Siskel & Ebert Classics - Worst of 1988

Gene and Roger select their 10 Worst of '88.
As a reminder, if you're looking for the latest home video reviews -- from Blu-Rays of classic catalog titles to the latest releases -- be sure to check out my own review site at www.andyfilm.com

[@davidhayes4840]

I’m not sure why but watching all these old school siskel and ebert reviews feels like a nice warm cozy blanket wrapped around u

[@thehouseofcm]

Yeah.

[@zxbc1]

They are so good, they are sorely missed. Very few critics today even come close in terms of having the courage to say what they really think. Most just come off as crowd pleasing industry hacks or some sort of petty contrarian rebels. These guys always have strong opinions and yet even stronger arguments to back them up. They articulate their points concisely and without reservations.

[@reneedennis2011]

I agree.

[@rhettjonke4667]

Couldn't agree more!

[@mistermoneyman8899]

Lol, I'm literally doing exactly what you JUST said

[@viralbuthow000]

"The film about a talking horse and even worse, a talking man." 😂

[@BudSchnelker]

I give Gene some credit, that's a devastating line.

[@assmane999]

That’s such a good burn on Bobcat

[@mikem.3308]

GOLD😂

[@ronaldshank7589]

Mr. Ed, revisited! That was a fun TV Show to watch, back in the 1960s. Nobody should have copied that, in any way, shape, or form!

[@maxxt3916]

Glad you pointed out this line! And it was said in such a straight serious way.

[@redadamearth]

I was a finalist in the Chicago-Tribune's Teen Film Critics contest in late '88. We (the finalists) went to the Tribune and then to a screening of "Look Who's Talking" before it was released (this was after we ended up being finalists because of our film review submissions for the contest). We then went back and wrote a review of the film. I didn't make it to the winner's circle, as I think my review was overly harsh on it. lol But I was always disappointed that Gene Siskel wasn't there that day, for some reason, as we all wanted to meet him.

[@vickihines-martin6058]

there are no shows like this today. I miss that so much

[@akfreed6949]

Can't piss off the Oligarchs THESE DAYS .

[@humungus3]

These guys are so sharp and witty and insightful.

[@Vaporvice84]

Ebert's final thoughts about this new trend in hollywood where movies are made based on formula while new ideas, stories and characters are becoming rarer is sure telling both for the time, and present day.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Because it never went away. Hollywood has always been chasing trends.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

@@jasonblalock4429 this is true. However, there was more artistry and subtlety, not to mention more inspiration. “Woke” is just another formula, and it makes characters suck. Why Sarah Conner, Clarice Starling, and Beatrix Kiddo are always going to be more interesting than (insert gender swapped reboot Mary Sue here) is because we watched them go through hell and back before they were able to accomplish what they did.

[@ronaldshank7589]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's as if it's all been done, and very rarely do we ever see somebody come up with a new idea. Just sit me in front of a TV Set, with something like "A Nightmare On Elm Street 4:The Dream Master", or one of the Crocodile Dundee Movies playing, and give me a quart of Coca-Cola, a big tub of Popcorn with a little bit of salt and butter, some Red Licorice, and some Goobers, and I'm good to go!

[@ronaldshank7589]

​@@littlekingtrashmouth9219Dr. Hannibal Lecter:"Hello, Clarise". This movie was taut, horrifying, and so suspenseful, that I've watched it several times, over the years. And: That last line from Dr. Lecter, just before he hangs up on Agent Starling, where he tells her:"I've got to go... I'm having a friend for dinner"...is easily one of the most disturbing double entendres of all time! I can believe that I'm saying this...easily...when I say, that I much, much prefer "The Silence of the Lambs" over "Freddy's Dead:The Final Nightmare", any day! Others that are my favorites from 1991 are "Cape Fear", and "JFK"....the movie that, with the inclusion of the Zapruder Film, shows that President Kennedy was assassinated from the front, and slightly off to the right, which actually did two things:1-Caused his head to snap back, and to the left, and 2-Tore a hole through President Kennedy's head, which resulted in a nearly 5 Inch hole beine blasted out of the back of his skull. After that, I knew that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't the killer.

