Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was an influential American film critic who wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death. As the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, he became widely recognized as America's most prominent and trusted voice in film criticism. Beyond print journalism, Ebert gained widespread fame through his television work, particularly co-hosting various incarnations of At the Movies with Gene Siskel from 1975 to 1999, where they popularized their "thumbs up/thumbs down" rating system. After Siskel's death, Ebert continued the show with Richard Roeper until 2006. Ebert authored numerous books on film and developed the "Great Movies" series of essays celebrating significant films throughout cinema history. Following complications from thyroid cancer surgery in 2006 that left him unable to speak, he became a prolific social media user and blogger, continuing to write reviews and commentary until shortly before his death. He was known for his accessible writing style that explained complex films to general audiences while maintaining intellectual rigor, and for his belief that movies should be evaluated within their intended genres and ambitions rather than against universal standards. His reviews and essays are archived on his website rogerebert.com, which continues to publish new film criticism from other writers.

Readers celebrate Ebert's conversational tone and ability to analyze films without condescension. Many cite his willingness to review blockbusters and arthouse films with equal seriousness. Readers frequently mention his skill at explaining why a film succeeds or fails without getting technical. Liked: - Clear explanations of complex themes - Personal anecdotes that connect to films - Respect for popular entertainment - Detailed scene analysis - Reviews that read like conversations Disliked: - Some found him too forgiving of mainstream films - Occasional political commentary in reviews - Later blog posts seen as less focused on film - Some felt he overrated certain directors (Scorsese, Herzog) Ratings: - "Life Itself" (memoir): 4.2/5 on Goodreads (14,000+ ratings) - "The Great Movies": 4.3/5 on Amazon (200+ reviews) - "Roger Ebert's Book of Film": 4.4/5 on Goodreads (2,000+ ratings) - "Your Movie Sucks": 4.1/5 on Amazon (150+ reviews) One reader noted: "He wrote about movies the way friends discuss them after leaving the theater."

Life Itself: A Memoir (2011) Ebert's autobiography covering his childhood, career as a film critic, relationships, and battle with cancer.

I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie (2000) A collection of Ebert's most critical and negative film reviews from the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Great Movies (2002) Essays discussing 100 films Ebert considered the greatest, examining their artistic and technical merits.

The Great Movies II (2005) A second volume of essays analyzing another 100 significant films from cinema history.

The Great Movies III (2010) The third installment examining 100 more influential films spanning multiple decades and genres.

Your Movie Sucks (2007) Compilation of Ebert's harshest reviews of films he considered particularly poor or disappointing.

Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert (2006) Selected reviews, interviews, and essays spanning forty years of Ebert's film criticism career.

Roger Ebert's Book of Film (1996) An anthology of writings about cinema from various authors, selected and edited by Ebert.

A Kiss Is Still a Kiss (1984) Collection of movie reviews and essays focusing on films from the early 1980s.

Two Weeks in the Midday Sun: A Cannes Notebook (1987) A personal account of Ebert's experiences at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.

Pauline Kael wrote film criticism for The New Yorker from 1968 to 1991 and published several collections of reviews. Her writing style combined cultural analysis with personal reactions to films, similar to Ebert's accessible yet sophisticated approach.

David Thomson has written multiple books on film history and maintains a comprehensive biographical dictionary of cinema. His work balances historical documentation with critical analysis of filmmaking and its cultural impact.

Andrew Sarris developed the auteur theory in American film criticism and wrote for The Village Voice and The New York Observer. His systematic approach to analyzing directors' bodies of work influenced film criticism methodology.

Manny Farber wrote about films from 1942 to 1977 and developed theories about "termite art" versus "white elephant art" in cinema. His collected works examine Hollywood and experimental films with focus on technical and stylistic elements.

James Agee worked as a film critic for Time and The Nation while also writing screenplays and novels. His film writings combined journalism with literary technique and attention to social issues.