Roger Ebert

The famed film writer and critic reviews twenty-five essential French films, featuring Amélie, Belle du Jour, La Vie en Rose, and Au Revoir les Enfants. Like a full-bodied Bordeaux wine, Roger Ebert’s e-book original 25 Great French Films will reward you with a rich variety of full-length reviews of cinematic experiences. From such classics as Belle de Jour, Day for Night, and The 400 Blows to the sweeping drama (and beautiful scenery!) of Jean de Florette and its sequel Manon of the Spring, this e-book provides a perfect primer for those new to French films and a welcome refresher course for true Francophiles. And, as an added attraction, most of the reviews are accompanied with a clip of the movies’ trailers, including gems like Mr. Hulot’s Holiday and Jules and Jim.

Ahh, love. It can be a many splendored thing, but it can also lead to the pain of a broken heart. For those experiencing such a sad eventuality, turn to this e-book only selection of Ebert's Essentials, and consider these reviews of movies to help get you through the heartbreak. While not a cure for a broken heart (what could be?), watching these films can bring hope and appreciation for the possibility of love again or just help you laugh at the total absurdity of it all. Enjoy such classic romantic comedies as Moonstruck and Annie Hall to the decidedly offbeat Lars and the Real Girl that will help bring a smile back. Appreciate quiet looks into love with films like The Scent of Green Papaya and Once.

In this e-book exclusive, the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic presents reviews of twenty-seven fantastic film noir movies. Sometimes there’s just nothing more absorbing than watching a movie that truly looks at life on the dark side, revealing those dark parts of human nature that we find so fascinating. In Roger Ebert’s picks of 27 Movies from the Dark Side, he offers a varied selection from a look at the seamy side of life in L.A. in Chinatown to a backwoods murder gone wrong in Blood Simple. Throw in two classics from Alfred Hitchcock, Notorious and Strangers on a Train, and two French tours de force, Bob le Flambeur and Touchez Pas au Grisbiand you’ve got the primer on film noir.

The holidays—that time between Thanksgiving and New Year's—jam more "together" time together than any other time during the year. And all that being together calls for movies to watch together to celebrate the season or movies to watch alone to survive the season. From such classics to enjoy as a family like *A Christmas Story,* *It's a Wonderful Life* , and *Planes, Trains, and Automobiles* to more offbeat films like *Home for the Holidays* (the Thanksgiving family reunion from hell) and *Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale* (an R-rated Santa Claus origin story crossed with *The Thing)* , Roger Ebert's full-length reviews suggest a wide range of titles sure to please everyone on your list. Also included are thoughtful films like John Huston's rendering of James Joyce's *The Dead* , a poignant look at life and *Joyeux Noel,* based on the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire between German and Allied troops on Christmas Eve 1914. As a bonus, in the enhanced version, more than half of the reviews include a clip of the movie's trailer.

In this e-book exclusive, the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic presents reviews of 33 films that showcase the power of the human spirit. Wondering if the world is really going to hell in a handbasket? Then consider Roger Ebert’s e-book original 33 Movies to Restore Your Faith in Humanity. Read Roger’s full-length reviews of movies and rekindle your belief in the human spirit. From the out-of-the-world experience of E.T. to the outer space drama of Apollo 13 to the personal insights into ordinary people in Cinema Paradiso and Everlasting Moments, you’ll be reassured that maybe there is hope for us all. Mix in historical dramas like The Bridge on the River Kwai and Gandhi, stories of personal heroism like Hotel Rwanda and Schindler's List, and the irresistible Up, and things will be looking, well, up!

Roger Ebert's I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie and Your Movie Sucks, which gathered some of his most scathing reviews, were best-sellers. This new collection continues the tradition, reviewing not only movies that were at the bottom of the barrel, but also movies that he found underneath the barrel.A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length collects more than 200 of his reviews since 2006 in which he gave movies two stars or fewer. Known for his fair-minded and well-written film reviews, Roger is at his razor-sharp humorous best when skewering bad movies. Consider this opener for the one-star Your Highness:Your Highness is a juvenile excrescence that feels like the work of 11-year-old boys in love with dungeons, dragons, warrior women, pot, boobs, and four-letter words. That this is the work of David Gordon Green beggars the imagination. One of its heroes wears the penis of a minotaur on a string around his neck. I hate it when that happens.And finally, the inspiration for the title of this book, the one-star Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen:Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments. One of these involves a doglike robot humping the leg of the heroine. If you want to save yourself the ticket price go, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.Movie buffs and humor lovers alike will relish this treasury of movies so bad that you may just want to see them for a good laugh!

Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for nearly forty years. And during those four decades, his wide knowledge, keen judgment, prodigious energy, and sharp sense of humor have made him America’s most celebrated film critic. He was the first such critic to win a Pulitzer Prize—one of just three film critics ever to receive that honor—and the only one to have a star dedicated to him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His groundbreaking hit TV show, At the Movies, meanwhile, has made “two thumbs up” one of the most coveted hallmarks in the entire industry. No critic alive has reviewed more movies than Roger Ebert, and yet his essential writings have never been collected in a single volume—until now. With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert’s work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of this indispensable critic’s numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. From The Godfather to GoodFellas, from Cries and Whispers to Crash, the reviews in Awake in the Dark span some of the most exceptional periods in film history, from the dramatic rise of rebel Hollywood and the heyday of the auteur, to the triumph of blockbuster films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to the indie revolution that is still with us today. The extraordinary interviews gathered in Awake in the Dark capture Ebert engaging not only some of the most influential directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, and Ingmar Bergman—but also some of the silver screen’s most respected and dynamic personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep. Ebert’s remarkable essays play a significant part in Awake in the Dark as well. The book contains some of Ebert’s most admired pieces, among them a moving appreciation of John Cassavetes and a loving tribute to the virtues of black-and-white films. If Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris were godmother and godfather to the movie generation, then Ebert is its voice from within—a writer whose exceptional intelligence and daily bursts of insight and enthusiasm have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark, therefore, will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic, but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.

“What escaped at Three Mile Island was not only radiation, but, more importantly for the nuclear power industry, public confidence in technology and technocracy,” report Cantelon and Williams in their detailed account of the response of the Department of Energy to America’s worst civilian nuclear power accident. What happened at Three Mile Island was a technological failure of monstrous proportions. “Yet,” the authors contend, “the serious extent of the accident was caused by human error: technocrats blundered, lost control of technology, and, refusing to admit it, gave confusing, inconsistent, and jargon-laden explanations.” There was a welter of information and misinformation. To sift out the truth that would enable them to write the history of this contemporary event, Cantelon and Williams relied on unpublished archival materials—including logs of scientists and government officials—on oral interviews with participants, and on reports of other government agencies. The result is a significant history, one that shows how scientists and politicians responded to the unbelievable and unexpected as they tried to deal with a highly technical event in the glare of television lights and under the inquisitive and fearful eyes of the public. The danger was never real, yet for the nation and certainly for the immediate community around Three Mile Island, risk perceived was risk endured. Many of the residents of what became a “war zone” will never be the same, though radiation never touched them. Imagination and unconscious fears were far more important than any accurate perception of risk after a Nuclear Regulatory Commission official used the term meltdown at a Friday afternoon news conference.

Roger Ebert is the best-known film critic of our time. He has been reviewing films for the *Chicago Sun-Times* since 1967, and was the first film critic ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. He has appeared on television for four decades, including twenty-three years as cohost of *Siskel & Ebert at the Movies*. In 2006, complications from thyroid cancer treatment resulted in the loss of his ability to eat, drink, or speak. But with the loss of his voice, Ebert has only become a more prolific and influential writer. And now, for the first time, he tells the full, dramatic story of his life and career. Roger Ebert's journalism carried him on a path far from his nearly idyllic childhood in Urbana, Illinois. It is a journey that began as a reporter for his local daily, and took him to Chicago, where he was unexpectedly given the job of film critic for the *Sun-Times* , launching a lifetime's adventures. In this candid, personal history, Ebert chronicles it all: his loves, losses, and obsessions; his struggle and recovery from alcoholism; his marriage; his politics; and his spiritual beliefs. He writes about his years at the *Sun-Times* , his colorful newspaper friends, and his life-changing collaboration with Gene Siskel. He remembers his friendships with Studs Terkel, Mike Royko, Oprah Winfrey, and Russ Meyer (for whom he wrote *Beyond the Valley of the Dolls* and an ill-fated Sex Pistols movie). He shares his insights into movie stars and directors like John Wayne, Werner Herzog, and Martin Scorsese. This is a story that only Roger Ebert could tell. Filled with the same deep insight, dry wit, and sharp observations that his readers have long cherished, this is more than a memoir-it is a singular, warm-hearted, inspiring look at life itself. "I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out." -from *LIFE ITSELF*

What was in the briefcase in *Pulp Fiction*? Why don't movie actors wear seat belts? Was *Fargo* really based on a true story? Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert answers these and hundreds more. Using wit, insight, and dozens of other experts, he resolves some of the most common questions about the moviesand some of the most bizarre. ### About the Author Roger Ebert is the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic from the *Chicago Sun-Times*. His reviews are syndicated to more than 200 newspapers in the United States and Canada. The American Film Institute and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago have awarded him honorary degrees, and the Online Film Critics Society named his Web site, rogerebert.com, the best online movie-review site.

