Siskel & Ebert - The Big Lebowski

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  • Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
  • My response to Gene Siskel saying he did not like The Big Lebowski: "Yeah, well you know that's just like...your opinion man." Oh well at least Roger Ebert liked the film. This is another great work by the Coen Brothers who also directed Fargo.

Комментарии • 1,2 тыс.

  • @aspider3254
    @aspider3254 4 года назад +2002

    Yeah well, that's just like your opinion man

    • @adm8995
      @adm8995 4 года назад +6

      Looool

    • @65g4
      @65g4 4 года назад +20

      too bad siskel didnt live to see it become cult classic

    • @nighmeansnear
      @nighmeansnear 4 года назад +9

      This is the perfect response

    • @trevorjroberts
      @trevorjroberts 4 года назад +5

      Great comment.

    • @CudavidO1123
      @CudavidO1123 4 года назад +3

      Good one, man.

  • @matthewjaco847
    @matthewjaco847 Год назад +119

    That little pause before Ebert said, “Out of their element.” You just know he was chuckling on the inside.

    • @brianmac3903
      @brianmac3903 7 месяцев назад +3

      i dont think he knew lol, much like how The Dude keeps repeating lines like "this aggression will not stand" and "In the parlance of our times"

  • @richardsiciliano7117
    @richardsiciliano7117 4 года назад +987

    Ebert gets it. Gene was obviously not a golfer.

    • @sha11235
      @sha11235 2 года назад +5

      I think you mean bowler.

    • @richardsiciliano7117
      @richardsiciliano7117 2 года назад

      @@sha11235 Gene owed money all over town, including to known pornographers.......and that's cool....

    • @msilverthorpe
      @msilverthorpe 2 года назад +66

      @@sha11235 Obviously you're not a golfer.

    • @jerometaperman7102
      @jerometaperman7102 2 года назад +5

      @@msilverthorpe - Touché

    • @CoIoneIPanic
      @CoIoneIPanic 2 года назад +3

      @@msilverthorpe underrated

  • @WhoKnows-ku6xm
    @WhoKnows-ku6xm 3 года назад +428

    I love when Ebert says that the characters are way out of their element. That's exactly what Walter told Donny.

    • @runner123ification
      @runner123ification 2 года назад +13

      I feel like he was searching for a different word because he didn't want to repeat the line from the movie, but couldn't think of anything.

    • @briansnow2001
      @briansnow2001 Год назад +4

      I caught that too and immediately heard Walter's voice castigating Donny

    • @marmitedan1234
      @marmitedan1234 Год назад +4

      That was great. I think that might be why Ebert hesitated just a tiny bit before he said it.

    • @JohannesLabusch
      @JohannesLabusch Год назад +4

      Yeah, but should he not also have told Siskel to STFU and that he had no frame of reference?

    • @waynej2608
      @waynej2608 Год назад +1

      You know who were really 'out of their element?' How about those brave but overmatched kids who were sent to Vietnam!!??

  • @mecagoenlaluna
    @mecagoenlaluna 4 года назад +594

    Gene went over the line. This isn't Nam, there are rules.

    • @Islanders83
      @Islanders83 4 года назад +21

      Mark it an 8, dude.

    • @mitchellhughes5180
      @mitchellhughes5180 4 года назад +2

      🤣

    • @mjwbulich
      @mjwbulich 3 года назад +1

      Very lucky to not end up entering a world of pain

    • @billhardiman4683
      @billhardiman4683 3 года назад +2

      @@Islanders83 you're entering a world a pain...

    • @remoobko8440
      @remoobko8440 2 года назад

      Why dont ya get over the lamest movie of 1998.

  • @deckofcards87
    @deckofcards87 4 года назад +436

    It's possible that this movie would've grown on Siskel had he lived long enough to revisit it. I know I didn't love it first time I saw it, but it gets better and better every time I watch it. Now one of my favourite comedies ever.

    • @spencer10182
      @spencer10182 4 года назад +25

      Agreed. It is much better and funnier on repeat viewings.

    • @jhamler1
      @jhamler1 4 года назад +18

      I didn't get it the first time, neither. So... Yes, I agree with you.

    • @jakemetzgar
      @jakemetzgar 4 года назад +5

      I think that’s true for a lot of people including me. It’s really quotable and iconic

    • @deanwinward7469
      @deanwinward7469 4 года назад +5

      I hated it first time i saw it...Repo Man too....

    • @65g4
      @65g4 4 года назад +5

      I agree had he lived long enough he may have liked it more i wasnt the biggest fan of it the first time i saw it either. But i realise its a classic now

  • @Sachin_C10
    @Sachin_C10 Год назад +116

    Roger Ebert is showing proof of why people regard him so highly till date.
    The fact that he understood this movie 1st time shows why he was special & way ahead of everybody.
    The Dude & Walter simply have insane, out of the world chemistry looking like real brothers in this movie.
    Jeff Bridges dude 4 life.

    • @johnnymittle
      @johnnymittle Год назад +3

      Yeah, many people would take a few viewings. He caught it quick. If Siskel would have a different take if he went in looking for Noir satire paired with idiots.

    • @Sachin_C10
      @Sachin_C10 Год назад +2

      @@johnnymittle lol, that's why these 2 together work so well.
      They do disagree but are not fighting over each other's opinions.
      I remember Gene saying he didn't like Mark Hamill's Joker voice. 🤣🤣🤣
      Which I disagree.

    • @davidbradley3735
      @davidbradley3735 Год назад

      Complete opposites that fit perfectly?

    • @brianthornber3319
      @brianthornber3319 Год назад +3

      Yeah BUT....Ebert hated Raising Arizona. He also didn't like The Usual Suspects.
      Man.....

    • @slimvincent10
      @slimvincent10 Год назад +1

      siskel was just a guy with an opinion. Ebert was a devoted authority on film and one of the best critics of the art form, ever.

