As much as Roeper has grown on me and as much as I've really enjoyed some of the guest critics (A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips = thumbs up, John Mellencamp – despite my childhood dreams to grow up, dye my hair purple and marry him = thumbs down), there is no substitute for the fireworks of Gene Siskle and Roger Ebert.
I grew up with this show and it was even the inspiration for this blog. The excellent news is that over 5000 of their reviews from the past years have been archived and can now be viewed. (I'd like to go ahead and thank the poor freelancers who've probably spent the last few months archiving these tapes for minimal pay).
Classic stylings of the past aside, the content is really interesting. Watch Ebert lambaste Blue Velvet, see Siskle deride Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, and watch the most recent funny feud about Little Black Book (proof that Ebert will say yes to anything young in a skirt).
But what do you think?