Pick your next movie to watch with this collection of four decades of 4-star reviews from the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic. Spanning the length of Roger Ebert’s career as the leading American movie critic, this book contains all of his four-star reviews written during that time from About Last Night . . . to You Can Count on Me. A great guide for movie watching.

The most-trusted film critic in America." --USA Today Roger Ebert actually likes movies. It's a refreshing trait in a critic, and not as prevalent as you'd expect." --Mick LaSalle, San Francisco ChronicleAmerica's favorite movie critic assesses the year's films from Brokeback Mountain to Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 is perfect for film aficionados the world over. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 includes every review by Ebert written in the 30 months from January 2004 through June 2006-about 650 in all. Also included in the Yearbook, which is about 65 percent new every year, are:* Interviews with newsmakers such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Stephen Spielberg, Ang Lee, and Heath Ledger, Nicolas Cage, and more.* All the new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns.* Daily film festival coverage from Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, and Telluride.*Essays on film issues and tributes to actors and directors who died during the year.

Nobody has been more important in telling Americans why we should love film than Roger Ebert. --Michael Shamberg, Editor and PublisherPulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert presents more than 650 full-length critical movie reviews, along with interviews, essays, tributes, film festival reports, and Q and As from Questions for the Movie Answer Man. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009 collects more than two years' worth of his engaging film critiques. From Bee Movie to Darfur Now to No Country for Old Men, and from Juno to Persepolis to La Vie en Rose, Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009 includes every review Ebert has written from January 2006 to June 2008.Also included in the Yearbook, which boasts 65 percent new content, are:* Interviews with newsmakers, such as Juno director Jason Reitman and Jerry Seinfeld, a touching tribute to Deborah Kerr, and an emotional letter of appreciation to Werner Herzog.* Essays on film issues, and tributes to actors and directors who died during the year.* Daily film festival reports from Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, and Telluride.* All-new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns.

Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2010 is the ultimate source for movies, movie reviews, and much more. For nearly 25 years, Roger Ebert's annual collection has been recognized as the preeminent source for full-length critical movie reviews, and his 2010 yearbook does not disappoint. The yearbook includes every review Ebert has written from January 2007 to July 2009. It also includes interviews, essays, tributes, and all-new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns. Fans get a bonus feature, too, with new entries to Ebert's Little Movie Glossary. This is the must-have go-to guide for movie fanatics.

"Roger Ebert's "criticism shows a nearly unequaled grasp of film history and technique, and formidable intellectual range. " --New York TimesPulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert presents more than 500 full-length critical movie reviews, along with interviews, essays, tributes, journal entries, and Q and As from "Questions for the Movie Answer Man" inside Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2011. From Inglourious Basterds and Crazy Heart to Avatar, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and the South Korean sensation The Chaser, Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2011. includes every movie review Ebert has written from January 2008 to July 2010.Also included in the Yearbook are:* In-depth interviews with newsmakers such as Muhammad Ali and Jason Reitman.* Tributes to Eric Rohmer, Roy Disney, John Hughes, and Walter Cronkite.* Essays on the Oscars, reports from the Cannes Film Festival, and entries into Ebert's Little Movie Glossary.

The only film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize, Roger Ebert collects his reviews from the last 30 months in Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2012. Forbes Magazine described Ebert as the "most powerful pundit in America." In January 2011, he and his wife, Chaz, launched Ebert Presents at the Movies, a weekly public television program in the tradition that he and Gene Siskel began 35 years earlier.Since 1986, each edition of Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook has presented full-length movie reviews, with interviews, essays, tributes, journal entries, and "Questions for the Movie Answer Man," and new entries in his popular Movie Glossary. Inside Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2012, readers can expect to find every movie review Ebert has written from January 2009 to July 2011, including The Social Network, Waiting for Superman, Inception, The King's Speech, My Dog Tulip, The Human Centipede, and more. Also included in the Yearbook are:* In-depth interviews with newsmakers and celebrities, such as John Waters and Justin Timberlake.* Memorial tributes to those in the film industry who have passed away, such as Blake Edwards, Tony Curtis, and Arthur Penn. * Essays on the Oscars and reports from the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals.

