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299th out of 447 books
—
334 voters
Enemies, A Love Story
Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, and Gene Siskel, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, started out as newspaper enemies, each one trying to bludgeon the other in print with pointed barbs or exclusive interviews with Hollywood royalty. The competition continued when someone had the bright idea to put the two of them together on television to critique the...more
ebook
Published
March 19th 2012
by Now and Then Reader
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While the subject matter of this book was quite interesting to me, the format left me wanting. It basically reads like the transcript of a supplemental DVD special feature (different people discussing a topic with no narration or interpretation of what they have to say). While this format works great on video, jumping from sound bite to sound bite killed any momentum while reading this book. Each thought is interrupted by a title with the speaker's name. There are also frequent footnotes collect...more
Mar 29, 2012
Eve
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People interested in film or television, Chicagoans
Shelves:
kindle
I found ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY more entertaining than some parts of Roger Ebert's memoir LIFE ITSELF. From producers and colleagues and rivals and writers comes a singular kind of oral history. It presents the relationship between Gene Siskel and Ebert, two men with absolutely nothing in common but a profession and passion for the movies—and even then, polar views in their approach—from their days at the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, respectively, to their forage into local television to syndica...more
When Roger Ebert passed away a little over a week ago, my daughter suggested that I read this short story about Ebert and his rival and friend Gene Siskel. The book tells of their relationship from its early beginnings as rival movie critics for competing newspapers. Through interviews with producers, directors, co-hosts and others who touched, or were touched by Siskel and Ebert, Schollmeyer tells how these bitter rivals became friends. Their styles were very different. Siskel was the brash "I'...more
Roger Ebert was the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and Gene Siskel was the film critic for the Chicago Tribune. They were professional rivals working for rival newspapers and had absolutely nothing in common except for their love of the movies. "Hey, I have a great idea--let's put them together on television and let them sit in a movie theater together and discuss newly released movies." And so a great, creative, highly competitive critical team was formed and film criticism was changed f...more
My first Kindle single!
I'm a sucker for this style of story-telling, with short bits of narrative from several voices stitched together like a quilt. Well done here in what reads like a long (but leaving you wanting more) magazine article. I believe this originally appeared in "The Chicagoan," so that's exactly what it is. Worth the $1.99 for sure.
Grew up with Siskel and Ebert and watched this show religiously at a time when nothing like it existed. "Enemies, A Love Story" describes their unlike...more
I'm a sucker for this style of story-telling, with short bits of narrative from several voices stitched together like a quilt. Well done here in what reads like a long (but leaving you wanting more) magazine article. I believe this originally appeared in "The Chicagoan," so that's exactly what it is. Worth the $1.99 for sure.
Grew up with Siskel and Ebert and watched this show religiously at a time when nothing like it existed. "Enemies, A Love Story" describes their unlike...more
"Enemies, A Love Story" by Josh Schollmeyer reveals the antagonizing relationship between film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. From the formative years of PBS's "Sneak Previews" to the even greater "At the Movies," the show’s hosts were not only rival critics, but opposing personalities as well. This is the funny, engaging, and heartwarming story of two of the greatest movie critics, as revealed by many people who were associated with them and their show over the years.
Roger Ebert, film cri...more
Roger Ebert, film cri...more
This is the story of Siskel and Ebert: how they wrote, how they competed with each other, and how they came together to host the definitive television show for film criticism. Schollmeyer has a kind of "Studs Terkel" function in that he interviews those who knew them best and arranges their comments in a chronological/thematic order.
While I ordered this book on Kindle a while ago, I'm glad that I "discovered" it now in that it was a good way to remember Roger (as well as Gene) just now after hi...more
While I ordered this book on Kindle a while ago, I'm glad that I "discovered" it now in that it was a good way to remember Roger (as well as Gene) just now after hi...more
Este kindle single es como un documental que nunca llego a hacerse, ya sabes, entrevistas y comentarios de antiguos colegas, jefes, productores y amigos narrando desde los días en que eran críticos o "críticos" de diarios rivales, al fallecimiento de la mitad de la formula, su posterior nueva formula y su final.
Como TV de verdad habría sudo interesante con pietaje de cada periodo (como en el
Mismo libro comentan, no se conservo, pues las cintas se reutilizaban) pero como single se queda corto, p...more
This was a fascinating look into how Siskel & Ebert came to be. It was interesting, however I found the initial format to be annoying. It's a quick read, but the format is basically quotes by various people who were close to the critics, forming a sequence of events. It was rather strange, but the information came out clear. An ok book and probably a better book for those who don't know much about their background. I learned some things I didn't know about the boys, but it wasn't anything t...more
The format of this kindle Single meant that the reader gets much more meat than would be otherwise possible in such a short work. It's just quotes from significant folks in Siskel and Ebert's professional life, but strung together so cleverly that the story takes shape as if you were sitting with these people over a cocktail. Well worth the $1.99. As always, kudos to Amazon for sharing these wonderful, low cost, easy to read works!
As I child I used to love watching Sneak Previews, then Siskel and Ebert's other show. Sometimes the discussion went a bit over my head, but at the time these shows were the only resources for previewing movies - we didn't have YouTube and trailer websites. One could say S&E truly pioneered the enthusiasm for wanting to see a particular movie.
That said, I thought this was a nice, albeit brief history of their professional relationship.
That said, I thought this was a nice, albeit brief history of their professional relationship.
This is an enjoyably brisk but very superficial overview of Sisbert history from the point of view of their coworkers. I found the structure annoying, since all context - including any quote from Sisbert themselves - is presented as footnotes. I didn't realize this, so I didn't read the footnotes until after I had finished the main text. Not the optimal experience.
“They were the original frenemies.” - Abe Peck
I’m old enough to remember this wonderful duo when they first broke into television. A couple of years ago I got to see one of the earlier shows, and it is amazing that it ever took off. None of the slick “Hollywood Spin” that you see now-a-days. Still, Siskel & Ebert have something special together and something to say. They were so well matched, yet so extremely different.
This story is told in a patchwork of interviews, which can be a little d...more
I’m old enough to remember this wonderful duo when they first broke into television. A couple of years ago I got to see one of the earlier shows, and it is amazing that it ever took off. None of the slick “Hollywood Spin” that you see now-a-days. Still, Siskel & Ebert have something special together and something to say. They were so well matched, yet so extremely different.
This story is told in a patchwork of interviews, which can be a little d...more
I love Kindle singles when I'm not sure what to take on next. Ever since I was a kid, I loved Siskel & Ebert and thought this would be well worth the $1.99. Just OK. It read like a documentary that had way too many characters to keep tabs on. It was, essentially, dozens of interviews with people they worked with throughout their long run all pasted together.
I'm a sucker for a good oral history. This originally appeared as a long article but stands alone pretty well as a book. Even if you didn't watch At The Movies much, the format and the people involved are an institution and it's pretty awesome reading about their rivalry and dependence as witnessed by the people around them.
VERY interesting!!! Lots of info that I had not ever known or had forgotten. Interesting way of presenting it - - quotes of others.
A too-short oral history of the Siskel and Ebert relationship, told by those closest to them.
Fascinating -- although I think it's more of a tragedy than a love story.
I thought this was a quick, enjoyable read. At times it reads a bit more of an outline of book then a book, but still enjoyable.
This was more of a byliner piece. Should only count as half or third a book towards my tally for this year.
Apr 17, 2013
Meg
marked it as to-read
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