# Errors in Roger Ebert's reviews. How many are there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383 "2014-04-18T02:14:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/82 "2014-07-14T17:46:51Z")
I was channel surfing recently and saw _The Godfather_ was on HBO, so I started watching it. (Have a DVR so I would watch a little, watch something else, come back and watch some more.) Picked up late in the movie when Tessio and Clemenza were trying to persuade Vito to overrule Michael’s decisions. When I got to the graveyard scene I wanted to show **Mrs. FtG** the weird reflection that Ebert had trouble seeing. But it wasn’t there! It’s been cleaned up. Aggh. It’s surprising what gets cleaned up sometimes years later. E.g., in _The Zero Effect_ there used to be some shots in the diner where the printing on windows flipped. I.e., facing the street at times and facing in at times. That’s gone on the cable version now. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/83 "2014-07-14T19:13:09Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Yes, his reviews are full of errors, but I still liked reading them. I think of Ebert as a “big picture” kind of guy, but not too accurate with details. Oh, I am definitely a big fan. I was a charter member of his club, even. But I don’t understand why he recapitulated so much of the plot of movies in his reviews, when he made so many errors. BTW I don’t accept the premise of “zombie” threads: they should be made read-only if responding isn’t kosher. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/84 "2014-07-15T01:45:15Z")
As for whether a thread is a zombie, my understanding is it’s one that’s been six months since the last post. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/85 "2014-07-15T04:27:15Z")
Ebert liked _Predator_ but had some observations: > [@](#): > > And the action moves so quickly that we overlook questions such as (1) Why would an alien species go to all the effort to send a creature to Earth, just so that it could swing from trees and skin American soldiers? Or, (2) Why would a creature so technologically advanced need to bother with hand-to-hand combat, when it could just zap Arnold with a ray gun? I gather he completely missed the point of the film. The Predator wasn’t interested in killing humans _efficiently_, he was killing them for _sport_. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/86 "2014-07-15T04:30:58Z")
Ah, so like a bowhunter. (I haven’t seen it.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/87 "2014-07-15T05:01:14Z")
I recommend it highly, myself. The characters, including Arnold’s, are actually somewhat nuanced, by the standards of 1980s action flicks. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/88 "2014-07-15T05:12:41Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I don’t think he reviews too many movies now. > > Like Dale Sams’ example this is also not Ebert, but when Flashdance first came out Wichita’s movie critic referred to the main character as an “exotic dancer”. The closest thing the movie had to a major plot point was that she refused to be an exotic dancer, repeatedly turning down offers from a nearby strip club owner. Reminds me of all those reviewers who talk about Ana signing Christian Grey’s sexual contract in “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The whole relationship between Ana and Christian hinges on the fact that she refuses to sign the contract. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383/89 "2014-07-15T19:06:23Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Ebert liked _Predator_ but had some observations: > > > [@](#): > > > > And the action moves so quickly that we overlook questions such as (1) Why would an alien species go to all the effort to send a creature to Earth, just so that it could swing from trees and skin American soldiers? Or, (2) Why would a creature so technologically advanced need to bother with hand-to-hand combat, when it could just zap Arnold with a ray gun? > > I gather he completely missed the point of the film. The Predator wasn’t interested in killing humans _efficiently_, he was killing them for _sport_. That’s pretty egregious, bordering on “How do you call yourself a movie reviewer?” Being serious, how could he possibly not understand that point? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errors-in-roger-eberts-reviews-how-many-are-there/686383.md?page=4)