At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper

Episode 1

True Romance/The Ballad of Little Jo/Kalifornia/The Joy Luck Club/The Real McCoy

Sat, Sep 11, 1993

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies and recommend two videos. The only split vote is for the Quentin Tarantino-scripted, Tony Scott-directed True Romance (1993) and they don't split very far. They agree it's a dumb, violent fantasy for stupid teenage boys, but only Ebert found it entertaining nonetheless. Two thumbs up for The Ballad of Little Jo (1993), the modest but absorbing western about a woman who poses as a cowboy. Two thumbs up for Kalifornia (1993), a road movie as violent as the Tarantino picture, but much smarter. They only disagree about the ending, which Siskel found stupid and Ebert found sly. Two thumbs up for The Joy Luck Club (1993), a richly observed and beautifully acted weepie about Chinese-American women and their daughters. Siskel makes two "Video Picks of the Week": _Map of the Human Heart (1993)_ and El Mariachi (1992).

Episode 2

Striking Distance/Into the West/The Age of Innocence/Household Saints/Baraka

Sat, Sep 18, 1993

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies and choose a laser disc collection for their "Video Pick of the Week". Two thumbs down for the dumb and implausible serial killer movie, Striking Distance (1993). Two thumbs up for Into the West (1992). It's a fresh and unconventional Irish adventure story of two gypsy boys and their horse. Two thumbs up again for Martin Scorsese's New York period piece, The Age of Innocence (1993). Scorsese adapts the Edith Wharton story for a movie that is surprisingly of a piece with his earlier work. Two thumbs up yet again for Household Saints (1993). Siskel says it will take a lot of good movies to knock this meditation on spirituality off his best-of-the-year list. They give their fourth thumbs up of the day for the semi-documentary Baraka (1992). Both critics were thrilled to go in dozens of places around the world they had never been. Ebert takes a look at the expensive but elaborate new laser disc set, "The Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection".

Episode 3

The Good Son/The Program/A Bronx Tale/Bopha!/Dazed and Confused

Sat, Sep 25, 1993

Episode 4

Malice/Cool Runnings/Short Cuts/M. Butterfly/For Love or Money

Sat, Oct 2, 1993

Episode 5

Rudy/A Life in the Theatre/Gettysburg/Farewell, My Concubine/Mr. Jones

Sat, Oct 9, 1993

Episode 6

The Beverly Hillbillies/Ruby in Paradise/The Nightmare Before Christmas/Fearless/Mr. Wonderful

Sat, Oct 16, 1993

Episode 7

Tommy Lee Jones

Sat, Oct 23, 1993

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert examine the career of Tommy Lee Jones, who after twenty years of acting has become a star.

Episode 8

Fatal Instinct/Demolition Man/The Remains of the Day/Twenty Bucks

Sat, Oct 30, 1993

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review four new movies and two restored classics and recommend a laser disc. Two thumbs down for Fatal Instinct (1993). Ebert laughed too little at Carl Reiner's parody of sex thrillers; Siskel didn't laugh at all. A split vote on Demolition Man (1993). Both liked the satirical scenes; Siskel disliked the tired action stuff. Two thumbs up for The Remains of the Day (1993). The Merchant-Ivory story of English repression is beautifully told. Two more thumbs up for Twenty Bucks (1993). The off-beat anthology tale is a 1930s script dusted off and updated to appealing effect. They review the re-release of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), which restores censored material, and It's All True (1993), which salvages rediscovered material from Orson Welles's unfinished documentary. They recommend the laser disc of the great Billy Wilder thriller, Double Indemnity (1944).

Episode 9

Flesh and Bone/RoboCop 3/Look Who's Talking Now/A Home of Our Own/The War Room

Sat, Nov 6, 1993

Episode 10

Carlito's Way/The Piano/My Life/The Three Musketeers/Jamón Jamón

Sat, Nov 13, 1993

Episode 11

Addams Family Values/The Snapper/Dangerous Game/The Saint of Fort Washington/Like Water for Chocolate

Sat, Nov 20, 1993

Episode 12

A Perfect World/We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story/Mrs. Doubtfire/The Nutcracker/A Dangerous Woman

Sat, Nov 27, 1993

Episode 13

Holiday Video Gift Guide

Sat, Dec 4, 1993

Episode 14

Schindler's List/Geronimo: An American Legend/Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit/Wayne's World 2/Six Degrees of Separation

Sat, Dec 11, 1993

Episode 15

The Pelican Brief/Beethoven's 2nd/Philadelphia/What's Eating Gilbert Grape/Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway

Sat, Dec 18, 1993

Episode 16

Heaven and Earth/Grumpy Old Men/Shadowlands/In the Name of the Father/The Summer House

Sat, Dec 25, 1993

Episode 17

The Best Films of 1993

Sat, Jan 1, 1994

This week Siskel and Ebert revealed their lists of the ten best films of 1993.

