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Departure Of Both 'Ebert & Roeper' Leaves Questions About Viability Of A Review Show Called '&'
Posted by Seth at 5:40 AM on July 22, 2008
We bring sad news from the ongoing Film Critic Death March: In a broken-down negotiation that we like to imagine at one point contained the exchange, "You're asking for how much money?! You think you two are the only Ebert and Roeper out there? Someone get me a Chicago phone book and I bet I'll find you an Ebert and Roeper with an opinion about movies. Even a monkey (who happens to be named Ebert and/or Roeper) could do your job!" the two star critics have pulled out of their show At The Movies With Ebert & Roeper, with legendary opinion-haver Roger Ebert hinting at disastrous creative changes to come:
In an e-mail to The Associated Press on Monday, Ebert said Disney-ABC Domestic Television had decided to take the show "in a new direction" and he won't be associated with it.In a statement, Ebert said, "The show was a wonderful experience," and added that he and Siskel's widow, Marlene Iglitzen, retain the trademark to the phrase, "Two thumbs up." [...]
His announcement came a day after Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper said he was leaving the nationally syndicated "At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper.""Several months ago, Disney offered to extend my contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season," Roeper said. "I opted to wait. Much transpired after that behind the scenes, but an agreement was never reached, and we are all moving on."
Whatever Disney's "new direction" entailed—we're picturing the large-breasted Roeper Girls spinning a giant Thumb-O-Tron, which miraculously pointed to "TWO WAY, WAY, WAY UP!!!" every time a Disney release was up for review—we're dreading it. It's time to bring in the big guns, and re-animate Gene Siskel via the magic of XBox 360's RAW 2008 for some old-school Sneak Previews smackdowns like the ones we savored weekly in our youth.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
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Old No.7
Posted 6:25 AM 22/7/08
Since all Hollywood will produce in the future are remakes of old films anyway, I'll just dust off my old Betamax recordings of original Siskel & Ebert shows from the early 80's, for my movie reviews.
Old No.7
Huge Tracts of Land
Posted 6:11 AM 22/7/08
Oh good. This, coupled with the sad personnel sweeps at newspapers across the country, makes us entirely dependent on overweight shut-in bloggers to tell us which movies to see. Four Cheetoh bags up!
Huge Tracts of Land
Toxiferous
Posted 6:04 AM 22/7/08
So who gets custody of Siskel's Saturday Night Fever John-Travolta-White-Disco-Suit?
Toxiferous
JudgeFudge
Posted 6:02 AM 22/7/08
Well, poor Ebert can't talk anymore, let alone be on camera. I think Roeper did a pretty good job pinch-hitting, but it was always a little depressing to watch the show when it was just Roeper and Random Critic.
JudgeFudge
William Mize
Posted 5:59 AM 22/7/08
Siskel = Yay!
Ebert = Yay!
Roeper = Boo! (and/or Hiss!)
William Mize
Juancho
Posted 5:56 AM 22/7/08
Two middle fingers up is more like it.
Juancho
derby
Posted 5:54 AM 22/7/08
I'm going to go ahead and say I always liked Roeper - but his positive review of "Rumor Has It…" remains a dark, dark moment in film criticism.
derby
Oxycontinmoron
Posted 5:53 AM 22/7/08
Well this makes sense. With Ebert retaining the trademark to the phrase, "Two thumbs up" and Damon Wayans doing the same with "Two snaps up in a circle" there really is no accurate way left for our advanced civilization to review a movie.
Oxycontinmoron
MrHughes
Posted 5:46 AM 22/7/08
Sure, you can use that phone book to find another Ebert and Roeper. But can you find a single Sarah Connor?
MrHughes
SugartitsMcFirecrotch
Posted 7:03 AM 22/7/08
@Huge Tracts of Land: Two moobs up.
SugartitsMcFirecrotch
SugartitsMcFirecrotch
Posted 6:59 AM 22/7/08
@JudgeFudge: Agreed. I prefer to remember Roger in the good ol'/bad ol' Siskel & Ebert at the Movies days, although the attention he's not giving to his on-screen appearances is paying off in the interesting writing he's doing on his blog.
His full statement is here and has some intriguing sub-text: [rogerebert.suntimes.com]
SugartitsMcFirecrotch
mitchel_stevens
Posted 6:59 AM 22/7/08
Well, shit.
mitchel_stevens
NotReadyForPrimeTime
Posted 6:50 AM 22/7/08
@Toxiferous:
Actually I believe he sold that suit before he died.
