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R.I.P. Roger Ebert


Jay

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First one of these threads I've ever made

Roger Ebert dies at 70 after battle with cancer

I used to LOVE Siskel and Ebert, and enjoyed the forms of the show that followed (Ebert & Roeper, At The Movie, etc) as well. It was the best way to keep up with what was currently in theaters and know what they were about.

Beyond that, Roger Ebert's writing were always fun to read, whether you agreed with his opinions or not. He was a great personality.

He will be missed.

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I saw some footage of him on the news, but the sound was muted so I had no idea what it was about. I "jokingly" told my brother maybe he died...but never did I imagine it to be the case...

EDIT: So it's actually true... Wow! Like Steef, he was THE film critic. I may not have always agreed to him in his later years, but I always enjoyed his work and I didn't think we'd see him go so soon... :( There goes a very important part of the film industry.

May he rest in peace.

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his love of film was genuine, his reviews less of a criticism and more an expression of his personal feelings about a film.

I imagine that Gene was waiting for him and they are now laughing about how bad the prequels turned out. He is whole where he is now.

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EDIT: So it's actually true... Wow! Like Steef, he was THE film critic. I may not have always agreed to him in his later years,

Same here, but in all his reviews there was a genuine love of film and a good sense of humor.

Oh certainly. I just find his passing harder to grasp. He's such an icon in the world of film, you'd think we'd have a Roger Ebert review of every blockbuster and indie film on the block, but I guess that will no longer be the case.

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his love of film was genuine, his reviews less of a criticism and more an expression of his personal feelings about a film.

What I appreciated is that he never sat down in a cinema with the intention to thrash a film.

Oh certainly. I just find his passing harder to grasp. He's such an icon in the world of film, you'd think we'd have a Roger Ebert review of every blockbuster and indie film on the block, but I guess that will no longer be the case.

Right now I don't think I've been moved more by the passing of someone in the film bizz since Michael Kamen died and I wept openly.

Even before I had internet I read his reviews.

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When the Special Editions were released, he published an article proclaiming Empire to be the best of the three. I clipped it and saved it with other neat SW articles. Now I'll save it forever. It's fun to revisit.

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I remember Roger from the 70s'. He's impacted my love of films for 5 decades, Wow, he wont soon be forgotten.

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He had a great year in reviews for 2012 though. I always look forward to reading what he has to say on a film. No more words from Ebert on the films to come...he will be sorely missed indeed.

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I'm heartbroken.

No other non-fiction writer had more of an influence on my own style and approach to the craft. He gave me permission to be casual on the page, even when composing something of substance and import. He taught me good writing reads and feels like a spoken conversation, not a technical manual or research paper. I've emulated that philosophy ever since, in blogs, analyses, and on certain internet forums I frequent. ;)

He was, for me, the John Williams of the written word. Others could do it, of course, but few could bring such variety and creativity to it, and make it look s'damn easy.

Even before I had internet I read his reviews.

In high school I owned the 1987 edition of his review collection. I read it constantly, over and over again, adoring his wit and piercing presence of mind. (I probably still have that same rat-eared copy around in my basement somewhere. . . .)

What I appreciated is that he never sat down in a cinema with the intention to thrash a film.

Ah, but no one could thrash a film with more skill, style, and finesse. His two books devoted solely to movies he gave two stars or less (I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie and Your Movie Sucked) made for some of his best reading material. The first line of his review to Pearl Harbor—given a well-deserved place in the first of those two books—brilliantly represents his ability to sum up everything you need to know about a cinematic stinker in a single line: "Pearl Harbor is a two-hour movie squeezed into three hours, about how on December 7, 1942, the Japanese attacked an American love triangle."

He was always open-minded and fair, but you had to earn his respect. If you were lazy in your storytelling and characterization, or if you were just trying to exploit filmgoers for a few million bucks, he'd cut you off at the knees. He was, after all, much more than just a movie critic; he was an audience member.

Every year we lose great people from the cinema, but we all have our heroes. For a while now I've been preparing myself to mourn the eventual loss of three men associated with the movie industry who had an indelible impact on me. Today saw the first one fall.

- Uni

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Oh that's very sad. I had read recently that his cancer had returned and he was cutting back his workload. Very sad news.

A tweet from BBC movie critic Mark Kermode: "Really saddened by the news of Roger Ebert's passing, an inspirational figure whose insightful passion for cinema shone through every word."

RIP

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I recently watched Midnight Cowboy and read Ebert's review of it, which he updated since its release in the '70s. The points he made were keen, succinct, and firmly supported, and gave me an appreciation of why, like him, I felt the film was good but not great.