Roger Ebert’s “criticism shows a nearly unequaled grasp of film history and technique, and formidable intellectual range. . . .” —New York TimesPulitzer Prize–winning film critic Roger Ebert presents more than 600 full-length critical movie reviews, along with interviews, tributes, and journal entries inside Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook 2013.It includes every movie review Ebert has written from January 2010 to July 2012.Also included in the Yearbook:In-depth interviews with newsmakers and celebritiesTributes to those in the film industry who have passed away recentlyEssays on the Oscars, reports from the Toronto Film Festival, and entries into Ebert's Little Movie Glossary

Roger Ebert wrote the first film review that director Martin Scorsese ever received—for 1967’s *I Call First* , later renamed *Who’s That Knocking at My Door* —creating a lasting bond that made him one of Scorsese’s most appreciative and perceptive commentators. *Scorsese by Ebert* offers the first record of America’s most respected film critic’s engagement with the works of America’s greatest living director, chronicling every single feature film in Scorsese’s considerable oeuvre, from his aforementioned debut to his 2008 release, the Rolling Stones documentary *Shine a Light.* In the course of eleven interviews done over almost forty years, the book also includes Scorsese’s own insights on both his accomplishments and disappointments. Ebert has also written and included six new reconsiderations of the director’s less commented upon films, as well as a substantial introduction that provides a framework for understanding both Scorsese and his profound impact on American cinema. "Given their career-long back-and-forth, this collection makes perfect sense. . . . In these reconsiderations, Ebert invites us into his thought processes, letting us see not just what he thinks, but how he forms his opinions. Ebert’s insights into Scorsese are terrific, but this book offers the bonus of further insights into Ebert himself."— *Time Out Chicago* "Ebert, film critic for the *Chicago Sun-Times* , is an unabashed fan of Scorsese, whom he considers ‘the most gifted director of his generation.’ . . . Of special note are interviews with Scorsese over a 25-year period, in which the director candidly discusses his body of work."— *Publishers Weekly* ### Review "This book is proof that the greatest criticism is simply careful and educated observation that connects a filmmaker with his subject, his audience, and his time. Ebert is one of the most acclaimed and perceptive critics of his time, and this unique book is an invaluable study in the canon of both film and criticism." ― *Library Journal* "Ebert, film critic for the *Chicago Sun-Times* , is an unabashed fan of Scorsese, whom he considers "the most gifted director of his generation." To prove it, he's compiled his reviews of every Scorsese film-beginning with *I Call First* in 1967 to his latest, *Shine a Light*. Along the way, Ebert pays special tribute to five "masterpieces," including *Taxi Driver* , *Raging Bull* and *Mean Streets* , which he calls "one of the source points of modern movies." These three films in particular, Ebert argues, reflect Scorsese's ongoing preoccupation with sex and guilt, themes fueled by a Catholic upbringing and his childhood in New York City's Little Italy. Citing the director's strong collaboration with actor Robert De Niro and screenwriter Paul Schrader, Ebert says all three men seem "fascinated by the lives of tortured, violent, guilt-ridden characters," usually men who cannot relate to women, such as Travis Bickle in *Taxi Driver* or Jake LaMotta in *Raging Bull*. Of special note are interviews with Scorsese over a 25-year period, in which the director candidly discusses his body of work." ― *Publishers Weekly* "A film-by-film chronicling of the professional, yet passionate, Ebert-Scorsese relationship. Packaged together are every Ebert review of a Scorsese title, as well as an array of essays, interviews, and the transcript of an on-stage discussion between the director and writer. . . . Ebert has also gone back to write an additional 'reconsideration' of a half-dozen select Scorsese titles. . . . A work of obvious affection, even adoration, what might surprise readers most is how *Scorsese by Ebert* emerges as a work of profound identification." -- S. James Snyder ― *Time* "Given their career-long back-and-forth, this collection makes perfect sense. It’s a project Ebert has talked about for years, and during his recent recovery from surgery, he finally made it a reality. Ebert has collected all of his original reviews of Scorsese’s films, along with interviews and essays on the director. That would be a great thing on its own, but the real strength of this book comes from his new essays about a number of the films. These afford readers a wonderful opportunity to see how someone approaches the same work of art over decades. . . . In these reconsiderations, Ebert invites us into his thought processes, letting us see not just what he thinks, but how he forms his opinions. Ebert’s insights into Scorsese are terrific, but this book offers the bonus of further insights into Ebert himself." ― *Time Out Chicago* "[Eberts'] enthusiasm and conviction are obvious here; accordingly, this is some of his best stuff." ― *Booklist* "Whether you're a Scorsese connoisseur or someone just discovering the acclaimed auteur, Roger Ebert's *Scorsese* is a thought-provoking appreciaton of more than 40 years of masterful moviemaking." -- Kyle Rupprecht ― *Movie Maker* "Whether you're a Scorsese connoisseur or someone just discovering the acclaimed auteur, Roger Ebert's *Scorsese* is a thought-provoking appreciation of more than 40 years of masterful moviemaking." -- Kyle Rupprecht ― *Movie Maker* " *Scorsese by Ebert* is one of the finest books to ever be written on the medium of film. . . . An illuminating and insightful look at a virtuoso director written by a virtuoso journalist; it's the *Citizen Kane* of film criticism." -- Anthony Kuzminski ― *Antitainment* "An invaluable, historical resource for the Scorsese scholar and an entertaining, informative document for the Scorsese fan." ― *Choice* "Already a revered film critic, Ebert is also one of the most perceptive writers living today. And the level of perception present in his syndicated movie reviews is at its peak in this admiringly ciritical book about another revered figure. Through the eyes of Ebert, we go on a reflective journey into the mind of Scorses and, by extension, our own minds." -- Michael Bizunowicz ― *Shepherd Express* "Noting Ebert's coverage of one filmmaker, The University of Chicago Press asked the critic to collect his writings in a volume titled *Scorsese by Ebert* , which deceptively looks like a small-scale critical biography. [...] Well, they aren't slouches over at Chicago UP, and neither is the critic. [...] Such insight comes with ease from Ebert, proof of him having seen all of Scorsese's films (some numerous times) not for assignments, but as an obsession. Ebert's style also stems from his rapid-fire process in which he composes nearly as fast as he types. (Alas, how all critics aren't created equal.)" ― *Senses of Cinema* ### About the Author **Roger Ebert** is the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic of the *Chicago Sun-Times*. Starting in 1975, he cohosted a long-running weekly movie review program on television, first with Gene Siskel and then with Richard Roeper. He is the author of numerous books on film, including *The Great Movies, The Great Movies II,* and *Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert,* the last published by the University of Chicago Press.

