Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

Jack/Aladdin and the King of Thieves/Escape from L.A./Basquiat/The Pompatus of Love (1996)

Roger Ebert: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Roger Ebert - Host : "Jack" could've been one of two things: It could've been funny, or it could've been believable. For me, it was neither one. And I don't know who it was made for, either: Kids are gonna feel uncomfortable, I think, with the grown-up stuff, and adults won't like the slapstick and juvenile stuff. It's kind of amazing to note that "Jack" was directed by the great Francis Ford Coppola, who is too talented to be grinding out stuff like this.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Well that, to me, is the biggest surprise of all. When I saw Coppola's name on it, as the credits began, I was kind of excited. Then, I was shocked, because Roger, I can't point to a single scene in this movie and say, "That's a Coppola shot." Forget about the awful screenplay that's involved with. Now, it's well-known that Francis Coppola just bought additional acreage for his vineyard, and he's producing wonderful wine there. Niebaum Coppola, I like the '84 vintage. But I also have very good taste, Roger, and "Jack" stinks. It is REALLY bad, and for all the reasons that you mentioned. Uh, Robin Williams is just doing his shtick, and to go into the "bathos" of whether Jack will survive or perish is really sickening at that point. I think it's a VERY bad movie.

• Roger Ebert - Host : "Escape from L.A." is one of the bravest movies John Carpenter has ever made, because he spent a big pile of money on a special effects action picture and not been afraid to satirize himself and the genre in the process. It's a deliberately absurd movie, using a lot of older movie stars for their value as icons and working in a lot of jokes about Los Angeles and Hollywood. The movie is not respectable and not conventional but it is original and daring, and it goes for broke. I have to applaud Carpenter for his anarchy, his energy, and his sense of humor.

  Gene Siskel - Host : And I can't, Roger, and I KNEW that we were gonna split this way, because I knew, if you read off the plotline of this, and told what the characters was- were, it would sound very funny. But I don't think the actual movie on-screen supports it. In other words...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Oh, so I didn't see the movie? I just read the plot description? Come on, Gene, I saw the movie!

  Gene Siskel - Host : No no, and I saw it too, but what I'm saying is, the idea of Peter Fonda as the old y'know, hippie, coming back and surfing, that sounds great, and I was prepared to laugh.

  Roger Ebert - Host : But you SAW them surfing! Right down the street with a...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Because the dial...

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...And he jumps onto the back of the cab from his surfboard...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Because the dialogue between them, and the stuff with Steve Buscemi, was so tired, and the...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Steve Buscemi's dialogue? It's WONDERFUL in this movie! He's always trying to arrange a deal for him.

  Gene Siskel - Host : And the anarchic, the, the gangleader...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Uh-huh?

  Gene Siskel - Host : ...Who's running the island, is so boring. I like all the, Pam Grier, of course, bring her back. That's fun. I get the joke. But I'm not laughing because the joke isn't that funny as played out.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Gene, you should've gone just a little bit further in opening your mind up to this film.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Oh, it was open.

  Roger Ebert - Host : You have to make a difference between a genre picture...

  Gene Siskel - Host : A spoof. I...

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...It really is trying to break the boundaries.

  Gene Siskel - Host : I acknowledge every single attempt, and I think they failed right down the line. And there's a lot of noise that's very routine in the film.