Siskel & Ebert Collection on Letterman, Part 2 of 6: 1990-91

our first guests are authors critic sorts of Roger and jeans who this is I recognize them from the introduction doesn't matter with me they are a host to their their weekly yeah that's Roger [Applause] Ebert yeah but he claims that no one ever calls him Ebert really how did it get to be Siskel and Ebert now you're Ebert you're Cisco how about how did it get to be flip a coin flip and then you were gonna alternate it after the first year right well what happened there was a little more complicated than a simple coin flip in those days you see we were on a different show yeah the old PB you know it was a Tribune and the K entertainment show it was supposed to be Cisco nybridge for the first two years right and even in Cisco for the next two years and when we went out to shoot the marquee on the movie theater they didn't have time to change the names to get an extra shot and so they said we'll do it in another two years you say and they never did and so then when we went to our current show everybody said well everybody knows that Siskel and Ebert so exactly they can't get used to it being Ebert in Cisco no I wouldn't think so but nobody's upset about it yeah well no nobody's upset you would rather be I know I'm older he comes before s in the alphabet I'm the only one of the two of us that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize that's for sure very nice now besides C you're obviously quite popular with the audience [Applause] I have asked you a question he said pretty funny wasn't it yeah and now I forgot what was when you guys left Chicago today there's a big snowstorm is that right Kenny inches of snow funny like that yeah and it would it was the blizzard continuing as you climbed out oh I get it more or less stop yeah and we finally got out well good I really appreciate you being here let's talk about the big Academy Awards you want to do that sure they were announced yesterday morning yeah and I just you know I'm I was worried that they would snub Barbra Streisand but best picture of the year now let's talk about these you guys see all of these born on the fourth of July yes Dead Poets Society yes Driving Miss Daisy yes Field of Dreams yes my left foot yes officer okay I've seen I've seen two of these which two of you saying I've seen that Dead Poets Society and field Dreams both on airplanes by the way you know no way to see a movie you can't see a movie on an airplane I mean people are standing up and you can't hear anything you can't get to LA sitting in a theater so far the scorecard is two of us have been funny [Laughter] do you ever go to the move like you've seen any of these movies at all yeah I've seen you interview all these people on your show I mean what do you talk to them well of course when they're here I say that I've seen the last picture the last picture I actually saw in a theater was jaws all right what do you guys like here on the best picture of the year thing well I'll tell you the the one that I think is the best would be my left foot my left foot is know my understand I don't have to consult my notes these are my notes these are Swami esteros notes who was going to if we were going if we didn't make it because of the blizzard a gentleman who has a local show here on a cable operation who predicts things and every year he has his own so I ripped off his predictions and I thought that since I hadn't really made up my mind on the list I would just give his prediction for a big night of what you prefer all right let's go to the what I prefer which one you predicted not which one you preferred oh you guys know picture I hope everybody heard that I thought you asked me which one did you like best picture of the year who do you think will win the win Z that's what he asked a prediction ok Driving Miss Daisy rising and what do you what are you in Austin he thinks it'll probably be Field of Dreams this is numerology that he uses he's wrong and what he's dead wrong I think it'll probably be born on the 4th of July ok before we go any farther I forgot to ask you one thing who is in this Academy are you guys members in the Academy you know it has this amazing name the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and that great name makes you think as if they're people you know in gowns with linkers about studying these things it's a people have a couple of movie credits basically they live in Orange County and they're rich how many any white about three thousand five hundred and seventy to four thousand seven hundred and something yeah but do they know anything about critically evaluating films and and the work that goes into them have not seen the films that they're voting for is that true or not absolutely yeah their taste is pretty middle-class anyway they kind of vote for the film that they think they would probably like to see from what they've heard about so you're saying they're essentially did that qualify did he get in you know I have a head cold well we'll do a commercial here and then more with [Applause] [Music] [Applause] those are very very popular that's nice isn't yes how many films do you see a year 250 about 500 I go to five or six film festivals you have been of a film festival in five years we covered that last night more movies at the Cannes Film Festival last year than you have seen since Thanksgiving that's not true at the Cannes Film Festival how many of you seen since Thanksgiving if you wanted to see everyone available how many would that be it would probably be about 400 [Applause] keeping up with things that are happening and the rest of the world or in the Avant this is gonna shock your eyes they can actually ship the film into Chicago believe it or not Best Actor we got here rosewood top really yeah what about Henry the Henry the fifth ear kenneth branagh yeah no chance at all according to Swami Starr Branagh is going to be the winner that's what I said no chance at all Best Supporting Actor I think that's a tough one is Danny Aiello I think so too I think because before I ticked off that do the right thing was not nominated for Best Picture yeah this is the way you can vote for do the right thing mark your ballot for Danny Aiello yeah he doesn't belong in that category there was a lead performance really a leading actor and Robin Williams doesn't belong in the top category he was more he didn't have nearly as many lines in Dead Poets his den AO head and do the right thing or his mat Martin Landau is not a Supporting Actor if you ask anyone what that movie was about that day it was about his courage seemed to be the story of his life so to speak yeah and I saw that I enjoyed it so you have seen more than yeah yeah [Laughter] this or not I don't know best actress Isabelle Adjani Pauline Collins Jessica was very good on dynasty she's got my vote people vote about us people vote about as seriously as you just isn't right I had no I've talked to a number of big stars who have given their ballots illegally in terms of the way they're handed out to their spouses just let them be or if somebody's popular on a studio lot they'll be asked questions who should I vote for you've seen all the pictures I haven't the shocking thing did a shocking thing is that Roger of me wasn't nominated for Best Documentary yeah now we know what others would not believe if that film was not nominated as a documentary what were the the nominees in the category well they have a very good movie called for all mankind which is about the last 20 years of space travel they have one about knitting the AIDS quilt they have one about a county that's been overtaken by crack they have one about the life of Adam Clayton Powell and what about the life of Earl Warren the Supreme Court justice so it does seem like it would have fit right in