Episode 18

The Worst Films of 1993

Sat, Jan 8, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert pick the worst movies of 1993, and their choices happened to arrange themselves into neat categories. "Bad TV Comedy Remakes": Siskel's choice is The Beverly Hillbillies (1993); Ebert's is Coneheads (1993). "Special Effects Fiascoes": Ebert's pick is Hocus Pocus (1993); Siskel's is Super Mario Bros. (1993). "Psychodramas from Hell": Siskel's is Dangerous Game (1993); Ebert's is The Vanishing (1993). "Comedies That Weren't Comedies": Ebert's is The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992); Siskel's is Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). Finally, each critic picks the very worst movie of the year, and each one is a movie the other recommended. Siskel's worst (which Ebert gave a thumbs up): Cop & ½ (1993). Ebert's worst (which Siskel gave a thumbs up): Carnosaur (1993).

Episode 19

Memo to the Academy - 1994

Sat, Jan 15, 1994

Episode 20

Intersection/The Air Up There/Body Snatchers/Iron Will/Hoop Dreams

Sat, Jan 22, 1994

Episode 21

Blink/Naked/I'll Do Anything/The Thing Called Love/Blue

Sat, Jan 29, 1994

Episode 22

My Father the Hero/Ace Ventura: Pet Detective/Romeo Is Bleeding/Gunmen/Tombstone

Sat, Feb 5, 1994

Episode 23

The Getaway/Blank Check/My Girl 2

Sat, Feb 12, 1994

In addition to reviewing three new movies, Siskel and Ebert share their surprises on the 1994 Oscar nominations.

Episode 24

Blue Chips/Midnight Cowboy/Reality Bites/The Critic/The Scent of Green Papaya

Sat, Feb 19, 1994

Episode 25

8 Seconds/You So Crazy/Sugar Hill/On Deadly Ground/Fiorlie

Sat, Feb 26, 1994

Episode 26

Angie/China Moon/Greedy/Sirens/The Chase

Sat, Mar 5, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies and recommend a video. A split vote on Angie (1994). Siskel enjoyed this slice of life with Geena Davis; Ebert thought it was a corny melodrama. Two thumbs up for China Moon (1994). Both are surprised by the plot twists in this thriller and even more surprised by the well-written characters. Two thumbs down for Greedy (1994). They condemn the "bubble-brained sitcom storyline," especially when the would-be black comedy turns soppy and serious. Two thumbs up for Sirens (1994). The witty erotic story set in 1930s Australia and based on Greek mythology enchanted both critics. Two thumbs down for The Chase (1994). The title is no lie: the movie is one long chase from beginning to end; Ebert sort of liked the satirical elements, while Siskel disliked the movie completely. Siskel recommends the largely unseen King of the Hill (1993).

Episode 27

Guarding Tess/Lightning Jack/The Hudsucker Proxy/The Ref/Belle Epoque/Germinal

Sat, Mar 12, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review six new movies and recommend two movies on video starring the late John Candy. A split vote on Guarding Tess (1994). Siskel got tired of the jokes and thought the movie lost heart; Ebert thought the movie has nothing but heart. Two thumbs down for Lightning Jack (1994). The comic western with Paul Hogan is genial but dispensable: "Your friendly host for a boring evening at the movies," says Ebert. Two more thumbs down for The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). The Coen brothers' throwback to screwball comedies à la Preston Sturges has a great set-up but no pay-off and Dennis Gassner's production design upstages the characters. A split vote for The Ref (1994). Ebert liked the funny characters and their dialogue; Siskel lost interest halfway through. Two thumbs up for _Belle epoque (1992)_. The Oscar nominee from Spain is a light romantic comedy with serious politics on its mind. Two thumbs up for Germinal (1993). The Emile Zola adaptation from France is a terrifically photographed story of rich versus poor. John Candy's recent death prompts two video recommendations: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) and Only the Lonely (1991).

Episode 28

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult/Monkey Trouble/The Paper/Bitter Moon/Savage Nights

Sat, Mar 19, 1994

Episode 29

Four Weddings and a Funeral/The Cement Garden/Above the Rim/Raining Stones/The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

Sat, Mar 26, 1994

Episode 30

Jimmy Hollywood/Thumbelina/The House of the Spirits/Major League II/D2: The Mighty Ducks

Sat, Apr 2, 1994

Episode 31

Red Rock West/Clifford/Threesome/Silent Tongue/The Blue Kite

Sat, Apr 9, 1994

Episode 32

Serial Mom/White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf/Cops & Robbersons/Backbeat/32 Short Films About Glen Gould

Sat, Apr 16, 1994

Episode 33

Bad Girls/The Inkwell/Naked in New York/Brainscan/Surviving the Game

Sat, Apr 23, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies and recommend a laser disc. Two thumbs down for the phony feminist western, _Bad Girls (1994/I)_, with its comic book action right out of Hopalong Cassidy or Tom Mix. Two thumbs up for the sweet and funny coming-of-age comedy, The Inkwell (1994), which has a light touch despite some overacting. A split vote on Naked in New York (1993), a Woody Allen-esque comedy about a young playwright in love. Siskel found it forced and padded; Ebert especially liked Tony Curtis and Kathleen Turner in supporting roles. Two thumbs down for the sci-fi horror, Brainscan (1994), which has a particularly boring and repellent villain. A split vote on Surviving the Game (1994), yet another variation on "The Most Dangerous Game". Siskel calls it a strong, entertaining B picture; Ebert reluctantly disagrees because of its utter predictability. Both of them like the acting, especially by Ice-T. The "Laser Disc Pick of the Month": Peeping Tom (1960).

