Roger Ebert, arguably the world’s most well-known film critic, passed away today at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer. We at Filmaholic Reviews think of him as somewhat of an inspiration. Countless film recommendations came from his reviews, some written, some on his long-running TV series, “At the Movies”. It was impossible to miss his trademark “Two Thumbs Up!” on DVD boxes and film trailers. Just those three simple words were enough for many to judge the quality of a film.
His style of reviewing films is straightforward and to the point, with nuggets of analysis scattered throughout it. It was appropriate enough for the masses who just wanted a “See it” or “Don’t see it”, and it gave a deeper understanding of the film to whet the appetites of ardent film fans, such as ourselves. Moreover, his reviews were fair assessments of the film. As a critic, his reviews were more or less opinions; not everybody was going to agree with them. Even we at Filmaholic Reviews disagree with Ebert on some of his films. However, Ebert’s reviews could sometimes offer a different perspective on the film that would shed light on how the film could still be appreciated. Of course, there were also plenty of films that he disliked, and those reviews of his were the inspiration for “Haterade”. Some reviews were so scathing that reading them was almost a form of entertainment. Hey, even bad cinema can still be enjoyable in some way.
Above all, Roger Ebert clearly had a love of film. Reading his reviews, it was apparent how much he cared about the medium. He did not have to spend 46 years seeing countless films and writing about them, but he did. Now that is dedication. Anyone who has any sort of love for film can appreciate that.
Alas, Roger Ebert is with us no more. Two thumbs down for that. However, his legacy remains, and so does his massive catalog of reviews. Ebert saw more films and appreciated more films than most people could ever do in a lifetime. It was his passion, and he lived a good, long life doing what he loved.
In his final blog post, Roger Ebert wrote his resonant last words: "Thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."
Roger Ebert, you will be greatly missed. Rest in peace.
