Siskel & Ebert Collection on Letterman, Part 3 of 6: 1992-93

[Music] hey okay let's bring out our first guest these guys have been with us many many times they're always good they're the best at what they do and we're happy to have them back here tonight they have been the hosts of their own movie review of your review program what do you deliver in doughnuts for the last 17 years this March they're a special entitled if we pick the winners will air live from Disney world ladies and gentlemen here they is again Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ha good to see you guys thank you again for coming we always appreciate your visits and like accountants this is your busy time of the year isn't it that's right just like Christmas for Santa Claus day exactly yeah now before we talk about the films and I want to talk about the films because as you know I love the cinema yeah you're you're getting married that's right congratulations when will that take play thank you I am going to tie the knot with a lovely lady named Chas Hamel Smith if she had happenin lady she's happy July the 18th that'll be great and you'll are you gonna be the best man no he's not now when you get I'll just provide the house but the extra income he picks up on the show I'll provide the Wardrobe for his children the education first show him the clothes his wife will wear all Dennis bills the Ebert family bank account year after year I won't be the best man no someone else will the gardener maybe at the house or so fast I won't be the best man yeah all right what do you have there what is that Roger president yeah that was my engagement gift this is this is what you gave to to write yes and you notice the hole this is it see this was jeans engagement good now this is not a joke as you know mm-hmm we're always unprepared when we come right you're that's nice all right no that's symbolic of what exactly what symbolic is that was the engagement gift he gave me 12 years ago uh-huh and I thought that it was well you know what see this is this is an interesting story perhaps have I told that the audience was no that's what I got him when I told him that this was the engagement if you gave me 12 years ago I said oh you know what I must have been angry with you there uh-huh not the belly man with me now all right there was an engagement party I looked in the sack that's what he gave me you know I said I can't Billy I just don't know what that's in all I gave you he said there was a tall it was and he said that I he said that I'd forgotten it and that that had been when I given him 12 years ago yeah and David until tonight he thinks that I had forgotten it because now he's giving it back I prepared to tell you that that is the horn that Harpo Marx used in four of those great Marx Brothers musicals Wow it's a sad lot more than fight now I don't know if the audience is applauding the horn or the camera shot nobody can get hurt you can have it Oh but anyway it'll be a grand gala and congratulations and and gala are you kidding me the caterers are saying it's gonna be Operation Desert Storm [Laughter] that seems unnecessarily I think he has he's not this funny natural let's let's get right to it boys let's start talking about some of the blockbusters what do you which movie do you want to talk about first I'm talking about the worst movie of the year which opened today nationwide all right Sylvester Stallone stop or my mom will shoot he stole two hours out of our lives we'll never get them back now you know Sylvester Stallone for the first time was on the show I think earlier this week seemed like a very nice guy great clip he showed the suicidal you show the clip with the people of ma he and the kid are on the ledge and mom's down they're bothering with the bullhorn yeah the part of my job is I have it to laugh when you know when I'm sitting right next to the guy you know it's awful it's so bad that it replaces Sylvester Stallone's our worst film up previously which was Rhinestone this is worse than rice all right now let's just stop you're Einstein was better than the worse than the armwrestling the armwrestling thing yeah just was not the armwrestling that was actual that was a labor union what was their arm wrestling wrist I guess spend part of the lower extremities I don't know but now let's let's talk here frankly about mr. Stallone he does is capable of he's a 1 that'll work he's a wonderful writer and this was so shocked cuz he wrote Rocky wanted to rocky one was a great and rocky two is sort of an undiscovered that's very romantic funny stuff you know I haven't seen Rocky - ok but you should actually and he should have known that this script even and it's with the stug Yeti from golden girl right so if this script had been sent to Golden Girls for half hour that it would have been rejected as too flimsy oh wow no I'm really I'm not attempting you know that's interesting we were talking to him and I said how many films have you made in your career and he said 25 and I said how much revenue have those films generated and he said 2.5 billion dollars that's unbelievable you can add another 11 12 dollars for this [Applause] well we'll do a commercial here and then we'll come back and we'll talk about the Academy Award [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all right let's talk about a couple of current blockbuster films and we'll get to the awards you want to do that boys no that's fine yeah sure you ever have guests on your show could I come on and sit up there in the balcony with you guys you would be the first guests that we would have let me come up here and do that you used to have a dog on the show - yeah we had a dog in a sky educated Scott and you know what the skunk would sit in the chair next to us and the skunk are shy animals I'm told and it would bury its head in the corner of the seat and I would have to say before we started tape spin the skunk oh yeah very very careful but you wouldn't actually take the skunk with the end of the theatres would you no it's me it's me pretending to be the dumb guy all right now shining through this is a Melanie Griffith and did not Don Johnson ah and the reason why she's gonna be a spy she tells Michael Douglas Michael Douglas my reason why she can be a spy is because she makes good strudel that's right movie should have been called I was Himmler's nanny now but what did you find part of it compelling we find the part of it interesting and engaging I found that the part where they ripped it off from working girl was funny because they the first half-hour is basically working girl goes to war and it works and then when she went over to Germany do you believe and furthermore they said Michael Douglas and after her and he doesn't