there it exactly right the quality of the wonder was worthy of it I think that the distinction there is it's more of an entertainment it's a comic documentary with a with a wildly obviously it doesn't mean it was less work to do no they have this committee that selects the nominees for documentary every other category is selected by the peer groups actors nominated actors directors nominate directors why can't they let documentary filmmakers select the five best documentaries instead of been having these experts this is the second year in a row that they've completely blown it last year they didn't nominate the thin blue line so in two years the Academy hasn't had a chance to vote on the only two documentaries that most people have even heard about yeah so an inequity right there yes wouldn't you agree well sure what did I just agree I thought I'd agree I don't know should we run through the rest of these categories or not we got like pages of this nonsense you guys want to do this one more category left Best Supporting Actress Angelica Houston and Brenda Fricker I think she's gonna win Brenda yes I think she's way too progressed work frankly this is the way to vote for my left my left foot and I think she has a chance of when she played the mother in my left foot nurturing this guy with cerebral palsy any what was the worst movie you guys saw this year I'll tell you one recently loose cannons and so you have two big stars but they're getting after a lethal weapon and its successor and the success of those pictures hundred million dollar hits we're getting a lot of these dumb cop buddy pictures ready film sure and they just point them in direction of garbage cans than the problem is they're having more and more troubles getting the cops to be different you say because the partners have to be different well we seem to be infatuated with the world of cops look kids its Siskel and Ebert [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] what are you doing this weekend I'm grooving this evening be around the town what are you gonna be doing as you know twice a year I do this and this is I do it once in the spring once in the autumn yeah and tomorrow it's time for it happen again I'm having my monkey dipped can you say that on television here we go ladies and gentlemen it's time to answer the viewer mail this is actual mail from actual viewers by the way ladies and gentlemen the robotic arm is making its final appearance final appearance date the final appearance or the robotic arm that's completely uncalled for all right letter number one here we go robotic arm it was built and designed especially for us by the Westinghouse people at a cost of the developmental cost alone was seventeen million bucks Wow to produce to fabricate and deliver to us and set it up was those another two or three million and tonight's the last night and they're giving it to a a museum in Massachusetts here let me all shut up let me show you this excuse I've just told the audience to shut up I've broken a roll of show business yeah here wait a second here watch watch this here watch this okay you know what does this look at this thing this is unbelievable but you know the Yankees could have used her thought it's a good example of a dumb guy joke by the way you know the Yankees could have used something with a joke your brother-in-law it does Thanks now watch this look at that in addition to throwing the pencil that picks up another country look at this oh man you can just see that the eyes of those kids at that Children's Museum light right up when they watch this machine sharpen and then finally this thing here the kids walk up pay down their five bucks from the machine dose final appearance ladies and gentlemen the final you know if I were a kid I'd go to a museum to see that I went to yeah that's our top ten list before we bring out Siskel and Ebert we'll talk about all of the big blockbusters of the summer and of course the big holiday blockbusters coming up here we go all right we're bringing out the guests now our first two guests tonight's could be the most feared and powerful men in the world of film today ladies gentlemen here they are Siskel and Ebert [Music] Man Alive I think that's true I think that you guys form the most respected are certainly the most most observed opinion on film in America today wouldn't you say that's true I would agree exactly let's talk about the the big PC the NCS 17 what is that what are you looking at me for which one of you guys know it's a boring a question I thought you should handle nc-17 stands for no children under 17 this is a rating that completely replaces the X right now what was the confusion there about the X well the X I think was totally co-opted by hardcore pornographers so that everybody in America thought that an x-men it was a hardcore picture therefore if you didn't get an R and you've made a mainstream picture there was no place you could release it no place you could advertise it because the X was the kiss of death so to speak so but now how do we designate a film that may have graphic sex in it that still be nc-17 well that would be and I want to know what to look for what'll be nc-17 but can't you just see all these dirty old guys and raincoats lining up to see an nc-17 what are the ratings now you have the pee are there still any P movie starting with the G oh Jesus you don't have a pee I'm sworn I had seen it still working on that right all right now Gee Gee okay and then yeah PG yeah g13 oh wait what's the gee that's a generate everybody okay and then the the PG that's parental guidance maybe something you know that might disturb and then swear words in pg-13 you think more intense nudity yeah are you're getting into heavier language sexually explicit language and you'll see some nudity there now well what'd they give any nudity in pg-13 unless it's on a dog or so you'll see a breath a woman computer really now now what what is the the committee who ranks these films who rates these films what are they more sensitive to sex or violence really yeah yeah and well and what about language it insensitive I think that probably the thing that ticks off everybody even so-called liberals is of the language that you know they walk it in they in and see and again a a youthful film some beautiful characters say a swear word it's not necessary I mean it bothers me a little bit I don't see why they do that okay so you guys are pleased with this and you don't much care I want to see what happens with it if they use the nc-17 they've been avoiding the ex that's where the problem is avoiding it now we might get the movies opened up if filmmakers will make them if theaters will book them if studios will say go ahead and shoot them then we could have while other arts are getting knocked the movies could open up with the real use of the nc-17 you know one thing I think that's gonna happen is they're gonna continue to use the X rating for hardcore the people who make those films will continue to advertise them exaggerate it's good in the advert it's a promotable rating nc-17 doesn't really have that same yeah do you think that we spend too much time talking about films and and our films are we too focused have films become too important for a mainstream America or is this what it's supposed to be I think I think that they're probably not taken seriously enough I don't think that the average person when they go to a movie realizes that their ticket purchases up is in fact a ballot choice for what kind of picture they're gonna get make another one like this yes and they do it in a very frivolous manner I see that the specific heights now with thee mighty keep the evil tenants who's gonna destroy the house it's an awful picture that picture have you seen the movie you see the movie I try and do this kind of