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(Import from TV Tropes TVT:Series.SiskelAndEbert 2012-07-01, editor history TVTH:Series.SiskelAndEbert, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported license) |
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''Siskel and Ebert'' was a syndicated series that ran from 1986 to 1999, spun off from a couple of earlier shows on [[PBS]]: "Sneak Previews" and "At the Movies", both of which utilized a similar format of two critics, Gene Siskel of The Chicago Tribune and [[Roger Ebert]] of The Chicago Sun-Times, discussing and debating the week's new films. Roughly four or five films were critiqued per episode. It usually ended with a special segment like "Video/Laserdisc Pick of the Week/Month", an interview with a celebrity or director, or a short-lived segment where viewers wrote in to provide a second opinion or correct S&E about something.
Occasionally, they would devote an entire episode to one issue in film: Their stance against colorization, against fullscreen cropping of widescreen films (and vice versa when it came to older [[Disney]] animated films), trends they noticed in film (such as directors influenced by [[Quentin Tarantino]]) and spotlights on whom they considered rising stars or directors. They even spent an entire episode analyzing who had the better filmography: [[Woody Allen]] or [[Mel Brooks]]? Most notable, however, were the annual "Memo to the Academy" (where Siskel and Ebert recommend what they think should be nominated for Oscars) and the "Best of" and "Worst of" the year lists, the latter of which were quite entertaining as they got to trash the bad films one last time.
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...Or so we thought. Later in 2010, Ebert announced he had purchased the rights to the show and had taken it back to PBS. His new ''Ebert Presents: At the Movies'' began airing in January 2011, with Ignaty Vishnevetsky of Mubi and Christy Lemire of the Associated Press as the new critics. Ebert himself made appearances on the show, with Bill Curtis narrating special versions of some of his recent written reviews. The show was a ratings success, but due to funding problems it went on hiatus at the end of 2011.
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* [[Accentuate the Negative]]: Averted. Siskel and Ebert love to give positive reviews, it's just that the films aren't always up to snuff. In fact, there have been a few episodes where they've given two thumbs up to every film.
* [[Ad Hominem]]: Some of their arguments came dangerously close to this.
* [[The Announcer]]: The series had a [[Cold Open]] announcer for many years, but around 1996, Siskel and Ebert began introducing the shows themselves.
* [[Berserk Button]]: Ebert has provided a few examples. In their review of the 1995 French comedy ''French Twist'', he was appalled that the French chose this film as their submission to the Academy Awards, when they could've nominated ''[[Les Misérables]]'' instead. He wanted to get the voting crew to look him in the eye to say that ''French Twist'' was a better film and was convinced they wouldn't be able to do it, since he thought the voting was fixed and corrupt.
** In his review of ''Leonard Part 6'', Ebert went on a rant about [[Product Placement
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** Never insinuate that Siskel's wrong simply because he holds a different opinion than the majority, as we saw in their review of ''[[Outbreak]]'' when Ebert said Siskel was probably the only one who thought [[Dustin Hoffman]] looked ridiculous in the lab coat.
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'''Ebert''': [[Deadpan Snarker|That would be a start...]] }}
::As mentioned in the intro paragraphs, Siskel and Ebert were against colorization and cropping movies, and rallied against it whenever it was appropriate.
* [[Bias Steamroller]]: Siskel loved Sean Connery as [[James Bond]] and judged all later Bond movies against Connery's portrayal. He even flat out admitted his bias in his ''[[
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* [[Blind Without
* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: In their "Worst of 1995" show, during their mention of ''[[Judge Dredd (
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** When reviewing ''French Twist'', Siskel also broke the fourth wall when he addressed the country of France by talking into the camera:
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* [[Call Back]]: In their review of ''[[
* [[Catch Phrase]]: Aside from the quote at the top, there's "Two thumbs up, way up" or "Two thumbs down, way down", in both extreme cases.
** Each episode also opened with either Siskel or Ebert saying some variant of, "(movie title) is one of (four/five) new movies we'll be reviewing this week on ''Siskel and Ebert''. I'm (Gene Siskel/Roger Ebert) of the (Chicago Tribune/Chicago Sun-Times)...", followed by the other saying their name and paper. The latter would then introduce the first film.
* [[Caustic Critic]]: Usually their reviews are fairly level-headed, but occasionally a ''really'' bad film comes along that will cause one or both to rip it to shreds, such as ''[[
* [[Christmas Episode]]: For a while, Siskel and Ebert did an annual "Holiday Gift Guide" episode.
* [[Circular Reasoning]]: Demonstrated in their review of ''[[Back to
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: During their review of ''The Lost World: [[Jurassic Park]]'', Siskel criticized the opening scene, asking why the dinosaur couldn't have been more friendly to the little girl. Ebert retorted that dinosaurs aren't supposed to be friendly, that they're wild beasts. Siskel replied with: "I have three children, Roger, and I have decided I will not buy them a dinosaur as a pet." One can only imagine what Siskel meant by that remark.