From America's most trusted and highly visible film critic, 100 more brilliant essays on the films that define cinematic greatness. Continuing the pitch-perfect critiques begun in The Great Movies, Roger Ebert's The Great Movies II collects 100 additional essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send readers back to films with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm—or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing. Neither a snob nor a shill, Ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for today's most important form of popular art with a scholar's erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Once again wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by Mary Corliss, former film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, The Great Movies II is a treasure trove for film lovers of all persuasions, an unrivaled guide for viewers, and a book to return to again and again. Films featured in The Great Movies II12 Angry Men · The Adventures of Robin Hood · Alien · Amadeus · Amarcord · Annie Hall · Au Hasard, Balthazar · The Bank Dick · Beat the Devil · Being There · The Big Heat · The Birth of a Nation · The Blue Kite · Bob le Flambeur · Breathless · The Bridge on the River Kwai · Bring Me the Head of Alfredo García · Buster Keaton · Children of Paradise · A Christmas Story · The Color Purple · The Conversation · Cries and Whispers · The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie · Don’t Look Now · The Earrings of Madame de . . . · The Fall of the House of Usher · The Firemen’s Ball · Five Easy Pieces · Goldfinger · The Good, the Bad and the Ugly · Goodfellas · The Gospel According to Matthew · The Grapes of Wrath · Grave of the Fireflies · Great Expectations · House of Games · The Hustler · In Cold Blood · Jaws · Jules and Jim · Kieslowski’s Three Colors Trilogy · Kind Hearts and Coronets · King Kong · The Last Laugh · Laura · Leaving Las Vegas · Le Boucher · The Leopard · The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp · The Manchurian Candidate · The Man Who Laughs · Mean Streets · Mon Oncle · Moonstruck · The Music Room · My Dinner with Andre · My Neighbor Totoro · Nights of Cabiria · One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest · Orpheus · Paris, Texas · Patton · Picnic at Hanging Rock · Planes, Trains and Automobiles · The Producers · Raiders of the Lost Ark · Raise the Red Lantern · Ran · Rashomon · Rear Window · Rififi · The Right Stuff · Romeo and Juliet · The Rules of the Game · Saturday Night Fever · Say Anything · Scarface · The Searchers · Shane · Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs · Solaris · Strangers on a Train · Stroszek · A Sunday in the Country · Sunrise · A Tale of Winter · The Thin Man · This Is Spinal Tap ·Tokyo Story · Touchez Pas au Grisbi · Touch of Evil · The Treasure of the Sierra Madre · Ugetsu · Umberto D · Unforgiven · Victim · Walkabout · West Side Story · Yankee Doodle Dandy From America's most trusted and highly visible film critic, 100 more brilliant essays on the films that define cinematic greatness. ** ** Continuing the pitch-perfect critiques begun in *The Great Movies* , Roger Ebert's *The Great Movies II* collects 100 additional essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send readers back to films with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm—or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing. Neither a snob nor a shill, Ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for today's most important form of popular art with a scholar's erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Once again wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by Mary Corliss, former film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, *The Great Movies II* is a treasure trove for film lovers of all persuasions, an unrivaled guide for viewers, and a book to return to again and again. **Films featured in *The Great Movies II** * *12 Angry Men · The Adventures of Robin Hood · Alien · Amadeus · Amarcord · Annie Hall · Au Hasard, Balthazar · The Bank Dick · Beat the Devil · Being There · The Big Heat · The Birth of a Nation · The Blue Kite · Bob le Flambeur · Breathless · The Bridge on the River Kwai · Bring Me the Head of Alfredo García · Buster Keaton · Children of Paradise · A Christmas Story · The Color Purple · The Conversation · Cries and Whispers · The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie · Don’t Look Now · The Earrings of Madame de . . . · The Fall of the House of Usher · The Firemen’s Ball · Five Easy Pieces · Goldfinger · The Good, the Bad and the Ugly · Goodfellas · The Gospel According to Matthew · The Grapes of Wrath · Grave of the Fireflies · Great Expectations · House of Games · The Hustler · In Cold Blood · Jaws · Jules and Jim ·* Kieslowski’s Three Colors Trilogy *· Kind Hearts and Coronets · King Kong · The Last Laugh · Laura · Leaving Las Vegas · Le Boucher · The Leopard · The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp · The Manchurian Candidate · The Man Who Laughs · Mean Streets · Mon Oncle · Moonstruck · The Music Room · My Dinner with Andre · My Neighbor Totoro · Nights of Cabiria · One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest · Orpheus · Paris, Texas · Patton · Picnic at Hanging Rock · Planes, Trains and Automobiles · The Producers · Raiders of the Lost Ark · Raise the Red Lantern · Ran · Rashomon · Rear Window · Rififi · The Right Stuff · Romeo and Juliet · The Rules of the Game · Saturday Night Fever · Say Anything · Scarface · The Searchers · Shane · Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs · Solaris · Strangers on a Train · Stroszek · A Sunday in the Country · Sunrise · A Tale of Winter · The Thin Man · This Is Spinal Tap ·Tokyo Story · Touchez Pas au Grisbi · Touch of Evil · The Treasure of the Sierra Madre · Ugetsu · Umberto D · Unforgiven · Victim · Walkabout · West Side Story · Yankee Doodle Dandy * ### From Publishers Weekly At times, Ebert's second collection of 100 essays on great (but not, he's careful to point out, the greatest) movies reads like an anthology of recycled reviews from his *Chicago Sun-Times* column, especially when he gets talking about the bonus features on DVDs. But anyone looking for a crash course in cinema viewing—regardless of whether they've been through Ebert's first Great Movies collection (published in 2002)—will find plenty of rewards here. Some of the selections may be obvious ( *12 Angry Men* ; *West Side Story* ), but Ebert constantly surprises, not just in the foreign film selections but in the elevation of cult favorites such as the "bizarre masterpiece" *Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia*. In praising older films, Ebert often takes the opportunity to criticize modern Hollywood, and his attacks can get snarky (for example, is it really unthinkable that *Annie Hall* would beat out *Star Wars* for an Oscar if they came out today?). Given Ebert's preferences, it's not surprising that fewer than a dozen American movies from the last two decades make the cut. Some of his choices are sure to spark debate; two Japanese cartoons, for example, may strike some as excessive, especially since the treatment of live-action Japanese directors barely extends past Kurosawa. Then again, it's hard to imagine a better purpose for such an anthology than getting people talking about—and watching—movies. 100 b&w photos. *(Feb. 1)* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### From Booklist When Ebert, inarguably the nation's most prominent and influential film critic, published the first *Great Movies* (2002), he stressed that it wasn't intended to canonize the "100 best." The second collection of his loving celebrations of films that rise above the pack bears out that claim. The lineup here is equally strong, encompassing Hollywood classics vintage ( *The Grapes of Wrath, King Kong* ) and modern ( *Annie Hall, Mean Streets* ), silent movies ( *Birth of a Nation, Sunrise* ), and foreign masterworks ( *Rules of the Game, Children of Paradise* ). Ebert demonstrates the breadth of his taste by including several animated features, including the Japanese animes *My Neighbor Totoro* and *Grave of the Fireflies*. In contrast to his daily newspaper reviews, written on deadline and usually after a single viewing, these pieces reflect Ebert's long, thoughtful, informed familiarity with these films. His impeccable credentials as an accessible populist encourage thinking that his recommendations of such elevated fare as *stroszek* and *Au Hasard* , *balthasar* may be taken to heart by mainstream moviegoers who avidly follow his newspaper and TV reviews. *Gordon Flagg* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved*

Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the *Chicago Sun-Times* for over four decades now and his biweekly essays on great movies have been appearing there since 1996. As Ebert noted in the introduction to the first collection of those pieces, “They are not *the* greatest films of all time, because all lists of great movies are a foolish attempt to codify works which must stand alone. But it’s fair to say: If you want to take a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema, start here. Enter *The Great Movies III* , Ebert’s third collection of essays on the crème de la crème of the silver screen, each one a model of critical appreciation and a blend of love and analysis that will send readers back to the films with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm—or maybe even lead to a first-time viewing. From *The Godfather: Part II* to *Groundhog Day* , from *The Last Picture Show* to *Last Tango in Paris* , the hundred pieces gathered here display a welcome balance between the familiar and the esoteric, spanning Hollywood blockbusters and hidden gems, independent works and foreign language films alike. Each essay draws on Ebert’s vast knowledge of the cinema, its fascinating history, and its breadth of techniques, introducing newcomers to some of the most exceptional movies ever made, while revealing new insights to connoisseurs as well. Named the most powerful pundit in America by *Forbes* magazine, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Roger Ebert is inarguably the most prominent and influential authority on the cinema today. *The Great Movies III* is sure to please his many fans and further enhance his reputation as America’s most respected—and trusted—film critic. Movies reviewed in volume III: 3 Women • Ace in the Hole • Adaptation • After Dark, My Sweet • After Hours • The Age of Innocence • Army of Shadows • Atlantic City • An Revoir les Enfants • Babel • The Band Wagon • Baraka • The Battle of Algiers • Bergman's Trilogy I: Through a Glass Darkly • Bergman's Trilogy II: Winter Light o • Bergman's Trilogy III: The Silence • The Best Years of Our Lives • The Big Red One • Blade Runner: The Final Cut • Cabiria • Cat People • Chimes at Midnight • Chop Shop • Chuck Jones: Three Cartoons • Cool Hand Luke • Crimes and Misdemeanors • Crumb • Dark City • The Dead • Diva • Dog Day Afternoon • The Double Life of Veronique • Easy Rider • El Norte • ElTopo • The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser • Exotica • Fanny and Alexander • Faust • Fitzcarraldo • Forbidden Games • The Godfather: Part II • The Great Dictator • Groundhog Day • Howards End • Inherit the Wind • Johnny Guitar • Juliet of the Spirits • Killer of Sheep • La Belle Noiseuse • LA Confidential • The Last Picture Show • Last Tango in Paris • The Last Temptation of Christ • Late Spring • Leolo • The Long Goodbye • Magnolia • The Marriage of Maria Braun • Mephisto • Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters • Mon Oncle Antoine • Moolaade • My Fair Lady • My Man Godfrey • Nanook of the North • Order • Out of the Past • Pan's Labyrinth • Paths of Glory • The Phantom of the Opera • Pixote • Playtime • A Prairie Home Companion • Rebel Without a Cause • The Red Shoes • Ripley's Game • The River (Le Fleuve) • Rocco and His Brothers • Safety Last • Samurai Rebellion • Sansho the Bailiff • Santa Sangre • The Scarlet Empress • Secrets &Lies • The Shining • The Terrorist • The Thief of Bagdad • Top Hat • Triumph of the Will • Vengeance Is Mine • Waking Life • Werckmeister Harmonies • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? • Withnail & I • A Woman's Tale • Woodstock • WR-Mysteries of the Organism • A Year of the Quiet Sun • Yojimbo ###

