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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Grew up with these guys (and my dad) in my ear, yapping about film. They had their limitations, but Ebert in particular became a beacon for me in his final decade. I still miss him, and this is a great excuse to rewatch his documentary and reread Life Itself.
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
At one time, "Two Thumbs Up" meant the ultimate success for a movie, and success swayed on the opinions of Siskel and Ebert. The fact that they didn't really like each other at first just adds to the intrigue.
This book looks at the lives of both men, their up-and-down relationship, their television show, and the movies they reviewed. It is a must-read for anyone who watched them during that time.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This book looks at the lives of both men, their up-and-down relationship, their television show, and the movies they reviewed. It is a must-read for anyone who watched them during that time.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
informative
medium-paced
This book was provided to me from Netgalley so I can read and read it before it’s published.
The only thing I knew about Siskel and Ebert, is they had a television show about movies, because I watched it occasionally when I was younger. Where I live, we had two movie critics, Larry Ratliff and Bob Polunsky. During the years when The Sopranos was on television, Bob gave my dad and I two tickets for a Sopranos gathering at a local restaurant where we got free Sopranos gear and also got to watch a episode before it aired. That was really cool, and I still have my Sopranos shirt and hat.
I was looking forward to learning more about Siskel and Ebert and how show came to be. And this book didn’t disappoint me at all. I didn’t know they were competitors at different Chicago newspapers and the show started on PBS in Chicago. Despite the successful show, behind the scenes, they were very competitive with each other. But they did have an awesome job of watching movies and critiquing them. They had the power and clout to make or break a movie.
Reading about their experiences on the late-night talk show circuits was funny; we got Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
It was a little sad when the author talked about the illness of both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as cancer sucks.
The show did survive without them, but it was never the same. There will never be another Siskel and Ebert.
As for the overall flow of the book, it was a quick and easy read for me.
The only thing I knew about Siskel and Ebert, is they had a television show about movies, because I watched it occasionally when I was younger. Where I live, we had two movie critics, Larry Ratliff and Bob Polunsky. During the years when The Sopranos was on television, Bob gave my dad and I two tickets for a Sopranos gathering at a local restaurant where we got free Sopranos gear and also got to watch a episode before it aired. That was really cool, and I still have my Sopranos shirt and hat.
I was looking forward to learning more about Siskel and Ebert and how show came to be. And this book didn’t disappoint me at all. I didn’t know they were competitors at different Chicago newspapers and the show started on PBS in Chicago. Despite the successful show, behind the scenes, they were very competitive with each other. But they did have an awesome job of watching movies and critiquing them. They had the power and clout to make or break a movie.
Reading about their experiences on the late-night talk show circuits was funny; we got Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
It was a little sad when the author talked about the illness of both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as cancer sucks.
The show did survive without them, but it was never the same. There will never be another Siskel and Ebert.
As for the overall flow of the book, it was a quick and easy read for me.
As someone who occasionally gets paid to write about movies, an entire history about the two constantly bickering men that essentially proved the worth of film criticism to the general public was something like a bit of catnip for me. There are times where this history gets bogged down in some of the specifics of varying studio heads and producers that had a hand in creating Siskel & Ebert, and I could envision other readers wondering why they're reading the twentieth example of "these two guys fought a lot." But I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of all the recounting of the boys's best bits, repetitive nature be damned. Good comfort read.
Special Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.
They say talking about art is like dancing about architecture. But what about talking about people who talk about art?
In this excellent new biography on the relationship between Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel and film, critic (and quality Letterboxed follow) Matt Singer gets to the very heart of what made this dynamic so electrifying.
Rather than a straightforward look at the lives of these two complex men, Singer makes his focus the relationship between them, and their respective perspectives on the art form they so loved.
If you love "Siskel & Ebert", film criticism, or even just the art form of criticism in general, "Opposable Thumbs" is a must-read.
They say talking about art is like dancing about architecture. But what about talking about people who talk about art?
In this excellent new biography on the relationship between Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel and film, critic (and quality Letterboxed follow) Matt Singer gets to the very heart of what made this dynamic so electrifying.
Rather than a straightforward look at the lives of these two complex men, Singer makes his focus the relationship between them, and their respective perspectives on the art form they so loved.
If you love "Siskel & Ebert", film criticism, or even just the art form of criticism in general, "Opposable Thumbs" is a must-read.