@@thelostone6981 I honestly think both Gene and Roger would be sickened and depressed by what mainstream film has become. Thank God for their legacy of GREAT film criticism and honest, no holds barred reviews. We will never, never see their like again.
I remember sitting in a movie theater watching Armageddon, parts of the audience are groaning at the lame parts and laughing at the unintentionally funny parts, and then some guy said "Armageddon out of here" and walked out 😂
I rented it when it first came out on DVD & watched it w/a couple of friends. The second time I started dozing off, I said _Armagoin2beddin_ "Armageddon out of here" must have been epically funny in the movie theater! I bet a bunch of people laughed!
The potential for being in a theater with a fun audience was part of the "draw" (or appeal) for me anyway. Seen some average Bond films I remember as great because of the audience. If you were in an audience where at least 1 person had an infectous laugh, that would cause more people to laugh... When I lived in MD some pretty awful films were saved by the comedy genius of a few young black women. (they made us all laugh) anyway I only mention race because the white girls never said anything. @@farrellmcnulty909
"I'm Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times our first movie is called Last Rights and that's exactly what I'd like to administer to this film which is easily the most offensive big budget picture of 1988." Absolutely killed me.
We lost the weekly Siskel and Ebert show almost 25 years ago and nothing has come close to replacing it. While I didn’t always agree with their reviews, I greatly respected their passion and knowledge of current and past films. Miss these guys
Agree with them or not, Siskel and Ebert stand out from modern critics by being well-versed in film, literature, and story-telling, and thus give concise explanations as to why movies are good or SUCK. Also, that Scarlet Letter movie sound god awful, and the repeated use of “noisy” to describe a Michael Bay movie is so humorously simple while undeniably accurate.
Many movie critics, especially in small market TV stations and newspapers, weren't actually movie critics at all. The popularity of S&E led media outlets to create their own movie review pieces in news, and they were often filled with news writers who took the job because they were re-assigned to it, or for the extra paycheck. I remember a story of a small TV station filled the movie reviewer role with a former weekend weatherman.
Siskel was a fairly astute consumer of cinema. Ebert was a living breathing "That didn't age well " meme. His opinions miss the mark with consistant entertainment value.
@richardenglish2195 No, because the creative effort of many filmmakers are entirely lost on him. Frequently he couldn't see the forest for the trees. Even when Gene points out to him what he's missing. He thought The Thing was a one-dimensional "gross-out" movie.
@@tommc3622He was right about The Thing but movies also exist in a time period and when that time changes, reinterpretations can sometimes resonate better with newer audiences. Another example of that would be "It's A Wonderful Life".
Yeah, but WHICH shitty Madonna movie? Weren't they all? EDITED I started watching the clip after I posted my comment and yes, Body of Evidence WAS horrible, but I think it was Dafoe's next one after Last Temptation of Christ (another stinky - good actor, Dafoe, but he never had a chance).
00:00 The Scarlet Letter 03:50 Armageddon 07:57 Critters 2 11:15 Stargate 14:12 Last Rights 18:40 Caligula 19:20 Body of Evidence 22:22 Christopher Columbus: The Discovery 24:55 Staying Alive 28:55 Swing Kids 32:15 The Guardian 35:35 She's Out of Control 39:23 The Waterboy 41:50 Burn Hollywood Burn 44:50 Spice World 47:36 Mad Dog Time 51:05 North The only ones I've actually seen are Spice World (cute but dumb), Armageddon (*real* dumb), and North (great cast, but dumb).
Water boy came out when I was 11 and it’s one of the first times I remember feeling legitimately disappointed in a movie I was hyped for. Like, real human disappointment
S&E are greatly missed. No one has replaced them. I was smart, intelligent TV that at least caused one to think about seeing something. I think sometime the film industry really doesn't want critic(s) of their product, but think they maintain quality of what is produced and avoided viewers being turned off.
This type of film review, which we found in the written press, has completely disappeared from TV. And is absent from youtube. On RU-vid what we find is “I like/dislike” but it’s not film criticism.
I guess there's something wrong with me because I honestly thought it was actually a pretty good movie. As twisted as Malcolm McDowell's Caligula was, his actions usually made sense, given the brutal nature of the world he lived in, and the reprehensible people he was surrounded by, in an extremely dark and vengeful comedic way, besides the incest, even though that was actually common with royal families.
I liked that moment in the video in which Liv Tyler is caressing a tv monitor with Bruce Willis' face on it, and I wanted to Beavis it "check it out, she's feeling up her DAD!"
Diotoir, I'm so happy and thankful you put this together. There's no more fun a movie genre than movies that so horribly bad. It's a shame Siskel and Ebert are no longer with us. How I would love to hear what they would say about the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Snow White - NOT the originals, but the slimy ooze seeping out of the sewage pipes at New Millennium Disney.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LITTLE MERMAID. It was made for kids and for a new generation of people who are open to diversity. It was not made for you, a person comfortable with clichés and stereotypes. Born to only perceive African Americans as mere side characters, where you felt at ease. I'm more of a Siskel and Ebert fan than you ever can think you are, and I assure you, neither of them would have an issue with a mermaid being portrayed by an actress who is black. They wouldn't parrot some politician from Florida or repeat soundbites. They were champions of REPRESENTATION. Especially Ebert and his African American wife. You're not going to magat hat - Siskel and Ebert or wite-wash history to suit your narrow tastes and views of the world just because they are not here to defend themselves. SIT DOWN.
My Girlfriend and I at the time watched it and were completely stunned that we watched that noise filled mess We left before the ending it was that bad.
