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Roger Ebert Responds To Moriarty's PEARL HARBOR Comments!!

Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.

In my PEARL HARBOR review yesterday, I made mention of the fact that Roger Ebert had not reviewed the film on his syndicated television show, commenting how I found that disturbing based on who produces his show. I'm guessing Roger received a number of e-mails about it, because I got the following in my inbox last night:

To those asking about your recent item, I am replying:

===

For 20 years, I have gone to the Cannes Film Festival, and filed daily reports from there. For 20 years, that has meant we tape two shows before I go, and fill the third week with a "repeat" show. Every year a very big special effects picture opens late in May, and we always miss it. For example, one of the Star Wars pictures, or "Godzilla." We are forced to review those pictures one week late.

It was not possible to see Pearl Harbor before I left for Cannes on May 8. After Cannes, I flew to London, and saw it on the Wednesday night there, and filed my print review on deadline.

Disney has never in 25 years made the slightest interference with what we review, what we say, or when we review it.

I wrote Roger back, asking if I could print his rebuttal here at AICN. I see that David Poland must have been one of the ones who inquired, since he also ran Roger's rebuttal today. However, when Roger wrote back to tell me that he would like me to run it, he added the following postscript:

And do the math. Was there any way I could have seen "Pearl Harbor" before going to Cannes? No. Was I there? Yes. See my daily reports at suntimes.com/ebert. Do I always go? Yes. I wrote a book about it, fer chrissakes, called "Two Weeks in the Midday Sun." And I annually co-anchor the closing ceremoinies for the Independent Film Channel. Did Disney publicists in fact inform me of the London screening, so that I could meet my Friday print deadline instead of missing it? Yes. Would they have done that if they had hoped to keep a review out of the ~200 papers that syndicate my column? Possibly not. Did the Sun-Times hold the page of the Friday pre-print section so that my late-arriving review could get into print? Yes. Did I feel it was more important to be at Cannes than to review "Pearl Harbor" on TV? Yes. As a film critic I refuse to let blockbusters take on an importance out of proportion to my commitment to film in general. If the cinema is worth a lifetime of one's attention, it is because of the kinds of movies they show at Cannes, not because of "Pearl Harbor."

It is interesting that you focused on the missing review and apparently did not even notice that I had been filing daily from Cannes. Don't tell me you're getting blockbuster fever!

Best,

Roger

At any rate, there's the answer, straight from The Thumb himself. Point taken, Roger, and we appreciate you taking the time to address the comments. I think everyone had blockbuster fever last weekend, and it's all the Mouse's fault! I'll make it up next week when I make my pilgrimage to supplicate myself before one of the real giants of American independent cinema on the set of his new film. Until then...

"Moriarty" out.