  • @codeblue8922
    @codeblue8922 4 года назад +283

    Imagine trying to explain to Gene Siskel that this movie would grow to be so beloved that it inspired its own religion 😂

    • @RocStarr913
      @RocStarr913 3 года назад +7

      He would likely have merely dismissed it as a cult favorite. There are plenty of really entertaining movies that have a following that are nothing really that special.

    • @humblewoodcutter2754
      @humblewoodcutter2754 2 года назад +4

      Ths dude abides.

    • @jimmyfutch6959
      @jimmyfutch6959 2 года назад

      Code Blue 89

    • @johnmarcey7176
      @johnmarcey7176 Год назад

      @@RocStarr913your moms porn movie for example.

    • @michaelnally2841
      @michaelnally2841 Год назад +3

      Mind you I don’t think these two liked Home Alone either and it’s become a holiday classic. And critics hated John Carpenter’s the thing when it came out and people are still talking about that film.

  • @alexduran333
    @alexduran333 4 года назад +147

    Lebowski was the first film I realized plot doesn't have to matter. Nothing is gained or learned by the end, it's just a ride along with these characters

    • @robarment7673
      @robarment7673 3 года назад +3

      Absolutely! Same with Ghost World, Over the Edge, etc.. just a slice of life, and that’s ok. Though it is a Raymond Chandler template.. in which nothing really matters because the ride was just fun- like you said

    • @mikecolgero1061
      @mikecolgero1061 2 года назад +2

      Mean Streets, another brilliant and plot optional film.

    • @kennywood9911
      @kennywood9911 2 года назад +3

      After Hours was also a wild ride

    • @jayjunior5504
      @jayjunior5504 2 года назад +5

      Totally agree. If the acting, dialogue, and dramatic/comedic elements are firing on all cylinders, a hazy plot line is totally fine. In fact, I would argue that The Big Lebowski uses a convoluted and confusing plot to give the audience the same sense of disorientation that The Dude is experiencing. The point being that life doesn’t always make sense, and sometimes a person can get tangled up in other people’s drama. The movie Inherent Vice is another one that uses this technique to great affect.

    • @populisttrope9385
      @populisttrope9385 Год назад +1

      Dazed and Confused

  • @stevejohnson1577
    @stevejohnson1577 4 года назад +322

    i typically agree with Gene but he got this one way off. This movie is timeless and Roger got it spot on

    • @sonnyblack0870
      @sonnyblack0870 4 года назад +12

      I typically agree with Roger and just like you said, he was spot on. 😉

    • @NA-bk6gb
      @NA-bk6gb 4 года назад +11

      Roger is way more objective and is able to see the value of individual merits a film may carry. Siskel was very subjective and viewed films from his own emotional compass. We all do that. But he seemed to be less capable of stepping away from his own lens when processing films.

    • @ktheintz
      @ktheintz 4 года назад +4

      Siskel (RIP) invariably had a stick up his a$$

    • @stevejohnson1577
      @stevejohnson1577 4 года назад +2

      @@ktheintz He expected more from film makers. I dont think thats a bad thing

    • @chac65
      @chac65 4 года назад +3

      I thought this was hilarious the first time around. When I saw it in the theaters I was dying when when Walter started smashing the Corvette with a crowbar.

  • @rich6113
    @rich6113 4 года назад +321

    "Kingpin was a much funnier film set in the world of bowling."
    Most ludicrous thing ever said about film, or bowling.

    • @ashandwit
      @ashandwit 4 года назад +8

      Agree. "Kingpin" was AWFUL, tho I did at least laugh a couple times.

    • @kurtmetzler9910
      @kurtmetzler9910 4 года назад +14

      @@ashandwit We have no dairy cattle on this farm

    • @ashandwit
      @ashandwit 4 года назад +1

      @@kurtmetzler9910 O yeah!! I almost forgot about that scene with Woody H! Nice call!

    • @emcsquare5045
      @emcsquare5045 3 года назад +17

      Kingpin is funny, but no where close to Big Lebowski.

    • @terryschilling5320
      @terryschilling5320 3 года назад +13

      I tried rewatching kingpin, it was only funny the first time, the big Lebowski is easy to watch again.

  • @JoshMaxPower
    @JoshMaxPower 3 года назад +29

    When it came out, my wife and I saw a billboard in the subway and thought "A bowling movie?" It opened and it closed. 13 years later I was in a room in NYC called The Knitting Factory, packed with Lebowski fans during a screening. Each one of us screamed every line throughout the whole movie, which you can only do after you've seen it a few hundred times. It grows on you, Gene.

    • @jfarque
      @jfarque Год назад

      Upvote for the Knitting Factory. 😊

  • @leetmusic4305
    @leetmusic4305 4 года назад +274

    Gene Siskel is out of his element.

  • @Robusphere
    @Robusphere 3 года назад +147

    Siskel, you're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie!

  • @24tommyst
    @24tommyst Год назад +39

    The funeral scene is literally a top 10 comedy scene of all time. Period.

    • @ProudPapaJD
      @ProudPapaJD 4 месяца назад +1

      Just because we’re bereaved doesn’t make us SAPS!!!

    • @nlights6
      @nlights6 3 месяца назад +1

      @@ProudPapaJD It is...our most modestly priced receptacle.

    • @ProudPapaJD
      @ProudPapaJD 3 месяца назад

      @@nlights6gawddammit! Is there a Ralph’s around here?

  • @ScottEllisInPismo
    @ScottEllisInPismo 4 года назад +109

    Speaking as a Dudeist Priest - Siskel's aggression will not stand, man.

    • @btipton6899
      @btipton6899 4 года назад +2

      I abide!