speak any German that's right so he wears a bloody bandage around his neck and holds up a little card that says in German her throat injury can't talk so he takes it right through the Swiss border and back into Berlin a backup fine that works on ghosts not so easy now I thought I had to sit by the way in the second row which is difficult because you get a look at somebody's nostril and it's like that I thought the movie was okay up until the final scene when he's he's been shot with a rifle at close range like ten feet eight nine times and he's got Melanie Griffith's Arab she is out cold yeah and he's staggering for the Swiss border which is painted like a foul line on a baseball diamond and you know that there's a guard all shield on that line so if they draw a bullet the reason why they don't shoot across the line is because the bull would bounce this scene this scene lasts about 12 minutes and they keep pumping Michael Douglas full of lead and he was so badly injured he couldn't flex enjoy that's right oh so huh did that straight your credibility yeah no here's what happened finally he gets to the line and he collapses over the line and somebody in the theater jumps up and screams touchdown let's get to them getting me Awards what do you think Best Picture Beauty and the Beast how about that an animated feature I think they have a real problem in electing the Best Picture this year because of course the Hollywood Academy always tries to pick a movie that's very uplifting and positive and has a nice image it shows nice people and this year they've got four Downers and Beauty and the Beast four Downers okay beauty and these problem is going to be they give it to Beauty and the Beast who's going to accept the award the Prince of tides now Prince of tides nominated Best Picture but the barber was snubbed by the Academy not wrongly so yeah though she's a tremendous talent that's right but this was not a talented piece of directing it's a big story from a big novel and it takes a big woman to direct it and every scene is big yeah there isn't a calm moment everything is overwrought there are that wasn't even the best film directed by a woman this past year the person who directed ramblin rose Martha Coolidge directing by a woman so I think it's too easy to say that she didn't get it because she was a woman she denomination a singleton instead four boys in the hood which i think is a better picture getting ahead of me here now but bugs you don't you think bugs is gonna win it yes there's a there's an old-fashioned big-time Hollywood film and it makes a organized-crime look like a lot of fun the way you know I enjoyed bugs I think JFK will be the sleeper he'll probably it'll win you think so no you know I'll bet your horn on that Warren Warren Beatty there's your Oscar boy record he's certainly Nolte oh what about Anthony Hopkins in that silence of Lambeau very good he's the darker it'll be between Nolte and Hopkins but Beatty gave his best performance in more than a decade and he probably get my vote yeah I enjoyed that film Geena Davis Best Actress Laura Dern Jodie Foster Bette Midler Susan Sarandon what do you think Jodie Foster Jodie Foster in that sense can probably and I gotta go see this make maybe know my rent as we'll see that film you haven't seen you know haven't seen it really no I got things to do here find it I got chores to do on the weekend through and you haven't seen well it depends on what comes into the community right relax what the go see did the woman in your life picturing through it was a it was a [Applause] the balcony is closed hey good luck on the big show nice to see you again [Applause] [Music] dear Dave why have you kept your artistic talents such a secret just wondering Amy rebar Champaign Illinois this is an excellent question I'm a little embarrassed about this I'm not trying to keep my hobbies a secret I do a little artwork and it's not that I'm trying to hide it I just don't think people are interested in really what I do other than here on the show but when we got the letter I I brought in one of my sketches where is it's right here on my sketch pad I'll just show it to you it's not that big a deal I do a little sketching this is a little life drawing this is our our friends at Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and it just something I'm not trying to hide it or anything it would make a big deal out of it yeah well they came up to the house one weekend and we knocked that out [Applause] boy I thought you were gonna do another neat neat movie so I had time to do some of my Tai Chi that's exactly what I was doing the old Tai Chi I achieve our first guest just began their 17th the season together as host of the popular movie review program Siskel and Ebert that's the name of the show I thought it was at the movies or weren't the movies or let's go to the movies yourself what's the name of the show Siskel and Ebert that's it no it's Siskel and Ebert at the movies that was their old show yeah so now it's just Siskel and Ebert so it could be like Siskel and Ebert at dinner and you know that's not a bad bet come to there go stoppages okay okay ladies and gentlemen here they are Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert there [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I stopped you you just snubbed me I walked right I shook your hand and I was leaning into your congratulations thank you very much but you were looking at Gino around I know I saw hurt I said congratulations on your marriage and by that time it was no you were you were calling me past you with your hand just in order to get a cheap laugh think about it could I pull you I and Jean nice to see you like well you guys my goodness what do you what are you driving Oprah what's going on there is a party tonight for everyone who was ever the subject of a Playboy interview and we're gonna go because we hope to meet interesting people there how long have they been doing the Playboy interview 30 years 30 years you don't want in you I did do a Playboy interview I don't think I was invited really I don't I don't honestly I don't think I was invited I think it was that bad I don't know I don't know what it'll look like if you could meet someone I'll ask this of both of you guys and then answered myself she was the host yeah that's all right well he was doing the fat jokes I normally do ah the subject of the fat choices if there was a Playboy interview that we evaluate every remark that we'd make uh would would you like to meet are we hoping to me - now you asking me yeah we're not John Gotti really is that right uh-huh yeah that's that's rather anything what would you say to him hello mr. Gotti I'm pleased to meet you or I mean how would you