Review of "Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel and Ebert Changed Movies Forever" by Matt Singer

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert are arguably the best known movie reviewers in the history of cinema. The film critics were first brought together in 1976, to host a television show called 'Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You' on Chicago's PBS station. At the time, Siskel and Ebert were bitter rivals.




Roger Ebert (left) and Gene Siskel on 'Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You'

Ebert was the movie critic for the 'Chicago Sun-Times' and Siskel was the movie critic for the 'Chicago Tribune', and they saw each other as more than competitors; they were closer to mortal enemies. "Each considered it an essential aspect of their job to beat the other: to write the best review, to land the biggest interview, to score the best scoops." Nevertheless, the journalists agreed to pair up for the 'Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You' show, which had a lot of possibilities.

In the 1970s, American movies were on an upswing, with films like Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' and George Lucas' 'Star Wars.' In addition, a written movie review could only DESCRIBE the subject, while a television critic could show clips, "giving the audience a real taste of what the film looked and sounded like." So the time seemed right for a televised movie review program that would appeal to cinephiles.





According to producer Thea Flaum, Roger and Gene were chosen to host 'Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You' because they were both very good critics, very smart, and they played off each other well. For example: In the pilot, Ebert observed that 1975 marked the eleventh year of the 'Chicago International Film Festival', and quipped, "I can remember when it could have been held in a hotel room, so few people turned up." And Gene responded, "I can remember when some of the films they showed deserved being shown in a hotel room." Siskel and Ebert would also good-naturedly mock each other's appearance on air, with Gene calling Roger "fat", and Roger calling Gene "bald."

Over the years, the show's popularity grew, and the program evolved into 'Sneak Previews' in 1978; 'At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert' in 1982; and Buena Vista Television's 'Siskel and Ebert and the Movies' (later renamed 'Siskel and Ebert') in 1986.


Gene Siskel (left) and Roger Ebert in 'Siskel and Ebert and the Movies'

Author Matt Singer did his research, and provides details about the various iterations of the show: the people involved, the construction of the sets, the formats, the movies reviewed, the film clips, how the the thumbs up/thumbs down rating developed, the hosts' salaries, etc.


Roger Ebert (left) and Gene Siskel demonstrating their trademarked thumbs up/thumbs down rating system

Singer also writes about Roger and Gene's ongoing rivalry, which was was never-ending. For instance, Ebert won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1975, and this 'drove Siskel crazy.' One Chicago Tribune editor recalls Siskel's compulsive focus on beating Ebert to stories, often using sneakiness and trickery.

Case in point: Ebert was setting up interviews with George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg all at once. According to Gene, he himself immediately flew to both coasts and a few days later he had interviews with all three actors in the 'Chicago Tribune.' "I have the ability," Siskel bragged, "to look [Roger] straight in the eye and lie to him and he can't tell." Singer writes, "Paying close attention to Ebert's schedule - and sometimes using that information to try to scoop him - was a pastime of Siskel's." For Ebert's part, he would sometimes fake an out-of-town trip to throw Siskel off the scent.

In another illustration of the partners' competitiveness, when Roger and Gene appeared on 'Saturday Night Live', "Ebert had to count every word of dialogue - not lines of dialogue, WORDS of dialogue - to make sure they each had exactly the same-size part.


Gene Siskel (left) and Roger Ebert on 'Saturday Night Live'

And then there was the dispute over whose name came first in the show's title. Roger and Gene had intense debates about this, and Roger agreed to use 'At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert' IF after two years the title was changed to 'At the Movies with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.' But somehow the switch never happened.



Part of Siskel and Ebert's success was due to their honest assessments of movies, and to their frequent disagreements - which could be passionate, heated, and fun to watch. By the late 1980s Siskel and Ebert no longer hated each other (and in fact became good friends), but they often projected the sense that they hated each other's OPINIONS. Singer writes, "You can see Roger's or Gene's genuine shock in many of their best debates, when they not only don't agree about the film, but clearly hadn't even considered the possibility that the other might not agree."


Siskel and Ebert often disagreed about films

To illustrate, Siskel and Ebert reviewed the 1990 movie 'Stella' (starring Bette Midler), a remake of the 1930s movie 'Stella Dallas' (starring Barbara Stanwyck).






Both movies were about a single mother who stops at nothing to ensure her daughter's happiness. Roger called the 1990 film "a great tearjerker with a big heart" with "a quality a lot of more sophisticated films lack, which is that it makes us really care about the characters." Gene saw it differently, saying "We have a WILDLY big difference of opinion on this picture. I was really unhappy watching all of this. I was almost embarrassed for the people in the picture!"