    • @apollion888
      @apollion888 4 года назад +1

      Speaking as a fellow Ordained Dudeist, yeah well, you know, that's just like your opinion, man

    • @jbilyard3
      @jbilyard3 4 года назад +1

      Well he needs to adhere to a pretty strict uh drug regiment to ah, keep his mind ah..limber

    • @apollion888
      @apollion888 4 года назад

      @@jbilyard3 Don't we all ;-)

    • @j2times2006
      @j2times2006 3 года назад +2

      I was gonna say something but everybody took the quotes from the movie I was gonna use.

  • @ericmorrow8670
    @ericmorrow8670 2 года назад +21

    Gene wasn't alone back then. The reviews and box office receipts were not kind to this film. I saw it opening night and have loved it ever since. Still miss Gene and Roger!

  • @dpluckydog
    @dpluckydog 6 месяцев назад +5

    I don't completely trust anyone that doesn't get it. Which includes most of my friends, family, and acquaintances. Apparently you guys are my soulmates. I love you man!

  • @colesteeleA
    @colesteeleA 4 года назад +78

    Gene Siskel, was always like a bummer man.

  • @twomindz79
    @twomindz79 4 года назад +15

    3:38 roger said ' they were totally out of their element ' without being ironic .

  • @bluewhitepleiades
    @bluewhitepleiades 4 года назад +75

    Siskel was usually out of touch. He actually seemed offended by how rich people are portrayed in this film. Ebert was always my favorite.

    • @bencarlson4300
      @bencarlson4300 3 года назад +14

      Ebert was typically more on track than Siskel, but Ebert had plenty of his moments of being “out of touch” as well

    • @bluewhitepleiades
      @bluewhitepleiades 3 года назад +10

      @@bencarlson4300 Yes, definitely. But, I think ebert just enjoyed films in general a lot more than siskel. And, Ebert's writing was better too as far as articles go. Anyway, I guess I enjoyed Ebert's enthusiasm. He wanted to like the films, whereas I always got the feeling Siskel sorta looked forward to hating on films.

    • @rickstalentedtongue910
      @rickstalentedtongue910 2 года назад +1

      I feel the opposite, but Gene is off on this one.

  • @jjbenavidez6
    @jjbenavidez6 2 года назад +54

    When he said the humor was uninspired, my jaw dropped . The audacity

    • @alexscott1257
      @alexscott1257 Год назад +9

      This aggression will not stand man!

    • @drnantz
      @drnantz Год назад +3

      This will not stand, man.

    • @miker.9138
      @miker.9138 Год назад

      Ebert's jaw dropped so hard, he lost it.

    • @mattdrummond3552
      @mattdrummond3552 Год назад +4

      It’s the most layered comedy film I can think of

    • @drnantz
      @drnantz Год назад +2

      The Dude abides!

  • @BudFuddlacker
    @BudFuddlacker 3 года назад +64

    I give Gene a break, because I hated this film the first I saw it. I was so into the plot and by the end was so disappointed. Then I watched it again…..(and again…..and again…..and again…) and started to realize the plot doesn’t even matter in this film. It’s about getting to know and hanging out with the main characters, and it’s one of the greatest movies ever made.

    • @rckblzr
      @rckblzr Год назад +4

      "'The Big Lebowski' is about an attitude, not a story." - Roger Ebert

    • @alexscott1257
      @alexscott1257 Год назад +3

      I don't think that I have ever liked any Coen Brothers movie the first time I watched it. I remember my friend raving about O Brother Where Art Thou? And the first time we watched ti together I felt disappointed at the end and thought it was all a load of hype. Then after watching again and again you start to pick out the funny little details in the movie and the plot made more sense on repeated viewings.

    • @RocStarr913
      @RocStarr913 Год назад

      More like it just flattered your massive ego.

    • @pardeeplace4480
      @pardeeplace4480 Год назад +1

      Kind of the same for me, I didn't hate it the first time, but I was sort of frozen and didn't know what to make of it.

  • @djd620
    @djd620 4 года назад +80

    What Siskel FAILED to understand or realize is that this film is a very clever, sly parody of The Big Sleep.

    • @kilgoretrout321
      @kilgoretrout321 3 года назад +11

      honestly, there is much I and most people failed to realize about The Big Lebowski. We love it because we find something we didn't notice before every time we rewatch it

    • @okyouknowwhatever
      @okyouknowwhatever 3 года назад +3

      Just because it's a parody of something doesn't mean it has to be good or a joyful watch. A lot of parodies are trash.

    • @naysayer1238
      @naysayer1238 2 года назад +6

      @@okyouknowwhatever And this is not one that is trash.

    • @johnmarcey7176
      @johnmarcey7176 Год назад

      @@okyouknowwhateveryour mom is trash

    • @gus4u2c
      @gus4u2c Год назад +1

      Yea! It’s a parody of Philip Marlow detective thrillers

  • @HugoSoup57
    @HugoSoup57 4 года назад +81

    Siskel was crazy here, this movie is a classic and perhaps one of the best comedies ever made. Ebert definitely got this one right, The Big Lebowski is a great film that holds up on repeat viewings.

    • @BackyardPix
      @BackyardPix 4 года назад +1

      It's not as good as Brain Candy.

    • @johnmarcey7176
      @johnmarcey7176 Год назад

      @@BackyardPix What does that have to do with anything? Brain Candy was minimal at best. And I love kids in the Hall.

    • @RocStarr913
      @RocStarr913 Год назад

      More like a cult classic.

    • @BackyardPix
      @BackyardPix Год назад

      @@johnmarcey7176 In a just society, Brain Candy would be known and regarded as one of the all-time greats. You can never have enough Brain Candy. I eat Brain Candy for breakfast!!

    • @dbc7772011
      @dbc7772011 Год назад

      The Big Lebowski is a cult classic. So many hilarious scenes. My favorite is the scene surrounding Donny’s remains at the mortuary. “Is there a Von’s nearby?” And then the remains blowing in their faces to me is hilarious. A parody of the clique dumping ashes into ocean goes awry. The whole White Russian joke, “hey, man, there’s a beverage here!”

