Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 1999 (Serial) (Paperback)

by Roger Ebert (Author) "Hugh Grant, who has a good line in charm, has never been more charming that in About a Boy..." (more)
Key Phrases: spoiler warning, slow clap, movie avoids, New York, Los Angeles, Jackie Chan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Roger Ebert's movie reviews are extremely popular, and there are valid reasons for this. Ebert writes entertainingly, his movie assessments are generally spot-on, and he's able to explain, concretely and descriptively, the strengths and flaws of the movies he reviews. That said, there are all sorts of reasons to want Ebert's Movie Yearbook 1999. For one, it provides the same kind of wonderful reference service his Video Companion volumes did, only more so, including every review penned (or more likely, keyboarded) by Ebert in 1997 and 1998, about 500 in all, instead of the 150 reviews selected for each Video Companion. The good, the bad, and the indifferent, they're all there, with blockbusters and little-known independents, art films and documentaries, foreign films and Hollywood extravaganzas. It doesn't include a review for every film made since cinematography began, but, for each movie selected, there's a full-length review instead of the mini-reviews seen in more inclusive anthologies.

In addition, there's an appendix listing every movie review that ever appeared in an Ebert Video Companion (nearly 2,000 titles in all), with the star rating he assigned at the time, so while you don't get to read the reviews, you do get his valuable conclusions. The Yearbook also includes a summary of the best films of 1997, interviews with a number of movie hot shots (from Jim Carrey and Spike Lee to Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino), essays on David Brinkley, Frank Sinatra, Spielberg at 50, and the Titanic, as well as notes from film festivals in Toronto, Telluride, and Cannes. All this plus a comprehensive, cross-referenced index make the Movie Yearbook a superb cinema resource. Ebert fans already know the pleasures of Ebert's prose, but newcomers to Ebert's style will easily understand why he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his movie critiques. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description
In a brand-new concept, Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook contains all the reviews published by Ebert in the last two and a half years, including foreign films, documentaries, indies, and highly negative reviews which were often eliminated from the Companion for space reasons but make entertaining reading as well as aiding in the selection process. The Yearbook also contains all interviews and essays for the year, his Questions for the Movie Answer Man, and film festival coverage. The book also retains in the back a list of all movies previously appearing in Video Companions with Roger's star ratings.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 822 pages
• Publisher: Andrews Mcmeel Pub (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836268318
• ISBN-13: 978-0836268317
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,118,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, wise, and thorough, November 18, 1999

By	B. W. Fairbanks "Brian W. Fairbanks" (Lakewood, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2000 (Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook, 2000) (Paperback)

Film critics generate hostility among some filmmakers who apparently consider the expression of an honest opinion the ultimate act of arrogance. "How dare they tell people they have no right to like (insert a title here)," Burt Reynolds once said on Entertainment Tonight. Of course, everyone who states an opinion ("I like it," "I don't like it") is playing the role of critic, including Reynolds, and the best critics do not tell people what they have a right to like. They tell you what THEY like and why. The professional film critic who does his job right is simply a more thoughtful member of the audience who takes the time and possesses the wisdom to explain why a film hits the target or fails to do so. Roger Ebert takes the time and has wisdom to spare. The fact that the Pulitzer Prize winning Chicagoan is America's most popular critic is probably a happy accident owing less to his skill than to TV exposure (there was a time when Gene Shalit and gossip-monger Rona Barrett were probably the two most popular "critics" thanks to their gigs on morning television), but Ebert's status is richly deserved. He genuinely loves movies, and that love is evident throughout his various collections of film reviews, including the excellent Movie Yearbook. He is smart without being pompous, funny without being cruel, and wise without being pedantic. He is also thorough, seeing and writing reviews of even the most obscure movies, including those that may be deemed unworthy of attention by other critics at big city newspapers. You may not always agree with him, but it's doubtful you'll ever read one of his reviews without being enlightened, amused, or, best of all, encouraged to see something you may have otherwise missed. Anyone for whom movies are more than mere entertainment but an art form with the potential to change the way the audience looks at life, should find a place on their bookshelves for Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like to trash movies? Roger does. And, oh, boy, is he good, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

Movie reviews aren't always going to agree with your personal opinion. Sometimes you will like a movie and somebody like Mr. Ebert may think it isn't worth the celluloid it's printed on. But, when Ebert hates a film, he LOATHES it. The fun of this book is in seeing how he manages to tear down a film completely and so thoroughly in a single line. Who wants to read a glowing review of a film (especially if you thought it was dreck anyway?) But reading Ebert trash "The Jackal" as being the tale of "an over achiever" who would import bugspray from Iran if he were hired to kill a mosquito, is pure literary gold. In a time where most people are content to say a movie was either good or bad, depending on the mood they were in when they saw it, Ebert blows a great breath of fresh air into critical savagery. And if that's not worth the cover price, why do you want a movie review compendium in the first place?

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ebert's big book of movies never disappoints!, October 3, 2002

By	fair_deal_guy "BB" (Prior Lake, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2003 (Paperback)

The 2003 edition of Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook is the sixth I've purchased and it is sure to exceed every one that came before it. Ebert is a fine writer with the uncanny ability to make every review readable, fun and insightful--whether it's his 5th review or his 5,000th. The extras are what makes these books so enjoyable. From the movie glossary to the index of all his reviews (with star ratings), the book is absolutely jam-packed with information.

My personal favorite section is the interviews he does with various directors, actors and movie business people. Ebert always asks the right questions without the usual creampuff fluffery you come to expect from interviews in Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, etc. He pushes their buttons and gets under their skin--and the results are usually pretty entertaining.

Of course, the real value of Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook is the reviews. The book contains all the reviews of the past several years, along with handy notes on cast and crew, and, of course, the star ratings.

If you love movies, this book is a real treasure and a bargain at any price!