open up that conversation I think have you ever met him I've seen him I've actually seen him in this very building we came we kind of walked by one another a couple of years ago thanks - actually I was on my knees he walked by that's more accurately I would hope to meet Marlon maybe you were you gonna ask anyone else before you gave us the answer to your question David is it my turn I could meet anybody on one of the Playboy interview oh oh oh cuz I was gonna say Merv Griffin's pool boy [Laughter] I don't know I think I've the people I'm interested in probably probably won't be at the party have you Marlon Brando's who I'd like to me yeah have you ever met him no never met Marlon Brando no a good if you haven't met him how could I have possibly met him no I've not met together I bet I've never met never met him I've never met so where does the big party take place on 23rd Street I think some ballroom or something to get to 57th it's either 23rd or 257 are you guys sharing a cab [Laughter] Dean is referring to splitting the fee and Jean you know I wanted to mention to you one thing a couple of weeks ago I gosh I don't even know when it was it was late Sunday evening but I don't know the date I was listening to an interview that you taped with Bob Costas in Chicago prior to the Olympics correct and I believe the discussion was specifically sports films but it was generally about everything I enjoyed that a great deal I found it fascinating and I thought you especially were very very entertaining well thank you I appreciate it and you know that you have Roger my favorite show on television and it's no joke putting our own oh no no no no please well now let's talk about that it's no longer a Roger and Jean it's a Siskel and Ebert at the movies just Siskel and Ebert period well why not how do people know what you're talking about the movies and before that was called sneak previews and before that was called opening soon at a theater near you yeah but now it's just called Cisco [ __ ] because we got tired of leaving these titles behind and so this one we take with us this might apply to you someday we keep changing we keep changing bosses and all the David Letterman who can they get to be honest you always know what's your show but you guys have been on for 17 years and that's an incredible success story forever it's amazing and it's tough because we're just once a week and a lot of the shows that are in syndication or you know six days a week and they eat up all the half hours and so uh it has been kind of neat you have any movies you want to get to when we come back here have any new movies we're prepared to talk about any movie you can think of you know what I don't see many new movies but I find I end up watching a lot of old movies do you guys know about old movies oh yeah we watch them all the time I think I've seen every old movie ever made we saw some of them when they were new no no I'm talking about really old movie like in the 30s for what's your favorite I see that's the problem I can't remember any of the names it's true because they all kind of start to look alike and and but if you describe the movie I can tell you whether I've seen it or not a guide gets pushed off the back of a train oh yeah yeah Fred MacMurray and and the lead a cop yeah yeah and Barbara Stanwyck Double Indemnity on yeah starts out with a guy floating on swimming pool that's right it's all a flashback he's narrating it in the movie others mentioned the part with Nero I'll wrinkle up your rented suit what do you think of that let's do a commercial but we can chat about the big summer blockbuster [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Western Carolinas gentlemen Siskel and Ebert Paul Prudhomme will be out later to cook for everybody Helen Hunt have you seen Helen Hunt's new movie it's the Billy Crystal movie mystery Saturday night have you seen they're gonna be seen it this week at the Toronto Film Festival he I believe stars in it of course wrote it and directed it I believe he did all three of those things and have you seen Helen Hunt's work in the past other films Project X polls Matthew tied with Madrid Broderick and him that's right about a monkey picture what is the monkey picture boy what a legacy for that film you know I think I was thinking about this last night and and it may not be the best answer but it's the only answer I can come up with to the question what is a favorite movie of mine which is uh Once Upon a Time in the West I like that oh yeah man have you ever seen Once Upon a Time in America yeah I've seen both were longer than yes and I liked them both as a matter of fact yes I in the short version didn't you wonder how he was able to walk through the secret door without anybody telling him that it was there I think I saw the short version after I had seen the long version so you knew everything but he didn't know it no of course he didn't know it he walks through it he'd been badly edited yes but that movie Once Upon a Time in the West I have one regret and maybe you guys did this in the scene where Henry Fonda gets it mmm I wish I could have been in the theater when that happened because the place must have gone crazy he is so evil in that movie and finally when he meets his end whoa the roof must be going to saw it at home on video oh yeah but along being all by yourself I didn't I didn't say it was all by myself lonely yes no I'm kind of lonely here tonight let's talk about some films Batman Returns you guys kind of like that right yeah no I didn't I like Michael Keaton I think he's very good in line I thought Michelle Pfeiffer did a real good job and you know that Shawn yang would have been a better bat woman Catwoman she wouldn't have done any better in the comic us opening sequences of the film Michelle Pfeiffer are you sure absolutely sure but you know my favorite Michelle Pfeiffer effort of the fabulous now there there's a movie that didn't cost 40 million and one of the problems that the film well first of all I don't think you should even bring in money it's a great film it will last for a long time end of story who cares how much money it makes it had the guts to have a life goes on ending we don't know whether think exactly every pretty woman ending could have been slapped on there and would have broken it I don't think they would get together frankly I think they've got too many problems pretty nice interesting little character studies and a short period of good deals of their lives the player with a Tim Roth excellent Robert Altman's makes a really good picture yeah and Tim Robbins of course has a new movie opening I thought Marlowe called Bob Roberts Jim I think it's one of the two best movies I've seen so far this year Bob Roberts