To bolster his argument, Ebert noted that when he saw 'Stella' at a local sneak preview in Chicago, "everyone in the theater was blowing their noses, honking." To which Siskel shot back, "Well, there's a lot of flu going around."

In their weekly show, Siskel and Ebert would review four to six movies, and then each man would name the 'Dog of the Week' (or later 'Stinker of the Week') - the worst film they'd recently seen. Singer observes, "Gene or Roger would introduce a clip from a terrible bomb and then rapid-fire one joke after another about the cast, the director, the awful dialogue, or the ludicrous premise."


Siskel and Ebert had a 'Dog of the Week' segment on their show

Siskel and Ebert would also occasionally host "Special Editions", where they would discuss a specific topic, like 'Buried Treasures' (overlooked good films), cult movies, movie trends, Oscar-worthy films, violence in movies, etc.

As Siskel and Ebert became more famous, they branched out to appear on talk shows like Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, etc.


Siskel and Ebert with Johnny Carson

Additionally, when 'Sesame Street' added a recurring parody of their show, Roger and Gene showed up to teach Telly Monster and Oscar the Grouch their "critic exercises, which consisted of chanting Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! over and over while gesturing accordingly."


Muppets doing Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Both Siskel and Ebert eventually died from serious illnesses, Gene from brain cancer in 1999, and Roger from metastatic cancer in 2013, and Singer covers both sad occurrences in depth. During their illnesses, both reviewers were strongly supported by their wives, Marlene Iglitzen (Gene's spouse) and Chaz Ebert (Roger's spouse).


Gene Siskel's wife Marlene Iglitzen


Rober Ebert's wife Chaz Ebert





Luckily, Siskel and Ebert live on in their work, and episodes of their shows can be seen online. I watched some of the Siskel and Ebert programs on YouTube, and they're amusing, entertaining, and informative. It would be great if all the television episodes became available for streaming. (Are you listening Netflix?)

In an appendix, Singer describes twenty-five titles that received two thumbs up from Roger and Gene, but weren't box office hits. The author writes, "This appendix is designed to serve as a print version of one of those 'Buried Treasures' episodes; one more chance for some of Gene and Roger's favorites to find a new audience." You'll have to get hold of the book to learn about these obscure gems.



I liked Siskel and Ebert's television show, and I enjoyed the book. Highly recommended to movie fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Matt Singer, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of the manuscript.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Sing Her Down: A Novel" by Ivy Pochoda

In this novel, author Ivy Pochoda explores violence in women, and through the lives and actions of her characters, speculates about what made them vicious. Is violence an innate characteristic? Or does it stem from poverty, harassment, molestation, injustice, brutality, and the like.

Warning: There's graphic violence in the novel, which might be disturbing to sensitive readers

*****

The story opens in a women's prison in Arizona, where Florence Baum (Florida), Diana Diosmary Sandoval (Dios), and Kace are housed in the same cell block. Florida is incarcerated for felony accessory to murder; she drove the getaway car from a fire that left two victims burning in the desert.



Dios was convicted of aggravated assault; she defended herself against an attacker and broke his eye socket with her cell phone.



And Kace killed a woman named Marta, who Kace suspected was going with her man.



Florida and Dios are central to the story, and Kace - an apparent schizophrenic that hears voices in her head - functions something like a Greek Chorus, commenting on the unfolding drama.





Florida, who grew up in a wealthy upper class family in Los Angeles, rails about being incarcerated. She says this is not her place, she can't breathe, can't feel, can't sense properly, isn't like the other inmates, etc.



Dios, on the other hand, who's learned something about Florida's past, adamantly disagrees. Dios knows that Florida smuggled diamonds into Europe, secured bad loans for grifters, and was more than an 'accessory after the fact' in the desert murders.



For her part, Dios grew up poor in Queens, New York, where she and her friends stole from bodegas and the Rite Aid. However, Dios' innate smarts earned her a scholarship to a fancy New England college, where she was an outlier among the rich kids.



Later, when Dios returned to her old Queens neighborhood, she didn't fit in there either. Dios' old homies acted like her 'rich New England stink' made them gag.



One evening Dios happened across a young tipsy girl in the park and 'something knocked loose inside her.' Dios battered the girl's face, kicked her in the ribs, and stomped on her skull. After this, Dios became increasingly vicious, with the justification that "once the violence cracks open inside you, you become YOU and there's no turning back.'



Dios thinks Florida is inherently violent just like Dios herself. Moreover, Dios believes Florida's 'poor innocent me' diatribe is just an act, perhaps a subconscious one. Thus Dios is determined to bring out the devil in Florida.

Because of the Covid pandemic the prison has to release some inmates, and Florida and Dios are sprung with conditions. They must quarantine themselves in an Arizona motel for two weeks, then move into a state-run group home.....and they have to stay in touch with a parole officer.



