Roger Ebert Reviews

Netflix’s new comedic thriller “Bodkin” opens with the show’s protagonist, Gilbert Power (Will Forte), stating, “When I started this podcast, I didn’t expect to solve anything. I didn’t expect it to change my life.” It sets up the characters’ preoccupations well, and also exposes the main problem with the genre their fictional series is embedded […]

During the Super Bowl broadcast of 1984, Apple debuted one of the most innovative and spectacular commercials ever made: Ridley Scott’s ad for the then-brand new MacIntosh home computer. It showed an auditorium full of lifeless human drones staring at a dictator-like figure ranting on a giant screen, followed by an athletic blonde woman (the only splash of

When Rupert Wyatt’s 2011 revival “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” revived a five-decade-old franchise—one that spanned books, films, TV series, and comics since the ’60s—it did so with a refreshing commitment to a powerful, timeless story: simple but not simple-minded, deeply emotional but far from corny. Portrayed via groundbreaking performance capture technology by Andy

George Lucas gets a lot of flak for his screenwriting, but credit must be given when due: Sheev Palpatine, the humble senator from Naboo who becomes a galactic despot in the “Star Wars” movies, is one of the great screen villains.  The narrative architecture of his rise is ingenious. It’s thorough, too: the first few bricks of his foundation are

“Last Stop in Yuma County” is the kind of movie where you root for the worst to happen, because every escalation of misfortune makes things more entertaining.   Written and directed by Francis Gallupi, “Yuma” is a period piece that makes the most of a small budget. It’s set in the Arizona desert, roughly fifty years

The premise for Francis Gallupi’s directorial debut, “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” feels like it’s setting up a long-winded joke: a traveling knife salesman, two bank robbers, a traveling elderly couple, and two wannabe criminals walk into a diner while waiting for a fuel truck to arrive. Although some characters wear their menace on

We are re-posting this review in honor of the re-release for the film’s 25th anniversary. If it were the first “Star Wars” movie, “The Phantom Menace” would be hailed as a visionary breakthrough. But this is the fourth movie of the famous series, and we think we know the territory; many of the early reviews

At this moment, you’re likely floating in the Nowhere Stream. There’s no telling how long you’ve been there. Maybe minutes, maybe hours. Maybe longer than you’d care to admit. The Nowhere Stream offers so much comfort and so much promise; it’s no wonder we’re all floating in its cool waters, happily content to go where

For filmmaking brothers Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross, every movie is a journey. The directors behind acclaimed hybrid projects like “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets” blur the line between fiction and nonfiction, presenting real situations that have been preplanned, allowing their characters (often played by non-actors) the space to discover authentic moments. The results are

We are incredibly proud to present an excerpt from contributor Glenn Kenny‘s new book The World is Yours: The Making of Scarface, available this week. The official synopsis from Amazon is below, followed by the excerpt. Get a copy here. The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic film, featuring new interviews with the cast and crew.