My oldest sister was in college when Excalibur was released. One of her friends was an Excalibur enthusiast, and he wrote a long letter to Siskel and Ebert calling them out after their negative reviews of Excalibur.
They were two of my first real teachers but they got it wrong plenty of times - I've come to believe the primary value of a critic is to help you develop your own taste and worldview rather than tell you whether a particular film is any good or not
Excalibur is NOT supposed to make literal sense. ThaT is why it is called a FANTASY! But it is breathtaking in every sense. The music, the scenery, the epic battle scenes, the spot on English accents, the horse riding, the weapons- it is all so perfect and well done like no other Arthur film has ever done before or since.
I would love to see their original review of Brooks' Real Life. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time. It totally predicted the reality TV age. I love Modern Romance, but I love Real Life even more.
I’ve seen all the versions of Heaven’s Gate. I get why people like it. I get why people don’t. I really wish Cimino had time to properly cut it down to under three hours because there are some really great scenes. Excalibur also had a good directors cut. It is a good movie, but I couldn’t help but quote lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
16:92 . Ebert says the movie is unpleasant to look at. I wonder what he would think of the criterion version which was restored to remove the sepia tone look.
I like me some John Boorman...Deliverance, Emerald Forest, Zardoz and this medieval 80s classic. I also really like Heaven's Gate before and after restoration, one of the last artsy Western epics. Nighthawks was pretty good, watched it a number of times on cable when I was a kid, a solid teaming of Stallone and Billy Dee = 👍👍👍 for me
I used to watch Sneak Previews with my pop in the early 80s. Even with Lyons/Medved wasn't bad a good companion to At the Movies with S&E towards the mid 80s.
The restored Criterion version of _Heaven's Gate_ is among the greatest Westerns ever made. And S&E are correct about the lackluster casting in _Excalibur_ but it's still the definitive King Arthur movie.
Have you seen the fully restored director's cut? It is amazing, one of the greatest films of all time. The version from 1981 only had glimmers of the real greatness of it.
@@freemangriffin4953 The version I saw was the long version. Also, Siskel and Ebert both saw the long version, and basically were thinking what I was thinking.
The fully restored director's cut of Heaven's Gate is one of the greatest films ever made. The version we saw in the movie theater in 1981 had that ugly sepia tones and was much shorter and only had glimmers of its actual brilliance. Isabelle Huppert is particularly superb. Excalibur is a wonderful fantasy. In a later episode Roger Ebert compares it to another film and fails to get that Excalibur is a FANTASY and does not need to be realistic.
Too bad neither Ebert nor Siskel ever saw the Director's Cut of Heaven's Gate, released at Cannes 20 years later to a rapturous standing ovation. It shows how the studios butchered a beautiful, powerful masterwork directed by a visionnary genius.
Excalibur can be hard to follow if you're not paying attention. It does the greatest Justice to the story of King Arthur. Not an easy task to tell a life story in such a grand way. I do not agree with them on this movie as it is truly one of my favorites. Long live the sword of power
Ugh "Modern Romance" is such a bore! I have come to realize that I really dislike "romantic" movies centered around neurotic, selfish, and whiny man-child. Woody Allen was the 'king' of those. I blame him for their proliferation and that's one more reason to dislike that guy!
I love revisiting Excalibur. I was fascinated, as a kid, getting to watch this
would have liked to have seen it on a big screen...
I hear ya
My oldest sister was in college when Excalibur was released. One of her friends was an Excalibur enthusiast, and he wrote a long letter to Siskel and Ebert calling them out after their negative reviews of Excalibur.
ebert probably got chocolate all over it
Good for her, it's a great movie and their criticism is very harsh
They were two of my first real teachers but they got it wrong plenty of times - I've come to believe the primary value of a critic is to help you develop your own taste and worldview rather than tell you whether a particular film is any good or not
Concur
The directors cut made more sense
Modern Romance is one of my favorite comedies. Honestly, I think Albert Brooks is better than Woody Allen in the same type of role.
Hard agree. I’ll take “Defending Your Life” over most of Allen’s stuff.
So true.
doddsino: I could not agree, more! (I'm not, particularly, a Woody Allen fan, also. I don't, really, get him.)
I agree. I always thought Brooks was way more palatable. I can only take Woody Allen in small doses.
He is also not a pervert.
I would have loved to be able to see Napoleon in that way. I was not able to make those journies myself until a few years later :)
Brooks reminds me of George Costanza.
Excalibur is NOT supposed to make literal sense. ThaT is why it is called a FANTASY! But it is breathtaking in every sense. The music, the scenery, the epic battle scenes, the spot on English accents, the horse riding, the weapons- it is all so perfect and well done like no other Arthur film has ever done before or since.
Come, father. Let us embrace at last!
MR 6:55
HG 12:15
Excalibur 17:28 A great film
Napoleon 22:20 a great, must c film, if u think u love movies
Heaven's Gate?