no earlier the player along with one false move which is a wonderful what do you guys remove e-zine it was them in movie theaters actual movie did oh I know but one false will reject it we saw well I saw that at the floating on the floating Film Festival last February the cruise ship that has an all relevant and a terrific picture a single wifed opening around the country no single white Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda and I think that it's two good characters but then they run them through a slasher picture at the end of the film I think lunacy that's where you're wrong because the fact is that what he's doing there is really making a commentary on slasher pictures by going over the top while you're sitting there thinking you're just seeing level one the commentary is quite sophisticated the commentary involves chasing around with a knife the commentary is imitating what do you expect in a slice we're moving this commentary guys are they gonna make firebase rotors reputation it'll be fun to see these guys later with a little wine in a morning I've not seen this movie I hope I hope this movie is good because I like that Nicolas Cage and man that terrific picture and you know did you haven't seen it yet you know I thought that it would have actually been funnier if she had stayed with James Caan it was really a nicer guy than Nicolas Cage but the conventions of Hollywood Indians require her to go back to her original fiance of Vienna I thought it would have been funnier if it had just kind of they had started off and just kept going is it as funny as it appears to be on the trail very funny uh with all the Elvis impersonators in the back that's real and James Caan the deal with his hair well there's no job what's the deal with that 101 no what are you kind of similar actually kind of similar to what am I looking at it if this were a hair piece I mean would this would be the one I picked out sister act that's the Whoopi Goldberg what do you think funny because she's funny could have been a lot better is it had really been placed more in the real world instead of in that completely fictional Hollywood world yeah the Hollywood world where they have the fat nun the happy nun the shine on the stern nun I mean the give me a break husbands and wives that's a particular interest in the Woody Allen offering was a very good picture even without the controversy it would be a good film and with the controversy it's even more fun because you get to study these people real closely you're paying more attention as you watch the picture first 15 minutes or so I was distracted because I felt that maybe I was overhearing dialogue that had been rehearsed first in real life and then the characters took over and took me through the rest of the picture well what do you think Woody Allen's personal life in situation now does to the future of his film career a lot of people was on the outcome of whatever legal actions are taken I personally cannot believe that he's capable of some of the things he's been charged with I just don't feel that that's Woody Allen it was very shocking wasn't it yeah I think if you know it's classic he makes good pictures he'll survive and if he doesn't I mean in his last film shadows and fog was a very bad film and if he makes more shadows and fog he'll be in trouble he makes more pictures like this he'll be okay yeah all right good enough guys uh gee I wish I could go with you later tonight what is it reason holiday I was not invited what are you going to do what are you gonna do instead I have to go home and study up for Final Jeopardy okay [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's a great night isn't it Paul it's like the old Ed Sullivan Show oh man the audience is packed with stars guys dropping in all the time man it couldn't be anybody more in the audience well did you go see the I'm sorry what did you say couldn't be couldn't be more celebrities with us it's impossible ladies and gentlemen how about a nice welcome for mr. Billy Crystal Billy you know this is one of those things just as I'm really starting to enjoy it I can sense others are tiring up but but believe me we got a long way to go and I for one couldn't be happier how about a nice working for Siskel and Ebert ladies and gentlemen right over there I can do that all night I have a feeling you man yes [Music] [Applause] thank you for joining us tonight Jan hooks is out here a bit later also Lemonheads you know we've been on the air a long time haven't we and in in those years we've done a lot of little acting little skits little comedy things here on the program and it occurred to me that when it comes to acting most of us here are amateurs myself included I don't really do any acting and then I know Biff Henderson one of our stage managers Biff is in a lot of the little skits and you saw Alomar and I said to myself over the weekend I said we maybe need some acting lessons so on Monday Biff and I went downtown to the Carolina Thomas total theater lab to you know kind of polish up our acting skills I'll give you an example of the only acting I ever do on a regular basis myself oh I'll get to check know here I'm guessing okay next time are there any little exercises or any kind of preparatory rituals that we can go through now you would do perhaps a little bit of an improv I know let's do an improv I love the improv I'm living alone I'm on like an 80 year old man I'm living alone in my house in the woods and I'm always frightened and I'm angry and I see you coming across my yard okay are you in there old man get out of my yard that's actually a very good idea are you in there old man yeah hey yeah why don't you just take a hike get out of my yard beat it okay that's pretty good except I don't feel that this is life or death to you oh you know man get over here stop bothering me are you in there old man don't make me call the cops we made that up on the spot too we brought a little scene along right and it's from the mom okay okay so you have come from another country you want to make it in America but we want to make it in the cutthroat world of Mambo dancing that's right exactly and so you are you know you're the new upstart I'm the up-and-coming Mambo star that's right yes and he's this this gangster who owns the entire is she controls the lucrative Mambo industry but the thing that you have to remember is that back where you come from I was a big shot yes but you were also almost killed by the gangsters there Mambo stuff is serious business let's see how Fernando Perez can take the Mambo Kings to the top have a cigar with me Cesar and let's see how Fernandez Perez can take the Mambo Kings to the tie who the hell are you anyway - Mambo Pope I think you don't