  • @NA-bk6gb
    @NA-bk6gb 4 года назад +97

    Siskel was an intelligent man. However, this film went WAY over his head. He only perceived the movie from the surface. Didn’t really observe or digest anything. I’m not making TBL out to be Citizen Kane, just saying he didn’t take the film for what it really was.

    • @antonphd
      @antonphd 4 года назад +8

      I revere Citizen Kane, but I think The Big Lebowski is a better film.

    • @blueconversechucks
      @blueconversechucks 4 года назад +14

      He's out of his element.

    • @emsleywyatt3400
      @emsleywyatt3400 4 года назад +6

      Maybe the Big Lebowski isn't Citizen Kane, but Citizen Kane isn't the Big Lebowski either.

    • @ashandwit
      @ashandwit 4 года назад +4

      Agree. I think he maybe had some personal experience with stoners or maybe even had HIS rug stolen.

    • @Dave-ol7cc
      @Dave-ol7cc 4 года назад +2

      I took a pass my first time too. Now it's my all-time favorite movie - along with Fargo, of course.

  • @NCC-1700
    @NCC-1700 2 года назад +12

    Only time will tell if a movie is a hit, how it holds up over time. This one definitely holds up. Classic.

  • @lbowsk
    @lbowsk 2 года назад +23

    "Do you have a JOB SIR!"
    One of the best movies of the last 75 years.

    • @rschloch
      @rschloch 2 месяца назад +1

      A job?

  • @Hossflex
    @Hossflex 7 месяцев назад +6

    This aggression will not stand, man.

  • @ChilliCheezdog
    @ChilliCheezdog 5 лет назад +51

    Oh brother, you're regretting this review now, El Siskelino.

    • @ChilliCheezdog
      @ChilliCheezdog 5 лет назад +22

      @Jack The Film Fanatic Yeah, well, that's like, your opinion, man.

    • @ruly8153
      @ruly8153 4 года назад +2

      Tim Wright
      Is that an o brother where art thou reference?

    • @ruly8153
      @ruly8153 4 года назад

      Tim Wright
      Thou accepts thy denial

    • @aspider3254
      @aspider3254 4 года назад +2

      @Jack The Film Fanatic why do you think this film sucks?

    • @carl5381
      @carl5381 4 года назад +5

      @Jack The Film Fanatic this aggression will not stand, man.

  • @wickedcoolname399
    @wickedcoolname399 4 года назад +37

    Even a bright, erudite, brilliant intellectual like Gene could be very wrong sometimes. And I think that's a good thing.

    • @BlakeFerret
      @BlakeFerret 2 года назад +1

      Only human, dude. One thing I've noticed about fans of this film is they don't take everything too seriously.

    • @alexello1189
      @alexello1189 Год назад +1

      In the end it’s two opinions vs the worlds. We all gotta remember to take things with a grain of salt

    • @Cary94
      @Cary94 Год назад +2

      It takes a Big Lebowski fan to say that. 😊

    • @wet-read
      @wet-read 7 месяцев назад

      You're not always gonna agree with what film critics think. And it isn't that big of a deal at all.

  • @paulvee1299
    @paulvee1299 7 месяцев назад +3

    It didn’t get good reviews when it first came out but has since become a revered cult classic. I liked it from the get go.

  • @RSidd
    @RSidd 11 месяцев назад +4

    Were you listening to the Dude's story, Siskel?

  • @DLSacks
    @DLSacks Год назад +6

    1) Understanding that it's a parody of a Raymond Chandler novel, and having a basic understanding of what that is, unlocks a good deal of the movie for the viewer. 2) Despite how beloved it's become, The Dude, Walter, and many of the other characters are not universal. They are very, very, very specific to California and/or the early 90s, and it took me a few viewings to get that it being set in 1991 vs. the late 90s when it came out is important. Walter's character, a Vietnam Vet of that age, was already becoming an anachronism. Ditto bowling alleys of that character (they used to be almost aggressively family/child unfriendly, especially after a certain hour). 3) I love the movie, but it's not immediately funny. I really think on the first viewing you're almost as confused as The Dude to what's going on, especially as he jumps from situation to situation. It's not methodical in revealing the plot, nor is it interested in being that way (like Fargo). Walter is way funnier when you fully understand the plot, and get to just bask in his dialogue and reactions to things.

  • @TheStopShort
    @TheStopShort 4 года назад +127

    This review didn’t age well.

    • @tonewheel5631
      @tonewheel5631 4 года назад +4

      It did, actually. Siskel's review didn't age well.

    • @77barrymac
      @77barrymac 4 года назад +1

      At least I understand what Siskel is saying with his unfavorable critique, it's fairly well reasoned. That being said, Ebert's is more well reasoned.

    • @ernestolombardo5811
      @ernestolombardo5811 4 года назад +3

      Tit for tat, Ebert gave a thumbs down to Full Metal Jacket.

    • @77barrymac
      @77barrymac 4 года назад +2

      Seriously, we could go through YEARS of their various reviews and pick out what we perceive now to be misguided critiques. Siskel certainly wasn't the only one to pan "The Big Lebowski", as I recall several not-so-favorable reviews, and it didn't exactly perform all that well at the box office.

    • @237g
      @237g 4 года назад

      @@77barrymacThis one is a way homer. You don't get till your way home.

  • @kakadaf3
    @kakadaf3 4 года назад +58

    Siskel and ebert you are out of your element !

  • @rockyraccoon6299
    @rockyraccoon6299 4 года назад +37

    This is why roger is remembered. He see it for what it is.

    • @charlieo.possum5501
      @charlieo.possum5501 4 года назад +3

      Who??

    • @HusseinDoha
      @HusseinDoha 4 года назад +2

      BIG Lebowski is a masterpiece. It went over the head of the bald guy!!