Episode 34

When a Man Loves a Woman/PCU/With Honors/No Escape/The Favor

Sat, Apr 30, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies, and Siskel recommends a video. Two thumbs up for When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). Ebert thinks it's the wisest movie on alcoholism he has seen. Siskel likes it, but believes the movie should have been at least three hours in order to properly deal with the issues it raises. Two thumbs down for the campus comedy, PCU (1994). "PC" stands for "political correctness", but the movie has nothing smart to say about the subject. Two more thumbs down for With Honors (1994), a shallow and clichéd campus movie about homelessness. A split vote on No Escape (1994). Siskel found the chase picture to be silly fun despite its brutality; Ebert thinks it's just silly. Two thumbs down for The Favor (1994), a dull romantic comedy. Ebert says the movie shows evidence of having started with a smart script that was later dumbed down. Siskel's "Video Pick of the Week" is School Ties (1992), a smart campus movie about antisemitism.

Episode 35

That's Entertainment III/3 Ninjas Kick Back/Being Human/Dream Lover/Kika

Sat, May 7, 1994

Episode 36

Crooklyn/Clean Slate/The Crow/Babyfever/Sunday's Children

Sat, May 14, 1994

Episode 37

Maverick/Trading Mom/The Return of Jafar/Widows' Peak/Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Sat, May 21, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies and recommend a video. Two marginal thumbs up for Maverick (1994), the genial western based on the old TV series. Both agree that its main defect is overstaying its welcome. Two thumbs way down for the dreary and depressing children's film, Trading Mom (1994). Sissy Spacek plays four roles and is bad in all of them. Two thumbs up for the straight-to-video animated Disney sequel, The Return of Jafar (1994). Both are pleased to see the characters from Aladdin (1992) a second time. Two big thumbs up for Widows' Peak (1994), an off-beat mystery tale about Irish women. It's rare for a movie to surprise movie critics, but both critics found plenty of surprises here. Two very disappointed thumbs down for Gus Van Sant's outdated and overly quirky Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993). Uma Thurman's two grotesquely large thumbs did nothing for them. The "Video Pick of the Week" is The Remains of the Day (1993).

Episode 38

The Cowboy Way/Beverly Hills Cop III/Renaissance Man/The Flintstones/Little Buddha

Sat, Jun 4, 1994

Episode 39

Speed/The Endless Summer 2/The Lion King/City Slickers II: The Legend of Curley's Gold

Sat, Jun 11, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review four new movies. Also, Gene Siskel interviews Eddie Murphy about his sagging film career.

Episode 40

Getting Even with Dad/Fear of a Black Hat/Wolf/White

Sat, Jun 18, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review four new movies. Also, they examine Speed, which they reviewed last week, to see what lessons Hollywood can take from its success.

Episode 41

Blown Away/Little Big League/I Love Trouble/The Shadow/Baby's Day Out/Wyatt Earp

Sat, Jul 2, 1994

Episode 42

On the Sunny Side of the Screen

Sat, Jul 9, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert don Hawaiian shirts to recommend summertime movies on video. Siskel's picks: Back to the Beach (1987), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), Smooth Talk (1985) and Do the Right Thing (1989). Ebert's picks: Summer of '42 (1971), Summertime (1955), High Season (1987), American Graffiti (1973) and The Beach Boys: An American Band (1985).

Episode 43

True Lies/Angels in the Outfield/Forrest Gump/Mi Vida Loca/Bhaji on the Beach

Sat, Jul 16, 1994

Episode 44

The Client/Lassie/It Could Happen to You/North/Barcelona

Sat, Jul 23, 1994

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies, and Ebert recommends three videos. Two thumbs down for The Client (1994). Ebert liked the first hour of this John Grisham thriller better than Siskel, but both agree that on the whole it's too routine. Two thumbs up for Lassie (1994), the latest return of the famous collie (if only in name). "Sure it was corny," says Ebert, "but we liked it." Two thumbs up for It Could Happen to You (1994). They loved everything about this romantic comedy except the boring title (which replaced the wonderful original title, "Cop Gives Waitress $2 Million Tip!"). Two "walloping" thumbs down for Rob Reiner's appallingly tasteless and unfunny comedy, North (1994). The critics only disagree on who hated it more. Two thumbs up for Whit Stillman's Barcelona (1994). The dialogue is uncommonly sharp in this comedy about 1980s yuppies. Ebert recommends three buried treasures on video: Household Saints (1993), Body Snatchers (1993) and My Neighbor Totoro (1988).

Episode 45

Corrina, Corrina/In the Army Now/Clear and Present Danger/The Mask/In the Land of the Deaf

Sat, Aug 13, 1994

Episode 46

Color of Night/Andre/Killing Zoe/A Man in Uniform/Eat Drink Man Woman

Sat, Aug 20, 1994

Episode 47

Natural Born Killers/Blankman/Fresh/Wagons East/The Advocate

Sat, Aug 27, 1994