Roger EbertandGene Siskelare a famous pair of film critics who often passionately disagreed with each other’s movie reviews.Both critics gained attention for their writing in their respective Chicago newspapers, but found stardom after they began co-hosting the movie review TV showAt the Movies, originally known asSiskel & Ebert & the Movies.
Ebert and Siskel famously reviewed and recommended movies with a"thumbs up" or “thumbs down” system. Whether it was written or discussed on their shared TV series,the critics' reviews were often well-informed and earnest. Ebert and Siskel’s reviews were marked by an intense passion and appreciation for movies, which regularly led to heated debates and disagreements between the two.
10Benji The Hunted (1987)
To those familiar withBenji the Hunted, it may be surprising to learn that such a film could lead to a fiery debate between Ebert and Siskel. Neither critic was truly impressed withBenji the Hunted, butit was only Siskel who gave the film a “thumbs down” rating, saying it wasn’t a film he could recommend to audiences.
Ebert appreciated the light suspense throughout the filmand sawBenji the Huntedas a suitable movie for young audiences. In one of the critics' more famous disagreements on their TV show, things got heated after Siskel pointed out the irony of Ebert’s positive review ofBenji the Huntedin comparison to his negative review ofFull Metal Jacket.
9Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky IVisn’t the best film intheRockyfranchise, butit’s entertaining and has enough memorable elements to earn a positive review from Siskel. When talking aboutRocky IV, Siskel admitted that, though the film was largely predictable, he couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of the fighting scenes.
Siskel also acknowledged theRockyfilms' ability to create compelling villains, praising Dolph Lundgren’s performance as Ivan Drago inRocky IV. However,in Ebert’s opinion,Rocky IVwas merely evidence that theRockyfranchise was “finally losing its legs,“with the formulaic setup ofRocky IVleaving the film feeling uninspired.
8The Cable Guy (1996)
Jim Carrey is best known for his physical, over-the-top comedy style, providing audiences with plenty of laughter during his breakthrough in the ’90s. However,Carrey took on a noticeably darker role in Ben Stiller’sThe Cable Guy. The slight shift in Carrey’s on-screen persona left audiences and several critics mixed, including Ebert and Siskel.
Ebert found Carrey’s character to be bothersome and his disturbing behavior to be more creepy than necessary. In contrast, Siskel praisedThe Cable Guyfor being “very, very funny.“Siskel positively noted thatThe Cable Guyhad a bit more of a serious toneto it compared to Carrey’s previous work, and claimed it was the actor’s best sinceThe Mask.
7Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancingis aniconic ’80s dance moviethat spawned a large franchise made up of TV series, competition shows, and a stage production. The movie is led by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, and whileSiskel and Ebert agreed thatDirty Dancingwas predictable and full of clichés, the former was much more approving.
Ebert didn’t considerDirty Dancingto have many redeeming qualities to make up for its formulaic story, butSiskel appreciated Grey’s performance. In addition to the dancing, which both critics agreed was delightful, Siskel was pleased to see Grey awarded strong character development throughout the film.
6Scarface (1983)
Despite initial criticisms of its extreme violence and graphic depiction of drug use,Scarfacehas become acelebrated gangster movie. Between Siskel and Ebert, it was the latter who responded positively to the film. In his review ofScarface,Ebert applauded Brian De Palma and screenwriter Oliver Stonefor their ability to create realistic and compelling characters.
Furthermore, Ebert took notice ofScarface’s violence and how it avoided being exploitative. Siskel felt differently, stating, “I didn’t like the movie at all.” However,Siskel did findScarface’s shootout sequences to be the film’s best feature, complimenting the choreography of the scenes and their realistic quality.
5Blue Velvet (1986)
Both Siskel and Ebert praisedDavid Lynch as a directorin their review ofBlue Velvet. The critics' positive sentiments highlighted Lynch’s talent for encouraging audiences to think and come up with their own meaning for his films.Siskel listedBlue Velvetas one of the best films of the year, and he commended the movie for its engrossing qualities.
On the other hand, Ebert had an issue with the making ofBlue Velvetitself. Though he applauded Lynch’s talent,Ebert didn’t appreciate how the film treated its actors, particularly Isabella Rossellini. Ebert found Rossellini to be “humiliated” in her role, noting that the sexual nature of her scenes was unjustifiable and didn’t work with the rest of the film.
4Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick,Full Metal Jacketisa unique war moviethat is split into two parts as a means to emphasize the brutal transformation of soldiers during times of conflict. In their reviews,both Ebert and Siskel took notice ofFull Metal Jacket’s cinematography, praising the overall look of the film.
However, this is where Ebert’s admiration forFull Metal Jacketends. Ebert compared it negatively to films likePlatoonandApocalypse Now.To Ebert, Kubrick’s film was fine, but far from original, and relied too heavily on cliché war movie action sequences. Siskel disagreed and singled out a particular character’s death as being more effective than those in any other war movie.
3The Big Lebowski (1998)
The initial critical response toThe Big Lebowskiat the time of its release wasn’t overwhelmingly positive, and time has certainly been kind to the Coen brothers' crime comedy. Nowdubbed a cult film,The Big Lebowskiis praised for its bizarre plot and Jeff Bridges' performanceas “The Dude.”
Between Siskel and Ebert, the latter was more welcoming of the film. Ebert noted Bridges' character had a lot of heart, and stated that what madeThe Big Lebowski’s humor work was the tossing of its incompetent characters into a complex kidnapping mystery.Siskel was less enthusiastic, claiming the film’s narrative was too cliché, and its humor was uninspired.
2The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
With just 16 minutes of screentime inThe Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins made Hannibal Lecter one ofthe best movie villains of all time. Hopkins has one ofthe shortest Oscar-winning performancesas Hannibal Lecter, andhis shared time on screen with Jodie Foster is what Ebert found to be the most effective partof the film.
Ebert enjoyed the tension between Hopkins and Foster’s characters and praised both actors for their exceptional performances. Disagreeing with Ebert, Siskel found Foster to be just “decent” in her role.Siskel also criticized the exaggerated, villainous atmosphere that surrounded Hannibal Lecter, particularly the dramatic score, which he found to be overkill at times.
1Unforgiven (1992)
Largely responsible for the resurgence of the Western genre in the ’90s,Unforgivenwould go on to become the thirdWestern film to win an Oscar for Best Picture.Unforgivenis considered one ofClint Eastwood’s best Westerns, wherethe actor not only stars as a retired outlaw, but he also directed and produced the film.
Both Siskel and Ebert’s initial response toUnforgivenwas mixed. The critics found issue with what they felt was a shapeless narrative and the inclusion of far too many supporting characters, which they said were ultimately unnecessary. However,it was only Ebert who came around toUnforgivenin the end, adding it to his famous “The Great Movies” list.
