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Friday, May 20, 2022

Power Rankings: 12 Movies I want to see Siskel and Ebert review

This week's list is a little different direction: I rank movies of the 1970s and 1980s (mostly 1980s) I want to see Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review on their TV program, or maybe see them review again. I compiled a list of flicks about which I was curious and didn't remember what they had said at the time. I don't necessarily want to see the films again, and I may not even like some of them, but I want to see the segments.

Where I could find them, I included links to the episodes or segments that did have the reviews, so maybe we can watch these together! And if you want to see them all (or the ones that I found) in one playlist, you can head to the bottom for the embedded link. Here you go:

1) Megaforce: The bizarre would-be franchise from Hal Needham is a fun, if not good, sci-fi/action epic. But what do Gene and Roger think? Do they, too, wish there were a big line of tie-in toys?

2) One Crazy Summer: No review found! One of those off-kilter wacky movies of the time period from Savage Steve Holland and starring a young John Cusack. Did they even cover the movie at the time?

3) Superman II: When preparing for the podcast, I did see and enjoy their review of the first movie, but I need to see what they thought about the sequel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfvyLWdfnr8

4) Back to the Future: Of course this is one of the big, big movies of the era. Did Roger and Gene foresee what a huge smash it would become?

5) Top Gun: I don't expect Tarantino-esque analysis of the subtext, but especially given the upcoming sequel, I want to know how Siskel and Ebert talked about this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2RvwMvqJ0

6) Fast Times at Ridgemont High: No review found! The iconic Amy Heckerling movie really defines a certain aspect of Eighties culture, and I'd love to see how Gene and Roger 

7) The Breakfast Club: Seminal 1980s movie, no doubt, but if I recall correctly, it was not critically appreciated nor even much of a thing until after its initial release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_LeBWlgEcc (actually a solo Ebert review)

8) Grease: This is a sentimental favorite of mine from the ABC screenings, and I am curious how the lads viewed it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXTjgBc_Tnk (actually from the 1998 re-release)

9) Eight Men Out: No review found! One of my favorite baseball movies of all time and a fine picture in its own right, but I can't locate a contemporary S&E look on the John Sayles film about the infamous Black Sox scandal that rocked baseball after the 1919 World Series.

10) The Jerk: I happen to think this is one of the funniest movies of its era, and I have fond memories of it being on HBO 15 times a week.

11) Halloween: One of the prototypes for many, many slasher movies that followed it. Did Gene and Roger react to the style? The subject matter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXdgJG1dxgI (actually from a 1980 themed show)

12) Beverly Hills Cop: On the podcast, Mike alludes to Roger not liking it, and I am curious what his beef was.

Not bad! Here is the list containing all the clips linked above:



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