Siskel & Ebert (1998) - Ronin, Pecker, Clay Pigeons, Urban Legend, Shadrach, 1998

In this episode, Siskel and Ebert review: Ronin, Pecker, Clay Pigeons, Urban Legend and Shadrach.

[@kmetcalfe]

Boy, between Ronin, Clay Pigeons, and even Urban Legends, a good week for films that surprised and surpassed their genres.

[@matthewschwartz6607]

Ronin was actually good. The action and chase scenes were top-notch (They were Friedken-esque.). Definitely worth watching.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Ronin is a WAY UNDERRATED movie!!! “If you don’t mind I’m just gonna…… pass out.”

[@ryangettig274]

David Mamet wrote it-"Did you ever kill anybody?"-"I hurt somebody's feelings once" "Your worried about protecting your own skin?"-"Yes,I am-it covers my body..."

[@Hack_The_Planet_]

I’ve had it on dvd for years and never watched it so nowadays the time I guess lol

[@ssssssstssssssss]

@@ryangettig274 Yeah. I am surprised Mamet didn't even get a mention given how stylized his screenplays are.

[@adamgrimsley2900]

Why did Siskel give away the main twist in the first half? Bit stupid. For Ronin that is. Pecker is also a really cool little film. Furlong was a good actor.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

The angry stripper makes me laugh to this day

[@crakatoot5480]

Ronin is a very frustrating film. Good premise, good stunts and ZERO chemistry from any of the cast

[@highwaystar3780]

The Original Audi A8 has the Only chemistry...otherwise crap!

[@kamuelalee]

Guess Pecker was more to your liking.

[@sleuthentertainment5872]

Frankenheimer achieved a great movie with Ronin after many many bad movies. Here we have the director of The Train, Dead Bang and French Connection 2 at his best

[@kemp10]

This must've been near the end for Gene. He seems sedated 😕

[@kiasax2]

RONIN is a great movie! I have a bone to pick with Gene. There are no such things as "CIA AGENTS." None. There are "FBI AGENTS", but at the CIA, we are Intelligence Officers. That's it. Ronin had fantastic actors like Robert Deniro, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Natasha McElhone, Stellan Sarsgaard, Jonathan Pryce, Skipp Sudduth, and Michael Lonsdale. John Frankenheimer directed RONIN masterfully. The chase scenes are the best Is watched and exceeded the ones in Bullitt. The action was filmed brilliantly and believably. All of the work with firearms looked extremely realistic. No one was blown through walls from being hit with a 9mm handgun round, for example. I've seen that crap in other movies and it's pure nonsense. RONIN has a great story, with characters you give a damn about, action that is done traditionally, i.e., no CGI crud, it's real stunt men and women taking falls etc. So, if you feel like watching the real deal with great actors and realistic action, then see RONIN, and you won't be disappointed. Oh, and Natasha McElhone is frustratingly beautiful. Check, next? 😅 As for PECKER, well, I never saw it, so I've got nuttin'. Sorry.

[@aretnap3653]

We Wanted More JeanReno than We Got in Films, So They Had to Put Him in that VideoGame. ('SwordFencer Musashi' or Somethin'.)

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

Ronin had a great car chase sequence. Up there with Bullitt, French Connection, and To Live & Die in LA

[@mmattson8947]

I like how it started with 4 minutes of insane driving on the Paris streets, without any background music, just the car engines (and metal crunching). Then they head the wrong way to the lower level of the highway. The action music kicks in, and Skarsgard's character decides at that point he better put on his seatbelt for what will happen next.

[@samdash4706]

I've been watching a lot of these Siskel & Ebert shows lately in random order, just jumping through the 20+ years. This one, I think may be among the latest I've watched. This aired in late September 1998, just a few months before Gene Siskel died in February 1999. It is sad in that he is obviously a bit lethargic, slurring his speech very slightly. Nevertheless, it was clear he was still doing what he loved. Thank you for posting this. RIP, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

[@killbot_factory]

tough to see Gene sick like this. miss these two.

[@kiasax2]

Requiescat in pace, Eugene Kal Siskel. Requiescat in pace, Roger Joseph Ebert. Both of these men were wonderful film reviewers and historians. They are missed highly from the film community. I miss them extremely as they both expressed their opinions with wit, humor, and class. ❤

[@gregmanca1474]

Thanks again for posting these- I really enjoy watching them.

[@show-me-retro]

Love Clay Pigeons

[@NWAWskeptic]

Criminally underrated

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I am glad Roger mentioned the "off season" look of French locales. That gave the film a sense of distinction.

[@mred2071]

At last! An episode I've never seen before, yippee!

[@jstewlly4747]

"Call me sick" omg Roger Im with the violence also lol we all gota get a fix lol hahahahah Love you Roger RIP

[@reneedennis2011]

I like Urban Legend and Dangerous Beauty.

[@reneperez7903]

Ronin was a solid action film Pecker was really bad Urban Legend was okay, can’t recommend it

[@lerm2866]

Urban Legend is one of the better post Scream pics not great but a decent time killer

[@reneperez7903]

@@lerm2866 i felt I Know What You Did Last Summer was a better post Scream film, but Urban Legend wasn’t that bad, but not enough to recommend it.

[@nativeroscoe64]

I love-love-love RONIN.... I think Hitchcock said that it doesn't matter what's in the briefcase.

[@ATMyles]

I can’t thank you enough for continuing to post these.

[@kamuelalee]

"What's in the case?"

[@davidjones1619]

Ronin is a cool film, but what was in the case?!🤔

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I am glad that we never know. I love films that don't insist on explaining everything.

[@davidjones1619]

@@ricardocantoral7672 True, keeps you guessing like in Pulp Fiction.

[@kamuelalee]

Ice skates

[@davidjones1619]

@@kamuelalee 👍👏

[@rynehall9990]

According to Diniro " some guy's lunch".