Roger Ebert

Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942, Urbana, Illinois) is a film critic who writes for the Chicago Sun-Times; his reviews are syndicated to over 200 newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a long-time co-host of a syndicated television program featuring his film criticism, first for 23 years with Gene Siskel and since Siskel's death, with Richard Roeper on Ebert & Roeper.

Style of criticism

Ebert has written many essays and articles exploring in-depth the concept of film criticism, treating it as a serious subject.

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In his own words:

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:"The star rating system is relative, not absolute. When you ask a friend if Hellboy is any good, you're not asking if it's any good compared to Mystic River, you're asking if it's any good compared to The Punisher. And my answer would be, on a scale of one to four, if Superman is four, then Hellboy is three and The Punisher is two. In the same way, if American Beauty gets four stars, then Leland clocks in at about two."{{ref|starquote}}

Related Topics:
Hellboy - Mystic River - The Punisher - Superman - American Beauty - Leland

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Ebert is an outspoken opponent of the Motion Picture Association of America rating system, and has repeatedly criticized their decisions regarding which movies are "suitable for children", for example: Whale Rider which he thought should be PG instead of PG-13. {{ref|answermanquote}}. He also frequently laments that cinemas outside major cities are "booked by computer from Hollywood with no regard for local tastes," making high-quality independent and foreign films virtually unavailable to most moviegoers.

Related Topics:
Motion Picture Association of America - Whale Rider - Computer

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