know who I am senior I think you don't know who I am Senor I know analyst mafioso with balls of steel does not on Cesar Castillo salutes right I know in Havana the mafioso with the balls of steel could not only saves our Castillo so don't you try to have much to learn lumber king pray God you land it before the banana boat sails back to Cuba you have to learn Bible King pray God you learn it before the banana boat sails back to Cuba I think that was it [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] nice to see you all and it's wonderful to see you this evening see you thank you very much thanks for everything I guess I guess I'll just go ahead and mention this that it was announced earlier today that June 25th I believe June 25th will be our last show here at NBC now do you really mean that ladies gentlemen well what are you prepared to do to back it up and and and will shortly thereafter be taking this program to a another network can I mention this taking it over there to CBS I lost my balance oh did you say CBS we're going to see me no I'm sorry Paul I should have going to CBS yeah that's right wait a minute wait a minute ladies gentlemen as that unmistakable music tells us it's time once again for a visit from the NBC bookmobile Brigadier [Music] [Music] how do you do from now on ladies and gentlemen as you watch the program this little segment of the show right here when you when you see me leave the set and hear Paul playing that music after the top 10 I'm up in the audience dancing with studio audience members oh one of our most popular features on the program ever you know I like myself our first guest spend an unusual amount of time sitting alone in the dark but but their hearts say but a Fuko it sounds like an align from a perfume ad doesn't it yes maybe that's Joey its scent Joey your heart says but a Fuko Siskel and Ebert have a special this weekend called memo to the Academy here they are ladies and gentlemen please welcome back to the program renowned film critics Siskel and Ebert here we go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] wanted to share with Jane or what no I was just Vera with the nation I was it no no I was just greeting Jean and and then he mentioned oh he meant reading him much more warmly than than you greeted me with the second consecutive show the last show you felt you snubbed him maybe you should change your Cologne how about a little Joey nice to have you guys here I always always love having you folks on the program what should we talk about what's new what's new in her life anything going on in your life well we kind of expressed it earlier here how about the fact will you stay in New York or will you go to LA well you know well you know that's a good point and it all comes down to will we'll stay here if we can find a reasonable hourly parking rates six months will be long enough for you to build up a head of resentment and hatred towards they don't have lightbulbs but they must have something oh everything will be fine believed congratulations thank you very much now let's talk about your lives let's talk about the Big Show memo to the Academy the reason there is that we have complained year after year after the fact after the nominations come out mid-february and say this is what they amidst this is what they missed so a year ago we decided to do the show where we would complain up front right and say here's what they should be thinking of the ballots come out this weekend and we want them into the show scene in LA and we want them to take our advice because will come up we've seen first of all we've seen all the pictures they haven't we think back to January they have it we have Air Force than I am yeah now we don't care how much a movie made and they do right we're not working with somebody in their next film where a nomination would help them I think it would be terrific if the Academy watched our show in fact I think it would be even better if they just asked us to list the nomination did now you said that this show was done prior to the announcement last year yes okay now do you feel that your first show had any influence on what was not only not No no that's not true I rooted for a dentist gasps Gastner who was a set decorator for Barton Fink and for Bugsy a great bit of an emcee nominate yes he was and what do you be nominated anyway yes he would so let's let's take a second here to direct our attentions toward things that you think might be overlooked or need a little help to get nominated what are we talking about anything about the best film of the year one false move there's a film never saw it no it's a wonderful film if you never go to the movie I do go to the movies it's that it's all one movie like I see it on airplanes it's the hockey movie with the figure skater they write no oh oh I'm sorry what is one false move one false move is a story of three killers whistling I know wants you not you go everything good put away the shortwave set please all right one false move you like that very well yeah this is a great film yeah it's not agree it was taken on my list he was first on yeah three killers being tracked by three very different cops and the writing is so good that you learn about the three kind you get good written characters all six of them plus they intersect in a way that you don't expect at the end and they're tracking across the country in a very fresh way it's a really good film you know so often in a crime thriller the first half-hour may be original it has some clever dialogue in and then it goes on automatic pilot and by the end there's just a chase scene you're looking at me as if I'm foolish or something because it goes on automatic pilot and you can predict everything that's going to happen in the last hour of the movie and in this movie there were surprises right up until the last scene David so help me guide us the truth thinking about as you're looking at him well well it wasn't foolish but it does begin with F just finished two weeks at the pretty consider in Santa Monica concerned that you were saying I was looking at you were like you were foolish and I think I have nothing but great respect for you but I'm fast don't know about the Pritikin thing what happens with my life for the first time in my life I can truthfully say that I'm in better shape than he is you know the one thing it's true I'm really glad I'm really glad that Roger lost 18 pounds at the Pritikin Institute but one of the things that I found out is while he was there mr. Pritikin gained 12 pounds yeah we're gonna do a commercial kids yeah you know when you come back we'll talk about other films of 92 okay all right we'll be back here again with Cisco [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] you