EDIT: Oh f*** me. It's supposed to say ROGER instead of ROBERT in the title. My apologies. D: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17320958-418/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html It's a sad day for Movie Fans, Critics, and Goers alike, as one of the industry's most profound reviewers passes away today. Whether or not you agreed with his opinions, this man was truly a fighter when it came to defending his side of the argument and his health. One of my favorite reviews of his was Pokemon: The First Movie. Ebert knows what's up and totally outshines the lady reviewer lol.
I heard about it earlier this morning. I've been kind of depressed about it. I was introduced to him via the Nostalgia Critic and looked up a few of his reviews (my personal favorite having to be the Silence of the Lambs review he did with Siskel). He had a great way of looking at films in a very serious way and always critiqued them fairly. I may not have shared some of his views on films, but he at least laid out the evidence of why he thought that way, which I could easily respect. Another great video of his to watch is when he was at the TED conference in 2011, where he talks about obtaining his "new voice". It's a really inspirational video, but also really hard to watch. I've definitely taken some qualities from him when I think of the films that I watch, and he was a good human being overall.
I learned about it from the message his wife left on his blog that I subscribe to. A couple days ago he posted about how his health wasn't too good; it's still an unexpected shock. I always try to look up Roger Ebert's review of a movie after I had seen it. Not to see if he approved it -- I agree with him 99% of the time anyways -- but for his thoughts. Many of the times they reflect my own, but many of the times they also bring out insights about a movie I hadn't noticed. Reading his reviews enhanced my viewing experience just as talking about a movie afterward with friends would. Through his reviews he introduced me into the world of good cinema and helped shaped the way I view them, and art in general. I loved Roger Ebert and will continue to do so as long as I can "go to the movies." Today I have decided to become either a writer or a filmmaker. Before I always thought I would become a computer programmer or engineer, things I know I'd be good at, where everything makes logical sense, safe. Though I think these professions are admirable, for me, entering into the world of art is much more scary, much less predictable, and much more challenging. I haven't seen many of Roger's video reviews, but I did love the one where he talks about Magnolia. I've seen that TED Talk and yes, it was truly inspiring. EDIT: A link I happened to come across about Roger Ebert today. A nice read.
I heard about it from one of my Internet critics. He actually did a tribute to Siskel and Ebert which Ebert commented on himself that it was one of the best reviews of them he's ever seen. The critic says he still has that quote framed because of how much it affected him as he was just starting out. I honestly loved Ebert when growing up and used to watch the two every Saturday when I had the chance. I stopped after a while, but I also tried to look up his articles about movies when I was thinking about going to see one. Though my favorite of all time was North. You couldn't pay Ebert a million dollars to like that movie.
It's a sad, sad day for the media. I REALLY loved Robert. He was a special person and I really respected him. I may have not always agreed with him, but he's a damn good reviewer, making even those on the other side respect him. May he rest in peace.
