OBIT: Roger Ebert

[Prizes]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17320958-418/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html

rogerebert.com had millions of fans, and he received a special achievement award as the 2010 “Person of the Year” from the Webby Awards, which noted that “his online journal has raised the bar for the level of poignancy, thoughtfulness and critique one can achieve on the Web.” His Twitter feeds had 827,000 followers.

Ebert was both widely popular and professionally respected. He not only won a Pulitzer Prize — the first film critic to do so -- but his name was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005, among the movie stars he wrote about so well for so long. His reviews were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers worldwide.

I loved Ebert's witty, informative reviews; he died after a lengthy battle with cancer at 70. He was often my first source to go to when there was a movie I wanted to see.

Fun fact, he actually invested very early on in Google. Smart, yet witty, exactly what I love in a person. May he rest in peace.

[jmorgan]

Now, he and Gene Siskel can argue about movies together in heaven.

RIP, Roger. The film critic world won't be the same without you.

[Kirsten Vaccaro]

RIP Roger Ebert.

[Hag]

RIP Mr. Ebert.

[wpghi5]

RIP Roger Ebert. Say hi to Gene for us. 

[Superballer]

His books ripping up the worst films he'd ever seen were hilarious.  Through all the years with Siskel and others (including guests spots on The Critic and Sesame's Sneak Peak Previews), he was often just as entertaining as the good films he reviewed.  The question is, what happens to the Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down review now, and he and Siskel had trademarked it? 

[wrikent3500]

I wonder if PBS,TCM or AMC will have some sort of tribute specials

[RJSchex]

Until next time, the balcony is closed.

[DarkBaron]

Although I often disagree with his reviews, I cannot deny how huge his contributions were. Rest in Peace, Mr. Ebert.

[BRB_TheFireball]

The best film critic in the world... and he has the Pulitzer Prize and Walk of Fame star to prove it.  Not only a brilliant man, but funny... a sentiment echoed by a previous poster:

His books ripping up the worst films he'd ever seen were hilarious.

His reviews of bad films were always my favorite ones to read.  My favorite Roger Ebert line of all time comes from his review of the Rob Schneider turkey Deuce Bigalow:  European Gigolo, one of the few films for which he gave zero stars:  "Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks."

RIP, Roger.  You will always get Two Thumbs Up® from me.

[GuyWithFace]

His reviews of bad films were always my favorite ones to read.

Indeed, and some of them can be read here. Ebert himself stated that he enjoyed writing reviews for bad movies far moreso than writing reviews of good ones.

My favorite Roger Ebert line of all time comes from his review of the Rob Schneider turkey Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, one of the few films for which he gave zero stars: "Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks."

Per the above-linked page,

Rob Schneider ... had gotten angry at Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times for his review of the movie and basically said that Goldstein's opinion didn't matter since he had never won any journalism awards. Ebert quoted Goldstein's review and Schneider's response before saying "As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified." followed by weighing in with his Pulitzer-validated opinion.