Thursday, April 04, 2013

Roger Ebert Has Died

Roger Ebert, 70, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, and who was without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic, died Thursday in Chicago. He had been in poor health over the past decade, battling cancers of the thyroid and salivary gland.

Posted by ent lawyer at 12:52 PM

73 comments:

  1. Gayeld12:53 PM

    Aww. Loved him.

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  2. Jolene Jolene12:55 PM

    This breaks my heart. Fantastic film critic, even better writer. So sad.

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  3. LottaColada12:55 PM

    As @Seachica said, thumbs down in honor of Siskel and Ebert today.

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  4. The Real Dragon12:57 PM

    RIP Man!

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  5. Rhody1:00 PM

    He was so elegant in his handling of his disease and the way it ravaged his body. He had just announced he was stepping back from work. I wonder if he had pre-written his posts so as to retain his privacy when he was near the end.
    Rest in peace, Roger.

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    Replies
    1. auntliddy1:19 PM

      He prob did. I just read it on sunday i think.

      Delete
  6. greenmountaingal1:00 PM

    So sad. May he rest in peace.

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  7. nevermindthat1:00 PM

    R.I.P. You get Two Thumbs Up!

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  8. mybrothehero1:01 PM


    Wow. Just the other day I read on his website that he was going to get additional radiation because the aching in his bones turned out to be a malignancy. God bless his family, because he's already in Heaven.

    This is Esophageal Cancer Awareness month!! That's what my brother died of at 32. The mortality rate is, unfortunately, less than 1 that survive 5 years after diagnosis. PLEASE make sure to get scoped regularly if you have heartburn/Barrett's esophagus.

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    Replies
    1. Izzie1:04 PM

      @mybrotherthehero, there was a post the other day that reminded me of you. Hugs & thanks for the reminder.

      Delete
    2. mybrothehero1:28 PM

      Aw, thanks Izzie. I'm trying to raise money for a memorial bench where we went to high school in memory of my brother and 3 others who passed from his graduation year. Also over the weekend there was an event for pediatric cancer in Washington, DC to raise awareness and money.

      No one likes cancer, i hate it with a pssion as most of my family have died from it. I swear sometimes that God is waiting for me to crack. Too much stress the last 6 years!

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    3. Sherry7:03 PM

      MBTH:Your moniker is especially poignant knowing this. I know you must miss him profoundly. I too, have had some years of trying times. I remembered that I didn't ask God to make my life easy. I asked him to make me strong. May you always find your strength. Hugs.

      Delete
  9. Count Jerkula1:01 PM

    Seemed like a good dude. RIP.

    I loved his story about his date with Oprah, before she hit it big. She was about to sign a contract and didn't know whether to sign with a network or go with syndication. So he wrote on a napkin what he made per show. She looked at it unimpressed. Then he told her he was a co host, so she should double the figure, since she was hosting on her own. Her eyes opened a little. Then he said that he only does 1 show a week, hers will be daily, so now multiply by 5. Her eyes lit up, she signed with the syndication company and the rest is history.

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  10. MadLyb1:02 PM

    This is so sad! I follow him on FB and will miss his interesting posts. :( RIP, RE. I hope he's enjoying a coffee with Russ Meyer right now.

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    Replies
    1. All about Eve4:05 PM

      @MadLyb, I did too, he always had interesting pictures and posts. So sad :(

      Delete
  11. Astrid1:02 PM

    I loved Siskel & Ebert so much. RIP Roger.

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  12. Unknown1:03 PM

    I remember watching him and Siskel when I was just a kid in Chicago. LOVED them both. So so sad.

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  13. TracySwingKid1:05 PM

    Dang. It was just on 4/2/13 that he posted his "Leave of Presence" message on his blog.

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  14. lazyday6031:05 PM

    Good guy who never talked down to his readers the way an Andrew Sarris or Pauline Kael would. My one beef was his tendency to try rewriting the script of a movie he just saw. "If they had just done these three things & left out that one thing it would have been a perfect film". A minor quibble. He approached reviewing from a movie lovers perspective.

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  15. car541:10 PM

    What an inspiration he has been.

    I watched him and Gene Siskel all the way back when they first started.

    He lived his life to the fullest and really overcame anything that cancer threw at him.

    My sympathies to his wife--she was an amazing support to him.

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  16. Upside Downunder1:13 PM

    I always enjoyed his reviews on tv and his writing. He was a critic in the very best sense of the word. The world needs more like him.

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  17. Lucas1:14 PM

    Sad that we have lost another great voice of reason in this increasingly mad world. Rest in peace kind sir.

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  18. Laura1:15 PM

    He fought the good fight until the end. He will be missed.

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  19. crila161:15 PM

    R.I.P. Roger.