Florida wants to return to Los Angeles to retrieve her beloved Jaguar, which she started driving as an underage teen. To Florida, the car means freedom, and blissfully cruising California highways. Florida does not have permission to leave Arizona, but unanticipated events result in Florida illicitly boarding a bus for California.





Shortly afterwards, to Florida's dismay, Dios boards the same bus. Dios means to goad her former prison-mate until Florida reveals her true murderous self. This becomes a sort of cat and mouse game, with Florida trying to get away and Dios sticking to her like a stinging nettle.



When a crime occurs on the bus carrying Florida and Dios to California, Los Angeles Police Detective Lobos gets the case. Lobos quickly zeroes in on Florida and Dios as the suspects, and she means to track them down.



Flashbacks to the past help round out the characters. We learn that Florida grew up in a classy house with a pool and six-car-garage.



But Florida's mother was indifferent and neglectful, and a certain older man couldn't keep his hands off young Florida. Besides that Florida and her best friend Ronna were wild teens who got involved with the wrong people, drank, used drugs, smoked, and so on.

Detective Lobos also has a secret history. For reasons she herself can't understand, Lobos stayed with an abusive husband, and only managed to leave after he tried to strangle her. This shames Lobos, and she sometimes gets the urge to beat up or kill wandering homeless men.



The climax of the story occurs in Los Angeles, which is a character in and of itself. The Covid pandemic has ravaged the city, where most stores are boarded up, trash blows through the streets, and homeless encampments occupy almost every nook and cranny (outside the ritzy areas).



Pochoda doesn't resolve the issue of why women become violent, leaving it to the readers to form their own opinions.



In my view, violent behavior is probably due to a confluence of circumstances - perhaps resulting from an inborn tendency exacerbated by a troubled life. (But I'm a scientist, not a psychologist or criminologist.)

In any case this novel is a compelling page turner. Highly recommended.

I had access to both digital and audio versions of the novel, which enhanced my reading experience. Thanks to Netgalley, Ivy Pochoda, and Macmillan Audio and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for copies of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea: A Memoir" by Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler is an American comic, actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. In this memoir Chelsea relates hilarious stories about her life, some of which are SO outrageous they must be taken with a grain of salt. Chelsea admits she's a compulsive liar, but she's also a very funny lady.

Chelsea Handler

FYI: There are (potentially) offensive, politically incorrect references in the book, as well as crude humor.

*****

I'll give some examples of Chelsea's tales, to give a feel for the narrative.

★★ Blacklisted - Nine-year-old Chelsea, caught without her language arts homework, tells the teacher she's been in three straight nights of meetings with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, negotiating her contract to play Goldie Hawn's daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin.


Young Chelsea Handler

As Chelsea's schoolmates start to marvel at this, her lies get bigger and more outrageous. When Chelsea's asked how she got the part, she says, "I was in a little Off-Broadway production with Meryl Streep.....she and I really clicked. She recommended me to the director of this movie."

And later, talking about the Private Benjamin negotiations, Chelsea confides, "I'm having trouble getting the trailer size I want. Goldie's being pretty cool, but Kurt is so mercurial. He doesn't understand why a nine-year-old needs a Jacuzzi and a personal chef.....These types of things always take time."

Chelsea's dad tries to get her to set the record straight at school, but do you think she fesses up?

★★ Prison Break - One week after Chelsea's 21st birthday, she gets stopped for drunk driving and arrested. In jail, Chelsea is way out of element, dismayed by the fingerprinting, photo shoot, handcuffs, etc.



As a batch of nude women are waiting for the mandatory cavity search, Chelsea observes, "There were women in there who clearly had never heard of a razor, never mind a bikini wax. Hedge trimmers would have been a more appropriate tool for the situations going on between some of these women's legs. One woman looked like she had Buckwheat stuck in a leg lock."


Buckwheat on 'Little Rascals'

Chelsea's bail is high, and she bunks next to a murderer; pees in the open; gets a sandwich indented with thumb prints; and suffers other indignities before she's sprung by her aunt. Later, Chelsea's friend Ivory says she set up a fund, in case Chelsea's relatives didn't come up with bail. "How much did you get?" Chelsea asks. "Fifty-five dollars," says Ivory.

★★ Bladder Stones - Chelsea is visiting her parents in New Jersey for a short break during her first book tour. Chelsea's 250-pound father Melvin, who has bladder stones, lumbers up off the couch to pee in the backyard, much to the disgust of Chelsea's sister Sloane.


