People often deride film critics as unnecessary and pretentious. Neither of those labels applied to Rober Ebert. For the last two years or so I've frequently checked Mr. Ebert's website out of curiosity, and I can say I easily see why he has perpetually been held in such high regard. His written reviews remained eloquent while maintaining a fun, conversational tone. Even his on-screen persona during his tenure on At the Movies was great. Sometimes, it almost felt like he was speaking directly to you. Not just a general audience. You. That's something.

And plus, anyone who continues his line of work after the various problems he faced due to his thyroid cancer is worth noting in my book.

What makes this the worst though was that he was still planning. Only two days ago he announced that he was going to expand his interests while taking a break from reviews due to a return of his cancer. I can only hope he outlined his plans well enough that his wife, Chaz, will continue with them.

What a lasting impact Ebert will leave. Unfortunately, the balcony is closed forever.

He and Leonard Maltin were the first two professional critics I ever cared about, and even in recent readings, I still appreciated his view on movies.

Video with Ebert defending Return of the Jedi (scroll down; article is good too):

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/beloved-film-critic-roger-ebert-dies-70-204629958.html

He loved Dawn Of The Dead '78. That's the one thing that will instantly make me love a person.

Barry Norman and Mark Kermode are still alive.

I wish someone would give Alex Cox another television show.

I often disagreed with Roger Ebert, and more usually agreed with Gene Siskel.  However, I much prefered listening to Ebert's reviews, because he seemed so down-to-earth, and less pretentious.  He seemed like a regular guy who loved movies, and communicated in an entertaining style.  He also never hesitated to say when he liked a movie even if it was getting panned by other critics.  He and Siskel had an incredible chemistry on screen, even if they weren't really friends.

Hard to believe that Ebert out-lived the much more fit-looking Siskel, by 15 years even.  Great quote by Siskel just before his untimely death:  "I'm in a hurry to get well because I don't want Roger to get more screen time than I."

Siskel and Ebert Star Wars Special:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCPahxsycI

Ebert's Great Movies list needs to be explored by more people. As my film tastes broadened into adulthood, that list helped me discover films I might not have otherwise heard about.

Anybody else use this software back in the 90s? It came with our new PC in 1995.

SilverWook said:

Truly the end of an era. Now all we have left are mostly anonymous internet based movie reviewers. I don't think anyone else will ever have his level of recognition or prominence.

Warbler said:

R. I. P.   Mr. Ebert. 

and thanks for defending Return of the Jedi against that stupid ignorant snob.

Return of the Jedi is largely crap and why do people use R.I.P. when someone dies? it's bloody annoying as hell.

You're dead now so please don't get up and move around.

I hope the neighbours don't wake you up.

When someone I like dies I hope there is a better afterlife where they are busy and happy, restored, not asleep and an acronym that sounds like something got torn or pirated.

Why lay in to Warbler and not captainsolo or twister111 who both invoked the same phrase?  I guess because Warbler also thanked ol' Roger for the defense of ROTJ (which I love).  It has a history to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rest_in_peace

No need to jump all over him.

M.N.O.D.H.C.T.T.R.A.M.H.S.B.P.O.U.T.T. (May no one disturb his corpse till the resurrection, and may his spirit be pleasantly occupied until that time).  I dunno, it just isn't as catchy and wouldn't fit so well on gravestones. ;)

I haven't 'laid into Warb'.

I have commented on this before in relation to comments made by people who aren't him.

I'd retract that accusation if I weren't me.

If you want someone to rest in peace type, "rest in peace" not rip (it doesn't take that much longer).

I personally prefer to think of him as regenerated, rejuvenated and hard at work review Hitchcock's latest.

Called to Glory!

I comment on how I don't like Return Of The Jedi that much or an acronym for a platitudinous epithet for the dead and suddenly the thread isn't about Roger Ebert anymore.

Not fun anymore.