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  20. auntliddy1:18 PM

    I cant say that ruther he or suskel were warm and fuzzy, but sympathy to his family checreally got lousy break with the f*cking cancer. At least now he's whole and at peace. At least thats what i believe.
    Oh, and I hate f*cking cancer.

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  21. __-__=__1:29 PM

    RIP Roger. Two thumbs down. You will be missed.

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  22. Slim1:37 PM

    My father passed away from a similar cancer almost 4 years ago. The radiation and surgery's made him look like a different person and he lived the last few years on a feeding tube. Roger wrote about not being able to eat, what he craved and what foods he missed the most. My Dad used to say that his idea of heaven was eating a chicken fried steak in his Grandmothers old kitchen.

    Roger handled it with his head held high, just like my Dad. Love to his family.

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  23. Anonymous1:41 PM

    RIP Roger, he was so positive, light and fun, such a trooper and great attitude through his struggles too. I'm so sorry to hear that and for your loss @Slim.

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  24. Mama June1:42 PM

    Sad to hear this, big thumbs down for this news. Hope he's chatting with Gene Siskel in the great beyond. :)

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  25. JoElla1:43 PM

    I am so sad about this.

    Godspeed Roger, Godspeed.

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  26. AKM1:43 PM

    http://www.happyplace.com/22876/in-memory-of-roger-ebert-siskel-and-ebert-outtakes

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  27. AKM1:44 PM

    (Sorry I couldn't make it clicky.)

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  28. AuntJess1:48 PM

    RIP classy gentleman. His love of the art of film making and movies in general was inspiring. Also RE was one of the last of the great newspaper men. If anybody gets a chance check out his blog The Answer Man. It's like catnip for film buffs.

    Cancer gets 2 thumbs down.

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  29. Himmmm1:51 PM

    RIP to the big guy. Last of the true originals.

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  30. TinselSass2:00 PM

    My favorite Roger Ebert quote: "Every great film should seem new every time you see it." RIP to one of the greatest film critics and lovers.

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  31. Mango2:08 PM

    Lucas said it perfectly.

    Two thumbs up to you, Roger. Oh, and say "Hi" to Gene for me.

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  32. FSP2:14 PM

    RIP Roger

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  33. AndyCane2:17 PM

    Such sad news. I hear heaven has the best movies and foods though

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  34. bored soccer mom2:27 PM

    Well, well, well. Himmmm is back today. Of all days. Happy Birthday? LMAO!!!!!

    But, in all seriousness, RIP Roger Ebert. I just read somwhere his thoughts on dying, and they were eloquent.

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  35. Jamie22:32 PM

    I am genuinely sorry to hear this. His blog was great reading, and he was an intellectual liberal. Here's a piece he wrote in 2009 about death.

    http://bit.ly/CNda4

    He wasn't religious and didn't believe in heaven.

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  36. Kathy K2:37 PM

    Talk about someone who was determined to take his lot in life and live each day to the fullest anyway. An inspiration and a great talent. Listening to tributes from Chicago TV and radio personalities this afternoon ... he was much loved.

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  37. 1Jazzimom2:45 PM

    Downer..RIP Roger & condolences to his wife!

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  38. Maja With a J2:49 PM

    This is sad news, I really liked him.

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  39. Anonymous3:00 PM

    :^(

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  40. tara173:05 PM

    Gutted, he was the best.

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  41. mooshki3:18 PM

    Oh, no. He was a truly amazing man. This is awful.

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  42. Sherry R.3:31 PM

    RIP to a really nice guy.

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  43. libby3:56 PM

    Gene is FINALLY going to get to finish their epic disagreement about 1987's "Benji the Hunted".
    I was 16 then, and that argument about Benji movies made me an Ebert gal 4 life!!! (No offense Gene fans.)

    RIP, buddy. You made us better at seeing movies. I wouldn't have started seeing good films, if it weren't for you. Thank you.

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  44. Erik3:57 PM

    Damn, I really thought he'd be around for a few more years.

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  45. libby3:59 PM

    Oh--To clarify--Benji was NOT what i was saying was a 'good film', but if anyone remembers the argument that movie caused between S & E (which spilled forth onto a later Tonight Show appearance), it was just GREAT, and made me a fan of those two old film coots.

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  46. All about Eve4:09 PM

    RIP Roger, your quick wit and interesting views will be missed :(

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  47. Pogue Mahone4:21 PM

    It's so sad how much cancer took from him, how it disfigured his face and left him unable to eat, drink or speak for the last 10 YRS of his life. Truly a horrible, awful disease.

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  48. Ivs4:31 PM

    I really, really like this man. So sad he had to leave us; hopefully he - in his last moments - died in peace, feeling proud of himself and what he accomplished, not only in his career but also in life.. When the end comes, that is really the best any of us can wish for.

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  49. Mari4:55 PM

    An exit message with grace and heart. A life which has touched so many he never met.
    What a gentleman.

    Fade out, cut to happy memories relived.