our code Cisco this is the final final appearance ladies and gentlemen [Applause] it's the Siskel and Ebert pledge we never review a movie until we've seen it you know on the Job Description that I got it was like the first I I like Michael Keaton real well he and I I've run it for a long time but I'm a big fan of its biggest scenes in this movie consist of opening the door a little bit and slamming it again yeah I've seen through any right when people go to this picture they're really saying you know we don't care if it's a picture like this is made again and that's a shame all right let's talk about some films I tell you the most recent film I saw was jaws No uh Goodfellas great yeah maybe the best picture of the year the best picture so far certainly what did you like about that what I liked about it I liked everything about it but in particular I like the way that Scorsese deals with tiny details he doesn't just show you something he shows you how it's built up for example when they're in prison cooking their steaks he shows you how thin they're slicing the garlic in other words you can really feel how happy they are to be having this wonderful meal and how they're having a great time in prison yeah I like the way it stood the gangster film on its head in in terms of condemning these guys I mean the gangster pictures really get a pass even David Mamet made a gangster picture that was a fable leader to now become lovable characters since the Godfather and these guys are not lovable they're awful they're just got their animal their cruds animals my word cruds you got it but you know in another sports they're gonna follow me home in another Scorsese picture where Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull says I'm not an animal and there's a he's a loss of times but there's a man there these guys I like the way that he think there's no man there they're awful yeah you know the trouble I had with this film yeah I could fit right in with your show wouldn't I oh yeah but but you know people came to me and they said this film it will change your life this is a great film this is as good as Raging Bull and so I thought hang on get ready for something so I go and I read I read the book like five years ago when it was out two wise guys and I go in there and I'm thinking all right it's gonna be another Raging Bull in it and it wasn't another raging that's the paradox of rising expectations for you Davis yeah yeah people tell you how good it's going to be this is gonna be the greatest film you've ever seen then when you go in you're just it can't happen to you can't happen naturally that's why we haven't have an ease that we see them before anybody has said anything about them and then of course we take that advantage away from everybody else we spoil it have you guys ever weaseled out on a deal and have been too tired or too busy and just sent like an intern out to see a film have you violation is this going even fledge the Dick Tracy deal did you like that film I liked it yeah that's all right I didn't care for a Beatty in it that was I thought the weakest part his character was a kind of a wimp yeah well he really didn't have much to do with the film he was only Dick Tracy my version was called breathless Mahoney them now also I get a question about this hook with the Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams you know anything about that nothing even things by Steven Spielberg yeah what do you think is that gonna work you think I don't or do they take oh I'm sorry go ahead Jean it was a boring question I didn't mean he obviously had an answer to share with us so were we Roger was oh I was gonna say I'm sorry whenever they take something that you already know and they'd like The Wiz or Zardoz or hook then you know that they're kind of trying to jazz it up and usually a magic is lost ya ain't gonna work now what about you no reason to say that what about Godfather three opening Christmas Day that's a sure shot is gonna be a blockbuster now that's got to make my Easter eggs for that one if I were you what do you mean well I mean I don't think it will open at Christmas another say in Christmas Day well I hope so yeah I've got my fingers crossed because he's a great director yeah now see this is like a movie that you would wait five six seven years to go see then have yeah absolutely all right boys nice to see ya kid if I don't see you by Labor Day have a great summer [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you know but to deal with Cosby you know I I say that out of love no but we've been trying to get him to come on the show and he won't come on the show he hates me ah we'd like to have Cosby on the show what are you doing to me I know I know anything we'd like to have him one we like and we like a little pudding pop commercials he do like talking about a little pudding pop commercial that frozen sugar water that he found to the kid and you're wondering why he won't come on well this is you know it's just that we used to come on the show years ago you would come on before his little a Cosby Show tip off he would come on and be on the show and have a lot of fun and we'd have a lot of fun with him now he won't even I wrote him a little letter do you think he'd say oh he didn't answer the letter yeah every didn't like the letter well I bet that was it let's let's bring out our first guest that we're we're doing all right Siskel and Ebert you know as the Academy Awards awards approached our first guests have a new syndicated special entitled if we picked the winners which premieres tomorrow please welcome back to the program the lovely the talented Siskel and Ebert [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] nice see you man thank you very much for being here you guys are like accountants this must be your busy time of the year it's like Christmas for Santa Claus I'm telling you they you know addictions prediction exactly and we'll get to those a little bit later I have questions of my own first nice to see it we'd like to have Cosby on the show did you see ghost dad no his daughter told him that she wanted to marry a man who was 40 years older than she was and his response was to go into the kitchen to pick up a big can of coke and hold it right next to his head in the close-up mm-hmm a little commercial for bill there too so yeah uh let's leave that behind us now do you do you guys know movie stars dude you I know when you interview them you probably go to lunch with them and stuff I I went we interview them but we don't know we have because there they are professional performers so right the interview is a performance that's right um but they can be very funny when they get drunk how do you how do you get him drunk exactly I didn't John Wayne was drunk when I interviewed Anna once and I didn't get him drunk he was drunk when I arrived what what time of day was this was Marin midnight it was down at a Gordon McClendon's ranch in Texas and he was promoting a film called Chisholm terrible picture that's right Chisholm yes the word [Applause] though your buddy here your pal your partner started us the name of the picture it was nc-17 at the time right so so the Duke is a little loaded yeah and he says he's playing he's playing bumper pool and he keeps hitting the ball and it comes right back and he's getting frustrated so let's get out of here let's get something to eat so we're in Dallas we need to go to the etal cafe downtown 1 a.m. he walks in the place can't believe it this is a greasy spoon and people are the waitress before serving us across herself oh man yeah yeah he's bombed he says how many eggs would you like mr. Wayne thousand how do you want him looking at me yeah I think french fries is is you want any french fries I said no thank you mr. Wayne Jesus that's good he picks