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Roger Ebert Rolls with the Punches (Pun, intentional)
This Guy is Awesome / Dustin Rowles

Trade News | September 12, 2008 | Comments (17)

rogerebertdafd.jpgI swear to God, growing up I could not stand Roger Ebert. When I was a teenager, before The Google dominated our lives, I used to have one of Ebert’s movie review compendiums. I’d spend hours going through that book, trying to find movies on which we agreed. Of course, at the time, I liked Young Einstein and Rawhead Rex, so the only common ground I could ever find was Romero’s Day of the Dead series. Mostly, I just thought he was such a smug prick because he liked so few comedies (he still doesn’t seem to care for many). I still don’t love his overall tastes in films (except for where Tyler Perry is concerned — no one tears Perry a bigger new assholes than Ebert), but I’ve begrudgingly grown to respect him.

That respect blossomed yesterday. I’m sure most of you have heard by now that that prick over at the New York Post took a swipe, fist-wise, at Ebert. Of course, Lou Lumenick didn’t realize it was Ebert; he just thought it was some asshole behind him that wouldn’t stop tapping him on the shoulder, asking him to move his head so that he could see the screen. And if you take the fact that Ebert has been recovering from cancer out of the equation, it’s hard not to admit that Lumenick did what so many of us have wanted to do our entire goddamn lives: Punch an obnoxious moviegoer (nevermind, also, that Lou Lumenick is one of the worst critics working today, and the reason that print reviews are dying).

Credit Ebert, too, for acknowledging it and not opting for faux outrage (as some in our political world are apt to do). In fact, Ebert wrote this on his blog yesterday:

“This whole matter was embarrassing, because it drew attention to me and invited pity, which makes me cringe…in one way I feel sorry for him. He had no idea who was behind him when he smacked me. Now it looked like he was picking on poor me. I have had my problems, but I promise you I am plenty hearty enough to withstand a smack, and quite happy, after the smack, to tap him again. I had to see those subtitles.”

You rock, Roger. That’s the fucking spirit, man.









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Comments

Damn. I was hoping Ebert would have some sort of excuse to say, "The balcony is closed, bitch!" Still, it's nice to see Roger Ebert being, as always, a class act.

Posted by: Mike R. at September 12, 2008 9:29 AM

Roger Ebert carries his balls in a wheelbarrow. Also his colostomy bag.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at September 12, 2008 9:30 AM

And even more impressive is the piece Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun Times slamming Sarah Palin which you can read at www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/1156080,091008ebertpalin.article.

Posted by: PaddyDog at September 12, 2008 9:33 AM

I love Roger Ebert. I've grown to love his writing style to the point where I actually teared up a little (ok, not a little. I full on cried) when I opened my paper and found his first review back after having been away with the cancer. I don't always agree with him either, but he reviews films in a thoughtful way (usually speaking) and has such a great conversational tone to his writing. He's one of my film critic heroes, and one of the reasons I returned to school at the age of 34 to pursue a degree in cinema studies.

I don't actually read the Post, mainly because it's a tabloid rag, so I have no familiarity with this Lumenick other than I've heard the name. In my mind, sure sometimes you want to punch somebody, but good god, here in "civilized" "society", we don't actually do that sort of thing, no matter who is sitting behind you. Sure, I've wanted to grab the obnoxious idiot's cell phone who's gabbing away next to me like this is his living room and jam it so far down his throat he poops it out within minutes. Sure, half the reason the movies aren't selling as many tickets is because of assholes like that. But you just don't haul off and smack somebody. At lest, not unless they really deserve it (e.g., the cell phone thing. God, those people need a good beatdown). Sometimes, though, I guess you just react first and think later. So good on Roger for letting it go.

My point is, I loved Ebert. And now I love him even more.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 12, 2008 9:35 AM

To me, Ebert was always the one whom would go for the trash when Siskel was alive, and Siskel would sit there with this look of incredible disdain for Roger's obviously lowbrow suck-up. Since Gene passed away, Roger has gotten on the horse of high-taste and forced poor Roeper to declare such dreck like Will Farrel thumbs up.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at September 12, 2008 9:40 AM

Maybe it would have been more effective if Ebert would have passed Lumenick a note stating that he couldn't see the subtitles and could the guy move left or right or something like that. I suspect that if someone kept tapping me on the shoulder in a movie theater and didn't say anything, I wouldn't get what was going on either. But then, I'd probably just get up and move, not hit them.