    • @christophermeyer6099
      @christophermeyer6099 4 года назад

      Justice Hussein Roger Ebert is the one who isn’t bald, the one who liked the film.

    • @johnmarcey7176
      @johnmarcey7176 Год назад

      @@charlieo.possum5501your mom

  • @robertrowles5450
    @robertrowles5450 5 месяцев назад +2

    One of the funniest movies I've ever seen, and a lot more warmth than Siskel recognises. At least Ebert got it.

  • @bigcolt5256
    @bigcolt5256 4 года назад +31

    Bridges wasn't a cliche. Those dudes really exist.

  • @pdxtim97209
    @pdxtim97209 Год назад +3

    This is why I prefer Ebert over Siskel.

  • @Goldenspiderducck
    @Goldenspiderducck 4 года назад +7

    Truth is, Siskel’s opinion was in step with a lot of opinions of TBL at the time. It aged into greatness, but it wasn’t an instant classic. And the reason is pretty much what Gene says here - he went into it thinking it was more of a straight up comedy like, as he says, Kingpin. It’s marketing reinforced that. Quite a few folks went into it with that attitude and came out disappointed. It really wasn’t until the subsequent years that people figured out it was actually a comedic modern film noir and not the zany, madcap romp they had assumed it would be. I like to think that if Gene was still around today, he’d adjust his original take on it.

    • @smoofsmithly
      @smoofsmithly Год назад

      I remember when I got it. The dude's soliloquy in the back of the limo. I realized then that I was watching genius.

  • @dikluegert6658
    @dikluegert6658 6 месяцев назад +2

    I will forever love Ebert for getting this movie (and many other reasons) on his first viewing. It took me many years to finally get it.❤

  • @brewer9565
    @brewer9565 4 года назад +4

    Siskel steps up to the plate. A swing and a miss. Strike three. Siskel walks back to the dugout. Branded . Is this your homework Larry?

  • @zachsharp4564
    @zachsharp4564 3 месяца назад +1

    Pause at 3:47. That look says it all. “Siskel, you human Paraquat.”

  • @israelbenitez6346
    @israelbenitez6346 4 года назад +12

    Even though I "liked" Siskel more, the more and more reviews I see the more it becomes apparent that Roger was more accurate and the better overall critic

    • @ardalire651
      @ardalire651 4 года назад +4

      There are a lot of reasons why Roger Ebert won a Pulitzer and Siskel never did.

    • @kevinfinnerty8414
      @kevinfinnerty8414 2 года назад +1

      Literally, 3 of the greatest movies of the 1990's. Siskel gave thumbs down. (Big Lebowski, Casino and Unforgiven)

    • @israelbenitez6346
      @israelbenitez6346 2 года назад

      @@kevinfinnerty8414 wow

  • @Total.Autonomy
    @Total.Autonomy 4 года назад +1

    I, like Siskel, am a fucking idiot. I did not care for the film the first time I watched it, and it WAS because I compared it to Fargo. I think it was the third time I watched it that it fucking dawned on me what I was watching. Holy Effing Schick, Batman! How could I have been so blind? Oh well, Kevin Smith missed it the first time too.

  • @20alphabet
    @20alphabet 4 года назад +21

    Fun Fact: In the closing scene, the man bowling in the background is none other than Barry Asher. Barry Asher set the PBA high average record in 1970 in South Bend, Indiana with a 247 average for 41 games... a record that stood for more than a decade, and was only broken after the USBC began rapid decline by approving urethane balls.

    • @joebarr725
      @joebarr725 4 года назад +2

      Also, the "Mark it zero, Dude" scene could not take place today with automated scoring.

    • @johnmarcey7176
      @johnmarcey7176 Год назад

      @@joebarr725and?

    • @jorisw_
      @jorisw_ Год назад

      So his toe slipped over a little bit. It's just a game, man.

    • @michaeltilley8708
      @michaeltilley8708 Год назад +1

      @@jorisw_joris, this is not rumble, this is youtube, there are rules

  • @davidwalter2002
    @davidwalter2002 4 года назад +19

    The Big Lebowski is an off-kilter take on the Raymond Chandler-type of movie. For Siskel, it apparently was too well done for him to recognize it as such. Interestingly, I re-watched TBL just last night, and it still delivers even though I've seen it dozens of times.

    • @ItsMikeSandovalsYouTubeChannel
      @ItsMikeSandovalsYouTubeChannel Год назад

      It's a Philips Marlowe type detective movie, like "The Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart. The Big Sleep - The Big Lebowski. very surprised Siskle didnt get it

  • @Fantasyremix
    @Fantasyremix 2 года назад +8

    This is a movie that gets better for at least the first five times you watch it. If Gene only saw it once, not a surprise he wasn't too impressed. I bet he liked it better upon any repeat viewings.

    • @Dana-wq5tp
      @Dana-wq5tp 2 года назад

      Not sure if he watched it again but many critics who panned the film did admit that their reviews changed as the years passed. Just like with Seinfeld, The Big Lebowski is really a movie about nothing. It's sharply drawn characters with hilarious, original dialogue and it's a film you need to watch more than once to appreciate all the nuances.

    • @ssssssstssssssss
      @ssssssstssssssss Год назад

      ​@@Dana-wq5tp The Big Lebowski is a social critique in the same way that Seinfeld is, not really a movie about nothing. But, yeah, I don't think Siskel would have come around. He could be a stick in the mud.

  • @dgconnelly
    @dgconnelly 4 года назад

    Much thanks for hosting this! I miss the S & E reviews! Continuing Abiding!

  • @jk3521
    @jk3521 4 года назад +9

    My favorite comment from the movie " He treats possessions like women"

  • @Embryon-Tilt
    @Embryon-Tilt Год назад +1

    I guess we can close the book on that one. They were both out of their element.