up the kids well I would have clubbed you if you tried to take it Wow so we're starting to get ugly then a little bit later it was a lot of fun and then he went and visited a hospital where somebody claimed to have the dying daughter at the hospital and it's at 1:00 in the morning this was about 4:00 he gets back to the Fairmont Hotel there's a note for him look my daughter's dying she wants to visit you he goes to hell it was a hoax oh my god wake up that dying dong the life [Applause] how long have you guys been working together 16 years how do you after all these years how do you decide I'm Dave how do you decide how do you decide who gets to say the balcony is closed it's every other week you alternate but Jeanne always you notice that whenever I say and until next week the balcony is closed he always makes his hand go like this you want to know what we actually does and he says and this and this and this so look like he's talking no I do this sometimes here I'll give away some secrets I go and blah and blah and blah that's right you say that as the credits are rolling yeah yeah that's what he's saying in case you ever wondered if you could read this what are the other back of the pen so you mean you can't think of more than 28 minutes of things to say let's let's talk about some films I want to I have films I've seen I want to get your feedback on these films do you mind if we do this I saw I saw that once around is that it the ones around thing that was what I like Richard Dreyfuss in that film I thought he took some real chances yeah I thought it was an unpredictable film I had no idea where it was going yeah do you like that was the best that is the best film so far this year I thought it was terrific you couldn't figure out where the story was going on under okay it was better than the doors yes but the doors I would say is the second best film of these yeah now you guys have seen that I understand there's a difference of opinion about the yeah yeah you didn't care for it I thought it was a fan movie I think that Oliver Stone basically got fixated on Jim Morrison at a certain point in his own life and has never been able to get beyond that point in terms of making a film about him so we didn't understand from that movie anything about Jim Morrison that Oliver Stone didn't know when he was 21 years ago yeah and I can usually thought it was grad thought it was very good first of all Val Kilmer's performance is superb it is Jeremy Irons will probably win or it's one of the favorites for winning this year for playing a real person Klaus von Bulow it's tough to play a real person when there's a lot of video out on them and people know the voice and stuff but how about if Klaus von bulow sang to I mean that's the would you follow the picture that's the be better than Chisolm last one filo SIG's that would be quite a yeah let's feel Berg have that one oh my god oh let's see well we're do a commercial and then continue chatting here with a good [Applause] [Music] well what the hell were we talking about what are their films see how good the doors wasn't Roger betta cheap jobs right and yeah the picture you learn about Jim Morrison yeah what did you learn other than I learned that I write the entire time well it was an exciting existence he led a frightening life I would think he was a very unpleasant man who made life unpleasant for everyone who cared for him everyone who loved it never a worthy subject of a movie uh I would like to know something about him other than that fact there's other facts his father was a commander during the Vietnam War you learn that in the shower scene backstage where he almost gets a wrestle what shirt sized anywhere weak defense have you guys ever gotten ever get into like a shoving match no I would probably lose what I thought it was boring to silence Silence of the Lambs this thing is just like the runaway blockbuster of the decade good pictures I didn't like it didn't you hear me at all get this why you like it didn't like it because the mass murderer was too colorful [Laughter] where do you dream this stuff up from there that you thought that real-life mass murderers were more drab and commonplace oh I've certainly believed that yes and so the fact that this guy was so interesting Hannibal Lecter don't they that say that he was so interesting I thought that the film was overblown to the point where with the music when you go down to the descent into his cave and all that I was loved that I loved every well I didn't buy brain really made me feel that I was going to be in the presence of someone who was truly evil and I didn't feel that way and the guy at the end the other mass murderer it was like a master in the house picture where this smart this happens frequently with women's women characters and movies it's also with the Julia Roberts and sleeping with the enemy they're smart in the beginning but then when they have the monster in the house at the end where they get stupid yeah well I agree with you about the monster in the house in general but in particular gene this movie was just supposed to be fun and people could go and they could be scared by it you know they're not really gonna be doing the FBI forensic test on I think the picture had a higher aspirations with that cast in that directory balcony is closed alright and blah and blah now this new jack city is is there any reason to go see this that's a good you know we're getting killed in line there's a good reason one our two people have been involved in incidents that resulted in death right I wanted you could probably find that many people have been killed after almost any movement this one I think it's a generally good movie I thought it was well and what did you think not a bad film or Roger said if people couldn't hear was that people would that many people would die during any any film a little lady they were killing him in the street they were picking off you know it's easy to make cheap remark so I really would be to expose a lot of people know about that film is the what they read about people getting killed is there reason does the film have merit in its own way is a very good film it's well acted it's well directed it has a good message Wesley Snipes is terrific in it so is ice-t who plays one of the tough cops no I thought it was glamorous in Park Wesley Snipes is good the drug message you don't get points for just having the right side of an issue yes the right side of the issue gee it really made a statement you could feel viscerally not me let's bring Michael J Fox back what we did we didn't even get to the Oscar predictions but you're good this year the big show is what is your big show it's best picture man okay that will win but it should be good fella if we pick the winners which premieres tomorrow yeah okay good nice to see you Roger thank you very much for being here [Applause] [Applause] thank you very much for being back on the program cheers our hire them oh there I wore boots and everything well maybe you're growing a little you know you were here last night and I certainly appreciate you dropping in that was very nice of it an't and you also I saw you talking to your buddies Siskel and Ebert well that's why I came by cuz I heard sis : Eve I mean I I knew I was gonna see you today yeah but I heard Siskel and Ebert over there and uh it's always fun you know because Ebert you know likes everything and everybody and always like likes the movies and likes me in him and Cisco sometimes likes me in the movies but always hates the movies I could do the Gene Siskel story he keeps pushing it on me just take it read it get the universal I don't know pressure I could be a rave the next thing but is it is it a little awkward to have a friendly relationship with these guys because movie the movie they could be your