Roger Ebert

Number 3: This the third in a series exploring those who write about the cinema.  Roger Ebert is among those who’ve done some film work, but is primarily a critic, historian and all around film writer.

Roger Ebert with Russ Meyer (circa 1970)

Director Werner Herzog dedicated his documentary Encounters at the End of the World to Roger Ebert.  In part of the commentary track he calls Mr. Ebert “a warrior of the cinema.”  This means that he believes Ebert fights for quality and supports “underdog films” and tries to help them.  There’s also a grander sense, in which some people do see themselves in a sort of “Don Quixote” role, fight for cinema.

 

Ebert repaid the compliment in a letter to Werner Herzog (in the last site link below). 

 

Roger Ebert started writing about films in 1967.  He did some screenplay work for Russ Meyer, including the infamous Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.  From 1975 to 1999 he hosted a television “movie review show” with Gene Siskel.  When Siskel died, he continued with a similar show until around 2008. 

He’s an interesting figure, both a good writer and popular.  Besides movie review, he’s done a book on Martin Scorsese and on  such topics as cooking and travel.

In the last decade, he’s battled cancer.  He’s hanging in there and is working on a new movie-centered television program including Detroit’s Elvis Mitchell.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert

The new Roger Ebert presents At the Movies:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/pages-for-twitter/roger-ebert-presents-at-the-moe.html

http://screenrant.com/roget-ebert-presents-at-movies-ross-78098/

On Werner Herzog:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071117/PEOPLE/71117002

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