Ebert on Siegel - A brave man and a hell of a nice guy
June 29, 2007 10:35 PM Subscribe
Roger Ebert remembers Joel Siegel (1943-2007) - "A Brave Man and a Hell of a Nice Guy."
I didn't see Siegel that much, but I always liked him when I did see him. He was a class act, and seemed like a nice guy. RIP
Tangentially, I was glad to see Ebert's Answer Man columns are up and running again. That was something I looked forward to every other week for years. When he got sick, I selfishly wanted him to get better soon, just to write more Answer Man columns. (Check out all 2,412 questions and answers in the archives.)
posted by The Deej at 11:10 PM on June 29, 2007
Tangentially, I was glad to see Ebert's Answer Man columns are up and running again. That was something I looked forward to every other week for years. When he got sick, I selfishly wanted him to get better soon, just to write more Answer Man columns. (Check out all 2,412 questions and answers in the archives.)
posted by The Deej at 11:10 PM on June 29, 2007
lovely tribute from Ebert. A hell of a nice guy, indeed.
posted by scody at 11:29 PM on June 29, 2007
posted by scody at 11:29 PM on June 29, 2007
Thanks, The Deej, for current info about the Answer Man columns - I assumed they might not return for quite a while!
I did not know Joel Siegel's writings very well, but appreciate him as a human being through Roger Ebert's tribute.... Roger's plight over the past few years has saddened and scared me, and I do hope he lives many more years, and even if I never see him on 'Ebert and Roeper' again, I am delighted that he continues to write.
I still miss Gene Siskel.
posted by newfers at 11:38 PM on June 29, 2007
I did not know Joel Siegel's writings very well, but appreciate him as a human being through Roger Ebert's tribute.... Roger's plight over the past few years has saddened and scared me, and I do hope he lives many more years, and even if I never see him on 'Ebert and Roeper' again, I am delighted that he continues to write.
I still miss Gene Siskel.
posted by newfers at 11:38 PM on June 29, 2007
For me, this puts a new spin on Siegel's argument last year with Kevin Smith. I wasn't aware Siegel was sick, but apparently according to what I've read online (not sure how accurate it is but) Siegel knew he had cancer and had been fighting it for almost a decade when he stormed out of that theater. Not that this should excuse him for being an asshole, but had I known at the time he was dying, I mighta cut him a little slack. I'm glad Kevin Smith didn't though. Smith essentially treated Siegel like an equal, but voiced his disappointment.
If I were facing death like Siegel was, I hope I have the courage he did to keep on swinging and sticking to his guns and standing up - even storming out - for what he believed in. I wouldn't want a smart aleck kid like Smith to use kid gloves on me. I'd wanna be treated as an equal.
Mr. Ebert's right. Siegel was a brave, respectable man.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:15 AM on June 30, 2007
If I were facing death like Siegel was, I hope I have the courage he did to keep on swinging and sticking to his guns and standing up - even storming out - for what he believed in. I wouldn't want a smart aleck kid like Smith to use kid gloves on me. I'd wanna be treated as an equal.
Mr. Ebert's right. Siegel was a brave, respectable man.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:15 AM on June 30, 2007
I also didn't know he co-founded Gilda's Club with Gene Wilder. There's a branch of that here in Dallas. Hell of a nice guy.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:21 AM on June 30, 2007
posted by ZachsMind at 12:21 AM on June 30, 2007
I'm with you ZachsMind. Although I remember thinking "good for Kevin" when he fired back.
As usual, this adds a perspective that I didn't have at the time. To think, a dying man didn't want to waste his time watching some drivel. That's beyond a condemnation.
For the record, I never did see Clerks II. For different reasons - because I didn't want to ruin my memories of the first, in fact. That first movie really spoke to me, as a GenX-er. An update? Color me hesitant.
Ironically, I think I'll see it now. Just to see why Siegel walked out...
posted by volk at 1:11 AM on June 30, 2007
As usual, this adds a perspective that I didn't have at the time. To think, a dying man didn't want to waste his time watching some drivel. That's beyond a condemnation.
For the record, I never did see Clerks II. For different reasons - because I didn't want to ruin my memories of the first, in fact. That first movie really spoke to me, as a GenX-er. An update? Color me hesitant.
Ironically, I think I'll see it now. Just to see why Siegel walked out...
posted by volk at 1:11 AM on June 30, 2007
aww, I really liked Joel Siegel. Seemed like a gentle, good person, empathic and honest. Enjoyed his unpretentious and clear reviews. Reading a little about him: "Mr. Siegel also had fought for civil-rights by registering voters in Georgia in 1964, according to an ABC statement. He helped found Gilda's Club with actor Gene Wilder, whose wife, actress and comedian Gilda Radner, died of ovarian cancer in 1989. The nonprofit organization comforts cancer patients and their families.