friends or not I don't really have a friendly relationship can ever have a friendly relationship with with critics cuz they gotta be a jerk lamb you're right but it is kind of fun to just kind of go hi thanks no thanks yeah it's kind of fun cuz it cuz it's good for them to know that there are people doing it we're not like a bunch of yeah I think sometimes we started it yeah they kind of think that we're all these guys no guys I know a way to really rip off the public and take their money and give them nothing yeah Roger and Gene Siskel and Ebert those are those guys are kind of unique there they're fun they're pretty yeah I think unique is pretty much and did they did they like the new film the hard work they liked it well Roger of course loved it thumbs up I'm up and he really liked it a lot in gene you know liked me had reservations about about the film but I know with Roberts tongue huh well no um Roger gave it a thumb and Jean gave it his finger [Applause] but-but-but liked me and it was one of those ones where you know G always does the thing I'm just talking as a guy watches this shara do you ever notice it gene kind of says I really would have liked it if it was about like the 40s and you go well you know it's about the nineties but it really could have been good you know if Judy Garland was in it well she's dead I don't get it but he seemed to like it I mean he liked me like me in it but he I liked when Roger the heavy one says yeah he says he says the balcony is closed and I think of myself but apparently the refreshment stand [Applause] they still serve enough downstairs so let's go on down this way you're not you're not in the movies we can talk about it but you're the one who could say that joke [Music] the problem is normally on Thursdays we're not on we're normally off on Thursday so it's odd for us to be here doing a show we're always on Thursday we're always on on Thursday uh-huh so that couldn't be the problem maybe it's those son things you're really big magnet magnetic things going wrong in the Sun thing could be that yeah this morning I woke up as a matter of fact I couldn't get my mouth open I thought geez I've got I've come down with lockjaw and it turns out my fillings have just been magnetized but everything Wow sunspots that's what it's doing our first guests are the hosts of their a popular movie review program and a special appropriately entitled the Siskel and Ebert special will be seen around the country starting June 14th ladies and gentlemen here they are the lovely and talented Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert here we go [Music] [Music] I'm telling you it's a lovely gesture because that is a great hat beautiful that's very unusual thank you very much I appreciate that and we have gifts for you and gift for you as well appreciate it very much but it's not the original hand gonna get the California Angels hat no no you don't mind because it fits perfectly we're both have the same head size seven and a half yeah oh well tell me tell me about Oprah Winfrey's head size Gene Siskel knows the head sizes of the stars it's uncanny I will tell you just give us her head size eight Hey okay Oprah is an eight that's large it's a great story you want the story yeah let's hear the story okay happen to be with her and she walks into a hat on how did you just happen to be with Oprah in a hat shop that's the story we want to hear it was a birthday party and we were both guests uh-huh Wow happened to me at a hat shop in Santa Fe New Mexico she walks in and the gentleman says to her Oprah you've got the biggest head I have ever seen he she said measures her he says it's an eight uh-huh and she says well I do have a lot of hair right and he says no no this is the owner of the half shot no no no it's your skull size real nice the word skull cadaver right so I turned him in that point I said sir what do you say when you want to sell someone a head yeah I like in his line of work there was maybe he was thinking that that would be a source of pride to Oprah that she had the biggest head that it ever come into is a story congratulations what do you guys want to talk about what was the most most most energetic disagreement you guys have ever had blue velvet was pretty intense we've hadded a number of times we blue velvet Apocalypse Now The Doors we really came to blows over those yeah yeah blue velvet the one thing that I think Roger was accommodating in the last discussion that we had about blue velvet is that I I felt that his he had such an intense negative reaction in that picture giving it one star which is really rough that I felt that there must be something in that film that personally there was there was definitely something in the film that sent me off first what was that it was a really bad film I know I know the point that Jean is making and that is that when you have a very very strong reaction to a film at least you're not bored right and at least it has your attention and to this day I can remember blue velvet a lot better probably than many films that came out at the same period well there you go I gave good review that's something at the same time I disapproved of it and I felt that in particular the director was victimizing Isabella Rossellini his actress I felt that he was treating her in a way that embarrassed me and apparently she didn't agree because then she moved in with him yeah right you know on the case there that's having a blue velvet now I watched it and enjoyed it with the possible exception I thought gee it's awfully violent and and how do people women especially how will they be responding to this kind of treatment on screen movies all movies are violent I mean it was it was violent in a particularly psychological way and that these people were interacting with each other in a very unpleasant way but when you go to these days when people come up to a movie critic and say is that movie violent the answer is always yes sir yep unless it's by Disney unless it's animated it's gonna be violent but I think both of you guys are some keywords that you're using you wondered about how women would react and Roger says I disapproved I think you're both being a little patronizing too thank you thank you very much I know you know I mean women can't handle it Dave you know they can handle it well I'm just gonna say that he says he disapproved of it I mean it is he sees movies you see that I disapproved of it I'm a critic it's my job I either approve of them or I just I'm saying you're not I think you didn't disapprove of the filmmaking I think that filmmaking was so intense and it was had to do with violence and sex and somehow it David Lynch is a very good director and I really feel that I felt that about his next film wild of heart which I booed when it won the award at the Cannes Film Festival were you hustled out well no not easily I just have a crane [Applause] the last three people who wore that hat they've all went bald David Lynch is a very very very good director who makes thing now that is guy think Twin Peaks is kind of basically they didn't have enough of an inspiration to get through the entire season they started out strong commercial now when we come back what I'd like to do is turn our attention I don't know what's the matter with me turn our attention to the summer blockbusters yeah we'll talk about the summer blockbusters when we come back [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] program dreams Cisco Roger Ebert Oprah Winfrey were just talking about makes forty million dollars a year yeah unbelievable she got a show there in Chicago if you get a large head makes huge money she's a very nice very nice she tells the head story to her guests Frizzle part of the warm-up well you know she was particularly hoping that you would tell it tonight on the lemon