VOTD: Siskel And Ebert Defend 'Star Wars' On 1983 TV Show

Anticipating, debating and dissecting Star Wars movies is nothing new. Thirty year ago, with the final Star Wars film Return of the Jedi just hitting theaters, film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert defended the latest Star Wars film on ABC's Nightlne with Ted Koppel. Their opposition was critic John Simon, who wrote for National Review and New York Magazine. Simon hated The Empire Strikes Back and Jedi while Siskel and Ebert loved them. At one point, Simon condemns the films for being Disney like and Siskel and Ebert praise that statement. We know what happened some years later.

The discussion then segues into a debate about highbrow film versus movies as pure entertainment. It's a fantastic look back in time and proof that, three decades later, these issues will never be settled. Especially in the case of Star Wars.

Thanks to @DannyTRS on Twitter for the heads up