[@AndyBluebear-fi9om]

@@littlekingtrashmouth9219 Oh please that is pure BS. There is just as much artistry and subtlety today as there is back then. It's just easier for people to whine about it on sites like this than it is for them to search it out. "Woke" doesn't make characters suck, bad writing makes characters suck. Also using "woke" as a pejorative say more about you than anything else, and none of it good.

[@AnimationVault]

These are amazing historical documents. It's nice how they noticed the trend even from 1988 of films trying to copy other films, instead of coming from the heart.

[@mercster]

There is nothing new under the sun.

[@Jim222001]

I don’t see how Willow wasn’t fresh movie wise at the time at least. Since it is somewhat like Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit books. Siskel didn’t even like the fresh Fantasies of the 80’s. Labyrinth was fun and Alice in Wonderland like. Not exactly a total rip-off and Siskel hated it.

[@Tirgo69]

Hardly anything new, they also commented on things like the late 70s wave of blockbusters and Star wars ripoffs

[@redadamearth]

Yeah, it all started in the late 80's, basically. There were still great movies being made in the late 80's and into the early 90's, but a lot of movies had already started to become very formulaic and repetitive by that point. The truly magical period of 80's films - meaning tons of ORIGINAL sci-fi and fantasy films, along with some extremely good comedies and dramas, was really '80 - '86, as the adventurousness and sincerity of films from the '70's was still in the air. But even as a kid, I started noticing that by '87, a whole lot of mediocre material was being released as studios started taking less risks.

[@AnimationVault]

@@redadamearth Right. The result of the "Star Wars" phenomenon - studios didn;t want to make a movie unless it could guarantee an unrealistically huge return. Now we get movies like Top Gun, which was shlock in it's day, heralded as the best thing they have to offer.

[@tomfrankiewicz4030]

The good old days. I miss this show. Even if you disagreed with them it still was a great show

[@shenloken2]

It’s just as prevalent today as it was with them: Just because they entertained you doesn’t mean you always have to agree with them.

[@Wolfdragon92584]

They often made objective points to their criticisms, which can be tricky considering that films are an art medium and thus, are subjective in their nature. These two guys are sorely missed, and I hope we can carry their legacy by objectively tearing open the rubbish that invades our theaters these days.

[@rocky-wo7xl]

With all the remakes the last decade+, Siskel and Ebert have been rolling in their graves.

[@wardengentles53]

Willow is a classic. I love watching these reviews in hindsight of what became cult classics

[@TheAathi6]

Thank you bro so much for this! I have been seeing this so far in a battered and beaten up version. Now you have posted the best ever version of this! Keep up the great work in preserving the legacy of these two great gentleman.

[@garrettdavis6500]

I used to watch these guy's weekly back in the 1980's. Good Stuff.

[@rodmoore1577]

The fact that Sally fields played Tom hanks mom can't be overlooked

[@fromthehaven94]

Angelina Jolie as Colin Farrell's mom in Alexander. 🎤

[@TIG5574]

LOL, WOW!

[@rodmoore1577]

@@fromthehaven94 yep. Good one.

[@Laceykat66]

Not in Punchline (which I liked) but in Forrest Gump almost ten years later.

[@rodmoore1577]

@@Laceykat66 yeah. That's what I was referring to.

[@rollotomassi4768]

3:15 Glad to see Ebert thought the same thing I did. Is that bar charging a $50 cover? Those two bartenders are selling 5 drinks per hour.

[@MarvinMonroe]

Haha I've never thought about that but that's so true!

[@oldgroucho2203]

reminds me of what the show Bar Rescue tries to turn every bar into, then they all end up closing down.

[@rollotomassi4768]

@@oldgroucho2203 Eh. It's like 50/50. You can show someone a way to make a profit, but they're usually in that position because either they're lazy, it's a saturated market or more likely they thought owning a bar would be fun. I also think a number of people did that show so they could get their bar fixed up to get a better sale price.

[@oldgroucho2203]

@@rollotomassi4768 better sale price is probably right. I just hate when they go into a small local bar that people go to for shots or a beer and have them do fancy moves measuring foo foo drinks that nobody will order after a week. They really just need better bar management and an accontant. I guess that would be boring television.

[@rollotomassi4768]

@@oldgroucho2203 agree. Especially when they use some super expensive garnish that's only in season during the summer

[@Jackiedyk]

I actually had that roger ebert home companion book. In my late teens. I would go down to the video store & rent movies Based on what he said were the best movies..

[@Rain006]

Scrooged was awesome. I watch it every xmas. Shame!

[@shenloken2]

A lot of prominent critics disliked Willow when it first came out. Now it’s such a cult phenom it has it’s own series. I always remembered this about Siskel & Ebert: I was always entertained with them but I didn’t always have to agree with them!!

[@rhyancoleman6462]

Now it is cancelled after just one season and now is removed from Disney+.

[@pazza4555]

It's probably a cult hit because the kid fans grew up.

[@FSU2001]

Never heard of Punch Line. Surprising considering the stars in the movie.

[@markelijio6012]

"Punch Line" was Sony's sleeper hit of 1988 despite production problems and everything else in between.

[@nickperkins8477]

I watched Star Wars repeatedly when I was a child; it is one of the first movies I ever watched in my life. I love it, and I watched and really like Willow, as well. I think Star Wars is a superior movie to Willow and I thought that when I was ten. But, I have never been ashamed that I like each movie.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Someone said it was part of Lucas's flop trilogy with _Howard the Duck_ and _Labyrinth._

[@markelijio6012]

@@sandal_thong8631 Willow has now made into an amazing TV miniseries on Disney Plus.

[@rhyancoleman6462]

Now it it canceled after just one season

[@markelijio6012]

@@rhyancoleman6462 It did and it won't last!

[@DreBourbeau]

20:03 what a prophetic statement on the modern cinema, even more true now than it was in 1989

[@ArthurCSchaperMR]

Yes, indeed.

[@Wolfdragon92584]

It's sad how far our standards have fallen.

[@EvaSlayAllDay334]

Scrooged is a bona fide classic

[@mesicek7]

I'd still rather watch the worst of 1988 than the best of 2022

[@terryIKE69]

Hilarious.... I was thinking the exact same thing

[@adamsmashups4839]

I don't even know what the hell the best of 2022 is.I stopped paying attention to new releases a long time a go.The last time I went to the cinema was Rambo Last Blood.

[@imandan1966]

2022 was an amazing year in films, you’re just old

[@mesicek7]

@@imandan1966 Or maybe you're too young to remember the days before the '4 Superhero movies a year' days

[@justme-ti1rh]

@@imandan1966 top gun was the only good movie of 2022.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Love to have both these guys still around, and dissing on all the crap that is out now.

[@goldennuggetofwisdom5068]

I loved willow when I was a kid. It was the coolest movie ever👍

[@assmane999]

Sometimes our tastes change as we get older and movies don’t hold up when we go back and watch them many years later. Also, you have to understand their perspective of being a critic that has seen this premise ad nauseam

[@sandal_thong8631]

They're bringing it back.

[@marthademovimaus5140]

Lucas put a headstrong princess and a charismatic bad boy in Willow, just like in Star Wars. Also had a headstrong princess in Strange Magic.

[@walterhoenig6569]

I love Willow.

[@insertnamehere5809]

Look at how they've butchered the remake recently.

[@ArthurCSchaperMR]

"WILLOW" was a good movie.

[@troysuza2065]

Willow, is still a good movie.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Maybe it's like they said: kids were too young to see Star Wars, so this was their first live-action movie in the theater that wowed them.

[@marthademovimaus5140]

Willow's not bad but same formula as Star Wars; unlikely hero+ headstrong princess+ charismatic bad boy. Lucas also used a headstrong tomboy princess in Strange Magic.

[@elphbwckd212]

I never cared for Willow at all. Based on how terribly the series did recently, I'm guessing the nostalgia is not too strong with that movie.

[@Nickrj3]

Not to S&E

[@michaelmcdonald8452]

When someone asks “what are some movies that define cinema in the 80s?!” I ask “Do you mean good movies that really capture the 80s?” Or “Great movies that happen to made in the 80s?” Or “Movies that are great examples of the chaotic fluff whose existence illustrates the empty excess of the 80s?” For the first two, I offer obvious quality like Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, Wall Street, Splash, Ferris, etc... When they want the latter, I say Cocktail and could add Punchline. Both I loved when I was 12 and both I realized later I liked the IDEA of, films that gave me a peek into an adult world that it would later turn out aren’t actually very good.

[@pmafterdark]

I can remember watching this show back i the 80's like it was yesterday. Sure miss these guys.

[@newedition2006]

WORST FILMS OF 1988 PUNCHLINE 1:28 COCKTAIL 3:08 STEALING HOME 5:15 FAR NORTH 7:50 VIBE 9:51 LAST RITES 11:47 HEARTBREAK HOTEL 13:44 WILLOW 16:02

[@tristanhandley1622]

"Please yourself first!" Will do mister Siskel!

[@rosemaryfarell5264]

Whoever Pitched Cocktail fair play. Outrageous Concept but a Guilty Pleasure.

[@billlonee9470]

I'm friends with a number of fairly well-known, nationally touring comics who absolutely love Punchline. Go figure.

[@Kaddywompous]

Haven’t seen it in decades, but I remember loving it. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@piper888]

Oh come on "nationally touring" it's hard to believe

[@ThomasTVP]

In fairness to Last Rites, which priest or non-priest wouldn't be tempted by Daphne Zuniga?

[@mickeybitsko9856]

In "Cocktail" they spend at almost one minute to mix one drink apiece. John Taffer is not amused.

[@walterhoenig6569]

I’m not the only one who hated Cocktail. Yay!

[@danielmaher7108]

I saw Cocktail in the theater when it came out in 1988. I thought it was the worst picture I had ever seen. 36 years later- it is STILL the worst film I have ever seen!

[@williamkarbala5718]

A.) Wow, Scrooged and Willow are on their worst list, it occurs to me that critics are people and can make mistakes too. B.) Brownies are a real thing in mythology, does Siskel think Lucas just made that up?

[@sandal_thong8631]

I count 34 movies from 1988 that were worth watching in the theater or on home video. Maybe 6 or 7 worth watching multiple times _(Die Hard, Beetlejuice, Coming to America, The Naked Gun, The Dead Pool, A Fish Called Wanda)_ and maybe _Big._

[@chrisoakley5830]

I don't care how many times I've seen it but each time I run across Diehard I will stop changing channels and watch it again. It's such a great movie, I just love it.

[@sandal_thong8631]

@@chrisoakley5830 What about _Die Hard 2?_ I consider it similar to _Ghostbusters 2:_ successful and worth watching every few years, but not an every-year movie like the originals.

[@chrisoakley5830]

@@sandal_thong8631 Yes Die Hard 2 is pretty good but I don't watch it as much as the original.

[@user-lg9sf9jv4n]

loved willow when i was a kid.

[@tombokriju]

I love to these reruns of siskel and ebert because it shows how opinions have shifted on certain movies (e.g., Willow, Scrooged), and I never noticed how "offended" Ebert is by some movies that he deems "sacrilegious". He would sometimes not like certain movies for odd reasons. He hated the original "I spit on your grave" for lots of reasons, but he went on and on is his written review about how awful the audience was, and he hated how they laughed at the violence. Of course, this was, literally, all before the idea of "its so bad, its good" was widely popular in culture.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I watched their reviews, but not being from Chicago, didn't read them or buy their books (if they had any).

[@mercster]

"Its so bad its good" only became a wide phenomenon as Western civilization has devolved. It used to be relegated to the dregs of society that love to watch things burn down. Now everyone does.

[@nesaiamon8727]

Love and miss these guys - but I love Willow!

[@artdeco64]

In Cocktail I wanted to yell - Would you just give me the goddamn drink?!

[@Wellch]

Me too.and walk out of bar.

[@orbyfan]

In the case of "Cocktail," buy the soundtrack album and skip the movie.

[@rollotomassi4768]

Every woman loves this movie. Their spouses watch it because they are forced to.

[@thehouseofcm]

Kokomo is gold.

[@orbyfan]

@@thehouseofcm It should have won the Oscar, but wasn't nominated; in the movie you can barely hear it, for maybe 30 seconds.

[@scottyunitedboy2925]

@@rollotomassi4768 ditto Dirty Dancing. And Ghost. And Save The Last Dance. And a thousand more

[@davidl570]

Good advice about the Cocktail sdtrk.....................but be sure to skip Don't Worry, Be Happy.

[@BTLemming]

What they said about Willow being enjoyed by kids because they’d never seen anything like it before reminds me of my own feelings about “Avatar.” I absolutely hated Avatar, but still recommended it to people who “never go to the movies” and want to see something big.

[@redadamearth]

Even as a kid, I knew "Willow" wasn't *quite* as good as the fantasy films of the early and mid-80's, but I still loved it.

[@celluloidtherapy5003]

These remind me of the before times. Before the world went to sh*t…life was so much more fun, with classic films, great, creative music, and compelling fiction. Never again, will we enjoy a time like that time.

[@wylier]

Life in 88 was hardly great tho.

[@celluloidtherapy5003]

@@wylier I dunno….I was having a great time! Nintendo, Sega, Heavy Metal, New Wave, Goth, Blade Runner, Beverly Hills Cop, E.T., I could go on and on. I had a decent job @ 22 years old, with a new Camaro, and my own apartment. What was bad?

[@wylier]

@Ac0ustics0ul yes I was alive in the late 80s. I still recall the fallout from contragate, the continuing cold war, and the stock market crash. I guess there was some good stuff too, such as my local team (Mets) winning the world series.

[@malafakka8530]

Life is often much more fun when you are young. Then real life comes knocking at the door. Make no mistake, life seemed simpler back then as well for me, but I was young without any cares. Each decade is different with their own ups and downs and challenges.

[@Casper50002]

I like the VHS 'tracking'

[@philtimedavidfpw]

Scrooged is a great movie. How can you dislike a Christmas movie that has the Solid Gold dancers?

[@kdohertygizbur]

Cuz the movie stunk ..easy

[@gspendlove]

@@kdohertygizbur Wrong.

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

Because it doesn't hold the candle to the 1951 film "Scrooge".

[@StickFigureStudios]

SCROOGED is a mess. An occasionally funny mess, but a mess nonetheless.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane You really can't compare Scrooged to a straight adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

[@jonathankoziol6573]

These movies look Oscar worthy compared to movies today.

[@mjgyrosdude484]

Heartbreak Hotel wasn't a masterpiece but fun in a ridiculous way. I sheepishly enjoyed it

[@peter5.056]

I think if Siskel and Ebert were alive today, they'd just about hang up their hats and declare mainstream film dead.

[@chrisoakley5830]

That's almost what they are doing here for 1988.

[@themadmattster9647]

Yeah if these are the “worst” of 1988, then I’d hate to see what that they would think of 2022. They’d probably cancel their show or worse lol

[@Hammerhead547]

Fun Fact: All of the club scenes in cocktail were actually filmed in the then recently closed "old wing" of Toronto's infamous Don Jail. The set itself was located in the main rotunda of the old wing about 100 meters from the old death row wing and gallows room where more than 50 people met their end between 1899 and the last hangings carried out there (which were also the last executions carried out in canada) on december 9th 1964.

[@nobodynothing00000]

Cocktail was the prototypical young Tom Cruise movie: pretty young boy on the make has to learn sad life lessons before he can climb to the top of the mountain

[@birdmantd]

I'm not saying Cocktail is a great movie but I could easily find way more than 10 movies from that year worse than it. For example where's Mac & Me regarded by some as the worst movie of the 80s? Or Caddyshack 2?

[@jessecoffey4737]

_Mac and Me_ was reviewed in print by Gene (he gave it one and a half stars), but not by Roger, and they did not review the film on their television series. The same is true of _Caddyshack 2_ (to which Gene gave only one star).

[@rgs8970]

Dang, was this recorded on Beta? Great quality dub!

[@rocketking2589]

I always watched the "Worst of" shows so I could see them review all the movies I actually liked. Lol 😂

[@ericnelson9100]

Wait, 1988, where was Mac & Me, or did they do a special segment exclusively devoted to it?

[@darwinblinks]

Afte the 70's they rarely if ever included low budget movies in the "Worst Of" It was to take shots at all the shitty Hollywood crap

[@Hellraiser0601]

Sometimes they said that at the beginning of the worst of the year shows. That they go after big budget Hollywood movies, they paid no mind to smaller or unknown movies.

[@luissegovia8205]

Mac and me is the worst film ever, but in Chile was very popular 🤮

[@sahej6939]

@@darwinblinks they had a show in the 70s?

[@user-lg9sf9jv4n]

@@darwinblinks but they mentioned tiger warsaw . it was basically a direct to vhs movie.

[@rayceeya8659]

IIRC Cocktail was pretty popular.

[@morrisvalentneflatlander4784]

Talk about prophecy they called out the entire film industry of 2022

[@samuraix73]

If they thought Willow the movie was bad, it's a good thing neither one of them is around to see the dreck that is the TV series.

[@markelijio6012]

It did. Now on Disney Plus.

[@pazza4555]

I hated Cocktail. It was slightly better when I later watched it in German because I don't speak German.

[@cowetascore8476]

I loved most of these films growing up... lol. Oh well. Most would be better than the crap that's out in the 2020s.

[@markelijio6012]

Fun Trivia: Some movies such as Scrooged and Big were doing well at the box-office. Cocktail, Bird and Willow were cult favorites for all ages and teens alike. But long-awaited troubled productions such as Vibes, Far North, Heartbreak Hotel, Stealing Home, Punchline, Switching Channels, Sunset, Last Rites and more of which weren't doing well at the box-office because of many production problems.

[@markelijio6012]

Both Stealing Home and Heartbreak Hotel got some heartwarming moments.

[@Kruppt808]

But one thing i do love them doing, tearing movies to shreds. Mostly movies I've never seen or heard of.

[@blackpeter70]

Cripes, I used to love Cocktail when it came out. I went to bartender school, and even (still!) have the soundtrack. Oy...

[@SimonCallahan]

I just started, but I'm surprised Cocktail was considered one of their "worsts". Isn't it considered a classic now? Isn't it what started the whole idea of "mixologists" who did crazy tricks with booze bottles?

[@stornkolson]

I've seen bartenders in a shit shack in Panama City pull that stuff off, only that nobody clapped.

[@plaidchuck]

Yep Willow was every fantasy trope mashed together.

[@deeboy4378]

Most of the time they hate the coolest movies. . Scrooged was Awesome! Really!😂 . And i loved Willow as a kid.

[@DMS-pq8]

I watched Stealing Home probably a hundred times since it was constantly on the cable movie channels back in the early 90s. Not a classic by any means but had some good parts

[@Mickey-1994]

It's a very decent movie.

[@Wallyworld30]

Crazy they picked Willow as "Years Worst" of 1988 since now it's considered a classic with an IMDB rating of 7.2 putting it firmly into great category.

[@sandal_thong8631]

It came out when I was 17 but I didn't see it until I was much older. So-so.

[@Wallyworld30]

@@sandal_thong8631 I saw in in 1988 when I was 11 and loved it. I think that's why it's so well remembered is it was perfect for it's target demographic.

[@Mickey-1994]

I can get why two middle aged men didn't like Willow but they went too hard on it. It amazes me that they don't have the god awful Caddyshack 2 on the list.

[@AMERASIAN12]

YIKES..........I really like Stealing Home.......Cocktail has a great soundtrack.

[@characterandconviction9225]

I just wonder they would think about today's garbage. A sentiment shared by many, I am sure

[@TV-Tony]

Punch Line I disagree with. Very accurate portrayal of the struggles of trying to make it in stand up comedy, according to the accounts of real life comics. The classic rule in writing is write what you know and that's what Hanks teaches Field in this movie. Also completely disagree on Stealing Home. Saw it in the theater and loved it. Looks like this is one where critics and fans disagreed too. Even Harmon and the cast loved doing the movie. Has a 20% critic and 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes as of Monday 7/8/2024. Really enjoy Willow as well. Not as much as Star Wars, but still enjoy it. And if they hated that, they probably would've really hated the Disney+ TV series lol. Scrooged is a hilarious holiday classic. An original screenplay an endangered species in Hollywood? Uh yeah, that's been the story since the beginning of Hollywood. They find something that works and just repeat it, like a cookie cutter or sausage factory. Their mentality is if it worked once, it will work another thousand times. Studio and TV network executives for that matter, are afraid of originality. Can't have that. Too much risk of it not making huge money. And if it doesn't, it's the creative people that are usually out of a job, but often not the execs.

[@mindcrome]

I saw Hot to Trot in the movie theater as a kid. It deserves it's place on this list. But Williow no not even, same for Hellrasier II. What is surprising is that Mac & Me and Funny Farm is missing from the list. (Also saw those in the movie theater)

[@iluvmylovebirdandmybudgiet7729]

Mac and Me they didn`t review...Funny Farm they both really liked...

[@WordUnheard]

Funny Farm. The first movie I ever saw in theaters that I absolutely HATED. I watched it with my dad, and he laughed all the way through. I don't remember laughing once.

[@Mickey-1994]

I agree, how the f@@k is Caddyshack 2 not on the list? That met be the worst sequel of all time.

[@scottfranco9209]

Loved Willow!

[@donovanmedieval]

I liked Punchline and Cocktail. I had a friend who thought Willow was Star Wars Episode One.

[@nickperkins8477]

Scrooged is fantastic. It’s possible that the traditional version of A Christmas Carol was so prevalent in their minds that they just rebelled against the major differences to it Scrooged has.

[@flaccidusminimus2170]

Siskel actually liked it, only Ebert hated it. It was Murray's performance that turned him off, he sensed too much hostile, negative energy from the guy whereas Siskel had the complete opposite impression.

[@jokerswildio]

I agree. Scrooged is now a modern holiday classic

[@nickperkins8477]

@@flaccidusminimus2170 respectfully Roger’s criticism is absurd, in this case. Whether Ebenezer Scrooge or Frank Cross, the character is supposed to have plenty of ‘hostile, negative energy.’

[@flaccidusminimus2170]

@@nickperkins8477 Yes, but I think Ebert was trying to communicate that he felt Murray the actor was giving off unpleasant vibes (which he has done before and since), not Frank Cross the character. I do think his 1 star review was excessive. It's one thing to not find it funny, but he seemed to be rejecting a dark approach to the material. If anything, the fault of the film in my view is that it's ultimately too soft.

[@nickperkins8477]

@@flaccidusminimus2170 he was probably of a generation used to perceived ‘cheery’ interpretations of A Christmas Carol and rejected the darkness he saw in Scrooged out of hand. It’s always been a dark story, though. I also think it’s wrong to review Bill Murray the man/personality rather than the work. Reveals a lack of professionalism.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

I like the very end when the two of them are typing away, one on an ancient typewriter and the other on a “modern” word processor.

[@MrKaywyn]

Another excellent worst of episode.

[@pyrodiscoflash6115]

They were so right about the Formula and now the " Propaganda Message " replacing Creativity and Originality, also Blaming the Audience for lack of Success as apposed to if it's a Good or even Decent Film

[@pjfan1210]

Hellraiser II is a great gory movie.

[@HelenShaghaghi]

I loved cocktail

[@davidconlee2196]

I'm sad that the KZbin algorithm correctly deduced that I would enjoy watching two old men crap on old movies I've never heard of.

[@demongo2007]

Not one person in a bar--not one f'ing person--ever in history--is looking for entertainment or a floor show behind the counter.

[@elijahFree2000]

Exactly

[@markrodriguez9442]

I do like WILLOW,Siskel and Ebert.

[@Wellch]

I loved Willow.

[@8584zender]

20:08 - aw Rog, you had no idea how bad it would get. Original ideas with original characters telling a novel story?

[@mikekarena]

I can only imagine what they would say about the terrible state of cinema in 2024. Superheroes and MI55.

[@drumtum]

If you are thirsty for a drink don´t go to that bar in Cocktail. Bad movie aswell. Good soundtrack though.

[@kathrynpichel4435]

I love Vibes!!!

[@michaelmcdonald8452]

Amateur online critics today: “Hollywood doesn’t have any original ideas like when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s!!” Me: “Your nostalgia is playing a trick on you. There have ALWAYS been plenty of shitty unoriginal movies. You just remember the good ones.”

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Even during Hollywood's so-called golden age, half of the industry's output was stupid.

[@flaccidusminimus2170]

I just watched "Cocktail". It's as vapid as they say, but I think the boys misread it. It isn't a "love poem to excess" as there are very few scenes of anyone overindulging. Cruise's character doesn't drink very much himself and is only intoxicated in one scene. Bryan Brown doesn't go down in flames as a result of alcoholism (there's no evidence of him being a heavier than average boozer either) but from depression stemming from his boneheaded investments. I think they overreacted with moral indignation to a shallow movie about a sexual cavalier because of the frenzied state of the AIDS crisis in 1988.

[@patrickshields5251]

Kind of like how misread Risky Business and Ghostbusters and how you lied to your audience about these movies?

[@stornkolson]

Good read. I don't think it was meant to be a feel good film

[@patrickshields5251]

@@stornkolson Just to let you know, Flaccidus Minimus is a liar, a hypocrite, and he downright disrespects people who like the 80s. He lied about the supporting characters in Ghostbusters given nothing to do, and he completely took Risky Business totally out of context to make it look like it was a sleazy film, when it’s not.

[@piper888]

Bryan Brown's character, is a bartender doing shots in the morning on a weekday and this is something a problem drinker or alcoholic does🍸🍹

[@patrickshields5251]

@@piper888 Don’t listen to Flaccidus Minimus! He shows no respect to anyone!

[@BENF802961]

I miss these guys.

[@erichaynes7502]

Cocktail's tagline was "When he pours, he reigns".

[@dvhughesdesign]

Cringe

[@davidl570]

Almost as cringey as that Don't Worry, Be Happy crap (on the sdtrk.!).

[@keiljones2902]

these films are masterpieces compared to today's films

[@Mickey-1994]

Not Punchline.

[@Fiveash-Art]

Those scenes from Cocktail are so damned embarrassingly cringeworthy it makes my stomach hurt.

[@jcollins1305]

Damn the theme song is a banger

[@rabit818]

If only R & E were around in 2022, nothing but Marvel. Tracking, forgot about it

[@PaladinDusty]

Remember in Star Wars when Luke Skywalker finds baby Anakin floating in a river and he goes to take him to Alderaan, but a long the way he finds Obi Wan who is currently an animal and needs Luke to use the force to turn him back into a Jedi? Then Luke, Han Solo and Obi Wan go to fight Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader with the help of Mara Jade, but everyone gets turned into pigs by the Empire, except Luke for some reason. Anyway Luke sucks at using The Force, so he defeats the Emperor with slight of hand and Han, no longer a pig, kills Darth Vader.

[@jasonblalock4429]

4:50 "It's really a love poem to excess." It's 1988. Welcome to America. Funny how he doesn't realize how the movie is basically reflcting the zeitgeist.

[@connorbrennan4233]

I don't think Willow was horrible, but it certainly is uninspired as Roger Ebert put it. And I think one aspect that demonstrates this perfectly is the villain Queen Bavmorda. Most of the big '80s fantasy films at the very least had villains that were memorable in one way or another: Vermathrax Pejorative in Dragonslayer is one of the most menacing and impressive cinematic dragons. Thulsa Doom from Conan the Barbarian was a threatening sorcerer who also had an off-kilter zen quality that allowed him to build a massive army of followers. Plus, he's played by James Earl Jones. The Skeses from The Dark Crystal are not only some of Jim Henson's best work, but they also represent the less noble sides of ourselves that we want to supress, but nevertheless, we must balance out with the good. Darkness from Legend is played by the amazing Tim Curry and also represents a more hellish yet seductive side to what the Skeses already represent: our dark side that we must keep in check. The Goblin King in Labyrinth had the presence and vocal talent of David Bowie if nothing else. Queen Bavmorda...doesn't really bring anything special to the table. She's just another generic evil queen that wants to rule the world. There's no personality to her outside of her one-dimensional evil self.

[@jokerswildio]

That's what makes her a villain.

[@connorbrennan4233]

@@jokerswildio But there's nothing else there that makes her more interesting.

[@nickperkins8477]

@@connorbrennan4233 Jean Marsh sold me on Queen Bavmorda based on her talent and commitment. Plus, the name ‘Bavmorda’ is a unique attention-getter. But, I do agree that it feels bland, overall.

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

their complaints about willow are a little weak, considering that kids would be the ones seeing it.

[@DavidTa2]

Cocktail is an awesome movie idgaf what anybody thinks or says! 😊