Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

Courage Under Fire/Walking and Talking/Trainspotting/Harriet the Spy (1996)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Roger Ebert - Host : Gene and I both voted thumbs down for "Independence Day", but we didn't HATE it, we just didn't think it was very good. It was kind of a goofy, silly, clunky 1950s flying saucer movie, attached to a high tech and truly brilliant advertising and promotional campaign. TV stations actually sent news crews to interview the people standing in line, talk about a non-event, and so even MORE people turned up, and it DID become an event. Now Gene, I was reminded of the opening day of "Star Wars" in 1977...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Right.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...When people stood in line, and that surprised the theaters, they weren't expecting them to stand in line.

  Gene Siskel - Host : So then it WAS a news event.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And after the movie was over, people came out and liked it so much, they got back at the end of the line. The difference is, I don't think, after seeing "Independence Day" once, very many people are going back to stand in a line.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yes, though we ARE saying this is a second look for "Independence Day", neither of us went back to see it a second time, did you?

  Roger Ebert - Host : Oh, I'd rather NOT see it a second time, I think one time was enough for both of us.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Here's the problem, because I felt there wasn't enough pay-off. Of course I like seeing the big ship come across the planet...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Yeah. There are some good shots in the movie.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Shots! Not a SINGLE character...

  Roger Ebert - Host : No.

  Gene Siskel - Host : They're all laughable, and and- not laughable, I wasn't getting the joke many of the times. And then the pay-off with the aliens: Here's where I felt disappointed. I invest two h- it's a two hour and twenty minute movie. I invest a couple of hours, I wanna get to know the aliens, I wanna see what they can do.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Those aliens were...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Boring.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Right off the shelf, those...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Boring.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Aliens were recycled from other movies. Octopus Man- The Octopus Man...

  Gene Siskel - Host : That's what got me.

  Roger Ebert - Host : How about some imagination?

  Gene Siskel - Host : That's what got me angry. That's when I said, "No, you haven't- I've given YOU two hours of my life, give me some time in a screenplay and some imagination and some characters to make it all worthwhile."