Synopses & Reviews
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, includingactors 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.
Review
andldquo;Sharp, wry, andandmdash;for this Cannes veteranandmdash;right on the mark.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;About as nourishing as a croissant, but like that airy pastry, itandrsquo;s fun to devour.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A charming little book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A lively blend of prose and pen-and-ink sketches. . . . Ebertandrsquo;s prose style is fresh, his observations both witty and sharp.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Perhaps the best book ever written about experiencing the Cannes Film Festival.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the
Chicago Sun-Times for over forty years. In fact, no critic alive has reviewed more movies than he has. 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 Eberts work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of his 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.
In addition, 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 screens most respected personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep.
Americas most celebrated film critic, Ebert is a writer whose exceptional intelligence and bursts of insight have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark 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.
“As film criticism becomes more marginalized, Ebert may come to be seen as the last of a kind—the critic who actually has the power to influence a national audience.”—Booklist
“[Ebert's] writing is top-notch. In Awake in the Dark, Ebert has produced his most personal collection of reviews, essays, and interviews, providing insights into the man as much as the movies he loves. . . . This volume contains some of Ebert's most exciting writing.”—Gary Kramer, Filmbill
Synopsis
and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Two Weeks in the Midday Sun records Ebertandrsquo;s impressions of the 1987 Cannes festivalandmdash;andldquo;Disneyland for adultsandrdquo;andmdash;running through his two weeks of encounters with actors and directors, going to screenings, cafes, bars, restaurants, and parties in this marathon of over-stimulation. andldquo;If the Super Bowl were two weeks long,andrdquo; he writes, andldquo;that would be more like Cannes.andrdquo;and#160; Screenings start at 8:30 every morning, while the (third round of) parties started at midnight the night before. andldquo;The only constant will be my battle with my computer. . . . If I am lucky, however, something extraordinary will happen to me during the festival.and#160; I will see a film that will make my spine tingle with its greatness, and I will leave the theater speechless.andrdquo;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The book is funny and passionate, a memoir/travelogue/love letter to the movies. This reprint includes Ebertandrsquo;s pen and ink sketches as well as Martin Scorseseandrsquo;s new foreword and a hilariousand#160; appendix by Ebert describing a dinner in Cannes with Scorsese in 1997.
Synopsis
A paragon of cinema criticism for decades, Roger Ebertandmdash;with his humor, sagacity, and no-nonsense thumbandmdash;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 1986 festivalandmdash;Ebertandrsquo;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 andldquo;Silver Dollarandrdquo; Baxter, and the stylishly plunging necklines of yore. He also comments on the trajectory of the festival itself and the andldquo;enormous happinessandrdquo; of sitting, anonymous and quiet, in an ordinary French cafandeacute;. And, of course, he talks movies.
Illustrated with Ebertandrsquo;s charming sketches of the festival and featuring a new foreword by Martin Scorcese, 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.
About the Author
Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than forty years. In 1975 he became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. That same year he teamed up with his rival critic, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, to host a movie review program on public television. Sneak Previews became the most popular entertainment program on the PBS network and gave Ebert a nationwide audience. He was the author of numerous books on film including Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert, the Great Movies essay collections, and a memoir, Life Itself.
Table of Contents
&&LDIV&&RForeword, by David Bordwell&&LBR&&RIntroduction &&LBR&&RPrologue: Death of a Dream Palace &&LBR&&R&&Li&&RLa Dolce Vita&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R &&LBR&&R&&Lb&&RPart 1&&L/b&&R&&LBR&&RInterviews and Profiles&&LBR&&RIntroduction &&LBR&&RWarren Beatty &&LBR&&RJames Stewart &&LBR&&RRobert Mitchum&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&RMitch and Jimmy: Some Thoughts &&LBR&&RLee Marvin&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&RIngmar Bergman &&LBR&&RMartin Scorsese and Paul Schrader &&LBR&&RRobert Altman &&LBR&&RWerner Herzog &&LBR&&RMeryl Streep &&LBR&&RWoody Allen &&LBR&&RSpike Lee &&LBR&&RTom Hanks &&LBR&&RErrol Morris &&LBR&&RSteven Spielberg &&LBR&&R &&LBR&&R&&Lb&&RPart 2&&L/b&&R&&LBR&&RThe Best&&LBR&&RIntroduction &&LBR&&R1967: &&Li&&RBonnie and &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RClyde&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1968: &&Li&&RThe &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RBattle&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R of &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RAlgiers&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1969: &&Li&&RZ&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1970: &&Li&&RFive Easy Pieces&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1971: &&Li&&RThe Last Picture Show&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1972: &&Li&&RThe Godfather&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1973: &&Li&&RCries and Whispers&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1974: &&Li&&RScenes from a Marriage&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1975: &&Li&&RNashville&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1976: &&Li&&RSmall Change&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1977: &&Li&&R3 Women&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1978: &&Li&&RAn Unmarried Woman&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1979: &&Li&&RApocalypse Now&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1980: &&Li&&RThe Black Stallion&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1981: &&Li&&RMy Dinner with Andre&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1982: &&Li&&RSophie’s Choice&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1983: &&Li&&RThe Right Stuff&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1984: &&Li&&RAmadeus&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1985: &&Li&&RThe Color Purple&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1986: &&Li&&RPlatoon&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1987: &&Li&&RHouse of Games&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1988: &&Li&&RMississippi&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R Burning&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1989: &&Li&&RDo the Right Thing&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1990: &&Li&&RGoodFellas&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1991: &&Li&&RJFK&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1992: &&Li&&RMalcolm X&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1993: &&Li&&RSchindler’s List&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1994: &&Li&&RHoop Dreams&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1995: &&Li&&RLeaving &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RLas Vegas&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R1996: &&Li&&RFargo&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1997: &&Li&&REve’s Bayou&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1998: &&Li&&RDark&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RCity&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R1999: &&Li&&RBeing John Malkovich&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R2000: &&Li&&RAlmost Famous&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R2001: &&Li&&RMonster’s Ball&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R2002: &&Li&&RMinority Report&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R2003: &&Li&&RMonster&&L/i&&R &&LBR&&R2004: &&Li&&RMillion Dollar Baby&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&R2005&&L/i&&R: &&Li&&RCrash&&L/i&&R &&Li&&R&&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R &&LBR&&R&&Lb&&RPart 3&&L/b&&R&&LBR&&RForeign Films&&LBR&&RIntroduction &&LBR&&R&&Li&&RTokyo&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R Story &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RThe Music Room &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RAu Hasard Balthazar &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RBelle de Jour &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RThe Wild Child &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RClaire’s Knee &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RLast Tango in &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RParis&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RFellini’s Roma &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RStroszek &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RThe Marriage of Maria Braun &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RWings of Desire &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RRaise the Red Lantern &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RThe Scent of Green Papaya &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RSpirited Away &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RCity of &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RGod&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R &&LBR&&R&&Lb&&RPart 4&&L/b&&R&&LBR&&RDocumentaries&&LBR&&RIntroduction &&LBR&&R&&Li&&RWoodstock&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RHarlan&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RCounty&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R, &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RU.S.A.&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RGates of Heaven &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RSay Amen, Somebody &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&RThe "Up" Movies &&LBR&&R&&Li&&R28 Up &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&R35 Up &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&R42 Up &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RShoah &&L/i&&R&&LBR&&R&&Li&&RDear &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RAmerica&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R: Letters Home from &&L/i&&R&&Li&&RVietnam&&L/i&&R&&Li&&R &&L/i&&R