you want to go with Roger to the Pritikin place okay man we're back here with Siskel and Ebert and Blues Traveler Kevin [ __ ] Kevin [ __ ] is in the movie of a 1993 release right you good man you good man as a blockbuster cast Kevin [ __ ] of course Tom Cruise Jack Nicholson Dinty Moore Demi Moore right and it's it's it's doing unbelievable business is it a thumbs-down really why why is that I didn't think it was that original as a courtroom drama and I felt that the big scene which the whole movie is building toward is spoiled by the fact that the night before the screenplay has crews explained to everybody what he's going to do and what he thinks Nicholson is going to do so that when he does it and Nicholson does it it's deja vu what what do you want oh is a Broadway play I know yeah what about have had the same complain about the play I don't think they're any surprises in the film I thought it was well acted enough to recommend sing and I don't think it belongs up on the list of the five best nominees which I'm sure it will be that's the commercial Hollywood mentality it's a big hit big-name Kassar popular director Rob Reiner competently done but not one of the five best Spike Lee I hope won't be nominated for directing a better film Malcolm X right a bigger challenge of putting that man's life and the scale of that picture and telling a story about racing about the changes in that man's life a much bigger challenge than just telling a drama on stage you guys intro Graham the memo to the Academy who suggested that they nominate Malcolm X you did and I agree so you both agree on on Malcolm X now Malcolm X is a very very long film this is three hours of no good film is too long no bad film is short enough yeah now you see all of these if it's moola do you want it to stop just because your two hours are up no no but if a movie is great at 2 hours and 20 minutes wouldn't it be even better at 2 hours flat well why not make it 10 minutes long and you can see how it does you gotta realize you're talking to the guy who saw snippets of Lorenzo's oil as he revealed last night on it's all parts of it yeah well I've been very very busy my personal life is happily playing with I understand everything about the film what about Jack Nicholson and Hoffa I think it's a there's a good possibility that either Nicholson or Pacino or both of them will actually be nominated this year in two categories Cochino instead of a woman and also in Glengarry Glen Ross right right and a few good men stop starring and supporting is there a possibility that once again this year the Academy will snub Barbra Streisand I think it went even further they didn't even let her make a movie this year it's rampant oh oh the the new Madonna sex movie of you boys very bad who've seen opens tomorrow this makes basic in sterile closes Saturday [Music] makes Basic Instinct time so it does make Basic Instinct make looks like it made sense and was life-affirming about a woman who lives in Portland Oregon all right this is Madonna she lives in a houseboat a two-floor houseboat with giant Florida ceiling plate glass windows which she stands in front of night after night taking off her clothes and nobody say no more really now this is Madonna stevedore you would think that even in Portland they would notice that a matador and this is her little sexual where she was I thought that this was just the wrong direction for her to go with her career after the sex book I would think that she would have done made a comedy or something like that and I think she has to do more contemporary films like desperately seeking Susan her best friend her first film a small little film and very interesting very surreal bad movies since then she's had terrible taste you remember blood hounds of Broadway no Shanghai surprise yes I remember that well she was in that with the Sean Penn wasn't she was yeah I think what you guys are overlooking in the case of Madonna and and that is that she's not much that has been overlooked what I was going to say was she is one hot lady she is a fabulous entertainer on the stage yeah and her documentary about her tour is a great documentary but her fiction films seem to show a real lack of taste in terms of the material she chooses oh is that a mistake she's making or a mistake that director has made our the she's making she's she's in control of her career and she's gonna I think she'll just have to pay more attention to the film business I don't think he can do the film business left-handed while you have a singing career going on how are things in Chicago for you guys terrific want to move the show there I wouldn't mind going to Chicago you as I understand it you and Oprah pretty much run that town right the three of you now that did now the dip is gone yes it used to be the four of you are our and now Mike is gone and as you know the Pritikin diet may be just me know [Laughter] oh I see all right well good luck on the big concept humor on the big show you're like accountants this is getting to be your busy time of the year isn't it [Applause] [Music] I think this is a home run for CBS and that's the feeling here among CBS employees late night has been a big problem for CBS and this could be the solution I think the biggest question remains will Letterman stay in New York or go to LA my sources tell me and they're pretty high-level sources within the show that it is really a 50/50 call Letterman even though he is in New York or insensibility and lives nearby happens to like Los Angeles and so it's a real question there are other members of his advisory team that also like Los Angeles it's very much up in the air right now where he will stay or where he'll go I think the show will start for the first year in New York and then we'll see what was it like on the show tonight well one thing that I think people would find amusing about the show tonight is when Roger Ebert and I come out you'll see Letterman come over and wish for something in my ears I come out and he says they don't care at all meaning the audience really doesn't care whether he stays with NBC or CBS and you know I really don't think they do care I think they're interested in him not on the channel that he's on what did he say to you personally that was what he said that was what he said personally an advanced peek at the top 10 reasons why he's leaving NBC which he announces on the show later tonight number one reason CBS insists I wear pants not me but I mean anything off-camera in his ear or your ear that's what I just said before that was the number one that the audience is that they don't really care and I think he's right ultimately they don't care when he announced it on the show that he was going to CBS