It's always sad to see the passing of such iconic figures who gave so much to so many for such a long time. He will be sorely missed.

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I read this interview with his widow... Inspiring yet heart breaking at the same time. It seems he had given up wanting to fight the battle with cancer. = (

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/roger-eberts-devastated-widow-says-life-more-epic-234408210--abc-news-celebrities.html

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Seems more just it just suddenly ended. Lot of people mistakenly think you fight cancer with determination or positive energy.

If he went as peacefully as reported then he is very lucky though. Usually dying of cancer is prolonged and very painful.

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Yeah, this was unexpected. He wasn't just putting up a front when he talked about what he wanted to do. He had plans. He intended to go forward.

Still, I don't think any of us who haven't experienced it can begin to know how exhausting a battle like this would be—especially if it decimated us so deeply the first time around. He had incredible courage and strength, but I think he was ready for whatever might come. I would call that the definition of "peace," and for that I'm grateful and pleased for him.

- Uni

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Seems more just it just suddenly ended. Lot of people mistakenly think you fight cancer with determination or positive energy.

If he went as peacefully as reported then he is very lucky though. Usually dying of cancer is prolonged and very painful.

I never got the impression that he was a man fighting cancer. He seemed like a man of high spirits.

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Unfortunately cancer can deteriorate a person quickly, one day they appear normal and overnight suddenly reach a point where they don'r recognize you, can't function on their own and are bed ridden.

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This is sad, sad news. I always enjoyed his reviews and took something away from them, whether I agreed with him or not. In the latter case, his exceptional way of analyzing and hitting the important points meant that I easily understood what aspects there were he didn't like, and make up my own mind as to how much they would bother me. You don't get such reasonable arguing in scathing reviews many place else.

RIP

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And the saga begins....

Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Roger Ebert's Funeral

The anti-gay group says it will protest outside the movie critic's memorial service Monday in Chicago.

Leaders of Kansas' Westboro Baptist Church, notorious for picketing at the funerals of soldiers and gay teenagers, have revealed that they plan to picket the funeral of late movie critic Roger Eberton Monday.


In its news release, the group calls Ebert a "f-g enabler" and complains that he used his Twitter "to mock the faithful servants of God at Westboro Baptist Church.
"

On March 25, Ebert did in fact tweet a link to a Salon post that features an excerpt from a book by Jeff Chu titled Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America. Chu, a gay man, spent a day at Westboro as part of his research.

Ebert tweeted the link twice, once with the message "Just another day at Westboro Baptist" and again with a similar message: "One more day at the Westboro Baptist church."

Westboro also calls Ebert a "fool sold his soul for some fame & fortune."

Ebert died at the age of 70 Thursday after battling cancer. His funeral service is set for 10 a.m. Monday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Westboro says it plans to picket "in lawful proximity" from 9:15-10 a.m.

The Westboro Baptist Church has also protested at the funerals of Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Edwards and the victims of the Arizona shooting that injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Read the full text of its news release below:

GOD HATES F-G ENABLER ROGER EBERT!

LORD WILLING, WBC TO PICKET IN LAWFUL PROXIMITY TO THE FUNERAL OF F-G ENABLER ROGER EBERT AT “PREISTS RAPE BOYS” HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL (730 N. STATE STREET, CHICAGO, IL), MONDAY, APRIL 8, FROM 9:15-10:00 AM

For 22 years Westboro has warned the people of Topeka, Kansas & America that the policies of sin of this land have brought the wrath of God upon you, your houses, your city, your state, & your nation. American entertainment industry publicity leech Roger Ebert took to Twitterverse to mock the faithful servants of God at Westboro Baptist Church, just days before he received the horrifying summons: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: [now] whose shall [that silly vanity called a Pulitzer Prize] be, which thou has provided?" (Luke 12:20) This fool sold his soul for some fame & fortune, forgetting that God has made a simple declaration regarding His people: “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” (Psalms 105:15). Now the famed critic is in a new jurisdiction, where he can see the blessings poured out on God's humble servants in heaven, from his seat of eternal torment & sorrow in Hell! It's too late for the fool Roger Ebert! WBC will continue to bind those who still live in Doomed america to God's eternal laws & Word, so you, like Roger, are without excuse!

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Let's keep this thread away from the Religious Far-Right. They don't deserve it.

Speaking of far-right....Maggie Thatcher has died. I wonder who the third one will be.

sorry sir. no offense meant. just making an observation.

Maggie Thatcher died? really?

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Having WBC picket your funeral is rapidly becoming a badge of honor in this country. Means you did something with your life.

I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.

Sounds like Steven Wright to me. . . . ;)

- Uni

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