How they became film critics and their impact on Hollywood

[ad_1]

In the 90s, it was nearly impossible to watch a movie promo without hearing that “Siskel and Ebert give it a thumbs up!” But how was their legacy born and why did we insist so much on listening to what these two guys had to say? Well, we are here to answer that question for you. Not only were Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both finely tuned film critics, but together they were a force to be reckoned with due to their chemistry and critical reviews. And while the duo often argued over what they considered a good movie, it almost went without saying that if they were in agreement, then this is surely a movie to see.

In this article, we’ll talk about the individual critical styles of Siskel and Ebert, how they worked together, and why their common approach has all but changed the landscape of modern film criticism as we know it. .

Siskel began writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1969 Magnolia Pictures

Gene Siskel began writing for The Chicago Tribune in 1969, and his voice was immediately recognized as a serious mind at work. Known for his particularly scathing film reviews, he was known to be quite tough on movies that have since stood the test of time based on his personal ratings. Some films Siskel did not view in a favorable light included Poltergeist, Scarface, Beverly Hills Cop, The Terminator, Aliens, Predator, and The Silence of the Lambs.

In other words, for Gene Siskel to truly enjoy a movie, the whole movie had to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Related: Siskel & Ebert’s Greatest Movies Of The ’70s, Ranked

Ebert began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967 Magnolia Pictures

Roger Ebert’s career followed a similar trajectory and he got his start as a film critic writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. However, his critical style was different from that of Gene Siskel in that he was trying to review a movie based on its overall style and mood rather than its content. In other words, Roger Ebert allowed himself to absorb the overall intent of the direction rather than the final product. To sum up this sentiment, he was quoted saying, “That’s not what a movie is about, that’s how it is what it’s about.”

Although Roger Ebert tends to view movies a little more favorably than Gene Siskel, he occasionally leaves a scathing review or two through the cracks. He even dropped a number of movies that he couldn’t bear to finish. And those reviews were quite memorable. But in the end, Roger Ebert was pretty balanced in his review, and was able to appreciate a film’s good qualities while being able to identify its flaws. And his legacy has surely stood the test of time, even after his passing in 2013.

The partnership began when they hosted “At the Movies” WTTWPBS

Considering they were both arriving around the same time as they wrote for competing articles, it only made sense that Siskel and Ebert would end up forming a partnership with each other. They began working together as co-hosts on Sneak Previews from 1975 to 1982. But their most iconic and longest-running show was titled At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, which ran from 1982 until to the death of Gene Siskel in 1999. And the format was pretty simple: they watched clips of the week’s new movies, then had a lively discussion before giving the movie a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down, which we’ll get to Next.

Iconic System “Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down” 20th Television Animation

Throughout their tenure on At the Movies, Siskel and Ebert popularized the “thumbs up/thumbs down” method as a means of indicating praise or disapproval of a particular film. And it’s the simplicity of this scoring system that has made it so popular, and synonymous with duos.

Although Siskel and Ebert often clash over what actually constitutes a good movie, it was safe to say that if they both gave a particular movie a thumbs up, it was a strong indication that moviegoers were in for a treat. In fact, they even trademarked the phrase “two thumbs up” so no one else can use it!

Related: Siskel & Ebert’s Best ’80s Movies, Ranked

Credited for shaping modern film criticism Magnolia Pictures

Before Siskel and Ebert, film criticism was more of an academic endeavor than anything else. It was their incredible ability to inspire ordinary people to look at films through a critical lens that changed film criticism forever. In a way, they repackaged the discipline of film criticism into easily digestible conversations that were largely responsible for getting casual viewers to take the film more seriously, inspiring a whole generation of moviegoers to weigh in on their experiences.

Quick wit, professional rivalry and passionate arguments Magnolia Pictures

Although Siskel and Ebert started out and continued to be professional rivals, they became great friends off-screen. But it’s this professional rivalry that has made their show so appealing. The simple fact is that their frequent disagreements were a huge selling point for their show. And if they were often at each other’s throats, it was only professionally speaking. It’s this kind of friendly antagonism that has made their critiques so appealing to audiences.

It’s the healthy competition between the two titans that really made them so legendary in their movie review, that people just had to tune in to see what Siskel and Ebert had to say.

[ad_2]