Posted by: BWeaves at September 12, 2008 9:41 AM

I went to see Perfume at Ebertfest in Champaign two a year and a half ago, (my friend got tickets via journalistic awesomeness and Alan Rickman was there so I had to wet myself in glee of even being in the same room as him) and Ebert was great. His health wasn't doing that well, his face was wrapped up a little bit, but he was still just hanging out and grinning, having a ball. He's a pretty awesome guy.

Posted by: Noxbu at September 12, 2008 10:07 AM

So to recap the week:
Kanye gets his picture taken at an airport, and spazzes out.
Ebert gets physically attacked by a douchey competitor, and says "yeah, I probably deserved it."
I think we need to get some bling for the fat man on the balcony.

Also, "Kanye and Ebert at the movies". I just thought of that, and am now convinced that this would be the best thing ever!

Posted by: the cox at September 12, 2008 10:34 AM

I always preferred Siskel to Ebert, but since we lost Siskel it seems like Ebert became the beneficiary of Siskel's belovedness. That said, I give him props for taking a punch like a man.

Posted by: Cindy at September 12, 2008 10:34 AM

Remeber, Ebert is the one that created Oprah. When they were dating, he convinved her to syndicate her show. Go ahead, look it up. I admit it sounds like something a 9 year old come up with but its true.

Posted by: diablo at September 12, 2008 10:45 AM

but since we lost Siskel

"Lost" nothing. He's still here, he possessed Mick Jones.

Posted by: Jay at September 12, 2008 10:57 AM

haha, thanks Jay. Now I won't be able to listen to Carbon/Silicon without giggling. There goes my last bit of punkrock cred...

Posted by: the cox at September 12, 2008 11:46 AM

I saw Ebert at a forum on redemption films a few years back at University of Colorado-Boulder (at the Conference on World Affiars, which is held at CU for a week annually and is really fantastic if you ever get the chance to attend!) Of the four members of the panel, he was the one who most impressed me. He was graceful and interesting, not slamming the films/questions the other panel members (and audience members) brought up, but giving truly thoughful and respectful answers and opinions. He even hung around after to speak with the audience members if time hadn't allowed for their questions. He also had the best sense of humour of the panelists, which I was not expecting.

Posted by: ami at September 12, 2008 1:08 PM

My favorite Ebert story is from Sundance about six or seven years ago, when Better Luck Tomorrow was screening. At the Q&A after the movie, some numbnut stood up and accused the cast and director of making a movie which made Asians "look bad."

Ebert stands up and just rips into that guy, saying that A) the movie doesn't make Asians look bad and B) at least here you've got a movie where the Asian characters are front and centre, rather than being the comic relief or the tech geek supporting cast. The cast of the movie cheered Ebert, because he got it.

Posted by: mightygodking at September 12, 2008 1:53 PM

Kanye and Ebert at the movies

Good concept, but Kanye's ego would start crowding Ebert out of the show, until Ebert had enough of K's whiny bitchitude and smacked him one in the kisser with a full colostomy bag. Kanye would be tasting shit for weeks and...ahh, now I'm smiling and I don't know what to do about it. Hope it comes true, I guess!

Never much watched Ebert but you've gotta respect this type of class in anyone, let alone a public figure. And I'm even willing to give him a pass on the whole Oprah thing, cuz really, who's going to kick a cancer patient?

Posted by: lordhelmet at September 12, 2008 2:02 PM

He does kind of look like Siskel, Jay.

Posted by: Cindy at September 12, 2008 3:05 PM

I have always enjoyed reading Ebert's reviews, although sometimes he is really enthuastic about stuff I can't stand and hates stuff I like. I mean, who doesn't like Scrooged? Even though, he's a great writer.

Go to his website and read the review for Shiloh or Good Morning Vietnam. Also, he tore into Rob Scheider a couple of times. It wasn't as funny as when you guys did it, but it fun to read.

Posted by: dodgeperry at September 15, 2008 10:29 AM