Chelsea Handler's parents, Melvin and Rita


Chelsea Handler (right) with her sister Sloane

Melvin, who considers himself a super-salesman, then gets a phone call and excitedly tells Chelsea, "All right. Everything's all set. You have a book signing Monday morning at the ShopRite [a supermarket]." As Sloane starts laughing, Melvin asks "Now, how are we gonna get the books?"

Chelsea responds, "First of all Dad, I'm not doing a book signing at a grocery store. Second, we can't just have the publisher overnight us books. It takes a couple of days.....and who's even going to show up?"

"I'll print up the flyers," says Melvin, which causes Sloane to spit up a little bit. "Print up flyers?" Sloane comments. "You can barely use the telephone."

"And where am I gonna sign the books anyway," asks Chelsea, "in the produce section?"

When Chelsea's mom Rita suggests that really isn't Chelsea's audience, Melvin suggests the car wash or the deli, and brags that he sold three copies of Chelsea's book at Starbucks the other day. "I told [customers] my daughter is a best selling author and she's a graduate from Livingston High School....and they should buy the book."

In fact Chelsea's entire visit with her family is a hoot.

★★ Jumped - Chelsea decides she needs to lose a few pounds and goes to a nutritionist named Mark, who explains what clean eating is, and has a whole diagram with charts, percentages, a pointer, and a blackboard. The whole presentation is no different than what you'd see on an episode of CSI: Miami.



Mark puts together a meal and exercise plan for Chelsea, and shows her how to log on to a website where she'll type in every morsel of food that enters her body. Mark then suggests kickboxing as a way to jumpstart her weight reduction, and Mark limits Chelsea - who LOVES her vodka - to two drinks a week.

Three weeks and six drinks later Chelsea has lost 4% body fat and three pounds. Chelsea feels amazing, has more energy than she's ever had in her life, and is a now a believer that muscles do indeed take up less space than fat.

Chelsea decides to celebrate with a coffee from Starbucks, and elects to treat herself to a Frappuccino instead of her usual non-fat Cappuccino. Then, before she knows it, Chelsea also orders a turkey pesto sandwich, a coffee cake, a rocky road brownie, one raspberry arugula salad, a fruit and cheese plate, three chocolate covered graham crackers, and a chocolate chip muffin.



Later, Chelsea has a sugar hangover because her body is completely appalled with what she shoved into it. What a disaster! Especially because jacked up Chelsea has to pick up a friend from the airport, and gets into a fistfight with three teen girls along the way. To add insult to injury, the kickboxing practice doesn't help.

★★ Costa Rica - After the death of her mom, Chelsea takes her dad Melvin on a trip to Costa Rica. At the airport, Chelsea and Melvin go through the metal detector and are stopped on the other side by a female security officer - a large black woman with penciled in eyebrows and fingernails long enough to fight off a porcupine.



The security officer asks to search Melvin's red duffle bag, and Melvin throws up his hands up as if he's being asked to submit to an anal cavity search. He then exclaims, "Do what you gotta do. I don't know what you think you're gonna find."

Seconds later the security officer grabs a pair of Melvin's shorts at the top of the bag and empties out the pockets. A lighter, three nail files, a pocket wrench, a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, and a nectarine fall onto the folding table.



The security officer says she has to confiscate the lighter, and Chelsea observes, "The lighter? What about the bomb kit he's carrying around? He could do a lot more damage to a person with that wrench!"

"I need the wrench," shouts Melvin. "What if something goes wrong with the plane?!"

Needless to say, more funny stuff happens on the Costa Rica vacation.

*****

I'll wind up with a few miscellaneous quotes from the book.

★★ "I went out with a guy who once told me I didn’t need to drink to make myself more fun to be around. I told him, I’m drinking so that you’re more fun to be around."



★★ "Austin and I proceeded to knock back a couple of Ketel One and grapefruit juices, which happened to be my drink of the moment. Someone told me that grapefruit was a great detoxifier and I decided I wanted to start cleaning out my liver WHILE I was having a cocktail."

"

★★ "A homeless man with a dog approached us and put his hand out. This happens to be something I have a real problem with: homeless people with pets who approach you for food. How can they have the nerve to beg for food when they have a perfectly delicious dog standing right there? I didn't care if this guy understood English or not. "Tell me when you're out of dog, buddy. Then we can talk about splitting a falafel."



★★ [Talking about an ex-boyfriend.] "It became clear when I got in my car that Persians are only really good for two things. Oil and hummus."



★★ “Another thing I take issue with are people who take their dogs on "play dates," or even worse, people who choose to dress their dogs up in outfits better suited for homosexuals participating in a gay pride parade. Dog costumes are right up there with something else I find particularly offensive: sweater vests.”



There are lots more stories in the book, which are entertaining if you're not offended by Chelsea's non-woke, raunchy humor.

Rating: 3.5 stars