* [[Cold Open]]: Every episode began with an announcer telling a few of the movies Siskel and Ebert would be reviewing.
* [[Critical Dissonance]]: Invoked. Some examples of films which grossed high numbers despite the duo's score of "two thumbs down": ''[[The Flintstones]]'' (1994), ''[[Home Alone]]'' 1 and 2, ''[[Jumanji]]'', ''[[Independence Day]]'', ''The Lost World: [[Jurassic Park]]'', ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', and ''[[Ghostbusters]] 2''.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Both Siskel and Ebert could fall into this at times. An example:
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'''Ebert''': You know, Gene, if you're so good at telling me I had a better time, and what I felt, and how I thought, I don't know why it's necessary for me to be here on this show-
'''Siskel''': I've thought about that, too. }}
** Another example, from their review of ''[[Teen Wolf (
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'''Ebert''': Y'know, if criticism ever gets tiring to you, Gene, you could always open a Lonely Hearts Agency. }}
* [[Department of Redundancy Department]]: Frequently, after finishing a review and moving onto the next one, Siskel or Ebert would say: "Next movie, and our next movie is ______."
* [[Double Standard]]: In their debate about ''Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood'', Ebert asked Siskel if he'd feel the same way about this film if it starred Jewish people and had Jewish stereotypes. Siskel said that if it were funny, he'd like it just as much. Then Ebert said he doubt a film like that would get made.
* [[Downer Ending]]: Gene Siskel's death, obviously.
* [[Dude, Not Funny]]: Invoked. Ebert accused ''Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood'' of making fun of serious subjects which he felt shouldn't be mocked. Siskel tried to call him out on it, suggesting that any topic can be parodied if done right.
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: Nothing major, as the show stayed roughly the same since it began in 1986, but in 1992, the show's backdrop switched from a yellow-ish hue to a blue one.
** Also, in the early shows, Ebert had thicker glasses and bushier hair.
* [[
** Ebert gave ''[[
** Siskel gave ''[[
** While he didn't exactly hate it, Ebert gave a marginal thumbs down to ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'', claiming it wasn't on par with Stanley Kubrick's earlier work and finding the second half of the film a letdown. The film has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
** Ebert also didn't care for ''[[Blue Velvet]]'', which holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. He admired the filmmaking, but hated being jerked around by having deadly serious scenes immediately cut to something cheerfully ironic.
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** ''[[Independence Day]]'' was given two thumbs down; while it wasn't a resounding critical success, it was a big hit at the box office. They even re-reviewed the film after it became a success, and still disliked it, citing unmemorable characters, cliched dialog, and generic-looking aliens.
** Siskel disliked ''[[Mulan]]'', which has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. He thought the artwork was dull, there didn't seem to be a sense of jeopardy regarding the main character, and couldn't remember any of the songs.
** Ebert disliked the 1989 ''[[Batman (
** Siskel didn't like ''[[Ferris
** Siskel gave a marginal thumbs down to ''[[Indiana Jones and
** Both Siskel and Ebert revealed on a "You Blew It!" special episode that they felt ''[[Butch Cassidy and
** While he gave it a marginal thumbs up, Siskel wasn't all that impressed by ''[[Boogie Nights]]'', which has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. He felt that the film didn't give much new insight about the porn industry and felt the film had no point.
** The reverse of this trope occurs at times as well; Siskel enjoyed ''[[Carnosaur (
** Probably the most standout reverse example would be their '''two thumbs up''' to ''Speed 2: Cruise Control'', a movie considered by virtually everyone else to be one of the worst sequels of all time.
* [[Enforced Plug]]: When the internet began to take off, Siskel and Ebert naturally got their own website, which led to one of the two plugging it at the end of every episode. Unfortunately, this meant they had no time to get a little more debating in, which was the highlight of the 1986-1995 shows.
* [[Finger Wag]]: Films that were [[Not Screened for Critics]] got the Wagging Finger of Shame. This rating was short-lived, however; it only lasted a year before Ebert abandoned it, claiming that it wasn't really stopping studios from withholding their movies from critics.
* [[Finish Dialogue in Unison]]: In their review of ''Over the Top'' (1987), Siskel and Ebert both said "the strap" at the same time. [[Crowning Moment of Funny|Twice]].
* [[Flashback Effects]]: In Ebert and Roeper's review of ''[[Scooby
* [[Guest Host]]: Tom Shales filled in for Gene Siskel when he went in for brain surgery in 1999. After Siskel died, Ebert tried numerous other guest hosts in 1999 until finally deciding on Richard Roeper in 2000 as permanent replacement co-host.
* [[Guilty Pleasures]]: Ebert has been known to give certain movies thumbs up, even if he admits they're ridiculous and/or not as good of quality as other films. Examples: [[Congo]], [[Gamera]]: Guardian of the Universe.
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* [[Hilarious Outtakes]]: The famous outtakes of Siskel and Ebert on [[YouTube]] have garnered millions of hits.