  • @StonefolkNetwork
    @StonefolkNetwork 3 года назад +6

    It’s called postmodernism, Gene. Good god, wonder what he’d say about a Pynchon, DeLillo, Robbins or Brautigan novel - which I feel is the realm the film inhabits and which is rarely remarked upon. Ebert nails it, the basic scaffolding of the plot exists to be gleefully smashed and deconstructed. Someone here said it’s not a masterpiece - I say watch it again. And then again. It really is one of the great all-time comedies,

  • @fungiblast
    @fungiblast 4 года назад +8

    Big Lebowski demands several viewings. I saw it in the theatre and thought it was ok. Then the 2nd time on DVD and it was like a whole different film because I felt more prepared for it, if that makes any sense. Laughed my ass off. Justifiably a classic. A great double bill would be this and Repo Man

    • @AngrierGorilla
      @AngrierGorilla 9 месяцев назад

      the first time I saw it I was in awe. I immediately considered it a classic, probably the best comedy I've ever seen. Very easy to recognize too: it's just masterful movie making.

  • @izzadrinkin
    @izzadrinkin 4 года назад +8

    This is a review where Roger wants to absolutley love this movie and Gene want to burn it to hell, but neither get what they want.

  • @johndodge8999
    @johndodge8999 Год назад +2

    Embarrassing review.
    One of the best comedies ever made.

  • @kittensmakingcandles
    @kittensmakingcandles 4 года назад +4

    "And this is not cutting edge humor"
    (proceeds to show a segment of one of cinema history's profoundly amazing character ambiance film making moments)
    "What are we supposed to do with that?"

    • @apollion888
      @apollion888 4 года назад +2

      Plus The Jesus may still get his own movie!

    • @kittensmakingcandles
      @kittensmakingcandles 4 года назад

      @@apollion888
      The Jesus's own movie ("The Jesus Rolls") is currently out and available to watch. It was written and directed by John Turturro, The Jesus actor himself.
      Every character in TBL is a crafted gem, placed to offset each other, in a crafted setting. I would say "expertly" crafted and placed, but tastes vary.
      Each character in TBL could be isolated and moved to their own setting, with its own built out and crafted components. Each character could have their own story, their own movie, or whatever. Where they each could blaze with their own crafted grandeur. These characters and their tone are that well built.
      Speaking more to Siskel's comment...
      || The blond man stoops to unzip the satchel. He pulls out a bowling ball and
      || examines it in the manner of a superstitious native.
      || BLOND MAN: "The f*** is this?"
      || DUDE: "Obviously you're not a golfer."
      || The blond man drops the ball which pulverizes more tile.
      With the above excerpt from the TBL script, The Coens wrote and then shot a broad based allegory into their movie. An allegory of someone who looks at something straight in the face, and doesn't understand what it is, and curses and tosses it away because it's not something specific they're looking for. They can't identify its meaning, they can't recognize its value, and so they aggressively reject it.
      This happens with BLOND MAN and CHINESE MAN/WOO looking at DUDE. This happens with BLOND MAN looking at a bowling ball. This happens with Gene Siskel looking at "The Big Lebowski".
      || Siskel stoops to unzip the satchel. He pulls out a finely crafted scene
      || with the inscription "The Jesus" and examines it in the manner of a
      || superstitious native.
      || SISKEL: "What are we supposed to do with that?"
      || COENS: "Obviously you're not a golfer."
      || Siskel drops the scene which pulverizes more tile.
      || SISKEL: Gene?
      || Gene is zipping his fly.
      || GENE: Yeah?
      || SISKEL: Wasn't this movie supposed to be a comedy?
      || GENE: Uh?
      || They both look around.
      || GENE: F***.
      || SISKEL: What do you think?
      || GENE: This movie looks like a f***** loser.
      || The Coens each pull their sunglasses down their nose with one finger, and
      || peek over them.
      || COENS: Hey. At least it's housebroken.
      || Siskel & Gene look at each other. They turn to leave.
      || GENE: F***** waste of time.
      || Siskel turns testily at the door.
      || SISKEL: Thanks a lot, a******.

    • @redzeppelin6
      @redzeppelin6 4 года назад +1

      The annoying part is the punch line is cut. "5 year olds, Dude."

  • @Throwingness
    @Throwingness Месяц назад

    "What was in the briefcase?"
    "Papers. My papers. Business papers."

  • @Mr.Quinnn
    @Mr.Quinnn 4 года назад +7

    Gene, you are out of your element! RIP sweet movie prince.

  • @lsmlsm2115
    @lsmlsm2115 7 месяцев назад +2

    Gene was in a bad mood when he watched the film. Its a hilarious film.

  • @boggs22
    @boggs22 3 года назад +3

    What’s also amazing is that the Coens have made a number of good movies, several GREAT movies and two full-out masterpieces, Lebowski and Fargo. It’s very rare air they are in.

    • @mjwbulich
      @mjwbulich 3 года назад +1

      I would add No Country for Old Men to the masterpiece list.

    • @user-uw3fr7cd9z
      @user-uw3fr7cd9z 3 года назад +1

      @@mjwbulich don’t forget Blood Simple and Miller’s Crossing

  • @quarantinebored1427
    @quarantinebored1427 5 месяцев назад +1

    It’s a film that took me awhile to get. I didn’t like it the first time but then it grew on me and it’s great.

  • @snilloc52
    @snilloc52 4 года назад +7

    Siskel often didn't get it and he missed it completely on this one. The Dude is seen on screens 24 hours a day, a classic.

    • @RocStarr913
      @RocStarr913 Год назад

      That means nothing. Flypaper on the television watched by low-common denominator rubes is hardly a “classic.” More like a cult classic really.

    • @DANGERMAN-oo5my
      @DANGERMAN-oo5my Год назад

      @@RocStarr913 Cry harder.

    • @BigAC84
      @BigAC84 3 месяца назад

      @@RocStarr913go watch kingpin. Probably more your speed

  • @YoureMrLebowski
    @YoureMrLebowski 3 года назад +2

    3:34 Ebert gets it. A little wink to the Donnie in all of us.