now let me just go back here to this to this this blue velvet thing and me being patronizing patronizing here what I meant when I was suggesting that I was concerned about how women might react was not can the female psyche stand up to seeing violence depicted on screen I was thinking more in terms of how do women feel about seeing women brutalized on screen they probably don't enjoy it very much well that was my boy yeah well it was an excellent point David thanks thank you was it really I was not eating the whole time you were saying it let's go I didn't think you were being a bit too hasty let's go right through the summer blockbusters you had the whole commercial to think that up you know we're sponsored by Jolly Rancher candies oh yes have we ever all right let's go right through this Madonna truth or dare what do you boys think of this that's a good film really very good I think that it's both good for the concert stuff is good and the backstage yeah yeah and you bought it hook line and sinker you know I didn't mind I think that a large part of it was manipulated or plans in other words it wasn't a cinema verite Larry memory they staged stuff for the camera but they did it very well and so gave an idea of Madonna that was interesting even though it might not be completely accurate what surprised me is that she gave up as much screen time as she did to her supporters well that's not that's unusual smart sure yeah I have a theory about Madonna I think she loves to shock us all right I wonder how big your head she's got all right Hudson Hawk this is the the Bruce Willis epic the mix them up the old action-adventure too many characters in the film are trying to be funny everyone is trying to be funny they crowd each other off the screen and is ultimately not interested in it it was really one of the most painful experiences I've had at the movies in a long time really really Wow I did I simply didn't enjoy it and there's nothing more embarrassing as I'm sure you know then material that's supposed to be funny is one of your susan you clemens up who needs a few more pinches the some one of their assistants felt that that was actually a gag that that wasn't the real top ten list and the real one was gonna surface later that's it okay let's get back to this list now oh no no how much did Hudson Hawk cost Mike that's like 60 million or something is it you know if the problem is if a movie is a flop then everybody talks about how much it cost but if it's a hit they know but everybody talks about how much it may mmm-hmm so that I don't object to the budget of a film if I have a good time when I go to see yeah but my point is where where does this money come from and if it's so all our pockets Dave yours and mine yeah taxpayer dollars yes too much emphasis placed on the money well no I don't think so because you can have for for like six million dollars or say like a spike Lee budget I don't think Spike Lee gets the 80 million dollars to make a movie does he know all right so what does he get like four or five sixteen okay that'll be a lot of money for Spike Lee and he's capable of putting together a very entertaining two-hour film right well a lot of the money in Hudson Hawk probably went above the line in terms of salaries Bruce Willis alone is 14 million yeah okay well I'm I'm against it I like Bruce Willis Thelma and Louise we're not done talking to the boys don't know huh okay they're trying to hustle you guys with a terrific film Thelma Louise I really enjoyed it and in particular I liked Geena Davis's southern accent mhm yeah I mean we've already reviewed this I I thought this was a couple of Hollywood actresses you know slumming with the southern accents and and I thought that you know Davis was particularly mannered in her really rookie way and I thought that Sarandon did a better job hmm well that's fair enough it's not supposed to be just a documentary of exactly how somebody would be I mean acting involves putting a little spin on the material having a little style in order to make us enjoy it and I really thought it was a good but you know I have trouble with if there's anything in the film that reminds me I'm in a theater watching a movie then I don't enjoy myself absolutely remind you for example oh uh sure opening title another blockbuster for Kevin Costner Oh disappointing it opens tomorrow okay The Rocketeer I've seen the posters for this one Rocketeer this is the big I saw it I like the dress what about that movie were they though the woman wants to ride the diving horse if you guys seen that one yeah oh she goes blind and then she wants to ride the diving horse well I see I didn't realize she was blonde but they missed a real bad day because she asked to rehearse for a long time to learn how to jump off a tower on a horse after she's blind and then at the end when she finally does it the impact doesn't even regain her sight again which was it sure then when she hit that water she was gonna come up and she'd be able to see again I was really were they suggesting this as possible treatment but I am vets he prefers this to David Lynch let's see now I've seen the trailers for that film in theaters and I thought pretty powerful guy when you get right down good eye I thought I'd go see that movie based on those trailers it looks like a great summer film well I like you enjoy a rod that would be wrong yeah we got to go I guess right Jean always a pleasure thank you very much [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you [Music] ah let's see mark cone a great song yeah walking on them to Memphis yeah and the McCartney triplets now I don't know are they here or are they not here they're here the McCartney triplets will be here and tomorrow Arnold Schwarzenegger will be with us I'm so embarrassed because I asked her about Terminator 2 I thought it was out you know you see that barrage you're bombarded with those promotions for the film you get the sense that's out sure and and I haven't seen many of the big summer blockbusters I want to go see that city slickers City yeah I wanted to go see the the rocket boy movie rocket yeah rockets here Rocketeer Connor I haven't seen city slickers yet I want to see that though I want to see the back fire with the backdraft ex-raf ya ask you that one and what am i leaving out there's a lot of those light a big huh yeah they could gun two and a half the smell of fear I want to see that one first Robin Hood is it oh yeah yeah have you seen any of those I don't get to see too many films but I did see one I thought I saw Thelma and Louise Oh Thelma Lou well what was it what do you think of that well I you loved it Paul for once in the movies women are allowed to control their own lives and make their own decisions and men look like clowns for a change it was a great picture I go on it was a standard Road picture with a couple of rich Hollywood actresses slumming with fake southern accents oh are you are you alright oh yeah yeah of course yeah you know I thought it was your standard road picture with a couple of rich Hollywood actresses slumming with fake southern accents Arnold Schwarzenegger here tomorrow Damn Yankees Ted Nugent's new grill yeah that's gonna be great Ted here we're gonna have Ted we're gonna have the baby shot Oh sticks alright we're gonna have Jack blades okay all right we're a little late and also tomorrow Robert pastor Ellie oh man yeah from Murphy Brown we'll be right back [Applause] [Music] you [Applause] I've said it before I'll say it again Miami audiences you can't dance in the world let me just say one thing pound for pound Paul Shaffer the finest keyboard player working today [Music] nutty show you having star for us tonight yeah what and I have a feeling I'm gonna taste some mighty good eatin later on oh man this guy the last time this guy was