A guide to the handy kitchen appliance, plus a range of recipes, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning movie critic. In The Pot and How to Use It, Roger Ebert—Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic, admitted “competent cook,” and long-time electric rice cooker enthusiast—gives readers a charming, practical guide to this handy and often-overlooked kitchen appliance. While The Pot and How to Use It contains numerous and surprisingly varied recipes for electric rice cookers, it is much more than a cookbook. Originating from a blog entry on Roger’s popular Web site, the book also includes readers’ comments and recipes alongside Roger’s own discerning insights and observations on why and how we cook. With an introduction by vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas and expert assistance from recipe consultant and nutritionist Yvonne Nienstadt, The Pot and How to Use It is perfect for fans of Roger’s superb writing, as well as anyone looking to incorporate the convenience and versatility of electric rice cookers into his or her kitchen repertoire.

A paragon of cinema criticism for decades, Roger Ebert—with his humor, sagacity, and no-nonsense thumb—achieved a renown unlikely ever to be equaled. His tireless commentary has been greatly missed since his death, but, thankfully, in addition to his mountains of daily reviews, Ebert also left behind a legacy of lyrical long-form writing. And with Two Weeks in the Midday Sun, we get a glimpse not only into Ebert the man, but also behind the scenes of one of the most glamorous and peculiar of cinematic rituals: the Cannes Film Festival. More about people than movies, this book is an intimate, quirky, and witty account of the parade of personalities attending the 1987 festival—Ebert’s twelfth, and the fortieth anniversary of the event. A wonderful raconteur with an excellent sense of pacing, Ebert presents lighthearted ruminations on his daily routine and computer troubles alongside more serious reflection on directors such as Fellini and Coppola, screenwriters like Charles Bukowski, actors such as Isabella Rossellini and John Malkovich, the very American press agent and social maverick Billy “Silver Dollar” Baxter, and the stylishly plunging necklines of yore. He also comments on the trajectory of the festival itself and the “enormous happiness” of sitting, anonymous and quiet, in an ordinary French café. And, of course, he talks movies. Illustrated with Ebert’s charming sketches of the festival and featuring both a new foreword by Martin Scorsese and a new postscript by Ebert about an eventful 1997 dinner with Scorsese at Cannes, Two Weeks in the Midday Sun is a small treasure, a window onto the mind of this connoisseur of criticism and satire, a man always so funny, so un-phony, so completely, unabashedly himself.

A collection of some of the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic’s most scathing reviews, from Alex & Emma to the remake of Yours, Mine, and Ours. From Roger’s review of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (0 stars): “The movie created a spot of controversy in February 2005. According to a story by Larry Carroll of MTV News, Rob Schneider took offense when Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times listed this year's Best Picture nominees and wrote that they were 'ignored, unloved, and turned down flat by most of the same studios that . . . bankroll hundreds of sequels, including a follow-up to Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, a film that was sadly overlooked at Oscar time because apparently nobody had the foresight to invent a category for Best Running Penis Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic.'Schneider retaliated by attacking Goldstein in full-page ads in Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. In an open letter to Goldstein, Schneider wrote: “Well, Mr. Goldstein, I decided to do some research to find out what awards you have won. I went online and found that you have won nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind . . . . Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers . . . .”Schneider was nominated for a 2000 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor but lost to Jar-Jar Binks. But Schneider is correct, and Patrick Goldstein has not yet won a Pulitzer Prize. Therefore, Goldstein is not qualified to complain that Columbia financed Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo while passing on the opportunity to participate in Million Dollar Baby, Ray, The Aviator, Sideways, and Finding Neverland. As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.”Roger Ebert’s I Hated Hated Hated This Movie, which gathered some of his most scathing reviews, was a bestseller. This collection continues the tradition, reviewing not only movies that were at the bottom of the barrel, but also movies that he found underneath the barrel.