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A review by explodinghead
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer
4.0
Good book! Surprisingly good book!
I’ve been reading Matt Singer on and off since I was in college and he was at the AV Club and then The Dissolve. I like the guy. He seems nice and enthusiastic. I, however, an not nice and I’m a bit of a misanthrope, so our world views feel a little different and it’s for that reason that I don’t always jive with his film criticism. So I had decent expectations for Opposable Thumbs – a book written by a guy I like about TWO guys I like. That’s just great business.
The book doesn’t overstay its welcome, and I could have done with a little more “notable reviews” and skirmishes from Siskel & Ebert’s partnership – I think I’m just a sucker for that stuff? They were a little before my time, so I don’t have any first-hand memories of them really. I’ve always felt like I “missed out” on that era of pop culture. Singer puts on just the right tint of rose-colored glasses when looking back at their lives. He occasionally points out perhaps their success was a product of shifting times, the spearhead of a trend that turned out to be pretty bad overall for film. And he occasionally casts doubt on some of their tall tales, so it’s not like Opposable Thumbs is a hagiography. Just the right balance IMO.
Fun comfort read that got me in the heart when it came for these two men’s early demises.
I’ve been reading Matt Singer on and off since I was in college and he was at the AV Club and then The Dissolve. I like the guy. He seems nice and enthusiastic. I, however, an not nice and I’m a bit of a misanthrope, so our world views feel a little different and it’s for that reason that I don’t always jive with his film criticism. So I had decent expectations for Opposable Thumbs – a book written by a guy I like about TWO guys I like. That’s just great business.
The book doesn’t overstay its welcome, and I could have done with a little more “notable reviews” and skirmishes from Siskel & Ebert’s partnership – I think I’m just a sucker for that stuff? They were a little before my time, so I don’t have any first-hand memories of them really. I’ve always felt like I “missed out” on that era of pop culture. Singer puts on just the right tint of rose-colored glasses when looking back at their lives. He occasionally points out perhaps their success was a product of shifting times, the spearhead of a trend that turned out to be pretty bad overall for film. And he occasionally casts doubt on some of their tall tales, so it’s not like Opposable Thumbs is a hagiography. Just the right balance IMO.
Fun comfort read that got me in the heart when it came for these two men’s early demises.