    RIP Mr. Ebert.

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  50. Anonymous4:58 PM

    Five stars to Roger Ebert, human being !

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  51. Ivs5:15 PM

    Oh and guys, the onion wrote an article about this; it's shorter than anything else written about Mr. Ebert today but it still manages to be funny, moving and really just so lovely. Made me tear up. Can't do a clicky, but I'll leave the link here:

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/roger-ebert-hails-human-existence-as-a-triumph,31945/

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  52. B6265:16 PM

    Loved watching him and Siskel fight. Will miss him!!

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  53. Chigirlie5:19 PM

    I am truly saddened by this news. He seemed like a kind hearted person and I am literally wiping tears from my eyes as I type this. He will truly be missed and movie reviews won't be the same without his thoughtful insight into movies and the movie business. God bless his family and his wife Chazz.

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  54. Robin the Mad Photographer5:24 PM

    I first heard about Roger back when Sneak Previews began its run on PBS--I was a HUGE film buff then (wanted to go to Emerson to major in film & was accepted, but came up short financially, alas), and made it a point to tune in every week to see what he and Gene had to say. The world is richer for his having been in it, and poorer for having lost him now.

    Godspeed, Roger--may you find to your delight that there really is a happy afterlife, where you can enjoy talking, eating, and arguing with Gene again. :-(

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  55. Halfsicilian5:25 PM

    I wanted to be a film critic in my earlier years, thanks in part to watching Siskel & Ebert. In college, I studied Kael and loved her but there was something about Ebert that I always appreciated. He was a kind soul and will be missed.

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  56. Seachica5:26 PM

    My only Roger Ebert regret was that when I took the Hitchcock film class in Chicago in the mid-90s, I was one term too late to take it with Roger Ebert. I would have loved to hear his insights, darnit.

    Bye, Roger. With your passing, it feels like more than an end of your time. It's almost like the final signoff for the professional film critic era. There may be many thousands of amateur opinions floating around the Internet, but you represented a high professional standard, and made so many people view film as an art form.

    And of course, thank you for Valley of the Dolls.

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  57. KLM6:26 PM

    Well said, Mari. Well said.

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  58. EGB6:42 PM

    Robin, I have been watching since the PBS days as well. I have wonderful memories of watching all of S and E's shows with my grandfather, who would debate their opinions with the tv. Later, I feel back in love with the pair due to their appearances on the Howard Stern show. They were always so funny and honest on the show, and nonplussed by whatever Howard threw at them.
    Later, after Gene passed, Roger kept up his visits and continued to have interesting insider perspectives. He embraced the Internet and took pride in hs online columns and reader interactions. He handled his illness with class and lived an authentic life until the end. RIP, to one of the good ones.

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  59. Sherry7:26 PM

    Two thumbs up to Roger's insightful reviews, great intelligence and amazing grace in dealing with his illness. Hope he's enjoying a delicious meal and lovely banter with Siskel. Rest in peace dear man. You were loved and will be greatly missed.

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  60. Anonymous7:38 PM

    RIP, he should be proud of his life. I'm sure his family is.

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  61. KellyLynn8:03 PM

    As the Tribune tweet said, there is a hole that can't be filled. We will miss you, Roger.

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  62. Goodnight8:17 PM

    Roger Ebert was insightful, entertaining, honest and dignified. He never condescended, and he never patronised.

    He went through something unimaginably painful and difficult with his head held high. He confronted the reality of his condition but he also lived in the moment to make the most of the time he had.

    He was a rare individual and he seemed to be a lovely human being. His wit and talent and knowledge and warmth will be missed.

    I know he didn't believe in an afterlife, but I hope there is one where all the movies seem new when he re-watches them and he can eat and drink all his favourite things to his heart's content.

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  63. Kloie10:16 PM

    Sad news tonight.

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  64. StewMcG6:20 AM

    RIP Roger. This quote, I think, beautifully sums up life like no other:

    "I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try."
    ― Roger Ebert

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  65. AKM9:28 AM

    For you, libby. Sorry I can't make it clicky.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRYatL4adDQ

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  66. April11:06 PM

    I'm going to miss him so much. As someone who likes to watch movies, then really think about what I just saw, whether I loved or hated it, he was like a movie dad for me.

    Every movie I saw, I want to know what Ebert thought above everyone else. I didn't always agree with him, but I took in his thoughts and loved having him there to check in with. I'd hell-yeah when he agreed with me and whine when he didn't, but I always wanted to know what he thought.

    I'm crying a little writing this. I'll really miss you, Ebert.

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  67. AKM7:10 AM

    @April Walsh - I watched "Entertainment Tonight" last night for some reason. (I don't usually catch it. Forget it's on.) Between the MTM reunion on "HIC"/Valerie Harper, and the Roger Ebert coverage, I was bawling like a baby for about a half-hour. :-/

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