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Damn, Mori, you just got schooled
by Toby O Notoby
May 30th, 2001
04:13:50 AM
Confirming what we already Knew.
by Mr. Biege
May 30th, 2001
04:14:50 AM
All freinds again then?
by Palmer Eldritch
May 30th, 2001
04:15:34 AM
So when's the fight?
by Imokliel
May 30th, 2001
04:16:19 AM
Thumbs down to DIE HARD
by Blanket-Man
May 30th, 2001
04:17:01 AM
Who is this guy?
by drunken-master
May 30th, 2001
04:18:34 AM
I still won't be happy until
by Darth Brooks
May 30th, 2001
04:32:04 AM
Raging Bull DVD w/ Roger Commentary........
by Alonzo Hawk
May 30th, 2001
04:52:54 AM
Dear Mr Egbert
by Miss Aura
May 30th, 2001
04:53:48 AM
Well, Ebert's right about one thing...
by L.B. Jefferies
May 30th, 2001
04:55:47 AM
And this just in from critic Nelson Muntz...
by BlindBartimaeus
May 30th, 2001
05:08:03 AM
sheesh, Roger's all pissy
by MartinBlank
May 30th, 2001
05:09:46 AM
Well, he has a *right* to be pissy...
by George McFly
May 30th, 2001
05:21:26 AM
Oh please
by Shawn F.
May 30th, 2001
05:23:09 AM
EBERT CAME ON AICN TO PLUG PLUG PLUG AWAY SHAMELESSLY
by jon-e-blaze
May 30th, 2001
05:35:04 AM
Welcome to fight club, Mr. Ebert.
by Roguewriter
May 30th, 2001
05:37:36 AM
question for Ebert (who I'm pretty sure is going to be reading t
by Mr_ant
May 30th, 2001
06:16:02 AM
Roeper...
by T'car
May 30th, 2001
06:17:13 AM
You don't have to agree with his taste...
by JonQuixote
May 30th, 2001
06:28:33 AM
Haha! Bitch-Slapped!
by Sgt. Bilko
May 30th, 2001
06:41:47 AM
You guys are acting quite foolish!
by The Tao of Joe
May 30th, 2001
06:45:40 AM
True...I respect Ebert's opinion like few others, and here's why
by Sgt. Bilko
May 30th, 2001
06:56:56 AM
For the Brits & other Non - Yanks
by Captain Scarlet
May 30th, 2001
07:05:58 AM
Ebert is right, Blockbusters dont come first
by Spacesheik
May 30th, 2001
07:09:36 AM
This "Roger Ebert"...is he some kind of film reviewer or somethi
by Bill Carson
May 30th, 2001
07:11:09 AM
Roeper isn't dead, yet!?!?
by Vermifax
May 30th, 2001
08:21:07 AM
Hey I just got an e-mail from Gene Siskel from the Great Beyond!
by Regis Travolta
May 30th, 2001
08:23:13 AM
Ebert's the best...
by Rybock
May 30th, 2001
08:25:00 AM
re:ebert;cell;being foolish
by Mr_ant
May 30th, 2001
08:28:39 AM
Remember guys Ebert wrote the screenplay for "Beyond the Valley
by Regis Travolta
May 30th, 2001
08:30:25 AM
Good Job, Roger
by MattmanReturns
May 30th, 2001
08:33:21 AM
Hey Ebert, shut your fuckin' hole, and write another "Dolls" fli
by Uncle Jay
May 30th, 2001
08:51:34 AM
Moriarty you just got bent over and had the famous thumb planted
by RAVAGE
May 30th, 2001
09:04:00 AM
First all of the positive hype turned to a negative reviewing sh
by Marek
May 30th, 2001
09:08:29 AM
Ebert's Da Shit!!!
by skiopps
May 30th, 2001
09:18:41 AM
haha
by jeff bailey
May 30th, 2001
09:23:35 AM
Oh yeah!!!Pearl Harbor sucks this is not news!!!
by skiopps
May 30th, 2001
09:26:46 AM
Before I read these posts..............
by Beau
May 30th, 2001
09:27:01 AM
Oh yeah!!!Pearl Harbor sucks this is not news!!!
by skiopps
May 30th, 2001
09:27:52 AM
Whatever happened to "I'm sorry?"
by pedant
May 30th, 2001
09:43:19 AM
At least Moriarty made public the rebuttal instead of burying it
by Milktoast
May 30th, 2001
10:02:08 AM
Ebert, buddy boy...
by Lenny Nero
May 30th, 2001
10:02:40 AM
And lay off "BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS." It was a satire,
by Lenny Nero
May 30th, 2001
10:04:58 AM
Jessuz...of course Ebert is in the right.
by superninja
May 30th, 2001
10:09:51 AM
Ebert's new co-host should be........
by General Idea
May 30th, 2001
10:15:10 AM
compensation for my brother in law
by Cornellius
May 30th, 2001
10:22:25 AM
Once Again, Ebert Proves His Superiority
by CRITICAL MASS
May 30th, 2001
10:29:21 AM
Need I remind everyone...
by wash
May 30th, 2001
10:37:35 AM
JUST SHUT IT ALREADY
by Max Fisher Playr
May 30th, 2001
10:48:39 AM
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
by emu47
May 30th, 2001
10:57:31 AM
pedant is correct
by IronRabbit
May 30th, 2001
10:58:16 AM
You guys need an editing staff
by pedant
May 30th, 2001
10:58:31 AM
Yeah, he bashes: "Rosencrantz", "Blue Velvet", "Clockwork" and "
by Uncle Jay
May 30th, 2001
11:21:31 AM
Can't we all just get along?
by nverman
May 30th, 2001
