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Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert [Paperback]

Roger Ebert , David Bordwell
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 15, 2006
Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for over forty years. In fact, no critic alive has reviewed more movies than he has. Yet his essential writings have never been collected in a single volume—until now. With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert’s work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of his numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. From The Godfather to GoodFellas, from Cries and Whispers to Crash, the reviews in Awake in the Dark span some of the most exceptional periods in film history.
            In addition, the extraordinary interviews gathered in Awake in the Dark capture Ebert engaging not only some of the most influential directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, and Ingmar Bergman—but also some of the silver screen’s most respected personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep.
           America’s most celebrated film critic, Ebert is a writer whose exceptional intelligence and bursts of insight have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.
          “As film criticism becomes more marginalized, Ebert may come to be seen as the last of a kind—the critic who actually has the power to influence a national audience.”—Booklist
            “[Ebert's] writing is top-notch. In Awake in the Dark, Ebert has produced his most personal collection of reviews, essays, and interviews, providing insights into the man as much as the movies he loves. . . . This volume contains some of Ebert's most exciting writing.”—Gary Kramer, Filmbill

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Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert + Life Itself: A Memoir + The Great Movies
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ebert, probably the most prolific film critic of all time, here distills his massive life's work into a single volume. After a nostalgic introduction recounting his initial forays into criticism, he presents reviews of the best films of each of the past 38 years, from Bonnie and Clyde to Crash, and a selection of foreign films, documentaries, and "overlooked and underrated" works. More compelling are longer "think pieces" on such topics as colorization, the movie-ratings system, digital projection, and Star Wars' deleterious effect on Hollywood. Those, and a selection of star profiles and interviews, allow him to share his expertise and voice his passion in a fashion that daily reviewing seldom permits. The volume's final selection, a 2004 piece about the healing effect of viewing movies--and of writing about them--during his convalescence from cancer treatment, may well serve as his valedictory. As film criticism becomes more marginalized, Ebert may come to be seen as the last of a kind--the critic who actually has the power to influence a national audience. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"To love the movies, [Ebert] tells us, 'does not mean to sit mindlessly and blissfully before the screen.... The task of every movie is to try to change how you feel and think during its running time,' and the task of the viewer is to participate in the process. He is moral but not moralistic, preferring stories of flawed people who struggle to do the right thing and fail over simplistic heroes facing simplified choices." - Tara Ison, Los Angeles Times "As film criticism becomes more marginalized, Ebert may come to be seen as the last of a kind - the critic who actually has the power to influence a national audience." - Booklist "[Ebert's] writing is top-notch. In Awake in the Dark, Ebert has produced his most personal collection of reviews, essays, and interviews, providing insights into the man as much as the movies he loves.... This volume contains some of Ebert's most exciting writing." - Gary Kramer, Filmbill"

Product Details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (September 15, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0226182010
  • ISBN-13: 978-0226182018
  • Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.3 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roger Ebert is the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic from the Chicago Sun-Times. His reviews are syndicated to more than 200 newspapers in the United States and Canada. The American Film Institute and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago have awarded him honorary degrees and the Online Film Critics Society named his Web site (rogerebert.com) the best online movie review site

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
79 of 84 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Unveiling Roger Ebert November 9, 2006
Format:Hardcover
When you think of Roger Ebert you think of "movie critic". However, this book introduces us to the depth of this man's love of the cinema and his ability to understand it. The book covers forty years of reviews, essays and interviews. For the film lover it will be an exciting journey back to the darken theaters of yesterday, and to the present blockbusters. His engaging style of interviewing is tops. A great reference book..... highly recommended!
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75 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
You know, there's a very good reason Roger Ebert won a Pulitzer. The man is an amazing writer. If you enjoy the pure pleasure of reading, and have a passion for the movies, you would be hard-pressed to find a better book than this to read.

The book is mostly a collection of writings by Ebert over the last several decades. There's some interviews with famous film folk, a collection of essays on subjects such as colorization, digital vs film, the need for a viable "adults only" rating, a few movie reviews, a discussion on the past, present and future of film review, and, most importantly, a serious love of the movies that comes through on every page.