there was no big audience applause or excitement they don't care they love him they don't love the network [Music] I'm a little nervous about no no no I'm sure it'll be fine everyone else has been good hey Ricky Roger nice to see you guys thank you coming in how's it look there it's a terrific show I think it was a like a circus thanks for coming we'll see on sir bye bye hey Dave show sucked I hate the sucker our first guests tonight ladies an gentlemen are the very reason we have two chairs please welcome the Regis and Kathie Lee of Film Critics Ebert and Cisco [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh hey I just played a little prank I like it that way good yeah how are things with you guys it's great yeah are you getting along alright because I know some nights when you would visit us at the old place you were both a little cranky you had something under your collar things weren't going the way of what we had we've come off of a pretty bad week and tell us all about it no I don't think I will but we did we knew we were coming on the show right we were a last-minute booking oh you were not and so we we actually had a talk yesterday behind closed doors we shook hands buried the hatch and we're friends again until the show was off the air alright but now let's just delve into the problem that you had to make up about what was it was it personal was it professional yes both yes it always is with us yes every prior is no different women women involved women no no it started with something mundane lateness that's mundane of Gina's late which was the case in this event and then Roger compounded it by being late later no only because I was following him to see where he had gone you know sort of like Nick Charles except you can't really call him The Thin Man I have lost 55 pounds those jokes [Applause] it's almost like nostalgia night for him to do the fat jokes and he will always be bald Thank You 184 years 24 years and we've been speaking for the last 21 how did you first meet you're both newspaperman in Chicago exactly right he was at the sun-times still is I met stilt the Tribune and across the street and did you get along with her a rapport it's not no we hated each other we did not speak until we were hired to do the movie review program together yeah but you know that's what people like because there is a little edginess about the reviews and so on and so forth now do you guys go through life as critics that everything you look at you feel like you have to put an eye to it and criticize that we get paid to have opinions and it infects our brains everything that I say everything that I see I'm critical about for example the opening of the show the Henderson but had drunk I was seated too far back on the couch I look like a Buddha okay I mean everything we see upstairs you have potato chips Saratoga chips it said made fresh daily in New York I'm looking at I said well every potato chip is made fresh daily somewhere but it doesn't mean that you got that bag that day you know yeah I mean constantly what you see here is a bit in yourself you sound like kind of a crank what you see here is not only the penetrating criticism that gene subjects daily life to but the totally uninteresting things that he are you guys ever wrong you ever look at a film and give it a bad review and then later rethink it or he ever wrong about anything we've always liked your show the the slap shot was an example Paul knew I liked that movie I know the work I agreed the hunter brothers the Ramon brothers the but my initial review was mixed and then I saw it like two weeks later thankfully and I knew it was a terrific um great working class story wonderful risky performance by Paul Newman your first guest and just terrific film all the time I always said that I had never really changed my mind on a film but unfortunately during the last year I had to I gave a negative review to Unforgiven the Clint Eastwood picture and later looked at it again and felt that in fact I was so far white of the mark that it was one of the best it's a great film was very entertaining every little scene is a whole little separate chapter as if in a book it's just very good it's a great movie on a long flight cuz I can remember that's where I saw it on an airplane because as you know I don't go out and and like at two or three hours into it I was just thinking oh my gosh I hope there's plenty more and there was it's a very long film but I must have seen it twice but in the end then when Clint Eastwood has finally had enough that he goes nuts isn't that just the most grisly but yet somehow viscerally satisfying many different levels but why do they call it you know an anti-violence Western when it is your reaction is hey it's not that great old scene and even got the reporter back there sort of salivating it seemed to be it wasn't as a revisionist the reporter is not salivating at all in fact he goes out they were in order to observe violence and gets more than he really wants and by the end of the movie is hardly salivating change it really can't be that violent because he oh he only goes nuts like that once or twice every ten years and so if you if you prorate everything it's only a couple of dead guys a year but you know you know we have some videotape you were at you were one of the guests at our last party how roll the videotape I think this is fascinating look at Jean here at our last party of our last night show when we were still on the air that we see [Applause] [Music] first of all we agree we agreed with me that one false move which I picked as the best film of last year it was also his favorite film of last year but what triggered this conversation was I was at a party in New York about 12 years ago who was the reissue of Martin Scorsese's New York New York and expanded version with the happy endings musical number stuck back in glamorous party hall syns apartment Liza Minnelli there Al Pacino John Belushi not Roger Ebert and a beautiful woman comes up to me and she says oh my boyfriend's gonna kill himself I said what your boyfriend's just Bruce Springsteen I said why she says cuz you're here and he's not here I said you got to be kidding me she says no but he always has me tape your show when he goes on to her I said I don't believe you this was the way I was able to confirm it it's true isn't it wonderful the kind of unspoken modesty that Bruce say to you was men's room [Applause] come I wasn't invited to this party you weren't invited everybody was decided okay we got to do a commercial and then you're all invited back here with [Music] [Music] [Applause] program let us gentlemen Siskel and Ebert Robert Plant will be out later and sitting in with the band tonight and he'll Cordero so