He is survived by his wife, Ena Swansea, and son Dylan."
My loving thoughts to his son, Dylan, his wife and family.
May he rest in peace.
posted by nickyskye at 3:08 AM on June 30, 2007
He is survived by his wife, Ena Swansea, and son Dylan."
My loving thoughts to his son, Dylan, his wife and family.
May he rest in peace.
posted by nickyskye at 3:08 AM on June 30, 2007
To think, a dying man didn't want to waste his time watching some drivel. That's beyond a condemnation.
Hell, I'm healthy as a horse, and I haven't had any time for Kevin Smith movies in like ten years. Good on Siegel. If more critics applied the "Is this ninety minutes I'm gonna be wishing I could get back on my deathbed?" standard to the stuff they were compelled to sit through, film criticism would either get a whole lot nastier or...cease to exist. Oh, and:
.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:25 AM on June 30, 2007
Hell, I'm healthy as a horse, and I haven't had any time for Kevin Smith movies in like ten years. Good on Siegel. If more critics applied the "Is this ninety minutes I'm gonna be wishing I could get back on my deathbed?" standard to the stuff they were compelled to sit through, film criticism would either get a whole lot nastier or...cease to exist. Oh, and:
.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:25 AM on June 30, 2007
"I still miss Gene Siskel."
Me too. Roeper is pretty good but Siskel and Ebert were the perfect movie geeks and their friendly rivalry helped make the show a fun watch.
posted by hojoki at 7:20 AM on June 30, 2007
Me too. Roeper is pretty good but Siskel and Ebert were the perfect movie geeks and their friendly rivalry helped make the show a fun watch.
posted by hojoki at 7:20 AM on June 30, 2007
A hell of a nice tribute...for a hell of a guy.
And, boy, I learned alot about Siegel I never knew. This alone makes him über-cool in my book: "...among his other jobs was dreaming up new ice cream names for Ben & Jerry's."
posted by ericb at 7:53 AM on June 30, 2007
And, boy, I learned alot about Siegel I never knew. This alone makes him über-cool in my book: "...among his other jobs was dreaming up new ice cream names for Ben & Jerry's."
posted by ericb at 7:53 AM on June 30, 2007
As Ebert alluded to in the article, I think we're seeing the end of the golden age of film criticism. When critics are afraid to write critically (or walk out of a movie they believe is awful) for fear of losing the "big interview", "criticism" becomes advertising. Or disappears completely.
And:
.
posted by tommasz at 9:55 AM on June 30, 2007
And:
.
posted by tommasz at 9:55 AM on June 30, 2007
Actually he walked out at the right part. It starts to get mushy as fuck around the 45 minute mark. A little weepy for my taste in foul-mouth stoner comedy.
posted by autodidact at 10:10 AM on June 30, 2007
posted by autodidact at 10:10 AM on June 30, 2007
I didn't really know Joel from his work, so I'm glad to have read this tribute. While I still think that his actions during the Clerks II screening were unprofessional, I'm glad that I won't go on defining him by it.
posted by chudmonkey at 12:03 PM on June 30, 2007
posted by chudmonkey at 12:03 PM on June 30, 2007
Volk: "I'm with you ZachsMind. Although I remember thinking "good for Kevin" when he fired back."
Oh, absolutely. Very much so. I still think "good for Kevin" for standing up for his picture. What I was sayin' before is that it's cool Kevin treated Joel as an equal. He didn't put on kid gloves chz he knew Joel Siegel was dying. Kevin may not have known. He should not feel guilt now though. Reacting the way he did to Joel's rebuke of his film was right and proper and mature and yet respectful of Joel's lifetime of experience in his chosen profession.
For the record I did see Clerks 2 and there were two places in the film that, while I didn't walk out, I considered turning off the DVD and saying the heck with it. I'll let you guys guess if you wish just which two gags I'm talking about. However, had Smith not gone over the line in those two instances, it wouldn't have been a Kevin Smith film, so from a perspective of shock value humor, I had to hand it to him. In today's society, there simply are not many sacred cows left to topple. Which is Kevin Smith's point. Hence the golden calf reference that started in Dogma and literally is the backdrop of Clerks 2.