  • @felloffthebus
    @felloffthebus 4 года назад +16

    Oof siskel.. you clearly didn't get this movie at all..

  • @SladeBling
    @SladeBling Год назад +1

    I saw this at a theater on the outside of Tokyo in 1998. Man I miss those times.

  • @fredericktully7947
    @fredericktully7947 4 года назад +5

    I think Gene Siskel missed the point of this film because he was comparing it to the cohens previous work the Coen brothers are all over the map and I love them for it they have some hit and misses sure but they are great artists and they always try something new and Gene Siskel even if he doesn't like the movie should appreciate that rest in peace love you Gene

  • @palmereldritch_6669
    @palmereldritch_6669 Год назад +1

    The story line is fairly inonconsequential, and essentially serves to showcase the awesomeness and absurdity of the characters. So many of the ancillary characters are great too and are brilliant satirizations. The jokes are sometimes heavy handed, others are very subtle. Like how neither Walter nor the Dude know the right species or breed. You can just tell they went over the script a million times, enriching it with quotable gems tht I'll take with me to the grave. I get that a lot of people don't like this movie (women don't seem to get it as much) and it isn't for everyone. But anyone who's been in a friend group of male idiots can relate I think. RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman.

  • @MackLeeGreen-onX
    @MackLeeGreen-onX 4 года назад +4

    This was ahead of its time for the time they reviewed it. It’s a classic!

  • @pearldiver7
    @pearldiver7 Год назад +2

    The movie has aged well. Siskel's review has not.

  • @BigDrew49
    @BigDrew49 Год назад +3

    Ebert's "out of their element" is so perfect here and feels totally accidental.
    As far as the movie goes, Siskel just didn't "get it"...but some of these guys' best clips are when time has proven them wrong.

  • @user-cg7dg7uv8f
    @user-cg7dg7uv8f Год назад +1

    Wow, Gene gets it wrong again. It is so interesting to go back and watch these old S&I shows and see how often Gene got it wrong, Gene was too intellectual about art perhaps.
    Roger is the greatest film critic of all time - he was able to let go and get taken for the ride that is implicit in the cinematic art form and he always had a child-like exuberance and love for movies.

  • @joegrennon
    @joegrennon 4 года назад +23

    My favorite movie EVER, and Gene Siskel was mostly always wrong about EVERYTHING!

    • @aquamarine99911
      @aquamarine99911 4 года назад +2

      Oddly enough, Gene loved Blue Velvet while Roger hated it. That's one of the few times the universe folded in on itself.

    • @gerardhiggins4827
      @gerardhiggins4827 2 года назад

      @@aquamarine99911 And Gene give thumbs up to the The Thing 1982 and Die Hard 1988 and Roger give thumbs down to both them classics.

  • @dkorwan
    @dkorwan 2 года назад +1

    Ebert gets it. There is no plot. No kidnapping, no money, no actual bad guys. Just the dude and his friends. Even his lady friend.
    It did take me 3 viewings to get it. That seems to be the number for a lot of us.

  • @gocsa
    @gocsa 4 года назад +22

    Siskel had the oddest take in his last few years, most likely a result of his brain cancer I'd say. I would never in a million years think of comparing Kingpin with The Big Lebowski...both are terrific but absolutely different. And I never thought of The Big Lebowski as "a bowling movie" either.

    • @kindadecent9754
      @kindadecent9754 4 года назад

      Cynical bald man. Can we really blame him?

    • @matgood6231
      @matgood6231 4 года назад +2

      i think this exposed that he really did not watch it. he gave snippets of his time

    • @brocklanders6172
      @brocklanders6172 3 года назад

      Bowling is simply another character in this movie.

  • @Walrus563
    @Walrus563 Год назад +1

    No humanity in the dude? He told his landlord he would go to his dance recital and by god he was there.

  • @papigringo5692
    @papigringo5692 4 года назад +7

    Ebert and I have such similar taste in movies. Siskel seems like such a "movie snob" sometimes, and I love it when Ebert tries to set him straight.

    • @GrosvnerMcaffrey
      @GrosvnerMcaffrey Год назад

      It makes it interesting if they just both agreed and said the same things the show would get old I loves seeing two personalities clash

  • @TheSelloutCrowd
    @TheSelloutCrowd 2 года назад +2

    Gene, you're out of your element

  • @Saturnia2014
    @Saturnia2014 3 года назад +4

    Gene was the kind of guy to give a film like Cremaster Cycle a standing ovation.

    • @MrsBlaileen1
      @MrsBlaileen1 Год назад

      Did he really? Those films were pure pretentious garbage.

  • @BobLovesKaren
    @BobLovesKaren Год назад +1

    Lord, you took him, as you took so many bright flowering young men at Khe Sanh, at Langdok, at Hill 364. These young men gave their lives. And so would Gene. Gene, who didn’t love bowling.

  • @michaelnally2841
    @michaelnally2841 Год назад +3

    I remember first time watching it I totally got why it developed a cult following, the second time I saw it was when fathom events re released it for its 25th anniversary and it was really fun watching it with a bunch of fans quoting it. I feel like it’s when you realize the plot matters to the film as much as the plot matters in Monty python and the holy grail it becomes way more enjoyable.

  • @someoldguyinhawaii4960
    @someoldguyinhawaii4960 18 дней назад

    Amazing when critics don't get what they are looking at - but that was true of Siskel most of the time. I put up with him only because of Ebert.

  • @aladee1
    @aladee1 4 года назад +20

    Roger to the rescue once again. Sometimes I can’t believe Siskel was paid to review movies for a living.

  • @mitchellhughes5180
    @mitchellhughes5180 4 года назад +1

    What I believe Roger intended to say was the plot is an inconvenience in Jeff Bridge’s or The Dude’s ultimate desire to smoke pot, hang out and go bowling with his friends.