jr. yeah let's get right to the big blockbusters of the summer by the way as you gentlemen know I have seen every old movie ever made so all you have to do is throw me a plotline and I'll tell you the name of the movie just like this man lying down face down in a pool Sunset Boulevard to remember come on come on let's go oh we've stars or one more yeah guy pushes his mother downstairs but she turns out to be but I can't give the anyways well that's psycho right or okay one more and then we'll quit we're just giving you easy Wednesday all right give me a tough one boy walks through a Bay Ridge Brooklyn while looking in a shoe store looks at boots l-train going across Xaro old movies I've seen every old movie right how old long does it take to get to be old what oh you know anything like I don't know if it gets out of the 40's I'm uncomfortable with it you know let's get to the big blockbusters of the summer Jurassic Park I haven't seen it but you guys like it yeah you do it it's I won't go see it because it's nothing more than mechanical lizards they were the best part of the film they were better than the human beings it was very scary that one that's why I recommended it it was a spectacle as a terror machine but compared to Spielberg's jaws where you had three good characters with a mechanical object here no interesting people and that's why it isn't as good as dress I don't ask you this this is the litmus test this is the Atmos test if you took the mechanical lizards out of the out of the movie would you have a picture no there you go people are going to see dinosaurs and they see dinosaurs you know what it is Roger it's Dino fever I think all right sleep oh you know by the way Jurassic Park did 300 million dollars in business well it's a very skillfully made film it just could have been better but it's very skillfully on the level that it is made almost twice that world you never know what that Steven Spielberg's got cooking up next I mean what's next Martians could be Martians Sleepless in Seattle I love this film I thought it was so heartwarming a relationship between these two people from opposite coasts who have ideas about each other and about what they need when they finally meet at the end well it was like a affair to remember it was real cornball and every time the director didn't have a scene to play between the two character she's through in a song great songs for example as time goes by that's one of the terrible it's not true she's using those songs in order to try to give a feeling of the romance songs you want like that karaoke [Applause] would have liked that movie better they admit at the beginning of the movie I've been able to talk during the entire film let's see you know I love Tom Hanks I think he's really really funny yes III just got the sense maybe this movie this Sleepless in Seattle might not be for me but it was okay you know it was felt it was in color I like that I think I think Tom Hanks is just money in the bank he's solid gold yes but you know the thing about them the Meg meg Ryan meg Ryan she's great too but the thing I I had trouble with it early on because meg Ryan the most beautiful looking woman in the world and intelligent and smart and funny and personable and and her fiance is like the biggest dweeb on the planet we would never be with Meg girls we've gone out with I rest my case Last Action Hero I say last action what happened there they'd only did like $40 where the desk says here $40 they only say $40 where they took me about that you know I think that entire movie created the fallacy of the it was only a dream sequence yeah whenever you're at a movie and something exciting happens in the hero wakes up and it was only a dream that's no good audience groans well this movie essentially kept saying you know you get all involved then it'll say oh it's only a movie it didn't really happen and the audience doesn't like that it's kind of a built-in frustration after two beats like that you know no one's ever gonna be in jeopardy real yeah but it's the same device we saw in many many other films like the Purple Rose of Cairo what's a [ __ ] picture you're not looking for that yeah of course not let's see let's do one more here what do you want okay three Willie do ya free wither what about Free Willy you know now why did he what do you want to you know you know you didn't like it you know I liked it I didn't see it what's in yeah he actually he's asking the questions well not now I just asked the question I didn't like it because I who cares about the whale the whale isn't a good-looking enough figure on the screen to care about I once asked Spielberg about why you like creatures in his films because of the eyes the whales eyes are so far apart you can't even see this is genes criticism change criticism of Free Willy did you care about Willy that you can't see both of the whales eyes at the same time [Applause] that is Rompin stompin film criticism inside think about Willie and I care about you did that cared about the kid who identified with Willie I wonder why oh you kids I love it when you spat gentlemen have a have a great I guess fall is that the best the busy time is over for you guys now for a while till the Academy Awards you got as always a pleasure Dean thank you very much [Applause] [Music] [Applause] special effects is fantastic I love Siskel and Ebert but you know I'm always terrorized and terrified whenever they're on the show why is that well it's very difficult to listen to everything they're saying because I'm constantly sitting here desperately trying to remember who's who I can't get I mean I'm in a blue panic the whole time they're out here it's gene Roger Siskel ye Burt Ebert Siskel Roger Gene it's a very difficult job here let his good and you just told me that your I was thinking for some reason you lived in Nashville but you're originally from New Jersey yeah that's that's the best way to thrill an audience by the way well I always make sure when I'm playing in New York that I mentioned that you know yeah just sort of help makes everybody feel right at home speaking of the audience I don't know if they're still here earlier I saw I don't know if they're still here or not but if they are ladies and gentlemen it's gonna be quite a thrill to say hello to him get him to stand up and wave Siskel and Ebert are you guys out there [Applause] [Music] it's it's a magic night isn't it Thanks it's tits fo keep up here we have to pause for another commercial we'll be right back kids [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 79,582

Keywords: Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert

Id: ZDXtGhbxZmU

Length: 65min 8sec (3908 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 23 2019