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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
informative
fast-paced
Read for GPL's Page Turners book discussion. I enjoyed it a lot. Like many people I watched S&E on TV during the 80s and 90s. I was a little uncomfortable with their frequent arguing, but they were undeniably well informed about movies, and their enthusiasm was evident. I felt like they cared about film criticism. They did change movies forever. They championed some movies and directors, like Hoop Dreams' Steve James, and gave him visibility he might not otherwise have had. It is repetitive, as is my experience with most nonfiction, but it was well-documented and well-written.
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Siskel and Ebert were a cultural constant when I was growing up and, while I never actively sought out their show, I was always happy to find it on TV. From the jump I was Team Roger. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t side with him over Gene.
I probably engaged most with Ebert’s work in the post-Siskel years (skipping over the Roeper period). As my love of film crystallized, I often checked out the reviews on his website. While our tastes certainly diverged, he almost always had something instructive to say.
“Opposable Thumbs” is an interesting chronicle of Roger and Gene’s careers, a clear portrait of their petty rivalries and growing colleagueship. Singer effectively contextualizes their importance to movie culture, and I learned a great deal about their influence.
At the same time, I longed for something more from this book. After consuming two decades of their show, Singer seems to have arrived at a basic take on what made it work. But because of that, the book can get repetitive. (How many times must he reiterate that people loved watching two regular dudes who shared little personality-wise beyond their love of movies argue? Or loop back to the failings of the various iterations of their shows after they left them?)
What I really wanted was more front-facing content. Tell me more about their opinions on certain movies or identify patterns in their preferences as tastemakers. I perked up whenever the book mentioned a specific film because it took me back to that time and place, but these moments were few. Singer tried to rectify this absence with an appendix covering some overlooked movies that both Siskel and Ebert championed, but it didn’t quite fill the gap. In the end, the book made for an enjoyable but not fully satisfying read.
I probably engaged most with Ebert’s work in the post-Siskel years (skipping over the Roeper period). As my love of film crystallized, I often checked out the reviews on his website. While our tastes certainly diverged, he almost always had something instructive to say.
“Opposable Thumbs” is an interesting chronicle of Roger and Gene’s careers, a clear portrait of their petty rivalries and growing colleagueship. Singer effectively contextualizes their importance to movie culture, and I learned a great deal about their influence.
At the same time, I longed for something more from this book. After consuming two decades of their show, Singer seems to have arrived at a basic take on what made it work. But because of that, the book can get repetitive. (How many times must he reiterate that people loved watching two regular dudes who shared little personality-wise beyond their love of movies argue? Or loop back to the failings of the various iterations of their shows after they left them?)
What I really wanted was more front-facing content. Tell me more about their opinions on certain movies or identify patterns in their preferences as tastemakers. I perked up whenever the book mentioned a specific film because it took me back to that time and place, but these moments were few. Singer tried to rectify this absence with an appendix covering some overlooked movies that both Siskel and Ebert championed, but it didn’t quite fill the gap. In the end, the book made for an enjoyable but not fully satisfying read.
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
If Siskel and Ebert gave it two thumbs up, you knew it was going to be a hit.
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced