Ten More Great Siskel and Ebert Arguments

[@dsriggs]

"I enjoyed Natasha Henstridge taking off her bra ... that's one of the reasons I go to the movies." - one of America's most respected film critics

[@Charlie-gk1uq]

Had to rewind a couple times to make sure I heard him right!

[@GeorgeEugeneBarrett]

I enjoyed it too.

[@edwardkogan2003]

those were the days, when men could admit stuff like that

[@1165mac]

Only a truthful statement most men wouldn’t dare admit to liking in our easily offended society out of fear of being perceived as a normal man.

[@davidl570]

Too bad Natasha taking off her bra pretty much killed her career from the get-go (yes, I enjoyed watching that too!).

[@lynnturman8157]

I miss these two so much. If you loved movies, this was appointment TV for 15 years. Not only was it fun listening to them argue, you got to know what movies were coming out.

[@baronvg]

I used to hang out at my friends house on Sunday’s back in high school and would always finish the weekend watching this show just before my dad came to pick me up. Good times.

[@scottvincent184]

Yes! I loved watching them passionately agree on a flick, or argue about another flick, you could tell they always had legitimate respect for one another, even when they were arguing like children lol😂

[@darwinblinks]

more like for 25 years if you were from Chicago

[@BLUEDELUCA]

Yes….they were a big part of my life since i was a kid.

[@filmpositive6601]

"Where's your big red suit and beard, Santa? You just gave them a gift!" That has to be my favorite of Gene's quips to Roger. Classic!

[@YayWalterSullivan]

"The plot got a little murky when all of the women started to give birth to dinosaurs" Well, I'm sold. *adds to Letterboxd watchlist*

[@timothychupp603]

Roger Ebert went to his grave adamant that Cop and a Half was a good movie. He would not relent. He lived a full life in total admiration for Cop and a Half, and died utterly devoted to Cop and a Half.

[@sha11235]

At least he removed it from his Video Home Companion after 1995.

[@ganglabesh]

as well as I

[@mattlohr]

He died as he lived: Singing the praises of Norman D. Golden II.

[@bentrend]

0:08 Lethal Weapon 2 3:14 Species 5:18 Rumble Fish 8:08 The Ghost and the Darkness 10:03 Predator 12:15 Body Double 15:28 Mrs. Doubtfire 16:58 Eddie Murphy Raw 19:53 The End of Violence 22:21 Cop and a Half

[@strangebrew1231]

thank you

[@TravelsTTG]

Thanks!!!

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Still stunned anyone could like COP AND HALF..... fucking hell.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

End of violence... Gene is sick here. Poor guy

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Carnosaur is definitely better than COP AND HALF.

[@hafaball]

well one thing I learned from this, Siskel was unafraid to tell everyone he loves boobs in movies.

[@shogunblade]

The guy was a regular in the playboy mansion, if the documentary about Roger was anything to go by.

[@affectivity1]

@@shogunbladeThat surprises me. I’m not sure why.

[@dreamquesttv]

"Better than garbage." - Gene Siskel. I would have TOTALLY put that quote on the Body Double poster 😂😂😂😂

[@davidthieroff9452]

There's even a line in the movie where the person on TV says, "The movie keeps it's mind where it should be...in the gutter." It would've been perfect.

[@affectivity1]

I actually liked Body Double. I thought Craig Wasson was good.

[@stevenwitt1812]

They had such a great show, and worked so well together. There was a wonderful competition between Roger and Gene, but shared wonderfully intelligent movie reviews. They are both very much missed, both gone far too soon.

[@alexcamp9320]

"Your standards are dropping!" Damn that's cold.

[@jamesoblivion]

I was surprised by Roger's criticisms of Species, considering the movies he worked on with Russ Meyer. 😆

[@DvsLee]

It wasn't really an argument but I loved their discussion on Fargo. They both loved it, but it seemed like they were going to come to blows over who loved it more.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I dare say it's the greatest Noir ever made.

[@davidporter671]

Most overrated movie ever made. Not bad, but I just don’t get the overpraise.

[@Nillon24]

@@davidporter671 I finally saw it about 5-6 years ago. I was sitting there watching it going "Okay, this is not a bad movie...but when does the magic supposedly happen???"

[@TonyMontana-ys5xz]

​@@ricardocantoral7672over 40's and 50's Noir movies? Impossible

[@markdaniels7174]

One of my absolute favorite movies. It’s got everything.

[@STEVEHEROLD]

that Cop & A Half/Carnosaur stuff at the end is brilliant

[@seilkim9402]

Wow, this is the subject that I've never seen in KZbin. I love those two. I think you should upload this kind of videos more. I love them and thank you for uploading ❤

[@YahyaAlfitna]

I used to watch these two every week. They were so fun!

[@affectivity1]

It’s funny. Back then I usually agreed with Roger. Decades later, I find Gene more persuasive.

[@blackamerican40]

RIP Roger and Gene 🙏🙏

[@larrykramer2761]

Cop and 1/2 and Carnosaur have to be the 2 biggest head scratchers ever recommended by Roger and Gene, respectively.

[@bubufubu]

Siskel has a point about the main characters from Lethal Weapon 2. Right from the opening scene, Gibson comes off as a parody of his character from the first film. They're both a bit wackier. It's as if it was straying a tad from its _R_ rating in hopes of a broader appeal. The writing is still good but feels a bit dumbed down and lacks the bite of its predecessor. There's more comedy this time around. At some point, it seems like this became typical of action sequels. I much preferred the scenes where Gibson and Glover are playing it straight. Pesci was terrific.

[@alexwalpole4202]

I agree! But I disagree with Siskel on Predator, this movie is badass

[@caldera11]

Now we have redlettermedia

[@Isi-1975]

That's right Susan

[@anthonystrocks247]

Thank you so much for putting these reviews together.

[@brian-ld4vd]

I'm so glad I grew up when I did, you don't get television entertainment like this at all.

[@generyan4043]

Never would have thought it was Gene liking Species more than Ebert

[@Dragonpuncher123]

Gene wasn’t a prude.

[@jeshkam]

"He's still crazy now, but at least he's not depressed" Roger Ebert, 1989 🤣😂

[@Wilson.katie815]

These two were so good

[@IrnBruNYC]

I grew up with Siskel & Ebert and I learned so much from them. Roger in particular had a bigger influence on the person I became than my own father. They are both profoundly missed. I had forgotten that Roger didn’t like Mrs. Doubtfire. That’s wild.

[@sha11235]

He gave that a marginal thumbs down.

[@artpekarekiii4320]

Siskel says Ebert's standards are dropping, but Siskel only wants to see aliens get naked because it's sexy and cool. 🤣🤣🤣

[@jeshkam]

Aliens taking off their bras precisely 😂

[@Jaydogg222]

Please make another of these. This was great!

[@sallybrown4947]

Such a good show and a much better time in the media!

[@johngodbout7341]

What was great was that you could feel their passion arguing for the marginal movies each week, but at the end of the year, they often agreed on the best movies of the year!

[@kurtb6994]

I love how you showed at the end how much Gene wanted Roger to change his opinion on Cop and a Half. We all know the movie is terrible, and even Roger knows it, but he will not relent to just to irk Gene. It just shows how the chemistry worked between these 2 guys. They loved to argue with each other so much. The scene in the opening credits of their show where they are arguing about their newspaper reviews was probably real. LOL

[@sampleoffers1978]

I started to like them when I was around 16 or so, and they were so great. Always disturbs me they had such difficult passings.

[@greyeyed123]

Ebert realizes he just insulted his audience and back pedals like crazy, lol.

[@RobertWF42]

Strongest memory from Lethal Weapon 2 is the brutal fight at the end. Squish!

[@Anynom]

Just so fun seeing them on "what movie did you watch?!"

[@daniverse9625]

"My esteemed colleague Roger Ebert recommended Cop & A Half!"

[@SuperHDJ_]

It was so much better listening to these two rather then now days where everyone just " Loves it" for a few weeks and forget why they love it the second they see a new movie they " Love". these guys were Critics they weren't afraid to break movies down, and gave reasons why the movie was good, not just " oh its the new movie, loved it". That says nothing about a movie.

[@uhdudewhy7980]

If my memory serves me well, these 2 vehemently disagreed on Casino and The Doors.

[@daniverse9625]

Yes

[@saymynameice-zen-berg511]

They started on public access in the mid 70’s and for roughly a quarter of a century they informed and entertained us with their movie reviews.

[@DontGoToHell]

great video and thanks for sharing it

[@IantheLiberal]

Loved the little tussle over Lethal Weapon 2, not sure where Gene's head was at there!

[@Dragonpuncher123]

He’s not wrong. It’s still a good movie, but missing the nerve of the first film. More just a pure action comedy.

[@jagjr44]

I also remember classic arguments over Aliens, Fatal Beauty, Field of Dreams, Die Hard and Unforgiven

[@pronkb000]

Full Metal Jacket is a big one, too--and then right after that in the same episode, *another* one over Benji the Hunted! When Ebert gave that movie a thumbs-up just moments after thumbs-downing FMJ I thought Siskel was going to leap out of his chair and try to strangle him.

[@AlanSmitheeman]

I love the subtext of these arguments where they are really telling each other to go to hell! :)

[@Jacksonrox13]

18:30 Dayum, that got heated.

[@magistrumartium]

I haven't seen Predator for many years. Going to watch it now!

[@affectivity1]

My husband loved that movie!

[@BudSchnelker]

Stewart Copeland's soundtrack to "Rumble Fish" is definitely worth procuring.

[@baronvg]

Man, Siskel really dumping on Predator for being unoriginal and yet it’s such a pop culture classic now.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

Well he was right about it being unoriginal, but it has aged very well.

[@davidl570]

Never understood why it wasn't a bigger hit at the time! Great movie.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

@@davidl570 It was a hit, but at the time it was just another silly Arnold muscle Rambo like movie. In 87 people were more interested in other movies.

[@davidl570]

@@chalkandcheese1868 For sure!

[@DS8379]

4:03 how's that for a pull quote? yeesh 😮

[@paulclark4071]

Not like that’s why they put it in the movie, so people could enjoy it.

[@danielberg7644]

Sorry Roger, you had me a bra.

[@isimongardner]

LOL 'What do they know'.

[@raymondm.9954]

How on earth did you overlook their disparate reviews of "Blue Velvet"?!? That film had to have been their most famous disagreement. It was even included on the DVD as a bonus.

[@daniverse9625]

It was in my last video, and I'd rather not talk about that one to be honest

[@daniverse9625]

@@VampiricBard I was talking over it, which I regret now.

[@CubanPeteVideo]

5:25 "...the high points of his career: the two godfather movies and the first half of apocalypse now." - only the first half of apocalypse now is good? siskel what are you on about you psycho

[@pronkb000]

Siskel rather legendarily gave Apocalypse Now a thumbs-down (or "NO" as it was in the Yes/No days) at the time. Not sure if he reneged on it like he did some other movies later (like Slapshot).

[@christianlorre]

​@@pronkb000when they had the 500th episode special Ebert called it the best film of the time since the show began and Gene admitted he was wrong.

[@ButtersCCookie]

I hated show as a kid. I wish I paid more attention. I hated what happened to Ebert. Too heartbreaking to watch now.

[@kirnpu]

I also hated what happened to Roger - but I'm in absolute awe of the man because he embraced what was going on with him and became even MORE prolific in his writings. Just unstoppable. I truly miss him.

[@Billkwando]

That was super fun!

[@wsjustice]

Cop and a 1/2 or Carnoasaur? Epic.

[@SEAsiaTraveler]

"Your standards are dropping!" Gene always looks pretty much the same but Roger's weight and hair length fluctuate.

[@luisrizo8813]

01:22; "Goodfellas"

[@todd3563]

There's a reason why you can't name other critics.

[@jasonvoorhees-wr7iq]

Imagine saying you go the movies to see someone take off their bra. Siskel’s defense of Species didn’t invoke confidence in the Thumbs Up vote and I enjoyed Species

[@WhatsUpFella]

He said that’s one of the reasons. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying eroticism in movies. Also Ebert doesn’t get to make that criticism against Siskel when he wrote multiple Russ Meyer films-which have tons of scenes of women taking off their bras.

[@Billkwando]

@@WhatsUpFella Yeah but nowadays you can't actually SAY that, especially on TV, because wanting to look at attractive people is now automatically objectification.

[@michaelrhea3341]

Hey, that's what I say! Tits or bust!

[@dagrimmreepa]

​@@Billkwandoyou absolutely can lmao. There's a huge difference between eroticism and misogyny, it's easy to strike that balance unless you're some kind of asshole.

[@Billkwando]

@@dagrimmreepa or the internet

[@LordofPatriarchy]

I don’t why evert was so mad at the carson joke she got paid 150 million dollars just for being married to Carson

[@hookedonphoenix3112]

Roger: praises Lethal Weapon 2 for over a minute straight. Gene (calmly): “Uh, not for me, I thought this movie was a steaming pile of horseshit.”

[@troylowe814]

These guys were smart, funny and had integrity

[@jimcorboy4869]

I trusted Gene Siskel much more than Roger. Roger Ebert was a great wordsmith but as a critic he let his judgement be overridden too often by his emotions. Having said that, there isn't a critic alive today that could carry the notebooks of these two. All critics today are bought and paid for and you cannot believe a word they say.

[@BScott7220]

My only surprise here is that Siskel liked Species more than Ebert did. Usually with sci-fi films it was the other way around. I almost always agreed more with Ebert, but not on this one.

[@jasonvoorhees-wr7iq]

Need to do the review to Brain Candy. Ebert looks absolutely dumbfounded at Siskels thumbs up. Siskel is even more dumbfounded that Ebert hated it

[@NikoA3745]

They were the perfect spectrum

[@rameybutler-hm7nx]

You know we as a society was so lucky to have these two men on tv, review and teach us non educated masses how and why movies work and dont work. I dare say we wouldnt be able to have this type of smart and funny show that was largely non-political and non-message. Yes we were spoiled.

[@Wallyworld30]

I'm surprised I'm usually siding with Roger Ebert over Gene Siskel. Predator is an Amazing picture how could Siskel not love it?

[@reginaldperiwinkle]

We would watch this show as kids hoping that they would disagree.

[@Rob_Kates]

I disagree with Roger regarding Eddie Murphy's Raw, it was hilarious.

[@oobrocks]

I guess this channel was hoping WE fill in the chapter names 😅 (I love #6 😅) #1 represents 2 films 😅

[@daniverse9625]

Well, it's a top ten

[@gheller2261]

It's a shame my children will never know who Siskel & Ebert were or what they meant to the movie viewing experience.

[@whentheleveebreaks4732]

I really liked Lethal Weapon 6.

[@procrastinator9]

Ebert was not afraid to like the movies the snoots all say we are supposed to hate and to dislike a move the snoots all say we are supposed to love. Siskel was so conventional that his opinion never really meant much to me. "Meryl Streep? Love it!" "Action movie? Hate it!"

[@lagarde2011]

Siskel picked The Ice Storm as the best move of 1997. Upper class angst at its best.

[@pronkb000]

Siskel was a tougher grader but this is the guy who gave a thumbs up to Armageddon, Species, and put Under Siege on his 10-best list for 1992.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

Summer of '89. Gene gave thumbs down to two of my favorite films. Lethal Weapon 2 AND Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! Both were 100 times better than Batman (which I wasn't crazy about).

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I would say both movies are better constructed than Batman. However, I think Batman is the most ambitious and it has more depth than people give it credit for.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

@@ricardocantoral7672 I will say this about Batman, I recently rewatched it for the first time in thirty years and found it to be more entertaining as an adult than I did as a teenager.

[@Kevon420]

Roger was right about Rumble Fish, an excellent film. Not one of the absolute greatest films ever like Coppola’s four films from the 1970s, but still very good. By the way the KZbin chapter markers should be named after the movies covered not simply…”8” or “5”.

[@cosmoissleeping]

Lethal Weapon 2 better than 1989 Batman? The Tim Burton one?

[@richardcahill1234]

Absolutely.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Lethal Weapon 2 was better constructed but not as interesting as Batman.

[@HumanBeanbag]

I hope they make an AI Siskel & Ebert. There's lots of material to draw from. I would listen.

[@Clay3613]

Ebert was often wrong, but Siskel seemed to dislike most mainstream fare and felt everything needed deep analysis.

[@1HandsomeDevil]

Imagine -- a time when movies were judged by the acting, plot, etc. in it instead of how 'woke' or 'anti-woke' it is. Ahhh.... the good ol' days!

[@RobertParks-h7r]

Ghost and Darkness,great twist ending

[@Redmenace96]

Just asked my sister: Why isn't there a show just like this on TV, cable , or streaming? It is a simple and successful formula. Second point: Roger Ebert came out with a thumbs up for, "Cop and a Half" ?!? He was always a man of the people, but that is ridiculous. Objectively bad movie. Rumble Fish was an interesting movie. I think they were both right.

[@raymondm.9954]

He also gave the Garfield (the cat) movie three stars.

[@pronkb000]

@@raymondm.9954And he thumbs-upped the sequel and said it was better. And somehow both guys, God love 'em, gave thumbs-ups to Speed II which might be their most collectively out-to-lunch decision in history.

[@joncumber2020]

Great defense of ‘Raw’ by Gene. It’s certainly has held up as the gender wars have grown more heated.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

You mean incels like it.

[@Dragonpuncher123]

@@chalkandcheese1868 Stop yourself. Literally one of the most famous and influential stand-up sets of all time.

[@Isi-1975]

​@@Dragonpuncher123That doesn't mean it can't be criticised both then and now

[@davidminor4213]

I've always felt Predator is incredibly overrated

[@ricardocantoral7672]

To a certain degree. The film is simply out to get a job done, entertain. The thing worked.

[@mynameisnotearl4383]

I can count on both hands on how many times siskel was wrong about movies

[@visionaryventures12]

In terms of that first film, Lethal Weapon 2, I haven’t seen it, but I wonder how I would justify having his craziness. Perhaps he’s bent on making the world go more humanely. He wants decency in the world, so he acts out forcefully to get it.

[@studbstrd3589]

Blue Velvet. Number One…no debate. The fact that it’s not even mentioned…smh.

[@slyjokerg]

Times like when Roger is shitting on Species, I have to question one or the other of these guys' heterosexuality. Gene was the opposite on this one, noting how great Henstridge looked naked. It was part of the movie and it made it way better. Sexiness is part of movies, ffs.

[@Blackjack-2028]

Yes but it's cheap and easy to rely on it.

[@slyjokerg]

@@Blackjack-2028 And?

[@brysimm404]

Gene dissed both Predator and Rumblefish? Ouch.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

Predator has aged very well, but at the time people thought it was just another dumbass Rambo/Alien ripoff.

[@ac9559]

LW 1 holds up well but the rest of them do not. That round goes to Gene.

[@goldentaco4970]

Ebert: I'm happy for yah. Lol. I think I saw Ghost and the Darkness. It was a long time ago around when it came out. I was a teenager and don't remember much of it. It must have not left a deep impression on me. But it seems I tend to agree with Ebert more when I watch these. Siskel also seems just very condescending when he doesn't like a film.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Gene's arguments against Lethal Weapon 2 were quite dumb. That was a rare case of a sequel being better than the initial film. Also, it would have been fine conclusion but unfortunately, they made two more LW Movies. Hollywood just doesn't know when to leave well enough alone.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

They got too comedic, especially the fourth one, and turned into the cop version of Fast and the Furious with the expanding family of characters. As for Gene, I get where he's coming from. Riggs isn't suicidal anymore but they still kept playing up his crazy wild card routine even though that was only a result of him wanting to die. Unfortunately, he couldn't really explain it since Ebert was shouting him down almost immediately.

[@Hexon66]

To be honest, both were 80s action fluff. But once Riggs' existential crisis was resolved in the first, there never was going to be any more dynamism in that character or the duo. And the conveniently forced conflict in the sequel just proved it.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

​@@Hexon66 I don't think it felt forced. I think it was a perfect set up for what really should have been the character's downfall and demise.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

​@@JDoe-gf5ozI agree, too much comedy and too many characters.

[@brianboyle2681]

I saw 2 before 1 and I always thought the first one to be totally out of tone for the series and actually a bit cringy. The first one goes way too far with the suicidal thing and the movie and actors can’t sustain it, imo. It’s funny how someone who saw them contemporaneously could have a totally different view.

[@lukedunteman6726]

cop and a half was fun kiddie fare. If I recall, neither one of them really liked robin williams's movies (as an adult i agree with them).

[@jackburton2680]

Hahaha it's so absurd how passionate they get about cop and a half and carnosaur

[@deckofcards87]

Gene's not wrong, promoting Mrs Doubtfire as the next Tootsie was ridiculous. Tootsie is a billion times better and especially smarter. Saying that, Robin is undeniably funny and charming in Doubtfire and he elevates it above being just cheesy, forgettable garbage.

[@pronkb000]

I think it does a pretty effective job at showing the effects of divorce without having to be full-on Kramer vs. Kramer (great movie that it is). Field and Williams both insisted on the divorce being final at the end which was a ballsy ending.

[@andrewwilliams2105]

LOL 26:50

[@louishart6725]

I like Carnasour and Cop and a Half lol

[@anthonywarfield7348]

These two are great together because Ebert is a liberal while Siskel is a conservative and I'm not sure why I've never seen anyone else make this comparison. Maybe I'm wrong or not making any sense. Won't be the first time.

[@sheridanclan6]

1. Lethal Weapon 2 is better than the original. 2. Species is totally forgettable. 3. Never saw Rumble Fish (just ordered it from the library). 4. I liked the Ghost and the Darkness. 5. Predator is really good. 6. I don't remember Body Double 7. Mrs. Doubtfire is fun. 8. I saw Eddie Murphy "Raw" in concert. I would watch Delirious instead. 9. I have heard bad things about The End of Violence. 10. I heave heard Cop and a Half is awful.

[@rowdyriter]

i get why they were so critical. imagine havin to watch bunch of movies even ones you normally wouldnt like. ur goin strt bein critical on movies youd normally like .

[@Tirgo69]

17:02 Ebert W

[@oppothumbs1]

Predator .. not so good Up1 Gene Species . Up2 Gene . Ok the end could have been a lot better. Body Double Pretty good but expected better. Up1 Gene Misses Doubtfire. Not bad. Up1 Roger Raw Up1 Roger. Not really funny. End of Violence. Easy to see how it's flawed but I liked it a lot. Up2 Gene. Neither reviewer agrees with me much, but Gene and me agree more.