  • @CraigCairney83
    @CraigCairney83 5 лет назад +7

    One of the few appearances throughout 1998 when Gene was still looking well. Shame! :(

    • @65g4
      @65g4 5 лет назад +3

      @Dalle Smalhals if gene had lived longer he might have realised this film has become a cult classic

    • @stevejohnson1577
      @stevejohnson1577 4 года назад

      @Dalle Smalhals was dying of cancer said to say

    • @stevejohnson1577
      @stevejohnson1577 4 года назад

      @Dalle Smalhals Gene was dying of cancer at the time of the review

    • @20alphabet
      @20alphabet 4 года назад

      @Dalle Smalhals
      Not experiencing that springtime freshness, huh?

  • @JusAn.P
    @JusAn.P Год назад

    When I was like 12 or 13, my best friend loved the big labowski but I just didn't get it at the time. When I was in my early 20s, me and another good friend of mine revisited it and literally watched it almost every night one summer while we got drunk, stoned, and did World of Warcraft TBC raids.

  • @bobsiyt6548
    @bobsiyt6548 2 года назад +4

    Definitely a miss by Gene - he did (whether he wanted to admit it or not) compare it to ‘Fargo’ - I “got” this movie the first time I saw it. The only movie that I went to see twice in the same day at the theater.

  • @Hermit362
    @Hermit362 11 месяцев назад +1

    "way out of their element" Ebert understands. I always thought he was better than Siskel.

  • @nunyabusiness3920
    @nunyabusiness3920 Год назад +4

    Little did they know it would turn out to be arguably the most popular cult classic ever😂

    • @micheller6804
      @micheller6804 Год назад

      I thought Rocky Horror Picture Show, Reefer Madness, or Deep Throat would rank as highest on the cult classic list. 🤷

  • @fuferito
    @fuferito 11 месяцев назад

    03:38
    _The Big Lebowski_ is so good, Ebert even explains to Gene (who doesn't like the film) that the inept characters are,
    "Out of their element"
    Without realizing he's using dialogue from the film itself.

  • @GarretGrayCamera
    @GarretGrayCamera Год назад +4

    The Big Lebowski transcends time. When the 10th anniversary came out it seemed unbelievable it was that old. 25 years later it still holds up and could’ve come out yesterday.

  • @BeardVsTheWorldUK1
    @BeardVsTheWorldUK1 Год назад +1

    Awesome comment to Siskel's not liking the movie. We all believe stupid stuff sometimes...BTW "I can get you a toe...I'll get you a toe..." 🤣😂

  • @grob318
    @grob318 4 года назад +3

    The Dude abides! One of the best all time comedies! Hey hey hey... There's a beverage here!

  • @davo6263
    @davo6263 2 года назад +2

    As Gene was speaking over Jesus doing his thing, I realised he is right, however, at the same time, to me, this is one of the most rewatchable scenes ever filmed. Perhaps that is the magic of The Big Lebowski.

  • @chriscripplercruz1833
    @chriscripplercruz1833 4 года назад +5

    When he first said Twilight I almost threw up in my mouth a little bit lol

  • @andrewcoe969
    @andrewcoe969 4 месяца назад

    Ebert gets it on the first go. It took me two viewings to fall in love with The Big Lebowski.

  • @blueconversechucks
    @blueconversechucks 4 года назад +10

    What a whiff by siskel. He's just pissy because he didn't get it.

  • @MurderMostFowl
    @MurderMostFowl 23 дня назад

    My friends and I, big Coen Bros fans went to see this on opening night in our college town. The theater had a reasonable number of people in it but after about 20 minutes into the film when we started picking up on the tone and flow of the story, we started laughing more and by the middle were just cracking up. We had people actually “shush” us and we just stared at them thinking… do you not get this? It’s a comedy, man! I really think the row in front of us had no idea what they were watching and may have genuinely thought we were mocking the film?
    Finally some other people were laughing a bit later and the crowd loosened up a bit. At the end though, my buddies were all cheering and commenting it was the best film and when the light came up we got stares of disbelief from the people in front.
    It was the first time I had ever been at a movie where it seemed like we were one of the few folks who actually “got it”

  • @sak-to5yo
    @sak-to5yo 4 года назад +5

    Too bad Siskel isn't here today to revisit his review.

    • @kennethzinke9168
      @kennethzinke9168 3 года назад +1

      If Gene Siskel is alive in 2021, he will test positive for COVID-19 and watch Tiffany Hunter, Andy Price from Price Mortgage, Christine Jackson Brackman from People's Mortgage, Joe Conner from Homeowners Financial Group and Renee Sacco from Union Home Mortgage review Blood Simple, Muriel's Wedding, Mystery, Alaska, High Fidelity, Corky Romano, Out Cold, The Last Castle, Signs, Sorority Boys, One Hour Photo, Calendar Girls, Shanghai Knights, The Ladykillers, I Heart Huckabees, Stay Alive, Annapolis, The Prestige, Deja Vu, Miracle at St. Anna, Burn After Reading, Jobs, Nocturnal Animals, La La Land, Tully, Down a Dark Hall, Hellboy and Her Smell on the Home Hunter show on September 26, 2021 on his laptop computer.

  • @pts5217
    @pts5217 4 года назад +1

    Siskel couldn’t be more wrong here. However, in his defense The Big Lebowski is a movie you might need to watch a few times to fully digest and appreciate. It’s VERY off-beat. I didn’t fully get it the first time but it slowly grew on me and eventually became one of my all time favorites. Also, I think constantly valuing movies by comparing movies is a bad idea. The Big Lebowski has NOTHING to do with Fargo. Was he expecting it to be Fargo: The Sequel?!
    Roger used to do the same thing. He gave Hot Shots a thumbs down despite admitting to laughing throughout it because it apparently wasn’t as good as The Naked Gun 2 1/2?!