* [[Ho Yay]]: Invoked. And played with. During their review of "Female Perversions":
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'''Ebert''': (smiling) I'm thinking about it right now.
'''Siskel''': Thank- aw, that's sweet. That's very sweet.
'''Ebert''': I was picturing Paulina Porizkova, I wasn't thinking of you. }}
* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: While the duo resisted using bad puns in their reviews, they occasionally let one slide.
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** They've also made tributes to deceased film stars and directors, usually at the end of the show. One deceased director, however, was given a full episode tribute ([[Stanley Kubrick]]).
* [[Instrumental Theme Tune]]
* [[It Is Pronounced "Tro
* [[Keep Circulating the Tapes]]: Due to their timely nature, reruns of Siskel and Ebert usually aren't aired on TV except occasionally their special topic episodes, and while most every review was previously available on Buena Vista's website, they were removed in 2010 when "At the Movies" was canceled. Due to both of these factors, ''Siskel and Ebert'' will never come to DVD.
* [[Le Film Artistique]]: One completely incorrect statement about the duo is that they supposedly give thumbs up only to pretentious artsy foreign films and give thumbs down to all mainstream action films. [[Sarcasm Mode|Yeah, they really hated]] ''[[Die Hard
* [[Like an Old Married Couple]]: Their arguments could fall into this quite often; the two had been paired together so long that they knew what made the other tick and jumped on that. And while they did argue, they also kidded each other just as much.
* [[Limited Wardrobe]]: Throughout the entire run, the typical outfit for both Siskel and Ebert was a blazer with a turtleneck underneath. However, there have been exceptions: Both have worn tuxedos for some of their "Best of" shows, and Ebert wore a suit and tie for his Gene Siskel tribute episode. Perhaps the biggest aversion occurred in a special 1994 episode "Sunny Side of the Screen", where they both wore blazers with hawaiian shirts underneath.
* [[Logical Fallacies]]: Ebert made one during their review of ''[[Gamera]]: Guardian of the Universe''. He gave the film thumbs up despite listing some flaws. Siskel said that all of Ebert's flaws were accurate and suggested renting one of the early giant monster movies instead (which he felt were superior). At this point, Ebert took Siskel's point too far by sarcastically suggesting that the audience shouldn't bother with any of the films on the program and to just rent ''[[
** Siskel made one in the episode where Ebert gave ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' a marginal thumbs down. Siskel said it was absurd that Ebert was giving a Kubrick film that rating, while in the same show he gave a recommendation to ''Benji the Hunted'' (which he disliked). As Ebert rightfully pointed out, ''Jacket'' and ''Benji'' are two totally different genres and as such, deserve to have different criteria for judging them.
* [[Long List]]: In their review of ''[[The Kids in The Hall]]: Brain Candy'', Ebert rattled off a list of adjectives as to why he hates the film:
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* [[Milestone Celebration]]: In 1989, the duo hosted a one-hour "500th Anniversary Special".
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Due to the wide variety of films that debuted each week, they could review a slasher flick... followed immediately by a light-hearted family film.
* [[Most Annoying Sound]]: Invoked. A few actors have been described by Siskel and/or Ebert as "fingernails on the blackboard", such as Pauly Shore.
* [[No Sense of Humor]]: Siskel accused Ebert of this when Ebert gave a scathing review to ''[[The Kids in The Hall]]: Brain Candy''.
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* [["On the Next..."]]: Before the closing catchphrase, each episode featured Siskel or Ebert saying what they'd review on the next show.
* [[Promotional Consideration]]: The sponsors varied, but two companies that often appeared in the "Promotional Consideration" slide were Nestle and Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.
* [[Punctuated!
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* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: In their "Worst of 1995" show, Siskel and Ebert criticized the parents who took their kids to see ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (
* [[Sarcasm Mode]]: In their review of ''The Great Outdoors'':
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** In their review of ''Leonard Part 6'':
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** In their review of ''[[
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* [[Serious Business]]: While the duo sometimes exchanged funny banter, for the most part the duo took film criticism very seriously, even occasionally accusing each other of lowering their standards (see the [[Predator]] review). This is perhaps why they gained such a reputation as an authority on what are the best films to see (to the point where "Two thumbs up!" was practically a given to mention in ads or on video covers).
* [[Shown Their Work]]: Siskel and Ebert rarely made mistakes during their reviews, and often mentioned screenwriters, cinematographers, and directors by name.
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* [[Spoiler]]: Unfortunately, some of Siskel and Ebert's reviews contained spoilers.
* [[Stuff Blowing Up]]: Frequently cited as a negative in the films they review, as it often emphasizes meaningless special effects over story. For example, in their review of ''On Deadly Ground'':
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* [[Title Please]]: No episode titles are present on the screen. Episodes are unofficially referred to as "Week of ____" and/or the movies they reviewed on that episode.
* [[Visual Pun]]: Their "At the Movies" days featured two stuffed animals, Aroma the Educated Skunk and Spot the Wonder Dog, which represented the stinkers and dogs of the week, respectively. These were excised when they moved to the Buena Vista series.
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