In the immortal words of Monty Python, GET ON WITH IT!!!
Watch the fully restored director's cut - it is one of the greatest films of all time.
I would love to see their original review of Brooks' Real Life. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time. It totally predicted the reality TV age. I love Modern Romance, but I love Real Life even more.
Gene liked it, but Roger hated it.
I love Excalibur. A very young Helen Mirren and Patrick Stewart. Plus a great Wagner soundtrack.
I’ve seen all the versions of Heaven’s Gate. I get why people like it. I get why people don’t. I really wish Cimino had time to properly cut it down to under three hours because there are some really great scenes.
Excalibur also had a good directors cut. It is a good movie, but I couldn’t help but quote lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Just watched heaven's gate what a beautiful film and Excalibur is a great film. Let them continue to watch nighthawks I say
16:92 . Ebert says the movie is unpleasant to look at. I wonder what he would think of the criterion version which was restored to remove the sepia tone look.
Mac Davis could have had a decent acting career after North Dallas Forty but Cheaper to Keep Her pretty much killed it!
Wow the underground was a pretty dangerous place, Pelham 123, Death Wish etc etc lots of violence
Joe Spinell and Rutger Hauer in the same movie thats crazy
Still is!
I like me some John Boorman...Deliverance, Emerald Forest, Zardoz and this medieval 80s classic. I also really like Heaven's Gate before and after restoration, one of the last artsy Western epics. Nighthawks was pretty good, watched it a number of times on cable when I was a kid, a solid teaming of Stallone and Billy Dee = 👍👍👍 for me
You like Zardoz? Wow
@@adamgrimsley2900 I liked Zardoz when I was a kid
@@shombie2737 wow I am surprised but good
Never seen Point Blank or Hell in The Pacific ?
"Hope and Glory" was a masterpiece!
I used to watch Sneak Previews with my pop in the early 80s. Even with Lyons/Medved wasn't bad a good companion to At the Movies with S&E towards the mid 80s.
Guy of Gisborne 🤘👍
The restored Criterion version of _Heaven's Gate_ is among the greatest Westerns ever made. And S&E are correct about the lackluster casting in _Excalibur_ but it's still the definitive King Arthur movie.
Thank you! I thought I was the only one who liked it.
They were on the money with Heaven's Gate.
Have you seen the fully restored director's cut? It is amazing, one of the greatest films of all time. The version from 1981 only had glimmers of the real greatness of it.
@@freemangriffin4953 The version I saw was the long version. Also, Siskel and Ebert both saw the long version, and basically were thinking what I was thinking.
I turned off Heaven’s Gate after 20 minutes. Terribly boring.
Nighthawks was great!!
Heaven's Gate precipitated the demise of United Artists started by Chaplin, Pickford etc.....
The end of the auteur?!😢
27:13
are you Orson Wells Ghost ?
The fully restored director's cut of Heaven's Gate is one of the greatest films ever made. The version we saw in the movie theater in 1981 had that ugly sepia tones and was much shorter and only had glimmers of its actual brilliance. Isabelle Huppert is particularly superb.
Excalibur is a wonderful fantasy. In a later episode Roger Ebert compares it to another film and fails to get that Excalibur is a FANTASY and does not need to be realistic.
Doesn't matter how many times you post this, it is not one of the greatest films of all time.
Their criticisms of Excalibur are absurd. Not every character in a movie has to burst out on the screen with ham acting.
Too bad this channel doesn’t give release dates
Gene was right about Nighthawks
Too bad neither Ebert nor Siskel ever saw the Director's Cut of Heaven's Gate, released at Cannes 20 years later to a rapturous standing ovation. It shows how the studios butchered a beautiful, powerful masterwork directed by a visionnary genius.
Well i have seen it. It sure is better, but It´s still a mediocre movie. No way a masterwork. Less dust and fog for sure.
and probably the best, most ambitious Western until "Dances With Wolves" & "Unforgiven"
Both saw the original, unedited version and both came away with a negative opinion of the film.
The end sequence they show is absolutely incomprehensible....
Yes, they did see that version. It was the original release version. They hated it, too.
Excalibur can be hard to follow if you're not paying attention. It does the greatest Justice to the story of King Arthur. Not an easy task to tell a life story in such a grand way. I do not agree with them on this movie as it is truly one of my favorites. Long live the sword of power
Ugh "Modern Romance" is such a bore! I have come to realize that I really dislike "romantic" movies centered around neurotic, selfish, and whiny man-child. Woody Allen was the 'king' of those. I blame him for their proliferation and that's one more reason to dislike that guy!
Same. I never understood the Woody Allen obsession. He always struck me as a narcissistic creep.
Surprised by Siskel on Nighthawks, which was a very bad movie, idiotic on so many levels.
Nighthawks was a typical 80s police/drama. It was not Oscar worthy but it was entertaining and had good characters.