I never understood how people my age and even older liked Armageddon. I think that movie is among the worst movies ever made and had assumed only super low I.Q. Remedial learners would find anything to enjoy in it. Man was I shocked when people smart enough to tie their own shoes and who could read and drive liked it. Some of the worst acting, writing, and music use I have ever seen in a major release. ( obviously schlock and B movies not included. ) Pretty bad when a major Hollywood blockbuster is worse than many movies on Best of the Worst. #RedLetterMedia #PepperoniPizzaPiePeepHole
Because some people like things that you don't... Is the concept of subjectivity not something you understand? I don't like that movie, but I've known plenty of people who have. Movies are an art form, art is subjective.
Sadly, Bay set a precedent of big budgets , big set pieces, and big name actors being able to supersede a total lack of taste, restraint, logic, or common sense in a premise or script.
In Columbus, Marlon Brando looks like he's trying to hide the fact that he's in the movie. (In fact, he later asked to have his name removed from the credits)
I know that The Waterboy was a childhood favorite of a lot of 90s babies, but that movie is just awful and I have never actually heard anyone speak badly about the movie, ever. So it was very refreshing to hear the two tear it to shreds.
Re: The Scarlet Letter, I don’t mind at all if they stray off the novel. The issue is whether in doing so they produce an effective film. Roger addresses this point and makes clear the movie sucks.
Love these two gentlemen, used to watched their show since its inception, they were both incredibly knowledgeable and passionate while reviewing films. After Gene Siskel passed away, it just wasn’t the same anymore, and while I did not always agree with their analysis, there was never any doubt or questions they firmly believe in it.
Jim Carrey’s imitation of David Caruso had me laughing so hard. The whole, “I taught I taw a pussycat. . . “ thing - from memory that was part of the bit - had me in stitches. But it was doubly funny because he kept standing up and making fun of Caruso over and over. Epic.
When hearing about Armageddon being strikingly noisy, I wonder what they'd think about modern movies. I stopped going to the Movie Theaters years ago, because when you go to Movie Theaters they have the volume set at 11.
How on earth did they enjoy Critters and pan Critters 2? Critters was just a shit movie. Critters 2 actually swung for the fences and leaned into the absurdity and was a wonderfully fun, watchable movie. I’d never tell someone to watch Critters. I’d put Critters 2 in a must-see camp 80s horror comedy festival.
Didn't Easy A with Emma Stone also comment on how awful the recent version of The Scarlet Letter was!? Man, when both these critics AND a movie made over a decade after its release shit on the same movie, taken altogether THAT'S gospel!!!
I miss the days before streaming when a movie would come out and I would tune into Siskel and Ebert and get their take on it. I never missed a show when it was on.
One of the remakes of ‘Brave New World’ was presented Not necessarily a dystopia, if not a dystopia at all. The one with Leonard Nimoy portraying director ‘mind’? It’s a truly great movie, in my opinion.
I tried watching "Swing Kids" a few years ago, thought I might learn a little history from it, but it was just silly, especially those professional dancers who seemed more like professional acrobats, who would appear in the dancing sequences. Didn't finish watching.🤮
I don’t how any of the actors in Armageddon could say their lines without laughing - the “drama” is so absurd. But not as absurd as Daphne Zuniga playing Mexican!
@@penelopegreene Roger gives lunch a thumbs UP and Gene gives it a thumbs DOWN and they debate how much to tip the waiter / waitress (depending on the type of restaurant they'd frequent).
Why would anyone hate Stargate so much? I mean, I could understand a neutral "meh" reaction from someone who couldn't get into it, but is it anywhere even approaching the worst of the worst? I feel like Siskel and Ebert didn't even watch the film, they mischaracterize it so much.
@@Daniel-sh3os I can't believe it was actually released through the Criterion Collection. I don't know if it's still in print, but I wasn't exactly lining up for it at Barnes & Noble.
@@CyanideSublime I'm glad you mentioned Independence Day. I always mixed these two movies up since they're both bad in the same way, but you're right, Armageddon is definitely the worst.
Armageddon is my default answer for my most hated movie. It insults the intelligence constantly, shows "heroes" in space fighting in complete disregard for how injuries could stop the mission dead, lazily riffs on actual good movies especiall The Right Stuff, and the bombardment of mindless spectacle set the tone for soulless junk blockbusters ever since. Forget Ed Wood, Michael Bay is the worst director because he has resources to make films, and they are absent any crucial sense of humanity - nothing to say, nothing is sacred, characters, 1 dimensional & obnoxious. And oh, the forced sentimentality like a commercial for the American military or something, sickening propaganda style manipulation with every slick production trick in the book. I was dying to leave the theater but stayed because of friends. Ever since though when a movie makes me feat *scummy* like that trash, I get the hell out of there.
funny how good critsam died with theme . now a days we have stupid identity politics who call you racist to cope with the fact they cant write a good story for crap .
About the Alan Smithee film in which two characters are named "The Brothers Brothers", that was direct rip from In Living Colour" - Damon and Keenan Wayans played two black singers who turned into the Smothers Brothers - which was hilarious - I'm not sure THIS is.
So why are they blurring out scenes that played on TV with NO restrictions at all? PG, guys. Come on. Are people so easily triggered? Little mean squeaking goblins are blurred out. Sad.
Armageddon is one of the worst movies I've ever seen... just to play it safe I'd say top 10 worst, but it could be top 5 or top 3 as well... when they get that bad it's difficult to discern the varying degrees of terrible.
Just about all movies these days (2023) ar simply one "gimmick" scene after the other. Breaking locks in 5 seconds or less, chase? fight scenes, reacking for the knife/gun, sex scenes, lamenting the past, the moody teenager, the through and through gunshot wounds (painless I might add), etc. I could go on and on....... Almost no originality, just reconstituted "gimmicks" with a different theme/genre. Curious as to how they critiqued The Godfather, or would've said about Fargo, or Sicario, or Saturday Night Fever, and ET ????