here he cooked up something that was absolutely delightful to remember that he made what was it he made last time some French food oh I love that French food and he made it boy he made a big plate of French food and we enjoyed it and then later we said to herself we're lucky to be enjoying this French food here tonight ah you know I was a last week kind of a little story here it's a true life story from my own life last week I decided I'm gonna go have some breakfast so I get up early I go into town and maybe meet some people for breakfast that's what it was I was gonna meet some people for breakfast so I arrived at the breakfast establishment early and the people I was meeting weren't there typical so I decided I would amuse myself by strolling around the community so I come upon a store and they feature coffee to go in muffins well I'm in there and and I see a coffee machine there with the the big pots of coffee one of those metal things and then it's a coffee and the big pots of coffee I guess I've covered the Pops in coffee and and I say to the young woman behind the counter there I said I'd like a cup of coffee after i order my coffee I look above the little saw of the little machine there and I see a sign kind of a handwritten sign paste it up there on colored paper and in magic marker it says helium balloons a dollar 50 so the woman is pouring my coffee and she says would you like anything in your coffee and I said why yes I'd like some helium the woman looks at the sign and then she looks back at me and she says it's just for the balloons [Laughter] [Applause] Paul what did what did you think of my story well I I personally thought it was just marvelous thank you look up interesting story in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of that story Dave just told Dave I thought your story was quite heartwarming a delightful slice of real life well I thought it was pretty good Regis well it's easily the most important story since the Berlin Wall pretty good I mean good enough for primetime or nothing I think it weighs Melville's Moby the thing that that's Gerald did Gatsby and now there's Dave's little story that he did for us not necessarily in that order what did I think of Dave's story find out next on it I think storytime went pretty well tonight tonight especially yeah let's do our top 10 list for the evening and then get on with the big show we have [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all right we have to tell you about one little thing before we bring out Roger and gene gene and Roger Siskel and Ebert I you know in addition to becoming I think the most popular most respected most opinions sought after movie critics in the country I think people just like these guys oh yeah oh I like him well there you go just exactly what I was talking about yeah all right listen very closely ladies and gentlemen on Saturday January 18th right here in New York City at the Radio City Music Hall the great stage so what they call that Paul yeah sure they do yeah the great stage stage New York City we are doing our tenth anniversary television program now if you would like to join us in all of the festivities I believe we have balloons for the kids you write this address down and call us mail us write us when you have the address you send in a postcard 10th anniversary special me Dave post office box 4 6 8 2 4 6 8 2 an easy way to remember that number add it up and divide it by 4 4 6 8 2 New York New York 1 0 1 8 5 please please ladies and gentlemen and we're not kidding around here no postcards no no I'm sorry only only post cards only post cos we don't want any long rambling letters about your life we just want a postcard and you must be at least at least 16 years old to attend so so can 16 year-olds buy postcards I think in some states some states you can I'm not sure about Canada anyway its January 18th we would love to have you join us we've been on the air wasting videotape for 10 full years I know in this last election there in Indiana they were trying to raise it to 16 to buy postcards yeah the legal age to buy postcard it though yeah let's bring them right out here our first guests are probably the best-known movie critics in these United States and beginning November 29th the Siskel and Ebert holiday special well what the hell is that is that like Christmas carols and skating and stuff Andy Williams and you guys and Boni snow Circle your TV guides November 29th the Siskel and Ebert holiday special will be seen all across the country ladies and gentlemen here they are the lovely and talented Siskel and Ebert [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you guys have been with us a long time over the last 10 years I always like you guys that I'm happy you can come on and whenever I get a chance to watch your show I'm always entertained thank you thank you it's it's educational and entertaining yes yeah now tell me tell me about the Siskel and Ebert holiday special it's educational and it's entertainment is it gonna be you guys in a sleigh with a little actually Matt Crafton there's only room for Roger in this leg Oh we're going to be reviewing various I'll just ignore that she was saying I ride when you get out there I want you to be serious this time and don't go trashy they're jokes the special review a lot of new movies that are out on video and laserdisc and we're gonna play with some new electronic toys he's like this this VCR plus you know that where you can you can record something off the air even if you don't know how to operate your VCR it's 95 percent of everybody that's me sure actually a good product I've never done it it's like think about 60 bucks and it uses the coating that you find sometimes in TV Guide that's right digital code freeze program your cook your show has a number what is our a number for the show 4 6 8 2 KB reruns of The Beverly Hillbillies now do you guys know anything about this really no he had to have the staff set it up for him so he could demonstrate himself learning it yeah but but but is this is this what we want from you guys what we want just information about movies in addition it's an hour so we had to fill oh I recommend a lot there are a lot of movies now there's a big industry actually in the restoration of movies and presenting them on laserdisc where you can see them better and here and better so for example Apocalypse Now is had the soundtrack remastered the image the photographic image has been brought up to snuff too so you don't get a muddy quality you might get R if you rent a little beat BC hanging off VHS and I correct me if I'm wrong but the original and I think it was cut for most theaters Brando at the end actually does a song I understand that that's back in now how long have we been talking about laser just and you still don't have my machine do you know but I want to tell you something year after year you come backstage you said should I get one of those and I say yeah and is waiting for a freebie but you know I remember but when this company was owned by RCA before there was something else no no no they had no but they had the video doesn't either it played the picture with a needle oh nothing to do with laser - oh is that what it was it was obsolete before it was introduced like a lot of stuff yeah but but it only makes sense that that we reproduce video and audio electronically as opposed to mechanical you would think so yeah yeah well I think we've come a long way that's good what are you guys fighting about in the theaters these days what do you like what do you don't like we had a disagreement over this new Bette Midler James Caan a picture for the boys for the boys yeah we both agreed that the makeup at the end you want to see those two characters look like lizards little big man wait what comes out he's 91 years old Oh Oh