NotReadyForPrimeTime
JudgeFudge
Posted 6:50 AM 22/7/08
Nothing can possible be worse than Reel Talk with Lyons and Bailes.
Hmmm, what's that? Both Lyons and Bailes like the Love Guru? What a coincidence that Mike Myers is a guest on the show the day they review it!
Such a scam, that show.
JudgeFudge
NoWireHangers
Posted 6:46 AM 22/7/08
The show was officially over when Siskel passed. It was never the same without him. Roeper made Ebert shine by comparison. I miss the old days. That said, I'm sure the suits are in the process of turning "Ampersand" into some kind of Access-Hollywood-esc studio-fellating piece of shit masquerading as a critic's forum. You know, the kind of show that suggests you see "Meet Dave".
NoWireHangers
RonMwangaguhunga
Posted 7:36 AM 22/7/08
I'll always be partial to Siskel, the pale, patrician Yalie to Ebert's scruffy Pulitzer-prize winning lover of black women. Roeper always struck me as more interested in scoring babes in Chicago from the gig. He has no chic.
RonMwangaguhunga
CrankYank
Posted 7:17 AM 22/7/08
It's all about the internet, people! Let's get these out to the basic cable demographics, diversify!
At the Movies with Towleroad & After Elton! Tonight - Special Jake Gyllenhaal Retrospective!
At the Movies with Finke & Jezebel! Live Audience with Tomatoes Provided!
Hacky Tits at the Movies with Joe Francis & Brett Ratner!
It'll be golden.
CrankYank
WGARefugee
Posted 8:39 AM 22/7/08
I feel for Disney. It's going to be hard for them to squeeze "two short thick digits of the human hand that are analogous in position to the big toe up!" into print ads.
WGARefugee
CrankYank
Posted 8:29 AM 22/7/08
@kookla: That was always the program that actually got me to go to bed at 2 AM. How did he get famous people to actually talk to him. The vital insomniac demographic?
CrankYank
kookla
Posted 8:16 AM 22/7/08
You realize what this means? At The Movies with Byron Allen. Y'all better start your petitions now! I'm not kidding!!
kookla
kookla
Posted 8:40 AM 22/7/08
@CrankYank: Right?? Ebert & Roeper can't cut a deal and yet Bryon keeps getting work?
kookla
Dimo
Posted 9:26 AM 22/7/08
I'm going to finally put away my briefcase containing all my concession stand needs. Thanks Gene.
Dimo
raincoaster
Posted 9:11 AM 22/7/08
Let's give it to Lisanti. He can co-host with Grazerhead!
raincoaster
OldTowneTavern
Posted 10:00 AM 22/7/08
Shouldn't they also have trademarked "two thumbs down"? Up, alone, seems remarkably short sighted, and far too optimistic.
OldTowneTavern
lrubemp
Posted 12:55 PM 22/7/08
Ebert and Roeper gone, so what? The show has been useless for years, with their respectable cover for worthless big-budget Hollywood vehicles more glaring all the time, interrupted now and then only by the occasional bizarre enthusiasm ("Crash"). The "thumbs up!" gimmick is largely meaningless these days. Go ahead and keep it, knock yourself out.
lrubemp
CrankYank
Posted 12:51 PM 22/7/08
@raincoaster: Beautiful.
CrankYank
LargeMarge
Posted 4:28 PM 22/7/08
Byron Allen must be SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited now!
LargeMarge
Greasy Thumb Guzik
Posted 5:19 PM 22/7/08
@OldTowneTavern:
It is trademarked.
Siskel's widow, Marlene Iglitzen owns the "Thumbs Up/Down trademark.
Greasy Thumb Guzik
regisgoat
Posted 7:07 PM 22/7/08
I guess Roeper is going to have to hang out on streetcorners, interrupting passers by if and when they talk about a film. Hearing the news, I guess I feel like a peasant hearing that the Czar died: Bad as he was, whatever they replace him with will be worse.
regisgoat
Losin_it
Posted 12:06 AM 23/7/08
They will be replaced with someone younger, blog-gier, hipper, and supposedly more in tune with what the 12 year old demographic movie demographic wants to hear--in 2009, Movie Criticism goes urban and FOR THE PEOPLE!
Expect to constantly hear the words "awesome" and "suck" quite frequently, perhaps even in the same review.
Losin_it
AliMalik
Posted 11:51 AM 22/7/08
And the funniest headline of the day goes... to YOU! Natalie Finn Staff Writer E! Online 323.692.6647 nfinn@comcastnets.com
AliMalik