The world’s best known movie critic and self-proclaimed thumb war champion, Roger Ebert, has issued an update on his health (better) and announced the Ebert-esque line-up for 2008’s Roger Ebert Film Festival aka Ebertfest at his alma mater, the University of Illinois. So, how’s the guy doing?
“I am at last returning to the movie beat. After my current stay at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, I’m looking forward to opening night of my annual film festival at the University of Illinois on April 23, and I will resume writing movie reviews shortly thereafter.
Are you as bored with my health as I am? I underwent a third surgery in January, this one in Houston, and once again there were complications. I am sorry to say that my ability to speak was not restored. That would require another surgery.”
Ebert’s also found inspiration in the mug of one Jake La Motta…
“It was Schrader’s line from his screenplay for Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” that inspired my acceptance of my bandaged appearance: “I ain’t a pretty boy no more.”
As for the film festival, which takes place April 23-27 at the Virgina Theatre in the city of Champaign, it’s filled with what Ebert calls “overlooked” films, including Univ. of Illinois alum Ang Lee’s Hulk, Tarsem Singh’s JLo oddity The Cell, and Bill Forsyth’s ’50s-set familial drama Housekeeping. On hand for the festivities will be Forsyth, writer-director Paul Schrader (whose Auto Focus rocks), Aida Turturro (The Sopranos) and several others. Yeah, Roeper will be there. Full line-up after the jump.
Discuss: Was The Cell or Ang Lee’s Hulk overlooked? Is Ebert pushing it?
Wednesday, April 23
7 pm — “Hamlet” (Kenneth Branagh, 1996)
Thursday, April 24
1 pm — “Delirious” (Tom DiCillo, 2007)
4 pm — “Yes” (Sally Potter, 2004)
8:30 p.m. — “Canvas” (Joseph Greco, 2006)
“Citizen Cohl: The Untold Story” (Barry Avrich, 2008),
a tribute to Dusty Cohl
Friday, April 25
11:30 am — “Shotgun Stories” (Jeff Nichols, 2007)
2 pm — ”Underworld” (Josef von Sternberg, 1927), Alloy Orchestra
7 pm — “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” (Taggart Siegel, 2005)
10 pm — “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” (Paul Schrader, 1985)
Saturday, April 26
11 am — “Hulk” (Ang Lee, 2003)
3 pm — “The Band’s Visit” (Eran Klirin, 2007)
7:30 pm — “Housekeeping” (Bill Forsyth, 1987)
11 pm — “The Cell” (Tarsem Singh, 2000)
Sunday, April 27
Noon — “Romance & Cigarettes” (John Turturro, 2006)
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Ebert’s reviews rock whether I agree with them or not. I’d like to hear what he says about those films. I didn’t like them, but I do wonder what he’d say about them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I gotta admit. I always thought he was a douchebag and never gave a shit about his opinion on films.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
ang lee’s hulk wasn’t overlooked, it was just plain bad.
the cell, on the other hand, i agree with. sure the acting wasn’t anything to write home about, but the concept was pretty interesting, definitely a new take on the tired “serial killer” genre, and the art direction, cinematography, etc. were all pretty f*ing spectacular.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Alright so imagine for a second that Ang Lee’s film wasn’t based on a Marvel character. Putting myself in those shoes I can see why Ebert was fond of the father son tragedy that Lee gave us. This puts him in a unique position, because he was able to appreciate things we may have missed. Where as most of us went in with high expectations for a kick ass Hulk movie, he probably went in with no, or even low expectations, and came out quite surprised at the drama that formed the narrative. He wasn’t watching a hulk movie, he was watching everything else.
“Overlooked”? Yeah I guess I see where he’s coming from. But I also must say that I can see why he’s effen nuts. At the end of the day it was the Hulk we went to watch, and fans of the Hulk were let down. They went in expecting the Passion of the Christ, but ended up watching Jesus dancing in a tutu, and left saying “wtf?”. Sure it was great dancing, and the scene with the magical clown who uses his tears to save the people was shot beautifully, but it’s still Jesus and that’s not what they paid for. So in that same vein, this was the Hulk and it was not what they paid for either. I could go on with other examples (”Batman Returns” anyone?) But I’ll stop here.
Point is, I can see both sides. And I’ll have to kindly disagree with Mr. Ebert.
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Ang Lee’s The Hulk I saw at a friend’s house. I repeatedly asked him if it was a rough cut… I prayed it was. Then he pulled the disc out of the dvd player and I was brought to the ugly truth. I was astonished. Its not overlooked. The movie is one of the worst, comic book movies since Batman and Robin.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Is that the Emperor from Star Wars ?
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Ang Lee’s Hulk was fascinating. It was a narrative failure, but a fascinating one. Well actually I can’t recall much about it, but I thought breaking the screen into different comic book-like panels was cool.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
Champaign not Champagne >
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
FUCK all critics!!!!!