11:37:53 AM
Ebert deserves your respect...
by Dr.XerxesMulcahy
May 30th, 2001
12:07:00 PM
The only reason Harry didn't get the part on Ebert and Roper is
by Closet Trekkie
May 30th, 2001
12:09:18 PM
Why all of this is meaningless....
by Isidore
May 30th, 2001
12:38:11 PM
I've always liked Ebert and I have always trusted his reviews...
by Smugbug
May 30th, 2001
12:38:50 PM
One more thing.......
by Smugbug
May 30th, 2001
12:49:42 PM
A SIMPLE QUESTION FOR ROGER EBERT:
by timmer33
May 30th, 2001
12:53:05 PM
on "Porko" Ebert and "Dorko" Roeper...
by Fatal Discharge
May 30th, 2001
01:10:19 PM
Take that!
by PR_GMR
May 30th, 2001
01:30:43 PM
Since It Seems Many Of You Can't Read...
by TheRealMoriarty
May 30th, 2001
01:55:23 PM
Now, only if Roger could teach Moriarty the basics of writing a
by death_stick
May 30th, 2001
01:58:12 PM
Ebert gave Pearl Harbor a horrible review how could Disney have
by BigTuna
May 30th, 2001
02:41:42 PM
Tell me about this Roeper guy
by booksteve
May 30th, 2001
02:46:23 PM
Roger Ebert: The Best; Richard Roeper: Evil-is-my-mug-on-TV?
by Electric_Monk
May 30th, 2001
03:25:44 PM
Now onto Roeper...
by Electric_Monk
May 30th, 2001
03:35:39 PM
These geeks.....good job Roger
by Why_Dammy?
May 30th, 2001
03:45:23 PM
Oh please
by zacdilone
May 30th, 2001
03:51:47 PM
wow, cine99
by wash
May 30th, 2001
03:55:04 PM
P.H= Crap
by cooper2000
May 30th, 2001
03:55:49 PM
In support of Ebert
by Solaris
May 30th, 2001
04:56:57 PM
Eberts the Best
by Dadumdadum
May 30th, 2001
05:10:52 PM
Solaris
by wash
May 30th, 2001
05:18:13 PM
I believe in Ebert.... and the only thing that scares me is Keys
by user id indeed!
May 30th, 2001
05:36:11 PM
Yes, you DO owe him an apology, and here's why...
by pedant
May 30th, 2001
05:51:42 PM
Before Moriarty went public with his accusations why didn't he l
by BigTuna
May 30th, 2001
06:14:42 PM
Teen Critic II
by sub-moxy
May 30th, 2001
06:20:32 PM
I'm confused...which one is Ebert?
by corvette63
May 30th, 2001
06:36:24 PM
Wash
by Solaris
May 30th, 2001
07:13:09 PM
Blanket-Man and MartinBlank
by AICN fanboy dork
May 30th, 2001
07:28:40 PM
Hm....
by PaladinHGWT
May 30th, 2001
07:58:01 PM
Jerry Buzzheimer Presents A Maverik Pay Film THE DONNER PARTY...
by Buzz Maverik
May 30th, 2001
08:37:09 PM
HEY WASH AND SOLARIS
by timmer33
May 30th, 2001
08:45:43 PM
Bummed Because You Think You Might Have Liked PEARL HARBOR Bette
by Buzz Maverik
May 30th, 2001
08:49:27 PM
I Think Roger Is Going To Want Me For His Partner When He Learns
by Buzz Maverik
May 30th, 2001
09:23:16 PM
ebert was in cannes? where's that?
by HeywoodFloyd
May 30th, 2001
09:52:36 PM
Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods
by JMYoda
May 30th, 2001
10:00:52 PM
sorry timmer
by wash
May 30th, 2001
10:01:21 PM
Ebert is a babe.
by The Ferenc
May 30th, 2001
10:27:57 PM
Chicago's Best Film Critic is...
by zenda
May 30th, 2001
11:37:17 PM
On the subject of Roeper
by 1013nomore
May 31st, 2001
03:49:59 AM
Nice to see Enest Rister the PHONY showed up
by Iknowuhackboy
May 31st, 2001
05:02:00 AM
ERNEST RISTER sighting! Man you're a phony, Ernest.
by Iknowuhackboy
May 31st, 2001
05:05:22 AM
Ebert
by LordZanthos
May 31st, 2001
12:46:58 PM
NEWSFLASH! : Moriarty Defiantly UN-Apologetic?!!
by CRITICAL MASS
May 31st, 2001
12:52:24 PM
Gojiro Bruckheimer Presents A Mikado Bayamoto Film HARBOR OF PEA
by Buzz Maverik
May 31st, 2001
12:53:07 PM
Roger's Ethic Are Unquestionable. However, SHOULD He Decide To B
by Buzz Maverik
May 31st, 2001
02:59:33 PM
As it seems people don't read the entire thread...
by Ex-Lurker
May 31st, 2001
03:09:19 PM
This is probably WAY too late to make a difference, but back off
by bskutle
May 31st, 2001
05:22:02 PM
Moriarty made a faux-pas, it was his bad.
by Tall_Boy
May 31st, 2001
06:52:26 PM
Why I can never trust Roger Ebert
by artsnob
May 31st, 2001
07:28:10 PM
How Ebert justifies 3 1/2 stars for "Godfather III" (for the uni
by Darth Taun Taun
May 31st, 2001
11:54:43 PM
Ebert's first draft
by Darth Taun Taun
May 31st, 2001
11:55:34 PM
AICN fanboy dork
by Blanket-Man
Jun 1st, 2001
04:29:35 AM
Bring me the head of Wilmington's cow!
by METHOS
Jun 1st, 2001
10:06:01 PM
Ebert gave The Cell 4 stars?
by pb
Jun 2nd, 2001
12:27:28 AM
PLANT!
by neobido999
Mar 11th, 2004
09:52:04 PM

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