I'm glad I saw Clerks 2 most notably because of the prison scene. Corny and mushy and all that, sure. However, Jeff Anderson's performance is spot on and much appreciated by this fan of the original film - and it brought the whole view askew universe full circle for me in a way that wraps everything up in a nice red bow and if Smith doesn't wanna make any more films in that fictional world after that I'm very cool with it.
More importantly, Kevin Smith put quite a mouthful of totally unrealistic dialogue in his lap and Anderson pulled it off admirably. I'm impressed whenever I see an actor step up to the plate like that and hit one out of the park. Anderson's a very underappreciated comedic actor. Why he can't get decent work outside a Kevin Smith film totally leaves me flummoxed.
Also, Rosario Dawson was hot, with comic timing akin to a chocolate dessert, as well as a chemistry and sincerity with her leading man that was sorely lacking in the first film. So that's two good reasons to see Clerks 2.
posted by ZachsMind at 2:35 PM on June 30, 2007
Oh, absolutely. Very much so. I still think "good for Kevin" for standing up for his picture. What I was sayin' before is that it's cool Kevin treated Joel as an equal. He didn't put on kid gloves chz he knew Joel Siegel was dying. Kevin may not have known. He should not feel guilt now though. Reacting the way he did to Joel's rebuke of his film was right and proper and mature and yet respectful of Joel's lifetime of experience in his chosen profession.
For the record I did see Clerks 2 and there were two places in the film that, while I didn't walk out, I considered turning off the DVD and saying the heck with it. I'll let you guys guess if you wish just which two gags I'm talking about. However, had Smith not gone over the line in those two instances, it wouldn't have been a Kevin Smith film, so from a perspective of shock value humor, I had to hand it to him. In today's society, there simply are not many sacred cows left to topple. Which is Kevin Smith's point. Hence the golden calf reference that started in Dogma and literally is the backdrop of Clerks 2.
I'm glad I saw Clerks 2 most notably because of the prison scene. Corny and mushy and all that, sure. However, Jeff Anderson's performance is spot on and much appreciated by this fan of the original film - and it brought the whole view askew universe full circle for me in a way that wraps everything up in a nice red bow and if Smith doesn't wanna make any more films in that fictional world after that I'm very cool with it.
More importantly, Kevin Smith put quite a mouthful of totally unrealistic dialogue in his lap and Anderson pulled it off admirably. I'm impressed whenever I see an actor step up to the plate like that and hit one out of the park. Anderson's a very underappreciated comedic actor. Why he can't get decent work outside a Kevin Smith film totally leaves me flummoxed.
Also, Rosario Dawson was hot, with comic timing akin to a chocolate dessert, as well as a chemistry and sincerity with her leading man that was sorely lacking in the first film. So that's two good reasons to see Clerks 2.
posted by ZachsMind at 2:35 PM on June 30, 2007
Not that this should excuse him for being an asshole
Walking out and admiting you walked out is now classified as "being an asshole?" Kevin Smith fans need to understand not everyone is a kevin smith fan. In fact I cant think of anyone else who has such a rabid following and is so incredibly over-rated.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:34 PM on June 30, 2007
Walking out and admiting you walked out is now classified as "being an asshole?" Kevin Smith fans need to understand not everyone is a kevin smith fan. In fact I cant think of anyone else who has such a rabid following and is so incredibly over-rated.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:34 PM on June 30, 2007
Walking out and admiting you walked out is now classified as "being an asshole?"
No, standing up, announcing loudly that the movie sucks and is the first one you've ever walked out of and then walking out is classified as being an asshole.
posted by Silentgoldfish at 6:58 AM on July 1, 2007
No, standing up, announcing loudly that the movie sucks and is the first one you've ever walked out of and then walking out is classified as being an asshole.
posted by Silentgoldfish at 6:58 AM on July 1, 2007
Word. However, considering Siegel the expletive in question is not an insult by my rendering. In fact, Smith & Siegel going toe for toe was a meeting of the minds, or expletives, as the case may be. It was also an obvious generation gap between expletives; a moment of moviegeek history to be cherished.
Siegel was a great expletive. Up there with Twain and Rogers and Bruce. Siegel spoke his mind and didn't care who he ticked off. He was my kinda expletive. The world's a richer place because he was in it, and he left behind a valuable wealth of work for moviegoers for generations to come.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:50 PM on July 1, 2007
Siegel was a great expletive. Up there with Twain and Rogers and Bruce. Siegel spoke his mind and didn't care who he ticked off. He was my kinda expletive. The world's a richer place because he was in it, and he left behind a valuable wealth of work for moviegoers for generations to come.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:50 PM on July 1, 2007
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