries and Whispers and Fellini’s Amarcord. It was love at first sight! I’ll never forget the headline: “Fellini and Bergman Step in Two Sacred Pies.” Having no use for Siskel as a critic, it had been ages since I bothered to read one of his reviews. With Dave on board, I couldn’t wait for the Friday edition to see the frequently hilarious juxtaposition of the two dramatically differing voices . Writing for a more commercial audience caused Dave to soften a bit in the star department, but those of us who bothered to actually read the review, his contempt for most mainstream releases remained unflagging.

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Roger Ebert to reoccupy film critic’s seat at Chicago Sun-Times

April 1st, 2008 by Scott Marks

roger-ebert.jpg

Roger Ebert used the occasion of his 41st anniversary as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times to write an open letter to his readers announcing his return to the paper early next month.

In January of 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. One month later surgeons successfully removed the cancer, but in 2003 he once again went under the knife when cancer was found in his salivary gland.

Roger was a guest at the 2005 San Diego County Fair and over dinner spoke of a misdiagnosed infection he endured as a child that he blamed as the source of his current health problems.

Roger has been absent from the movie beat since June of 2006 when he underwent further surgery to remove a section of his jaw bone. While recuperating, Roger continued to contribute occasional reviews to the paper and today announced that he will return as full-time critic shortly after his 10th annual Ebertfest at the University of Illinois. The celebration of overlooked films runs from April 23 to the 27th.

Roger will not return to his syndicated review show Ebert and Roeper At the Movies any time soon. He writes, “I am sorry to say that my ability to speak was not restored. That would require another surgery. But I still have all my other abilities, including the love of viewing movies and writing about them. And at my side I have my angelic wife, Chaz.”

Welcome back, Roger. Can’t wait to start shaking my fist at some of your reviews again!

Roger Ebert photos

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BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS / Russ Meyer (1970)

August 30th, 2007 by Scott Marks

Rog & Russ

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Directed by: Russ Meyer

Written by: Roger Ebert, Russ Meyer

Genres: Satire

Cast: Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, John Lazar, Michael Blodgett, David Gurian, Edy Williams, Erica Gavin, Phyllis Davis, Harrison Page, Duncan McLeod, James Inglehart, Charles Napier, Henry Rowland, Princess Livingston

Aspect Ratio: cinemascope5.jpg

Running Time: 109 min.

This big budget, X-rated, major studio production sent many a bluenosed (and red-faced) executive at 2oth Century Fox off the deep end. Perhaps it’s because the director was the inimitable Russ Meyer, better known as King Leer or the Sergei Eisenstein of soft core porn. Long before he became the corporate spokesman for American film criticism, Roger Ebert wrote, and continues to take a lot of heat for, this audacious, absolutely hilarious social satire. (Any man who coined the phrase, “May you suck the black sperm of death” is a genius in my book!) One of the most critically maligned and misunderstood masterpieces of the 1970’s. Strap this one on! Makes a great double-feature with with the equally undervalued Showgirls (Fully Exposed Edition).

Rating: ★★★★★

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