Without a doubt, Roger Ebert is the best and most influential populist film critic in the world.<\/p>\n
With a clear writing style that never condescends to the reader (The filmmaker on the other hand…), Ebert discusses the quality of a film on an everyman level, never dipping into too esoteric film theory. In the process, he has made critiques accessible to the average reader and has set the mold for most film writers who have followed. Unfortunately, several bouts with cancer over the past few years have slowed, and in some cases temporarily stopped, his prestigious output. But all of that is about to change.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Ebert celebrated his 41st anniversary as a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times<\/em> by announcing on his website<\/a> that his most recent round of health issues was nearly over and that he would be returning to his film reviewing duties by the end of the month, just after he hosts his annual Overlooked Film Festival, which opens on the 23rd.<\/p>\n He made the announcement with the wit he has continued to show through his long ordeal, by asking readers \u201cAre you as bored with my health as I am?\u201d He goes on to briefly report on his latest round of surgery and he can\u2019t wait to have the whole ordeal put behind him. \u201cI am still cancer-free, and not ready to think about more surgery at this time. I should be content with the abundance I have.\u201d<\/p>\n Ebert\u2019s Overlooked Film Fest always features a lineup of interesting films and it is only its close proximity to the Philadelphia Film Festival that keeps me from schlepping out to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois to spend a few days taking in what he has to offer. For the uninitiated, the films at Ebert\u2019s festival are handpicked by him based on just two criteria- he thinks deserve critical reappraisal or just wider exposure.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s crop of films is no exception ranging from Josef von Sternberg\u2019s Underworld<\/strong> (1927) to recent films like John Turturro\u2019s karaoke musical Romance & Cigarettes<\/strong> and the indie drama Shotgun Stories<\/strong>. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he has included Ang Lee\u2019s superhero flick Hulk<\/strong> to the lineup, a film that I admire for its ambition, even though it never fully achieves what it tried to do. No surprise is the inclusion of Tarsem Singh\u2019s 2000 film The Cell<\/strong>, as Ebert was one of the very few positive voices when the movie was released.<\/p>\n You can check out the complete lineup at the festival\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"