Ebert & Roeper Rebooting 'Ebert & Roeper'? How?
Filed under: RumorMonger, Newsstand
Ebert's 'Answer Man' column has gotten kind of weird over the years; Ebert's developed a weekly tendency to bust out at least one answer that ranges from cryptic to completely incomprehensible. But I still read it religiously. I also watched Ebert's television show religiously until he departed, and even then I still tried to tune in when someone interesting sat across the aisle from Roeper -- A.O. Scott, say. This week on Answer Man, a reader asks our host to track his show's ever-changing titles throughout the years, starting with "Sneak Previews," becoming the unwieldy "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies," and meeting its inglorious end as "Doofus & His Guest," or something like that. Ebert dutifully responds, appending this to the end of his answer: "Another chapter to this saga will begin when Richard and I shortly announce a new movie review program."
Fantastic! How? Ebert's made no secret of the fact that he is unable to speak. And the Roeper-and-rotating-stand-in schtick led to declining ratings and the show's demise. I'm envisioning bizarre alternatives like Ebert reading his reviews through his voice synthesizer, Hawking-style, or hiring a troupe of actors to theatrically interpret them. More realistically, I suspect there might be a rotating panel of critics, with Roeper a regular presence, with a special "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney"-style segment where someone reads some always-welcome thoughts from Roger.
Anyway, I'll certainly give it a shot. I do think there's room for a smart, Ben-Lyons-free movie review show -- and though I take my share of digs at Roeper, and though I wouldn't go out of my way to watch him, I don't dislike the guy. Would you watch another Roeper-led affair? And, any thoughts on how Ebert might be involved?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-20-2009 @ 11:52AM
person said...
Yes I would watch this new show with Ebert and Roeper. I liked their show, I didn't find anything wrong with Roeper, I didn't find anything wrong with many of the guest reviewers. Kevin Smith was the best! anyway what they did is better than anything the current "At the Movies" is doing.
That Ben Lyons really is damn annoying, but I still watch that show every week.....I think I just watch too much TV.
anyway, I'm not sure what Ebert is planning to do, but bring it on, i always enjoy a discussion about movies.
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2-20-2009 @ 12:33PM
vegimorph said...
Ditto! I'm definetely willing to see Ebert and Roeper again. Roeper can definetely hold up the show with a guest host, even though it feels a little different, but still. Roeper has proved himself to be a worthy sucessor to Gene Siskel. Roeper has gotten into hilarious arguments over a movie with Roger, just like Roger did with Gene. As for a guest host, I'd say Michael Phillips was the best and my favorite because he had a good chemistry with Richard that reflected the earlier episodes. Plus they got into some pretty funny arguments themselves. (if you want proof, look at the reviews for 10,000 B.C. and Never Back Down) .
As for the current At the Movies show, Ben Mankowitz has some good merits and I like him on TCM but something just doesn't feel right with Ben Lyons. Either way, it'll be nice to see Ebert, Roeper, and possibly Michael Phillips again.
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2-20-2009 @ 1:56PM
Eden said...
It could be a podcast, maybe with guests reading his written contribution.
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2-20-2009 @ 6:23PM
Jennifer said...
Right, someone could just read what he writes out loud. Perhaps Johnny Depp could step in like he did on This American Life...
2-20-2009 @ 4:07PM
Hollie said...
The best part of having guest reviewers on the show was that some of them were not old white guys. (I hear that there might be a female reviewer on "At The Movies" but I cannot convince myself to suffer through that nonsense.)
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2-20-2009 @ 4:28PM
Da Pecke said...
Yes, I would want a show like that. Anything better than to just watch Ben Lyons do too much celebrity gossip, and not review the god d*** movie is fine with me.
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4-14-2009 @ 4:21PM
Jennifer Vladyka said...
Lyons and Mankowitz are extremely boring. As a movie buff, I like to hear from educated people. I'm not interested in the gossip. Unfortunately, these two don't make me feel secure about my movie selections. When Ebert and Roeper gave reviews, they commanded more respect from most viewers.
Therefore, I always wanted to hear their opinions...weekly.
I'm sure Lyons and Mankowitz have some education in film, but it isn't apparent on the show.
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