When you think of film critics, the most infamous name that comes to mind is Roger Ebert, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and film critic. The renowned critic has been battling cancer for several years now, and he passed away this past Thursday, April 4; with it died a man who defined movies for his generation.
Ebert started his film critic career in 1967 writing for the Chicago Sun Times. In that year he wrote his first book, a book on the history of Illinois, and had his review for George A. Romero’s horror classic Night of the Living Dead published in Reader’s Digest. In 1975, he started his own TV show titled Sneak Previews, which was broadcast on a local Chicago public-broadcasting station, and from there his TV presence grew.
The show was picked up for national distribution by The Public Broadcasting Service, and Gene Siskel joined as a co-host. This pairing spawned the team-up that was “Siskel and Ebert,” and the duo became widely known. They popularized and copywrote the popular phrase “The Thumbs Up/Down.” After Siskel’s death, Ebert would co-host with a rotating schedule of co-hosts, but that hole was eventually filled by Richard Roeper. His television presence made him the face for film criticism. He even appeared on Sesame Street. He was given an honorary membership to the Directors Guild of America in 2009.
He reviewed on a star scale from 0 to 4, though his review for The Human Centipede is known as contradictory since he refused to review it, simply believing, “It is what it is and occupies a world where the stars don’t shine.”
He married Chaz Hammelsmith in 1992 and remained married to her until his death. Before their marriage he even had a brief relationship with Oprah Winfrey, and Winfrey sites him as the inspiration for her TV show. Unfortunately, Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2002, and since then his health declined. In 2006 he had a section of jaw bone removed to get rid of cancerous tissue. He died of complications with the cancer.
Though he is no longer alive, his enthusiasm and influence will continue to live on. Ebert was one of the cinema’s most outspoken critics, and he will be missed. In an interview for Salon, he said, “I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state.”
Two days before his death, he posted on his blog, “So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I’ll see you at the movies.”