I confess I am somewhat biased. Until I began reading Roger Ebert's fine website, I'd never heard of films such as M - Criterion Collection (Special Edition), Nosferatu, The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition), or The Grapes of Wrath (I knew about the novel, of course). I'd also never had any real interst in, or appreciation for, movies such as Dark City (New Line Platinum Series), "The Bride of Frankenstein", Citizen Kane, or The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition).

Fool that I was.

Now thanks largely to Roger Ebert I've began to really develop a love and passion for movies in ways I never thought that I would. Just looking over my recent purchases on Amazon, I see things like Babette's Feast, Russian Ark: The Masterworks Edition, All About Eve, All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics), the "Godfather" films, and many others. Roger Ebert really opened my eyes to the glory of film, and helped me to understand why something like "Sunrise", is a glorious movie and something like "White Chicks" is not (hint: the abscence of anyone named Wayans helps).

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like movies, buy it. If you like reading good writing, buy it. If you even think you might like this book, buy it! You'll be doing yourself a favor.
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57 of 63 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A great writer writing about what he loves April 15, 2007
Format:Hardcover
Roger Ebert loves movies, and he is a wonderful writer. He can reveal the essence of a movie with a poet;s touch, and he can point out some elements of the great mystery that draws us to an actor we might love, but not know why (thinking of his piece on Tom Hanks).

In one of the last reviewed movies in the book, "Crash" his writing helped me understand why a movie that seemed to rely so much on the most unlikely of fates, really deserved to be seen as a great movie. In the review of "Million Dollar Baby" which precedes "Crash", he shines a light on the heart of a movie that touched my heart, and does so with such simple and elegant precision.

It is easy to think of Mr. Ebert giving a thumbs up sign, doing battle with one of his guest hosts, or trying to find some way to indicate how much better than that a movie might be by using a series of adjectives or modifiers. Sometimes this has seemed silly, and inaccurate. For my wife and I, an unmodified "Two thumbs up" these days is as likely to reveal a mild stinker as something worthwhile and entertaining. Yet, I appreciate that he even writes an essay about another writer who decries such kinds of "criticisms and rating systems", doing so elegantly and non-defensively.

Yet when you read these reviews and interviews and let yourself be touched by them you can feel the author's joy and appreciation of the movies as well as his great understanding of this art form. That he is able to do this with a complete lack of pretense allowed me to fully appreciate the stand he has carved for himself as falling between the critic's movie critic and the people's movie critic.

If this were the last major work that Mr. Ebert creates in his life, he has performed a great service to those of us fortunate to pick this book up and read it. Thank you Roger Ebert. Two Thumbs pointing to the stars!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Passionate film writing
I skipped around this book, reading the sections in the order I thought I'd find them most interesting. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Michael Everleth
5.0 out of 5 stars Felicitous style
Felicitous style and great intelligence. Draws you into a film and the personalities behind movies in a conversational style. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Rupert C. Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars The most accessible film critic of the 20th century
My favourite critic presents a collection of his wonderfully humanistic and accessible reviews. Many other critics make me feel small, with their reviews casually dropping... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr Garry
5.0 out of 5 stars Some Of Roger's Best Writing
Roger Ebert has been my favorite film reviewer for years not just because I often agree with his tastes in movies but because of his witty readable writing style. Read more
Published on January 12, 2011 by Susan K. Schoonover
5.0 out of 5 stars Good choice...great price
This book reflects the skill and humor that make Roger Ebert my most trusted movie critic. He loves movies and so do I, so it seems like this book was written for little old... Read more
Published on May 24, 2009 by easyniner
5.0 out of 5 stars A film-fan's guide to life.
Nice to have a comprehensive retrospective of Ebert's work in a variety of topics and formats. I have enjoyed his reviews, especially in the inclusion of sociological,... Read more
Published on March 24, 2008 by William D. Myers
4.0 out of 5 stars Awake in the Dark : Roger Ebert
Finished the book in just under two days - he's my favorite author on cinema and this one didn't disappoint!
Published on September 9, 2007 by Brian Dominic D'Monte
5.0 out of 5 stars Let Roger help you love the movies
Not only does Ebert thoughtfully review movies, he writes so well that each essay is a pleasure to read whether we saw or will see the movie or not. Read more
Published on May 13, 2007 by Penelope De Paoli
5.0 out of 5 stars randy' orders
just got the book for my husband for christmas. Have not read it yet. I am sure it is wonderful
Published on November 9, 2006 by Randy Brosnahan
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