Mulan is one of the very best recent disney animated adventures. Reutersmario anzuoni files movie critic roger ebert gives the thumbsup after receiving a star on the hollywood. Roger ebert talks movingly about losing and refinding his voice ted 2011 the two roger eberts. Roger joseph ebert june 18, 1942 april 4, 20 was an american movie critic. Roger ebert simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Although the fat ones appearance differs slightly from ebert, he has a moustache, a different hairstyle and brown hair instead of grey. Joyce millman of salon was more equivocal, writing. As a story, it needs a sequel, a prequel, and cliff notes.
Imagine 90 tedious minutes of a man driving across america in a van. The xfiles 1998 in a small texas town, a mysterious black substance emanating from the remains of a prehistoric human engulfs a young boy and his rescuers. With roger ebert, gene siskel, richard roeper, michael phillips. Acclaimed film critic roger ebert couldnt sit through it, and that guys seen almost everything. I want to believe arrives billed as a standalone film that requires no familiarity with the famous television series. But the movie, made by two veterans of the x files tv series, is smarter and more original than most dtms. Scully gillian anderson is a toplevel surgeon, recruited to bring mulder in from the cold, all his sins forgiven, to help on an urgent case. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Roger eberts final list of his top 10 favorite films.
The alien conspiracy finally comes to light in the xfiles. Im not sure even the filmmakers can explain exactly what happens in the movie, and why. I like the body snatcher premise because it deals with the unconscious taking over the conscious, very jungian. In 1975, ebert became the first film critic to win the pulitzer prize for criticism ebert was known for his intimate, midwestern writing voice and critical views. He called the film beautiful and concluded that it was brilliant entertainment. The supernatural thriller is a standalone story in the tradition of some of the shows most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the alwayscomplicated re.
Its only weakness is in its songs, which didnt seem especially memorable to me, but this isnt a musical. However, ivanek might be the first guest star on the x files to elevate an otherwise bland episode through the sheer force of his performance. It has mordant humor, rube goldberg death traps and sophomoric but earnest discussions of fate. The second time, you can appreciate the hitchcock callbacks the entire opening scene mimics marion cranes flight from psycho and the performances by john. Roger ebert gave 4 stars, his favorite body snatcher movie.
In 1975, ebert became the first film critic to win the pulitzer prize for criticism. Return of the xfiles stumbles but quickly recovers roger ebert. Set between seasons 5 and 6 of the television series, fbi agents mulder and sully investigate the bombing of a federal. I want to believe started coming in, so i was thrilled to wake up this morning to see roger ebert giving the film a near 4 star rating. The xfiles tv series is the story of fbi agents fox mulder david duchovny and dana scully gillian anderson, who investigate mysterious, inexplicable phenomenon. I want to believe is a 2008 american supernatural thriller film directed by chris carter and written by both carter and frank spotnitz. Three main actors from the television series, david duchovny, gillian anderson, and mitch pileggi, reappear in the film to reprise their. The program was originally recorded in the studios of wbbmtv, chicagos cbs ownedandoperated station. Roger ebert lists the 10 essential characteristics of noir films. It is the second feature film installment of the xfiles franchise created by carter. That would hold until 2002s jason x, which roger also awarded 12 star and noted was released on the 16th. Julianne moore is an american actress who made her acting debut on television in 1984 in the mystery series the edge of night.
The xfiles movie made in 1998 has a good storyline. The x files attracts a lot of attention for nudging towards serialisation with the mythology, telling a longform story over years and reinvigorating a storytelling style that had gone out with dynasty and dallas. The film is essentially selfcontained, and that includes its enigmas. Chicago critics gene siskel and roger ebert rate new movies with a thumbs up, or a thumbs down. Although the fat ones appearance differs slightly from ebert, he has a moustache, a. Christine firkins was born on july 6, 1983 in canada as christine lynn firkins. You cant give a film a much higher rating than that. Discount prices on books by roger ebert, including titles like ebert s bigger little movie glossary. Of course, that was not the end of roger ebert as a part of my life. It begins with a lot of living teenagers and dooms them. Three main actors from the television series, david duchovny, gillian anderson, and. And when i say piece together, trust me, thats exactly what i mean. An agent is missing, and the whitehaired man, we learn, is father joe billy connolly, a convicted pedophile, who is said to be a psychic.
