The Archive is a collection of cinephile-friendly findings around the web, including rare or never-before-seen photos, interviews, footage or any other bits related to classic cinema. This week we are dedicating it entirely to the life of Roger Ebert, who passed away at the age of 70 yesterday.
Above, a photo of a 27-year-old Roger Ebert working at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1969.
The opening of Roger Ebert‘s memoir Life Itself:
I was born inside the movie of my life. The visuals were before me, the audio surrounded me, the plot unfolded inevitably but not necessarily. I don’t remember how I got into the movie, but it continues to entertain me. At first the frames flicker without connection, as they do in Bergman’s Persona after the film breaks and begins again. I am flat on my stomach on the front sidewalk, my eyes an inch from a procession of ants. What these are I do not know. It is the only sidewalk in my life, in front of the only house. I have seen grasshoppers and ladybugs. My uncle Bob extends the business end of a fly swatter toward me, and I grasp it and try to walk toward him.
Roger Ebert lists his ten favorite films for 2012’s Sight & Sound Poll. [Roger Ebert’s Journal]
Aguirre, Wrath of God (Werner Herzog)
Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)
Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini)
The General (Buster Keaton)
Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)
Watch Roger Ebert discuss his life as a film critic in a 30-minute video.
Read Esquire Magazine’s profile Roger Ebert: The Essential Man. [Esquire Magazine]
Watch Roger Ebert‘s TED Talk “Remaking My Voice.”
Watch over 100 reviews from Siskel & Ebert. [YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3]
A photo of Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper on the day they announced they would be working together. [@RichardRoeper]
Watch Roger Ebert and Martin Scorsese discuss the Best Movies of the 1990s, including Goodfellas.
A photo of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel posing for a MAD Magazine shoot. [MAD]
Watch a passionate Roger Ebert defend the Better Luck Tomorrow filmmakers at Sundance Film Festival.
Read a portion from Roger Ebert‘s memoir Life Itself in which he discusses his own mortality. [Salon]
A photo of Roger and Chaz Ebert and Martin Scorsese at the Roger Ebert Conference Center Announcement at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Watch outtakes from Siskel & Ebert in the 1980s.
Watch the Roger Ebert-scripted 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. [Viooz]
Listen to an excerpt from Roger Ebert‘s commentary on Dark City.
Watch Siskel and Ebert on The Critic.
Steve James‘ Roger Ebert documentary, Life Itself, produced by Martin Scorsese and Steve Zaillian, will be completed. [@EbertDoc]
A photo of Roger Ebert in his office.
Watch Roger Ebert give an introduction for Ebertfest 2011.
Roger Ebert responds to a young Dana Stevens, who inquired about advice on being a film critic. [Slate]
Watch Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel defend Return of the Jedi on an episode of Nightline.
Watch Roger Ebert convince Gene Siskel that Broken Arrow is a bad film, changing his vote of “thumbs up” to “thumbs down.” It was the only time he changed his vote in the history of the show. [YouTube]
Watch Roger Ebert accept an honorary degree at the AFI commencement ceremonies in 2004.
Watch Chaz Ebert‘s touching Q&A introduction after a Ebertfest 2012 screening of Citizen Kane with Roger Ebert‘s commentary.
Listen to Werner Herzog remember his friend Roger Ebert and see a photo of them together when Ebert received the 2,288th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 23, 2005.
Watch Siskel and Ebert discuss film criticism.
Roger Ebert predicts the future of movies in 1987. [Pale of Future]
We will have high-definition, wide-screen television sets and a push-button dialing system to order the movie you want at the time you want it. You’ll not go to a video store but instead order a movie on demand and then pay for it. Videocassette tapes as we know them now will be obsolete both for showing prerecorded movies and for recording movies. People will record films on 8mm and will play them back using laser-disk/CD technology. I also am very, very excited by the fact that before long, alternative films will penetrate the entire country. Today seventy-five percent of the gross from a typical art film in America comes from as few as six –six– different theaters in six different cities. Ninety percent of the American motion-picture marketplace never shows art films. With this revolution in delivery and distribution, anyone, in any size town or hamlet, will see the movies he or she wants to see. It will be the same as it’s always been with books. You can be a hermit and still read any author you choose.
Watch Roger Ebert play himself on an episode of Early Edition.
Roger Ebert‘s final review will be for Terrence Malick‘s To the Wonder, which he gave 3.5 stars. Update: read it here. [Scanners]
Chicago Tribune’s cartoon for Roger Ebert‘s passing.
Farewell, Mr. Ebert. We’ll see you at the movies.
See more from The Archive here and feel free to e-mail or tweet to @TheFilmStage for submissions.