Synopses & Reviews
Roger Ebert wrote the first film review that director Martin Scorsese ever received—for 1967s I Call First, later renamed Whos That Knocking at My Door—creating a lasting bond that made him one of Scorseses most appreciative and perceptive commentators. Scorsese by Ebert offers the first record of Americas most respected film critics engagement with the works of Americas greatest living director, chronicling every single feature film in Scorseses 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 Scorseses own insights on both his accomplishments and disappointments. Ebert has also written and included six new reconsiderations of the directors 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. Eberts 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
"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." Kyle Rupprecht - Movie Maker
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
Review
"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
Review
"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
Review
"Given their career-long back-and-forth, this collection makes perfect sense. Its 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 Scorseses 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. Eberts insights into Scorsese are terrific, but this book offers the bonus of further insights into Ebert himself." Time
Review
"[Eberts'] enthusiasm and conviction are obvious here; accordingly, this is some of his best stuff." Time Out Chicago
Review
"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." Booklist
Review
"An invaluable, historical resource for the Scorsese scholar and an entertaining, informative document for the Scorsese fan." Anthony Kuzminski - Antitainment
Review
"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." Choice
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 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
"
Synopsis
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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
Foreword, by Martin ScorseseIntroduction
Part 1: Beginning Introduction I Call First
Whos That Knocking at My Door
Reconsideration
Woodstock: An Interview with Martin Scorsese & Company Boxcar Bertha Mean Streets Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore Taxi Driver
An Interview with Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader New York, New York
Reconsideration The Last Waltz Part 2: Achieving Introduction Raging Bull The King of Comedy
Scorsese: King of Romantic Pain
Reconsideration After Hours
Reconsideration The Color of Money
The Last Temptation of Christ Scorseses Last Temptation Reconsideration New York Stories: “Life Lessons” Martin Scorsese and His “New York” Story
Part 3: Establishing Introduction GoodFellas Why GoodFellas was the Best Film of 1990 Cape Fear The Age of Innocence The Innocence of Martin Scorsese Casino De Niro, Pesci, Scorsese Tell a Shocking Mob Story in Casino Part 4: Reflecting Introduction Wexner Center for the Arts Interview
Part 5: Venturing Introduction Kundun Scorsese Learns from Those Who Went before Him Reconsideration Bringing Out the Dead Bringing Out Scorsese Gangs of New York Gangs All Here for Scorsese
The Aviator
Howard's End: Scorsese and the Aviator
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
The Departed
Shine a Light
Part 6: Masterpieces
Introduction
Mean Streets
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
GoodFellas
The Age of Innocence
Index