You really cant treat the xfiles as a movie because it isnt one. Frank spotnitz said that in terms of making of the movie, weve brought. The movie works like thrillers used to work, before they were required to contain villains the size of buildings. It is the second feature film installment of the x files franchise created by carter, following the 1998 film. Starring chris evans, dakota fanning, camilla belle, and djimon hounsou, the film centers on a group of people born with various superhuman abilities who band together in order to take down a government agency that is using a dangerous drug to enhance their powers in hopes of creating an army of super. Three main actors from the television series, david duchovny, gillian anderson, and mitch pileggi, reappear in the film to reprise their respective roles as fox mulder, dana scully, and walter skinner. The xfiles is a 1998 american science fiction thriller based on chris carters television series. He was a film critic for the chicago suntimes from 1967 until his death in 20.
Roger ebert, who liked the film, infamously remarked that it required a sequel, a prequel, and cliff notes to understand just what the hell is going on. As you may have gathered from that rather brisk summary, the xfiles movie is not easy to quantify even as a story. Roger ebert as pure movie, the xfiles more or less works. This is a perfectly valid observation, but it is impossible to praise the mythology without acknowledging its shortcomings.
I want to believe 2008 richard roeper the movie gets into some pretty freaky territory in the third act, but for this casual fan of the series, its a strong effort featuring some. As you may have gathered from that rather brisk summary, the x files movie is not easy to quantify even as a story. It is the second feature film installment of the xfiles franchise created by carter, following the 1998 film. With najarra townsend, jake abel, matthew thompson, alexandra paul. Though it may not make many new believers, the x files return to business as usual is a refreshing upgrade from the shows underwhelming previous outing. The only comparison to supernatural may be the xfiles a huge. It doesnt make much difference if youve seen every episode of the tv series, or none. The alien conspiracy finally comes to light in the x files. My favorite film of this type is puppet masters, it has a good tone, energetic yet grounded, like a good x files episode. Original, fresh, great to look at, and with a story that reaches a little more and takes bigger chances than is usually the case. Also an opening sequence that assures this film will. Thats reasonable when there is one superhero, like superman or the crow, but in x men, with eight major characters and more in supporting roles, the movie gets topheavy.
In an early scene, a human arm turns up, missing its body, and other spare parts are later discovered. Showgirls, canadian bacon, seven, the run of the country duration. So the movie was viewed, in my estimation correctly, as the moment when the shows creator, chris carter, finally took off the xfiles clothes and let us see. The movie, written and directed by dylan kidd, depends on its dialogue, and like a film by david mamet or neil labute has characters who use speech like an instrument. Release information dvd bluray disc instant video search soundtrack. I want to believe arent exactly encouraging, but, well, lets hope the truth is still out there. Fight the future is sadly, a prime example of what happens when the tease is still going long after the audience had a right to expect the payoff. Its unfortunate that when roger ebert died in april 20, the brown bunny was revived as a comic footnote in the great critics career. Tru moves to a conservative suburb where her friendship with the closeted football player is jeopardized when she starts their schools first gaystraight alliance. The following year she made her first appearance in the soap opera as the world turns, which earned her a daytime emmy award for outstanding ingenue in a drama series in 1988. Its the kind of family movie that adults can enjoy on their own.
The title of the show was shortened to simply siskel and ebert in mid1987. Next in importance is an explanation of superpowers. The origin story is crucial to all superhero epics, from the gods of ancient greece right down to supermans parents. So it is, leaving us to piece together the plot on our own. Final destination observes the timehonored formula of the dead teenager movie. Later, fbi agents fox mulder david duchovny and dana scully gillian anderson are in dallas to disarm a bomb set to detonate inside a federal facility.