A review by a high-profile film critic could make or break a film’s performance at the box office. And that is what Roger Ebert, film critic extraordinaire loved to do. Alas, his time has come. He succumbed to a debilitating disease that he had been battling since 2002. He had three surgeries, had hip fractures and once again battled with his illness that had recurred. He even lost his ability to speak and major part of his jaw on his second operation in 2006. His passing on April 4, 2013 was announced by the Chicago Sun-Times, which publishes his syndicated movie reviews. He was 70.
Two-thumbs up
He started being a film critic in 1967. Since the start of his career as a film critic, he was connected with Chicago Sun-Times. It was also during that same year that his first book, entitled “Illini Century: One Hundred Years of Campus Life,” the Illinois University’s history was published by the university press. Reader’s Digest published his review of “Night of the Living Dead” in 1969.
He dabbled in writing screenplays as well, and was involved in the film “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,” which did dismally during its theater run but is considered a cult classic today. Teaming once again with the same director, Russ Meyer, they did “Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, Up!”
In 1978, he and Gene Siskel started co-hosting “Sneak Previews.” PBS picked the show up for national distribution and the pair became famous for their review summaries where they either give a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” sign. They later had the Two Thumbs Up phrase trademarked.
Even after Siskel’s death in 1999, Ebert continued his syndicated television show. On January 21, 2011, his last television series premiered. It was entitled “Ebert Presents: At the Movies.” His speaking parts were voiced by another person.
Critique style
Ebert described his critical style as relative, putting himself into the shoes of a prospective moviegoer, and leaving room for considering the value of the film as a whole. Films of the highest quality would receive a rating of four stars from him. The lowest quality film could get half a star or no star at all. There would be times that his written reviews go against the rating he gave to the film. He’s got a way with words and his wit was quite sharp.
Industry colleagues
Through the years he had developed close associations with numerous actors, actresses and industry bigwigs. All have sent tributes to the influential film critic. It was an “incalculable loss” said Martin Scorsese who is going to produce a documentary about the film critic. Samuel Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Seth MacFarlane, Wes Craven, Darren Aronofsky, Ron Howard, Cameron Crowe, Steve Martin and Robert Redford were the first batch of celebrities that sent personal messages to the family and posted tributes on Twitter. Oprah Winfrey and U.S. President Barack Obama also gave him glowing tributes.
Published Works
Ebert published a compilation of his reviews every two and a half years since 1999. He also published essays and several other forms of writings. Until 2011, he had published a total of 14 books, including the history of the University of Illinois.
Roger Ebert was a 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Film Criticism awardee.
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