drama is whether or not he'll get through the scene before the makeup falls off there's a very very bad decision and they even have it the end credits special makeup by them no no an actresses get real old they're called ageless yeah that's Ruby's very old yeah but I liked what went on before that amen yeah corny but I thought it was sort of show biz wise about a couple of entertainers who worked together for years and can't stand each other I I did not vote thumbs up on the movie and it seemed to me that there was absolutely no chemistry between these two people at all they didn't really like each other and furthermore separately I didn't like either one of them so now this brings up an interesting point because you're you're one of your main criticisms of the film is not with the acting not with the directing but some of the makeup work involved now is it fair to single out the person responsible for makeup or is that the responsibility of the director really the directors responsibility I mean the guy was hired that's a good point the guy was hired to do the makeup so he delivers makeup that it's bad enough that this accepted is the directors fault that's one of these formats where at the beginning the actress is real old and the producer comes to pick her up to take her to a show and then she remembers and then it's a series of flashbacks about World War two and North Africa and the Korean War and McCarthyism and television and the Vietnam War and so forth and on and on and on and then at the end the show goes on the air and they come out and it's the climax of the whole movie and they look James Caan looks exactly the way he did an alien nation it's very uncanny I got a million other questions as you know I love the cinema we'll do a commercial and they're coming back all right we'll be right back here with [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you guys been together a long time we'll straighten out ugly after this you all right a second Roger will show what's in your pocket there's a card that David I wrote a little note to the boys over to gene and gene ask him to sign it that I grabbed it their quarrel I could grab it away from gene because I've had so much practice over you're grabbing the check after consuming all the food yeah okay you boys are very very infantile right now this we understand the VCR code that you're talking about for these shows is is this long eight digit number 6 8 1 9 8 2 2 but it changes every night well what what good isn't that read the newspaper every day the time you gave that to people was for Tonight Show which they needed before we're on right now in order to record it is this like one of those contests absolutely the post used to have like Wingo or something it actually it actually if you win you get the show you want it to record get a host the show that's what you get it works let's see let's talk about the big blockbuster this Cape Fear what do you guys think of that well I liked it a little bit more than Roger I think they give a little higher rating in my newspaper and except for the ending which sort of drags on a little bit and so it doesn't seem perfect it's very powerful and Scorsese giving a feeling of this creepy guy who just won't get away and the guilt that you might have about past sins and that there's someone out there the devil basically who's watching you and gonna get you and DeNiro plays the devil and the funny thing is that you like the devil more than you like Nick Nolte it's very strange is there a the Scorsese picture in the way he always has to kind of make the bet the worst guy more attractive although everybody in this movie is evil it's not a battle between good and evil everyone even the family that's being Karen's daughter is I'm attracted to this guy and mother is kind of not too nice they want to hurt you know the funny thing is a lot Scorsese he's such a good director that when you see a movie like this you say is this what Scorsese should be doing just what Martin should be doing because he is the best director we have and it's frankly a commercial horror violent action picture and yet if it directed by anyone else I wouldn't have asked that question so in a sense I accuse myself of holding him to a bit of a double standard but I admire him so much that I'm I'm a little disappointed yeah but what you're saying there I think no sure having said all those nice things about him that he can direct almost anything he wants to yeah yeah and that's fine I mean I'm sure he now won't make every other movie at that level he'll go onto our back to whatever he was doing before I think the film is a little better than Roger give it is giving it credit for though did they need to make a sequel or not a sequel but a roommate it was one of his favorite pictures yeah but he's turned it upside down he just like he turned the musical upside down with his musical New York New York where it has an unhappy ending most musicals have happy endings the couple can't get along he turned the good-versus-evil Roger said story inside out so that isn't pure good against pure evil yeah so and this is gonna be a huge film it's doing great business it open well yeah I'm very surprised it's extremely violent and I would think that the word of mouth would not be that great if it is I think they're people being exposed in the in the thriller genre to a terrific direct I may not go see it because I understand the dog gets killed is all ready to see a dog get killed you know I don't want a basic rule of cinema whenever you see it's a throw it's a family bad then it's gonna go outside and it's not gonna come back later and then later on it will turn up dead or maybe even in a park and honey that's right bunny with another another stamp you think it's if you see anyone go into a hospital in a movie these days they yeah pretty much and I have another rule of thumb and I don't know how people will take this I will not really go see a movie unless I'm pretty sure there's gonna be at least one butt shot in how do you know we not a lot of critics don't cover that what is your source of luminary information I mean people as they come out when is that ellen barkin gonna be making some more movies oh I like Mary you know that sea of love remember that thing like oh man she was good at her sexy and you know it over his shoulder walked around the room and then came back for more than the critics rarely cover in their reviews what is but how actually they've talked about how Mel Gibson resorts to it I'm not interested in Mel Gibson when you were talking about the underwear models you're talking about women's butts or men's butts so in that case it was guys I mean you're not here's a Mel Gibson or III think I stated my preference here by mentioning the name of a popular young actor we're back to film criticism most movie reviewers do not talk about the erotic nature of films I think it is I think that they portray away from saying I was turned on and acknowledging that and even rewarding when I could Dimmick about it they're more detached it's sure to turn other people on what about that Pauline Kael do you guys get along with her I like her very much you admire her work I wish you were still writing regularly yeah we're trying to get her on the show okay hey are we out of time okay let's see did we cover everything we needed to cover the big holiday special with gene and Roger November 29th all across the u.s. in that yeah well see there you go you're making a mistake going down nice to see you Roger thank you very much [Applause]

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 47,799

Rating: 4.9354839 out of 5

Keywords: Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert

Id: SS6O1AoGtAI

Length: 71min 37sec (4297 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 22 2019